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  • 14/08/2005

bird flu in russia: Russia's emergencies ministry declared on July 21, 2005, that the country's first case of bird flu, the strains of which can infect humans and be fatal, had been detected in a village in Siberia's Novosibirsk region. "Numerous birds have died...and an investigation showed the presence of the AH5-type bird flu virus,' said Viktor Beltsov, spokesperson for the ministry. But the country's chief animal and plant safety officer Sergei Dankvert said the possibility of the birds dying due to other factors, like bad water and feed poisoning, couldn't be ruled out. He called for further investigation. Russia imports over a million tonnes of poultry meat annually.

bangladesh floods: A week-old monsoon driven floods in Bangladesh has stranded about one million people and destroyed many railway tracks and bridges. Thousands of people have been rendered homeless in the north and northwestern parts of the country. Reports of at least 15 people dying have been confirmed. The country's Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre has said the level of water in the main rivers is expected to rise further. Over 1,000 people were killed and millions lost their homes in last year's flood in the country, which has been experiencing extreme weather conditions of late.

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