Malta and international press digest

The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press:

The Times leads with the scuffles between Greenpeace protesters and fishermen in Grand Harbour.

The Malta Independent and l-orizzont also pick up the story,

In other stories, The Times reports how athlete Nicky Farrugia had to be lifted out of the English Channel just a mile away from completing his Channel swim, for safety reasons.

The Malta Independent reports the story of a migrant woman seeking shelter and threatening to sleep in the streets. She is said to be potentially dangerous, having been involved in a number if incidents.

In-Nazzjon leads with comments by architect Renzo Piano that he wants to restore dignity to Valletta.

The Press in Britain

The Guardian leads with the election of Tory MP John Bercow as the new Speaker of the Commons.

The Daily Telegraph says some Conservative MPs refused to applaud Mr Bercow as the result was announced.

The Times reports that Tory John Bercow has already been put on probation by his own party.

The Daily Mail says the new Speaker is tainted by the expenses scandal and claims there is already a plot to get rid of him.

The Daily Express says John Bercow is considered by many in his own party to be too close to Labour but leads on claims that millions of British workers could have their pensions cut by 20 per cent under new EU rules.

The Daily Mirror reports on the fury felt by some Royal Bank of Scotland investors after details of the new chief executive's pay deal were announced.

Metro says the Labour party is facing a mass defection of voters and its popularity is down by 50 per cent.

According to The Herald, the team behind the Scottish Parliament building has won one of the biggest regeneration projects of its kind in Scotland - the £300m contract for the 2014 Commonwealth Games village.

The Daily Star quotes singer Peter Andre saying he is still in love with his wife Katie Price.

The Independent says Iraq war inquiry chairman has told the Prime Minister it was "essential" as much of the hearing as possible be in public.

The Daily Record reveals a great-grandmother can see her family's faces for the first time in 30 years thanks to pioneering eye surgery.

And elsewhere...

Al Jazeera reports that Iranian riot police have used tear gas and fired live bullets in the air to disperse a rally in central Tehran just hours after a stern warning to protesters. The elite Revolutionary Guard ordered demonstrators to end "sabotage and rioting activities" and be prepared for a "revolutionary confrontation" with security forces if they continued their protests.

Meanwhile, The International Herald Tribune says leaders from Europe, the United States, Canada and Japan have closed ranks against accusations of meddling in Iran's domestic affairs after days of anti-government protests in Tehran.

Le Parisien says that in a wide-ranging, historic speech before both chambers of parliament, French President Nicolas Sarkozy condemned the wearing of the burka in French society, and spoke of economic measures he would pursue to help France. He said the burka goes against the dignity of women as it is a symbol of subservience and of submission. France is home to an estimated five million Moslems.

The Washington Post carries a dramatic picture of a Metro train in .Washington which has crashed into the rear of another during rush hour, Carriages of one train jack-knifed into the air and fell on top of the other killing at least six people and injuring 76 others.

De Stardaard quotes the World Health Organisation saying more than 50,000 swine flu cases have now been reported worldwide, with 231 deaths, mostly in Mexico and the US. It declared swine flu a pandemic earlier this month.

Speaking on Australia's ABC Radio, Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull has conceded for the first time that accusations that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was involved in the OzCar affair could not be sustained. Australian police also said an email that challenged Rudd's honesty and prompted calls for his resignation appeared to be a forgery.

Dawn reports that Pakistan has stepped up its offensive in tribal areas on the Afghanistan border by launching airstrikes against Taliban forces who attacked three military bases.

Novaya Gazeta says that a suicide car bomber has critically wounded the president of the troubled Russian province of Ingushetia. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack on Yunus Bek Yevkurov, in which his two bodyguards were killed in the attack.

Los Angeles Times says US R'n'B star Chris Brown has pleaded guilty to beating his former girlfriend, pop star Rihanna hours before the pair were due to perform at the Grammy Awards. Brown is expected to serve five years' probation and six months community service. He will be formally sentenced on August 5.

Moscow Times quotes President Dmitry Medvedev saying foreign ice cream leaves him cold, and his family prefers food produced in the country. As he promoted a "buy Russian" campaign, the president told the agricultural sector he found foreign ice cream "tasteless".