Spain Papers Review - Monday December 21 2009
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By h.b. - Dec 21, 2009 - 8:56 AM
The papers remember the kidnapped Spanish aid workers and note the continuing winter weather

El Mundo leads with the news that the President of Mali will be an intermediary with Al Qaeda in talks to try to ensure the release of three Spanish aid workers kidnapped in Mauritania. The paper says the Government is expecting the captors to send a video to Amadou Toumani with their demands.
El País says that the kidnappers have admitted they acted only for money. The paper notes three other Al Qaeda activists have been arrested for exporting drugs to Spain.
Meanwhile El Mundo notes that the PP has attacked the Government for recognising ‘the Moroccan sovereignty of the Sahara’. It came as part of the return of Aminatou Haidar.
El País notes that she is now an effective prisoner in her own home and that the Moroccan police are imposing a policy of fear in El Aaiún.

El País has a large front page photo of the Iranian opposition mourning the death of their spiritual leader, with the death of Ayatola Hosein Ali Montazerí.

ABC devotes its front page to the latest results from its DYM opinion poll. It headlines that the crisis has sunk the PSOE and strengthened the lead for the PP. The difference between the two parties is 5.2 points.
Público has an opinion poll on Christmas and beliefs, and says that the recession is also affecting Catholic dogmas.
It notes 70% say they will not attend any religious act over the holiday, only 26% say they are a practising Catholic, although 52% believe in the existence of God and 40% believe in the resurrection of Christ.

El Mundo highlights a quote from the President of Bolivia, following the results of the climate summit in Copenhagen. Evo Morales, speaking about Obama, said ‘The black man is George Bush’s best pupil’.

ABC notes that the cold has resulted in what it says is the indefinite closure of the channel tunnel. The paper says that 55,000 people have been affected by the Eurostar cancellations and notes that temperatures in Spain reached -20º in some places.
El Mundo has a photo of a street thermometer showing -9º in Burgos as winter arrives officially tonight.

Público leads on what it says is a divided employers’ organisation CEOE over its chairman, Gerardo Diáz Ferrán. The paper says large companies are questioning the role of the chairman because of his large debts.

El País notes that Cuba has admitted that the recession is suffocating them. It says that Raúl Castro is preparing a hard adjustment plan, with cuts in social spending.

ABC says that the cabinet has awarded 409 contracts ‘a dedo’ without tender, at a cost of 82 million €. The paper says the new jobs are up 7.6% with respect to last year, and that Economy and Hacienda is the Ministry with 58 new jobs which sees the most.

El País notes that home helpers and cleaners will be obliged to pay social security under planned changes to the legislation from the first half hour worked. Previously they only had to declare after 72 hours working a month.

El Mundo has a photo from Rome where the first lion to be fitted with contact lenses is recovering from the operation. The paper tells us that lions eyesight is five time sharper than humans.

El País shows some images of Stalin. A new exhibition in Moscow shows 19 prints of nudes drawn by Russian 19th and 20th century artists, with his own handwritten comments.

And finally,
Following their 6th title of the year, Público asks the question – ‘Is Barça the best team in history?’.
El País has an interview with Leo Messi, who tells the paper that he has often cried alone. He says what he does for Barcelona is very natural for him, the difficult stuff is done by Xavi and Iniesta.
El Mundo is giving its readers the chance to choose the best Spaniard and World sportsman of the decade.

(La Razón has not updated its .pdf file at the time of writing)

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