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General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President of Vietnam To Lam, together with a high-ranking delegation of the country, is going to pay a state visit to Sri Lanka from May 7 to 8.

The visit will be made at the invitation of President of Sri Lanka Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.

Source: VNA/VNP

Three people have died after a suspected hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, the World Health Organization (WHO) has told the BBC.

It reported one confirmed and five suspected cases. One UK national aged 69 is now in intensive care in Johannesburg, South Africa. Local officials later told the BBC he had the virus.

Hantavirus is usually passed to humans from rodents via their urine or faeces. It can cause severe respiratory illness. Rarely, it can be transmitted between people.

The UK Foreign Office told the BBC it was monitoring reports, and ready to support British nationals.

The outbreak was reported aboard the MV Hondius ship travelling from Argentina to Cape Verde.

The MV Hondius is run by tour company Oceanwide Expeditions.

According to an itinerary on its website, MV Hondius departed from Ushuaia in southern Argentina on 20 March and was expected to complete its journey on 4 May in Cape Verde.

It is described as a 107.6m (353ft) polar cruise ship, with space for 170 passengers in 80 cabins, along with 57 crew members, 13 guides and one doctor.

Foster Mohale, a spokesperson for South Africa’s health ministry, told the BBC there were about 150 tourists from various countries aboard the vessel.

Before the WHO confirmation of three deaths, Mohale told the BBC that at least two people had died.

He said the man, aged 70, and the woman, aged 69, were a Dutch couple.

The health official said the man suddenly became ill, developing fever, headache, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. He died on arrival on the island of St Helena, a British territory in the South Atlantic.

The woman also became ill on board and was evacuated to South Africa, where she died in a Johannesburg hospital.

The AFP news agency cited a source saying that the third fatality was still on board the ship.

Speaking anonymously, the source said and discussions were under way to decide whether two other sick passengers should be placed in isolation in hospital in Cape Verde.

The ship would then reportedly continue to Spain’s Canary Islands.

The WHO said it was helping co-ordinate between member states and the ship’s operators for the medical evacuation of two symptomatic passengers, as well as a full public health risk assessment and support for those still on board.

Source: BBC

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party was on course to win two of four crucial state elections on Monday (May 4), expanding its influence and weakening its key rival half-way into his third term in office.

Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was set to return to power in the eastern state of Assam for the third straight term, and was sweeping West Bengal, counting trends on the Election Commission website showed. 

Both states border Bangladesh and infiltration into India was a key poll issue.

The BJP has never ruled West Bengal, a state where it had only three local lawmakers until 2021.

Modi, his closest aide and Home Minister Amit Shah and several senior BJP leaders have campaigned extensively in West Bengal for weeks, focusing on what they called illegal immigration from Bangladesh and the weak local economy under incumbent Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Banerjee is a fierce critic of Modi and a key member of India’s opposition alliance. She has been in power in the state since 2011.

The positive trend for the BJP in West Bengal also boosted market sentiment, with the 10-year bond yield down 2 basis points at 6.9954 per cent, bond traders said.

BLOW TO OPPOSITION ALLIANCE

In the southern state of Tamil Nadu, a major hub for electronics and automobiles, popular movie star Joseph Vijay, a first-time entrant into politics who launched his party only two years ago, looked on course to oust the ruling DMK party.

The actor, who goes by the single name Vijay, has a frenzied fan following in the state, which has a history of electing film stars to the top office.

In the other southern state of Kerala, an alliance led by the Congress party looked set to defeat the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist).

The DMK is also a vocal rival of Modi, and DMK and Banerjee’s ruling TMC party were the main pillars of the Congress-led opposition INDIA alliance.

The alliance jointly fought the 2024 general election and deprived Modi of an outright majority, forcing him to rely on the support of regional parties to form a coalition government.

Their losses are expected to significantly weaken opposition to Modi in 2029, when he will contest for a record fourth term in office.

Final results are expected to be clear by Monday evening but the outcome is not expected to have an immediate impact on politics or policy at the federal level.

Source: Reuters

Spirit Airlines is reportedly preparing to shut down indefinitely after filing for bankruptcy last summer, as recent government bailout negotiations appear to have failed.

On Friday, President Donald Trump addressed the potential government bailout for the low-budget airline, signaling that a deal could be reached.

“Well, we’re looking at it, but if we can’t make a good deal, no institution has been able to do it,” Trump said. “I said I’d like to save the jobs, but we’ll have an announcement sometime today. We gave them, we gave them a final proposal.”

Despite the president’s willingness to negotiate, Republican lawmakers largely oppose the $500 million bailout, and doubts are growing. On Friday, the airline’s stock plunged 65 percent.

Fox5 News reached out to Spirit directly. The company declined to comment on negotiations, but said Spirit is operating as usual.

Passengers express concerns

At Harry Reid International Airport, passengers shared their concerns about a possible shutdown.

“It’s really going to hurt the travel industry a lot. And we’re already seeing the decline of travel here in Las Vegas, not just internationally, but domestically as well. Because inflation has really hurt everybody and everything,” said Brittany Thibault, a passenger.

In August, when Spirit filed for bankruptcy for the second time, the company had 25,000 direct employees and independent contractors, including more than 3,000 pilots, 5,000 flight attendants and 600 aircraft maintenance technicians.

The president for the AFA-CWA, the union that represents Spirit Airlines’ flight attendants, provided a social media post directed at President Donald Trump.

“If @realDonaldTrump wants to help @SpiritAirlines he can do it. It’s in his hands. Everyday Americans will hurt - beyond the nearly 20k employees who will lose their livelihoods - it will cost consumers $1B annually. If you’re in charge @POTUS then make it happen now,” the post said.

Thibault said she plans to go to Thailand in December and is uncertain what that will look like if Spirit goes out of business.

For now, passengers should check their bookings and stay alert as this story develops.

Source: Fox5

A sharp rise in cybercrime has shaken India, where nearly 2.5 million people lost an estimated $25 billion to digital fraud in 2025, highlighting growing risks in the country’s fast-expanding online payment ecosystem.

One common tactic involves fraudsters posing as authorities and sending fake payment links. In one such case, a man in Pune was tricked into paying a small traffic fine, only to unknowingly authorise a much larger transaction after sharing a one-time password. Experts describe such scams as ‘‘social engineering,’‘ where urgency and fear are used to manipulate victims.

The surge in fraud coincides with the rapid adoption of digital payments across India, which has outpaced user awareness and security safeguards—especially among elderly and less tech-savvy populations.

In response, the Reserve Bank of India is considering new measures to curb cybercrime. Proposed steps include introducing a one-hour delay for certain bank transfers, adding extra verification for high-value transactions, and tightening checks on suspicious accounts often used to move illicit funds.

However, experts warn that these measures may have limited impact. Many scams have evolved beyond basic OTP fraud into more sophisticated schemes, and adding delays could undermine the real-time nature of digital payments without fully stopping criminals. 

There are also concerns about implementation challenges. Changes to payment infrastructure could be costly and complex, and added friction may inconvenience genuine users. Critics argue that fraudsters may quickly adapt to any new system restrictions.

Specialists say stronger enforcement, better coordination between agencies, and wider digital literacy campaigns are essential to tackling the issue. While the central bank has already launched awareness drives, including partnerships with major public figures and sporting events, analysts believe education remains the most effective long-term defence.

Source: Minute Mirror 

The Department of Meteorology has forecast showers or thundershowers across most parts of the island after 1.00 p.m. today (30), with several provinces expected to experience significant rainfall and unsettled weather conditions.

According to the Met. Department, fairly heavy rainfall exceeding 50 mm is likely in some areas of the Sabaragamuwa, Central and North Central provinces, as well as in the Trincomalee district.

Morning showers are also expected in parts of the Southern Province and the Kalutara district, bringing wet conditions to those areas earlier in the day.

In addition, misty conditions are anticipated in several parts of the Central, Sabaragamuwa, North Central and Uva provinces, which may affect visibility, particularly in elevated and inland regions.

The general public has been advised to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.