UN warns world to expect spike in bird flu outbreaks
JAKARTA, Indonesia – The world should expect more bird flu outbreaks in the coming months, the U.N. official coordinating the global fight against the virus warned Sunday after Britain recorded its first case of the H5N1 strain on a commercial farm.
Dr. David Nabarro said, however, that he did not expect the virus to spread in Britain to neighboring farms because of the quick containment measures put in place by the government.
He said countries around the world where the virus was not endemic would likely see more cases in poultry before June, mostly spread by migrating birds.
H5N1 has prompted the slaughter of millions of birds across Asia since late 2003 and caused the deaths of more than 160 people worldwide, around a third of them in Indonesia, according to the World Health Organization.
Afghanistan: General in command
Gen. Dan McNeill, the highest ranking U.S. general to lead troops in Afghanistan, took command of 35,500 NATO-led soldiers Sunday, after nine months of British command. There are now 26,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, the highest number ever. About 14,000 American forces fall under the command of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force; 12,000 troops focused on training Afghan forces and special operations fall under the U.S.-led coalition.
Venezuela: Coup celebration
Thousands of Venezuelans marched to celebrate the anniversary of the failed coup that catapulted Hugo Chavez to fame 15 years ago Sunday, dancing to anti-American tunes and pulling a 40-foot balloon of the leftist president through the streets. The crowd converged at a military base outside Caracas, where the government staged a military parade, with soldiers marching alongside tanks and new Russian-made fighter jets roaring overhead.
Russia: ‘Difficult’ partner in U.S.
Russia’s foreign minister said the United States was perhaps Moscow’s “most difficult” partner and urged Washington to learn from its mistakes on the world stage, according to a news report Sunday. Sergey Lavrov also blamed Washington for impasses in the Middle East, suggesting the U.S. approach there was too confrontational, Interfax news agency reported.
Gaza Strip: Hamas attack snaps truce
Hamas gunmen attacked bases of Fatah-allied troops with mortars and rocket-propelled grenades early Sunday, part of a four-day campaign by the Islamic militants of Hamas and forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. As night fell, efforts were under way to restore a truce. Gunmen pulled back from their positions, to be replaced by police officers. Both sides began to exchange hostages and joint Hamas-Fatah forces patrolled streets to monitor the cease-fire.
S. Korea: U.S. envoy prods North
North Korea must live up to its pledge to fully dismantle its nuclear program, the main U.S. envoy to disarmament talks said Sunday, as news reports suggested Pyongyang may be willing to shut down a key reactor. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill was in Seoul, where he met South Korean officials to discuss negotiating strategies before the six-nation talks resume in Beijing on Thursday. North Korea agreed in September 2005 to give up its nuclear program in exchange for aid and security guarantees.
China: Activist is kept from U.S.
A retired Chinese doctor who helped expose blood-buying schemes that infected thousands with HIV has been put under house arrest to stop her from traveling to Washington to be honored by a charity backed by Sen. Hillary Clinton, a friend said today. Gao Yaojie, who is in her 80s, was warned by Henan authorities not to attend the Vital Voices Global Partnership awards ceremony next month but she refused to comply, said Hu Jia, a Beijing-based AIDS activist and friend of Gao’s.
From Herald news services
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