Former Kansas governor Kathleen Sebelius was sworn in as the new US health secretary on Tuesday. Sebelius succeeds former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle, who withdrew amid a controversy over unpaid taxes.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (pictured) has declared a state of emergency in California as the death of a Los Angeles man is investigated for possible links to swine flu. But the governor's office emphasised that there was "no need for alarm".
French travel firms announced that they are suspending all trips to Mexico as fears mount over the spead of an outbreak of swine flu. Mexican authorities say the virus has been confirmed or is suspected as the cause of more than 150 deaths.
Doctors, nurses and paramedics took to the streets of Paris on Tuesday to protest the HPST bill (hospitals, patients, health and regions) proposed by French Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot, which they say will commercialise France’s hospitals.
The World Health Organisation calls it "critical" to identify infected travellers to stem the spread of swine flu as the first cases are confirmed in the Middle East. Several countries have warned against non-essential travel and banned pork imports.
The Internet is teeming with swine flu. As the fear of the disease spreads all around the world, the same is happening online. Also in this edition of Web News: the Susan Boyle phenomenon and a torture case in the United Arab Emirates.
French medical professionals take to the streets on Tuesday to protest the government's hospital-reform plan, which doctors say would grant too many powers to hospital administrators.
The World Health Organisation has raised its swine flu alert to level 4 on its six-point scale. At least 152 people have died in Mexico from confirmed or suspected instances of the virus and at least 16 countries report confirmed or possible cases.
The World Health Organisation raised the swine flu threat to Level 4 on its 6-point scale. At least 149 people have died in Mexico. Several countries have advised against travel to Mexico and Japan has restricted issuing travel visas for Mexicans.
It's World Laughter Day on May 3, according to Yoga Laughter International, a global movement for joy and peace. In the Paris suburbs one teacher is speading that joy with five-euro-a-go workshops that teach you how to laugh like a child again.
