The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press.
The Sunday Times of Malta reports exclusively that Arriva will leave Malta early in the new year.
MaltaToday says a whistleblower unconnected to politics had revealed a Trafigura oil invoice.
It-Torca reports that Austin Gatt had pushed for MOBC, the Enemalta oil bunkering arm, not to continue to trade.
Il-Mument says documents show how Manuel Mallia knew for a long time about oil procurement bribery. However The Malta Independent quotes Tony Debono as saying the minister did not know of the kickbacks. Mr Debono was a consultant for the same family which engaged Dr Mallia.
KullHadd reports that Malta’s proposals on tackling migration were accepted at the EU summit.
Illum says former Kazakh strongman Aliyev has alleged that the newspaper It-Torca is controlled by the Secret Service.
The overseas press
Euronews reports families of some of the 270 people who died in an airliner bombing 25 years ago gathered for memorial services on Saturday in the United States and Britain, honouring victims of a terror attack that killed dozens of American college students and created instant havoc in the Scottish town where wreckage of the plane rained down.
Deutche Welle says former Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky has been reunited with his family his Berlin after being released from prison on Friday. He had spent over ten years in jail and was unexpectedly pardoned by President Vladimir Putin. Khodorkovsky met his son, Pavel on Saturday and his parents – including his cancer-stricken mother –having landed in Berlin on a commercial flight from Moscow on Friday.
CNN reports President Obama has warned that using military force to gain power in South Sudan could cost the country international support. Obama was reacting to reports that four US service members were wounded when South Sudanese militias fired on three US military aircraft on a mission to evacuate American citizens.
ABC says the communications director for the Internet giant that owns popular websites like Match.com, Dictionary.com, and Vimeo has been fired over “hateful statements” in a tweet that came from her account. The tweet Friday from the account of Justine Sacco read: “Going to Africa. Hope I don't get AIDS. Just kidding. I'm white!”
Ansa reports four North African immigrants held in a detention centre in Rome sewed their mouths shut to protest their stay in the facility. They were visited by one of the centre's doctors and their health monitored. The situation in the centre remained calm and no other protests took place.
Avvenire says Pope Francis has warned Vatican administrators that their work can take a downward spiral into mediocrity, gossip and bureaucratic squabbling if they forget that theirs is a professional vocation of service to the Church. Francis made the comments in his Christmas address to the Vatican Curia.
L’Express reports Madagascar's presidential candidates both claimed victory on Saturday in run-off polls, each accusing the other of rigging the run-off as results started to trickle in. Former health minister Robinson Jean Louis, candidate of ousted president Marc Ravalomanana, told AFP he expected to win 56 percent, while his opponent Hery Rajaonarimampianina claimed to have taken between 60 and 65 percent.
AGI says an investigation by police in Rimini unveiled an illegal practice to trick buyers looking for fresh fish. As soon as it was unloaded at the pier, fish was doused in hydrogen peroxide to turn it whiter, making it look fresh even if had been fished days before. Police seized 180 crates, amounting to 1.5 tons of sardines, anchovies, and various types of oily fish, which will be destroyed in the next few days. The investigation, which was conducted with the collaboration of local health authorities, aims to verify the genuineness of fishing produce in light of the Christmas holidays.