WHO: Hantavirus may have spread between humans

The Global News Podcast opens with a major health alert from the WHO regarding a suspected hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship, where three passengers have died and human-to-human transmission is now under investigation—unusual for a virus typically spread by rodents. The ship, carrying about 150 people, remains trapped at sea as Cape Verde and Spain refuse to allow docking, citing safety concerns. Health experts emphasize that while person-to-person spread is rare, it may have occurred among close contacts like spouses sharing cabins, particularly due to the confined spaces on cruise ships. The WHO is also tracing passengers from a flight taken by one of the deceased, complicated by the virus’s unpredictable incubation period of days to weeks. Meanwhile, geopolitical tensions escalate in the Strait of Hormuz, where the U.S. has launched 'Project Freedom' to ensure commercial shipping safety, prompting strong reactions from Iran, which calls the operation 'Project Deadlock' and accuses the U.S. of aggression. In Lebanon, Israeli strikes have killed over 100 people despite a ceasefire, prompting new evacuation orders and deepening humanitarian crisis. The podcast also covers a deadly fireworks factory explosion in China, a railway station collapse in Serbia with no justice after 18 months, and a poignant discussion on linguistic extinction and cultural preservation through the lens of a new book on 'linguicide'. Finally, Dolly Parton cancels her Las Vegas residency due to health issues, though she remains optimistic about recovery and future projects.