The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press:
The Times says the cohabitation law currently being drafted will cover gay partnerships.
The Malta Independent reports on a tit-for-tat on social networks involving Paul Borg Olivier and Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando.
In-Nazzjon leads with comments by the prime minister in Xaghra, Gozo. He said the party will work in the interests of all residents. It also says that the number of operations at Mater Dei is continuing to increase.
l-orizzont says a Transport Malta architect has cast doubts on himself in the roads bribery case. This architect was arrested and released without charge, but he refused to testify in court, saying he did not want to incriminate himself. It also highlights recordings of comments allegedly made by Sliema Mayor Joanna Gonzi.
The overseas press
The Washington Post reports that an enormous solar flare is expected to hit Earth this morning and could disrupt power grids, satellite navigating systems and aircraft flights. US forecasters said the sun erupted on Tuesday evening and the effects should start reaching Earth between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. Malta time. The magnetic storm, the biggest in five years, is expected to unleash a torrent of charged particles. In addition to possible communications and power disruptions, NASA said one very visible impact from plasma ejected during the geomagnetic storm is the occurrence of aurora at low latitudes.
As people around the world observe International Women’s Day, WHO Director General Margaret Chan has called on policy makers and global donors to empower rural women by supporting health and wellness programs. Voice of America reports prime targets for these investments should be the treatment of tropical infections and improving women's access to reproductive health services. She says the economic empowerment of rural women – the theme of this year's Women's Day observance – could only happen when those women are given better access to essential drugs and basic medical treatment.
Al Jazeera says Syria's deputy oil minister has announced his resignation, saying he was joining the anti-government revolt. Abdo Hussameddin announced his defection in a video posted on YouTube. He is the highest ranking civilian to abandon President Bashar al-Assad since the uprising erupted a year ago.
The BBC says Hussameddin’s announcement came after the UN humanitarian chief said parts of Homs had been "devastated", following a visit to the city bombed by Syria's government troops. Valerie Amos said the bombed-out Baba Amr district felt like it had been closed down entirely. The government retook the district last week after fierce shelling. Activists say troops committed massacres since they entered. Damascus blames rebels for many deaths.
The Washington Times says US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has told the US Senate Armed Services Committee that no options, including military action, had been ruled out to end the violence in Syria. He said the legal basis for any such action must be clear and the limits of military force recognised.
The Times quotes the head of the British Armed Forces vowing that Britain would hold its nerve in Afghanistan after six soldiers were killed in a bomb blast – the deadliest single attack since the war began. General Sir David Richards’s comments came as a widow of one of the more than 400 British servicemen and women who have died in Afghanistan during the past decade accused the government of wasting her husband’s life in what she described as “a pointless campaign”. The soldiers died when their Warrior fighting vehicle struck a bomb in southern Afghanistan.
Associated Press reports six world powers having talks in Vienna have been unable to agree on how tough they should be with Iran over its nuclear programme as concerns grow over the Iranian military facility at Parchin. Satellite images of the site have indicated that teams there may be trying to disguise evidence of recent nuclear activity.
Al Bawaba says the President of the Libyan Transitional National Council, Mustafa Abdeljalil, has threatened to use force to prevent the independence of the East, as planned by tribal and militia leaders. In comments broadcast on television, Abdeljalil warned against the "remnants" of the regime of Muammar Gaddafi. He made the remarks while he was in Misrata to announce the end of the drafting of the national charter, which he will serve as a model for the future Constitution of Libya. Tribal leaders and militia in eastern Libya declared on Tuesday independence of this oil-rich region, saying they are opted for a federal system.
Al Ittihad reports that a criminal court in Dubai has sentenced a Gulf man to life in prison after he was convicted of raping a 24-year-old Japanese tourist during her visit to the remote village of Hatta. The man, a government employee in the emirate, snatched the woman while she was on her way to Hatta heritage village, took her to a mountainous area and beat her up before raping her. She had lost her way to the village after reaching Hatta by bus in March last year.
Jakarta Post says Indonesian officials in northern Sulawesi island are sending thousands of male civil servants’ salaries straight to their wives. The move is an effort to curb cheating by spouses. The local government said it would fortify family bonds since the men would no longer have the money to splurge on other women.