Governor warns of ‘crisis’ as operator says 30 passengers disembarked hantavirus‑hit cruise ship in Saint Helena last week

Governor warns of ‘crisis’ as operator says 30 passengers disembarked hantavirus‑hit cruise ship in Saint Helena last week



This general view shows the cruise ship MV Hondius, leaving the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, on May 6, 2026. A total of 30 passengers left the hantavirus-stricken Hondius on April 24 during its call at the remote British island of Saint Helena, the cruise ship’s Dutch operator said today. — AFP pic

Thursday, 07 May 2026 8:16 PM MYT


THE HAGUE, May 7 — A total of 30 passengers left the hantavirus-stricken Hondius on April 24 during its call at the remote British island of Saint Helena, the cruise ship’s Dutch operator said today.

“Thirty guests disembarked MV Hondius on Saint Helena on April 24, 2026. This number includes the body of the guest who passed away on board MV Hondius on April 11,” Oceanwide Expeditions said in a statement.

The company added that all people who left the ship had been contacted.

The operator said that on April 1, a total of 114 guests boarded the vessel before it left Ushuaia in Argentina for the cruise across the Atlantic Ocean to Cape Verde.


“We are working to establish details of all passengers and crew who embarked and disembarked on various stops of MV Hondius since March 20,” it added.


‘Crisis’ on Saint Helena

Saint Helena is home to a close-knit community of around 4,400 people. The cruise ship called at the South Atlantic island from April 22 to 24.


“We are all by now aware of the challenge we face,” Saint Helena’s Governor Nigel Phillips said in a statement.

“We are now responding to a crisis none of us would have wished,” King Charles III’s representative in the territory said.

The Saint Helena government meanwhile said there were currently “no suspected or confirmed cases of hantavirus on the island”, and the risk to the public remained low.

“The situation on St Helena remains stable and controlled.”

It said that as a precautionary measure, the local health authorities were monitoring a small number of individuals identified as higher-risk contacts — namely “those who had close, prolonged contact with the unwell passengers of the vessel”.

They have been advised to isolate at home, for a period of “45 days from the last known exposure to the virus”.

“This means that the period of isolation will end on June 9 subject to any developments in the situation in St Helena.”

It added that there was no risk to the public from the deceased Dutch passenger whose remains were brought ashore on April 23.

Saint Helena has a weekly air link with Johannesburg, with a flight leaving on April 25.

One Hondius passenger on that flight died in hospital in South Africa, while a British patient from the ship is in hospital in Johannesburg. Both tested positive for hantavirus. — AFP

Singapore isolates two residents, awaiting test results after exposure to hantavirus‑hit cruise ship

Singapore isolates two residents, awaiting test results after exposure to hantavirus‑hit cruise ship



Two Singapore residents who had been on board a hantavirus-hit cruise ship have been isolated as they await test results for the rare respiratory disease, Singapore’s Communicable Diseases Agency said today. — Reuters pic

Thursday, 07 May 2026 8:23 PM MYT


SINGAPORE, May 7 — Two Singapore residents who had been on board a hantavirus-hit cruise ship have been isolated as they await test results for the rare respiratory disease, Singapore’s Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) said today.

Two men aged 65 and 67 had been on the ship and also the same flight as a confirmed hantavirus case from St Helena to Johannesburg on April 25, the CDA said.

Both arrived in Singapore in early May and have been isolated and are being monitored at Singapore’s National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID). The confirmed case did not travel to the city-state and died in South Africa.

“Two Singapore residents had been on board the cruise ship MV Hondius, which has reported an outbreak of Andes hantavirus. Both individuals have been isolated at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases, where they are being tested for hantavirus,” a CDA statement said.


“Their test results are pending. One has a runny nose but is otherwise well, and the other is asymptomatic. The risk to the general public in Singapore is currently low.”

If the pair test negative for hantavirus “they will be quarantined for 30 days from the date of last exposure”, CDA said, adding that “testing will be conducted again before release from quarantine”.

If they test positive, they will remain hospitalised for monitoring and treatment, and “contact tracing will be conducted to identify persons who have been exposed during the infectious period, and close contacts will be quarantined”, the CDA said.




A drone view of the cruise ship MV Hondius, carrying passengers suspected of having cases of hantavirus on board, leaves Praia, Cape Verde May 6, 2026. — Reuters/Stringer pic



The MV Hondius has been at the centre of an international health scare since Saturday, when the UN’s health agency was informed that three passengers had died and the suspected cause was hantavirus.

Eight cases, including three deaths, had been linked to the cluster on the cruise ship by Wednesday, according to CDA.

The rare disease is usually spread from infected rodents, typically through urine, droppings and saliva.

However, experts have confirmed that the version of the virus detected aboard the Hondius is a rare strain that can be transmitted between humans. — AFP

***

Be wary of its potential pandemic, as highlighted by  my visitor 'MF' (thanks matey)

Why Klang Valley still looks busy despite tighter consumer spending

Why Klang Valley still looks busy despite tighter consumer spending



Weekend events draw crowds to Sunway Pyramid, such as seen here on May 1, 2026. — Picture courtesy of Sunway Malls

Friday, 08 May 2026 7:00 AM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, May 8 — Parking bays at major malls across the Klang Valley continue filling up even on weekdays, with cars circling for spots.

Inside these malls, shoppers remain noticeable with queues visible outside popular restaurants with families gathered at eateries and cafés that stay lively well into the evening.

But beneath the business-as-usual facade, questions remain how and why the situation is such despite advice from the government for more prudent spending.

At malls such as Sunway Pyramid, Mid Valley Megamall and MyTown Cheras, the crowds have not disappeared.


However, some are saying it no longer feels like the free-spending retail boom seen in previous years.

Instead of impulse shopping, consumers are planning purchases around promotions, prioritising essentials and cutting back on discretionary spending.

“People are still coming out, but they think longer before buying.


“They browse, compare prices and then wait for sales,” said a retail worker in MyTown Cheras.



MyTown Cheras patrons on a Tuesday afternoon. — Picture by Soo Wern Jun



A space for everything

For many urban families, malls remain one of the few convenient places where everything is available in a single location.

Lee Lee Tham, 35, a mother of two, said visiting the mall has become a weekly outing that her family rarely skips.

“There is everything at the mall, so it’s the most convenient place for us to gather.

“It’s also the sense of familiarity — sometimes, my children just need a conducive space where they can roam about and still feel safe since it has become a part of their weekend routine.

“So we eat, shop and play all in one place,” Tham said.



The lunch queue at MyTown Cheras on a weekday. — Picture by Soo Wern Jun



Saving time

For Ahmad Fauzi, 40, practicality matters more than cutting out mall visits entirely.

“The closest option for grocery shopping is still the mall.

“If I go any further, I have to brave traffic and that takes up too much time since I only have after work for shopping,” he said.

Some may ask why not head to the wet market, Fauzi said that supermarkets in malls still offer reasonably affordable groceries, and he can shop without having to wake up early on a weekend.

Weekend escapes

Others say eating out has become more intentional rather than frequent.

Anita Lee, 36, said her family cooks at home most of the week and reserves dining out for weekends.

“But my work place is located in the vicinity of a mall, it’s just more practical to grab a bite from the restaurants below than to drive out just for cheaper food — we still end up paying extra for fuel and parking anyway.

“For dinner, we cook at home five days a week, so during weekends we eat out just to take a break from the hectic week,” she said.

Aishah Aziz, 35, who works in the heart of Kuala Lumpur said it is a common sight that cafes and eateries are quiet on weekdays since everyone is at work except for touristy areas like Jalan Sultan and Jalan Panggong where there is a line all the time.

The crowd builds during lunch then it dies down before it picks up again for dinner.



People walk along the indoor bridge connecting Mid Valley Megamall and The Gardens Mall. — Picture by Soo Wern Jun



“I do notice that there are fewer commuters on the trains but perhaps it’s due to the work-from-home order that reduced the number of civil servants in the area.

“But for most eateries here, it’s business as usual, and I look at this as a ‘luxury’ for me, since I get to eat at popular spots during the week days where there isn’t a queue,” she said jokingly.

Steadily growing with anticipation

According to Sunway Malls, its malls nationwide recorded a six per cent year-on-year growth in sales performance for the first quarter of 2026 despite headwinds from the Middle East conflict.

The growth was largely driven by uptick from fashion at 11.2 per cent, home and living at 7.6 per cent, supermarkets at 8.9 per cent, food and beverage at 6.2 per cent and jewellery, which recorded double-digit growth of 23.4 per cent.



Sunway Malls group managing director HC Chan said most retail sub-sectors performed ‘remarkably’ due to sustained demand from the longer festive period, with Chinese New Year falling in February and Hari Raya in March. — File picture by Miera Zulyana



HC Chan, group managing director of Sunway Malls, said most retail sub-sectors performed “remarkably” due to sustained demand from the longer festive period, with Chinese New Year falling in February and Hari Raya in March.

He said petrol and diesel subsidies had most likely helped insulate consumers from the full effects of the Middle East conflict.

“The situation in the Middle East, however, has created uneasiness and affected travel from that region as travellers adopt a cautious stance.

“The Asian region’s travel has somewhat remained steady with no noticeable impact yet on tourist arrivals from Asian regions,” Chan said.

Moving into the second quarter, Chan said the group foresees more cautious consumer behaviour, with shoppers focusing increasingly on essentials and value-driven purchases.

“We are cautiously optimistic to forecast 2Q 2026, that will see a three per cent growth largely due to our diversification of tenant mix, continued strong performance from the northern region and resilient performance from our central and southern regions respectively,” he said.

Familiarity and convenience

Consumer behaviour, however, appears less about completely pulling back and more about deciding where spending still feels worthwhile.

How Chern Chuen, 30, said although food prices have generally risen, the quality at the hawker stalls he frequently visits has remained consistent.

“I still don’t mind eating out,” he said.

“I can’t really describe it, but food tastes different at the hawker compared to how it’s prepared at home.”

He said there is also a sense of familiarity that keeps customers returning to places they already know.

At the same time, he believes competition within the food industry has intensified significantly.

“It’s really survival of the fittest now,” he said.

“Restaurants are becoming more competitive. Even mamak stalls are promoting their food on delivery platforms.”

How said consumers today are becoming more selective about what they are willing to spend on, usually choosing places that they are comfortable with and perceive as worthwhile.

He pointed to a fish and chips café near his home that remains packed most of the time despite prices starting from RM19.90 a set.



Diners at a local cafe that serves up fish and chips. — Picture by Soo Wern Jun



“Fish and chips may not be the price of mixed rice, but if you order a fish dish at a regular restaurant, it could easily cost double that price,” How said.

Amalina Razak, 31, agreeing with How, said a plate of nasi campur or nasi kandar today could go up to RM17, and that is dining outdoors without air-conditioning.

“So I add a few ringgit on that bill, I can eat without having to inhale dust from the passing cars.

“I’ve also noticed that more eateries have meal promotions to keep the prices affordable, some have very aggressive delivery deals, to keep up with the times.

“For me, I choose to spend on convenience because I don’t have much time in a day to prepare two meals, eating out is still the best option for me,” she said.

“PKR in troubled waters as even Tambun deemed unsafe for PMX to defend, may even move to Batu”

“PKR in troubled waters as even Tambun deemed unsafe for PMX to defend, may even move to Batu”

DETRACTORS are seemingly having a heyday trolling PKR and its president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim after a leaked internal analysis by the party pointed to Tambun which holds the ticket to Malaysia’s premiership being relegated to being one of the deemed 17 marginal seats as the 16th General Election (GE16) looms.


A similar fate bestowed Permatang Pauh – once cherished as the fortress to PMX – which eldest daughter and reigning PKR deputy president failed to defend in GE15 after being humiliated by PAS’ newcomer Muhammad Fawwaz Mohamad Jan in a four-corner fight.


Editor’s Note: Malaysiakini has yesterday (May 5) exposed an internal PKR strategic analysis for GE16 entitled “GE16 Strategic Analysis: Tier-Based Summary” which shows that PKR is on the defensive with its grip on key seats steadily eroding.

The analysis which set its sight on 66 parliamentary seats identified as PKR’s main focus in GE16 was presented at the Bandar Utama 11 Community Hall in Petaling Jaya on May 2 which was attended by nearly 900 party leaders nationwide.

Recount that PKR only won 31 out of the 81 parliamentary seats contested in the November 2022 national polls, a huge setback from 47 won in GE14 yet still able to helm the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition despite ally DAP having won 40 seats.

This prompted Malay language media portal AM Daily to report that rumours are rife that PMX may eventually be shifting his focus to the Batu parliamentary seat, one of the seven seats categorised as “Tier 1: Strong Fortress” based on current support trends.


“Grassroots talk and political observers are beginning to link this possibility as a ‘reset positioning’ strategy to ensure that the main leadership position is not compromised in the expected tight GE1,” it contended,

Kajian politik terkini mula menggoncang keyakinan apabila Parlimen Tambun dilihat bukan lagi kubu selamat buat Anwar Ibrahim dan Parti Keadilan Rakyat menjelang PRU16.

Dapatan ini membuka naratif baharu bahawa gelombang sokongan di kawasan itu semakin tidak menentu, sekali gus memberi isyarat awal bahawa pertandingan akan datang bukan lagi ‘walk in the park’.

Dalam bahasa mudah, Tambun kini mula berubah daripada kubu kuat kepada medan pertempuran sebenar.

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“GE16 will be a real test not only for PKR but also for Anwar himself in maintaining his influence and power continuity in the eyes of the rakyat.”

Another Malay language media portal Arus Malaysia pointed to the internal animosity as evidenced by PKR being split into the “Damai” camp of Nurul Izzah and the “Hiruk camp” of former party deputy president Datuk Serti Rafizi Ramli.

“The majority of the comfortable seats that have been the party’s ‘permanent reserves’ are allegedly controlled by groups that are pro-Rafizi Ramli,” it remarked in a FB post.

Kajian terbaharu mengenai kerusi-kerusi yang bakal ditandingi PKR dalam PRU akan datang membuka satu realiti yang tidak boleh dipandang ringan peta kekuatan parti itu kini dilihat tidak lagi seimbang.

Majoriti kerusi selesa yang selama ini menjadi “simpanan tetap” parti didakwa banyak dikuasai oleh kelompok yang pro kepada Rafizi Ramli.

Ini sekali gus mencetuskan persoalan besar tentang hala tuju PKR, sama ada ia masih bergerak sebagai satu pasukan atau sudah mula berpecah ...

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“This raises big questions about PKR’s direction of whether the party is still moving as one team or has begun to split into camps … This is PKR’s real dilemma of not anymore facing external opponents but a challenge from within which may be even more dangerous.”

Referring to the Malaysiakini exposé, Madani critic Datuk Eric See-To expressed concern that most of the current seats held by PKR’s top brass are either deemed “Tier 2B: Marginal” Seats” or “Tier 3: Difficult Seats”.

“This means that even the PKR president who’s also the PM seat is not considered safe by the party’s own internal analysis. If the PM’s seat is marginal, that’s not a ‘small wave’. That’s an emergency,” observed the former Barisan Nasional (BN) strategic communications deputy director.

Ini analisis dalaman PKR sendiri. Nampaknya mereka sedang goyang.

Untuk konteks, pada PRU15 tahun 2022, PKR hanya menang 31 daripada 81 kerusi Parlimen yang ditandingi. Ini satu kejatuhan besar berbanding PRU14 tahun 2018, apabila PKR menang 47 kerusi.

Menurut Malaysiakini, lebih lima sumber parti mengakui bahawa kemerosotan prestasi PKR sejak 2018 menjadi sebab utama analisis “tiering” ini dibuat. Tujuannya ialah untuk mengenal pasti kawasan yang semakin rapuh akibat perubah...

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“As for Permatang Pauh, the symbolic seat of the Anwar family and PKR for decades, it remains in the marginal category. It used to be a sacred stronghold. Even now, there’s no certainty if it can be wrestled back.”

Likewise, that of vice-presidents Datuk Seri R. Ramanan (Sungai Buloh) and Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari (Gombak) fared even worse given they fall under “Tier 3: Difficult Seats”.

“This is the real red zone. Both Gombak and Sungai Buloh are difficult seats. Both are not small seats,” jibed the loyalist of disgraced former premier Datyk Seri Najib Razak.

Gombak is held by Amirudin who is also the Selangor MB (Menteri Besar). Sungai Buloh is held by Ramanan who is currently the Human Resources Minister).

So PKR’s problem is not confined to sets that they previously lost. The problem has reached the seats of their own senior leaders.

Based on their own internal analysis, PKR is actually shaking. Not just shaking a little but shaking to the extent where they have to divide seats according to the panic level. – May 6, 2026

WARMONGERS GIVEN THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

From the FB page of:

Nury Vittachi 

Favorites ·Strnospedol30818a5cu4cl16at5h0ht4h0c7g1ti29ma601a9m3h11ghtit ·

THE ASTONISHING LIST OF WARMONGERS GIVEN THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

SATIRICAL SONGWRITER TOM LEHRER said that “satire was dead” after the Nobel Peace Prize was given to Henry Kissinger in 1973.

To honor the great Mr Lehrer (and because I am a bit of a wacko), I decided to deliver the story of the dark side of the “peace” prize as a written report AND as an attached satirical song. Read on. Or just click the video.

.

MR KISSINGER

As Tom Lehrer noted, the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 to Henry Kissinger was a key moment in the global loss of trust in the award.

Why? Because the US started the Vietnam war unnecessarily (US foreign policy says Asians cannot chose to be socialist or communist on pain of death) and then, after years of needless loss of lives, tried to end it with Kissinger claiming to have negotiated a ceasefire.

While that was top of the news cycle, Kissinger greenlit the US military to secretly carpet-bomb Cambodia, causing a huge spike in deaths.

This was ignored by the Norwegians. They knew a rich man was actively killing poor Asians but gave him the peace prize anyway.

The world was as horrified as Lehrer.

.

MR PERES

Israel’s leader Shimon Peres received the Nobel Peace Prize (jointly with two others) in 1994 for, er, bringing peace to the Middle East.

Yeeessss. We can all see how that turned out.

At the time, the wider world was in agreement that the worst possible thing that could happen was the proliferation of nuclear weapons in that part of the world. Shimon Peres presided over a secret program to build those exact weapons in that exact spot.

From 1994 onwards, Israel built up its secret arsenal. But western politicians and journalists continuously told the world that Iran – not Israel, but Iran – was “two weeks away” from having nuclear weapons.

Incredibly, they are STILL SAYING THE SAME THING TODAY.

.

MR OBAMA

Barack Obama was given the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009—a surprise to the man himself, no less than to the world.

Pretty much everyone said he “seemed so nice” but Obama presided over a massive rise of drone warfare, filling the skies over Afghanistan with remote control killers, and brutalizing warfare forever. Many innocents were killed.

.

THE EUROPEAN UNION

The European Union was given the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012, for managing to have got through 60 years without having been part of a war.

This was shortly before the EU began plotting with Washington DC to scrap the Minsk accords and other pledges that retained Ukraine as a peaceful buffer between the EU/ NATO and Russia.

As many experts in the west and the east have agreed, that made war in Ukraine inevitable.

.

MR AHMED

The Nobel Peace Prize was given to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in 2019 for bringing peace to his country. Needless to say, this was followed by years of wars and thousands of deaths.

.

MS MACHADO

Maria Corina Machado was given the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025 after calling for the United States to invade her country, promising US corporations they could profit from its oil.

After the US military murdered their way into Venezuela’s presidential quarters and abducted the President and his wife, Ms Machado gave the prize to Donald Trump.

A pair of peaceniks, apparently.

.

A NEW PRIZE

So what now? Many people much smarter than I am say the Peace Prize cannot be salvaged: its credibility cannot recover from such a long line of fiascos, crowned by the Machado-Trump debacle.

In which case, it is up to the rest of us, the citizens of the world, to honor people who really do oppose war and who actually do work towards peace. There are many.

- Francesca Albanese is a hero to many people.

- Same for the amazing group known as Codepink, including Medea, Jodie and the team.

- China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has done some amazing work in the reconciliation space too, and it appears that Pakistan is now working as peacemakers too.

- On the institute level, great pro-peace efforts have been made by the Responsible Statecraft team in the US, the Schiller Institute in Germany, and other think tanks.

- And of course there’s the independent journalism movement, from Brian Berletic to Max Blumenthal and many others, you know who you are.

We’ll win in the end.

Blessed are the peacemakers.

Irish footballers and celebrities urge boycott of Israel matches

Irish Sport for Palestine accuses Israel of engaging ⁠in ‘genocide’ in war on Gaza ahead of UEFA Nations League game.

By Reuters

Published On 7 May 20267 May 2026

Leading Irish footballers have joined celebrities in a campaign urging ⁠the Republic of Ireland to boycott a UEFA Nations League match against Israel later this year.

An open letter sent to the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) from campaign group Irish Sport for Palestine accuses Israel of engaging ⁠in “genocide” in the war in Gaza and of breaching UEFA and FIFA statutes by allowing teams to play on occupied Palestinian land.

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In November 2025, 93 percent of FAI members voted for its leadership to press UEFA to suspend Israel under those statutes, a mandate campaigners say the Irish governing body should “respect and represent”.

Israel has denied that its forces have ‌committed genocide during the war in Gaza.

The letter, entitled “Stop the Game”, was signed by League of Ireland players, former men’s coach Brian Kerr and twice women’s player of the year Louise Quinn.

Irish rock band Fontaines D C, hip-hop trio Kneecap and singer-songwriter Christy Moore were among the other signatories, along with Oscar-nominated actor Stephen Rea.

Ireland are set to host Israel at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on October 4, while a September 27 fixture designated as an Israeli home ⁠match is expected to be staged at a neutral venue.

The letter includes a statement ⁠from Shamrock Rovers captain and Professional Footballers’ Association of Ireland chair Roberto Lopes.

“We can’t ignore the humanitarian catastrophe in Palestine; the sheer loss of life there has to take precedence over any sporting consideration,” said Dublin-born Lopes, who is set to play at the ⁠World Cup for Cape Verde in June.

“Ireland has an opportunity here to lead and do what others won’t.”

Israel have played in UEFA competitions since the early 1980s after ⁠being excluded from Asian Football Confederation (AFC) competitions in the 1970s when ⁠several countries refused to play against them.

Ireland’s prime minister Micheal Martin said the two matches against Israel should go ahead.

“We have been critics and have opposed very strongly Israeli government policy within Gaza in particular. We condemned the Hamas attack on Israel which was absolutely horrific,” ‌the taoiseach told The Irish Times.

“I think sport is an area that can be challenging when it crosses into the realm of politics.”

In February, FAI Chief Executive David Courell said the national team had no choice but ‌to ‌fulfil its obligations or risk harming the long-term sporting interests of Irish football, including potential disqualification from future competitions.

A poll by the Irish Football Supporters Partnership found 76 percent of respondents opposed the fixture being played.

***

BDS 👍👍👍