Five Things You Need to Know: Merrill Off-Balance-Sheet Shenanigans Draw Scrutiny; Avian Flu Epidemic Still Possible… (Minyanville via Yahoo! Finance) Merrill's story is just beginning... [News Source]

Policemen sent to guard bird flu protection zone are suing their own force. Two police officers who were sent to guard a bird flu protection zone are suing their force. [News Source]

Force sued for ‘bird flu failing’ (BBC News) North Wales Police are being sued over claims it did not provide protective clothing to officers in a bird flu zone [News Source]

WHO’s Chan says too early for China to let guard down on bird flu (Straits Times) BEIJING - CHINA has improved in its fight against bird flu but it is too early to ease up on the battle, the head of the UN's health agency said Friday. [News Source]

Avian Influenza Movement Restrictions Lifted In Saskatchewan, Canada (Medical News Today) The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has lifted most remaining movement restrictions on birds and bird products in Saskatchewan. The move follows extensive testing of birds within the province. No additional cases of avian influenza were found. This brings an official end to the avian influenza response operation, which began on September 27, 2007. [click link for full article] [News Source]

Nigeria: Bird Flu - a Danger Tamed By Awareness (AllAfrica.com) Until recently, Nigerians did not have any cause to panic over a bird disease called Avian Influenza, popularly known as 'Bird Flu' as it was alien to this part of the world. Its impact is devastating as it is capable of killing poultry in millions few hours after striking its. [News Source]

Bird-flu pandemic still possible, WHO chief warns (EARTHtimes.org) Beijing - World Health Organization Director General Margaret Chan warned Friday that the risk of an avian influenza pandemic had not been averted despite the apparent success of several Asian nations in controlling outbreaks of the disease. Don't l... [News Source]

Bird flu forces Bangladesh to cull chickens (Reuters via Yahoo! News) Bangladesh culled some 6,000 chickens after bird flu infected three more farms in the northern part of the country, officials said on Friday. [News Source]