Liberté (Algeria)
“Gripe porcine: le Mexique et les Etats-Unis touchés"
"Swine flu: Mexico and the United States are affected"

A cartoon by Dilem illustrates Algerian daily Liberté’s coverage of the H1N1 flu-virus outbreak. Dilem’s cartoon pictures a globe wearing one of the face masks that have become a symbol and a necessary precaution in countries affected by the new flu strain. Here, the mask is held over the two countries most heavily affected by the virus: Mexico and the United States. Interestingly, Dilem has not bowed to pressure from the World Health Organisation and still calls H1N1 swine flu, or “grippe porcine” in this case.

Der Tagesspiegel (Germany)
“Grippefälle jetzt auch in Brandenburg”
“Flu cases discovered in Brandenburg”

Berlin-based Der Tagesspiegel has a picture from French news agency AFP on its cover. It shows people from around the world wearing their very own customized face masks. In the text accompanying the photo, Der Tagesspiegel says two cases of the H1N1 flu virus have now been detected in the area of Berlin-Brandenburg.

El Universal (Mexico)
“Influenza: alerta sanitaria”
“Flu health alert”

There is of course wide coverage of the new flu virus outbreak in one of Mexico’s biggest daily newspapers. Its Web site provides up-to-the-minute updates on the latest developments, including when restaurants might reopen not only in the Mexican capital but also in the rest of the country. El Universal’s Web site also publishes a guide on how to make your very own face mask. According to this Mexican daily, it is now increasingly hard to find one at the local chemists.

Libération (France)
"Comment le battre ?"
“How can he be beaten?”

Almost two years after being elected, French President Nicolas Sarkozy is already preparing the presidential elections of 2012. That’s according to French left-wing daily Libération, which is worried about a lack of a united opposition that could challenge Sarkozy. In the paper’s editorial, Laurent Joffrin says that while Sarkozy might not be very popular, the French people still cannot see anyone more capable who they might vote for in 2012.

La Stampa (Italy)
"L’addio : fine di un matrimonio"
"The goodbye: end of a marriage"

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's wife, Veronica Lario, has said she will seek a divorce after running out of patience with her husband. 72-year-old Berlusconi is set for divorce proceedings after nearly 30 years of marriage. La Stampa is one of many newspapers covering this story in minute detail. The reports come only three days after Lario wrote an open letter to newspapers saying that her husband's well-known penchant for pretty women was a source of "suffering".



Click here to read today's RFI press review