A bird flu outbreak in northern Israel has killed at least 5,200 migratory cranes and forced farmers to slaughter hundreds of thousands of chickens as authorities try to contain what they say is the deadliest wildlife disaster in the nation’s history.
Uri Naveh, a senior scientist at the Israel Parks and Nature Authority, said the situation is not yet under control.
“Many of the birds are dead in the middle of the water body so it’s difficult for them to be taken out.” he said on Monday.
Environmental Protection Minister Tamar Zandberg called the crisis “the most serious damage to wildlife in the history of the country”.
“The extent of the damage is still unclear,” she said on Twitter.
Yaron Michaeli, the spokesman for Hula Lake Park, where the crane population is centred, said workers were removing the carcasses as quickly as possible, fearing they could infect other wildlife.
Dafna Yurista, spokeswoman for the Agriculture Ministry, said half a million chickens in the area were being slaughtered to prevent the disease spreading.
About 500,000 cranes pass through Israel each year on the way to Africa and a small number stay behind, Mr Michaeli said. This year, an estimated 30,000 cranes stayed in Israel for the winter.
Mr Michaeli said it is believed that the cranes were infected by smaller birds that had contact with farms suffering from outbreaks.
Israeli media carried photos of workers in white hazmat suits collecting crane carcasses after the birds were first found to be sick about 10 days ago.
Mr Michaeli said the death toll among cranes appears to have stabilised in recent days.
“This is a good sign,” he said. “They might be starting to get over this. We hope very much.”
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s office said officials from the agriculture, environment and health ministries were monitoring the situation. There was no immediate information about infections among people, it said.
The clean-up is going more slowly than expected. “We are trying to see if there’re any other solutions,” Mr Naveh said.
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
La Mer lowdown
La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
Seven tips from Emirates NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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Farmdar – agriculture
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Greener Crop – agriculture
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NutzenTech – environment
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