Geneva - The International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) and Red Crescent Societies said it was "on full global alert" owing to concerns over the spread of swine flu.

"We have already have mechanisms in place for pandemic preparedness and response globally," said Paul Conneally, a spokesman for the IFRC in Geneva. Like other international organizations, his was "hoping the worst case scenario won't be the case."

The IFRC, which was in a "global preparedness stage," comprises all national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies.

Geneva - The Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roch, maker of influenza medication Tamiflu, saw its stock price rise 3.8 per cent in early trading Monday on the Zurich exchange on the back of the global swine flu outbreak. During the avian flu epidemic the drug was used heavily, particularly in South Asia.

Shares in Roche were trading at close to 145 Swiss francs (126 dollars), up over five francs since the opening.

Martina Rupp, a spokeswoman for Roche, said Tamiflu was deemed to be effective against the swine variant.

Mexico City/Geneva - The World Health Organisation (WHO) in Geneva said Saturday that the number of deaths from swine influenza in Mexico had reached 62. WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib gave the figure, while saying that the organisation's Strategic Health Operations Centre was now involved in the efforts in the region.

The WHO was in constant contact with health authorities in the United States, Mexico, and countries in the Latin American region in monitoring the situation, she said.

Zurich - A day after announcing surprising first quarter profits of about 2 billion Swiss francs (1.7 billion dollars), the chairman of Credit Suisse said Friday his bank was on the path to recovery.

"We believe that despite our 2008 loss, Credit Suisse is today better positioned than it was 12 months ago," Walter B. Kielholz told shareholders.

The bank lost 8.2 billion francs in 2008, the largest in Credit Suisse's history but has not required a state capital injection or a bail-out, unlike its closest competitor UBS.

Basel, Switzerland  - A collection of 70 landscape paintings by Vincent Van Gogh will open in Basel next week, the Kunstmuseum in the Swiss city announced Thursday.

The art museum is billing the exhibition, set to run until September, as "the world's first complete survey of landscape paintings" by the Dutch legend.

Alongside the main exhibit, the museum will also put on display landscapes from Van Gogh's contemporaries in France, where he spent the last years of his short life, including Camille Corot and Henri Matisse.

Geneva - Logitech announced Thursday losses in its fourth quarter results and said sales stood at 408 million dollars, down 32 percent from the same period last year.

The Swiss company, the largest maker of computer mice in the world, posted an operating loss of 43 million dollars for the quarter, compared to an operating profit of 66 million dollars for the last months of the previous fiscal year.