The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press
Times of Malta and The Malta Independent lead with comments by Daboma Jack, the victim of a racist attack on Wednesday.
Times of Malta also features calls by the president of the Pensioners’ Alliance Pensioners for quicker changes to improve their .
In-Nazzjon says a soldier has skipped a rank and been promoted to sergeant in a ‘taghna lkoll’ appointment. The soldier knew of her appointment before it was announced.
l-orizzont says data on the producer index was leaked to the PN before it became public.
The overseas press
Greece’s biggest newspapers have called on readers to vote “Yes” in Sunday’s referendum. “Nai” – the Greek word for “Yes” –, was the headline of the best-selling papers. “Greeks choose Europe” reads the front page of Ethnos. “Yes, we stay alive and fight” reads the front page of Proto Thema, which adds, “No means immediate deposit haircut, banks and ATMs closed, rationing of food, medicine and gas, and, in the end, drachma and national tragedy,” the tabloid writes.
Greece’s leading financial newspaper Naftemporiki quotes Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis denying a report in the Financial Times that there was a plan to take 30 per cent of bank deposits above €8,000. Varoufakis said it was a “malicious rumour”. As European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker dismissed Athens’ claim of a quick deal if the No vote prevails, Premier Alexis Tsipras urged voters to reject “scaremongering” and vote No to strengthen Athens’ hand in future talks.
Meanwhile, Alithia says dozens of young protestors engaged in a violent scuffle with police ahead of competing “no” and “yes” rallies in Athens. The police used pepper spray against dozens of anti-establishment protestors who threw stones and destroyed property 800 metres away from the site where the “yes” side was holding its competing rally. Police estimated that the no and yes rallies brought 25,000 and 20,000 supporters, respectively, out into the capital’s streets.
Opinion polls for Sunday’s referendum indicate a close race. Four opinion polls published on Friday put the “Yes” vote just ahead, with a fifth poll giving the “No” vote a 0.5 per cent lead. A poll commissioned by Bloomberg News showed 43 per cent intend to vote “no” to reject the austerity demanded by creditors in exchange for financial aid; 42.5 per cent back a “yes” to accept the conditions.
A report on Site, the US intelligence group which monitors the activities’ of jihadists, says Isis threatens an attack on Britain on Tuesday July 7 – the tenth anniversary of the bloodiest terrorist attack in the country. In 2005, four suicide bombers blew up bombs on buses and subway trains murdering 52 people and wounding 700.
Meanwhile, the entire US is on high alert for possible terrorist activity today, when the nation celebrates the 4th of July, the US Independence Day. Politico says ISIS’ networks have for days hinted at possible attacks and a confirmation of the risk was the cancellation of an air show in the US Air Force base RAF Feltwell in Norfolk, UK.
Reuters reports at least six people were killed and 10 others wounded when several car bombs exploded in the Libyan city of Derna – the self-proclaimed capital of the self-styled Caliphate of Isis in Libya. The port city has been caught in fighting between Islamic State militants, rival Islamist fighters and armed forces with the country’s internationally-recognised government.
AGI quotes Pope Francis saying all roles in the Church should have an expiry date. Addressing members of the Renewal in the Holy Spirit, the Pontiff said, “There are no leaders for life. This happens in countries where there is dictatorship.” He also warned against greed, saying that “the devil always gets in via wallets”.
Frettabladid reports Iceland’s parliament has abolished its 75-year-old laws against blasphemy, approving a bill introduced by the country’s minority Pirate Party. The group says it is a step forward for freedom of expression. The vote was 43 yes to just one no.
Haaretz says Islamic State’s affiliate in Egypt is claiming responsibility for three rockets fired into southern Israel from Sinai. No damage or casualties are reported.
As Tunisia’s parliament considers new anti-terrorism legislation, Radio Tunis reports Tunisian police and demonstrators clashed at Kalaa Kebira near the coastal resort city of Sousse after authorities closed an unauthorised mosque. Worshippers hurled rocks at the police who responded by firing tear gas. A gunman murdered 38 foreign tourists, mainly British, in Sousse a week ago before being killed by security forces.
El Tiempo says Mexican police have recovered more than 9,000 of the 12,600 US travel visas that were stolen last month in the northern border state of Tamaulipas. Officers on Thursday found boxes containing the visas inside a sport-utility vehicle with Texas license plates that had been abandoned in a shopping centre parking lot in the city of Matamoros.
Euronews records that police in Naples have uncovered a factory used for making fake euro notes. The forgers had already made some nine million euro worth of false banknotes, described as extremely high quality. Three men have been arrested.
Google says it is “appalled” and has apologised to a black couple after the firm’s new Photos app mistakenly labelled them as “gorillas”. The app uses artificial intelligence to scan and identify subjects within images before labelling them. Google executive Yonatan Zunger said steps were being taken to avoid other incidents of mistaken image tagging.
The 102nd edition of the Tour de France kicks off today, with 21 stages over 3,330km of roads, the Alps, and the Pyrenees standing between the start in Utrecht and the finish line in Paris on July 26. L’Èquipe says a total of 198 cyclists from 22 teams will participate in the race.