Passengers on a Cruise Ship Partially Confined in Bordeaux. An “episode of viral gastroenteritis” led to the partial confinement of around 1,700 people aboard a cruise ship that arrived in Bordeaux on Tuesday night, as reported by El País. French health authorities “hurried to rule out any connection with the hantavirus,” according to the Spanish newspaper. However, to “avoid any panic” and due to the “international context,” still marked by the hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius ship, a “disembarkation ban” was issued for the passengers, mostly British and Irish, on Wednesday morning. Eighty people had been experiencing symptoms compatible with acute digestive infection since Monday. Analyses conducted during the day confirmed that it was indeed gastroenteritis, and those “non-symptomatic” individuals were allowed to disembark in the evening. The sick passengers, on the other hand, will have to remain “in isolation.” Unless the cruise operator decides otherwise, the ship is set to depart for Spain on Thursday evening.
Israel: Coalition in Power Opens Way to Early Elections. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies in the ruling coalition “initiated on Wednesday a process to dissolve the Knesset, paving the way for early elections,” as reported by Ha’Aretz. The legislative elections, initially scheduled for October 27, could take place as early as the end of August – the exact date will be determined by a parliamentary committee. “This decision comes amid increasing tensions” between Benjamin Netanyahu and his ultra-Orthodox coalition partners “regarding a law exempting yeshiva [rabbinical seminaries] students from military service,” as specified by the Israeli newspaper. Mr. Netanyahu informed his ultra-Orthodox allies on Tuesday that the law would not be passed during the current legislature – a point of contention that led to the collapse of the coalition.
Peru: Leftist Candidate Qualifies for Presidential Runoff. Roberto Sánchez, the candidate of the radical left in the Peruvian presidential election, has qualified for the second round, according to nearly final results released on Wednesday. With only 16,500 ballots left to count, his lead of over 18,500 votes gives him “a sufficient margin to surpass the far-right businessman” Rafael López Aliaga, notes Bloomberg. He will face Keiko Fujimori, another far-right candidate, on June 7. His qualification comes as the prosecutor requested on Wednesday a “five-year and four-month prison sentence” against him for alleged false statements made by his party to the electoral authority between 2018 and 2020, as reported by La República. A hearing has been scheduled for May 27 to determine if the case will go to trial.
