Madeleine returns to front pages

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Madeleine McCann returns to the front pages after her parents sent her a Christmas message.

Her image features in, the Daily Express, the Daily Telegraph, the Sun, the Daily Mirror and the Daily Mail.

In what the Daily Telegraph calls a "heartfelt appeal", her parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, issued a video appeal for their daughter's safe return.

"Be Brave" is their message and the headline common to all papers, seven months after Madeleine disappeared.

Price slashing

The Financial Times has a gloomy take on how the High Street has been coping with Christmas.

Despite consumers pushing up sales in November by more than expected, evidence shows that the pre-Christmas cheer could well be short-lived.

The paper says much of the growth in sales was caused by a fresh wave of price cutting.

The Daily Mail agrees high street shops have started their sales early to try to counter the crunch in credit.

Travel misery

Top story for the Times are the strikes that could force seven airports to close.

It reports that if the action goes ahead in January more than a million passengers would be affected.

The Daily Mail though reports the figure could be closer to two million.

As the Guardian points out if the dispute goes ahead Heathrow - the world's busiest international airport - could close.

Top city

The number of first-time home buyers has fallen to its lowest level since 1980, it has been reported.

The Times highlights the problem of one young woman who is trying get a first foot on the housing ladder.

The mood's lightened by the Independent which, on its front page - and more inside - reveals London outstrips all its rivals as the capital of the world.

It apparently beat other cities as a centre of economic performance and cultural significance.