The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas presss:
The Times quotes experts as warning that the proposed EU tax on financial transactions will hurt growth. It also says that a man was jailed five years for defiling his nine-year-old daughter.
The Malta Independent says Jose Barroso, president of the European Commission, has slammed a Franco-German euro management proposal.
l-orizzont says the members of the judiciary have ended a boycott of national events after a personal assurance by the prime minister that their pay packet will be improved.
In-Nazzjon said Air Malta is close to finalising retirement schemes with the GWU. It also says Malta is in 51st place in the competitiveness index.
The overseas press:
Austria has become the latest country to ratify the expansion of the eurozone's bailout fund – the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF). Wiener Zeitung quotes Finance Minister Maria Fekter telling parliament that the debt crisis was now not only touching the eurozone but all of Europe and the Western world. "I can assure you that... we are acting in the interests of Austria." The deal has raised Austrian guarantees for the EFSF from €12.2 billion to €21.6 billion.
The New York Times says Human Rights Watch has called on Libya's new rulers to stop armed groups from rounding up suspected Gaddafi supporters and abusing them. It aid some detainees reported beatings and electric shocks had the scars to prove it. HRW said it had visited 20 detention facilities in Tripoli and interviewed 53 inmates, including 37 Libyans and 16 sub-Saharan Africans.
Los Angeles Times reports that the jury in the trial of Dr Conrad Murray has heard that Michael Jackson's doctor failed to tell paramedics he had been giving the star propofol as they tried to revive him. Paramedic Richard Senneff testified Dr Murray said only that he gave Jackson the sedative lorazepam and the singer had no medical conditions. Prosecutors allege Dr Murray lied to paramedics about Jackson's health, and covered up his use of propofol. Dr Murray pleads not guilty to the charge of involuntary manslaughter.
The Washington Times quotes President Obama declaring the killing of an American-born cleric a “major blow” to al-Qaida’s most active affiliate and vowed a vigorous US campaign to prevent the terror network and its partners from finding a haven anywhere in the world. Anwar al-Awlaki and a second American, Samir Khan, were killed by a joint CIA-US military air strike on their convoy in Yemen early onFriday. Obama said both men played major roles in inspiring attacks against the United States.
Deutsche Welle reports that a key European Union summit with six ex-Soviet states was marred by a diplomatic showdown after EU leaders called on Ukraine and Belarus to improve their human rights record. Designed to strengthen ties with the bloc's eastern neighbours, the summit's focus turned instead to the plight of political opponents in the former Soviet states, prompting the Belarus delegation to walk out of talks.
The Obama administration says it has read the “riot act” to Syria’s ambassador to the United States over an attack on the top American envoy to Syria. The Washington Post quotes State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the Syrian ambassador was reminded that the assault was an attack on the United States. The ambassador was not injured in the incident outside the office of a Syrian opposition figure he was meeting, but several armoured embassy vehicles were damaged. Ms Nuland said the US is demanding compensation.
The Daily Star says at least 13 people were reported to have been killed when Syrian troops opened fire as thousands took to the streets, while clashes continued between security forces and army defectors in central Syria. Seven were shot in Homs; two in the suburbs of Hama; three in the suburbs of the capital, Damascus; and one in the city itself.
Al Ahram reports thousands of protestors in Cairo’s Tahrir Square have urged the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to reconsider the electoral law and end the emergency state. In the evening, dozens attempted to march towards the headquarters of the Defence Ministry, but were stopped by heavy police presence. Similar protests also erupted in other major cities, including Alexandria.
San Francisco Chronicle says two more people have died bringing the death toll in the listeriosis outbreak connected to Colorado cantaloupes to 15. The Centre for Disease Control has now counted 84 cases of infection with the outbreak strains in 19 states. Meanwhile, California-based True Leaf Farms recalled nearly 2,500 cartons of chopped and bagged romaine lettuce because of possible contamination. The recall affected produce shipped to 22 states.
Harry Potter fans will have to wait a bit longer to buy the magic tales in electronic form. The Times reports that the creators of the online Potter portal said on Friday that the launch of an e-book store has been pushed back to next year. The seven Harry Potter books had been due to go on sale in October, exclusively through the "Pottermore" website. The site is a combination of virtual encyclopaedia, role-playing game and online community for fans of author J.K. Rowling's boy wizard. It launched in July and is so far accessible to one million registered users chosen through an online competition.