21/06/2026

READ OUR

HERE

theSun on Sunday JUNE 21, 2026

WORLD 7

Malaysian Paper

/thesun

H5 bird flu detected in Australia SYDNEY: Scientists have detected the H5 strain of bird flu in Australia for the first time, the country’s agriculture minister said yesterday, meaning the highly contagious variant has now spread to every continent. petrel, had also shown as a suspected positive result, she said. Australia was previously the only continent where the H5 strain, which can devastate poultry and wild bird populations, had not been detected. “While disappointing, this is not unexpected, given the global spread of the H5 bird flu,” Collins told reporters in Canberra. health and agriculture officials has been held to consider a national response. “We all knew we couldn’t be bird flu-free forever,” Collins said. The H5 strain has caused severe disease and high death rates in poultry, wild birds and affected mammals across the globe. ‘No infection in poultry’

US$73m upgrade for Singapore artillery SINGAPORE: The United States has approved a US$73 million (RM300 million) military sale to Singapore to upgrade its M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (Himars), the US Department of State said. The department said Singapore has requested 18 Common Fire Control System upgrade kits for the Himars, along with support equipment, technical documentation, spare parts, training and US government and contractor technical support. Lockheed Martin will serve as the principal contractor, while the package also includes engineering and logistics support services, field office support and other programme support elements. “This proposed sale will enhance the foreign policy and national security objectives of the US by improving the security of a strategic partner that is an important force for political stability and economic progress in Asia. “It will improve Singapore’s capability to meet threats by enhancing and extending its army’s ability to conduct operations and enable effective training,” the US State Department said. The department added that Singapore will have no difficulty absorbing this training into its armed forces. “The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.” – Bernama Marine mammals have also been affected, with some detections in other animals like cats, goats, alpacas and pigs. On Thursday, Australian scientists said the H5 bird flu strain had killed more than 13,000 elephant seal pups after infecting a breeding colony on a sub-Antarctic volcanic island, one of Australia’s external territories. – AFP Roadside blasts kill 7 PESHAWAR: Twin roadside blasts killed at least seven people in Pakistan’s northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police said yesterday. “A private pickup truck carrying passengers was targeted with a remote controlled device. The injured were being transported to hospital in a car for emergency treatment when a second device exploded,” said Yasir Afridi, a police officer in Bannu district, adding that three people were wounded. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blasts but the militant group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan is very active in the region. Pakistan blames Afghanistan for the rise in attacks in the country. Kabul has denied Pakistan’s accusations that Afghan territory was being used as a safe haven by militants. The frosty relationship between them has spiralled into deadly armed conflict in recent months, including Pakistani airstrikes on cities in Afghanistan. – AFP happened by definition around the world, and this is why we are preparing for this,” he said. The wild birds most affected by the H5 strain include waterfowl, shorebirds, seabirds and birds of prey.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said yesterday the detection of the case was concerning, and that his government would take measures to contain the spread of the disease. “This is something that has happened through migratory birds, and has

Julie Collins told a press conference the disease had been found in a migratory sea bird, a brown skua, in remote Western Australia, and the result was confirmed by the national science agency. Samples from another sick bird, a giant

“I can confirm there is still no evidence of any mass mortalities at this time, nor is there any evidence of infection in any poultry.” An emergency meeting of animal

Free Suu Kyii, UN envoy urges Myanmar

coup against her elected government. In April, President Min Aung Hlaing announced that the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, sentenced to more than 30 years in prison, would now be placed under house arrest. But Suu Kyi’s whereabouts remain unclear. Her son Kim Aris has demanded that Myanmar’s military rulers provide proof that his mother is alive. – AFP

states, a few weeks after her fourth visit to Myanmar. “There have been no independent verifiable reports of her circumstances for years. Today, on her 81st birthday, I urge others to join me in calling for her release. “In the eyes of many, there can be no progress to peace while State Counsellor Daw Suu is held prisoner.” Daw is an honorific and state counsellor was her official title before the 2021 military

NEW YORK: The UN special envoy for Myanmar on Friday called for the immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi, as the opposition icon spent her 81st birthday under detention. “I have repeatedly raised with Naypyidaw the predicament of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, who was re-elected in November 2020 but condemned to a harsh and punitive detention after the military takeover,” Julie Bishop told UN member

FESTIVE EVENT ... Competitors taking part in a dragon boat race held to celebrate the Tuen Ng festival in Hong Kong on Friday. – AFPPIC

Vietnamese duo held for importing spoilt chicken feet PHNOM PENH: Vietnamese police charged two women in Hanoi for importing about 10,000 tonnes of contaminated chicken feet worth US$13 million (RM54 million) from countries with poultry diseases and distributing them to local shops. three years, reported Vietnam News. Investigators raided two cold-storage warehouses and discovered more than 2,000 tonnes of frozen chicken feet, including 260 tonnes of expired product believed to be ready for distribution.

“Under legal provisions, poultry products originating in countries with active poultry diseases may only enter the country for processing and re-export and may not be sold domestically,” reported Vietnam News. The two businesswomen declared to the Customs Department that the goods were imported for processing and then to be re-exported. The company also failed to pay the necessary taxes. – Bernama

According to the authorities, the products meant for distribution had expired and were even coated with mould and had a bad odour, said the report.

The two suspects, in their mid-40s, imported 339 containers of frozen chicken feet. They were charged in the capital on Friday for their illegal business for the past