Romanian authorities called for calm and placed an eastern region under quarantine, as tests confirmed the deadly strain of a bird flu virus that has devastated flocks and killed dozens of people in Asia has moved into eastern Europe.
British laboratory tests on Saturday confirmed the virus detected in wild birds found dead in the Danube delta was the H5N1 strain, identical to that discovered in Turkey a week ago. Authorities around the world fear it could mutate into a form that can be passed among people, leading to a flu pandemic which some say could potentially kill millions. The test results underscored fears that Europe is unprepared for a potential influenza pandemic should the avian disease mutate into a major threat to humans. The European Commission's health directorate paints a grim picture of such a likelihood.
"Experts take the view that an influenza pandemic is inevitable and may be imminent," it said on its Web site, adding that the most likely source is a strain jumping from animals to humans. Although H5N1 is highly contagious among birds, it is difficult for humans to contract.
In Romania, Agriculture Minister Gheorghe Flutur also called for calm, and placed the country's eastern region of Dobrogea under quarantine, requiring all vehicles entering and leaving the area to be disinfected. Checkpoints were set up on roads entering the counties, and the region was banned from exporting eggs and poultry meat. The area includes the Danube and Black Sea counties of Tulcea and Constanta, where 1.5 million people live. The two counties are an important stop for migratory birds from Asia.
In nearby Poland, the government said it was ordering the country's farmers to keep poultry in closed quarters as of Monday, and was banning the sale of live birds at open-air markets and prohibiting pigeon races.
China’s military news agency yesterday warned that Japanese militarism is infiltrating society through series such as Pokemon and Detective Conan, after recent controversies involving events at sensitive sites. In recent days, anime conventions throughout China have reportedly banned participants from dressing as characters from Pokemon or Detective Conan and prohibited sales of related products. China Military Online yesterday posted an article titled “Their schemes — beware the infiltration of Japanese militarism in culture and sports.” The article referenced recent controversies around the popular anime series Pokemon, Detective Conan and My Hero Academia, saying that “the evil influence of Japanese militarism lives on in
DIPLOMATIC THAW: The Canadian prime minister’s China visit and improved Beijing-Ottawa ties raised lawyer Zhang Dongshuo’s hopes for a positive outcome in the retrial China has overturned the death sentence of Canadian Robert Schellenberg, a Canadian official said on Friday, in a possible sign of a diplomatic thaw as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney seeks to boost trade ties with Beijing. Schellenberg’s lawyer, Zhang Dongshuo (張東碩), yesterday confirmed China’s Supreme People’s Court struck down the sentence. Schellenberg was detained on drug charges in 2014 before China-Canada ties nosedived following the 2018 arrest in Vancouver of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou (孟晚舟). That arrest infuriated Beijing, which detained two Canadians — Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig — on espionage charges that Ottawa condemned as retaliatory. In January
A sign hanging from a rusty ice-green shipping container installed by Thai forces on what they say is the border with Cambodia reads: “Cambodian citizens are strictly prohibited from entering this area.” On opposite sides of the makeshift barricade, fronted by coils of barbed wire, Cambodians lamented their lost homes and livelihoods as Thailand’s military showed off its gains. Thai forces took control of several patches of disputed land along the border during fighting last year, which could amount to several square kilometers in total. Cambodian Kim Ren said her house in Chouk Chey used to stand on what is now the Thai
NEW RULES: There would be fewer school days, four-day workweeks, and a reduction in transportation services as the country battles a crisis exacerbated by US pressure The Cuban government on Friday announced emergency measures to address a crippling energy crisis worsened by US sanctions, including the adoption of a four-day work week for state-owned companies and fuel sale restrictions. Cuban Deputy Prime Minister Oscar Perez-Oliva Fraga blamed Washington for the crisis, telling Cuban television the government would “implement a series of decisions, first and foremost to guarantee the vitality of our country and essential services, without giving up on development.” “Fuel will be used to protect essential services for the population and indispensable economic activities,” he said. Among the new measures are the reduction of the working week in
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