The following are the top stories in the national and international press today.

The Sunday Times leads with the President’s message for Christmas. Dr Abela expressed disappointment that some people opted to insult others through means of communication. He appealed to those who wanted to win an argument to opt for reason. In another story, the newspaper interviews Josephine Cesare, 71, who last Tuesday was hit in a car chase in Gzira. She expressed her hurt that the man’s lawyer played down the incident and described it as a small one.

Malta Today says that according to its latest survey, the most positive event for the people this year was the introduction of divorce.

It-Torca displays front pages of its most popular issues.

Kullhadd dedicates its front page to Franco Debono - his statements and what columnist Daphne Caruana Galizia has been saying about him.

Illum gets the opinions of politicians and others who were in the news this year.

The international press

Pope Benedict has criticised the commercialisaton of Christmas. RAI TV reports that at the traditional Christmas Mass at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the pontiff appealed to worshipers to see through the superficial glitter and focus on the true joy of the Christmas message. He urged them to focus on “the child in the stable in Bethlehem”. Benedict officially kicked off Christmas a few hours before the evening Mass, lighting a candle in his studio window overlooking St Peter's Square in a sign of peace, as crowds gathered to witness the unveiling of the Vatican's larger-than-life sized nativity scene. At noon today, the pope will deliver his annual Urbi et Orbi (To the City and the World) speech.

Al Ayyam says that tens of thousands of Christian pilgrims and tourists meanwhile crowded into the West Bank town of Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, to begin the Christmas celebrations. The turnout has been described to be the biggest in a decade. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Fuad Twal, who led the Midnight Mass. has expressed concern for Christians in the current upheavals in the Middle East and asked them to support moves towards freedom and democracy. In his homily, he urged "the return of calm and reconciliation in Syria, in Egypt, in Iraq and in North Africa".

A spokesman for Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has insisted that the majority of Russians support him, despite the biggest rally so far against the fraud-tainted December 4 parliamentary election. Dimitry Peskov told the BBC that such rallies were common in many capital cities. Fox News reports the Moscow demonstration on Saturday was even bigger than a similar rally two weeks ago, signaling that the protest movement might be growing. Protests were also held in dozens of other cities and towns across Russia.

The comment came as former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev called on Putin to resign as tens of thousands of demonstrators cheered opposition leaders and jeered the Kremlin in what analysts say was the biggest show of outrage in Putin's 12-year-rule. Gorbachev told Moscow Echo radio in an interview, "I would advise Vladimir Putin to leave now. He has had his three terms: two as president and one as prime minister. Three terms – that is enough."

Granma quotes the Cuban government saying at least 38 migrants from Haiti have been found dead after the boat on which they were trying to leave their country sank off the eastern tip of Cuban. The Cuban coastguards rescued 87 migrants.

CNN says one of the front runners in the race to become the US presidential candidate, Newt Gringrich, has failed to qualify for the primary ballot in his home state of Virginia. Local party officials said he had not submitted the required 10,000 sugnatures, an allegation he denies.

The Sudanese army has killed the leader of Darfur's main rebel group. Suna news agency reports that Khalil Ibrahim was killed in fighting in the Wad Banda area in North Kordofan.  He was known as the leader of the Justice and Equality Movement in conflict-torn Darfur. Earlier this year, he returned from exile in Libya after the fall of Col Gaddafi's regime.

A blind dog that was lost and believed to be dead has been reunited with his San Antonio family for Christmas, thanks to Craigslist, a teacher and an animal care agency. The San Antonio Express-News reports that nearly a month after Stevie Oedipus Wonder disappeared, the cairn terrier mix puppy that was born without eyes is home. The dog showed up at the Animal Care Services on December 11. He would have been euthanized, but a high school teacher agreed to care for him over the holiday. Then she found the lost dog notice on Craigslist, and Stevie went home last Thursday. He's getting doggy treats, carrots and toys for Christmas.