The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press.
The Sunday Times of Malta reveals an €88m state guarantee for a loan by the developers of the new power station.
MaltaToday says inside information was possible in the Gaffarena property deal. It says a member of the secretariat of Parliamentary Secretary Michael Falzon could not explain why he personally accompanied Gaffarena to the Property Division.
The Malta Independent on Sunday reports that weak concrete was found in six of 40 concrete piles laid so far for the new Delimara power station. The quality of the concrete did not match specifications requested by Siemens, which is to supply the power station equipment. The contractor was ordered to replace them.
It-Torca and Illum say former GRTU Director-General Vince Farrugia and other members of the association are due in court soon to face charges of false testimony against Sandro Chetcuti. GRTU officials Paul Abela and Philip Fenech are to be accused of complicity.
KullHadd also features comments by Health and Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi that the government is determined to recover the damages caused by inferior quality concrete at the hospital.
Il-Mument says the government has an agreement with Maghtab Construction for development in Zonqor.
The overseas press
Suddeutsche Zeitung reports clashes between about 8,000 demonstrators and police on the eve of today’s summit of the G7 in Bavaria. They carried placards and shouted slogans against the capitalist system and the multinationals, protesting a wide range of causes – from climate change to free trade. Though the demonstration was largely peaceful, a small group of protesters charged at officers who responded with pepper spray. Two protesters and a police officer were injured but there were no arrests.
In an exclusive interview with Deutsche Welle, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said climate change would figure heavily on the agenda. She said the leaders of the seven most industrialised nations need to commit to limiting global warming to two degrees Celsius. Over 20,000 police officers have been employed to ensure the safety of the summit.
Dnevni Avaz reports during his visit to Sarajevo, Pope Francis has called on all Bosnians to work for peace and reconciliation. The Pontiff urged Muslims, Orthodox and Catholics alike to put the “barbarity of war” behind them. Bosnian society remains split along ethnic lines.
Le Monde reports French President François Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have spoken to Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to discuss the debt crisis. The call seemed to suggest that the Athens debt crisis could dominate the meeting of the G7 nations. Tsipras himself is not attending the meeting. EU Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker however showed his displeasure with Greek leaders’ reluctance to implement reforms. There were also rumors that Juncker refused to speak with Tsipras when the latter called him, saying there were no new developments to talk about.
Captain Nick Cooke-Priest, commander of the British warship HMS Bulwark has said there were indications that 500,000 would be migrants are gathering in Libya to attempt crossing the Mediterranean to Europe. Chocking anger, he told The Guardian, many of the survivors had revealed that the traffickers had told them to overturn the boat and jump into the water as soon as they sight a warship, thus being certain of beings saved. Many eventually drown.
The BBC quotes British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, on board the warship, warning that Europe could face “a massive wave of migration unless it unites to tackle the problem of people smugglers. Naval vessels from Italy, Britain, Ireland and other countries steamed toward the waters off Libya yesterday to rescue the latest wave of migrants from smugglers’ boats.
Turkey goes to the polls today to elect its deputies and, Gazete Oku says, decide, at the same time, about their future because a big victory for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would pave the way for a Turkey to turn into a presidential republic. The 174,000 polling booths of the country’s 81 provinces will remain open until 5 p.m. for the single-round election that will see 550 seats allocated under the proportional system.
Police in New York are hunting for two convicted murderers who escaped from a maximum security prison near the Canadian border. Officials told Fox News the men, who were in adjoining cells, used power tools to cut the walls and then made their way through the rison’s sewer system to escape through a manhole cover.
El Colombiano announces the 11-year-old daughter of a high-profile Colombian security official has been freed by her kidnappers. Daniela Mora was abducted last Thursday as she was being driven from school in a bullet-proof car.
The women’s football World Cup has kicked off in Canada with a 1-0 win by the host nation over China. World Football says Canada scored a penalty in the dying minutes of injury time. The Netherlands beat New Zealand by an identical score.
Die Zeit reveals Germany’s Schroeder government enticed Saudi Arabia with a shipload of weapons to be able to win the bid to host the World Cup in 2006. In 2000, Germany did win the award by defeating South Africa by 12 votes to 11. Germany also promised to Thailand and South Korea investments of Volkswagen, Daimler and Bayer in their home countries. Meanwhile, London’s The Sunday Times says Morocco, and not South Africa, should have won the bid to host the 2010 edition, according to a secret recording of a conversation between its undercover reporters and Ismail Bhamjee of Botswana, one of the 24 FIFA board members. Bhamjee said after the vote he and his colleagues realized that “Morocco had won by two votes” but South Africa was declared the winner.
All night celebrations in all of Spain, but more pronounced in Barcelona after the team’s 2-1 win over Juventus in the Champions Cup final. Spanish newspapers are in seventh heaven: “A Fifth with Treble” headlines Brand, saying this was “another historic year for Barca. Luis Enrique did his ‘tris’ in the first year, as Guardiola in 2008. “El Barca ya tiene la Quinta” headlines AS, stressing that the Barcelona were superior but had to suffer until the very end to be declared champions.” El Mundo Deportivo says “In Berlin, Barca took their fifth Champions League and the treble” while El Pais comments “The team of Luis Enrique ended the season with a historic treble”.