The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press:
The Times leads with how seven people were hurt yesterday when the gas tank of a confetti gun exploded in Gudja. It also reports how two groups of migrants were rescued late yesterday but four migrants were dead.
The Malta Independent also reports on the Gudja incident. In another story it says that a daily cup of hot chocolate helps the elderly retain memory.
l-orizzont focuses on efforts to register in Malta the birth of a migrant’s daughter while the focus of In-Nazzjon is on Charles Buhagiar, the shadow minister on infrastructural projects, and his ties with Joseph Muscat.
The overseas press
Ecuador has accused the UK of making a "threat" to enter its embassy in London to arrest Wikileaks' founder Julian Assange, who took refuge at the embassy in June. Gama TV reports that at a news conference in Quito, Ecuador Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino also said a decision on the 41-year-old's bid for political asylum had been made and would be revealed later today. Patino said that in a letter, the British Foreign Office said it had a “legal obligation” to extradite Assange to Sweden, where he faces questioning over assault and rape claims, which he denies. The letter reminded Ecuador that Britain had the legal power to strip the embassy of its diplomatic status to arrest Assange, although it hoped it did not come to that.
According to Al Jazeera, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait have urged all their citizens in Lebanon to leave immediately. It follows a threat from a Lebanese Shia clan to kidnap people from Sunni Muslim countries which support the Syrian rebels, principle Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey.
CNN reports that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has suspended Syria’s membership. It said the Islamic body had not room for a regime that killed its own people. Iran and Algeria were the sole opponents in the 57-nation body, which represents 1.5 billion Muslims. OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu told CNN that the organisation's move sends a message to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that its members would not accept the regime killing its people. He also called on the UN Security Council to approve tougher resolutions against the regime. Correspondents say the move further isolates President Bashar al-Assad after the Arab League suspended Syria last November.
Manwhile, The New York Times quotes a United Nations human rights investigators saying that Syrian government forces and allied militias have committed war crimes, including murder and torture, in what they say appears to be state-directed policy. The investigators said in a report released on Wednesday that they had received "consistent evidence that mid- and high-ranking members of government forces were directly involved in illegal acts". Although the report also accused Syrian rebels fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad of committing war crimes, they "did not reach the gravity, frequency and scale" of those carried out by the army and security forces, the investigators said.
The Pakistani military says gunmen have attacked it airbase near Islamabad. Dawn quotes officials saying about a dozen militants entered the Kamra airbase just after dawn. Commandos from Pakistan’s special forces killed one of the militants. Fighting was continuing and all Pakistan's air bases have been placed on high alert.
The BBC says local authorities in the United States have began their own investigations into seven leading banks suspected of manipulating the key Libor interest rate used to set a range of financial deals. It is also a measure of trust in the financial system and the faith banks have in each other's financial health. The banks can be compelled to provide information.
The Times reports Queen Elizabeth’s husband, Prince Philip, is again in hospital as a "precautionary measure" after a recurrence of a bladder infection he had earlier this year. It is the third time Prince Philip has been in hospital in the last nine months: he also spent four days in hospital over Christmas, following an operation to clear a blocked heart artery.
Voice of America says an unmanned hypersonic aircraft, designed to travel six times the speed of sound, has crashed into the sea on its latest flight. US Air Force said the flight was over within seconds of its launch because a technical fault prevented its supersonic jet engine from firing. The missile-shaped aircraft, known as Waverider, was launched from a B52 bomber over the Pacific Ocean.
The Guardian reports Manchester United have agreed a £24 million (€30.6 million) deal to sign Arsenal striker Robin van Persie on a four-year contract. The 29-year-old will meet with United in the next 48 hours to discuss personal terms and have a medical. The Arsenal captain announced last month he would not extend his current deal, which expires in June 2013. The Dutchman, who was the Premier League’s leading scorer last season with 30 goals to his name, still has to agree personal terms.