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British paratroopers drop hantavirus-suspected samples on Tristan da Cunha
British paratroopers dropped medics and supplies on Britain's remotest overseas territory, Tristan da Cunha. This was after a suspected case of hantavirus had been confirmed. Six paratroopers - and two military clinicians - from the 16 Air Assault Brigade jumped 'from a RAF A400M transport plane that flew 6,788km (4,218miles) from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire to Ascension Island. Then another 3,000km due south to Tristan da Cunha. On Saturday, oxygen and other medical supplies were dropped alongside the aircraft. A RAF Voyager refueled the A400M in mid-flight. In a statement, the Ministry of Defence stated that this was the first time UK military personnel have deployed medical 'personnel' to provide humanitarian assistance via parachute jump. Supplies were intended for a British passenger who, according to UK authorities, was on a cruise ship that docked in the island between April 13-15 and was affected by an outbreak of hantavirus. The WHO reported that the man had symptoms consistent with hantavirus and was stable in isolation. The Ministry of Defence said that oxygen supplies were at an all-time low on the island, and an airdrop of medical personnel with vital care was the only way to reach the patient before it was too late. Tristan da Cunha is home to around 200 people and lies halfway between South Africa, South America, and Africa. It's the most remote inhabited island in the world, located more than 2,400km away from its nearest inhabited neighbor, St Helena. The island is usually staffed by a two-person medical team to provide for its needs. It can only be reached by boat, as there is no airstrip. On May 7, a military plane delivered PCR tests to Ascension Island where a British man had debarked from the cruise ship before he was'medically evacuated' to South Africa. "The arrival of parachutists, medical personnel, and medical supplies has hopefully reassured Tristan da Cunha's people," said Brigadier Ed Cartwright. He is the Officer Commanding 16 Air Assault Brigade. (Reporting and editing by Aislinn laing)
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Ministry of Defense: South Korean ship hit by unidentified object in Strait of Hormuz on May 4, says
After a Friday inspection, the Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday that the stern of a South Korean shipper's bulk carrier, HMM, was struck by an unidentified object while it was stranded on the Strait of Hormuz on May 4. Seoul reported an explosion and fire on the same vessel, the HMM Namu, in the strait while it was anchored near the United Arab Emirates. The incident did not cause any injuries. U.S. president Donald Trump stated at the time that an Iranian attack was responsible for the incident. Seoul investigated the incident and the vessel, which was damaged by fire on Monday, was towed into a port in Dubai. The ministry stated that it was unclear what the object was and that debris would be collected to analyze. Trump asked South Korea to join a U.S. led effort, currently suspended, dubbed "Project Freedom" to ensure shipping through the Strait after?the incident. The Iranian embassy in South Korea denied responsibility for this attack. The embassy did not respond immediately to a request made outside of normal working hours for comment on the object. A spokesperson for the HMM declined to comment on this statement. Reporting by Heejin KIM Editing by Bernadette BAUCH
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Swiss Air CEO says no immediate fuel shortage, eyes contingency plans
Swiss International Air Lines' CEO said in the NZZ on Saturday that the airline has enough jet fuel to last for the next six weeks. However, the company is exploring contingencies such as "tankering", amid industry warnings of fuel shortages linked to the Iran War. The newspaper Neue Zurcher Nachricht quoted SWISS CEO Jens Fehlinger as saying that "the current forecasts of our suppliers, oil companies and refineries, are good." European airlines are warning of possible jet?fuel shortages in the coming weeks due to the U.S. - Iran conflict, which has caused energy prices to soar and curtailed'supply. "If there were to be a kerosene shortage, it would be first seen in Africa and?Asia. He told NZZ that he saw no evidence of this at the moment. The outlook is stable. However, Fehlinger stated that the airline, along with its parent company, Lufthansa Group were working on contingency planning, including "tankering," which involves filling up aircraft to capacity at a location where fuel supplies are plentiful, and then bringing additional fuel back to Zurich. Fehlinger said that such practices are currently prohibited by regulation, but there may be discussions with policymakers about reopening the possibility. He said that another option would be to strategically refuel at airports with good infrastructure along flight routes. For example, in Vienna, for flights from Europe to Asia. According to Fehlinger, the high oil prices will likely affect fares in time. SWISS has protected itself against recent fuel market volatility by hedging 80% of its kerosene requirements for the year. This will limit the immediate impact of increasing prices. He said that the airline had only seen a 20% rise in fuel costs.
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Tenerife welcomes a cruise ship affected by the hantavirus epidemic
The cruise ship that was hit by the deadly hantavirus epidemic arrived early on Sunday morning near Granadilla Port in Tenerife. The cruise ship will anchor near the Port of Granadilla in Tenerife for the evacuation and re-boarding of passengers. According to Spanish officials, the passengers will be tested to make sure they are asymptomatic by Spanish health authorities. They will then be transported on small boats to land. The passengers will be transported by sealed-off buses to the main airport of the Spanish island, which is about 10 minutes away. From there they will board their planes to fly to their respective countries. As a precaution, all passengers aboard the luxury cruise ship MV Hondius were deemed high-risk contacts by Europe's Public Health Agency late on Saturday. According to Spanish authorities, the evacuation will begin between 7:30 a.m. and?8.30 a.m. (06300-0700 GMT). Government officials announced on Saturday that Spanish nationals will disembark in groups first, followed by other nationalities. The ship will sail to Holland where it will be disinfected. Cape Verde's coast was the first port of call for the ship, which left on Wednesday to head towards Spain after World Health Organization and the European Union requested that the country?manage evacuation of passengers following the detection of the hantavirus. The WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, along with Spain's Interior and Health Ministers, and its Minister for Territorial?Policy, arrived in Tenerife on Saturday evening to coordinate the arrival of a ship. The WHO announced on Friday that 8 people were sick, three of whom died - a Dutch family and a German citizen. The WHO said that six of these people have been confirmed as having contracted the virus. Two other cases are suspected, it added. Hantavirus is usually transmitted by rodents, but can be transmitted from person to person in rare instances. WHO says the risk is low for the global population, but moderate for passengers and crew aboard the ship. Reporting by Corina Poons and Victoria Waldersee, Editing by Philippa Fletchcher
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Qatari LNG tanker sailing towards Hormuz Strait, shipping data shows
According to LSEG shipping information, the Qatari 'LNG tanker Al Kharaitiyat sailed towards?the Strait?of?Hormuz after departing Qatar Ras Laffan enroute to Port Qasim Pakistan on?Saturday?. If the passage is successful, it will be the first time a Qatari LNG-tanker has transited the Strait since the beginning of the war against Iran. QatarEnergy has not yet responded to the?comment. According to LSEG, the vessel is managed by Nakilat Shipping Qatar Ltd, and sails?under Marshall Islands flag. It has a cargo capacity of 211,986 cu m. Sources at the time said that Iran's Revolutionary Guards stopped two Qatar LNG tanks, Al Daayen, and Rasheeda on April 6, and told them to remain in their positions without any explanation. Qatar is the second largest LNG exporter in the world, with most of its shipments going to Asian buyers. The 'Iranian attack' knocked down 17% of Qatar LNG export capacity. Repairs are expected to take three - five years. Reporting by Andrew Mills and Timour Azhari, Writing by Eman Aboushassira, Editing by Alexandra Hudson
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Airport says that a Frontier Jet hit and killed a pedestrian on the runway in Denver while taking off.
The airport released a statement on May 9, stating that a Frontier Airlines passenger plane struck and killed a pedestrian?on the runway?at Denver International Airport?during a planned takeoff to Los Angeles late Friday night. Frontier reported that it had struck a person during takeoff, and the flight was abandoned. The unidentified pedestrian had jumped over the perimeter fence and was struck just two minutes after crossing the runway. The?statement' said that the individual was not believed to be a member of staff at the airport. A brief engine fire caused smoke to fill the cabin of an Airbus A321 carrying 224 passengers, seven crew members and all were safely evacuated. The airport reported that 12 people had minor injuries, and five of them were taken to hospitals in the area. Frontier stated that it was investigating the incident, and gathering additional information in coordination with airport authorities and other safety?authorities. It said that the airport had closed the runway where the incident took place and expected to reopen it within a few hours. They also added that they had 'examined and found intact the fence line which the individual crossed. Sean Duffy, the U.S. Transport secretary, said that local?law enforcers are investigating the occurrence with the support of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Transportation Security Administration. Reporting by Shivani Tana, Preetika Parshuraman and Gursimran K. in Bengaluru. Editing by Aidan Lewis & Toby Chopra.
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UK warships deployed to Middle East in anticipation of possible Hormuz missions
Britain announced on Saturday that it would be sending its warship HMS Dragon, to the Middle East to prepare for a possible multinational 'effort to protect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz once conditions permit. HMS Dragon was an air defence destroyer that was sent to Eastern Mediterranean in March shortly after the Iran War to defend Cyprus. The move to the Middle East comes after France deployed its carrier strike group in the southern Red Sea as part of a joint defensive plan to restore confidence in the trade routes. A spokesperson from the British Ministry of Defence stated that "the?prepositioning of HMS Dragon" is part of "prudent planning". This will ensure the UK's readiness to join a multinational coalition led by France and the UK, in order to secure the Strait when the conditions permit. France and Britain are preparing a plan to ensure a safe transit through the Strait when the U.S. and Iran reach a possible end of their 10-week-old war. Plan would require coordination with Iran, and?adozen countries have expressed a willingness to?take part. The Royal 'Navy is stretched and has to retire ships before they are replaced. (Reporting and editing by Alexandra Hudson.)
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Putin says to Fico that Russia will meet Slovakia’s energy needs
At a meeting at the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin told Robert Fico, Slovakia's Prime Minister on Saturday that Russia would do all it could to meet Slovakia’s energy needs. Slovakia is one of the few European countries that still buys?Russian oil and gas. The Druzhba Pipeline, built by the Soviets, is used to transport Russian oil into Slovakia. TurkStream is used to deliver natural gas from Russia. Fico arrived at Moscow for the celebrations to mark 'the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany during World War Two. In comments broadcast by?national television, Putin said that he would do "everything" to meet Slovakia's energy needs. Fico had chosen not to attend the Victory Parade at Moscow's Red Square. The Russian state media reported earlier that Fico would be attending the parade. Slovakia, a member of the EU, has "sought to keep political ties" with Russia. It has also argued that it is "too expensive to wean ourselves?"off Russian supplies after building their infrastructure around them. Reporting by Dmitry Antonov, Vladimir Soldatkin and Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Aidan Lewis, Guy Faulconbridge
French taxi protests put PM's budget cutting resolve to the test
French taxi drivers protest regularly against proposed government cuts in cash for transporting patients to medical appointments and back, underlining the challenge facing Prime Minister Francois bayrou as he seeks next year's cutbacks.
Bayrou hopes to squeeze the budget by 40 billion euros ($45 billion) in 2026. The country's deficit is so large that Bayrou sees the tightening of belts as a civic duty.
Health spending is the second largest drain on the budget, after pensions. In an effort to cut costs, the government hopes that it can save 150 million euros on the 6 billion euro it pays annually to private ambulance and taxi firms to transport patients.
Since mid-May, cabbies from all over France have been protesting in Paris. Dozens of them have been arrested.
Some drivers from out of town have slept inside their cars, while others have blocked access to Paris airports. They have also threatened to do so at the French Open Tennis Tournament taking place outside the capital.
Sandra Vialatte is the head of a taxi company in the Loiret area south of Paris. She said that the government did not listen to industry proposals for lowering costs.
She said, "We know that there are ways to save money. We have tried to suggest them, but they shut the door on discussions."
France has a history of violating EU spending rules. It currently runs the largest public sector deficit of the Eurozone, estimated at 5.4% of the economic output for this year.
France's government plans to save 40 billion euros from its budget in order to meet the 4.6% deficit target for next year. This is, according to the government, a crucial first step toward reaching a EU ceiling of 3.0% by 2029.
Rating agencies are not pleased with France's budget problems, which are a hindrance to its efforts to increase defence spending in order to counter possible Russian aggression. The tariffs threatened by Donald Trump threaten to slow down the economic growth of the United States.
The independent public audit warned on Monday, in part because of the rising costs of medical transport and social welfare services, that the finances of the health and social welfare systems were "out-of-control".
Bayrou, who has been a debt hawk for a long time, promised to present a plan in early July that would allow everyone to share in the pain. He wants to drive home the point that France cannot control its public spending unless it makes collective efforts and sacrifices.
Bayrou, speaking on BFM TV Tuesday, said that "all French people" would have to put in an effort. He added that he "wouldn't target any French person at the expense of others."
Both the hard left and extreme right agree that Bayrou has done just that by singling out taxi drivers.
Pieyre Alexandre Anglade, a centrist politician, said that the government must hold firm if they are to meet the target of 40 billion euros in savings.
He said, "Things have gotten a bit out of hand with taxis over the past few years and the tap now needs to be shut off." "The government must stand firm." (1 dollar = 0.8825 euro) (reporting by Leigh Thomas, additional reporting by Gonzalo Fientes and Lucien Libert; editing by Hugh Lawson).
(source: Reuters)