Global Pulse

标签： Oceania

大洋洲

  • WHO warns of more hantavirus cases in ‘limited’ outbreak

    WHO warns of more hantavirus cases in ‘limited’ outbreak

    An emerging limited hantavirus outbreak tied to an international cruise ship has claimed three lives, prompting the World Health Organization to warn that additional cases may still surface in the coming weeks, even as global health leaders express confidence that widespread spread can be contained with targeted public health action. The outbreak, centered on the Netherlands-based expedition vessel MV Hondius, has already triggered an international contact tracing effort spanning five continents, as health officials work to contain the rare Andes strain of hantavirus – one of the few variants capable of spreading between humans.

    As of Thursday, the WHO confirmed five positive cases and three additional suspected cases linked to the voyage, which departed the Argentinian coastal city of Ushuaia on April 1. The first fatality was recorded on April 11, when a Dutch male passenger died mid-voyage after contracting the virus. His wife, who disembarked with his body at Saint Helena and traveled to South Africa for repatriation, also fell ill and died 15 days later, with her cause of death confirmed as hantavirus on May 4. A third fatality, a German passenger, was recorded on May 2, and her body remains aboard the vessel as it sails toward its scheduled destination.

    On Thursday morning, a fourth symptomatic passenger disembarked in Amsterdam, and the Leiden University Medical Center later confirmed the patient tested positive for the virus. The vessel, operated by Netherlands-based tour company Oceanwide Expeditions, currently carries 149 people including 88 passengers, and is anchored off the coast of Cape Verde en route to Tenerife in the Spanish Canary Islands, where it is scheduled to arrive Sunday for a full evacuation of all people on board. Company officials confirmed in a recent statement that no remaining symptomatic individuals are currently aboard the ship.

    Speaking to reporters in Geneva Thursday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that the Andes strain of hantavirus has an incubation period of up to six weeks, meaning exposure that occurred earlier in the voyage could still lead to new confirmed cases in the coming weeks. “Given the incubation period of the Andes virus, which can be up to six weeks, it’s possible that more cases may be reported,” he said.

    Despite the forecast of additional cases, WHO leaders emphasized that the outbreak is expected to remain contained, as long as cross-border public health precautions and contact tracing efforts continue. “We believe this will be a limited outbreak if the public health measures are implemented and solidarity shown across all countries,” said Abdi Rahman Mahamud, director of WHO’s emergency alert and response program.

    Confirmed and suspected cases are currently isolating or receiving treatment in five countries: the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and South Africa. One of the most urgent contact tracing efforts is centered on a commercial Airlink flight carrying 82 passengers and six crew that the deceased Dutch woman took from Saint Helena to Johannesburg while already showing symptoms; South African health officials are working to identify and monitor all people who shared the flight with her.

    Authorities in Saint Helena have moved to reassure local residents, noting that more than 95 percent of the island’s population has had no close contact with passengers or crew from the MV Hondius, putting them at extremely low risk of infection. The WHO has notified 12 national governments whose citizens disembarked from the vessel at Saint Helena, to coordinate national tracing and monitoring efforts.

    Argentine health authorities are planning to test local rodent populations in Ushuaia, after investigators determined the initial case was likely infected by rodents before boarding the cruise, with subsequent spread occurring between passengers on board. Hantavirus is a rare respiratory infection that is most commonly transmitted to humans from infected rodents, and can cause severe respiratory distress, cardiac complications, and hemorrhagic fever. Currently, there is no licensed vaccine for hantavirus and no specific cure for the infection. Unlike COVID-19, hantavirus is far less contagious, which has led health officials to downplay fears of a global pandemic from the current outbreak.

    Health officials in Chile have already ruled out the country as the site of initial infection, noting that the two deceased Dutch passengers traveled through Chile at a timeline that does not align with the virus’ maximum six-week incubation period. Oceanwide Expeditions said it is working to trace all passengers and crew who have boarded or disembarked the MV Hondius since March 20, to ensure all potentially exposed people are monitored for symptoms.

  • William, Catherine and children name baby kangaroo at Australia Zoo

    William, Catherine and children name baby kangaroo at Australia Zoo

    A charming new chapter in global wildlife conservation has emerged from Queensland’s Australia Zoo, where the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children have bestowed a heartfelt Welsh name on a young eastern grey kangaroo: Cwtch, which translates to “cuddle” in the Celtic language. The announcement was made in a joint Instagram post from the Wales family and third-generation conservationist Robert Irwin, son of the late legendary crocodile hunter Steve Irwin, who has carried on his family’s legacy of wildlife protection at the iconic Queensland zoo.

    Standing surrounded by a mob of gentle kangaroos in a video message shared to mark the occasion, Irwin expressed gratitude to Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis for picking the affectionate name that fits the tiny joey perfectly. “It’s the absolute perfect name for a joey kangaroo, because at this age, they love a cuddle and they spend most of their time inside that pouch with their mum,” Irwin explained in the clip. “Cwtch is now proudly part of our family here at Australia Zoo.”

    Pronounced “kutch”, the name carries both personal and conservation purpose: Irwin extended the naming invitation to the British royal household specifically to draw global attention to the critical role kangaroos play in Australia’s native ecosystems, and the growing threats they face. Eastern grey kangaroos, one of Australia’s most recognizable native species, act as ecosystem engineers that maintain balanced habitats for countless other native plants, insects and animals across the Australian bush. Yet despite their cultural and ecological importance, the species continues to face mounting pressure from habitat destruction, accelerating climate change and unregulated human activity.

    “Thank you for your support with our wildlife conservation efforts. It is so important that we conserve all of our animals, including the icons, the kangaroos,” Irwin said. “These guys play a very important role in the Australian bush, and out there in the ecosystem, they are just crucial. With all of the animals that we support and all of the wildlife conservation efforts that we have around the world, it is all about making sure we give back to the wildlife and the wild places where they live.”

    The collaboration between Irwin and the Prince of Wales is far from a one-off gesture: Prince William has long been one of the world’s most high-profile advocates for global conservation, most notably as the founder of The Earthshot Prize, a landmark global initiative that funds and scales innovative solutions to the planet’s most urgent environmental challenges. Irwin has partnered with the prince on multiple nature protection and restoration projects, work that aligns closely with the mission of his global conservation nonprofit Wildlife Warriors, which carries on the Irwin family’s decades-long work to protect endangered species and wild habitats across the globe.

  • Who is Kumanjayi Little Baby and why has her death caused outrage in Australia?

    Who is Kumanjayi Little Baby and why has her death caused outrage in Australia?

    The tragic passing of a young Indigenous Australian girl, Kumanjayi Little Baby, has sent shockwaves across the nation, igniting public fury and reigniting long-simmering debates over systemic disparities and cultural respect for First Nations communities. As BBC correspondent Katy Watson unpacks the complex case, its roots stretch far beyond a single death, touching on deep-seated cultural sensitivities and ongoing failures of government and institutional systems to protect Indigenous Australians.

    Kumanjayi Little Baby’s case has become a flashpoint because of how systemic neglect has intersected with profound cultural misunderstanding. For many Indigenous communities, the circumstances surrounding her death — and the lack of accountability that preceded it — are not an isolated tragedy, but a symptom of decades of marginalization that have left First Nations children and families disproportionately vulnerable to harm. The anger that has erupted across Australia also stems from long-unaddressed calls for systemic reform, from child protection services that have historically failed Indigenous communities to broader efforts to close the gap in life expectancy and safety between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

    Cultural sensitivities have further amplified the public reaction, as missteps by authorities and media outlets in acknowledging Kumanjayi’s cultural identity and heritage have added insult to injury for Indigenous communities. Many have pointed out that repeated failures to center Indigenous cultural perspectives in cases involving First Nations people perpetuate the same disrespect that fuels systemic inequity. What began as grief over a young life cut short has now coalesced into a national movement demanding meaningful change, accountability, and a renewed commitment to upholding the rights and dignity of Australia’s First Nations peoples.

  • Trump says he would not pay $1,000 to watch US at World Cup

    Trump says he would not pay $1,000 to watch US at World Cup

    Former U.S. President Donald Trump has added his voice to the mounting backlash against FIFA over exorbitant ticket pricing for the 2026 co-hosted World Cup, revealing in a recent interview that he would refuse to shell out more than $1,000 to attend the United States men’s national team’s opening match of the tournament.

    In comments published by the New York Post on Thursday, the former president — who has long touted his role in securing the 2026 World Cup hosting rights for the North American bloc during his first term in office — acknowledged he was caught off guard by the steep ticket costs. “I did not know that number,” Trump told the outlet. “I would certainly like to be there, but I wouldn’t pay it either, to be honest with you.”

    Trump’s criticism centers on the impact high prices will have on working- and lower-income Americans, a core electoral base that has backed him through multiple campaigns. He highlighted that his biggest disappointment with the current pricing structure is that it locks out the voters who supported him. “If people from Queens and Brooklyn and all of the people that love Donald Trump can’t go, I would be disappointed, but, you know, at the same time, it’s an amazing success,” he said. “I would like to be able to have the people that voted for me to be able to go.”

    The former president’s public pushback marks a rare break from his close personal ties to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who defended the organization’s pricing model just days before Trump’s comments. Infantino argued that FIFA is legally required to allow third-party ticket resale under U.S. regulations, a system that has driven resale prices into the thousands of dollars above original face value. He also pushed back on critics by noting that more than 500 million fan requests for World Cup tickets have already been submitted — a massive jump from the combined total of fewer than 50 million requests for both the 2018 Russia World Cup and 2022 Qatar World Cup. To counter claims of widespread unaffordability, Infantino added that 25% of all group stage tickets are priced below $300.

    But critics have pushed back against that defense, drawing stark comparisons between 2026 pricing and the 2022 Qatar tournament. For example, the most expensive face-value ticket for the 2022 World Cup final hovered around $1,600, while the equivalent 2026 final ticket carries a face price of roughly $11,000. The outrage over pricing extends far beyond Trump: U.S. lawmakers and international fan advocacy groups have already slammed FIFA for its tiered pricing structure, with European fan organization Football Supporters Europe calling the model a “monumental betrayal” of football supporters worldwide.

    The 2026 World Cup, jointly hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, is scheduled to kick off this coming June, and remains one of the most anticipated global sporting events of the year. But the ongoing controversy over ticket costs has overshadowed build-up to the tournament, turning pricing policy into a high-profile public debate that now draws input from one of the most influential figures in U.S. politics.

  • Twin jihadist-claimed attacks kill more than 30 in Mali

    Twin jihadist-claimed attacks kill more than 30 in Mali

    Mali’s already fragile security landscape has been shattered by a new wave of deadly violence, as two coordinated attacks claimed by an Al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadist group have killed more than 30 people in central regions of the West African nation, multiple local, security and administrative sources confirmed to Agence France-Presse on Thursday.

    The near-simultaneous strikes on the villages of Korikori and Gomossogou unfolded just under two weeks after a massive joint offensive by jihadist and separatist forces against positions held by the country’s ruling military junta, a campaign that pushed Mali into one of its most severe security emergencies in years. A local youth official put the confirmed death toll at a minimum of 35 people killed in Wednesday’s attacks, while both security and administrative sources corroborated a toll of more than 30 fatalities. The assaults have been officially claimed by the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), the largest Al-Qaeda-aligned militant network operating in the Sahel region.

    West African Sahel security journalism collective WAMAPS has published a higher provisional toll, reporting more than 50 villagers killed with multiple residents still unaccounted for. The organization added that widespread looting of community property and arson attacks on local buildings accompanied the assaults. According to a senior security source, the attacks were launched in retaliation for recent actions by Dan Nan Ambassagou, a prominent community self-defense militia formed by local populations to counter persistent jihadist incursions in central Mali. The source noted that while most of the fatalities were militiamen, the dead also included teenage civilians and young children.

    Composed primarily of ethnic Dogon traditional hunters, Dan Nan Ambassagou has repeatedly defied government orders to disband. Malian authorities have labeled the group responsible for a 2019 massacre in the central village of Ogossagou that left 160 people dead. In response to this week’s attacks, the Malian military announced Thursday that it had conducted a focused counter-terrorism operation in the affected area, neutralizing approximately a dozen militant fighters. The military has not released any additional details on the operation to date.

    This latest violence comes on the heels of a devastating coordinated offensive across northern and central Mali launched April 25 and 26 by a coalition of JNIM and the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), an ethnic Tuareg separatist movement. The offensive targeted key strategic locations, including the northern desert town of Kidal and Kati, a major military garrison town just outside the capital Bamako. The attacks claimed the life of Malian Defense Minister Sadio Camara, the 47-year-old architect of the junta’s military alliance with Russia, who was killed by a car bomb at his personal residence. Kidal and multiple other northern population centers have since fallen under the control of the coalition, which has implemented a blockade of the capital to pressure the junta.

    Central Mali has emerged as a persistent hotspot of lethal intercommunal and militant violence in recent years. Following the 2019 Ogossagou massacre, the village was the site of a 2020 raid that left roughly 30 ethnic Fulani people dead; Fulani communities across the Sahel have long faced unfair accusations of colluding with jihadist groups. In March 2022, nearly 300 civilians were massacred in the town of Moura, with Human Rights Watch implicating the Malian military and its foreign allies, widely understood to be mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner Group. Just three months later, JNIM attacks in Diallassagou killed more than 130 civilians.

    In the wake of last month’s large-scale offensive against the junta, Mali has also seen a sweeping crackdown on perceived opponents. Multiple security, legal and family sources confirmed to AFP that a number of opposition political figures and active-duty military personnel have been detained or forcibly abducted since the attacks. Last week, the military prosecutor’s office stated it held concrete evidence of complicity among certain military members, accusing them of aiding in the planning, coordination and execution of the April offensive. But a senior anonymous political official warned the crackdown amounts to a targeted political purge, arguing that the junta is exploiting the security crisis to eliminate dissent within both the political opposition and military ranks. “Everything suggests that these events are being used as an opportunity to carry out a purge,” the official said.

    Mali has been trapped in a deep-seated security crisis since 2012, fueled by overlapping insurgencies from Al-Qaeda and Islamic State-affiliated fighters, activity from local criminal gangs, and separatist mobilization among ethnic Tuareg communities in the north. The country has been under unelected military rule since two successive coups in 2020. Shortly after last month’s offensive, JNIM issued a public call for a united opposition front to remove the junta from power and create a path toward a peaceful, inclusive political transition.

  • Hundreds paid or seeking damages over Harrods Al-Fayed abuse complaints

    Hundreds paid or seeking damages over Harrods Al-Fayed abuse complaints

    A landmark compensation scheme for survivors of sexual abuse linked to late Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed has marked a key milestone, with more than 75 claimants already awarded full settlement, while roughly 200 additional claims remain under active review. The update, confirmed by the Harrods Redress Scheme to Agence France-Presse on Thursday, comes amid a growing institutional reckoning over the decades of alleged abuse and failures by law enforcement to address the complaints.

    Per the scheme’s official statement, a total of 259 survivors have joined the compensation process to date, with many already receiving interim payout. All remaining claims, which were submitted before the March 31 application deadline, will continue moving through review toward final resolution, the organization added.

    The announcement coincides with confirmation from the United Kingdom’s police watchdog that a current London Metropolitan Police officer and four retired officers are now under investigation over how they previously handled the sexual assault allegations against Al-Fayed. The independent inquiry focuses specifically on the quality of police investigations launched in 2008 and 2013 into claims against the late Egyptian billionaire. By the time Al-Fayed died in 2023 at the age of 94, approximately 21 formal complaints had been filed with the Metropolitan Police, but none ever resulted in criminal prosecution.

    Al-Fayed, who purchased London’s iconic luxury Harrods department store in 1985, faces widespread allegations of systemic rape, sexual assault, sexual exploitation and human trafficking spanning decades of his ownership. The scale of the abuse only came into widespread public view after a landmark BBC investigative documentary into the rape and assault claims was released in September 2024, which prompted hundreds of women to come forward with their own experiences. In response to the growing outcry, Harrods launched the independent Redress Scheme in March 2025.

    The luxury retail giant has issued a sweeping public apology for the harm inflicted on survivors, acknowledging that institutional failures allowed Al-Fayed’s abuse to continue unchecked. “We apologise unreservedly for the sexual abuse inflicted upon survivors by Fayed who abused his power wherever he operated. We acknowledge survivors were failed,” the company said in an official statement.

    Under the scheme’s rules, eligible survivors can receive compensation payments of up to £400,000 (equivalent to roughly $544,000), with payout amounts scaled based on the severity of harm each survivor experienced. For context, claimants who were forced to undergo invasive gynaecological examinations — ordered by Al-Fayed to check for sexually transmitted infections or verify virginity — are guaranteed a minimum £10,000 settlement. The scheme is limited to claimants holding potential legal claims against Harrods for abuse perpetrated by Al-Fayed, a restriction the company says is necessary to align with the scheme’s mandate.

    Earlier the same day, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), the UK’s police oversight body, confirmed the five officers under investigation are being probed for potential professional misconduct. “The victims-survivors are being kept updated on the progress of our investigation,” the IOPC statement added.

    Accounts of past police failures have already emerged from survivor families. The mother of a deceased complainant told the BBC her daughter’s allegations were brushed off by officers, who told her the case would come down to her word against Al-Fayed’s, and that her claim would simply be added to a growing “pile” of similar complaints from other women.

    A Metropolitan Police spokesperson confirmed Thursday that the force is fully cooperating with the IOPC investigation, which was first launched in January 2025. The force added that its own separate criminal investigation into individuals who may have helped enable Al-Fayed’s alleged offending remains active. Back in March, the Met announced it had interviewed three women on suspicion of aiding and abetting rape and facilitating human trafficking for sexual exploitation.

    The investigation into Al-Fayed’s alleged networks extends beyond the UK. French authorities have been probing a large-scale alleged human trafficking operation reportedly established by Al-Fayed, who purchased Paris’s Ritz Hotel six years before he bought Harrods, in 1979.

    Rachael Louw, a former Harrods saleswoman who has been interviewed by France’s anti-trafficking agency OCRTEH, told AFP she was officially recognized as a victim of modern slavery by UK authorities in April. She described the recognition as “a validation and a vindication of what I said to the Met when I first reported back in 2024.”

    Survivor advocates say the IOPC investigation is a small step forward, but are calling for a full, sweeping inquiry into the full scope of the alleged trafficking network. Justine, a former Harrods employee and member of the survivor advocacy group No One Above, told AFP that the operation Al-Fayed ran was a coordinated trafficking ring that relied on systemic support. “What the Fayeds ran was a trafficking operation — one that required a network of facilitators, institutional access, and sustained cover,” she said.

  • US underlines ‘strong’ Vatican ties after Rubio meets pope

    US underlines ‘strong’ Vatican ties after Rubio meets pope

    Weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump launched an unprecedented public attack on the first American-born pope in history, Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a high-stakes private audience with Pope Leo at the Vatican on Thursday, with the U.S. State Department moving quickly to underscore the enduring, robust relationship between Washington and the Holy See.

    The closed-door talks between Rubio, a devout Cuban-American Catholic, and the head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics came amid a sharp downturn in relations that began after Pope Leo spoke out against the ongoing Middle East war backed by the U.S. and Israel. The pontiff also drew Trump’s fury when he condemned the president’s threat to destroy Iranian civilization as “truly unacceptable,” leading Trump to hit back with scathing criticism that accused the pope of being weak on crime, poor on foreign policy, and soft on Iran’s nuclear program.

    Following the meeting, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott confirmed that the two leaders covered a range of shared priorities, including the volatile situation in the Middle East and mutual interests across the Western Hemisphere, a U.S. reference to the Latin American region. Pigott emphasized in a statement to reporters that the gathering “underscored the strong relationship between the United States and the Holy See and their shared commitment to promoting peace and human dignity.” A senior U.S. official also confirmed that the longstanding diplomatic role of the Catholic Church in Cuba was included in the discussions, a topic of particular relevance for Rubio, who has spearheaded the Trump administration’s push for major political change in the communist-governed island nation.

    Rubio also held separate talks with Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, where the pair touched on issues of global religious freedom, per Pigott. Ahead of the meeting, Rubio had sought to downplay the public rift between Trump and the pope, which has dominated global headlines and sparked concerns that the friction could alienate Catholic voters ahead of upcoming elections. U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch had previewed the discussion as a likely “frank conversation,” while Parolin noted Wednesday that the meeting was initiated by Washington, adding simply, “we’ll listen to him.”

    It has been exactly one year since Pope Leo’s historic election on May 8, 2025, a milestone the Trump administration publicly celebrated at the time. But relations between the White House and the Vatican have deteriorated rapidly in recent months, as Pope Leo — whose American citizenship gives his words unique weight in U.S. political discourse — has repeatedly broken with the administration, most notably on Trump’s hardline immigration crackdown.

    In a further sign of lingering tensions, Trump renewed his criticism of the pope in an interview just this week, repeating his allegation that the pontiff tolerates Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons. “I think he’s endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people,” Trump claimed. When asked about the new comments earlier this week, Pope Francis pushed back gently, reaffirming the Catholic Church’s longstanding core mission. “If anyone wishes to criticise me for proclaiming the Gospel, let them do so truthfully,” he told reporters. “The Church has spoken out against all nuclear weapons for years, so there is no doubt about that, and I simply hope to be heard for the sake of the value of God’s word.” Parolin added Wednesday that the attacks on the pope were confounding, noting simply, “The pope is being the pope.”

    Despite the underlying tensions, a U.S. source close to the delegation said the warm welcome extended to Rubio exceeded expectations. The secretary of state’s motorcade entered the Vatican through the Arch of Bells, a ceremonial honor typically reserved exclusively for heads of state, and he was formally received by the Pontifical Swiss Guard. This meeting marked the second encounter between Rubio and Pope Leo; the pair first met at the Vatican just days after last year’s election, alongside U.S. Vice President JD Vance, a convert to Catholicism.

  • Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler ‘recuperating’ after emergency surgery in Portugal

    Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler ‘recuperating’ after emergency surgery in Portugal

    Legendary Welsh vocalist Bonnie Tyler, whose distinct husky voice has carried her through a five-decade career of global chart-topping hits, is currently recovering after undergoing emergency intestinal surgery at a hospital in Faro, southern Portugal. The update was shared Wednesday via the star’s official Instagram account, confirming that the procedure was completed successfully.

    At 74 years old, Tyler has long cemented her status as one of pop music’s most recognizable performers. She first rose to mainstream prominence in the 1970s, breaking into the industry with her 1976 breakthrough hit “Lost in France” followed by another fan favorite “It’s a Heartache”. Her career reached new heights in 1983 with the release of “Total Eclipse of the Heart”, a power ballad that claimed the number one spot on music charts on both sides of the Atlantic.

    Tyler’s discography is packed with other culturally defining hits, including 1984’s “Holding Out For A Hero”, which was featured on the blockbuster soundtrack for the hit American film *Footloose*. Decades into her career, she continued to represent her home country on global stages, stepping onto the Eurovision Song Contest stage in 2013 as the UK’s entry in Malmö, Sweden with the track “Believe In Me”.

    Most recently, Tyler’s decades of contributions to music were formally recognized by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, when she received a royal honor for her 50 years of work in the industry. Fans and followers have been offered no additional update on her condition beyond confirmation of her recovery, but the news comes ahead of a planned major milestone: Tyler is scheduled to embark on a European tour later this year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of her breakthrough debut hit “Lost in France”.

  • US awaits Iran response to latest deal offer

    US awaits Iran response to latest deal offer

    As Thursday dawned, the United States held its breath for Tehran’s formal response to a fresh proposed agreement designed to end the weeks-long Middle East conflict and reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, the critical shipping lane that connects the Gulf to global energy markets. Growing optimism that a breakthrough could be imminent sent Asian stock markets surging and pushed oil prices sharply lower, with both global benchmarks dropping below the key $100 per barrel threshold after days of declines tied to diplomatic progress.

    The conflict, which was launched by the United States and Israel in late February, has upended regional security: Iran has retaliated with a wave of cross-region attacks and imposed a tight chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, the passage that handles roughly 20 percent of the world’s daily oil and liquified natural gas trade, plus a large share of global fertilizer shipments. This disruption has sent energy prices soaring worldwide, even as diplomatic efforts gained steam in recent days.
    The diplomatic push, mediated by Pakistan and backed by Washington’s Gulf Arab allies, saw a dramatic twist earlier this week when President Donald Trump launched a brief naval operation to escort commercial ships and force open the strait, only to call off the mission within hours. He cited tangible progress in talks with Iran to justify the sudden U-turn. Multiple U.S. outlets have since shed light on the factors behind that decision: NBC News reports that Saudi Arabia, whose Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held direct talks with Trump, refused to grant U.S. forces access to its airspace and military bases for the Hormuz operation, scuttling plans for immediate military action.
    Trump told reporters on Wednesday that discussions over the prior 24 hours had been productive, saying “it’s very possible that we’ll make a deal.” He did, however, repeat his standard warning that the U.S. would resume military strikes if Tehran rejected Washington’s demands. For its part, Iran confirmed the proposal is still under internal review. Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran would share its final position with mediator Pakistan once it has completed internal deliberations. Axios, citing two unnamed U.S. officials, reported that both sides are nearing agreement on a short one-page memorandum of understanding that would end active hostilities and set a framework for future negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.
    Inside Iran, many residents remain deeply anxious amid ongoing conflict and growing domestic repression. Speaking to AFP from the northern Iranian city of Tonekabon, 49-year-old Ali — who only gave his first name out of fear of retaliation from authorities — said “The economic situation got worse, and this government has become even more brutal.”
    Tehran has also moved to push back against Trump’s claims that Iranian leadership is fractured following the deaths of multiple senior officials in U.S. and Israeli strikes. On Thursday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed he had held a meeting with the country’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared in public since he was appointed in early March following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, in the opening days of the war. Mojtaba Khamenei is reported to have been wounded in that same opening strike, and has only released written statements until now. In a video broadcast on Iranian state television, Pezeshkian said “What struck me most during this meeting was the vision and the humble and sincere approach of the supreme leader of the Islamic revolution.”
    Beyond the Strait of Hormuz and Iran, regional tensions remain acute in Lebanon, where an already fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was pushed to the breaking point this week. On Wednesday, Israel carried out its first airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs in nearly a month, killing a senior commander from Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated in a video statement that “no terrorist is immune. Anyone who threatens the State of Israel will die because of his actions.” The following day, the Israeli military confirmed that an explosive drone attack in southern Lebanon had wounded four of its soldiers, one of them severely, a day earlier.
    Financial markets reacted strongly to the growing prospect of a diplomatic breakthrough. The Tokyo Nikkei index led a broad, strong rally across Asian stock markets, while oil prices fell by 2 percent on Thursday, adding to a roughly 10 percent decline over the prior two trading days. While energy prices remain far higher than they were before the conflict began, both international benchmark Brent Crude and U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate now sit below the symbolic $100 per barrel mark, a shift that has eased fears of sustained runaway energy inflation worldwide.

  • Latest evacuee from hantavirus-hit cruise lands in Europe

    Latest evacuee from hantavirus-hit cruise lands in Europe

    A new chapter of uncertainty unfolded this Thursday when another symptomatic passenger from the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius was evacuated to Europe, as the vessel makes its way toward the Spanish island of Tenerife and public health authorities around the world race to trace the spread of the rare, potentially fatal human-transmissible strain. Three deaths linked to the outbreak have triggered international alarm, though leading global health bodies have sought to reassure the public that a widespread global pandemic is highly unlikely, noting the virus is far less contagious than the SARS-CoV-2 virus that caused COVID-19.

    Currently, people confirmed or suspected to have contracted the Andes hantavirus strain from the cruise are receiving medical care or completing isolation periods across five nations: Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and South Africa. The scope of potential exposure widened this week when Dutch flag carrier KLM confirmed one of its air stewards is undergoing testing for the virus after potential contact with an infected passenger on a commercial flight.

    Hantavirus is an uncommon respiratory pathogen that most often transfers to humans from infected rodent populations. It can trigger severe health complications including respiratory failure, cardiac impairment and hemorrhagic fever. Currently, no licensed vaccine exists to prevent infection, and there is no targeted cure for the disease — available care is limited to managing and easing symptoms as the body fights the infection. The variant detected on the MV Hondius, the Andes strain, is a particularly rare variation capable of spreading directly from person to person.

    Health investigators currently believe the index case, the first infected passenger, contracted the virus before boarding the vessel in Ushuaia, Argentina. The virus has an incubation period ranging from one to six weeks, allowing it to spread to other passengers and crew during the ship’s transatlantic voyage. According to a statement released by the cruise’s operator, Netherlands-based Oceanwide Expeditions, Thursday’s evacuation flight carrying the sick passenger landed in Amsterdam, 24 hours after three other infected passengers were evacuated from the vessel. The company also confirmed that no currently symptomatic individuals remain on board as the ship sails toward its scheduled stop in Tenerife.

    The UK Health Security Agency has confirmed two passengers who returned to the United Kingdom from the cruise are asymptomatic and have been instructed to self-isolate as a precaution. Officials emphasized the overall risk to the general UK public remains “very low.”

    Global health leadership has echoed this cautious optimism. World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told Agence France-Presse on Wednesday that “the risk to the rest of the world is low,” and a full press briefing from Tedros was scheduled for Thursday. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention echoed the assessment, noting that “at this time, the risk to the American public is extremely low.”

    Back in Argentina, public health teams are preparing to test local rodent populations in Ushuaia, the coastal departure city where the MV Hondius began its voyage on April 1. The first death linked to the outbreak occurred on April 11, when a Dutch passenger who had boarded the ship with his wife died. At the time, the captain attributed the death to natural causes, so no public health alarm was raised, according to Ruhi Cenet, a Turkish travel vlogger who was a passenger on the voyage.

    The cruise operator confirmed the man’s body was removed from the ship on April 24 at the South Atlantic island of Saint Helena, where 29 other passengers also disembarked. “These guests have all been contacted by Oceanwide Expeditions. We are working to establish details of all passengers and crew who embarked and disembarked on various stops of Hondius since March 20,” the company statement read.

    Public health officials only activated a full response after the man’s wife, who disembarked to accompany her husband’s body to South Africa, also fell ill and died 15 days later. Hantavirus was confirmed as the cause of her death on May 4. Argentine health officials note the couple had traveled through Chile, Uruguay and Argentina before boarding the cruise. The infected woman traveled on a commercial Airlink flight from Saint Helena to Johannesburg while already showing symptoms. That flight carried 82 passengers and six crew, and contact tracers are working to reach every person on board to monitor for potential infection.

    KLM’s confirmation of a testing steward marked the latest development in contact tracing efforts. The airline previously confirmed that one of the deceased passengers had been briefly on an April 25 KLM flight from Johannesburg to Amsterdam, but was removed from the aircraft before it departed. To date, there are still minor discrepancies in official counts of how many people were on the MV Hondius at different stages of the voyage. When the vessel anchored off Cape Verde, it carried 149 people including 88 passengers, according to the operator; however, the company confirmed that 114 passengers and an unspecified number of crew were on board when the voyage departed Argentina on April 1.