Confirmed swine flu cases leap

275 confirmed cases of swine flu have been reported according to the World Health Organization. (WHO) which went up from 147 before today. The swine flu or H1N1 virsus is a combination of swine, avain and human stands. It is a disease that went from swine to swine then to human and is now being passed with ease to other people. According to the WHO, who raised the epidemic to a level 5 says that everyone needs to be carefull. The symptoms of H1N1 are fever, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Because of the spead over 300 schools across the country have been shut down for around a week maybe even more.

Personally I am a little tired of hearing about it. I know that it is a big deal because it can spread so easily between humans. But I think people are over reacting and if they feel sick they should go to the doctor right away. It is common sense, the earlier you go the better the chance that you won't die from H1N1. I understand that it is a huge deal in many countries and in the U.S. and that the health agancies are doing everything they can to make sure that people are aware of what it is and what it can do. But this is all over the news and people really shouldn't have to hear everyday that someone else died or got infected with it. It just makes it more scary for people who are around them. Also that people should be informed of where the most cases are coming from but recording the number isn't right. They should say another case has been reported here or something like that. It just isn't the flu which kills way more people so why is everyone worried about it. The regular flu kills around 3500 a year and the swine flu has killed over 150.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/30/swine.flu.outbreak/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Obama 'We can move U.S.-Cuban relations in a new direction'

While at the Summit of the Americas, President Obama and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez talked about the relations between their two contries and relations with Cuba. Cuba was the talked about a lot, and Obama recently loosened the restrictions to Americans who have family in Cuba. They can go see them and send money to them now. This came a day after Cuba said it would do everything possible to discuss the issues between the two countries. The tension started in 1962 when we put a trade embargo on goods from Cuba, from that things got worse. But Obama wants to change this relationship, and President Chavez thinks that the relations could end up getting better.

I like the idea that Obama is trying to improve the rift between the U.S. and Cuba. The past is the past and we should try to improve the way we handle international relations. It is good that President Chavez is helping to make this happen for our two countries and that Cuba is willing to listen to what we have to say. Also that Obama is changing the relations because they have been unchanged since the embargo in 1962. Change is good and that is what Obama's campaingn solgan was 'Change.' He said he was going to change many things and he is living up to that by helping the ecomony and international relations with other countries.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/17/obama.latinamerica/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Obama calls for reduction in nuclear weapons

While on his eight day visit to Europe, Obama said that he wants other nations to get rid of the nuclear weapons, and said that in the next four years, the U.S is committed to do this. Obama said that " they are the most dangerous legaices since the Cold War." Obama said that if some nations don't get rid of the weapons the U.S. will pose a threat, only to scare the "adversaries and reassure the allies." Obama wants this to happen; so within the next year Russia and the United States are going to negotiate a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. This speech that he gave in Czech Republic, came on the same day that North Korea lauched a long range rocket. The was condemmed by the U.S. and international officals. Obama said that this was why a reason that we need to denuclearize, and tell Iran that they have a choice on what they want to do.

I agree with Obama, I mean every country has a right to defend themselves from other countries but we don't need to do it with nuclear weapons. This is why there is a military in almost every country, the military is supposed to be the one to help protect the country and fight off threatening countries that want to invade. So why do countries like North Korea need to show off something that could be deadly to other countries? I also like that Obama is trying to set a new treaty that will hopefully help reduce the amount of nuclear weapons and with Russia. This is also a big step for Obama, he has passed so many things already in this country and is now on an international level, with nuclear weapons. I also like, in a way, that he is letting Iran choose what that country wants to do, but because they pose a threat to this and other countries around them, they should have to make some sort of treaty with countries surronding them.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/04/05/czech.republic.obama/index.html?eref=rss_topstories