Vietnam-bird flu(ap photo)

China, Vietnam and Japan have reported fresh outbreaks of bird flu, despite efforts to contain the virus. The latest Chinese outbreak, discovered on October 26th, killed nearly nine-thousand chickens and prompted officials to cull nearly 370-thousand other birds in Badaohao, a village in Liaoning province, east of Beijing. So far, no human cases of bird flu have been reported in China. 

In Vietnam, more than three-thousand poultry died or were culled this week in three villages in Bac Giang province, north of the capital of Hanoi. The areas are under close watch and authorities have imposed a quarantine. Japanese officials said today (Friday) they will destroy 180-thousand chickens after signs of the virus were found on a farm in eastern Ibaraki prefecture near Tokyo.

Japan and North Korea entered a second day of high-level talks today (Friday), with no progress yet reported on issues preventing the two countries from forging diplomatic ties. The first day of talks in Beijing Thursday centered on the abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korea, as well as reparation requests by North Korea over Japan's occupation of the Korean Peninsula during World War Two.

The United States has frozen the assets of several individuals and companies it says are linked to drug trafficking in Burma. In a statement issued today (Thursday), the U.S. Treasury Department named 11 people and 16 companies based in Thailand with alleged links to a Burmese heroin-producing group operating out of the notorious Golden Triangle.

Iraqi security officials say six policemen have been killed and

Iraqi policemen touch coffin of comrade who died during attack at police checkpoint, Friday

10 others wounded in an insurgent attack in north of Baghdad. Officials say large numbers of insurgents armed with assault rifles and heavier weaponry stormed a checkpoint early today (Friday) in the town of Bores, near Baquba, some 65 kilometers north of the capital.

President Bush is in Argentina where he will meet with several regional leaders ahead of the fourth Summit of the Americas, which opens today (Friday).

Mr. Bush is scheduled to meet Argentinean President Nestor Kirchner, followed by joint talks with Andean leaders and a bilateral meeting with Chile's president (Ricardo Lagos) before the summit officially opens.

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