An American among the 17 recently evacuated from the notorious hantavirus cruise has been confirmed to have the virus, while another is showing “mild symptoms,” according to the Department of Health and Human Services, who made the announcement on Sunday night.

Although six Americans were under observation due to potential exposure on the cruise, this marks the first officially confirmed case of hantavirus among the evacuees from the luxury cruise liner, MV Hondius, this weekend.

All involved U.S. citizens are being flown back to America, with the two symptomatic passengers being transported in specialized biocontainment units, the HHS reported.

The second passenger displaying symptoms has yet to be confirmed as having contracted the virus. The aircraft carrying the evacuees was scheduled to land in Omaha, Nebraska, early Monday morning.

“One passenger is experiencing mild symptoms, while another has tested mildly PCR positive for the Andes virus,” stated the officials.

‘As of now, the airlift will transport passengers to the ASPR Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Center (RESPTC) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center/Nebraska Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska before taking the passenger with mild symptoms to a second RESPTC at its final destination.’

Each of the 17 Americans will be clinically assessed and cared for based on their condition, HHS added. 

‘One passenger will be transported to the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit upon arrival, while other passengers will go to the National Quarantine Unit for assessment and monitoring. The passenger who is going to the Biocontainment Unit tested positive for the virus but does not have symptoms,’ said Kayla Thomas, a spokesperson for The Nebraska Medical Center.

One of the 17 Americans evacuated from the infamous hantavirus cruise has tested positive for the disease, while another has ‘mild symptoms,’ the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed Sunday night

Hantaviruses ⁠are a group of viruses that are usually spread by rodents but ​in rare cases can be transmitted person to person. 

Health authorities have ​said the risk of the virus spreading is low. 

Eight people no longer on the MV Hondius, opens new tab have fallen ill, according to a World Health Organization update from Friday, with ​six of them confirmed to have contracted the virus, opens new tab. 

A Dutch couple ​and a German national have died.

The Andes strain of hantavirus, identified in the ship’s ‌outbreak, ⁠can cause severe lung illness that can be fatal in up to 50 percent of cases, according to the WHO. 

Spain and France have evacuated, opens new tab their citizens from the MV Hondius, which is anchored near Tenerife, the ⁠largest ​of the Canary Islands, officials said. 

Australia, Canada, the ​Netherlands, Turkey, the UK and Ireland are also flying home nationals who were on the ​ship.

So far, there have been eight cases of hantavirus linked to the outbreak that began on the luxury cruise ship MV Hondius headed for the Canary Islands in early April.

Five infections have been confirmed, three are suspected, and three people have died already – with many fearing that the disease may become a deadly outbreak. 

The US is one of several countries who came to save the nearly 140 passengers and crew members trapped on board the ill-fated vessel. 

Evacuations were set to take place between Sunday and Monday, in conjunction with the Spanish government after MV Hondius docks in Tenerife.

Passengers were tested for hantavirus and disembark,ed country by country, before boarding smaller boats in groups of five to head to shore for the plane ride.  

The State Department told CBS News the US plane is being chartered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services.

The CDC said Friday that they would provide their own ‘exposure risk assessment’ for the American passengers to help assess the level of monitoring needed.  

This is a developing story.

The Americans will land at the Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, before going to the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s new state-of-the-art biocontainment unit.

The CDC will also be sending a team to the university for support. 

All of the travelers will be quarantined on their own for the time being, according to Michael Wadman, medical director of the university’s National Quarantine Unit.

‘Each individual will have their own room,’ Wadman said, while adding that there is no standard quarantine period set for those being brought in. 

‘Each of the rooms looks very much like a hotel room with the addition of availability of WiFi, exercise equipment. If the quarantine is prolonged, those would be important in terms of making sure they’re comfortable.’ 

The unit, which opened in 2019, comes from a $20 million Department of Health and Human Services grant, ABC News reported. 

The dedicated biocontainment and quarantine unit in Omaha previously was used to treat Ebola patients and some of the first COVID-19 patients. 

Nebraska Medicine is one of a handful of hospitals in the US with specialized treatment units for people with highly dangerous infectious diseases.

‘We are prepared for situations exactly like this,’ Dr. Michael Ash, CEO of Nebraska Medicine, said in a statement.

Images of hazmat-suited medical workers airlifting gravely ill passengers from the MV Hondius earlier this week were hauntingly reminiscent of the darkest days of the Covid pandemic.

Meanwhile, passengers who previously left the stricken vessel are now under home quarantine and being closely monitored, including Americans in six states – Arizona, California, Georgia, New Jersey, Texas and Virginia.

In the latest worrying twist, a Spanish woman who was on the same flight as a passenger who later died from the disease has reportedly been hospitalized with a suspected infection.

She was said to have been ‘two rows behind the person who died’ and had ‘only brief contact’. No further details have been released.

Those most at risk of severe illness are believed to include older adults, people with weakened immune systems, and anyone exposed to a high dose of the virus – for example through prolonged exposure to contaminated rodent droppings or dust. In the US, hantavirus remains extremely rare. 

The CDC says 890 cases were reported between 1993 and the end of 2023 – an average of about 30 cases a year.

Worldwide, however, the WHO estimates there are between 10,000 and more than 100,000 infections annually, with the largest burden in Asia and Europe.

The Andes strain involved in the MV Hondius outbreak is considered particularly concerning because it is one of the hantaviruses linked to severe pulmonary disease and the only strain known to spread between people in limited circumstances.

However, experts say the strain involved in the cruise ship outbreak is not significant different to other Andes virus outbreaks, and shows no signs of mutation. 

The World Health Organization considers the risk to the wider public from the outbreak as low.

On Friday, the WHO said a flight attendant on a plane briefly boarded by an infected cruise passenger has tested negative for hantavirus. Her possible infection had raised concerns about the virus’ potential transmissibility.

However, the outbreak has inevitably raised alarm – not least because hantavirus is little known outside medical circles, has no specific cure, and can in some cases trigger catastrophic lung failure within days.

Symptoms usually begin between one and eight weeks after exposure.

The CDC says Andes virus is the only hantavirus known to spread between people, and even then transmission is generally limited to close contact with someone who is ill.

They advise anyone who develops symptoms after a possible hantavirus exposure to seek medical attention promptly.

Warning signs include fever, muscle aches, breathing difficulties, chest tightness, severe weakness or symptoms developing after known exposure to rodents or an infected person.

In those circumstances, doctors say people should seek urgent medical advice and inform healthcare providers about any possible hantavirus exposure.

President Donald Trump said Thursday that the virus is ‘very much, we hope, under control.’

‘We have a lot of people, a lot of great people, studying it,’ Trump added. ‘It should be fine, we hope.’

In London on Sunday, thousands gathered to express their concern over the alarming rise in violent incidents targeting the Jewish community across the UK. The demonstrators voiced their frustration with what they see as the British government’s lack of action in addressing the issue.

Just days ahead of the protest, Kemi Badenoch, leader of the U.K. Conservative Party, spoke to Fox News Digital, emphasizing the need for “zero tolerance for antisemitism” and urging that the surge in violence be treated as a pressing national crisis. Badenoch advocated for tougher measures, including the deportation of foreign religious leaders promoting hatred in mosques and other venues. “Antisemites have no place here. Britain has long been a sanctuary for Jews and must continue to be,” she stated.

Her remarks coincide with the UK’s decision to elevate its national terrorism threat level to “severe,” the second-highest designation, signifying that an attack is highly probable. This adjustment comes as security experts note an increasingly dangerous climate, marked by a rise in antisemitic acts, arson, and violence targeting Jewish individuals.

On April 30, 2026, a rally organized by the Campaign Against Antisemitism took place near Downing Street in London, following a stabbing incident involving two Jewish men in the Golders Green area. Prime Minister Keir Starmer responded by promising additional security funding for Jewish institutions and calling for a unified stance against antisemitism.

Badenoch cautioned about an “unholy alliance” between the far Left and Islamist extremists fueling the spread of antisemitism. She questioned the intent behind slogans like “from the river to the sea” and “globalize the intifada,” suggesting they imply the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state and incite violence against Jews globally.

British security officials have long noted that Islamist extremism remains one of the United Kingdom’s primary terror threats, with MI5 warning that radicalization networks and extremist ideology continue to pose serious risks.

Jewish leaders and analysts say expressions of support for terrorist groups such as Hamas, combined with public glorification of violence, have contributed to an environment in which anti-Jewish hostility is becoming increasingly normalized.

Despite mounting criticism over Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s handling of antisemitism as incidents continue to reach new highs across the U.K., Starmer, speaking at the No10 Tackling Antisemitism Forum last week, said: “Our Jewish communities [are] feeling frightened, angry and asking whether this country, their home, is safe for them.” 

He added: “In recent months, as antisemitic incidents have risen, we have acted decisively to strengthen the safety of Jewish communities,” announcing an additional £25 million in funding for increased patrols and enhanced security to prevent serious harm before it occurs.” Despite those assurances, critics say the response is still falling short, warning that Jewish communities remain exposed and the situation is continuing to escalate.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits the Hatzola Northwest independent ambulance base after yesterday’s terrorist incident, on April 30, 2026 in Golders Green, England. A 45-year-old British-Somali man was arrested yesterday, after stabbing two Jewish men, Shloime Rand and Moshe Shine, in a terrorist attack in Golders Green. Both victims are in stable condition, and the suspect was caught by police after being tasered. The government has since pledged £25 million to improve security for the Jewish community following the incident. (James Smith/Sam Snap/Getty Images)

Jonathan Sacerdoti, a London-based commentator and writer, told Fox News Digital that authorities have demonstrated the ability to deploy large scale policing when necessary, but many Jewish residents are questioning whether that same urgency is being applied to protecting them.

“Considering they’re able to police massive anti-Israel protests every two weeks for the last two and a half years,” Sacerdoti said, “they ought to be able to do the same to protect Jews.”

He added that security funding alone cannot solve what he sees as a deeper problem.

Leader of the Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch speaks at an antisemitism rally in the United Kingdom. (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images)

“Jews should not need a volunteer security organization,” he said. “The state should protect us itself.”

For many Jewish families across the United Kingdom, the impact is no longer abstract. It is being felt in everyday life.

Rabbi Albert Chait, senior rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregation in Leeds, said one of the most troubling signs is how normalized constant security has become for Jewish children.

“You know what the worst thing is, in my opinion?” Chait said. “The fact that my children do not ask why there is police outside their school. They do not question why there is paid security on the gate and on the street. They do not even question it because that is just normal day to day activity.”

Members of the Jewish community view the scene of an antisemitic arson attack in the Golders Green neighborhood of north London on March 24, 2026. (Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images)

According to the Community Security Trust, antisemitic incidents in Britain reached approximately 3,700 in 2025, among the highest totals on record, prompting increased funding for security at synagogues, schools and Jewish institutions.

As Britain confronts what many are increasingly describing as a national crisis, similar warning signs are becoming more visible in the United States.

This past week in Queens, New York, multiple Jewish homes, a synagogue and a Jewish community center housing a preschool were vandalized with swastikas and antisemitic graffiti, raising alarm among residents.

From swastikas scrawled in school bathrooms and subway stations to antisemitic graffiti targeting synagogues and Jewish institutions, symbols of hate are appearing with growing visibility in everyday American life.

New York City officials say four suspects allegedly spray-painted swastikas and other antisemitic symbols on synagogues, homes and cars in Queens, New York, earlier this week. (New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin/X)

“One of the sites houses a pre-K program, where young children, their families and staff were greeted with swastikas and other hateful vandalism,” Mark Treyger, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York told Jewish Insider. “This is not normal, and we need city leaders to act now.”

For many observers, the parallels are difficult to ignore.

What Britain is experiencing, rising antisemitic violence, normalized hostility, and ongoing debates over ideology and enforcement, is no longer confined overseas.

It is increasingly being reflected in American communities.

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch speaks during a “face down” antisemitism rally in Whitehall, central London, following a series of arson attacks and two people being stabbed in Golders Green, north-west London on April 29. Picture date: Sunday May 10, 2026.  (Lucy North/PA Images via Getty Images)

And as the crisis unfolds, Badenoch’s warning carries implications far beyond the United Kingdom.

“I have never seen the level of racism, discrimination, intimidation and attacks that have been directed at the Jewish community,” she said. “If other minority communities were facing similar levels of violence, there would be a national emergency.”

PHILADELPHIA — Early cheers of “Let’s go Knicks” echoed through the arena as the Knicks unleashed a barrage of 3-pointers.

Fans erupted with “Deuce” after each of Miles McBride’s impressive seven 3-pointers.

The crowd chanted “Knicks in four,” celebrating as the team continued to dominate.

Though technically the Knicks were playing away for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals,

the atmosphere at Xfinity Mobile Arena felt distinctly like a home game for the Knicks. On Mother’s Day, they delivered a crushing 144-114 victory, sweeping the 76ers in four games as their supporters took over the venue.

“I used to think Philly was a sports town,” Josh Hart said with a wry smile. “I don’t know if it is anymore.”

It was a Knicks town this weekend.

There was a strong contingent of Knicks fans for Friday night’s Game 3, but they were mostly drowned out by the 76ers supporters until the game was out of reach.

Sunday was different.

Sunday, they owned the building.

Sunday, they made it their home.

The only resistance came from the ear-splitting 76ers public address announcer.

His effort was futile.

It started in warmups, with Knicks fans booing Joel Embiid.

“I thought we were back in the Garden for a second,” Hart said.

To add salt in the wound, a group of Knicks fans brought mini-posters of Mitchell Robinson’s alley-oop dunk Friday over Embiid and tried to hand them out to 76ers fans.

“Man, Mitch did his thing right here, so shout-out to the fans,” McBride said.

Before the series began, Embiid called on 76ers fans to hold on to their tickets and not let it be a repeat of two years ago, when Knicks fans invaded Xfinity Mobile Arena.

The team limited tickets to residents of the Philadelphia area, mirroring the Pistons plan from a year ago in the first round against the Knicks.

They also donated 500 tickets for each game to local community groups.

It didn’t work, as available tickets flooded the secondary market once the Knicks won the first two games of the series at home.

The takeover seemed to anger Tyrese Maxey.

“It absolutely sucks, if I’m being honest. It just sucks,” the star guard said. “That’s really all I can say about it, man. It’s hard. It’s definitely difficult. It’s only one way to put a stop to it and it’s we have to go out there and win these games.

“Just being completely honest, we were better when we played them in the Garden this entire season. I know we lost Game 2 and 1, but Game 2 was better. The regular season was better. I was telling them, it felt louder here for them than it did in the Garden.”

The Trump administration has launched an investigation into a progressive women’s college in Massachusetts over its policy of admitting transgender students.

On Monday, the U.S. Department of Education confirmed it is examining Smith College, a liberal arts institution with around 2,500 students located in Northampton, roughly two hours from Boston.

The investigation, led by the department’s Office for Civil Rights, will determine if Smith College has breached Title IX, a federal statute that prohibits sex-based discrimination in educational settings.

The federal agency indicated that Smith College may be in violation because Title IX’s exemption for single-sex colleges is based on “biological sex difference, not subjective gender identity.”

“The concept of an all-women’s college becomes meaningless if biological males are admitted,” stated Kimberly Richey, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights. “Admitting biological males into spaces intended for women brings up significant issues regarding privacy, fairness, and compliance with federal law.”

Richey added that the Trump administration would ‘continue to uphold the law and fight to restore common sense.’

Smith’s website currently notes that ‘cis, trans, and nonbinary women are eligible to apply’ for admission, and that hormone therapy is provided on campus.

The college began admitting transgender women in 2015, two years after facing backlash for refusing to admit a high school senior whose gender identity did not match what was listed on her financial aid form.

New graduates leave the Quad following commencement ceremonies at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts in 2017

The Trump administration announced Monday that it was investigating Smith College, a liberal arts school with about 2,500 students, over its admission of transgender students

The Department of Education said Monday it was investigating Smith College over potential Title IX violations

The Department of Education claimed Smith was ‘admitting biological men and granting them access to women-only spaces, including dormitories, bathrooms, locker rooms, and athletic teams.’

‘When an institution holds itself out as being an all-women’s college, it is not just promising to deliver female-only dorms and bathrooms, and single-sex athletics; it is also committing to maintain a student body that makes possible a particular form of sorority and camaraderie,’ the agency said. 

Smith began clearly including transgender students in its admission policies in 2015.

That decision came two years after Smith denied admission to Calliope Wong, who identified as a transgender woman, in 2013. 

Smith’s decision sparked a series of on-campus protests across women’s colleges.

Wong ultimately enrolled at and graduated early from the University of Connecticut before taking her life in 2021, according to UConn Magazine.

It is unclear how many transgender students are currently enrolled at Smith.

On its website, the liberal arts school notes that it is ‘actively working to expand support for transgender students.’

Smith also provides ‘trans-affirming primary care,’ including hormone therapy, on campus at the Schacht Center for Health and Wellness.

Additionally, every single-occupancy restroom on campus is designated as all-gender, according to school.

There is also an all-gender locker room in the athletic facilities that includes private showering and changing areas.

Smith began admitting transgender women in 2015, two years after denying admission to Calliope Wong (pictured), who identified as a trans woman

The Department of Education said that ‘allowing biological males into spaces designed for women raises serious concerns about privacy, fairness, and compliance under federal law’

The investigation into Smith was opened in response to a civil rights complaint filed by Defending Education, a conservative nonprofit whose stated mission is ‘working to restore schools at all levels from activists imposing harmful agendas.’

The original complaint claimed the college ‘threatens to investigate and/or punish students who disagree with the college’s unlawful policies on gender identity and sex.’ 

Defending Education’s president, Nicole Neily, said she was ‘gratified’ that the Trump administration was looking into Smith.

‘I believe very strongly in the importance of single-sex spaces, be it a boys camp or an all-women’s college,’ Neily told Politico.

She added that ‘how Smith College has been addressing the issue of gender, to me, is very troubling.’

‘It sends a very mixed message that natal males who identify as female are allowed to attend, but biological girls who identify as boys are not,’ Neily said.

A spokesperson for Smith College confirmed the Department of Education’s probe but said the school would not comment on pending government investigations.

‘The College is fully committed to its institutional values, including compliance with civil rights laws,’ Smith’s spokesperson told the outlet.

The Schacht Center for Health and Wellness (pictured) provides hormone therapy and other forms of ‘trans-affirming primary care,’ according to Smith’s website

Smith’s website notes the school is ‘actively working to expand support for transgender students’

The college said it was ‘fully committed to its institutional values, including compliance with civil rights laws’ (Photo of Sarah Willie-LeBreton, the president of Smith College)

About 4.7 percent of undergraduate college students identify as transgender, according to the Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine.

Research indicated that figure dipped to roughly 2.7 percent within graduate ranks, likely because the students are older.

The Trump administration has previously looked into other colleges around the country for transgender-related matters.

In January, the Department of Education announced that San Jose State University violated Title IX by ‘allowing males to compete in women’s sports and access female-only facilities deny women equal educational opportunities and benefits.’

Two months later, the agency said the university had not signed a proposed resolution agreement and had ‘taken no other action to ensure the safety of its female students.’

Last March, $175million in federal funding to the University of Pennsylvania was frozen ‘over its policies forcing women to compete with men in sports,’ according to the White House’s Rapid Response X account.

That decision came one month after Trump signed an executive order called, ‘Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.’

The Daily Mail has reached out to the Department of Education and Smith College for further comment.

A colossal ruby has been discovered in Burma, earning the distinction of being the second-largest ever found in the tumultuous country.

This remarkable gemstone tips the scales at approximately 11,000 carats, equivalent to about 4.8 pounds. It was unearthed near Mogok, a region in Mandalay known as the heart of Burma’s gem industry. This area has also been enduring persistent conflict. The Associated Press, referencing state media, shared this development.

The discovery of the ruby occurred in mid-April, just after the country celebrated its traditional New Year festivities.

On May 7, 2026, Burma’s newly found ruby was showcased at the president’s office in Naypyitaw. (Myanmar Military True News Information Team/AP)

Although this ruby is approximately half the size of the monumental 21,450-carat ruby found in 1996, experts suggest its superior quality might make it even more valuable, according to reports from the outlet.

It has a purplish-red color with slight yellow tones, moderate transparency and a highly reflective surface.

Burmese President Min Aung Hlaing and his cabinet have already inspected the stone in the country’s capital of Naypyidaw.

Burmese officials inspect a newly discovered ruby at the president’s office in Naypyidaw on May 7, 2026. (Myanmar Military True News Information Team/AP)

Burma produces up to 90% of the world’s rubies, mostly from Mogok and nearby Mong Hsu. 

The gem trade — both legal and illegal — is a major source of income in the country.

However, rights groups, including Global Witness, have long urged jewelers to avoid buying Burmese gemstones, saying the trade helps fund the country’s military governments, according to The Associated Press.

This photo taken on May 16, 2019, shows miners working in a ruby mine in Mogok, north of Mandalay. (Ye Aung Thu/AFP via Getty Images)

Gem mining also finances ethnic armed groups fighting for autonomy, contributing to Burma’s long-running conflicts.

The mining regions remain unstable. 

Mogok was seized in July 2024 by the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), an ethnic armed group. Control later returned to the military under a ceasefire deal brokered by China late last year.

PHILADELPHIA — Just over a minute into the game, the Knicks made their first attempt after the opening tip-off.

Another successful shot came just over a minute later.

During the next play, Jalen Brunson’s three-pointer didn’t find its mark.

Why is this noteworthy, you might wonder?

It was one of the few misses for the Knicks during Sunday’s game, as they stormed back into the Eastern Conference finals with a commanding 144-114 win at Xfinity Mobile Arena, making it a memorable Mother’s Day for their fans.

They made their next nine 3-point attempts, on their way to hitting an incredible 25 from distance, a franchise postseason record that also equaled the all-time NBA mark set by the Bucks (2021) and Cavaliers (2016).

They equaled another NBA playoff record by hitting 11 3s in the first quarter and 18 in the first half, for their seventh straight win of this postseason.

“It’s definitely special. I didn’t even know, honestly,” Miles McBride said, referring to the record-matching 3-point shooting display. “To have anything like that on your name is a legacy you want.”

The brilliant shooting day was somewhat of a surprise, despite how easily the Knicks handled the 76ers in this series.

They entered the contest shooting 38.3 percent from 3-point range in the playoffs, fourth among teams still alive.

They were a strong perimeter shooting team during the regular season, fourth in the league at 37.3 percent.

But they hadn’t lit it up of late.

They were 9-for-27 from 3 in Game 2 and 7-for-26 in Game 3.

But with a chance to advance, the Knicks looked like a team of Splash Brothers, mimicking the Steph Curry and Klay Thompson Warriors.

“Guys were sacrificing good shots for better shots, and when you do that, the ball has energy and we have to knock down shots,” Josh Hart said. “So playing a style like that is fun.”

Miles McBride hit seven 3-pointers.

Brunson dropped in six.

Landry Shamet had four off the bench.

Hart, despite that sprained left thumb, made four.

Pacôme Dadiet tied the record with a 3 in the final minute.

“I mean, it felt great,” Hart said. “My right hand remembered that the goal was to make 3s, so happy to have her back.”

At one point late in the second quarter, the Knicks had made more 3-pointers (14) than the 76ers had field goals (13).

They led by 27.

For much of the afternoon, they were over 60 percent from 3 — video game numbers.

“Our sprays were tremendous, but the spacing part is what made them really good,” coach Mike Brown said. “We spaced the floor very good and when they committed two to the ball and/or we touched the paint and their defense collapsed, we did a great job of finding the open man and making one more pass without panicking. Guys stepped in and knocked shots down.

“Twenty-five 3s on 44 attempts, if I’m seeing that right, it’s unbelievable and it’s great basketball. But the group that I have in the locker room, they’re more than capable of doing something like that.”