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- South Korea investigates Antarctic researcher for threatening colleague with knife
- Queen Margrethe admitted to hospital for angina, says royal house
- Queen Margrethe of Denmark remains in hospital for observation after heart attack
- Warsaw registers first same-sex marriage after court rulings on EU laws
- Ex-wife conspired to have father-of-two assassinated in acid attack | News UK
- Spain confirms 11 hantavirus cases linked to MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak
- NATO confirms US troop withdrawal from Germany does not affect defence plans
- Spain’s alleged misuse of post-Covid funds sparks fury in frugal northern EU
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South Korea investigates Antarctic researcher for threatening colleague with knife
10:00 pm
Get you up to speed: South Korea investigates Antarctic researcher for threatening colleague with knife
An Antarctic researcher at the Jang Bogo Station is accused of pulling a makeshift knife on a colleague during an incident last month. The Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) confirmed that the blade was fabricated from a steel sheet in the station workshop.
A researcher at the Jang Bogo Station was accused of threatening a colleague with a makeshift knife, which had been constructed from a steel sheet, according to the Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI). Following the incident, the suspect, a man in his 50s with a prior record of misconduct, was separated from the group and later returned to South Korea, where police have launched an investigation.
The suspect from the Jang Bogo station was taken away and separated from the group before departing for South Korea, where he arrived on Monday. Police in South Korea have launched an investigation into the incident.
Scientist holed up in Antarctic lab ‘pulls 11inch knife on colleague’ | News World
An Antarctic scientist at the Jang Bogo station allegedly pulled a makeshift knife on a colleague (Picture: Getty Images)
An Antarctic researcher wintering with other scientists on a remote station is accused of pulling a makeshift knife on a colleague.
Researchers wintering at the Korean Antarctic Jang Bogo station were caught in something out of a horror movie after one of their colleagues’ threatening behaviour on the world’s remotest continent.
The incident happened last month, when the icy continent becomes extremely inhospitable ahead of winter with temperatures averaging -45°C.
A winter-over station staff member pulled a blade on another personnel, the Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) said.
The South Korean Jang Bogo permanent Antarctic station consists of 16 facilities and it can house up to 60 people (Picture: Yonhap/EPA/Shutterstock)
The 30cm (11-inch) shank had been pieced together from a steel sheet in the station workshop, according to Korean media.
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No one was injured in the standoff, which resulted in the suspect being taken away.
The suspect, who has not been named, was identified as a man in his 50s, with an alleged prior record of misconduct and issues with colleagues, according to the Korea Times.
He was reportedly separated from the rest of the group before departing for South Korea, where he arrived on Monday.
Police in South Korea have now launched an investigation.
His departure was possible only thanks to international cooperation between countries that run Antarctic missions, as the continent is largely out of bounds this time of the year.
Jang Bogo Station, South Korea’s second Antarctic base, was founded in 2014 in Terra Nova Bay.
It sits in Victoria Land in the southeastern Antarctic. The nearest country is New Zealand, which is thousands of miles across the inhospitable Southern Ocean.
Neighbouring stations include the American McMurdo Station on the southern tip of Ross Island, New Zealand’s Antarctic research station Scott Base, Italy’s seasonal station Zucchelli and Germany’s Gondwana Station.
Only specialist aircraft can make the journey to the Antarctic research spots, with flights usually taking around four to five hours, while a sea crossing from Australia can take up to two weeks, and both are weather-dependent.
The UK operates several bases on the continent through the British Antarctic Survey. It has three all-year bases in Rothera, Halley and Signy, and two summer-only stations.
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Queen Margrethe admitted to hospital for angina, says royal house
9:00 pm
Queen Margrethe admitted to hospital for angina, says royal house
Queen Hospitalised
Denmark’s Queen Margrethe has been admitted to Rigshospitalet due to angina and will remain for observation and further examinations over the weekend.
Denmark’s Queen Margrethe has been admitted to Rigshospitalet due to angina and will remain for observation and further examinations over the weekend.
Health Concerns
Queen Margrethe’s hospital admission for angina marks a significant moment in Denmark’s royal history, as she remains a beloved figure after decades of leadership and cultural contributions.
Queen Margrethe’s hospital admission for angina marks a significant moment in Denmark’s royal history, as she remains a beloved figure after decades of leadership and cultural contributions.
Official statement
“Her Majesty is tired, but in good spirits,” said the Royal House of Denmark regarding Queen Margrethe’s health following her hospital admission.
“Her Majesty is tired, but in good spirits,” said the Royal House of Denmark regarding Queen Margrethe’s health following her hospital admission.
Key developments
Denmark’s Queen Margrethe, who abdicated in 2024, was admitted to Rigshospitalet due to chest pain linked to angina, according to the Royal House of Denmark.
At 86 years old, the Queen will remain in hospital over the weekend for observation and further examinations, with the court noting she is “tired, but in good spirits.”
The former monarch enjoyed a 52-year reign and has dealt with various health issues in recent years, including a significant back surgery in 2023 that led to her abdication.
Denmark’s Queen Margrethe hospitalised in Copenhagen with chest pain, royal court says
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Denmark’s Queen Margrethe, who abdicated in 2024 has been admitted to hospital due to chest pain, the Royal House of Denmark said on Thursday.
The 86-year-old Queen was admitted to Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen’s main hospital, “this afternoon due to angina,” the court said in a statement.
She will remain in hospital over the weekend for observation and further examinations, the court added.
“Her Majesty is tired, but in good spirits,” it said.
The former sovereign reigned in the Scandinavian country for 52 years before passing the throne to her eldest son Frederik in January 2024.
Hugely popular among Danes for subtly modernising the monarchy, Margrethe has faced multiple health problems in recent years.
She had long vowed that she would never abdicate, but major back surgery in 2023 led to a change of heart.
Margrethe also has a significant interest in the arts.
As a designer she won a Danish film award for best costume in 2024 and translated Simone de Beauvoir’s “All Men Are Mortal” under a pseudonym with her late husband, Prince Consort Henrik.
She has also illustrated several books, including J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings.”
Additional sources • AFP
Queen Margrethe of Denmark remains in hospital for observation after heart attack
6:00 pm
Get you up to speed: Queen Margrethe of Denmark remains in hospital for observation after heart attack
Queen Margrethe of Denmark was taken to Rigshospitalet following a heart attack and will remain for observation and further tests over the weekend. She abdicated in 2024 after 52 years as monarch, becoming Denmark’s longest-reigning ruler.
Queen Margrethe of Denmark was admitted to Rigshospitalet following a heart attack and is expected to remain there for observation and further tests over the weekend, according to a statement from the royal household. The 86-year-old former monarch, who abdicated in 2024 after 52 years on the throne, is currently reported to be “tired but in good spirits.”
Queen Margrethe of Denmark will remain at Rigshospitalet for observation and further tests over the weekend following her heart attack. The Royal House will announce updates regarding her condition when available.
Queen rushed to hospital after suffering heart attack | News World
Queen Margrethe of Denmark will be kept in for observation over the weekend (Picture: Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images)
The former Queen of Denmark is ‘tired but in good spirits’ after she was taken to hospital following a heart attack.
Queen Margrethe was rushed to Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen’s largest public and teaching hospital, on Thursday afternoon.
The 86-year-old will remain in the hospital over the weekend for observation and further tests, the royal household said in a statement.
It read: ‘Her Majesty Queen Margrethe has been admitted to Rigshospitalet this afternoon due to a heart attack.
‘Queen Margrethe will be admitted over the weekend for observation and further examinations.
Unusually, Margrethe abdicated in 2024 after 52 years as monarch (Picture: via REUTERS)
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‘Her Majesty is tired, but in good spirits.
‘The Royal House will announce when there is news.’
Despite stepping back from the throne in 2024 – making her the first Danish sovereign to willingly do so in almost 900 years – Margrethe remains Denmark’s longest-reigning monarch, having worn the crown for 52 years.
Citing health as one of the reasons for her abdication, she said in an address on New Year’s Eve 2023 that she had undergone ‘extensive back surgery’ before she stepped down.
She said: ‘Everything went well, thanks to the competent health personnel, who took care of me.
Margrethe has been hospitalised multiple times in the past few years (Picture: via REUTERS)
‘Inevitably, the operation gave cause to thoughts about the future – whether now would be an appropriate time to pass on the responsibility to the next generation.
‘I have decided that now is the right time.’
She passed the baton to King Frederik X and his wife, Australian-born Queen Mary.
Even after abdicating, Margrethe has held onto her Queen title and continues to carry out royal engagements.
But she has been hospitalised on multiple occasions since her surgery. She previously had to cancel an official appearance after she suffered a fall at her home of Fredensborg Palace in Zealand.
She was again forced to pull out of a royal engagement when she contracted a cold last year.
“As a result of the cold HM Queen Margrethe has contracted, it has been decided that the Queen will be admitted to Rigshospitalet for observation as a precaution,” the Danish Royal House said in a statement.
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Warsaw registers first same-sex marriage after court rulings on EU laws
5:00 pm
Warsaw registers first same-sex marriage after court rulings on EU laws
First Marriage
Warsaw registered its first same-sex marriage on Thursday, following court rulings that mandate the recognition of same-sex marriages registered abroad.
Warsaw registered its first same-sex marriage on Thursday, following court rulings that mandate the recognition of same-sex marriages registered abroad.
Legal Framework
Poland’s recognition of its first same-sex marriage underscores compliance with EU court rulings, reflecting a significant shift in institutional responsiveness to LGBTQ+ rights within the country.
Poland’s recognition of its first same-sex marriage underscores compliance with EU court rulings, reflecting a significant shift in institutional responsiveness to LGBTQ+ rights within the country.
Official Apology
“I apologise to all those who, for many years, felt rejected and humiliated,” said Prime Minister Donald Tusk, addressing same-sex couples in Poland.
“I apologise to all those who, for many years, felt rejected and humiliated,” said Prime Minister Donald Tusk, addressing same-sex couples in Poland.
Key developments
Warsaw’s implementation of the first same-sex marriage registration marks a significant step following a European Union ruling, allowing recognition of marriages made abroad despite Polish law prohibiting them.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk affirmed his government’s commitment to implementing court rulings and issued an apology to those feeling rejected within the LGBTQ+ community. He urged all officials to respect individual dignity.
Opposition from conservative members of Tusk’s coalition continues to hinder the legalisation of civil unions for same-sex couples, despite significant public support, with 67% of Poles backing such rights.
Poland makes history with first same-sex marriage registration following EU court ruling
Poland’s capital, Warsaw, registered its first same-sex marriage on Thursday, implementing court rulings that require the country to recognise same-sex marriages registered abroad.
In November, the European Union’s highest court ordered Poland to register same-sex marriages that were entered into in other EU countries even if Polish law does not currently permit them.
In March, Poland’s Supreme Administrative Court cited that ruling in ordering authorities to recognise the marriage in Germany of two Polish men.
“This morning we issued the first transcription of a marriage certificate for a same-sex couple, in accordance with the court rulings,” Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski said.
The mayor also promised his city would proactively recognise other Polish same-sex marriages registered elsewhere in the EU even without a specific court ruling.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday that his government would find ways to implement the rulings as soon as possible, and, addressing same-sex couples, apologised “to all those who, for many years, felt rejected and humiliated.”
Tusk appealed to Polish officials, regardless of their personal opinions, “to respect the dignity of each individual and to remember that these people live around us, among us, near us, and that they deserve the same feelings of respect, dignity and love as any other person.”
LGBTQ+ individuals for decades have been fighting for equal rights in Poland, where same-sex marriage and civil partnerships are illegal.
None of the rulings mean that Poland is obliged to legalise same-sex marriage.
Tusk’s government came to power with a promise to legalise civil unions for same-sex couples. However, resistance from conservatives within his own governing coalition as well as opposition from President Karol Nawrocki, a staunch Catholic, have stalled the efforts.
According to an Ipsos+ poll last year, 67% of Poles support same-sex marriage or legal recognition of unions for LGBTQ+ couples.
Although there have been two motions in place for the government to introduce bills on civil partnerships into parliament, both failed due to a lack of support by more conservative members.
Ex-wife conspired to have father-of-two assassinated in acid attack | News UK
2:00 pm
Get you up to speed: Ex-wife conspired to have father-of-two assassinated in acid attack | News UK
CRIME INVESTIGATION
Paris Wilson was convicted of manslaughter for orchestrating an acid attack on her ex-husband, Danny Cahalane, at Winchester Crown Court.
Paris Wilson was convicted of manslaughter for orchestrating an acid attack on her ex-husband, Danny Cahalane, at Winchester Crown Court.
LEGAL OUTCOME
Paris Wilson was convicted of manslaughter and attempted kidnapping for conspiring with Ryan Kennedy, also known as Frost, in the fatal attack on Danny Cahalane.
Paris Wilson was convicted of manslaughter and attempted kidnapping for conspiring with Ryan Kennedy, also known as Frost, in the fatal attack on Danny Cahalane.
LEGAL STATUS
Paris Wilson was found guilty of manslaughter and attempted kidnapping at Winchester Crown Court, with further investigations led by Detective Superintendent Ben Davies ongoing.
Paris Wilson was found guilty of manslaughter and attempted kidnapping at Winchester Crown Court, with further investigations led by Detective Superintendent Ben Davies ongoing.
What we know so far
Paris Wilson, 35, has been found guilty of the manslaughter of her ex-husband, Danny Cahalane, following a fatal acid attack orchestrated by a drug dealer known as ‘Frost’. The jury at Winchester Crown Court delivered the verdict on Thursday, marking the culmination of a case that exposed a web of drug-related violence in Plymouth.
Prosecutor Jo Martin KC revealed that Cahalane, 38, was murdered over a debt of approximately £120,000 owed to drug kingpin Ryan Kennedy, who currently operates between Thailand, Spain, and Dubai. Cahalane had indicated that Kennedy had ordered his killing during his last moments in hospital.
Following the jury’s decision, five defendants, including Wilson, were convicted of various roles in the plan that led to Cahalane’s death. Wilson had allegedly provided critical information about her ex-husband’s whereabouts, believing that collaboration with Kennedy would yield financial reward. Sentencing for Wilson and the others will be determined in due course.
Cahalane’s family expressed their grief, describing him as “an outstanding father and son,” emphasizing the love he shared with his mother and relatives.
In addition to Wilson, several co-defendants were convicted of murder and attempted kidnapping, while others were acquitted of the charges, concluding a trial that lasted over a month.
Read in full
Ex-wife plotted to have father-of-two killed in acid attack | News UK
The ex-wife of a top drug dealer gave him up to be killed in an acid attack believing she would get rich after he was dead.
Danny Cahalane, final words before dying in hospital, were to tell police that he believed his Dubai-based drug boss known as ‘Frost’ had ordered his death.
His former partner Paris Wilson, 35, was found guilty of his manslaughter in Plymouth in February last year, at Winchester Crown Court on Thursday.
Jo Martin KC, prosecuting, told the jury that Mr Cahalane, 38, was targeted because he owed his ‘boss’ in the region of £120,000.
She said this dealer was a man called Ryan Kennedy – with the nickname of Frost – who operated between Thailand, Spain and Dubai and was currently believed to be in Dubai.
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Mr Cahalane had split ‘acrimoniously’ with his ex-wife, Wilson, by 2025, and she became Mr Kennedy’s ‘go-to contact in Plymouth to try to put pressure on Danny to pay up, and then, to get information about Danny’s whereabouts’.
She added: ‘Paris Wilson was seemingly happy to give up all that information on the understanding Frost would make her wealthy.’
Ms Martin said that Mr Kennedy had sent messages about having 320kg of cannabis in a shipping container which would have a wholesale value of £960,000 but would be worth about £3.2 million if sold in single gram deals.
The prosecutor said that Mr Kennedy became ‘incensed’ at Mr Cahalane’s ‘stalling’ and failure to repay the money and first of all organised an attempted kidnap attempt on him the month before his killing.
Ms Martin said that Mr Cahalane had been able to speak to police from his hospital bed before he died from his injuries and told them that he had built up the debts after one of his junior drug dealers had run off without paying him.
He also said that he had lost more money through gambling.
Ms Martin said: ‘He said that he knew that the man behind the attack on him was called Ryan Kennedy, who had the nickname Frost.’
![Danny Cahalane / Detectives investigating reports of a serious assault which happened on Friday 21 February 2025, have been informed that the victim has now died in hospital. The victim has been named as 38-year-old Danny Cahalane [pictured] who was from Plymouth. Officers were notified that Mr Cahalane passed away in hospital on Saturday 3 May. His family have been informed and have shared the following tribute: ?As a family, we are struggling to come to terms with Danny?s passing. Danny was an outstanding father and son. Danny and his mum had so much love for each other. He is well loved by his family and friends and as a family we cherish his love and memories. We ask the family are please given privacy and respect during this time.? Senior investigating officer, Detective Superintendent Ben Davies said: ?Our thoughts are with Danny?s family and friends at this sad time. ?The investigation into the incident, which happened on Lipson Road in Plymouth, remains ongoing. ?Nine people have previously been charged in connection to the incident.?](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/SEI_249975599-15c5.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646 "Ex-wife conspired to have father-of-two assassinated in acid attack | News UK WTX News")
Speaking after his death, Mr Cahalane’s family said in a tribute: ‘Danny was an outstanding father and son.’
‘Danny and his mum had so much love for each other.
‘He is well loved by his family and friends and as a family we cherish his love and memories.’
Wilson was found guilty along with Ramarnee Bakas-Sithole, 23, of London. Abdulrasheed Adedoja, 23, of Neasden, London, and Israel Augustus, 26, of Tottenham, London, were found guilty of murdering Mr Cahalane.
The same five defendants were discharged of an offence of attempted GBH. Meanwhile, Sungum was found guilty of being part of an organised crime gang involved in the supply of drugs including enforcement of drug debts.
Two other defendants, Jude Hill, 43, of Plymouth, and Isanah Sungum, 22, of Edmonton, London, were found not guilty of murder or manslaughter on Thursday. The jury returned the verdicts after 40 hours and 45 minutes of deliberations. Wilson, Jean Mukuna, 24, and Arrone Mukuna, 25, both of Camden, London, were convicted of the attempted kidnapping of Mr Cahalane on January 19 2025, while Bakas-Sithole and Adedoja were cleared of the charge.
Jenna Said, 40, of Plymouth, was discharged of the charge and her part in the case and Brian Kalemba, 23, of Barking, London, was also cleared of the same charge and discharged of charges of murder and manslaughter.
Spain confirms 11 hantavirus cases linked to MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak
1:00 pm
Get you up to speed: Spain confirms 11 hantavirus cases linked to MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak
There are now 11 confirmed hantavirus cases following an outbreak aboard the MV Hondius. Three people, including a Dutch couple, have died since the ship’s first passenger began to present with symptoms on April 6.
There are now 11 confirmed hantavirus cases following an outbreak aboard the MV Hondius, with one patient in critical condition being treated at Bichat Hospital in Paris, as stated by Xavier Lescure, an infectious disease specialist. The World Health Organisation, led by Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, indicated that while the public risk remains low, more cases may emerge due to the virus’s long incubation period.
The situation aboard the MV Hondius has resulted in 11 confirmed hantavirus cases, with French authorities actively tracing individuals who may have been exposed. The World Health Organisation has indicated that while the risk to the public is low, more cases could arise in the coming weeks due to the virus’s long incubation period.
Hantavirus patient on artificial lung with ‘severe’ condition | News World
MV Hondius, the cruise ship where the outbreak began last month (Picture: REUTERS)
There are now 11 confirmed hantavirus cases following an outbreak of the potentially fatal disease aboard the doomed MV Hondius.
One of them, a French woman who had travelled on the ship, is now being treated with an artificial lung after she became critically ill with the disease.
She has been admitted to the intensive care unit of Paris’ Bichat Hospital and is receiving treatment for what medical professionals have described as ‘the most severe form of the cardiopulmonary presentation’.
French authorities are also reportedly scrambling to trace anyone who may have been exposed.
Xavier Lescure, an infectious disease specialist at Bichat Hospital, said: ‘The patient currently has the most severe form of the cardiopulmonary presentation.
A passenger is sprayed with disinfectant by Spanish government officials after disembarking from MV Hondius in preparation for their homeward journey (Picture: AP)
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‘She is on an artificial lung, a blood bypass, to allow, we hope, for her to get through this phase, while the lung attacked by the virus and the damage to the vascular wall can recover.’
The replacement lung has been described as being the ‘final stage of supportive care’.
Three people, including a Dutch couple, have died since the ship’s first passenger began to present with symptoms on April 6.
The ship, which departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1, docked in Saint Helena more than three weeks later, where the body of the first victim – who died on April 11 – was taken aboard and 30 more passengers disembarked.
The first victim’s wife, Mirjam Schilperoord – who was one of them – then travelled by plane to Johannesburg, South Africa, where she died days later of the disease.
After the ship made its way to Tenerife, its remaining passengers were repatriated, including 20 British nationals and two UK residents who were subjected to a 72-hour mandatory quarantine at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside – the same facility that was used to isolate arrivals from Wuhan at the start of the Covid pandemic.
The quarantine period has now ended, and some of the passengers have been released but will continue to isolate at home.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the WHO (Picture: Francesco Militello Mirto/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has repeatedly said the risk to the public is low, insisting that the disease will not cause another pandemic like the Covid-19 outbreak which shut down the world in 2020.
However, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the WHO, has warned there will likely be more cases of the disease.
‘Of course, the situation could change,’ he told a press conference earlier this week.
‘And given the long incubation period of the virus, it’s possible we might see more cases in the coming weeks.’
WTX previously reported a British man in his 60s, who was meant to be isolating after he travelled on the same plane as Schilperoord, was detained in a bar in Italy.
He and his travelling companion were apprehended in Milan and taken to Sacco Hospital, where they were told they would need to remain until June 6.
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