The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press:
The Times says Malta is prepared to provide Greece with another loan. It also reports how indecision is ‘killing’ Air Malta workers. A meeting between the management and the workers will be held today.
The Malta Independent says the Mepa board yesterday rejected five appeals to sanction illegal structures in Dwejra.
l-orizzont says a burnt dog has been found near Bahrija. Its feet were missing.
In-Nazzjon says there will be a ‘revolution’ in the bus service in Gozo.
The overseas press
Börzen Zeitung reports that EU leaders have told Greece they were ready to offer their support only if parliament in Athens agreed to the latest consolidation package, which would legislate some €28 billion in tax hikes and spending cuts. Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the group of countries that share the euro common currency, dismissed any speculation about alternatives to political cooperation. EU member countries fear that if bloc fails to contain the Greek debt crisis it could spread to other euro countries and undermine the whole European financial system. Europe is no longer alone in its fears; the US, China and the International Monetary Fund have also pushed the EU to take action.
The former Libyan foreign minister who has defected to the opposition said on Thursday he believed Muammar Gaddafi realised he could no longer stay in Libya and might leave within a few weeks. Abdurrahaman Shalgam told Corriere della Sera TV he believed Gaddafi was negotiating for asylum with either another African country or Belrus. Shalgam, who still serves as Libya's ambassador to the United Nations, said Gaddafi might leave Libya “in two or three weeks at the most”.
La Tribune says the International Energy Agency would inject 60 million barrels of government-held supplies into the global market, increasing world supply by some 2.5 percent for the next month. Oil prices tumbled more than 6 percent on the back of the news - the lowest value since February, before civil war halted Libya's supplies. French Economics Minister Eric Besson said the price drop should be passed immediately on to consumers at the petrol pumps.
The Washington Times reports that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has expressed concern over reports that Syria was moving troops near the border with Turkey, and warned of a possible escalation of conflict. She said the reported Syrian troops movements could increase the risk of a border clash with Turkey and worsen the plight of refugees. Syrian tanks and snipers reportedly entered the village of Khirbet al-Jouz, forcing resident to flee to Turkey.
O Globo quotes the police in Rio de Janeiro saying eight suspected drug traffickers had been killed in two separate exchanges of gunfire during a raid in a slum area. Later, the police discovered rifles, pistols and grenades. The police have targeted a number of slums recently as they attempt to clear high-crime areas ahead of the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics.
Deutsche Welle reports that the Internet platform GuttenPlag Wiki has been awarded the renowned Grimme Online prize for its work in uncovering plagiarized passages in the doctoral thesis of former German Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg. The jury awarded GuttenPlag Wiki the prize in the special category for coming up with the idea and putting it into action.
The BBC says an extreme eight-week diet of 600 calories a day can reverse Type 2 diabetes in people newly diagnosed with the disease, says a Diabetologia study. Newcastle University researchers found the low-calorie diet reduced fat levels in the pancreas and liver, which helped insulin production return to normal. Type 2 diabetes affects 2.5m people in the UK and is caused by too much glucose in the blood, as a result of insufficient insulin being produced by the pancreas.
Al Ayyam reports that 32 homeless people have died and 36 others have been hospitalized during the last three days in the Sudanese city of Omdurman after drinking alcohol adulterated with methanol and other toxic substances. The police arrested six suspected members of a gang which supplied the alcohol, which is prohibited in the north of Sudan, where Islamic law applies.
US country music star Glen Campbell has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, the 75-year-old and his wife Kim have told People magazine. Campbell, known for hits like Rhinestone Cowboy and Wichita Lineman, plans to retire from the music industry later this year with a series of farewell concerts. The Grammy Award winner, who will launch his final tour in October, said he was suffering from short-term memory loss for years, prior to his diagnosis.
Ansa reports that Rome journalists' union has asked the Pope to name his predecessor, the late John Paul II, the patron saint of “communicators” of the digital age once his canonisation takes place. The Polish pontiff had a close relationship with the media during his 26-year papacy and exploited it in a way no other pope had before. Journalists already have their own patron saint, Francis de Sales.