Kim Jong-il (photo in North Korean media)

It’s the photo the world has been waiting for. Finally, after weeks of speculation about the state of the North Korean leader’s health, state media has released undated photos of Kim Jong-il at a football match.

The 66 year old reportedly suffered a stroke and underwent brain surgery back in August. Since then, North Korea has been at pains to prove that its ‘dear leader’ is fit and healthy.

The Korea Herald (South Korea)

"Mystery shrouds Kim's doctor"

But rumours that Kim Jong- il is on death’s door continue to fly around the world. South Korean newspaper ‘The Korea Herald’ has an article about the mystery surrounding a French brain surgeon, who reportedly jetted off to the secretive state to treat the ailing leader last week.

Francois-Xavier Roux has denied any links with the North Korean leader….but was apparently filmed boarding a plane for Pyongyang by Japanese TV. The article is brimming with conspiracy theories…

Roux was evasive when questioned, saying that he had treated a Korean -who could possibly have been Kim Jong-il’s son - but he had no idea who he was because they are all called Kim and are all very secretive.

The article says that as so often with North Korea, there are more questions than answers with this story.

Bangkok Post (Thailand)

"Only royal kindness can get me home"

Moving onto another controversial figure now, ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The front page of Thailand’s Bangkok Post shows up to 80,000 of his supporters packed into a sports stadium in the capital to listen to him speak – via telephone from Hong Kong.

It was Thaksin’s first address to supporters since he was handed down a two-year jail sentence for abuse of power. The newspaper says the speech was a let-down to political observers, who said that far from solving the country’s political stalemate, his comments are likely to escalate the conflict further.

The Independent (UK)

 “Obama: living the dream”

Staying with the theme of political personalities, Barack Obama once again dominates the international press.

The leader in British newspaper “The Independent” says he is heading for a landslide victory. It says that by now, one in three Americans likely to vote will have done so and among them, Obama has a substantial double-digit lead…

Obama is more certain to win the election than any candidate since George Bush’s father beat Michael Dukakis in 1988.

 

New York Times (US)

"Who is the question mark? "

 
The New York Times, a vocal Obama supporter, asks what went wrong for McCain, a seasoned politician who has allowed his campaign to get whiney, vengeful and bitter.

 
The article blames his campaign manager Steve Schmidt for turning McCain into a shell of his former self. It also has a list of why's…why did he say the fundamentals of the economy were strong in both August and September? Why did he pick Palin?

Al Hayat (UK)

"A new multipolar world'

London-based Pan-Arabic newspaper Al Hayat says that whoever gets into the White House needs to adopt a radically different world view to his predecessors. The article says that the world has changed and the next leader of the US needs to have global vision….rather than tunnel vision...at a time when the country is fighting two wars on two different fronts.

El Pais (Spain)

"Swingers in small-town America "

And staying with the US but on a lighter note, Spanish daily El Pais has a report on part of the electorate which hasn’t had much coverage so far…America’s swinging community in the Midwest. The report says the person these mid-western swingers most identify with is Sarah Palin. They share her love of guns, rodeos, barbecues and sense of patriotism.