Today's front pages

The trial of serial killer Andres Breivik opened this morning in Oslo. The accused entered court with a raised arm and clenched fist, before pleading "not guilty" to last year's bomb attack of the Norwegian parliament and the mass slaughter on the island of Utøya which left 77 dead. The Norwegian daily believes that his line of defense - accepting responsibility but challenging the legitimacy of the court - will be difficult to maintain.

What makes him fear the court – Dagbladet

With less than a week to go before the first round of the French elections, President Sarkozy and his Socialist rival François Hollande clashed from a distance at two monster rallies in Paris, accusing each other of endangering the country's financial rating.

Sarkozy-Hollande duel under market watch – Les Echos

Roland Berger Strategy Consultants has been unable to raise the funds needed to establish the much talked about European ratings agency, as an alternative to US agencies Moody's, Fitch and S&P. They blame lack of co-operation from businesses and banks.

European rating agency on the brink – Financial Times Deutschland

In Budapest, 12,000 people took part in the March of Life, held annually to commemorate Hungary's 600,000 victims of Nazi persecution. A few weeks after the appointment by the capital's mayor of a close associate of the far-right to the head of the Budapest New Theatre, the organisers opted to give the floor to two politicians from the right and left rather than the former.

They commemorate the Jewish victims – Népszava

King Juan Carlos of Spain's accident during an elephant hunt in Botswana has triggered a heated debate as the country faces a massive economic and social crisis. The Royal Household claims that the government had been informed of the trip, while the Socialist opposition has so far not defended the king.

King's hunt turns into political controversy – La Vanguardia

Five people, all Slavs, were found dead, their bodies riddled with bullets, in the north of the Macedonian capital, reviving tensions with the ethnic Albanian minority, which represents one quarter of the population. Locals are accusing the authorities of not sufficiently protecting them from their Albanian neighbors and have set up road blocks. The country's political parties are calling on the population not to "speculate" on the murderers' motives.

Horror in Skopje – Utrinski Vesnik

Half of Britain is now in drought as the country faces its most severe water shortage since 1976, the Environment Agency warns today. 35 million people are affected.

The worst drought since 1976 – The Daily Telegraph