The White House has refuted US media claims regarding the imminent departures of Pete Hegseth, the White House Chief of Staff, and Mark Rubio, the Secretary of State. Reports suggested calls for Hegseth's replacement and a potential impeachment vote, while Rubio was rumoured to be preparing a presidential campaign.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, has sought to calm Tenerife residents regarding the arrival of the MV Hondius cruise ship, which has reported six hantavirus cases, including three fatalities. He emphasised that the public health risk remains low, differentiating it from the 2020 pandemic, despite local concerns and protests.
The European Commission has confirmed Portugal and Italy will not suspend new biometric border checks for British nationals, despite Greek authorities effectively abandoning such checks due to severe travel delays. The EU's Entry-Exit System, requiring fingerprinting and facial scanning for non-EU visitors, has caused extensive queues at European airports since its partial introduction last October, leading to missed flights.
