ADB President: A/H1N1 flu could derail Asias economic recovery

Special Report:World tackles A/H1N1 flu


Special Report:Global Financial Crisis

The President of the Asian Development Bank says the A/H1N1 flu has the potential to set back Asia's fragile economic recovery if it takes hold in the region.

ThePresidentoftheAsianDevelopmentBanksaystheA/H1N1
fluhasthepotentialtosetbackAsia'sfragileeconomic
recoveryifittakesholdintheregion.

Haruhiko Kuroda says an influenza pandemic would hit the region's tourism and aviation industries first. But he remains confident that Asian governments are well prepared.

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Canadian A/H1N1 flu death confirmed

Special Report:World tackles A/H1N1 flu

A Canadian woman diagnosed with the A/H1N1 flu strain has died. But, the chief medical health officer for the province of Alberta says says the woman, who is in her 30's, had serious underlying medical problems.

Dr.AndreCorriveauconfirmedthewoman'sdeathon
Friday--thefirstassociatedwiththeA/H1-N1
virusinCanada. (CCTV.com)

Dr. Andre Corriveau confirmed the woman's death on Friday -- the first associated with the A/H1-N1 virus in Canada.

He says she went to hospital last month with a number of medical conditions and doctors did not diagnose the A/H1-N1 flu at the time. She died on April 28th.

Then a family member was found to have a mild form of A/H1-N1 on May 5th. Further tests revealed the A/H1-N1 virus, but the role it played in her death will not be known until more tests are done.

Three hundred people who attended the woman's wake are being monitored for signs of infection.

US A/H1N1 flu cases hit 1,639

Special Report:World tackles A/H1N1 flu

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the country has 1,639 cases of the A/H1N1 flu in 43 states. So far, there have been two deaths.

RichardBesser,actingdirectoroftheCentersforDisease
ControlandPrevention,speaksasNewYorkMayorMichael
Bloomberglooksonatleft,inAtlantaWednesday,May6,
2009.(APPhoto/JohnBazemore)

The number of confirmed cases now surpasses Mexico, which has reported 1,319 cases, including 45 deaths.

Acting CDC director Dr. Richard Besser says only about 10 percent of the people who caught the virus have been to Mexico.

This suggests the virus is still passing very easily from one person to another. US officials expect the virus to spread to all 50 states and to cause many infections, ranging from mild to severe.

US President Barack Obama told Hispanic community leaders the A/H1N1 flu virus apparently was not as virulent as feared, but they are not completely out of the woods yet and still need precautions.

Federer says seeking name for his son

WeddingphotosoftennisplayerRogerFedererandhispregnant
wifeMiroslava'Mirka'Vavrinecarepublishedinasportsmagazine
issuedonApril21,2009.Federerandhiswifeareexpectingtheir
firstbabyandhesaidhe'slookingforanameforhisson.
FederermarriedVavrinecinaprivateceremonyinhishometownof
Basel,Switzerland,onApril11.[scol.com.cn]

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Bin Laden may be dead, says Zardari

Pakistan's president says his intelligence agencies believe Osama bin Laden may be dead. But he added there's no proof. Meanwhile, other Pakistani officials and a US counter terrorism official say they think the al-Qaida chief is still alive.

International media outlets interviewed Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday. During the interview, he offered his assessment of Bin Laden's whereabouts.

Asif Ali Zardari said, My own intelligence is of the same opinion -- that there is no news. They obviously feel that he does not exist any more. But that's not confirmed, so we can't confirm that.

Zardari says American officials have told him they do not know where bin Laden is. But U.S. officials do say bin Laden is most likely hiding in the mountains along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan.

The latest purported recording from Bin laden emerged in March. But the authenticity of that recorded speech can not be verified.

Meanwhile, Taliban militants are declaring their peace deal with the Pakistani government worthless. This comes after authorities deployed helicopters and artillery against hide-outs for Islamist guerrillas.

The Pakistani military has justified the operation. They say the insurgents have plunged the Dir area into lawlessness. Especially by attacking security forces and abducting prominent people for ransom.

A spokesman for the Taliban in their Swat Valley stronghold has denounced the Pakistani military operation. He said the attack is a violation of the pact. He says the Taliban fighters will stay on alert... waiting to see if the cleric who mediated the deal rescinds the deal.