Report: Saudi girl granted divorce

A court in Saudi Arabia has granted an 8-year-old girl a divorce from her 47-year-old husband, after twice denying the divorce request previously, local media reported Thursday. Biden made the remarks on NBC’s “Today Show,” after he was asked what he would tell a family member about traveling to Mexico, where the first cases of the virus — technically known as 2009 H1N1 — were detected

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Avoid ‘confined spaces’ such as planes, Biden says

Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday morning he has advised his family to avoid "confined places" such as aircraft, subways and classrooms because of the swine flu risk. Biden made the remarks on NBC’s “Today Show,” after he was asked what he would tell a family member about traveling to Mexico, where the first cases of the virus — technically known as 2009 H1N1 — were detected. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, is advising people to avoid nonessential travel to Mexico, where the Mexican government suspects 159 deaths have resulted from the infection, most of them in or around Mexico City

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Commentary: Flu and your health on a plane

The novel swine flu is showing the world just how interconnected we are and how commercial aircraft can serve as vehicles of rapid disease spread. (CNN) — The novel swine flu is showing the world just how interconnected we are and how commercial aircraft can serve as vehicles of rapid disease spread. I am frequently asked: What is the risk of catching an illness while flying In a nutshell, the risk of getting an infection while you’re in an enclosed space such as an airplane depends upon three factors: The infectiousness of the contagious person spreading the illness; the degree of your exposure (how close you are to the contagious person and for how long); and the ventilation of the space or passenger cabin.

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Swine flu cases mount

The number of suspected and confirmed swine flu cases continue to rise around worldwide. By early Wednesday, the swine flu outbreak in Mexico was suspected in 159 deaths and more than 2,500 illnesses, the country’s health minister said. So far, the World Health Organization says at least 105 cases have been confirmed worldwide: 64 in the United States; 26 in Mexico (including seven deaths); six in Canada; three in New Zealand; two each in Spain, the United Kingdom and Israel

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Masks keep you from spreading illness

In Mexico City, the government ran out of surgical masks after handing them out to one of every five residents. Manufacturers and pharmacies in Europe are also reporting a surge in demand for face masks. And a Texas-based surgical mask producer says it’s ramping up to meet demand and expects a shortage of masks.

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Swine flu virus affecting Mexican football

The outbreak of swine flu, that has killed more than 150 people in Mexico, has also affected the football world with the semfinals and final of the CONCACAF section of the under-17 World Cup, scheduled for Wednesday and Saturday, having been cancelled — world governing body FIFA has confirmed on their official Web site. CONCACAF, the confederation that governs football in central and north America, has decided to follow the lead of the Mexican government in order to safeguard the health of players, fans and those involved in the staging of the competition

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Officials Say Flu Cannot Be Contained As Global Cases Rise

The World Health Organization on Monday raised the pandemic swine flu alert level from phase 3 to 4, two levels below the declaration of a full pandemic. The elevated alert means there has been sustained human-to-human transmission of the new A/H1N1 swine flu virus, and that scientists now believe government efforts should focus on slowing the spread of the virus rather than containing it at its source. “We have taken a step in that direction, but a pandemic is not considered inevitable,” said Keiji Fukuda, the WHO’s interim director-general for health, safety and environment

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