The following are the top stories in Malta's newspapers on Friday.

Times of Malta leads with news that hundreds of people who fraudulently received disability benefits they were not entitled to will be granted a presidential pardon against conditions.

Separately the newspaper reports that the head of a new civil society group aimed at promoting residents' interests said it could become a political party in time to contest the next general election.

The Malta Independent and L-orizzont also lead with news about the presidential pardon,

The Malta Independent separately reports that three men have been fined a total of €26,000 over the death of a 19-year-old worker on a construction site in 2016.

L-orizzont meanwhile reports on rescue efforts by AFM in Gozo, where two divers were rescued off ix-Xatt l-Aħmar.

It also reports that the government has so far bought eight buildings hosting band clubs. 

In-Nazzjon refers to comments by PN leader Bernard Grech who, during a Chamber of SMEs meeting on Thursday urged for an economic model that benefitted everyone. 

In a separate front-page article, the newspaper refers to a PN statement that a Europol report confirmed the presence of organised crime in Malta.

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