Nation braces for pandemic fallout

The fragile recovery in the Chinese and global economies has been dealt a blow with the H1N1 flu outbreak declared a pandemic last night.

Analysts and experts in China said the announcement would have a significant impact on the country's travel, tourism and foreign trade sectors.

In Geneva, the World Health Organization (WHO) told members it was declaring a pandemic - the first global flu epidemic in 41 years - as infections climbed in the United States, Europe, Australia, South America and elsewhere.