Bird flu strikes
The week's news at a glance.
Ho Chi Minh City
A type of avian flu sweeping bird populations in Asia has leaped to humans, killing five people in Vietnam. So far, though, the disease has not been transmitted from human to human. “The source of infection still seems to be coming from poultry,” said Bob Dietz of the World Health Organization. But the WHO warned that as more humans became infected, there was a greater possibility of a mutation that could make the virus highly contagious. Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam have ordered mass slaughters of millions of infected chickens.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Why Britain is struggling to stop the ransomware cyberattacksThe Explainer New business models have greatly lowered barriers to entry for criminal hackers
-
Greene’s rebellion: a Maga hardliner turns against TrumpIn the Spotlight The Georgia congresswoman’s independent streak has ‘not gone unnoticed’ by the president
-
Crossword: October 26, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle