The following are the top stories in national newspapers today.

Times of Malta says a report by the National Audit Office has found that the Education Ministry in 2011 waived the requirement for school transport providers to have passenger seat belts in their vehicles. In another story, it says that the European Commission panel monitoring Valletta 2018 has demanded clarification over recent high-profile dismissals which it said appeared to be politically motivated and seriously compromised the V18 project.

The Malta Independent says that obesity in Malta cost more than €36 million last year.

In-Nazzjon says that the Planning Authority has approved plans to allow buildings as high as 17 metres on a large area of virgin land at the edge of development boundaries.

L-Orizzont says that the complex debt of the Water Services Corporation had gone down by €30 million in four years of Labour government.