Top World News

May 8, 2026 - World

‘Unprecedented operation’ under way to receive MV Hondius off Tenerife to assess and repatriate those onboard• What is hantavirus?• Where did the cruise ship hantavirus come from and what happens next?The evacuation of the hantavirus-stricken MV Hondius cruise ship must be completed within 24 hours of the vessel reaching Tenerife on Sunday or face days or even weeks of delay because of bad weather, authorities in the Canary Islands warned on Friday.The Dutch-flagged vessel, which was sailing from Argentina to Cape Verde, is due to arrive in the Spanish archipelago this weekend, triggering what Spain’s health minister has termed an “unprecedented operation” to receive, assess and repatriate the 149 passengers and crew members onboard. Continue reading...

May 8, 2026 - World

Diplomatic efforts continuing despite fighting in and around contested strait of Hormuz in recent daysMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has said that Washington is expecting a response from Iran on Friday to its proposals for an interim deal to end the conflict in the Middle East, as Iran accused the US of breaching the increasingly fragile ceasefire announced last month.In recent days there have been the biggest flare-ups in fighting in and around the contested strait of Hormuz since the informal truce began. The rise in violence followed Donald Trump’s announcement – then rapid pause – of a new naval mission aimed at opening the strategic waterway. Continue reading...

May 8, 2026 - World

Laura Fernández has been sworn in as Costa Rica's president, with outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves serving as her minister of the presidency and minister of finance

May 8, 2026 - World

A three-day ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday defused the tensions over a prospective Ukrainian attack on a Red Square parade in Moscow, but the deal appeared unlikely to set the stage for a comprehensive peace deal.

May 8, 2026 - World

US secretary of state has been meeting Italian leader amid strained tensions over IranThe European Commission also insisted that airlines must not charge customers extra fuel fees after they have already bought tickets, as the aviation sector feels the pain from high energy prices because of the Middle East war, AFP reported.“Airlines may adapt their published fares to the situation, but adding a fuel surcharge to a ticket after it has been bought cannot be justified,” EU spokeswoman Anna-Kaisa Itkonen told reporters in Brussels. Continue reading...