WASHINGTON: A new kind of bird flu has been detected for the first time in Adelie penguins in Antarctica, though the virus does not seem to make them sick, researchers said Tuesday.

The virus is unlike any other avian flu known to science, said the report in mBio, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

"It raises a lot of unanswered questions," said study author Aeron Hurt, senior research scientist at the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza in Melbourne, Australia.

The findings show that "avian influenza viruses can get down to Antarctica and be maintained in penguin populations," he said.

The study is the first to report on live avian influenza virus in penguins, though previous research has found evidence of influenza antibodies in penguin blood.

But it remains unclear how often various strains of bird flu are introduced into Antarctica, whether the deadliest types could make it there, and which animals or ecosystems allow the virus to survive.

Hurt and colleagues collected samples from some 300 Adelie penguins at Admiralty Bay and Rada Covadonga during January and February 2013.They found live, infectious avian influenza virus in eight samples, or nearly three percent of the birds. The penguins did not appear to be sick.

All the samples were found to be H11N2 influenza viruses that were highly similar to each other.

But when researchers compared the genome sequences of four of the viruses to a publicly available database of animal and human viruses, "we found that this virus was unlike anything else detected in the world," said Hurt.

"All of the genes were highly distinct from contemporary AIVs (avian influenza viruses) circulating in other continents in either the Northern or Southern Hemisphere."

One well known kind of bird flu is H5N1, which is believed to be carried by migrating ducks. Some 650 people have been infected with H5N1, and about 60 percent have died, according to the World Health Organization. It is also highly lethal to domestic poultry. (AFP)

DONETSK: Ukraine’s Interior Minister said Tuesday that 30 pro-Russian insurgents were killed during operations to expunge anti-government forces in and near a city in the east, while the Kiev authorities attempted to reassert control over the southern region of Odessa by appointing a new governor there.

Arsen Avakov said on his Facebook page Tuesday that four government troops also died and 20 were injured during fighting in Slovyansk.

Gunbattles took place at various positions around the city Monday in what has proven the most ambitious government effort to date to quell unrest in the mainly Russian-speaking east.

Avakov said Monday that pro-Russia forces in Slovyansk, a city of 125,000, were deploying large-caliber weapons and mortars in the region and there were injured on both sides. Government troops were facing about 800 insurgents, he said.

In Donetsk, a major city some 120 kilometers south of Slovyansk, international flights from the local airport were suspended Tuesday. The airport said on its website that the cancellations followed a government order.

Ukraine is facing its worst crisis in decades as the polarized nation of 46 million tries to decide whether to look toward Europe, as its western regions want to do, or improve ties with Russia, which is favored by the many Russian-speakers in the east.

Dozens of government offices have been seized, either by armed insurgents or anti-government crowds, over the past several weeks.

The central government attempted to re-establish control Tuesday over the predominantly Russian-speaking Black Sea region of Odessa, where 46 people died after fighting and a fire broke out between pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian forces late on Friday.

In a statement published on the president´s website, the Kiev authorities announced they were firing the acting governor and replacing him with member of parliament Ihor Palytsya. (AP)

GENEVA: The World Health Organization warned Monday that the crippling disease polio has reemerged as a public health emergency, after new cases surfaced in a range of countries.

"The conditions for a public health emergency of international concern have been met," WHO assistant director general Bruce Aylward told reporters in Geneva following crisis talks on the crippling and potentially fatal viral disease that mainly affects children under the age of five. (AFP)

AHMEDABAD: In one of the most dramatic turnarounds in the history of IPL, Rajasthan Royals today came from nowhere to register an improbable 10-run victory against Kolkata Knight Riders in an encounter which saw fortunes fluctuating from one team to the other till the very end.

Chasing a victory target of 171, KKR were sailing along at 121 for no loss with Gautam Gambhir (54) and Robin Uthappa (65) cruising along before losing an incredible six wickets for addition of two runs in a space of nine deliveries.

Shane Watson (3/21) and Pravin Tambe (3/26), including a hat-trick, scripted a remarkable collapse which the jam-packed Motera will remember for a long time to come.

The Shah Rukh Khan co-owned outfit never recovered from that telling blow as they were restricted to 160 for six in the stipulated 20 overs, losing their fifth game in the tournament. With a defeat like this, it will be very difficult for KKR to make a comeback. Rajasthan with 10 points from seven games stay firmly in contention for a semi-final berth.

Watson scripted the turnaround at the start of the 15th over. Gambhir tried to loft him over extra cover but only got a thickish edge which was pouched by Sanju Samson.

With the third ball of the over, Uthappa who was in belligerent mood flicked one straight down Rajat Bhatia's throat. After a gap of another delivery Watson bowled a perfect leg-cutter to send Andre Russell’s (0) middle-stump cartwheeling.

Suddenly from 121 for no loss, KKR slumped to 122 for three but the drama was far from over.

The 43-year-old Tambe then pulled the rabbit out of the hat as he first bowled a wide googly, which fooled Manish Pandey (0), who was stumped wide down leg-side.

Yusuf Pathan (0), who has forgotten when he last played a good knock, gave a simple return catch to Tambe. The wily old fox completed his hat-trick when his flipper found Ryan ten Doeschate (0) plumb in-front as KKR were now down in the dumps at 123 for six. It was as good as over for them at that point.

Watson kept his cool as he bowled a brilliant final over when 17 runs were required giving away only six runs.

KARACHI: Stock prices witnessed a drop as Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) closed lower on Monday, with the benchmark 100-share index of the Karachi Stock Exchange falling 1.01 percent, or 291.50 points, to 28,629.63.

Institutional selling in United Bank Ltd, Pakistan Petroleum Ltd and Pakistan State Oil Co Ltd, pushed the market down.

As the corporate result season came to an end, investors preferred to book profits as there are few triggers left going forward.

Auto stocks also went down after the news that the government may reduce import duty on cars, said dealer Samar Iqbal at Topline Securities.

United Bank Ltd fell 4.76 percent to 175 rupees and Pakistan Petroleum Ltd was down 2.28 percent to 221.50 rupees.

FAIRFIELD: A pilot who had thrilled audiences for decades with acrobatic stunts was killed when his vintage biplane crashed upside-down on a runway at a California air show.

Sunday´s tragedy brought to a quick halt the "Thunder Over Solano" show at Travis Air Force Base, which was attended by an estimated 100,000 spectators. No one else was injured.

The Air Force identified the pilot as Edward Andreini, 77. Federal Aviation Administration records show he was the registered owner of the 1944 Stearman biplane, a World War II-era plane commonly used to train pilots.

Andreini was trying to perform a maneuver known as "cutting a ribbon" where he inverts the plane and flies close to the ground so that a knife attached to it can slice a ribbon just off the ground, Col. David Mott, 60th Operations Group commander at the base, told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Andreini´s website said audiences would be "thrilled at the sight of this huge biplane performing double outside loops, square loops, torque rolls, double snap rolls, and ... a heart-stopping, end-over-end tumble maneuver."

It said he had flown since he was 16.The plane, flying low over the tarmac, crashed and caught fire, letting off a thick plume of black smoke seen in video of the aftermath.

Roger Bockrath, a retired photojournalist who was photographing the afternoon show, chronicled the routine and witnessed the crash. He said Andreini, flying into a sometimes gusty wind, passed on two attempts before trying a third time, hitting the tarmac and sliding to a stop in an open field.

"He got down too low and hit the tarmac. He skidded about 500 feet and just sat there. The plane was essentially intact, just wrong side down," Bockrath told The Sacramento Bee.

Bockrath said nearly 2 1/2 minutes went by before someone appeared with a fire extinguisher. By then, the aircraft was fully enflamed and collapsing from the heat. He said it took a total of five minutes before fire crews arrived.

The National Transportation Safety Board is heading up an investigation. Lynn Lunsford of the FAA said the FAA was already on site and will be a member of the team. (AP)