Press digest

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

The Times reports that theologians have backed the ban of the head of the Divorce Movement from the Ecclesiastical Tribunal. It also carries reactions to the decision to move the Tritons Fountain.

The Malta Independent says priests are to tell the faithful to follow their conscience, not their feelings. It also reports how the Opposition called on the state to distinguish itself from the Church.

In-Nazzjon highlights the details given by Austin Gatt yesterday to enhance the approaches to City Gate.

l-orizzont reports Joseph Muscat’s call for the government to ease burdens on families. It also reports that the FORUM of trade unions was accepted as a member of the ETUC in what was a major victory for trade unionism in Malta.

The overseas press

Al-Hayat reports that at least 50 people have been shot dead in Daraa in southern Syria during continuing protests against President Assad. Reports spoke of bodies lying in the street because it was too dangerous to retrieve them. Anti-government protesters have vowed to stage further demonstrations after today’s prayers even as the country’s information minister issued a stark warning, saying authorities would restore "security and stability" across the nation. 

Le Monde says world leaders have expressed outrage after a suspected suicide attack on Thursday killed at least 14 people – 11 foreigners and three Moroccans – and injured another 23 at a central Marrakech cafe. French President Nicolas Sarkozy called the bombing "heinous, cruel and cowardly". Analysts said the explosion bore no likely link to recent anti-government demonstrations in the country, which have been less dramatic than in other parts of the Arab world. 

Al Jazeera reports that Gaddafi's forces continued to battle rebels for control of the strategically important Dehiba-Wazin Crossing, as the Tunisian government protested against intrusions into its territory. Controlling the crossing gave the rebels better access to aid and supplies to continue their fight against Gaddafi forces in western Libya. Government forces also closed in on rebel outposts on Thursday, showering the western mountain city of Zintan with missiles. Libyan rebels meanwhile have fought to take over control of Misurata's airport, after pushing back government forces from the embattled city's sea port as the oil-rich country's tribes urged Gaddafi to relinquish power.

Tribune de Genève says that Libya would suffer a large-scale food crisis within two months unless stocks are replenished and distribution networks are supported. The UN World Food Programme’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, Daly Belgasmi, said rising fuel prices and lack of hard currency were making it hard for Libya to import food. He told reporters in Geneva that government-run distribution networks have also come under pressure due to the conflict. Libya’s private economy had been hit by the exodus of foreigners who worked in food production such as bakeries.

The British media’s focus centres on the wedding later today of Queen Elizabeth’s grandson, Prince William, and Kate Middleton. Thousands of well-wishers passed the night camped out across the streets of central London. The ceremony at Westminster Abbey would be the biggest royal occasion in Britain since William’s parents – Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana – married 30 years ago.

Meanwhile, Deutsche Welle reports that anti-monarchists from across Europe plan to call for the abolition of Europe's royal families. Led by Britain's main anti-monarchist group Republic, campaigners from the Alliance of European Republican Movements – Sweden, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain – plan to stage a protest at Westminster Abbey.

The Washington Post says President Obama has described the loss of life in the storms across the southern United States as “heartbreaking”. The nation's deadliest tornado outbreak in almost four decades has already claimed over 280 lives across six states. Obama said the damage was catastrophic and the government would do all it could to help those affected.

Az-Zaman quotes Iraqi police and hospital officials saying eight people were killed and 18 others injured when a suicide bomber attacked a Shiite mosque north in the city of Balad Ruz, 70km north the capital, Baghdad. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Sunni militants have often targeted Shiite mosques as a way to incite sectarian violence.

The Republican-American reports that a Catholic priest in the US has been sentenced to three years in prison after pleading no contest to stealing more than $1m (€675,944) in church money and spending it on male escorts and a lavish lifestyle. The Rev Kevin Gray, former pastor at Sacred Heart/Sagrado Corazon Parish in Waterbury, Connecticut, was also sentenced to three years of probation. Gray’s lawyer called many of the charges against his client overblown.