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Ukraine on Friday shut schools, banned large public gatherings and imposed travel restrictions for three weeks – some of the most drastic measures taken across the globe to contain swine flu – after confirming that a sudden and swift outbreak has claimed at least 11 lives.

Campaigning for the hotly contested presidential contest in January has also been put off. Observers said the far sweeping moves to combat the flu are partly rooted in the political rivalry between Victor Yushchenko, president, and Yulia Tymoshenko, his prime minister, with each trying to outdo the other and be seen assertively handling the outbreak.
November 01 at 21:44
Financial Times: IMF warns Ukraine on aid Roman Olearchyk wrote:

The International Monetary Fund has warned that it could cut financial assistance to Ukraine, one of the world’s most recession hit economies, after the country veered “off track” by adopting populist wage and pension increases.

The warning came after Viktor Yushchenko, Ukraine’s president, on Friday signed the increases into law, ignoring warnings from the IMF and Yulia Tymoshenko, his prime minister and bitter rival. The standoff is rooted in a rivalry between Ukraine’s political leaders ahead of a hotly contested presidential election to be held in January.

Fears loom that such cut-throat rivalries could plunge Ukraine, a country where European banks hold a 40 per cent market share and where the west has jostled with Russia for influence, into a financial meltdown ahead of the elections."
November 01 at 21:26
Health Ministry: 53 dead from influenza The Health Ministry has confirmed that 53 people died of influenza and acute respiratory viral infections in the Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, and Lviv regions from October 19 to November 1
November 01 at 21:11 | Ukrainian News
Slovakia, Hungary to send medications and flu masks to Ukraine The governments of Slovakia and Hungary have decided to send medicatinos to Ukraine as emergency humanitarian assistance to help combat the influenza epidemic and preventing it from spread further.
November 01 at 21:06 | Ukrainian News
ITAR-TASS: Putin informs Swedish counterpart of Ukrainian problems with gas payments MOSCOW, November 1 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has informed Swedish counterpart Fredrik Reinfeldt about Ukrainian problems in paying for Russian gas. Sweden presides at the European Union.
November 01 at 20:34
RIA Novosti: Yushchenko requests international help with flu epidemic Ukraine's president has asked the international community for help dealing with a flu epidemic that the country's Health Ministry said on Sunday has killed 53 people. "The current threat to the national security of Ukraine, which we cannot offset by just our own efforts, requires me to turn to our closest friends and strategic partners for emergency assistance," Viktor Yushchenko said in a letter posted on the presidential administration web site. Read the story here.
November 01 at 19:45
Anders Aslund writes:Russia’s relations with its neighbors are worse than ever, and this is particularly true among the former Soviet republics. On Oct. 9, the Commonwealth of Independent States held its annual summit in Chisinau. The Nezavisimaya Gazeta headline said it all: “Summit in 30 Minutes. CIS Leaders Had Nothing to Tell One Another.” Read the opinion here.
November 01 at 19:26
Michael Jackson film dances to No. 1 worldwide LOS ANGELES, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Michael Jackson's much-hyped concert movie reigned at the worldwide box office on Sunday, but its performance in North America was hardly a thriller.
November 01 at 18:59 | Reuters
WASHINGTON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Sunday that it was up to Afghan officials to decide the next step in the election process after presidential challenger Abdullah Abdullah quit the Nov. 7election run-off.
November 01 at 18:56 | Reuters
Washington Post: How to prevent getting swine flu and what to do if you have it
November 01 at 18:56
WASHINGTON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Top aides to President Barack Obama said on Sunday that the exit of Afghan presidential challenger Abdullah Abdullah from an election run-off would not complicate Obama's decision-making on his war strategy.
November 01 at 18:53 | Reuters
Ukraine's Stakhovsky wins St Petersburg Open ST PETERSBURG, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Ukrainian qualifier Sergiy Stakhovsky recovered from a slow start to edge out eighth-seeded Argentine Horacio Zeballos 2-6 7-6 7-6 in a see-saw St Petersburg Open final on Sunday and clinch his second ATP title.
November 01 at 18:15 | Reuters
Ukraine and Poland have reached agreement on delivery of a large consignment of medicines to Ukraine as humanitarian assistance in combating the influenza epidemic in Ukraine.
November 01 at 18:01 | Ukrainian News
Turchynov instructs customs to clear influenza medicines without delay First Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Turchynov has instructed the State Customs Service to clear medicines being imported into Ukraine in connection with the influenza epidemic without days.
November 01 at 17:49 | Ukrainian News
Russia has offered to help Ukraine handle the A/H1N1 flu epidemic, Ukraine's foreign minister Petro Poroshenko said after holding a phone conversation with his Russsian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.
November 01 at 16:42