International

• Tuesday, May 5th 2009 - 08:10 UTC

  Head of British Army on three day official visit to Chile

  

  British Armed Forces Chief of the General Staff General Sir Richard Dannatt begun on Monday an official three-day visit to Chile invited by the Chilean Army.

• Tuesday, May 5th 2009 - 08:00 UTC

  Iranian president postpones visit to South American countries

  

  Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad cancelled on Monday a trip to Brazil this week without explanation amid criticism in Teheran from the country’s clerical leader and US concern about Iran’s growing influence in Latin America.

• Monday, May 4th 2009 - 09:14 UTC

  Ahead of tough week British ministers rally behind PM Gordon Brown

  

  British senior ministers have insisted Gordon Brown is the best man to lead the Labour Party, after criticism of the government from inside the cabinet. Both Health Secretary Alan Johnson and Justice Secretary Jack Straw defended the prime minister's leadership, at the end of a tough week for the government.

• Sunday, May 3rd 2009 - 12:18 UTC

  Private labs increase production of Tamiflu and Relenza

  

  The World Health Organization has asked Roche Holding AG to deploy its so-called rapid response stockpiles of antiviral drug Tamiflu, the Swiss drug-maker said on Saturday.

• Sunday, May 3rd 2009 - 08:27 UTC

  Who are the culprits? Swine herd in Canada exposed to human H1N1 virus

  

  The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) indicated Saturday that it has found H1N1 flu virus in a swine herd in Alberta. However the safety of the food supply is not affected and Canadian pork continues to be safe to eat, said CFIA in an official release.

• Saturday, May 2nd 2009 - 09:57 UTC

  Gurkha veterans fighting for better treatment from UK government

  

  Jubilant former Gurkhas living in Swindon, some of them Falklands veterans have welcomed the surprise news that their former colleagues could be given equal right of residence to live in the United Kingdom. Mahendra Rai, from Liden, who saw action in the Falkland Islands with the 7th Gurkha Rifles including the bitter battle at Goose Green, was among the veterans at Westminster on Tuesday who witnessed the Government’s defeat on the issue in the House of Commons.

• Saturday, May 2nd 2009 - 09:55 UTC

  Panama Canal announces four-month rates reduction period

  

  Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has announced a temporary plan that will provide short-term cost reduction and greater flexibility to its Reservation System. The temporary measures, designed to help mitigate the impact of the economic crisis on the Canal's clients, were approved by the ACP Board of Directors earlier in the week, said spokesmen.

• Friday, May 1st 2009 - 06:26 UTC

  WHO says current influenza is identified as A/H1N1

  

  As of Thursday April 30 the new influenza will be referred to as A/H1N1 said the World Health Organization in a brief announcement. The statement follows on World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) clarification of facts from the animal health perspective, particularly in relation to international trade of pigs and of products of pig origin.

• Friday, May 1st 2009 - 06:22 UTC

  OIE strongly counsels against the culling of pigs

  

  The OIE (Epizooties International Organization) strongly counsels against the culling of pigs in the current situation with A/H1N1 influenza that started in North America, reports the organization from Paris.

• Friday, May 1st 2009 - 00:31 UTC

  Regional Andalusia airline begins Gibraltar-Madrid airbridge

  

  Gibraltar expressed confidence that Andalus Lineas Aereas, the regional airline that resumes flights from the Rock to the Spanish capital Madrid as from Thursday morning, “is here to stay and will have a long term presence in Gibraltar”, reports the Gibraltar Chronicle.