Al-Quds Al-Arabi (UK)

Pope Benedict XVI’s tour of the Middle East continues. His support for the Palestinians’ right to a homeland makes front page headlines in the Arabic-language press. Al-Quds Al-Arabi is just one of the Arabic newspapers leading with the pope’s comments, made at a Bethlehem refugee camp.

Al-Hayat (UK)

The Arab press is sceptical, though. London-based Al-Hayat says the pope’s support for a Palestinian state is only “half-hearted.” According to this daily, the Vatican’s position on the Palestinian problem lacks “clarity and, most of all, vigour.” Al-Hayat accuses the Vatican of not putting enough pressure on Israel to engage in a real peace process.

Liberation (France)

Débâcle humanitaire dans la vallée de Swat (Humanitarian debacle in Swat valley)

France’s Liberation is just one of many newspapers covering the Pakistani army’s operations against the Taliban. The left-wing newspaper concentrates on the increasing humanitarian crisis in Pakistan’s Northwest Frontier province.

Dawn (Pakistan)

As the battle heats up

Pakistan’s English-language newspaper Dawn says the result of the Pakistani army’s offensive “will have a huge bearing on the wider fight against militancy.” It reports on advances made by the Pakistani military during the last few days, and says “a Taliban victory will be an unmitigated disaster.”

Marca (Spain)

Son muy buenos (They are very good)

Barcelona’s victory over Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish King's Cup final risks being overshadowed by the crowd’s reactions to the national anthem. The King’s Cup final in Valencia wasn’t an easy night for the King and Queen of Spain. Their appearance in the stands of the Estadio Mestalla was greeted by a chorus of boos. Spain’s biggest-selling newspaper Marca reports on the incident but decides to concentrate on the football and an emphatic result for FC Barcelona.

El Mundo (Spain)

Gran abucheo de los hinchas del Athletic y del Barça al himno y al Rey (Athletic and Barca fans jeer the anthem and the King)

The cup final also makes it onto the front page of El Mundo. But the action on the pitch is relegated to the inside pages of this Spanish daily. El Mundo reports on the reaction of Spanish television channel TVE to the booing of both the Spanish national anthem and the royals. TVE censored the pictures and instead played the national anthem at half-time, with the boos and the whistles edited out. The fans’ actions had been announced by both sets of supporters beforehand.