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

The Sunday Times of Malta reports how a CID pair have been blamed from the wrongful arraignment of a man who was accused of a hold-up.

MaltaToday says a top official was told to retire after alerting Gonzi about Gozo Ministry interference.

The Malta Independent on Sunday says former Enemalta chairman Tancred Tabone had been planning a €300m petrol and water supply deal.

It-Torca says a former official in Dolores Cristina's Education ministry was paid for meetings on the Smartcard scheme which he never attended,

Il-Mument says a Maltese was kidnapped in Libya and released after a ransom was paid to a militia.

KullHadd quotes Bishop Charles Scicluna saying the Church is open to dialogue.

The overseas press

The president of Vanuatu has appealed for international assistance after his island nation was hit by Tropical Cyclone Pam, which the United Nations says is one of the worst natural disasters in the history of the Pacific. Vanuatu Daily Post quotes President Baldwin Lonsdale’s appeal during a speech at a UN conference in Japan for “the global community to give a lending hand in responding to these very current calamities that have struck us”. Eight people are confirmed to have died.

Chilevision reports thousands of residents have returned to their homes in the seaport city of Valparaiso in Chile, after fleeing a forest fire that threatened the treasured UNESCO World Heritage site. The fire claimed one life and led to thousands of evacuations in the historic city known as the “pearl of the Pacific”. The fire broke out in an illegal dump and spead quickly.

El Mundo says thousands of people have turned out in the streets of Madrid to protest against abortion in the “March for life, women and motherhood”. They chanted numerous slogans including “Every life has a value”. The protesters have accused the conservative government of Mariano Rajoy to have withdrawn the draft reform of abortion law as he had promised during the election campaign.

Al Ahram reports an Egyptian disciplinary court has ordered 41 judges into compulsory retirement for supporting the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. The government has implemented a harsh crackdown on Islamists and secular political opponents since July 2013, when then-army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ousted Islamist President Mohamed Mursi following mass protests against his rule.

Greece’s Defence Minister Panos Kammenos has told Bild his country’s exit from the eurozone could be followed by Italy, Spain and even Germany. Kammenos’ interview comes amid lack of progress in Greece’s bailout plan. He also accused Germany of “interfering” in its domestic affairs. His criticism was aimed at German Finance Minister Schäuble, who earlier warned of a “Grexident” which could push Athens out of the euro.

Al Ayyam says Islamic State fighters killed the prominent leader of a Shiite militia in the battle of Tikrit. Commander Abou Hasaneen Al Mosawi of the Imam Ali Brigade died during intense fighting in the Qadisiya neighborhood in northern Tikrit. However, Iraqi officers said the dwindling band of extremists were in “total collapse” and USA Today reports Iraqi government leaders predicted ISIL fighters in the city will be defeated in two or three days.

Haaretz reports a long-awaited debate between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his key election rival, Labour’s Isaac Herzog, took place on television yesterday, focusing on diplomatic and security issues. Despite their repeatedly exchanging barbs in the run-up to Tuesday’s general election in campaigning that ends tonight, this was their first face-to-face confrontation.

Sontags Zietung quotes US Secretary of State John Kerry saying on Saturday he hoped “in the next days” it would be possible to reach an interim deal with Iran if Tehran can show that its nuclear power programme is for peaceful purposes only. Speaking on the eve of fresh talks with Iran in Lausanne, later today, Kerry appeared more upbeat about the possibility of a framework agreement by a deadline at the end of the month. A final accord would then be negotiated by June 30.

The Washington Post reveals even Jeb Bush was involved in an “e-mailgate”. The presumptive Republican nominee for president in 2016 in fact use his personal e-mail when he was governor of Florida, to discuss military matters and security. The news comes after the storm that involved Hillary Clinton who had used his private mail for a mail exchange official, when she was Secretary of State.

Glovovision says Venezuela has staged a military exercise to counter an alleged US threat, deploying 80,000 soldiers and 20,000 civilians across the country to march and fire missiles to “defend” an oil refinery from a simulated attack. President Nicolas Maduro has said recent US sanctions on seven Venezuelan officials were a bid to topple him. Opposition leaders labelled the exercise a farce and accused Maduro of seeking to distract Venezuelans from long queues for scarce products, sky-high inflation and rampant crime.

At least 30 people have reportedly died and at last 11 others were injured when a tourist bus plunged 400 meters into a ravine in Brazil, the local G1 news portal has reported Sunday. There were reportedly 50 passengers in the bus. According to preliminary data, the driver lost control of the vehicle during a turn in a mountainous area, causing it to veer off the road.

Denver News says a woman walking past a pizza shop in Colorado was hit by a car, landed on its bonnet and was pushed through a glass window into the premises. Amazingly, she immediately jumped off the car amid the debris and escaped without serious injury. A local TV station reported that the car’s driver apparently hit the accelerator pedal instead of the brake while trying to park.

According to Agra News, an Indian bride has walked out of her own wedding after the groom failed to come up with the correct answer for 15 plus six. He answered 17. As soon as she learned that the man was uneducated, she refused to marry him. Police were called to intervene in the row that followed, but it was eventually resolved by the families, who returned all the jewellery, gifts and cash traditionally exchanged at an Indian wedding. 

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