Chris Rose
Chris Rose@ArchRose90
A Black Lives Matters protest in London regarding Chris Kaba. Looks like the white, middle class organisers forget to invite any black people.
Tommy Robinson
Tommy Robinson@TRobinsonNewEra
In the wake of death of UK political prisoner, Peter Lynch, who was fast tracked into prison for essentially shouting in the street. The grandfather was ultimately sentenced to death. Pakistani family who attacked police at Manchester Airport, STILL haven't even been charged.
Turning Point UK
Turning Point UK@TPointUK
Tiny ‘Black Lives Matter’ crowd gathers outside the Old Bailey courtrooms to protest the not guilty verdict of the police officer who shot violent criminal Chris Kaba. Kaba rammed his car repeatedly into armed police officers’ cars. BLM is finished in the UK.

Get you up to speed: Hantavirus ship re-opens for bookings – including birdwatching tours | News World

The MV Hondius, a cruise ship operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, was involved in a hantavirus outbreak that resulted in three deaths and 13 confirmed cases. The vessel docked in Rotterdam after deep-cleaning and is now cleared for operations, preparing to set sail for Longyearbyen, Norway.

The MV Hondius has been cleared by Dutch health authority (GGD) officials to resume full operations following a deep clean on May 30. Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed that all crew members from the prior voyage have disembarked and are currently in quarantine.

Following a deep clean, MV Hondius has been cleared by Dutch health authority officials to resume operations, with its first cruise scheduled to depart for Longyearbyen in Svalbard. Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed that all crew members from the prior voyage have disembarked and are in quarantine, ensuring that no individuals with potential exposure will participate in the upcoming tour.

What remains unclear — It is uncertain how the World Health Organisation’s conclusion about potential human-to-human transmission will affect future containment measures.

MV Hondius cruise ship reopens for bookings after hantavirus outbreak

MV Hondius cruise ship reopens for bookings after hantavirus outbreak
M/V Hondius has been deep-cleaned following the hantavirus outbreak (Picture: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto/Shutterstock)

The cruise ship at the centre of a rat virus outbreak that terrified the world will take to the seas again this month.

MV Hondius triggered a global health scare last month after passengers began falling ill with hantavirus.

A total of 13 hantavirus cases were confirmed from MV Hondius, resulting in three deaths.

The leading theory was that the deadly illness was brought on board by two passengers birdwatching in the city of Ushuaia, Argentina.

The liner has now been deep-cleaned and is carrying tourists again, with bird spotting one of the first activities on the itinerary.

You can travel on the rat virus ship - with a free bird watching trip included oceanwide expeditions
One of the routes takes in Svalbard in the Arctic (Picture: Oceanwide Expeditions)

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A Dutch couple, both 69, fell ill after they visited a landfill site to birdwatch where it is believed they may have been exposed to rodents carrying the infection.

The couple died within days of one another, along with a German national, and a Brit was taken to intensive care in South Africa.

The boat was carrying about 150 passengers and crew from 28 countries before the outbreak, but dozens disembarked on the island of St Helena on 24 April.

There were 30 British nationals on board, but a number got off early at St Helena.

Passengers are sprayed with disinfectant by Spanish government officials before boarding a plane after disembarking from the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius at Tenerife airport in the Canary Islands, Spain, Sunday, May 10, 2026.
Passengers were sprayed with disinfectant by Spanish government officials after disembarking from MV Hondius in the Canary Islands in mid May (Picture: AP)

BIRKENHEAD, ENGLAND - MAY 10: The bus carrying the British passengers and crew being repatriated from the MV Hondius makes it's way to Arrowe Park Hospital on May 10, 2026 in Birkenhead, England. Twenty-two British passengers and crew from the MV Hondius, who have tested negative for Hantavirus, have been repatriated via charter flight from Tenerife and taken to Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral for clinical assessment. They will undergo an initial 72-hour testing period in a dedicated accommodation block to determine if they can complete a mandatory 45-day isolation at home. (Photo by Ryan Jenkinson/Getty Images)
As many as 22 Brits were flown home from the ship and told to isolate (Picture: Ryan Jenkinson/Getty Images)

The doomed liner dropped off all remaining passengers in the Canary Islands in mid-May before docking in Rotterdam on May 18.

The remaining 22 Brits took a charter flight home and were told to isolate for up to 45 days.

Hantavirus is typically only spread through exposure to rodent urine, faeces or saliva, but the World Health Organisation believes that human-to-human transmission took place on MV Hondius.

After a team of 13 biosecurity experts deep-cleaned the ship, the vessel was cleared on May 30 by Dutch health authority (GGD) officials to return to full operations.

Oceanwide Expeditions said that eight decks were treated and MV Hondius was declared rodent-free.

What is hantavirus?

Hantaviruses are a family of rodent-borne viruses, with each strain tied to a specific host species.

It’s spread when people come into contact with infected droppings, saliva, urine or nesting materials, but is extremely rare, and rarely passed from person to person.

If caught, hantavirus can lead to two main illnesses, one of which affects the lungs (Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome or HPS) and the other which affects the kidneys (Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome or HFRS).

The incubation period for this illness is generally two to four weeks, according to the government, but can range from as little as two days to as long as eight weeks.

A graph showing how hantavirus is spread.
Hantavirus is avirus transmitted by infected rodents causing severe respiratory and hemorrhagic diseases in humans. (Credits: Getty Images)

What are the symptoms?

Early symptoms of hantavirus are similar to the flu, and include headaches, dizziness, chills as well as abdominal problems like diarrhoea, vomiting and nausea.

If it progresses into Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, patients can experience headaches, dizziness, chills and abdominal problems like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea.

If you develop Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome, initial symptoms will include intense headaches, back and abdominal pain, fever or chills, nausea, and blurred vision.

If the disease progresses, later symptoms include low blood pressure, acute shock (lack of blood flow), internal bleeding, and acute kidney failure, according to the CDC.

Hantavirus can be fatal, so it’s important to keep an eye on symptoms if you believe you’ve been exposed. There is currently no cure for the disease.

The vessel will now be setting sail for Longyearbyen, the world’s northernmost permanently inhabited town in Svalbard, Norway, for its first tour since the hantavirus outbreak.

The North Spitsbergen Explorer cruise will take guests around the archipelago over seven nights.

There, guests will be able to observe Arctic wildlife, including spotting seabird colonies and viewing the bird cliffs of Alkefjellet.

There will also be opportunities to see glaciers, ice caps, seals, and polar bears.

A place on the cruise ranges in price from £5,000 for a shared room to £14,000 for a Grand Suite.

The cruise’s crew will not feature anyone who had contact with individuals quarantining following possible exposure to the virus.

All crew members who were present during the prior voyage of MV Hondius have disembarked the vessel and are currently in quarantine. 

Oceanwide Expeditions also said that medical and epidemiological information confirms that the hantavirus was introduced before embarkation and did not originate from the vessel.

A statement reads: ‘The completion of this deep clean and disinfection of the vessel eliminates the possibility of future transmission of hantavirus, which has limited environmental stability compared to many other viruses.’

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Hungary’s prime minister to meet German chancellor and French president

Diplomatic tour
Hungary’s Prime Minister Péter Magyar will visit German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday and French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday during his European diplomatic tour.
Financial Impact
Hungary’s agreement with the European Commission to release €16.4 billion in EU funds underscores the urgency for compliance, with €10 billion at risk if conditions are unmet by August.
Official Statement
“Bilateral and European matters will be discussed, with continued support for Ukraine and Euro-Atlantic security also taking centre stage,” stated the German Chancellor’s Office.

Hungary’s Péter Magyar heads to Berlin and Paris to seal EU reset

Hungary’s prime minister to meet German chancellor and French president

Published on Updated

Hungary’s Prime Minister Péter Magyar will visit German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday and French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday, in his second major European diplomatic tour since taking office.

Magyar, who swept to power in early May after a landslide election victory over Viktor Orbán‘s Fidesz party, has made restoring Hungary’s standing within the European mainstream the centrepiece of his foreign policy agenda, following years of tensions between Budapest and EU institutions.

Magyar, who visited Warsaw and Vienna two weeks ago, will be received by Merz at noon, with a joint press conference scheduled for 1pm, a statement from the German Chancellor’s Office said.

“During their subsequent talks, bilateral and European matters will be discussed, with continued support for Ukraine and Euro-Atlantic security also taking centre stage,” the statement said. Details of the Paris meeting have not yet been disclosed.

The visits come days after Magyar secured a political agreement with the European Commission to unfreeze €16.4 billion in EU funds that had been blocked over concerns about corruption and the erosion of the rule of law.

Of that total, €10 billion drawn from the EU’s post-Covid recovery facility will be forfeited unless Hungary meets all outstanding conditions by the end of August.

Disbursement also requires the approval of all EU member states. Speaking in Brussels last week, Magyar said he was in talks with several national leaders to secure their backing.

The EU also expects Hungary to lift its veto on Ukraine’s accession to the EU. Magyar has promised to green-light the process once Ukraine guarantees the educational and language rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine.

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