Morning Brief: Swine flu spreads
Top Story Though its effects have so far been mild outside of Mexico, anxious officials around the world are working to contain the spread of a dangerous strain of swine flu. Over 100 people are suspected to have died of the disease in Mexico with over 1,000 infections. Mexican authorities have closed schools and banned ...
Top Story
Top Story
Though its effects have so far been mild outside of Mexico, anxious officials around the world are working to contain the spread of a dangerous strain of swine flu. Over 100 people are suspected to have died of the disease in Mexico with over 1,000 infections. Mexican authorities have closed schools and banned large public gatherings in response.
Outside of Mexico, the picture is till evolving. 20 cases — most mild — have been declared in the United States, where authorities have declared a public health emergency. Other infections have been reported in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Britain, New Zealand, Israel and Spain, though not all have been confirmed. Though no cases have yet been reported in East Asia, places like Hong Kong, mindful of the SARS outbreak six years ago, are enacting extensive precautions.
The outbreak is already having a chilling effect on global financial markets.
Asia
- The peace deal between the Pakistani government and the Taliban has all but collapsed as government forces and paramilitaries have stepped up their attacks on militants who continue to operate outside the Swat valley.
- The Sri Lankan government has agreed to stop using airstrikes and artillery against Tamil Tiger rebels. Over the last three months 6,500 people have been killed in the fighting, according to the U.N.
- Japan has revised its yearly growth forecast down to -3 percent.
Americas
- Diplomats from China and India are meeting at the State Department today for global warming talks.
- Ecuador’s Rafael Correa appears to have handily won reelection.
- The U.S. is quietly planning more informal meetings and cultural exchanges with Cuba.
Middle East
- The U.S. and Iraq will begin negotiating exceptions to the planned troop withdrawal. Troops may stay longer in Mosul and parts of Baghdad.
- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says there’s no way he’ll resume talks with Israel without a settlement freeze.
- The U.S. military says it killed seven suspected al Qaeda militants in Iraq on Sunday.
Europe
- Iceland’s center-left party, led by Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir won in a landslide in this weekend’s election. Sigurdardottir aims to start membership negotiations with the European Union.
- The world’s most entertaining mayor’s race in Sochi, Russia has ended in less entertaining fashion with the pro-Putin candidate winning 77 percent of the vote.
- The U.S. and Switzerland have begun talks on a new tax treaty, as the Swiss government seeks to stop a U.S. investigation of bank UBS.
Africa
- South Africa’s ANC failed to win a two-thirds majority in last week’s parliamentary election, making it more difficult to pass legislation unchallenged.
- Prime minister Raila Odinga is calling for new elections if the parties in Kenya’s power-sharing government can’t overcome a political impasse.
- The level of violence is on the rise in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Joshua Keating was an associate editor at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @joshuakeating
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