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

The Times says the last permit for the Bahrija farmhouse belonging to Victor Scerri has been declared ‘null' by the MEPA auditor.

The Malta Independent leads with assistance being given to a young Russian woman involved in an accident, so that she may walk again. It also says that electronic items sold in Malta are the most expensive in the EU.

In-Nazzjon reports that Germany is to take refugees from Malta. It also highlights assistance being given to hotels and restaurants.

l-orizzont leads with a significant increase in bullying cases.

The Press in Britain

Many papers highlight the rise in deaths of people who contracted swine flu.

The Guardian highlights a prediction by chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson that 65,000 could die from it in the UK in a worst case scenario.

The Daily Express breaks down Sir Liam's prediction another way, saying swine flu could kill 350 people a day.

The Daily Telegraph reports on what is known so far - 29 dead after contracting the virus and dozens more critical.

The Sun reports the H1N1 virus has killed 12 people in Britain in the past four days.

Under the headline Flu - It's Getting Serious', the Daily Mail goes with Sir Liam's prediction that one in three could be infected.

The Times also leads with that figure. The paper has one of the never-before-seen pictures from the moon landing, 40 years ago this month.

The Daily Mirror pictures the widow of Colonel Rupert Thorneloe at his funeral. He died in Helmand, Afghanistan, and was the most senior British officer to be killed in action since the Falklands War.

According to the Financial Times, bankers have criticised government-backed recommendations to rein in their power.

The Daily Star claims Michael Jackson could not father children naturally because of childhood beatings: he was kicked so hard in the groin that he was left infertile.

Metro claims riot police stormed a 30th birthday party for just 15 people and shut it down, thinking it was a rave because it was advertised on Facebook.

And elsewhere...

Aftonbladet reports that EU interior ministers meeting in Sweden have tackled the issue of illegal migrants crossing the Mediterranean as the most affected members, including Malta, insist that their partners share responsibility. Sweden's migration minister Tobias Billstrom, said there were two most important issues: the creation of a common European asylum system and the question of legal migration as Europe needed to open more ways for people to come to work in Europe.

Frettabladid says the Icelandic parliament has given the green light for the government to bid for membership in the European Union, with 33 votes in favour, 28 against and two abstentions. Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir, who hopes to stabilize Iceland's economy by joining the 27-member bloc, said the government plans to launch its EU membership bid in Brussels before the end of this month.

Irish Examiner quotes Irish Finance Minister Brian Lenihan appealing to the public to avoid "knee-jerk and defensive reactions" after the publication of a report recommending one of the biggest planned cutbacks in the history of the country. The 300-page-report urges 17,300 public sector lay-offs and suggests reduction in all social welfare payments.

Space News focuses on NASA's release of newly-restored footage of the first moon walk to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the lunar landing. The space agency employed a specialist Hollywood film restoration company to help clean up the images originally beamed to Earth from Apollo 11 on July 20 1969.

Meanwhile, USA Today reports that Endeavour astronauts have surveyed the spaceship's heat shield for any damage sustained during launch. Eight or nine pieces of foam insulation came off the external fuel tank during lift-off, and Endeavour was hit at least two or three times.

Berliner Zeitung quotes Russian President Dmitry Medvedev promising a thorough investigation into the murder of human rights activist Natalia Estemirova. Speaking in Germany as her funeral was being held in Chechnya, he pledged those responsible would be caught. Ms Estemirova was abducted in the Chechen capital Grozny and shot dead.

Pakistan Times says gunmen have killed a UN employee and a guard at a refugee camp in north-west Pakistan. The assailants tried to kidnap the UN official and opened fire when he resisted.

The International Herald Tribune reports that one person was killed and six injured after a stage being set up for a Madonna concert in Marseille collapsed. The deputy mayor of Marseille, Jose Allegrini, said the American pop star's concert, planned for Sunday, had been cancelled.

Times of India says the government of Gujarat state is calling for a law that imposes the death penalty or life imprisonment for anyone found guilty of causing deaths through illicit alcohol. Last week poisoned illegal drink killed 150 people.

India Today reports that the leader of the Indian Congress party in northern Uttar Pradesh state has been arrested after she suggested a rival leader should be raped so she could better understand the plight of sex victims.

Los Angeles Times reports that a new Michael Jackson song titled A Place with No Name has been unveiled on the celebrity news website TMZ.com, the first media outlet to report his death on June 25. It said it was unclear when it was recorded. The lyrics and the tune are similar to the 1971 hit ballad A Horse with No Name by the group America.



Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.