The following are the top stories in the local and overseas press.

The Times and In-Nazzjon lead with a statement by the Transport Ministry which announced that post-1979 bus engines will undergo tougher emission testing.

The Times also reports the departure of Karl Chircop for medical treatment in the UK. In another story it says a German helicopter yesterday performed a search for 70 migrants missing at sea some 56 miles south of Malta.

In-Nazzjon says work will start shortly on the rebuilding of part of the road to Xlendi and a continuation of the Mgarr-Victoria road in terms of EU funding allocated to Gozo. The road to Ta’Pinu is included in the programme.

l-orizzont focuses on NSO figures which showed that the manufacturing sector in the second quarter of this year suffered a drop in investment, sales and jobs. It also reports a Transport Ministry statement that residents’ parking schemes authorised by the ADT are legal.

The Malta Independent says the idea of a CEO for the MLP had cooled relations with Jason Micallef. It also reports that the use of bring-in sites is expected to double by the end of the year.

The Press in Britain…

The Independent says a member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee has criticised the Bank for complacency and predicted that two million people will be out of work by Christmas.

The Financial Times reports that two British companies are to move their headquarters to Ireland in a sign of the rising pressure on the Treasury to keep its tax system competitive.

The Times says Gordon Brown is set to usher in a new era of council housing by helping local authorities buy repossessed and unsold properties.

Metro quotes new figures showing dinner party drugs, such as cocaine, are killing record numbers of people.

The Daily Mail delves into the alleged rape of a British woman by a gang of asylum seekers in Calais.

The Daily Express says fines are to be inflicted on householders who fail to recycle their rubbish correctly.

The Herald leads on the low-budget airline Zoom which has suspended all its operations and cancelled all flights, blaming a "horrendous increase" in jet fuel prices.

The London Evening Standard reports that three men have been charged with terror offences over an alleged threat to assassinate Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

And elsewhere…

USA Today reports that Barack Obama has accepted the Democratic Party's historic nomination to run for president of the US in front of a crowd of some 75,000 people. In an address at the party's national convention in Denver, he promised he would do his best to keep alive the American dream of opportunity for all. He said he would reverse the economic failures of the last eight years, end the war in Iraq and restore the US reputation abroad.

In an exclusive interview with CNN, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has accused the United States of orchestrating the conflict in Georgia to benefit one of its presidential election candidates. Putin said the US had encouraged Georgia to attack the breakaway region of South Ossetia, triggering a Russian invasion. Washington immediately dismissed the allegations, saying they are false and not rational.

Times of India says massive flooding in northern India has displaced nearly two million people. Food and medicine were being airdropped to stranded people. More than 800 people across India have been killed this monsoon season, which lasts until September.

Pakistan Today reports that thousands of lawyers have blocked roads across the country to press the government to reinstate judges sacked by former president Pervez Musharraf. The struggle to return the justices to their positions is also behind the collapse of the coalition government.

Jamaica Gleaner says tropical storm Gustav hit the country’s coast with near hurricane-force winds after killing at least 59 people elsewhere in the Caribbean. It is now heading towards New Orleans and Gulf of Mexico oil fields.

Indian Express announces that the spiritual leader of the world's Buddhists, the Dalai Lama, has been admitted to hospital in the Indian city Mumbai, three days after suffering from exhaustion. His office said he was complaining of stomach pain.

Corriere della Sera reports that the Italian Foreign Minister is to summon the Indian ambassador to discuss “decisive action” to crack down on religious violence in India. Recent Hindu-Christian violence in eastern India has killed at least 10 and displaced about 1,500 people. The Pope condemned the violence on Wednesday.

Baltimore News quotes a John Hopkins University report saying that using a treadmill for 40 minutes three times a week can help stroke victims to improve their mobility long after their attack. Scans also found increased activity in brain areas associated with controlling gait and walking.

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