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

The Times features passengers stranded at MIA as flights were cancelled because of a cloud of volcanic ash over Northern Europe. It also reports that no one was injured in a Gharghur fireworks blast.

The Malta Independent features the last preparations for the Pope's visit. It also reports on the fireworks factory explosion and the air traffic chaos.

In-Nazzjon gives prominence to the Pope's visit, saying he will be driven through 31 localities. It also reports that Vodafone will invest €12m on its mobile broadband network.

l-orizzont leads with the Gharghur fireworks factory explosion. It also reports on the flights chaos. It also reports that no threats of protests against the Pope have been made.

The overseas press

Avvenire quotes Pope Benedict saying the Church must repent for its sins. In what was seen as a rare reference to the Catholic priests' child abuse scandal, the pontiff said "We Christians, even in recent times, have often avoided the word ‘repent', which seemed too tough. But now, under attack from the world which has been telling us about our sins ... we realise that it's necessary to repent, in other words, recognise what is wrong in our lives." His remarks came during Mass with members of the Pontifical Biblical Commission.

Meanwhile, The Irish Independent reports that a leading survivor of clerical sex abuse has walked out of a meeting during which Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen was discussing a compensation deal. Michael O'Brien said the offer from the Irish Church was €384 million but that included the original €128 million from the indemnity deal. Accusing the Prime Minister of lacking compassion, O'Brien indicated he would go on hunger strike next week.

Most European dailies publish dramatic pictures of Icelandic volcanic ash cloud. The Wall Street Journal reports that flight delays would last for days but problems may persist for months. Up to 5,000 flights were affected yesterday as airspace and airports closed in EU countries - including Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. The European air traffic control organisation has said flights could be disrupted for another 48 hours. EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas made it clear that some passenger rights would apply despite the "very exceptional circumstance".

China Today says that rescuers and aid has began trickling in to a remote area of northwest China devastated by a quake that left 760 people dead and 100,000 homeless. Officials said medical teams and vital supplies such as tents and quilts were on their way to the zone, where doctors set up makeshift hospitals to treat victims of the deadliest quake in China in two years.

Gazeta reports Kyrgyzstan's deposed President Kurmanbek Bakiyev has left the country for neighbouring Kazakhstan - apparently for talks with the interim government controlling the capital of Bishkek. Earlier in the day, gunfire disrupted a rally in Osh where Bakiyev was trying to marshal support among those in his clan power base in the south. The provisional government had urged him to leave the country.

Meanwhile New Euroasia says Kyrgyzstan's former Defence Minister Bakyt Kalyev was arrested in southern Kyrgyzstan trying to flee the country. He has been accused of ordering troops to fire on a crowd of protesters in Bishkek on April 7, which led to violence which left 83 dead. A special operation was also under way in southern Kyrgyzstan to apprehend Bakiyev's brothers.

According to London's The Guardian, Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg came out on top of the long-awaited TV leaders' debate, winning the argument with his pitch that he represented change from the other two parties' "combined record of failure". The three men vying to be the next UK Prime Minister - Labour's Gordon Brown, Tory David Cameron and Clegg - clashed over the economy, defence and care for the elderly, outlining stark differences over the key issue of ensuring recovery from the recession.

The Financial Times reports Greece has capitulated to market pressure and moved towards a bailout from its eurozone partners and the IMF by seeking talks on a 30bn euro loan package. In a letter to the European Commission, Greece's finance minister, George Papaconstantinou, said Athens wanted to discuss "a multi-year economic policy programme with the Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund".

USA Today says a white supremacist has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for conspiring to kill then-presidential candidate Barack Obama and dozens of other black people. Paul Schlesselman, 19, pleaded guilty in January and was sentenced yesterday. Co-defendant, Daniel Cowart, 21, also pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. Authorities have described the pair as white supremacist skinheads who planned to kill 88 African-Americans and behead 14 others before trying to take out Mr Obama. The numbers 88 and 14 are symbolic in the white supremacist movement.

Metro quotes a UN report revealing more people in India have a mobile phone than a toilet. The report on the world's second most populous country shows 600 million people - 54 per cent of the population - defecated in the open in 2008, causing a health disaster. At the same time, 545 million mobile phones are now connected to networks in the developing nation. The Indian government has vowed to end open defecation by 2012.