THE European Commission yesterday banned imports of pet birds and feathers from most of Russia in the latest move to combat the spread of avian flu.

The European Union today said it was extending a ban on the importation of pet birds and feathers to cover most of Russia.

Electricity blackouts hit large sections of the Russian capital today, forcing many subway lines and trams to halt service while frustrated pedestrians tried to flag down taxis on traffic-jammed streets.

Traces of explosive have been found on the wreckage of the second of two crashed Russian airliners, a spokesman for Russia’s domestic security agency said today.

RUSSIAN emergency workers last night searched heaps of twisted metal and tall grass amid fears a terrorist attack caused two airliners to plunge to earth within minutes of each other, killing all 89 people aboard.

A Russian passenger jet crashed and another apparently broke up in the air almost simultaneously after they took off from the same airport, raising fears of a double terrorist atrocity.

Heptathlon’s new golden girl Carolina Kluft produced the most important long jump of her life to stretch her lead after five events at the World Championships on Sunday.