A new bird flu epidemic is spreading through Asia, killing thousands of chickens and ducks, and causing 10 human deaths. China has decided to kill all livestock and birds in a two-mile radius of any identified infected case. However, Indonesia is declining to take such action, even in the face of a WHO recommendation. The disease has a higher mortality rate than that of SARS, and is immune to one of the two main drugs used to fight the flu.
New report clears British government, Blair of wrongdoing in death
After months of waiting and weeks of speculation, Lord Hutton has released a report on his inquiry into the suicide of scientist David Kelly. The report clears the British government and Prime Minister Tony Blair of any wrongdoing in Kelly's death. The report also refutes claims that members of the British government exaggerated claims regarding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Hutton blames the BBC for not properly checking facts prior to reports made about the WMD claim.
John Kerry pulls out wins in Iowa, New Hampshire
Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry surprised many when he won both the Iowa Caucus and the New Hampshire Primary. Kerry's victories upset fellow candidate Howard Dean, who was widely expected to easily win in both states. All the candidates remain optimistic as a busy week of primaries approaches, with seven states holding elections on Tuesday, February 3.
NASA rovers successfully reach Mars
In the last month, NASA's twin Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, ended their interplanetary voyages with successful landings on the red planet. The rovers will explore the Martian surface to help detail the history of Mars, and perhaps determine if the planet was once home to life. The European Space Agency's Beagle 2 rover, which arrived on December 25, is believed to have suffered an unrecoverable system failure and mission controllers have been unable to communicate with it.
