Press digest

The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press:

The Times says Fort St Angelo repairs are still in the planning stage. It also says the red lights have flashed again in court over the distribution of energy saving bulbs by the government.

The Malta Independent says the PL president, Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, has also assumed the secretary general's duties following the resignation of Jason Micallef. It also reports that a new judge and two magistrates were sworn in yesterday afternoon.

MaltaToday's main heading is Goodbye Jason, Hello Stefan. It also follows up the situation at SmartCity after the CEO's resignation, saying SmartCity has turned scruffy.

l-orizzont says this is a period of transition in the PL General Secretary's Office. It also says that work is well advanced on alternations to the entrance of the GWU headquarters and the launching of the union's new corporate image. In a third story, it says tourist arrivals were down almost 100,000 in the first eight months of this year.

In-Nazzjon says Zrinzo Azzopardi's appointment was not welcomed in Jason Micallef's camp. It also reports that Besedo online services company is to double its workforce to some 300.

The Press in Britain...

The Independent says Gordon Brown has bolstered his position by unveiling a list of policy announcements aimed at winning back voters who have deserted the party.

The Financial Times reports the Prime Minister turned his back on a "bankrupt" free market ideology, attempting to mobilise Labour's core vote with initiatives targeting middle England.

The Guardian says Brown is battling to inject self-belief back into his party by vowing to fight the election on the side of the "squeezed middle classes".

According to The Times, Mr Brown tried to revive his party with a defiant speech to appeal to middle-class voters and prove that he had not run out of steam.

The Daily Mirror says Sarah Brown paid a tribute to her "heroic" husband as he inspired Labour with his speech of a lifetime.

Metro reports how Mr Brown announced that teenage mothers are to be placed in supervised homes.

The Daily Telegraph focuses on the proposed party reforms, including the power to be given to voters to throw out MPs who break the rules.

The Herald says Mr Brown urged the Labour faithful "not to give up but fight to win" the next election.

The Scotsman reports Mr Brown has thrown down the gauntlet to the Tories and urged his party to "never stop believing".

The Sun announces it is backing the Tories in the next general election, claiming Britain is crying out for change from an exhausted, divided government.

The Daily Express says France has admitted it is fighting a losing battle against illegal immigrants - and demanded Britain should open its doors to them. According to the Daily Mail, the cervical cancer vaccination programme is in chaos after the death of 14-year-old Natalie Morton. However, preliminary results from post-mortem tests indicated the girl had a "serious underlying medical condition".

The Daily Star claims Jordan has created a massive shrine to ex-husband Peter Andre with photos and mementos from their time together as she desperately tries to cling on to their lost love.

And elsewhere...

Samoana says towering tsunami waves spawned by a powerful 8.3 earthquake have swept ashore on Samoa and American Samoa, flattening villages and killing at least 34 people with fears it could reach 100. Some villages are thought to have been "wiped out. Residents report being shaken awake by the quake, which lasted two to three minutes, causing a tidal wave 4.5 metres high. Three aftershocks of at least 5.6 magnitude followed.

Meanwhile, Asia Observer reports that typhoon Ketsana, which wreaked havoc in the Philippines on Saturday killing 250 people, strengthened further and moved into central Vietnam, killing at least 23 people who drowned, were caught in mudslides or hit by falling trees. The storm weakened as it approached Laos, but river levels were still rising, and more rains are forecast for the region.

Bangkok Post quotes UN climate chief Yvo de Boer telling delegates at a climate change conference in Bangkok that poor nations have made serious proposals to combat global warming. He said it was time for wealthier countries to commit to cut greenhouse gasses.

The Irish Times says Lisbon Treaty supporters and opponents clashed trading insults and accusing one another of spreading lies to win votes in the looming referendum. While the Prime Minister branded Friday's ballot a defining moment for Ireland, anti-treaty campaigners slammed the government for claiming the controversial charter would help boost the economy.

The International Herald Tribune quotes the EU's top military officer saying a lack of political will, not troops, is stopping European countries increasing their forces in Afghanistan. Many EU nations have soldiers fighting in the 68,000-strong Nato force but are reluctant to boost troop levels.

Börzen Zeitung reports that Mercedes-Benz adverts for its new E class saloon series which said "CO₂ emissions for the range are down to 139g/km" have been banned after the UK Advertising Standards Authority ruled the claims were misleading. It noted only two out of the 24 possible permutations in the Mercedes range had a 139g/km figure, the exact CO₂ emissions figure per vehicle being dependent on a number of possible variations.

Afghan Times says 30 people, including nine women and seven children, have been killed and another 39 injured, when a packed bus hit a landmine.

Les Echos says France Telecom's chief executive is facing calls to resign as a 24th suicide at the firm sparked demands for an inquiry into working conditions.

Le Jour reports that the EU has joined the outcry over shootings of protestors in the capital, Conakry by Guinean forces, killing 157. But the government maintained only 57 died, most of them trampled.

The Washington Times warns that travellers on the metro in the US capital risk coming facing to face with al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, smiling and wearing an "I Love Guantanamo" T-shirt. The billboard is part of an activist campaign aimed at highlighting that al-Qaeda uses the US detention centre as a recruiting tool.

Vietnam News reports that six people have been sentenced to up to four-and-a-half-years in prison for arranging more than 300 fraudulent adoptions, a Vietnamese court official has said. Many of the babies are believed to have been adopted by parents in the US and Italy.