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The World Health Organization said Thursday there were now five confirmed hantavirus cases from the Atlantic cruise ship outbreak, with three more suspected — and warned further cases were possible.Despite the three fatalities, the WHO insisted that the outbreak on the MV Hondius was not the start of an epidemic, or a repeat of the spread of Covid-19.The UN health agency said it expected the outbreak to be limited — so long as public health measures are properly implemented.”So far, eight cases have been reported, including three deaths. Five of the eight cases have been confirmed as hantavirus and the other three are suspected,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyeus said.”The species of hantavirus involved in this case is the Andes virus, which is found in Latin America,” he told a press conference in Geneva.He stressed that “none of the remaining passengers or crew on the ship are currently symptomatic”.But given that the incubation period of the Andes virus — the only species of hantavirus that spreads between people — can be up to six weeks, he warned that “it’s possible that more cases may be reported”.- Morale on ship improving -The Dutch-flagged ship left Ushuaia on the southern tip of Argentina on April 1 for a cruise across the Atlantic Ocean to Cape Verde off the coast of West Africa.On Wednesday it set sail north from Cape Verde towards Tenerife, from where the passengers should finally be able to be repatriated.Tedros said he had been in regular contact with the ship’s captain, including earlier Thursday.”He told me morale has improved significantly since the ship started moving again,” he said.The WHO’s emergency alert and response director Abdi Rahman Mahamud added: “We believe this will be a limited outbreak if the public health measures are implemented.”The disease is usually spread from infected rodents, typically through urine, droppings and saliva.The Andes strain of hantavirus is the only one with documented human-to-human transmission.Tedros said that prior to boarding the ship on April 1, the first two cases — a Dutch couple who have both died — had travelled through Argentina, Chile and Uruguay on a bird-watching trip, which included visits to sites where the species of rat known to carry Andes virus was present.The WHO was working with Argentina — which followed the United States in quitting the agency — to trace the couple’s movements.He said 2,500 diagnostic kits would be sent from Argentina to laboratories in five countries.- ‘This is not Covid’ -The WHO’s epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention director Maria Van Kerkhove was the agency’s technical lead on Covid-19 throughout the coronavirus crisis.”This is not the start of an epidemic. This is not the start of a pandemic,” she said, explaining: “This is not Covid; this is not influenza — it spreads very, very differently.The WHO is awaiting the results of full genome sequencing of the virus from South Africa, Switzerland and Dakar, which will help determine the clustering pattern compared to previous outbreaks — with a high level of detail.”It will give us a sense of whether or not we are seeing some changes,” said Anais Legand, a WHO technical expert on viral haemorrhagic fevers, with Van Kerkhove adding that “nothing unusual” had been detected so far in the virus.Legand said the RNA of the virus could be detected in a case “from the first day of onset” of symptoms, which typically occur two to three weeks after exposure to the virus.Van Kerkhove added that the patient in intensive care in South Africa was “doing better”, while the two patients in hospital in the Netherlands following evacuation from Cape Verde were in a stable condition.rjm-bur/nl/ach(Adds WHO news conference in paragraphs 5-7)* Authorities seek to trace passengers who disembarked before outbreak was detected* Three people have died, eight believed to have contracted virus* Ship heading to Spain’s Tenerife* Human-to-human transmission is uncommonBy Bart H. Meijer, Olivia Le Poidevin and Ingrid MelanderAMSTERDAM/GENEVA, May 7 (Reuters) – Countries worldwide sought to prevent further spread of the hantavirus on Thursday, after an outbreak on a cruise ship, by tracking those who had already disembarked before the virus was detected and anyone in close contact with them since. Three people – a Dutch couple and a German national – died in the outbreak on the MV Hondius. In total, five people are confirmed to have contracted the virus, with another three suspected cases, the World Health Organization said. Hantavirus is usually spread by rodents but can in rare cases be transmitted person-to-person.All passengers who disembarked in St. Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean, where the ship made a stop on April 24, have been contacted, the ship’s operator said, adding this included people from at least 12 countries, among them seven British citizens and six from the U.S. The first confirmed case of hantavirus in this outbreak came in early May.’THIS IS NOT COVID’The WHO repeated that the risk to the general public was “low” even if the Andean strain of the virus, found in several victims, can in rare cases be transmitted among humans. “This is not coronavirus, this is a very different virus,” Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO director of epidemic and pandemic management, told a press conference. “This is not the same situation we were in six years ago.” The WHO said it was working on step-by-step guidance for when the dozens of passengers remaining on the ship, which is sailing to the Canary Islands, arrives there on Saturday or Sunday and the passengers disembark and travel home. None of these passengers currently have any symptoms.CONTACT TRACING, MONITORING The United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it was closely monitoring the situation, adding that the risk to the American public was extremely low at the time.The Georgia Department of Public Health said it was monitoring two asymptomatic residents who had returned home after disembarking from the cruise ship.The Arizona Department of Health Services said it was monitoring one resident, who was also on the ship, and was not symptomatic. According to the New York Times, California was monitoring a number of residents who had been on the ship.One French citizen has been in contact with a person who had fallen ill but was not showing symptoms, officials said.CONTACT TRACINGOceanwide Expeditions said they were now working to establish details of all passengers and crew who embarked and disembarked on various stops since March 20.The Dutch couple who have died, and who are believed to be the first hantavirus cases of this outbreak, only boarded on April 1.Dutch airline KLM said it had taken the Dutch woman off a plane in Johannesburg on April 25 due to her deteriorating medical condition. She died before she could reach the Netherlands.According to broadcaster RTL, a KLM stewardess who had been in contact with her has now been admitted to a hospital in Amsterdam after showing possible hantavirus symptoms.Crew and passengers who helped the Dutch woman who passed away are being called daily for health checks, Dutch authorities told public broadcaster NOS.EVACUATIONS, TESTSThree patients were evacuated from the ship on Wednesday. Two have been admitted to a hospital in the Netherlands, while another one was transferred to Germany for medical care.Martin Anstee, an expedition guide, was one of the two evacuees in hospital in the Netherlands, according to Sky News, and told them he was “doing okay” but “there are still lots of tests to be done”.The Duesseldorf University Clinic, treating the German evacuee, said she was not a confirmed case but rather a contact and was undergoing tests.In Switzerland, a person admitted to hospital on Monday was stable but showed symptoms consistent with a hantavirus infection, the hospital said.A Danish citizen who was aboard the Hondius has returned home and has been advised to self-isolate as a precaution, Danish health authorities said. (Reporting by Madeline Chambers in Berlin, Olivia Le Poidevin in Geneva, Jennifer Rigby in London, Stephanie Van Den Berg in The Hague, Toby Sterling, Bart Meijer and Charlotte Van Campenhout in Amsterdam, John Revill in Zurich; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Alexandra Hudson) Related Story Source link
Around 1,500 ships and their crews are trapped in the Gulf due to the Iranian blockade in the strait of Hormuz, the secretary general of the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) said in Panama on Thursday.The war in the Middle East, unleashed February 28 by Israel and the United States against Iran, provoked reprisals from Tehran across the region and a shipping blockade in Hormuz, a crucial global trade route.”Right now, we have approximately 20,000 crewmen and around 1,500 ships trapped,” Arsenio Dominguez told the Maritime Convention of the Americas.Dominguez said that maritime shipping moves over 80 percent of total consumed products in the world.The stranded crew members “are innocent people who are doing their jobs every day for the benefit of other countries,” but “are trapped by geopolitical situations outside their control,” Dominguez told the gathering of industry executives and IMO representatives.Before the conflict’s outbreak, a fifth of the world’s total petroleum and gas passed through the Strait of Hormuz. The closure has led to a significant global surge in the price of hydrocarbons.On Monday, US President Donald Trump announced a naval operation to escort the trapped ships and force the opening of the strait, but called off the push shortly after.Washington is now waiting for an Iranian response to proposals for ending the war and reopening the Hormuz strait.jpo/sms Related Story Source link
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva held talks at the White Houseon yesterday with US President Donald Trump that were expected to focus on trade, security and critical minerals as Lula looked to reset their rocky relationship. The meeting between the two leaders, which included bilateral discussions and lunch, broke up without a previously scheduled appearance with reporters. There was no immediate explanation for the change in schedule.As Lula prepared to address reporters at the Brazilian embassy, Trump said in a social media post that his meeting with ‘the very dynamic president of Brazil’ focused on many topics, chiefly tariffs.’The meeting went very well. Our Representatives are scheduled to get together to discuss certain key elements,’ he said.The meeting between Lula and Trump brought together two of the world’s most prominent populist figures despite their sharp ideological differences. Both leaders have built loyal political followings by positioning themselves against established elites, although they differ markedly on issues ranging from economic policy to international alliances.Brazilian officials were hoping for the best to result from the meeting given tensions last year over Trump's tariff policy and his outrage over the trial and conviction of Brazilian ex-president Jair Bolsonaro.’We don’t know if the visit will help,” one Brazilian official involved in arranging the meeting told Reuters. ‘But it’s more likely to help than doing nothing.’ Last year, Trump hit Brazilian products with 50% tariffs, among the highest on any US imports, accusing the country of promoting a witch-hunt against Bolsonaro, who was later convicted for attempting to overthrow democracy. Trump later withdrew most of the levies, including on Brazilian beef and coffee, at least in part to help calm rising US grocery prices. In February, the US Supreme Court struck down the global tariffs he imposed under a national emergencies law, eliminating many of the remaining levies. Brazilian products still face an extra 10% tariff due to expire in July. But, in recent weeks, Brazil has seen signs that its exports could be hit with fresh tariffs connected to a Section 301 investigation into unfair trade practices. Tensions remain over digital trade — as Brazil has blocked the US-backed renewal of a World Trade Organisation e-commerce tariff moratorium — and high Brazilian tariffs on some goods, including ethanol. The Office of the US Trade Representative last month also alleged that nearly half of Brazil’s timber exports come from illegal sources — which the Lula administration denies, arguing that it brought deforestation rates to historically low levels.Brazilian officials became alarmed that a new wave of tariffs could be near during a meeting two weeks ago with US Commerce Department officials. US officials asked few questions, people in the talks said, reinforcing a perception that the investigation aimed to justify tariffs rather than resolve trade issues.’What they are doing is building a case, even if unfounded, to justify the later adoption of tariffs,” one Brazilian official said.A thaw started last September at the UN General Assembly, when Trump made a comment about ‘excellent chemistry’, in part recognising Brazil's vast reserves of critical minerals, said Monica de Bolle, a Brazilian economist and senior fellow at the Peterson Institute of International Economics.The Lula administration does not expect a critical minerals deal to materialise, people close to the president told Reuters, because officials struggled to agree on even a basic memorandum of understanding. Source link
The United States and Iran are edging toward a temporary agreement to halt their war, sources and officials said yesterday, with Tehran reviewing a proposal that would stop the fighting but leave the most contentious issues unresolved.Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson said Tehran had not yet reached a conclusion on the emerging plan, which according to the sources centres on a short-term memorandum rather than a comprehensive peace deal, underscoring deep divisions between the two sides. Hopes that even a partial deal could lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz have already moved markets, with oil prices sliding again on bets that supply disruptions could ease and global stocks largely holding onto record highs.Tehran and Washington have scaled back ambitions for a sweeping settlement as differences persist, particularly over Iran’s nuclear programme — including the fate of its highly enriched uranium stockpiles and how long Tehran would halt nuclear work.Instead, they are working toward a temporary arrangement set out in a one-page memo aimed at preventing a return to conflict and stabilising shipping through the strait, the sources and officials said.”Our priority is that they announce a permanent end to war and the rest of the issues could be thrashed out once they get back to direct talks,” a senior Pakistani official involved in mediation between the two sides told Reuters.The proposed framework would unfold in three stages: formally ending the war, resolving the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz and launching a 30-day window for negotiations on a broader agreement, according to the sources and officials.Tehran said Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi held a phone call yesterday with Ishaq Dar, his counterpart in Pakistan, which has taken a leading role in mediation efforts.”We remain optimistic,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi told a briefing in Islamabad when asked how quickly a deal could come.”A simple answer would be that we expect an agreement sooner rather than later.”US President Donald Trump — who has repeatedly played up the prospect of a breakthrough since the war began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran — has also struck an optimistic tone.”They want to make a deal… it’s very possible,” he told reporters at the White House on Wednesday, adding later that “it’ll be over quickly”.The proposal would formally end the conflict in which full-scale warfare was paused by a ceasefire announced on April 7. But it leaves unresolved key US demands that Iran suspend its nuclear work and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the sources said.In a sign of the US keeping up pressure, it imposed sanctions yesterday on Iraq’s deputy oil minister and three militia leaders over what it said was their support for Iran. Israel said yesterday it had killed a Hezbollah commander in an airstrike on Beirut a day earlier, the first Israeli attack on the Lebanese capital since a ceasefire there was agreed last month.Iranian officials signalled scepticism over the US proposal to end the wider war. A foreign ministry spokesperson said Tehran would respond in due course, while lawmaker Ebrahim Rezaei described the proposal as “more of an American wish list than a reality”.Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf appeared to mock reports that indicated the two sides were close, writing on social media that “Operation Trust Me Bro failed” and portraying the talks as US spin after its failure to reopen the strait. Related Story Source link
* Israeli strike kills son of Gaza Hamas chief* Hamas says attack aims to win political concession* Israeli fire kills three police officers, medics sayBy Nidal al-Mughrabi and Dawoud Abu Alkas An Israeli airstrike has killed the son of Hamas’ chief negotiator in U.S.-mediated talks over Gaza’s future, a senior Hamas official said on Thursday, as leaders of the militant group held talks in Cairo aimed at safeguarding their truce with Israel.Azzam Al-Hayya, son of Khalil Al-Hayya, succumbed to his wounds on Thursday after being struck in an Israeli attack on Wednesday night, senior Hamas official Basim Naim said. He is the fourth son of Hamas’ exiled Gaza chief to have been killed in Israeli attacks.The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment.Later on Thursday, health officials and the Hamas-run interior ministry said at least three police officers were killed, and other people, including one policeman, were wounded when an Israeli airstrike targeted a police post in western Gaza City.There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.Reuters has reported that Israel has intensified its attacks on Gaza’s Hamas-run police force, which the militant group has used to reinforce its hold in the areas it controls in the strip.PAST ISRAELI STRIKES HAVE KILLED THREE MORE OF HIS SONSHayya, who has seven children, has survived multiple Israeli attempts to kill him. An Israeli strike in Doha last year targeting Hamas leadership killed another son, though Hayya survived. Two other sons were killed in past Israeli attempts on his life, in Gaza strikes in 2008 and 2014.Speaking to Al Jazeera after the attack on Wednesday night, before his son’s death was announced, Hayya accused Israel of trying to undermine mediators’ efforts to push ahead with U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan, overseen by his so-called “Board of Peace.”These Zionist attacks and violations clearly indicate that the occupation does not want to abide by a ceasefire or by the first phase,” Hayya said.Chanting “Allahu akbar”, or “God is Greatest”, dozens of Palestinians rallied in Gaza at the funeral of Hayya, the son, and held special prayers before walking him to burial. Women relatives paid respects to the white-shrouded body.”Your martyrdom, my beloved brother, you and my brother Hammam, and Osama and Hamza, will not deter my father, Dr. Khalil Al-Hayya, from this principle, nor from these constants,” the victim’s sister said inside the morgue.The group’s Gaza spokesperson, Hazem Qassem, said the killing of the Hamas leader’s son was a failed attempt by Israel to influence the negotiating team and win political concessions.”We say that this repeated policy of targeting the leaders and the sons of leaders will not succeed in extorting a political position from our Palestinian people, nor the Hamas leadership, nor its negotiating delegation,” Qassem told Reuters.HAMAS DISARMAMENT A STICKING POINT IN TALKSThe violence comes as leaders of Hamas and other Palestinian factions held talks with regional mediators and the Board of Peace’s lead envoy, Nickolay Mladenov, this week in Cairo, to push Trump’s Gaza plan into its second phase, officials said.Trump’s Gaza plan, which Israel and Hamas agreed to in October, involves Israeli troops withdrawing from Gaza and reconstruction starting as Hamas lays down its weapons.But Hamas’ disarmament is a sticking point in talks to implement the plan and cement an October ceasefire that halted two years of full-blown war.A Hamas official told Reuters on Wednesday the group told Mladenov it would not engage in serious talks over the implementation of the second phase before Israel concluded obligations stemming from the first phase of the Gaza deal, including a complete halt to attacks.At least 830 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire deal took effect, according to local medics, while Israel says militants have killed four of its soldiers over the same period.Israel says its strikes are aimed at thwarting attempts by Hamas and other Palestinian militants to stage attacks against its forces. (Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo and Dawoud Abu Alkas in Gaza; Editing by Alexandra Hudson, Alex Richardson and Andrew Heavens)Gaza City, Palestinian Territories, May 7, 2026 (AFP) -A Gaza hospital and Hamas on Thursday said the son of the Palestinian Islamist movement’s chief negotiator had died from wounds sustained in an Israeli strike a day earlier.Azzam Khalil al-Hayya, 23, the son of top Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya, “was martyred after succumbing to wounds sustained in an Israeli airstrike targeting him yesterday,” Gaza City’s Al-Shifa hospital said in a statement.The city’s Al-Ahli hospital and a security source said on Wednesday that a strike on the Al-Daraj neighbourhood of Gaza City in the evening killed one person and wounded 10 others, including Azzam Khalil al-Hayya.The Israeli military did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment on the incident.Azzam Khalil al-Hayya is the fourth of Khalil al-Hayya’s seven sons to be killed in Israeli attacks, according to a Hamas source. Two of those were killed before the Gaza war erupted in October 2023.The third, Hammam, was killed in an Israeli strike targeting Hamas leaders in Doha in September, which killed six people.Khalil al-Hayya is the head of Hamas in Gaza despite living in exile in Qatar. He is currently vying for the leadership of the movement.He survived the strike on Doha.In a statement, Hamas said that the killing of Azzam Khalil al-Hayya “came within the framework of attempts to exert pressure on the resistance leadership and its negotiating delegation, after the occupation’s failure to impose its conditions or achieve its declared objectives.”The US-brokered ceasefire which came into effect in October has largely halted the Gaza war that began after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.But Gaza remains gripped by daily violence as Israeli strikes continue, with both the military and Hamas accusing one another of violating the truce.At least 846 Palestinians have been killed since the truce began, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which operates under Hamas authority and whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations.Over the same period, the Israeli military said five soldiers have been killed in Gaza.my-acc/ser Related Story Source link
The United States struck Iranian military targets on Thursday after Tehran's forces attacked three American destroyers that were transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the US military said.’Iranian forces launched multiple missiles, drones and small boats’ at the three warships, but none were hit, the US military's Central Command said in a post on X.US forces ‘eliminated inbound threats and targeted Iranian military facilities responsible’ for the attack, it added. Source link
The devastating war waged by the Israeli entity against the Gaza Strip for over two years, and the immense destruction it left behind, were not enough to extinguish the flame of devotion to the Holy Qur’an and its memorisation and learning in the hearts of Gazans.Despite the widespread destruction inflicted on infrastructure, religious and educational institutions, mosques, and Qur’an memorisation centres during the two years of war, the Gaza Strip is witnessing a remarkable official, popular, and community movement to reactivate Qur’an memorisation and teaching centres as an effective tool for spiritual and psychological recovery and for rebuilding the human capital exhausted by the brutal war.Rami al-Shaqra, supervisor of the Al-Nour Centre for Qur’an Memorisation and Sciences in the Gaza Strip, affirmed that the centre’s work represents an attempt to recover and rebuild Palestinian identity in the face of the repercussions of the war and attempts to undermine all aspects of life over the past two years.He said that the Al-Nour Qur’anic School was established on the ruins of what the occupation destroyed.Al-Shaqra indicated that the current focus is on “rebuilding the most important human resource, the individual, and reconstructing the person exhausted by the deadly war through a comprehensive Qur’anic and educational programme”.He noted that the centre currently attracts approximately 800 male and female students of various ages, from young children to senior citizens over 60, for whom specific programmes are tailored to their age group.The official added that this system is managed by an educational and training staff comprising about 60 supervisors and Qur’an teachers.Regarding the nature of the programmes offered to students under the current circumstances, al-Shaqra explained that the centre’s programme is not limited to traditional worship and memorisation, but rather stems from a comprehensive educational, psychological, and rehabilitative vision aimed at integrating the Holy Qur’an into the daily lives of citizens as a means of psychological healing and overcoming trauma.“Immediately after the cessation of hostilities, we prepared comprehensive educational curricula suitable for all age groups,” he said.“This programme includes a key component for the psychological and emotional release of students, supervised by a select group of psychologists and counselors to rebuild the individual’s personality and psyche,” al-Shaqra added. “Alongside this is an educational programme that explores Qur’anic stories, the biographies of the Companions, prominent figures, and influential Islamic and historical personalities to connect the generation to its roots and identity.”Abu Shaaban told to the Qatar News Agency (QNA) that the Qur’anic study circles have become a psychological haven for displaced children, providing them with a daily routine that has restored their sense of stability, in addition to instilling values of patience and mitigating the difficult behavioural effects of prolonged displacement.Huda al-Farra, 56, told the QNA: “The Qur’anic School has been a great motivator for us to memorise the Book of God and learn Islamic jurisprudence and religious sciences.”“After all we have endured – the loss of family and loved ones, injustice, and displacement – we have found in the Book of God a safe haven,” she said. “And to hold on to strength and serenity so that we may begin our lives anew.” Related Story Source link
The third edition of the “Naqla” school chess project concluded with the participation of 102 students from 16 primary schools, highlighting growing interest in chess among young students in Qatar. The event was organised by the Qatar Chess Federation in co-operation with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and the Ministry of Sports and Youth. The final tournament of the 2025–2026 edition was dedicated to primary schools and featured separate competitions for boys’ and girls’ government schools. Each category consisted of six rounds, attended by officials from both ministries and the federation. Hittin Model School for Boys dominated the boys’ individual competition, with Khalid al-Zeyara taking the first place, followed by Hamad al-Zeyara in second and Aser Hijab in third. In the girls’ individual category, Masa Ramadan of Al Markhiya Primary School for Girls secured first place, while her teammate Amira al-Moumeni came second. Aisha al-Fakhro of Al Bayan Primary School for Girls finished third. Hittin Model School for Boys also claimed the boys’ team title, ahead of Malik Bin Anas Model School for Boys in second place and Khalifa Model School for Boys in third. In the girls’ team standings, Al Markhiya Primary School for Girls won first place, followed by Maimouna Primary School for Girls in second and Al Bayan First Primary School for Girls in third. The winners were honoured by Dr Ibrahim bin Saleh al-Nuaimi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education; Maha Zayed Al-Qaqqaa al-Ruwaile, Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Affairs; and Mohammed al-Mudahka, president of the Qatar Chess Federation. In a press statement, al-Mudahka said the tournament, now in its third consecutive year, forms part of the federation’s broader “Chess in Schools” initiative aimed at developing and promoting the game across educational institutions. He noted that the project seeks to expand participation in local tournaments and increase the number of players registered and internationally rated by the International Chess Federation. He added that this year’s edition revealed several promising young talents who could strengthen Qatar’s chess scene in the future, while emphasising the federation’s plans to increase the number of participating schools in upcoming editions. Al-Mudahka also lauded the support provided by the Ministry of Sports and Youth and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in helping expand the reach of chess in schools. The Qatar Chess Federation continues to organise educational and training programmes focused on the academic and developmental benefits of chess. These initiatives include teaching the fundamentals of the game, arbitration rules, and tournament organisation, as well as training teachers to supervise school chess teams and inter-school competitions. Source link
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Libyan counterpart Abdulhamid Dbeibah discussed yesterday strengthening energy co-operation at a time when Italy is looking to diversify energy supplies due to the turmoil in the Gulf.Italy, highly dependent on imported energy, is particularly exposed to the surge in global fuel prices triggered by the US-Israeli war on Iran.”(The leaders) discussed ways to further strengthen the already solid bilateral co-operation, with particular reference to economic relations and investment in the energy sector,” Meloni’s office said after the talks in Rome.”The two leaders then reaffirmed their shared commitment to managing migration.”Libya is Rome’s biggest supplier of crude oil, accounting for nearly a fifth of Rome’s total crude oil imports. However, Libya’s gas exports to Italy dropped to around 1bn cubic metres in 2025, from 1.4 bcm in 2024.The drop was largely the result of supply-side constraints in Libya — including rising domestic demand, repeated disruptions to infrastructure and political instability — which kept the Greenstream pipeline to Italy running well below capacity.Members of Italy’s influential parliamentary security committee visited Libya in late April, and discussed with Dbeibah the importance of “increased investment to allow a significant rise in Libyan gas production and, consequently, exports to Italy”, according to a statement.Italian state-controlled Eni has been present in Libya since 1959 and is the country’s leading international operator, with an equity production of approximately 162,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2025 and three development projects currently in execution, two of which will start up in 2026. Source link
The World Health Organisation said yesterday that more hantavirus cases could emerge after the disease killed three passengers from a cruise ship but it expected the outbreak to be limited if precautions were taken.Another sick passenger from the MV Hondius landed in Europe earlier in the day, as the vessel headed to the Spanish Canary Islands and health officials scrambled to map the outbreak of the potentially deadly human-to-human strain.The fate of the Hondius sparked international alarm after three people travelling on it died, though health officials have played down fears of a wider global outbreak from the rat-borne virus, which is less contagious than Covid-19.WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told journalists in Geneva that five confirmed and three suspected cases had been reported overall, including the three deaths.”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, referring to the rare strain detected aboard the Hondius, which can be transmitted between humans.The Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands later announced another patient had tested positive.But the WHO’s emergency alert and response director Abdi Rahman Mahamud insisted: “We believe this will be a limited outbreak if the public health measures are implemented and solidarity shown across all countries.”People thought to have contracted the virus are being treated or isolating in Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and South Africa.Hantavirus is a rare respiratory disease that is usually spread from infected rodents and can cause respiratory and cardiac distress as well as haemorrhagic fevers. There are no vaccines and no known cure for it.A passenger is thought to have contracted the virus before boarding the ship in Argentina and eventually infected others on board as it sailed across the Atlantic.Three evacuees were whisked away from the ship on Wednesday when it anchored off Cape Verde and a fourth landed yesterday in Amsterdam, said the vessel’s operator, Netherlands-based Oceanwide Expeditions.”No symptomatic individuals are present on board” the ship at the moment, as it sails toward the Spanish island of Tenerife, it said in a statement.The ship is scheduled to arrive there on Sunday and those on board evacuated.The ship’s Dutch operator Oceanwide Expeditions said there were 149 people on the ship, including 88 passengers.Two people who returned to the UK from the ship have been advised to self-isolate, the UK Health Security Agency said, adding they were asymptomatic and insisting the risk to the public was “very low”.Officials in Argentina said they planned to test rodents in the coastal city of Ushuaia, from where the ship had set sail on April 1. Source link