Travel sickness
Three people were reported to have died in an outbreak of hantavirus on a cruise ship returning to Europe from Antarctica. How likely are you to fall ill with an infectious disease on a cruise? A European study that analysed US data on 760 cruises between 2010 and 2013 found an overall illness rate of 2.81 cases per 10,000 traveller-days, while 97% of cases involved norovirus. The rate of outbreaks was highest on ships which had a home port in Cuba or Egypt and lowest on ships with a home port in France, Greece, Italy or the UK.
Local difficulties
Does a governing party ever do well in local elections? Results from the past decade:
– 2016: (Conservatives, David Cameron) net loss 48 seats
– 2017: (Conservatives, Theresa May) net gain 557 seats
– 2018: (Conservatives, Theresa May) net loss 25 seats
– 2019: (Conservatives, Theresa May) net loss 1,330 seats
– 2021: (Conservatives, Boris Johnson) net gain 235 seats
– 2022: (Conservatives, Boris Johnson) net loss 435 seats
– 2023: (Conservatives, Rishi Sunak) net loss 1,063 seats
– 2024: (Conservatives, Rishi Sunak) net loss 474 seats
– 2025: (Labour, Keir Starmer) net loss 187 seats
Threat of removal
Reform UK said it would locate immigration removal centres in areas where people vote Green. In whose constituencies are existing centres located?
Brook House – Peter Lamb (LAB)
Campsfield – Calum Miller (LD)
Colnbrook – John McDonnell (LAB)
Derwentside – Liz Twist (LAB)
Dungavel – House Joani Reid (IND)
Harmondsworth – John McDonnell (LAB)
Manchester – Mike Kane (LAB)
Swinderby – Hamish Falconer (LAB)
Tinsley House – Peter Lamb (LAB)
Yarl’s Wood – Muhammad Yasin (LAB)
Ancient beasts
David Attenborough has celebrated his 100th birthday. Some creatures believed to have lived longer than that:
Greenland shark – up to 500 years
Tubeworms – up to 300 years
Giant tortoise – at least 200 years
Freshwater pearl mussel – 200 years
Bowhead whale – 200 years
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