The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press
The Times gives prominence to the news that Malta is officially in recession. It also features an interview with Clare Zammit Xuereb about the New Year’s Day double homicide.
The Malta Independent and l-orizzont also report how Malta is statistically in recession.
In-Nazzjon says that in eight years the number of graduates has tripled.
The overseas press
Al Jazeera reports that UN monitors have finally reached the village of Mazraat al-Qubeyr in Hama province, where activists say 78 people were reported massacred two days ago. A UN monitor told journalists after visiting the site that the smell of burnt flesh hung in the air and body parts lay scattered around the deserted village. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had told the UN Security Council that according to preliminary evidence, troops had surrounded al-Qubeyr and pro-government gangs entered the village and killed civilians with "barbarity".
Meanwhile, The New York Times says Ban Ki-Moon has expressed outrage at the killing of seven UN peacekeepers in an ambush in the Ivory Coast, near the border with Liberia. Recent cross-border attacks in the area had been blamed on Liberian mercenaries and Ivorian militia, opposed to the new president. UN peacekeepers were deployed to Ivory Coast in 2004 to help end the country's civil war and have stayed through the country's recent political crisis.
The Wall Street Journal quotes the International Monetary Fund has said that Spanish banks would need at least $50 billion (€40 billion) in additional capital to protect them from financial shocks. The announcement came as Spain was widely expected to bed about to ask for a bailout for its banks, which were heavily exposed to bad loans. Deputy Prime Minister Maria Soraya Santamaria said yesterday the government would not act until receiving evaluations from the IMF next Monday.
The Washington Times says President Barack Obama has strongly urged European leaders to prevent their looming debt crisis from dragging down the rest of the world. He said European leaders must inject capital into the banking system. Speaking at the White House, Obama also renewed his call for Congress to quickly pass legislation that he says would put construction workers, teachers and others back to work.
Kathimerini reports thousands have protested in Greece against the far-right Golden Dawn party after one of its members, Ilias Kasidiaris, assaulted Rena Dourou of the radical left-wing Syriza party on live TV on Thursday. He was apparently angered when she mentioned his alleged involvement in an armed robbery in 2007. Demonstrators shouted "Neo-Nazis out" in rallies – nine days before elections which could result in a Greek exit from the eurozone.
Gulf Daily News says riot police in Bahrain fired tear gas and stun grenades as tens of thousands of protesters staged the biggest anti-government demonstrations in weeks. Opposition groups called for major rallies after a prominent rights activist, Nabeel Rajab, was placed back in detention earlier this week on fresh charges linked to his social media posts. Bahrain has experienced near daily protests for 16 months caused by an uprising by the kingdom's Shiite majority seeking greater political rights from the Western-backed Sunni monarchy.
The Irish Enquirer says final preparations are under way for the 50th International Eucharistic Congress in Ireland next week, attracting thousands of pilgrims from around the world. Some 230 cardinals and bishops and 12,000 priests and deacons would attend events in Dublin throughout the week of celebration. Some 25,000 pilgrims are expected every day, with 7,000 visitors due from more than 120 different countries.
The ancient lagoon city of Venice is about to become quieter after the Patriarch of Venice ordered that churches cut back on ringing their bells. Il Gazzetino says Mgr Francesco Moraglia gave in to complaints by residents and signed a decree that will take effect on 24 June. Residents have complained about church bells' volume and their close vicinity to homes.
The Scotsman quotes doctors warning that further deaths from an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease could be ruled out, as people from further afield fell ill. There were 24 confirmed cases and 37 suspected cases of the infection, with 12 people being treated in intensive care. One man has died. Legionnaires’ disease is an uncommon but serious form of pneumonia, caused by bacteria distributed widely in natural and artificial water supplies.
Fox News reports the Miss Universe Organisation has launched a legal action for defamation against a beauty queen who said recent Miss USA pageant results were rigged. The group which runs the Miss Universe and Miss USA contests, said it was seeking damages against Sheena Monnin, who resigned her Miss Pennsylvania crown earlier this week. Monnin, 27, quit the group on Monday saying a fellow contestant in Sunday's Miss USA pageant had seen a list containing the names of the top five girls hours before the show had begun.
Football: two goals, two red cards and a saved penalty. And that was just game one of day one, the opening fixture of the Euro 2012 tournament between Poland and Greece that served to dramatically usher in Euro 2012. Eurosport says finding themselves both a goal and a man up coming out of the halftime interval, co-host Poland could not close the deal, surrendering an equalizer and penalty to a galvanized Greek side. The match finished 1-1. In contrast to the twists and turns of the first match, the nightcap proved fairly straightforward. Russia ripped the Czech Republic 4-1 and established themselves firmly in control of Group A. Today, the Netherlands take on Denmark at 6.00 p.m. and Germany face Portugal at 8.45 p.m.