Topic 1:

China's poultry sector has recorded losses of more than 10 billion yuan ($1.6 billion) since reports emerged of a new strain of bird flu two weeks ago, the country's National Poultry Industry Association said. Authorities have slaughtered thousands of birds and closed live poultry markets in Shanghai and Beijing in an attempt to reduce the rate of human infection.

Aiyinsitan: if the government slaughtered thousands of birds in order to allay growing fears, why not copy Hong Kong's example and give subsidies to farmers? After all, they have made sacrifices and have no idea about where their future livelihoods will come from.