Press digest

The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press. The local media is dominated by the announcement of the sports and leisure village at the White Rocks, which features in all the newspaper front pages.

The Times says the village will be a €200 million investment by foreign investors. In-Nazzjon says the project will employ 800. l-orizzont says this is the fourth time that an attempt is being made to redevelop the White Rocks.

In other stories, The Times reports that the EU has closed the tuna season for fishermen using purse seiner methods.

The Malta Independent and l-orizzont report that the Opposition has filed a no confidence motion in the Minister of Education.

In-Nazzjon reports that the economy grew by 3.4% in the first quarter.

The overseas press:

The Washington Times says President Obama has called on Israel to work with all parties to find a solution for Gaza and said the United States was providing $400 million in new aid for the Palestinians. In remarks he made as he met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Obama called on Israel to curb settlement activity and on the Palestinians to prevent any actions that could incite confrontation.

Meanwhile, Chumhuriyet quotes a Turkish minister proposing to send a NATO fleet to end the Israeli blockade of Gaza. Turkey's chief negotiator with the European Union, Egemen Bagis, said he did not favour an attack on Israeli vessels enforcing the blockade but that Israel should not be allowed to continue to keep aid out. Israel says its Gaza blockade is necessary to limit weapons smuggling.

In the Netherlands, Trouw says exit polls suggest yesterday's elections have ended in a dead heat between right and left - with the prospect of weeks - and possibly months - of haggling to form a ruling coalition among parties deeply split on immigration and how to curb government spending. The governing Christian Democrats suffered a humiliating defeat with 21 seats - nearly half its current strength. Geert Wilders' Freedom Party double its strength with its best-ever 22 seats.

The Times reports Tehran has vowed to continue enriching uranium even after UN Security Council imposed its toughest sanctions yet over its nuclear programme. The resolution calls for measures against new Iranian banks abroad if a connection to the nuclear programme is suspected. It also expands a UN arms embargo against Tehran and blacklists firms that are aiding the nuclear enrichment.

Asia Times says North Korea has sent a letter to the Security Council rejecting South Korean claims that it was behind the sinking of its neighbour's navy ship and claiming it was the victim of a US-mastermined conspiracy. The leaders of Russia and China will discuss tensions on the Korean peninsula during the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting in Uzbekistan.

The Financial Times reports BP stock has dropped to a 14-year-low at 5.45 US dollars (£3.76), or 16 per cent. In the seven weeks since then, the company has lost half its market value. Investors deserted the British oil giant amid fears that the company might end up in bankruptcy and find itself overwhelmed by the clean-up costs, claims and lawsuits generated by the biggest oil spill in US history.

The Wall Street Journal says US interior secretary Ken Salazar promised a Senate energy panel to ask BP to compensate energy companies for losses if they have to lay off workers or suffer economically because of the Obama administration's six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling. Meanwhile, BP said it captured an ever larger-share of the crude gushing from the bottom of the sea and began bringing in more heavy equipment to help in the effort.

Manila Times reports Benigno Aquino III has been proclaimed as the country's 15th president, winning by the widest election margin since democracy was restored in 1986. Aquino, a 50-year-old bachelor and only son of the Philippines' revered democracy leader Cory Aquino, bagged 15.2 million votes, or 42 percent, of 36.3 million votes cast for president.

Globe and Mail says Portuguese photographer Antonio Simoes was held down in his bed at gunpoint for 30 minutes while two thieves stole £25,000 of camera equipment at the Nutbush Boma Lodge in Magaliesburg, 12 miles away from the Portughese World Cup football team's headquarters. Two other journalists sharing his three-bedroomed lodge then discovered they had been robbed as they slept.

According to The Daily Tribune, South African hoteliers are to distribute 160,000 free condoms to guests as part of a drive to encourage ‘playing it safe'

China Daily reports a husband and wife in court over a loan dispute hurled sulphuric acid down from a gallery at a hearing in southwestern China. The judges were blinded in the acid attack.

Armenian Weekly says a leather moccasin found preserved in sheep dung in a cave in Armenia is the oldest shoe in the world. It goes back to 5,500 years.

Asia Observer quotes Afghan press reports saying Taliban militants in Afghanistan executed a seven-year-old boy on suspicion of spying for the US-allied government.

O Globo reports a man in a remote fishing village in Brazil kept his daughter , now 28, imprisoned for 12 years, raped her repeatedly and had seven children with her. He is also accused of abusing a young girl he had with his daughter. The children appeared to suffer from malnutrition and could barely communicate with others.