GENEVA - THE World Health Organisation called a third emergency meeting in response to a spike in swine flu cases and said the expert panel will discuss Wednesday whether to raise the worldwide flu alert level.

After the panel's first meeting on Saturday, WHO declared the outbreak an international public health emergency and on Monday it raised the pandemic alert level from phase 3 to 4 to show that the risk of a global outbreak had increased. Level 4 is two levels below the top threshold - a full pandemic outbreak

WASHINGTON - THE US economy contracted at a surprisingly sharp 6.1 per cent rate in the first quarter as exports and business inventories plummeted.

The drop in gross domestic product, reported by the Commerce Department on Wednesday, was much steeper than the 4.9 per cent annual rate expected by economists and followed a 6.3 per cent decline in the fourth quarter.

SINGAPORE, along with the rest of the world, was caught flat-footed when Sars struck without warning in 2003.

This time round, the country, which lost 33 people to Sars, is going into war better prepared to deal with the enemy.

It will not be a short fight, but a long war of attrition to combat swine flu, which can invade the country undetected.

SKYRISE greenery is set to grow lusher, with a new programme launched on Wednesday in support of the government's blueprint for sustainable development.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) Lush programme, or Landscaping for Urban Spaces and High-Rises, will encourage developers to up the greenery factor on their buidlings.