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Hantavirus is a disease typically spread by infected rats. So far, there have been five confirmed and three suspected cases of the Andes hantavirus subtype linked to the cruise ship. It is the only variant known to have spread among humans. It is transmitted through virus-contaminated aerosols from the droppings, urine or saliva of infected rats. Transmission between humans usually occurs through close, prolonged contact, such as between household members or intimate partners. WHO does not anticipate a “large epidemic” if lessons from previous outbreaks are followed, including the isolation of confirmed cases and active monitoring of close contacts, Abdi…

Published on 07/05/2026 – 21:01 GMT+2•Updated 21:04 The winner of Bulgaria’s parliamentary elections last month, Rumen Radev, was named the country’s new prime minister on Thursday. His landslide win in last month’s parliamentary election raises hopes for a stable government in the Balkan nation, which has seen eight elections in the space of five years. Radev ran on a ticket focused on fighting corruption and “cleaning up” what he described as Bulgaria’s “oligarchic model”. Radev, who resigned earlier this year as president to participate in the election, is a staunch EU critic, and has campaigned on resuming dialogue with Russia.…

Polling stations opened at 7:00 am across England, Scotland and Wales, with around 5,000 council seats contested alongside elections for the Welsh Senedd and Scottish Parliament. Starmer and his wife Victoria voted in London, while Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and Plaid Cymru chief Rhun ap Iorwerth also cast ballots early in the day. Opinion polls predict strong gains for Reform UK and the Greens amid growing public frustration over living costs, immigration and weak economic growth. UK political analysts say the elections could reshape Britain’s political balance after decades dominated by Labour and the Conservatives. Surveys indicate Labour risks…

But Zaharieva, who visited Silicon Valley last week, insisted the bloc should still pursue close collaboration with its partners on the other side of the Atlantic. “In the geopolitical situation, you see how fragile the supply chains are, but they are also very complicated,” she said. The commissioner noted the EU has been pursuing a strategy of partnerships with “like-minded countries” through free-trade agreements, among them India and the Mercosur bloc of South American nations. “This doesn’t mean to close our economies,” she said. Technology ties between Brussels and Washington have grown tense over the past year, with U.S. President…

Published on 07/05/2026 – 19:57 GMT+2 The European Commission insisted on Thursday that “progress” had been made in late-night talks with MEPs and member state officials on implementing last August’s EU-US trade deal, and that the process remained “fully in line with standard legislative practice”. But inside the room, negotiators were far apart on what is still needed. Nine months after the controversial agreement was struck at the Turnberry golf course between Brussels and Washington, the deal remains bogged down in fraught negotiations between MEPs, the Commission and EU member states, with divisions hardening just as Donald Trump ramps up…

A senior commander from Hezbollah’s elite force was killed in an Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Wednesday night, the first such attack on the area in nearly a month, a source close to the group said. At least 11 other people were killed in strikes across the south and east, according to the Lebanese health ministry. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his military had targeted “the commander of Hezbollah’s Radwan force.” The source close to the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah said that “Malek Ballout, the operations commander in the Radwan force” was killed. Lebanon’s state-run National News…

The investigation into the far-right leader comes as former National Rally chief Marine Le Pen battles an embezzlement conviction that bars her from running in the 2027 presidential election. Listen AI generated Text-to-speech

In light of the worsening energy crises, EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra has said the EU must step up its transition to alternative energy sources in the European Union. “That means more electrification, more renewables, more heat pumps, more interconnectors between our member states, more nuclear,” Hoskstra said on Euronews’ interview programme The Europe Conversation. “That whole mix is needed.” Starting with the oil crises in the 1970s, Europe has demonstrated its vulnerability given the scarcity of energy sources on the continent, according to Hoekstra. “The lesson is also that, after every previous crisis, we actually should have been more…

Updated: 07/05/2026 – 17:00 GMT+2 Residents in southern Tenerife say it is “business as usual” despite concerns over a cruise ship linked to a hantavirus outbreak. Officials report no symptomatic cases on board, while tourism activity and bookings remain largely unaffected. … More

The secretary of State, a practicing Catholic, said on X that the meeting underscored “a shared commitment to promoting peace and human dignity.” The messaging contrasted with that of U.S. President Donald Trump, who said the pope was “weak” and “terrible” after Leo called for an end to the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran. Following the talks, the Vatican wrote in a statement that “the shared commitment to fostering good bilateral relations between the Holy See and the United States of America was reaffirmed.” It was the white smoke Rubio was hoping for. According to the Holy See, the pontiff and…