Around 150 people from 23 countries are stranded on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, after a deadly outbreak of hantavirus. The World Health Organization has confirmed eight cases of the virus onboard the MV Hondius, including three people who have died.

The BBC’s health reporter Jim Reed tells us what we know about this strain of hantavirus, how it may have been transmitted to passengers on the ship, and whether – six years after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic – the world is better at dealing with viral outbreaks.

The WHO has confirmed that, while most hantavirus infections occur through contact with rodents or their waste, the strain detected on the ship can be transmitted between humans. The ship has been anchored off the coast of Cape Verde. On Wednesday, three passengers were evacuated for treatment.

Spain has given permission for the ship to now travel to the Canary Islands, where the remaining passengers and crew will be examined, though the president of the Canary Islands says he will not allow the ship to dock there.

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00:00 Introduction
02:10 What is hantavirus?
03:17 How were passengers infected?
05:44 Are cruise ships a viral breeding ground?
07:11 How are passengers coping?
08:20 Reminiscent of Covid?
10:24 Has Covid prepared us for outbreaks?

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In 1990, two men walking through the Scottish Highlands captured a photograph that would quietly become one of the UK’s most talked about (and least explained) UFO cases.

The image showed a silent, diamond‑shaped object suspended in the sky. No one knows the identity of the two men who took the picture. The photo was sent to a national newspaper… and then, nothing.

No article. No public follow‑up.

For decades, the sighting existed only as a rumour – it was mentioned in UFO circles, whispered about online, referenced in documentaries – but with no image released, the case faded into near‑myth.

30 years later a forgotten copy of the photograph resurfaced in the personal files of a retired official bringing the Calvine incident sharply back into focus and raising even more questions than before.

This is the story of the Calvine UFO.

In this video…

00:00 – The Scottish UFO photo that won’t disappear
00:32 – What is the Calvine UFO photo?
02:16 – Why was it never published?
03:39 – The photo resurfaces
04:13 – The Falkirk Triangle: Scotland’s UFO hotspot
08:20 – The unanswered questions
08:59 – The most likely explanation

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#BBCNews

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Today, we look at the biggest set of elections in the UK since the 2024 General Election.

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Laura and Paddy run through what the polls tell us, how insiders are feeling, and the challenges each of the parties face in different parts of Britain.

Political correspondent Joe Pike joins to help, as well as reveal the insights you can gather from looking inside a communal bin.

For the latest news download the BBC News app or visit BBC.com/news

#BBCNews #elections

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There are nearly 100 documented cases so far of children fathered by British soldiers near an army base in Kenya since the 1950s who have grown up without knowing their dads, sometimes facing poverty or being ostracised by their community.

Now, some are finally finding answers with the help of a UK lawyer bringing evidence from commercial DNA databases into family court proceedings for the first time. BBC World of Secrets and Africa Eye follow Yvonne, who grew up thinking her father was dead.

🎥 Watch the full documentary, ‘Abandoned: Searching for Soldier Dad’ here: https://youtu.be/6AVzvzRmZCg

🎧 Listen to the new investigative podcast, World of Secrets: Searching for Soldier Dad , here: https://www.bbc.com/audio/brand/w13xtvs0

📽️ Watch more investigative journalism from our award-winning #BBCEye investigations team at this documentary playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz_B0PFGIn4fa8LK1lptsvoA_spfJhzda

🎞️ You may also be interested in watching these Africa Eye documentaries:

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#Kenya #Documentary #Paternity #InvestigativeJournalism #BBCAfrica #BBCAfricaEye #Investigation #BBCNews

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BBC correspondent David Wallace Lockhart travels to Greenock, the town centre with the highest density of shops registered to sell vapes per head of population in Scotland.

New figures from the University of Edinburgh, shared exclusively with BBC News, highlight the growth of outlets selling vapes in Scotland.

With no licensing regime, a retailer simply has to register on a Scottish government online portal and then they can stock these products.

In 2020, there were 5,573 shops selling vapes in Scotland. By 2024, that was up to 7,069 – an increase of 28%.

This growth of 1,500 outlets has not been even across the country. It’s concentrated in the most deprived communities.

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For the latest news download the BBC News app or visit BBC.com/news

#Vape #Vaping #Scotland #BBCNews

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