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What is swine flu?Swine flu normally infects pigs. The virus has 'crossed over' to humans before, but previous outbreaks have been small and short-lived. The latest strain is a mixture of pig, avian and human virus. Health officials are concerned that the new strain could cause a wave of infections around the world.How do humans catch it?The disease was initially spread by infected pigs, but it spreads between humans in the same way as normal flu, through coughs and sneezes and by touching surfaces contaminated with the virus and then touching the nose or mouth. What are the symptoms?Feverish illness, sore throat, headache, tiredness and muscle aches. Some people have reported diarrhoea and vomiting. In young children, warning signs include fast or troubled breathing, a bluish skin tone and irritability. What should I do if I think I'm infected?If you have recently returned from Mexico, the US or another country affected by swine flu, the Health Protection Agency advises you to monitor

First-quarter 2009 profit at First Citizens Bancshares fell to $8.7 million, down 73 percent from the same period a year ago, as interest income declined and money set aside for potential loan losses rose, the Raleigh-based company reported Monday.

Beijing (Reuters) - China has vowed to disclose any human cases of swine fever promptly, while state-run newspapers on Tuesday urged officials to be open and avoid the kind of cover-ups that brought panic during the SARS epidemic.

The U.S. government on Monday issued a warning against any nonessential travel to Mexico -- the epicenter for a swine influenza virus outbreak that has led to more than 80 confirmed cases. Reports of the illness in Mexico couldn't have come at a worse time for the country's tourism industry, which is already grappling with negative publicity about drug-cartel fueled violence.

2 new reported remote code execution vulnerabilities in Reader 8 and 9 demonstrated on Linux, likely affect other platforms. - Adobe says they are investigating reports of a new vulnerability in their PDF Reader program. The Adobe report refers to a single vulnerability report on SecurityFocus, but in fact there are 2 similar reports there, both credited to quot;Arr1val. quot; Both include proof of concept Javascript cod...

Fifteen years after playing to a grueling tie, two rival football teams suit up for a rematch, reports Seth Doane.

The military launched new counterterrorism operations in at least three districts of Chechnya on Friday, just over a week after it ended similar missions across the whole region, Interfax reported.

(Telecompaper) US operator Verizon reported first-quarter revenues of USD 26.6 billion, up 11.6 percent from a year earlier helped by its takeover of mobile operator Alltel in January. On a pro forma basis, revenues rose 3.3 percent on continued growth at Verizon Wireless. EPS edged up to 58 cents a share from 57 a year ago. Free cash flow rose by USD 1.5 billion year-on-year to USD 2.7 billion, after the company lowered capex to USD 3.7 billion from USD 4.2 billion last year. Wireless revenues rose 29.6 percent to USD 15.1 billion, and operating profit was up 31.2 percent to USD 4.27 billion. Excluding Alltel, the company added a net 1.3 million new mobile customers in the quarter, for a total 86.6 million, up 28.8 percent from a year earlier. service ARPU decreased 0.3 percent from the same period a year ago, to USD 50.74, while data ARPU was up 20.8 percent to USD 14.16. Wireline revenues dropped 3.8 percent to USD 11.6 billion, and operating profit fell to USD 691 million from USD

There are fresh signs that swine flu is spreading in Europe. Britain says two people have now tested positive after Spain declared Europe's first.

Dell has reportedly filed a lawsuit against former reseller TigerDirect.com alleging that the direct market reseller is selling old and outdated Dell computers and advertising them as new and covered by Dell warranties. - Dell's April 17 lawsuit filed in New York district court accuses TigerDirect of violations of its resale contract including trademark infringement, misleading representation, unfair competition and false advertising. gt; gt; Click here to read the full report ...