The following are the top stories in national newspapers today.

Times of Malta says Prime Minister Joseph Muscat yesterday quelled rumours that his chief of staff was terminally ill, insisting he was “alive and kicking”. In another story, the Prime Minister says that according to operators Electrogas, the Delimara power station could receive its first LNG cargo by mid-January if granted an environmental permit on Monday.

The Malta Independent speaks to Archbishop’s Seminary rector Fr Jimmy Bonnici who says faith schools should have no problem employing teachers who have different religious affiliations or no affiliation whatsoever, provided that they upheld the ethos and mission statement of the establishment.

In-Nazzjon says the Prime Minister has again failed to reply to questions as to whether it was acceptable for him that Minister Chris Cardona spent more than €700 on alcohol during a three day visit in Dubai with his chief of staff.

L-Orizzont says a meeting of the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development yesterday agreed that the national minimum wage should be extraordinary with its aim being to reduce relative poverty among workers.