The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press:
The Times says a commission has recommended a rationalisation of Mepa policies after finding that many are obsolete and conflicting. It also reports that fishermen have warned they will hold a four-day blockade of the Port of Marsaxlokk.
The Malta Independent says fishermen have threatened to block Marsaxlokk. It also quotes the Prime Minister saying that the Lisbon Treaty targets are to be adjusted.
In-Nazzjon quotes the Prime Minister saying that Malta is confident of achieving its economic targets. In other stories, it reports a substantial drugs find in Birkirkara and plans for the Pope to be driven through 33 localities.
l-orizzont says Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando had disputed the claims of the Office of the Prime Minister about Giovanna Debono. The Nationalist MP insisted there were plans for Mrs Debono to be transferred from the Gozo Ministry.
The overseas press
The European edition of The Wall Street Journal reports that European leaders have reached a deal to provide aid to Greece to stave off a broader crisis in the 16-nation bloc that shares the euro.
EU Observer says the European Parliament has rejected a controversial data-sharing deal between the EU and US aimed at stemming the flow of international financing for terrorism. The vote, by 378 to 196, was described as a show of strength for the parliament, a diplomatic headache for the Obama administration and an embarrassment for the European Commission.
Jonathan Evans, the director-general of MI5, has broken with tradition to defend the security service against the "conspiracy theory" that it covered up its involvement in torture. Writing in The Daily Telegraph, he said accusations made by Lord Neuberger that there was a "culture of suppression" at MI5 were "the precise opposite of the truth". On Wednesday, the Court of Appeal ordered the disclosure of evidence which showed that MI5 knew that Binyam Mohamed, a former Guantánamo Bay detainee, was being mistreated by the CIA.
Al Jazeera reports the United States has expressed skepticism over Iran's claim that it had achieved higher levels of uranium enrichment. In a speech at a rally marking the 31st anniversary of the Islamic revolution on Thursday, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the country had produced its first batch of 20 per cent enriched uranium. But Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, said the Iranian statements about nuclear prowess were based on politics, not physics.
The Jerusalem Post says Israel has begun work to re-route a section of its West Bank separation barrier to restore land to a village that has become a flashpoint of Palestinian opposition to the enclosure. The move comes two-and-a-half years after Israel's Supreme Court ruled that the barrier must be moved to ease the hardship of Palestinians in the village of Bilin.
Most British nationals carry the news of the death of Alexander McQueen, the iconic British fashion designer, on their front page. He was found dead at his London on the eve of his mother's funeral. The Daily Mirror says the 40-year-old was overcome with grief after his mother passed away earlier this month.
Vancouver, host of the Winter Olympics, tops the latest annual survey by The Economist, scoring 98 out of 100 on a comparison of stability, healthcare, education, infrastructure, culture and environment. The top ten cities were: Vancouver, Vienna, Melbourne, Toronto, Calgary, Helsinki, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide and Auckland. Zimbabwe's capital Harare scored as the world's worst city, with a rating of 37.5.