Mexico lowers swine flu alert as businesses in capital reopen

Mexico lowered its swine flu alert one notch Thursday as more than 6 million students returned to classes and thousands of shuttered businesses reopened their doors. The alert went from orange (elevated) to yellow (medium). Mexico has reported 1,112 laboratory-confirmed cases, including 42 deaths, according to the World Health Organization

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Obama: Afghanistan, Pakistan, U.S. working to defeat extremists

President Obama said Wednesday that the leaders of Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United States are meeting "as three sovereign nations joined by a common goal: to disrupt, dismantle and defeat" al Qaeda and the Taliban. To do so, Obama said, the three nations have to deny extremists space to operate and bring a better life to the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Obama delivered the remarks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari at the White House

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Pacman may delay Philippines return amid flu fears

The Philippines has asked boxing idol Manny Pacquiao to delay his hero’s return to the country as a precaution against the spread of swine flu from the United States. Pacquiao, considered by many to be the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, cemented his reputation Saturday night when he knocked out British boxer Ricky Hatton in the second round of a match in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 30-year-old is a national hero in the Philippines where his bouts bring the country to a standstill.

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‘Best job in the world’ winner to be named

Sixteen people vying for what is being dubbed the "best job in the world" will on Wednesday learn who has won the post of caretaker for the tropical paradise of Hamilton island in Queensland, Australia. A television presenter from New Zealand and a charity fundraiser from England were among the finalists for the position, dubbed the “best job in the world.” They were picked from a pool of more than 34,000 applicants from across the world.

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Burma tops list of worst places to be a blogger

Bloggers in Burma, Iran and Syria work under some of the most repressive conditions in the world, facing tactics such as regulation, intimidation and even imprisonment, according to a report from the Committee to Protect Journalists. The organization released a list of the “10 worst countries to be a blogger” to call attention to online oppression in connection with World Press Freedom Day, which was observed Sunday. “Bloggers are at the vanguard of the information revolution, and their numbers are expanding rapidly,” the group’s executive director, Joel Simon, said in a report posted on the organization’s Web site.

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Was the Alarm Over Swine Flu Justified?

Like a patient suffering from a particularly tenacious case of, well, the flu, the H1N1 virus seemed to gain ground and lose it over the weekend, leaving health officials still cautious, but hopeful that the disease might be on the wane. The number of confirmed infections continues to rise, with the World Health Organization reporting 898 infections in 18 countries as of May 3, and the Centers for Disease Control tallying 226 confirmed cases in 30 states. The continuing spread led Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to predict on Sunday that the WHO might soon raise its pandemic alert level from phase 5 to the highest stage, phase 6, which would indicate that a full flu pandemic was underway

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At least 22 dead in Kashmir bus accident

A passenger bus tumbled into the Chenab River in Indian-administered Kashmir’s hilly Kishtwar district Monday morning, killing at least 22 people and injuring nine others, authorities said. A television presenter from New Zealand and a charity fundraiser from England were among the finalists for the position, dubbed the “best job in the world.” They were picked from a pool of more than 34,000 applicants from across the world.

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Final interviews begin for island dream job

Sixteen applicants arrived in Hamilton Island on Sunday for the final interviews to pick a caretaker for the tropical paradise in Queensland, Australia. A television presenter from New Zealand and a charity fundraiser from England were among the finalists for the position, dubbed the “best job in the world.” They were picked from a pool of more than 34,000 applicants from across the world. The six-month caretaker will be paid $100,000 and is required to feed the fish, clean the pool and send weekly blog and video reports on what is happening on the island.

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