The following are the top stories in national newspapers today.

Times of Malta says short-term truancy among secondary school students has reached a new high, as over 300 more pupils missed school in the first half of this scholastic year than throughout the whole of last year. In another story, it says Manoel Island developers Midi have applied to install extensive temporary fencing around most of the island, six months after protests forced the company to open up limited access to the foreshore.

In-Nazzjon says Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's hotel bill in Dubai has run up to more than €11,000.

L-Orizzont says that in 2005 there were 1,400 cars per 1,000 licences with the number of cars in Gozo matching nearly that of the population.

The Malta Independent says that entrepreneur Hugo Chetcuti is eager to make the dream of Jake Vella, the seven-year-old triathlon athlete who is battling a rare condition call Rohhad, comes true.

MaltaToday says that retail giant PD group plans a €25 million shares issue.