WHO: swine flu infects 29 countries

The World Health Organization announced Saturday that the H1N1 (swine) flu virus has spread to 29 countries and confirmed 3440 cases of infection. The WHO said the latest infections are reported in Argentina, Panama, Australia and Japan. Mexico has reported 1364 laboratory-confirmed human cases of infection, including 45 deaths. The United States has reported 1639 laboratory-confirmed human cases, including two deaths. Canada has reported 242 laboratory-confirmed human cases, including one death. The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Argentina (1), Australia (1), Austria (1), Brazil (6), China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (1), Colombia (1), Costa Rica (1), Denmark (1), El Salvador (2), France (12), Germany (11), Guatemala (1), Ireland (1), Israel (7), Italy (6), Japan (3), Netherlands (3), New Zealand (5), Panama (2), Poland (1), Portugal (1), Republic of Korea (3), Spain (88), Sweden (1), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (34). Early signs of influenza H1N1 are flu-like, including fever, cough, headache, muscle and joint pain, sore throat and runny nose, and sometimes vomiting or diarrhea. No vaccine has been developed to fight the fatal virus named H1N1, which has traveled to four continents. The symptoms have been treated with antivirals. It is feared, however, that H1N1 might be resistant to antiviral medications. The World Health Organization prepares for the production of a vaccine against the H1N1 virus, as the number of confirmed swine flu cases passes the 2,000 mark.

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Danes named world's happiest nation

A new report finds Danes to be the happiest nation in the world due to their level of subjective well-being and life satisfaction. Northern European countries top the list of happy nations, with Sweden, Ireland, Canada, Switzerland, New Zealand, Norway and Belgium ranking 4th to 10th. Released by the Paris-based Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) the survey was based on whether people believed their lives to be dominated by positive experiences and feelings or negative ones. The OECD used the data gathered from a 2008 Gallup World Poll conducted in 140 countries, which surveyed a representative sample of no more than 1,000 people, above the age 15, in each country. The OECD data shows that overall economic health, work-life balance and low unemployment are among the most important factors which can bring happiness into people's lives. The OECD is an international organization that provides economic and social statistics and data, helping governments tackle economic, social and governance challenges.

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Egypt to allow tourists inside Bent Pyramid

Egypt says it will soon allow tourists to see inside the inner chambers of the country's Bent Pyramid located in Menshat Dahshur. Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities chief Zahi Hawass announced that the 4,500-year-old pyramid's inner chambers would be opened for the first time in 2009. “This is going to be an adventure,” Archeology News quoted Hawass as saying. The country will open the chambers of the 330-foot pyramid in an effort to continue its “sustainable development campaign” for increasing the number of tourists visiting the country. Built by Pharaoh Sneferu, the Bent Pyramid dates back to about 2600 BCE and is considered the first pyramid with smooth sides.

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New Zealand confirms swine flu cases

New Zealand has confirmed three swine flu cases with a further eleven probable cases, increasing the country's total to fourteen. All 14 people have contracted influenza A -- the virus that causes swine flu. Three were confirmed to have the disease on Tuesday evening, while the remaining cases are thought to be probable swine flu infections. New Zealand's Health Ministry said all three confirmed cases were people who had traveled to Mexico or North America. "Because of their travel history... we need to assume that this is swine flu," said Julia Peters of the regional public health service in the capital Auckland. Officials added that an additional 31 suspected cases were being investigated and that 179 people are currently held in isolation. One of those confirmed as having the disease was part of a school group that had just returned from Mexico. All 10 students and teachers of the group are displaying flu-like symptoms and have been quarantined. So far the only deaths from swine flu have been recorded in Mexico -- the epicenter of the outbreak, where more than 150 people are either dead or believed to have contracted the virus.

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Ban urges efforts to protect children

UN Secretary General urges the Security Council and judicial systems to take serious measures to end abuse of children in conflict zones. Ban Ki-moon encourages national and international justice systems to take strong action to fight impunity for crimes against children committed within their jurisdictions. Ban called for immediate halt of violations of children rights in war zones and promotion of their protection. The Secretary-General's annual report to the Security Council lists countries that have committed grave violations against children rights in the period from September 2007 to December 2008, including 19 persistent violators who have been listed for more than 4 years. The report documents grave violations against children in 20 countries, namely Afghanistan, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Georgia, Haiti, Iraq, Lebanon, Myanmar, Nepal, Occupied Palestinian territory and Israel, the Philippines, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Thailand and Uganda. Recruitment of children to serve as soldiers, the killing and maiming of children, grave sexual violence, abductions, attacks on schools and hospitals as well as denial of humanitarian access to children are six among the major violations against children covered in the report. “Persistent violators have to realize that their crimes will not remain unpunished,” noted Radhika Coomaraswamy, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict. Coomaraswamy stressed that the child protection community was awaiting a strong signal from the Security Council on its commitment to tackle the protection of children during armed conflict when it discusses the report on 29 April.

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