6,000,000 Culled in China

Massive poultry kills mark desperate attempt to control spreading disease:

Farmers in north-eastern Liaoning province had co-operated with Sunday's slaughter, and would be compensated, Xinhua news agency said.

China has reported no human cases during its four recent outbreaks. But it says it cannot rule out bird flu as the cause of a recent death of a girl.

Meanwhile, a major conference on bird flu is due to open in Geneva on Monday.

The gathering brings together the World Health Organization, the World Bank, the UN's Food and Agricultural Organization and the World Organisation for Animal Health as well as top policy-makers from WHO member states.