Pakistan, China and Russia hold informal talks on Afghanistan in Doha
Special envoys from Pakistan, China and Russia held an informal meeting in the Qatari capital on Monday to discuss regional cooperation on Afghanistan...
The Netherlands, one of the world's largest egg exporters, has launched a pilot program on a laying-hen farm to vaccinate poultry against bird flu with the aim of achieving large-scale vaccination, the government said on Monday.
The highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, has killed or led to the culling of hundreds of millions of poultry globally in recent years, most of them laying hens, which sent egg prices rocketing. It can also spread to humans and other animals, raising fears of a new pandemic.
The Dutch pilot follows field tests that demonstrated the effectiveness of two vaccines last year. It will be conducted at one farm initially, and then potentially expanded to others, the government said in a statement.
"The aim is to investigate how the market responds to the sale of products (from vaccinated poultry) and to gain experience with the implementation of the surveillance program," it said.
The Netherlands opted for a gradual introduction because large-scale vaccination requires adjustments in veterinary infrastructure and can have trade consequences, the government said, without naming them.
Bird flu vaccination programs can sometimes trigger export bans, on concern that vaccinated birds not showing signs of infection could pose risks to healthy birds in the export countries. France's country-wide vaccination program in 2023 of ducks prompted several countries to ban French poultry on such concerns.
Chicks will be vaccinated at Dutch hatcheries before being moved to laying farms, with eggs sold only within the Netherlands. The program will run until early 2027.
"I am pleased that the poultry sector wants to take this step with me. Vaccination offers a huge opportunity to better control bird flu," said Agriculture Minister Femke Wiersma.
The U.S. economy faces a 40% risk of recession in the second half of 2025, JP Morgan analysts said on Wednesday, citing rising tariffs and stagflation concerns.
China has ramped up efforts to protect communities impacted by flood control measures, introducing stronger compensation policies and direct aid from the central government.
Severe rain in Venezuela has caused rivers to overflow and triggered landslides, sweeping away homes and collapsing a highway bridge, with five states affected and no casualties reported so far.
A malfunction in the radar transmission system at the Area Control Center in Milan suspended more than 300 flights at the weekend, across northwest Italy since Saturday evening according to Italy's air traffic controller Enav (National Agency for Flight Assistance).
Thousands of protesters rallied in Bangkok on Saturday, demanding Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra resign as political and economic tensions mount.
France will impose its toughest outdoor smoking restrictions starting Monday, banning smoking at beaches, parks, playgrounds, and bus stops.
Scientists in Australia and the U.S. have developed an AI tool that could transform cancer care by revealing the hidden diversity of tumour cells and guiding more targeted therapies.
Singapore has launched its largest-ever study on paediatric food allergies, aiming to better understand and address the growing burden of allergic reactions among children.
Bill Gates says his foundation will not compensate for funding shortfalls caused by U.S. and UK aid cuts to global vaccination efforts, warning of rising child mortality as a result.
The world is facing a health financing emergency as global health investment risks falling to its lowest level in a decade, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned.
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