The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press:
The Times reports that the US is marking the 9/11 anniversary amid a new terror threat. It also reports the Prime Minister’s reaction to the Moody’s downgrade, saying the country would continue to do what it has been doing, and would not be humiliated like other countries.
The Malta Independent reports that the Prime Minister yesterday briefed the MCESD about the situation in Libya. It also reports how Pamela Anderson urged EU Health Commissioner John Dalli not to put off a deadline to clamp down on animal testing for the production of cosmetics.
In-Nazzjon reports that Malta is working for stability in Libya. It also reports how Former Chief Justice Noel Arrigo is set to be released this weekend.
l-orizzont also features the imminent release of Noel Arrigo on its front page.
The overseas press
Al Ahram reports that the Egyptian Interior Ministry has declared a state of alert and the Prime Minister has summons his cabinet crisis team after hundreds of protesters attacked the Israeli Embassy building in Cairo, throwing documents out of the window and removing the Israeli flag. Police used teargas and gunshots were fired while protesters set two police vehicles on fire. Al Jazeera says up to 300 people were injured and one died of a heart attack. The agency also reports that the military fired live ammunition into the air as protesters tried to storm the Egyptian security headquarters. The group that swarmed the embassy had left a mass rally at nearby Tahrir Square, where organised protesters called for reforms by the military, which now governs Egypt.
An Israeli official in Jerusalem told the BBC the intruders had entered consular offices, but not the main embassy. Reuters quoted an Israeli official as saying that the documents appeared to be “pamphlets and forms kept at the foyer”. Egypt's state media said some of the documents were marked “confidential”.
Associated Press says the Israeli ambassador, Yitzhak Levanon, his family and other embassy staff, rushed to Cairo's airport for a military plane to evacuate them. President Obama has urged the Egyptian government to protect the embassy after Israel asked for help.
Arab News reports Libyan forces opposed to Muammar Gaddafi have reached Bani Walid, one of the four towns still loyal to the deposed leader, and skirmishes have been taking place on the outskirts. The anti-Gaddafi forces said they advanced after coming under attack. They said there were about 700 fighters loyal to Gaddafi in the town. Al Jazeera quotes unconfirmed reports that anti-Gaddafi supporters within Bani Walid were taking matters into their own hands and rebelling against Gaddafi loyalists. Casualties were reported. Fighting has also intensified around Sirte.
According to Le Pays, more high-level defectors from Gaddafi’s army continued to cross the desert border into Niger, with officials confirming the arrival of four more officers. Justice Minister Amadou Morou said hat the chief of staff of the air force as well as his pilot had arrived in Niger on Thursday night, as well as the commanders of two Libyan military regions and six other civilians.
Al Arabiya reports anti-government demonstrators in Syria have held another day of protests in many parts of the country, following Friday prayers, calling for international protection from the security forces. Activists reported big turnouts in the central city of Homs and the Damascus suburbs.
The Wall Street Journal says US stocks fell by more than two per cent after the top German official at the European Central Bank stepped down. Juergen Stark resigned in protest at the bank’s policy of buying the bonds of debt-ridden countries – a major tool in fighting the region's debt crisis. The Financial Times reports finance ministers and central bank governors of the G7 advanced economies meeting in Marseilles have expressed concern at the turmoil and pledged to do whatever is necessary in coming weeks to calm nerves in the eurozone.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague has said Britain may prosper by loosening its ties with Brussels. In an interview with The Times, he raised the prospect of Britain standing increasingly apart from the EU core but blamed Liberal Democrats for cramping the Conservatives on Europe. The former Tory leader added that his opposition to the euro had been vindicated by events. The creation of the eurozone without its members being bound by closer tax and spending rules was “always a giant mistake”, he said.
The Daily Express and the i newspaper lead with a British Met Office warning of a hurricane that threatens to batter Britain and cause structural damage to homes, flash floods, fallen trees and transport chaos in the next three days. They expect winds of up to 80 miles an hour to lash the country, whipping up 50ft waves, which will be accompanied by driving rain. The forecasters warned the outlook was “very serious”.
USA Today notes that security has been stepped up in Washington and New York over a possible bomb threat to coincide with the tenth anniversary tomorrow of the 9/11 attacks. Roads were closed and traffic checks stepped up yesterday as extra police officers poured into both cities. US spies have been passed intelligence from a “reliable source” in Pakistan who warned that potential terrorists have entered America by air in recent days to carry out Osama Bin Laden’s stated desire for a fresh attack on the US.