The following are the top stories in the national and international news today.
Times of Malta says there were almost 800 reported cases of bullying in State schools alone over the past four years, reinforcing the need for proper legislation to address the issue.
The Malta Independent says that police are remaining tight lipped as to whether Mario Camilleri Snr was killed as a result of a gunshot would or if he died of heart failure. In another story, the newspapers says that reports of pick-pocketing have almost doubled in one year.
In-Nazzjon says that the Health Ministry’s chief of staff has resigned. It also reports that unemployment in June increased by nine per cent.
L-Orizzont says the country made big losses with its oil procurement and hedging policy in 2009 and 2011, when former Minister Austin Gatt was involved.
International news
Cadena Ser radio station quotes the Regional Tribunal of Galicia saying at least 69 people have been killed and as many as 143 others injured when a train derailed in north-western Spain. All 13 carriages of the train, which was travelling from Madrid to Ferrol, came off the tracks near the city of Santiago de Compostela.
Reuters reports the train, with 247 people on board, derailed on the eve of the ancient city's main festival focused on St James, whose remains are said to rest in the city.
El Pais quotes regional authorities saying the accident was due to excessive speed.
O Globo reports that Pope Francis has spoken out against laws legalising of drugs in Latin America, saying the roots of drug abuse should be tackled instead.
Prince William and his wife the Duchess of Cambridge have announced that they have named their baby son George Alexander Louis. The Times says the baby boy is destined to become King George VII. A Palace source told the Daily Mirror George's names were not particularly symbolic – Will and Kate just happened to like them. The Sun says bookies face a huge payout as the baby is called George. According to the Daily Express, one bookmaker has to pay out £250,000 (€290,000).
The Washington Times says that the US House of Representatives has narrowly voted to continue am electronic surveillance programme that was recently exposed by the fugitive intelligence analyst Edward Snowden, still holed up at Moscow’s airport.
Meanwhile, Reuters reports Snowden's hopes of leaving Moscow for the first time in a month on Wednesday were dashed when he failed to secure permission from Russia to leave.
President Obama has delayed the delivery of four F-16 fighter planes to Egypt, three weeks after the army ousted President Mohammed Morsi. USA Today quotes a Pentagon spokesman said it would not be appropriate to proceed with the delivery given the current situation in Egypt. Meanwhile, Al Ahram reports Egypt's army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called for mass public rallies on Friday that would give him a mandate to fight “terrorism and violence”, as Morsi's supporters continued to protest against his removal.
A University of Cambridge team has identified how the body's immune system detects cat allergen, leading to symptoms such as coughing and sneezing. The charity Allergy UK said the research, published in Journal of Immunology, was a big step forward in understanding how cat allergen causes such severe allergic reactions.
Players from the Spanish football club Seville say around €120,000 went missing from their hotel in Colombia while they were playing in the Euro-American Cup, a friendly tournament. El Mundo quotes hotel officials in Medellin saying that at least three rooms occupied by the Spanish stars were burgled by a gang using a magnetic master key.