BUCHAREST(AP) - Authorities have quarantined another village in eastern Romania after three chickens tested positive for the H5 subtype of bird flu, officials said yesterday. Animal health workers yesterday began culling about 8,000 domestic birds in Cioacile, a village located in Braila County, where the H5 bird flu was detected last week in three other villages. “We hope to finish culling and disinfecting the area by tomorrow (Monday),” said Gabriel Predoi, who heads the National Agency for Animal Health. Further tests will determine whether the virus is the deadly H5N1 strain.

ISTANBUL (AP) - Zalmay Khalilzad, the US ambassador to Baghdad, arrived in Istanbul for a surprise visit yesterday to discuss Iraq with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. Turkey has long been pressuring the United States to crack down on Kurdish rebels infiltrating into Turkey from northern Iraq. It is also concerned by Iraqi Kurds’ desire to expand the borders of their self-ruled region to other parts of Iraq, especially oil-rich Kirkuk. Turkey is also worried by reports that a Kurdish party, which Ankara believes is linked to the Kurdish rebels fighting for autonomy in southeast Turkey, was to participate in Iraq’s December 15 elections.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in New Zealand yesterday on a four-day visit to boost ties between the two countries. Erdogan is keen to study New Zealand’s agricultural technology and New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said earthquake-prone Turkey could reciprocate by providing engineering opportunities for New Zealand businesses, Radio Newstalk ZB reported. Erdogan is the first Turkish PM to visit to New Zealand. (AFP)

The acquittal of two former Kosovo rebels before the UN war crimes tribunal has encouraged anti-Serb violence in the province and can undermine expected talks on Kosovo’s future, Serbia’s president warned on Saturday. Boris Tadic cited three fresh attacks against Serbs in Kosovo following the UN court’s acquittal on Wednesday of Fatmir Limaj and Isak Musliu of torturing and murdering civilians during the 1998-1999 conflict in the province. (AP)

Turkish authorities have captured two members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and charged them with planning an attack on security forces in southeast Turkey, officials said on Saturday. The two were detained six days ago in the town of Batman after trying to lure security forces into a trap, officials said. (Reuters)