INTERNATIONAL NEWS

With this slogan, Barack Obama announced his start as head of government of the White House. His electoral program gave priority to concluding the Iraq war, close Guantanamo, reduce energy dependence on other countries and provide universal health care. From the rest of democratic countries was given a warm welcome as it was the hope of a change from the disastrous term of George W. Bush who divided the country and made many national and international conflicts.
A year after his investiture as prime minister of the United States, Barack Obama has shown his ability to mandate taking out the country from the global economic crisis and in turn trying to fulfill their electoral objectives.
With regard to the Iraq war it has already created a calendar to go progressively relinquished power to Iraqi authorities with a deadline in 2010.
On about the closure of Guantanamo Obama gave the order to close two days after his arrival at the government, but still remains operational for lack of cooperation from other countries which refuse to accept prisoners related to the terrorism of Al-Qaeda.
About the reduction of external dependence on energy Obama has decided to reduce the consumption of energy from fossil fuels and bet for free-energy which also contributes to averting climate change.
And finally on universal health care is being adopted slowly despite the harsh criticism made by opponents of Obama who are against the Peace Nobel he has been awarded with.
In short, to take only one year at the helm, he has changed many things but still has a lot more to change and do.

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The first human case of Swan flue were to avian type that took place in Hong Kong in May of 1995, in 1997 there were seventeen infected and six dead,in 2003 two affected more and other dead. In 2005 it had expanded to the northeast of China and the west of Russia. In 2005 the world health organization predicted that 7,4 millions of people could die from this disease; but finally only died 272 people .

But in 2009 the virus changed. The people don`t talk about the Avian flue, now what was important is the swan flue (The Swan flue is a virus combined between different types of virus; in this case the porcine type) and happened the same as with the Avian flue: 8000 people could have died only in Spain, but at the moment 6,000 people are dead in the world, while the common flu kills each year 500,000 people in all the world.

29th April 2009

Based on assessment of all available information, and following several expert consultations, the current level of influenza pandemic alert has been raised from phase 4 to phase 5. The actual world is more prepared than before because of the measures undertaken because of the threat from H5N1 Avian influenza. They were an investment, and we are now benefitting from this investment.

1st May 2009

Influenza A(H1N1) has already been confirmed in many parts of the world. The focus now is on minimizing the impact of the virus through the rapid identification of cases and providing patients with appropriate medical care, rather than on stopping its spread internationally. But they were not much effective in reducing the spread of influenza as the virus can be transmitted from person to person before the onset of symptoms.

7th May 2009

In the ongoing spread of influenza A(H1N1), concerns about the possibility of this virus being found in pigs and the safety of pork and pork products have been raised. Influenza viruses are not known to be transmissible to people through eating processed pork or other food products derived from pigs. Heat treatments commonly used in cooking meat (e.g. 70°C/160°F core temperature) will readily inactivate any viruses potentially present in raw meat products. Pork and pork products, handled in accordance with good hygienic practices recommended by the WHO , Codex Alimentarius Commission and the OIE, will not be a source of infection

11th June 2009

The level of pandemic alert is raised from Phase 5 to Phase 6.

September 2009

It is estimated that the worldwide production capacity for pandemic vaccines at approximately 3 billion doses per year. While this figure is lower than previously projected, early data from clinical trials suggest that a single dose of vaccine will be sufficient to confer protective immunity in healthy adults and older children, effectively doubling the number of people who can be protected with current supplies. These supplies will still be inadequate to cover a world population of 6.8 billion people in which virtually everyone is susceptible to infection by a new and readily contagious virus. Global manufacturing capacity for influenza vaccines is limited, inadequate and not readily augmented.

Nowadays

About a month ago the period of vaccination against swan flu began, but people consider that the fear and chaos created above have already passed to a background and people have no confidence in the side effects They now consider this vaccine to be more than what they need.

By Ángela Fernádez Jorrín

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Berlin celebrated the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on Monday with symbolism, fireworks and concerts as current and former world leaders joined tens of thousands of people who marked the event. But amid much joy was also a note of caution.

A sea of umbrellas surrounded Berlin's Brandenburg Gate as tens of thousands of people braved the cold rain to join in the celebrations.

The reason for it all - 20 years ago, a series of peaceful revolutions and change broke down the massive gray wall that for nearly three decades divided Berlin, Germany and Europe with an Iron Curtain.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel described the fall of the Berlin Wall as the happiest day of her life.

Representatives from East and West were on hand - from former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and Polish labor leader and later president, Lech Walesa, to current Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton represented the United States and President Barrack Obama made a surprise video appearance.

Amid praise and joy, German Chancellor Merkel spoke of another November 9, even longer ago that, she said, should always serve as a warning.

On November 9, 1938, on Kristallnacht, or The Night of Broken Glass, at least 91 German Jews were killed and more than 200 synagogues were destroyed by rampaging Nazi mobs. Chancellor Merkel said the Nazi pogroms and the Berlin Wall serve as reminders.

In a show of symbolism, a line of oversized, brightly painted dominoes had been set up across the Brandenburg Gate - running along an area where the Wall had once stood. On Monday night, the wall of dominoes fell, just as the Berlin Wall once did.

The crowd was full of young people and the message for them from past and present political leaders was that many walls - both physical and mental - remain to this day, walls and barriers to be broken down no matter where they exist.

By Lidia Quevedo Cossio

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The night of 27th November the Nevsky Express, the fastest and most luxurious train linking Moscow and St Petersburg was bombed, killing 26 people and wounding more than 100.

Another bomb exploded on Saturday as investigators and rescue workers scoured the wreckage.

The Wahhabists are a suspected group in the Nevsky Express bombing. Not so long ago the Wahhabists were only a marginal force in the Caucasus, but they have gained enough power to demand protection money from the federal budget and the business community.

Sooner or later, the Wahhabists were bound to realize that it is far cheaper and simpler to place a bomb on a remote stretch of railway near Tver than to try to kill Yevkurov or Kadyrov with suicide bombers.

The other, but less likely, possible group behind the train bombing are fascists. However, no arrests have been made in connection with the derailment, which occurred some 400 km northwest of Moscow.

Whether it was the Wahhabists or the fascists who committed the train bombing, this demonstrates a complete loss of control in the country and a collapse of government authority. The collapse in Russia’s law enforcement structure, in particular, has become so bad that it is just as easy for terrorists to commit an attack as it is for a disgruntled police officer to shoot shoppers in a supermarket.

One week ago more or less some people of an ONG called Barcelona-Acció Solidària went to a country situated in Africa: they went to Mauritania to give some food the poor people who live there. This fact should have been exceptional because at the same time the voluntary workers gave food to the poor people, they could know about other style of life.

However, for three people who went as voluntary workers, this travel is going to be unforgettable not for good but bad. Alicia Gámez, Andrés Vilalta and Roque Pascual are missing. They were in a car driving to go to Nuakchot, the Mauritania’s capital.

People don’t know very well what happen but very probably is that this three people have been kidnapped by common bandits, or for mercenaries who would sell to the terrorist.

Nowadays the three voluntary workers are missing and people in Spain don’t know anything of the voluntaries: nobody knows if they are dead or alive. There is silence, rumours and confusion and this is because is thought that the mercenaries are negotiating with the terrorist. But the president and the ministers of Spain are working to find this people and to see if they could go with their families.

Also, some countries in Africa (Algeria, Mali and Morocco) are helping Spain to catch the terrorist and find the missing voluntaries.

By Rebeca González

EDITOR