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Monday, August 31, 2009 :: BOGOTA: Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has the swine flu. Social Protection Minister Diego Palacio says the 57-year-old Uribe is not considered a high-risk patient and his case is "developing satisfactorily". He is being treated at the presidential residence. Palacio said that Uribe began feeling ill on Friday, the same day as a summit of South American leaders in Bariloche, Argentina that he attended. He was confirmed to have the swine flu on Saturday. Colombian officials are contacting leaders and officials who may have had contact with Uribe during the summit. Colombia has reported 621 confirmed cases of the swine flu with 29 deaths, according to the social protection ministry.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009 KABUL: A Taliban rocket struck the grounds of Afghanistan's presidential palace on Tuesday, just two days before incumbent Hamid Karzai seeks re-election in tense polls that could go to a second round.Polls show Karzai likely to win Thursday's vote, but not with the outright majority required to avoid a second round. He is relying on the last-minute support of former guerrilla chieftains in a bid to tip the balance.His main rival Abdullah, an urbane eye doctor, has run an energetic campaign, seeking to garner support from beyond his base in the mainly ethnic-Tajik north.Several small rockets were fired overnight and a police source said one caused some damage inside the sprawling, fortified presidential palace compound in central Kabul, while a second hit the capital's police headquarters. Neither caused any casualties.Militants who have vowed to disrupt Thursday's election have fired rockets at the capital twice this month as well as detonated ...