France Reports Bird Flu on Turkey Farm as Disease Spreads in Europe 

A hen stands next to an egg, Jan. 10, 2023, at a farm in Glenview, Ill. (AP)
A hen stands next to an egg, Jan. 10, 2023, at a farm in Glenview, Ill. (AP)
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France Reports Bird Flu on Turkey Farm as Disease Spreads in Europe 

A hen stands next to an egg, Jan. 10, 2023, at a farm in Glenview, Ill. (AP)
A hen stands next to an egg, Jan. 10, 2023, at a farm in Glenview, Ill. (AP)

France has detected an outbreak of highly pathogenic bird flu virus on a turkey farm in the northwest of the country, the agriculture ministry said on Tuesday, as a seasonal wave of infections spreads across Europe.

The outbreak in the Brittany region, France's first farm case this autumn, occurred near where an infected wild bird was found, the ministry said in a statement.

Several cases among wild birds have been recorded in recent days, it said, adding the government had raised its national alert level for bird flu to moderate from negligible.

Poultry flocks in areas particularly exposed to contact with wild birds would now be confined indoors, the ministry said.

Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, has led to the culling of hundreds of millions of birds in the past years. It usually strikes in Europe during autumn and winter and has recently been detected on farms in countries including Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Croatia and Hungary.

To counter the disease, which has disrupted the supply of poultry meat and eggs and sent prices rocketing in parts of the world in recent years, France launched a vaccination campaign against bird flu in early October.

The French program is being initially limited to ducks, which are the most vulnerable to the virus. Ducks accounted for only 8% of total French poultry output in 2022.



Heavy Snow Brings Widespread Disruption across the UK

People walk in the snow at Sefton Park in Liverpool, Britain, 05 January 2025. (EPA)
People walk in the snow at Sefton Park in Liverpool, Britain, 05 January 2025. (EPA)
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Heavy Snow Brings Widespread Disruption across the UK

People walk in the snow at Sefton Park in Liverpool, Britain, 05 January 2025. (EPA)
People walk in the snow at Sefton Park in Liverpool, Britain, 05 January 2025. (EPA)

Heavy snow and freezing rain has brought widespread disruption across the UK, with several major airports forced to suspend flights and many key roads in the north of England unnavigable.

With the weather set to stay inclement on Sunday, there are concerns that many rural communities could be cut off with up to 40 centimeters (15 inches) of snow on ground above 300 meters (985 feet).

The National Grid, which oversees the country's electricity network, said it had been working to restore power after outages across the country. The company’s live map shows power cuts in Birmingham in central England, Bristol in the west and Cardiff in Wales.

Many sporting events have already been postponed, but the heavyweight Premier League fixture between Liverpool and Manchester United is still on, though there will be another inspection later.

Liverpool's John Lennon Airport and Manchester Airport had to close runways and divert flights, Birmingham Airport also suspended operations for several hours overnight but said it was on schedule for “business as usual” on Sunday.

The road network was heavily impacted too, on what would have been a very busy day with many families returning home from the Christmas and New Year break and students heading back to universities.

On the railways, many services were canceled with National Rail warning of disruption continuing into the working week.

Britain's main weather forecaster, the Met Office, has forecast the sleet and snow will continue to push north on Sunday and be heaviest in northern England and into southern Scotland. After experiencing freezing rain for a time, the south will turn milder.

Frost and icy patches will continue through the early part of the week, but Monday and Tuesday will become drier with sunny spells and scattered wintry showers.