GENEVA, May 8 — The MV Hondius cruise ship, hit by a rare hantavirus outbreak believed to have killed three people, is sailing from Cape Verde towards the Spanish island of Tenerife where isolating passengers and crew will be finally be evacuated.

Here is what we know so far about the situation on the Hondius, which has sparked international alarm since news of the outbreak emerged last weekend.

Who is on board? 

There are 149 people on the MV Hondius, the ship’s Dutch operator Oceanwide Expeditions told AFP on Thursday.

There are 23 nationalities on board. There are more than 80 passengers, with the largest groups from Britain, the United States and Spain.  Most of the crew are from the Philippines.

Following Wednesday’s evacuation of three suspected cases, the ship operator said Thursday “no symptomatic individuals are present on board”.

Cases 

There are three confirmed cases of hantavirus, according to health authorities — a Dutch woman who died in hospital in Johannesburg, a British man being treated in Johannesburg, and a Swiss national in hospital in Zurich, who left the cruise in Saint Helena.

There are also five suspected cases of the virus: two people who have died and three evacuated from the ship.

Three deaths 

A Dutch couple who had travelled around South America before boarding the ship in Ushuaia, Argentina on April 1 were the first fatalities.

The husband, 70, showed symptoms on April 6 and died on April 11. His body was taken off the ship during its April 22-24 call at Saint Helena, an island in the south Atlantic.

His 69-year-old wife, who was feeling unwell, also left the ship at Saint Helena. Her health deteriorated during an April 25 flight to Johannesburg and she died in hospital a day later, with hantavirus confirmed on May 4.

A German passenger who developed a fever on April 28, which became pneumonia, died on May 2. Her body remains on the ship.

Evacuees 

A British passenger became ill on April 24 with signs of fever and pneumonia and was evacuated from the Atlantic island of Ascension to South Africa, where he is in intensive care. Hantavirus was confirmed on May 2.

Two crew members, one British and one Dutch, also showed symptoms. They were evacuated from Cape Verde’s capital Praia on Wednesday along with a passenger with no symptoms but with links to the German woman who died.

A medical plane carrying two evacuees landed at Amsterdam late Wednesday, while another air ambulance believed to be carrying the third evacuee landed there early Thursday.

The virus 

The rare disease is usually spread from infected rodents, typically through urine, droppings and saliva.

Laboratory testing in South Africa and Switzerland confirmed the two patients being treated in those countries had the Andes strain of hantavirus — the only one known to pass between humans.

There are no vaccines or specific treatments for hantavirus.

However, officials including the head of the World Health Organization said the overall public health risk from the current outbreak was low, as very close contact is needed for it to spread.

Contact tracing 

The WHO has said that contact tracing is under way for people on the April 25 commercial flight taken by the Dutch woman from Saint Helena to Johannesburg before she died.

Dutch airline KLM indicated Wednesday that the Dutch woman who died had also been “briefly” on its flight from Johannesburg to the Netherlands on April 25, but was removed before take-off.

A flight attendant on that flight is currently being tested for hantavirus after showing mild symptoms and being admitted to hospital in Amsterdam, the Dutch health ministry said Thursday.

Two Singapore residents who had been aboard the Hondius have been isolated and are being tested for hantavirus, Singapore officials said Thursday.

Former passengers in Britain and the United States are also reportedly under observation.

A small number of people on Saint Helena, who had close, prolonged contact with unwell passengers, have been asked to isolate for 45 days.

Argentina’s health ministry said Wednesday it was sending experts to Ushuaia to capture and test rodents for the virus “in areas linked to the route” the Dutch couple took.

The journey 

The cruise began on April 1, with 114 guests boarding at Ushuaia, Oceanwide Expeditions said.

After South Georgia, Tristan da Cunha and other Atlantic islands, the vessel called at Saint Helena, where 30 guests disembarked on April 24.

The Hondius then stopped at Ascension Island on April 27, before anchoring off Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, from Sunday until it set sail for the Canaries late Wednesday.

What is happening on board? 

The WHO said passengers were being asked to isolate in their cabins while disinfection and other measures are being taken.

A former passenger told AFP that life carried on as usual aboard the ship after the captain announced the first passenger’s death.

“We again kept eating all together... and we didn’t wear any masks,” said Turkish national Ruhi Cenet, who left the cruise in Saint Helena.

What’s next? 

Spain’s health ministry has said the ship is expected in Tenerife on Sunday, with evacuation of passengers set to start on May 11. — AFP 

LILING (China), May 8 — ‌Emblazoned on a box of Chinese fireworks is a picture of US President Donald Trump raising his fist in defiance after a failed assassination bid in 2024, juxtaposed with the US flag and the slogan “Fight for America”.

This year’s celebrations for US Independence Day on July 4 will be “a lot better” than last ‌year, said Wilson Lam, US business manager for Black Scorpion Fireworks in China’s southern city of Liling.

Last year manufacturers were struggling with tariff hikes of more than 100 percentage points, Lam said, but their reversal has boosted orders from US customers by 15 per cent to 30 per cent this year for his brand.

It is the overseas face of a three-decades-old factory in a region that has turned out fireworks for more than 1,300 years, originally meant to dispel evil spirits.

And Trump’s visit to Beijing, set for mid-May, just weeks before the 250th anniversary of US independence, shows how intertwined the world’s two biggest economies remain, Lam said, with the US taking almost 40 per cent of China’s fireworks exports.

“Husbands and wives fight too, that’s normal,” he said, speaking amid a sea of fireworks boxes draped in US patriotic symbols, from eagles to the Statue of Liberty.

“But we can’t live without each other because we are the biggest trading partners in the world.”

Most ‌July 4 shipments have already been delivered or are in transit, said Lam, so there will be no delays from a temporary production ⁠halt this week for safety inspections after a deadly blast at ⁠a factory in the area.

Made in China for US Independence Day

Some boxes bore the ‘Make ⁠America Great Again’ slogan from Trump’s presidential campaign ⁠that promised to bring home ⁠the jobs US workers had lost to China and other nations.

China’s exports of fireworks accounted for two-thirds of global sales last year, although their value, at US$1.14 billion, shrank from US$1.16 billion the year before, data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity shows.

Factories usually ship orders in April for ⁠July 4 events, but many went on hold last year, after US tariffs spiked 145 percentage points following Trump’s “Liberation Day” levies.

Retaliation from China forced Washington to lower the barriers within weeks. Lam’s fireworks, shipped after Independence Day, were set off during other celebrations instead, such as New Year.

Black Scorpion’s factories, where workers make the products largely by hand, are located in China’s “fireworks corridor” in the provinces of Hunan and Jiangxi, where state media say hundreds of thousands of people are employed.

Employees work to assemble firework products at Chili Fireworks factory in Liling, Hunan province, China, April 10, 2026. — Reuters pic

‘Let them make fireworks’

As much as 70 per cent of their raw ⁠material comes from the regional city of Liuyang, with more than 400 fireworks stores and just under 1.5 million people. Tourists flock to regular fireworks festivals there and in its smaller neighbour, Pingxiang.

Liu Fangguo, the founder of the Shengding Fireworks ⁠Factory in Pingxiang, has made the painful decision to largely divert exports away from the United States and escape the bother of tariffs.

“We’ve tried every ⁠means to ⁠shift to domestic sales or sell to other countries,” he said. “We gradually recovered but the impact (of tariffs) is still there.”

Eric Zheng, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in the commercial hub of Shanghai, said its members were wary that China-US ties could sour again, but most expected Trump’s visit to extend ‌a short-term “truce” in trade hostilities.

“If you move away from China, it will be a loss for US consumers,” Zheng said, adding that they hankered for China’s well-made affordable exports, from fireworks to garments and shoes.

“So let them make fireworks.” — Reuters

BARCELONA, May 8 — With the sting of Champions League disappointment fading but not forgotten, Barcelona are aiming to clinch back-to-back La Liga titles on Sunday when they host bitter rivals Real Madrid.

Leading by 11 points, Hansi Flick’s side only need a draw in the Clasico to be crowned champions again, although a victory against a Los Blancos team in crisis would keep them on course to make history — and celebrate in style.

If Barcelona win their last four league games this season, starting with the battle against Alvaro Arbeloa’s fracturing Madrid, they will match the all-time league record of 100 points.

That was first achieved by Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid in 2011-12 and followed the season after by Tito Vilanova’s Barca.

Barca’s 29 wins so far this season are the most of any side at this point, and if they win their last four games they will break the record of 32 victories in a season, shared by the Mourinho and Vilanova sides.

Should Barca beat Madrid and also Real Betis the following weekend, they will become the first team to win all their home matches in a 38-game La Liga season.

However, they are without teenage star Lamine Yamal, who is out for the next few weeks with a hamstring injury.

Brazilian winger Raphinha returned to the bench last weekend after injury but did not appear in the win at Osasuna which moved Barca to the brink of the title.

“I see the team in great shape, very focused — we’re all really looking forward to playing the Clasico,” said Barca defender Jules Kounde this week.

“We can win La Liga with a draw, but a win would be the best.”

This is the first Clasico at the partially-rebuilt Camp Nou in over three years.

In March 2023, Xavi Hernandez’s Barca snatched a late victory with Franck Kessie’s goal which helped them open up a 12-point lead on Madrid and made them virtually assured of the title.

Only once before in Clasico history has the title actually been decided by the result of the game, as could happen again this Sunday.

Real Madrid won the first of their record 36 leagues by drawing 2-2 against Barcelona in the 1931-32 season to clinch the title.

Barca are aiming to seal their 29th this weekend, with Madrid keen to postpone those celebrations by scoring a second victory over Flick’s team this season.

They are waiting to see if top goalscorer Kylian Mbappe can be involved after a thigh injury, while Vinicius Junior is expected to lead the line for Los Blancos.

“He’s the player who has given me the most problems,” said Kounde of the Brazil international.

“He’s a great player, very fast, and he changes direction constantly.”

Madrid face the Clasico in the midst of internal chaos, with Federico Valverde reportedly needing stitches after a training ground bust-up with Aurelien Tchouameni, one of a spate of such incidents.

There is great tension around Arbeloa’s side, about to finish a second consecutive season without a major trophy.

Still, for Flick’s young side, wounded in Europe but dominant domestically, beating Los Blancos to claim the title would help them finish the season on a high note.

Player to watch: Vinicius Junior

With Mbappe sidelined the Brazilian winger has been at his best. His match-winning brace at Espanyol last week prevented Barcelona clinching the title and saved Madrid having to give the champions a guard of honour on Sunday.

Key stats

2 - current players to have scored a hat-trick in the Clasico, both for Real Madrid — Vinicius and Mbappe.

17 - wins from 17 games at home in La Liga for Barca this season.

264 - occasions Barca (105 wins) and Real Madrid (106) have met in competitive Clasicos.

Fixtures

Friday (all times GMT)

Levante v Osasuna (1900)

Saturday

Elche v Alaves (1200), Sevilla v Espanyol (1415), Atletico Madrid v Celta Vigo (1630), Real Sociedad v Real Betis (1900)

Sunday

Mallorca v Villarreal (1200), Athletic Bilbao v Valencia (1415), Real Oviedo v Getafe (1630), Barcelona v Real Madrid (1900)

Monday

Rayo Vallecano v Girona (1900) — AFP 

URTSADZOR (Armenia), May 8 — For years, Syrian brown bears Nairi, Aram and their cub Lola were trapped in a three-metre-wide cage in Armenia’s capital Yerevan, living in their own faeces and fed with sweets.

After being rescued last year, they are now thriving at a wildlife refuge in the Caucasus country’s highlands, but others have not been so lucky.

As many as 20 bears are thought to remain captive in Armenia — a post-Soviet country where oligarchs have been accused of keeping predators as status symbols.

Rescuers have found the animals in miserable conditions: holed up in hotels, backyards and petrol stations, unable to hibernate and deprived of access to natural light.

“No proper care, no veterinary check, anything,” said Tsovinar Hovhannisyan, conservation manager at the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC) — an Armenian-based non-profit that spearheads the rescue efforts and operates a rehabilitation centre for the animals.

Some of the animals have been found with rotting teeth, after being fed with “cookies, Coca-Cola, and sweet stuff,” she told AFP.

After realising the scale of the problem, “we were certain we need this rehabilitation and rescue centre,” she added.

Armenia’s strategic position between Asia and Europe has made it a hub for wildlife trafficking.

Demand for rare animals among Armenia’s ultra-rich has also been a persistent issue, according to a report from the Global Organized Crime Index.

In 2015, an Armenian lawmaker faced criticism after revealing he was keeping half a dozen endangered Siberian tigers at his home.

The issue came to a head in 2016, when a private zoo owned by a businessman in the northern city of Gyumri fell into financial difficulty, leaving animals including lions and bears starving in cages.

Bears, who were rescued from captivity, are seen in an enclosure at the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC) — an Armenian-based charity that spearheads the rescue efforts and operates a rehaibilitation centre for the animals, in Armenia’s highlands near the village of Urtsadzor, 68km from Yerevan, on April 21, 2026. — AFP pic

‘Something to brag about’ 

With Armenia set to host a COP summit on biodiversity in October, rescuers are racing to free the remaining bears.

But the centre has no space to house more bears, said communications manager Ani Poghosyan.

They are trying to raise funds to expand.

“We know of several wild animals, not only bears, held by some of the key big oligarchs in Armenia,” said Poghosyan.

“It is for them a status symbol. Something to brag about... especially if they’re holding big predators, to show that they are more manly,” she added.

Rescuing the bears is also a challenge.

In some cases an owner would offer to give up their bear, only to change their mind when the team turned up, said Poghosyan.

Rescuing Nairi, Aram and Lola was one of the most challenging operations the group has undertaken, Hovhannisyan said.

The owner was reluctant to part with the animals, telling the rescuers that they were “happy living with him”.

“He was saying that we are going to kill the animals, and we don’t know how to properly take care of them,” said Hovhannisyan.

A bear, who was rescued from captivity, is seen in an enclosure at the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC). — AFP pic

“We stood under the rain, more than eight hours, awaiting court for permission to get into the house and rescue the bears,” she said.

When the keepers finally entered the cage, they found it caked in filth.

“That was horrible... It was stinky,” she told AFP, saying she had “very bad memories from that day”.

They need to feel ‘wild’ 

Built into a mountainside around an hour’s drive from the capital, the centre’s 32 bears have large enclosures and are able to dig their own dens.

The food they are given is designed to replicate their diet in the wild, about 80 per cent fruit and vegetables — much of it grown at the refuge — and 20 per cent meat.

They are able to hibernate — unlike in captivity — but must have continued stimulation to keep their minds busy.

“They need to dig, they need to climb trees. They need to smell different plants. We give them live prey too,” said Narine Piloyan, the centre’s coordinator.

After years spent in a cage, the bears at first did not use the full enclosure — used to living in a “small space”, said Piloyan.

Despite improvements in health and wellbeing, the bears are unable to hunt, meaning they must spend the rest of their lives at the centre, said Piloyan.

The goal, she explained, is to let them be bears for the rest of their days.

“They need to feel that they are wild.” — AFP 

Built into a mountainside around an hour’s drive from the capital, the centre’s 32 bears have large enclosures and are able to dig their own dens. — AFP pic

PUTRAJAYA, May 8 — Chief Secretary to the Government (KSN) Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar today announced six new appointments and placements involving top management positions in the civil service.

The changes, effective Monday (May 11), involve the appointment of two ministry secretaries-general and four deputy secretaries-general, according to a statement posted on his official Facebook page today.

Under the reshuffle, Ministry of Education (MOE) secretary-general Datuk Dr Aminuddin Hassim has been appointed secretary-general of the Ministry of Higher Education.

Aminuddin’s post will be assumed by MOE deputy secretary-general (Planning and Development) Datuk Wan Hashim Wan Rahim.

Also involved in the reshuffle are Datuk Dr Megat Sany Megat Ahmad Supian, who was appointed deputy secretary-general (Planning and Development) of MOE, and Datuk Bahria Mohd Tamil, who was appointed deputy secretary-general (Strategic Communications and Creative Industry) at the Ministry of Communications.

In addition, A R Jaya Singam has been appointed deputy secretary-general (Investment and Management) at the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, while Ahmad Rizal Adnan was named deputy secretary-general (Policy) at the Ministry of Higher Education.

Shamsul Azri said the appointments and placements are part of a strategic move to drive the Public Service Reform Agenda (ARPA).

He said the move reflects the government’s commitment to building a performance-driven and high-integrity organisation capable of advancing public sector reforms towards more efficient and effective service delivery.

“The government is confident that the new leadership line-up will carry out their responsibilities with full dedication, while strengthening synergy between ministries and agencies.

“Guided by the principle of loyalty to the King and country, this leadership transition is expected to accelerate the achievement of Malaysia Madani’s goals for the wellbeing of the people,” he said. — Bernama 

KUALA LUMPUR, May 8 — Police arrested two foreigners after a high-speed chase ended with their car crashing along Jalan Johor near Pavillion Damansara Heights early this morning.

Petaling Jaya district police chief said that the police tried to stop a Honda City that was heading to the capital along the Federal Highway for inspection at 2.15am but the car sped away, leading to a high-speed chase along the SPRINT Highway, where the car skidded and crashed into a signboard at the U-turn as it was headed to Kuala Lumpur.

“The police arrested the male driver and a woman passenger, both foreigners in their 20s at the crash, while another suspect managed to run away.

“Further checks of the car did not reveal any suspicious materials such as drugs or dangerous weapons,” he said in a statement today, adding that the two suspects, who did not possess any prior criminal records, have been remanded for a day today.

Checks also revealed that the car is registered under the name of a local man and had not been reported missing.

The case is being investigated under Section 186 of the Penal Code for obstructing a civil servant from discharging their duties and Section 279 of the Penal Code for reckless driving on public roads.

Those with information about the incident are urged to contact the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters’ operations room at 03-79662222 to assist investigations. — Bernama

MIRI, May 8 — Body parts of an elderly man reported missing while fishing in Sungai Ridan, Marudi, yesterday have been found.

The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department said Liew Mei Koon, 64, is believed to have been killed in a crocodile attack.

“At 10.52am today, the search and rescue team discovered parts of the victim’s body, namely two legs, a head and a hand.

“At 4pm, the search operation was fully concluded as the remaining body parts could not be found. The remains were handed over to the police for further action,” it said in a statement today.

The department received a call regarding the victim’s disappearance at 9.20am yesterday before a team from the Marudi Fire and Rescue Station was deployed to the location at Jalan Industri, Sungai Ridan.

The victim was reported missing by his younger brother after his motorcycle, clothing and fishing equipment were found beneath the Sungai Ridan bridge. — Bernama 

YANGON, May 8 — A huge 11,000-carat ruby has been discovered in Myanmar, state media reported Friday, one of the largest ever found in the country renowned for its precious gemstones.

Coup leader turned president Min Aung Hlaing was pictured on the front page of the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper, examining the 2.2-kilogram (4.8-pound) rock at his office.

Unearthed in the Mogok area, the ruby was “exceptionally large, rare, and difficult to find,” the new military-backed government said in a statement.

“The giant ruby has a purplish-red colour with yellowish undertones and is considered to have a high-quality colour grade,” it added.

While smaller than a similar 21,450-carat ruby found in the same area in 1996, the recently discovered stone is more valuable “due to its superior colour, clarity, and overall quality,” the government said without giving a precise value.

Emperors, kings and warlords have long fought over the valley of Mogok in Mandalay region, where the unique “pigeon-blood” stones lie hidden.

The Mogok rubies are the most expensive in the world, with the highest-quality jewels fetching multi-million-dollar prices in an industry notoriously bereft of regulation.

Myanmar has been ruled by a junta since a 2021 coup that triggered a civil war, but former military chief Min Aung Hlaing was sworn in last month as civilian president after a tightly restricted election. — AFP 

BRUSSELS, May 8 — Airlines must not charge customers extra fuel fees after they have already bought tickets, the EU warned on Friday, as the aviation sector feels the pain from high energy prices because of the Middle East war.

“Airlines may adapt their published fares to the situation, but adding a fuel surcharge to a ticket after it has been bought cannot be justified,” EU spokeswoman Anna-Kaisa Itkonen told reporters in Brussels.

Any changes post-booking can “raise issues under the EU’s unfair commercial practices”, she added.

In a document published on Friday on the energy crisis affecting the aviation sector, the EU said “any retroactive change of the price is excluded”.

“Airlines may not include terms and conditions which would allow them to increase the price of the ticket above what is advertised at the time of purchase simply because fuel was more expensive than they had accounted for,” the European Commission said.

The only exception is for package holidays if the seller has made it clear in the contract there could be a possibility of fuel-related changes to the costs.

In such cases, an increase of up to eight per cent is allowed, but if it is higher, the customer can accept or they have the right to cancel their booking.

Spanish low-cost carrier Volotea has been criticised in France where it is under investigation after demanding fuel surcharges from customers because of the energy shock from the war.

Gilles Gosselin, the airline’s France director, has defended the measure.

“The legality of our system has been confirmed by three independent law firms specialising in air transport and consumer law. The measure is transparent, it is temporary, and it works both ways”, up and down, Gosselin told AFP in France. — AFP 

BATU KAWAN, May 8 — Claims that all electric vehicles (EVs) will become more expensive following the reimposition of import duties on completely built-up (CBU) EVs from July are inaccurate, said Deputy Investment, Trade and Industry (Miti) Minister Sim Tze Tzin. 

He said consumers will still have access to a wide range of reasonably priced EVs through completely knocked-down (CKD) models.

Sim said the CKD strategy would ensure EVs remain affordable within the RM100,000 to RM200,000 price range, thereby maintaining public access to EV technology.

“Price increases will only affect premium imported EV models that are fully imported, particularly certain luxury brands that do not have sufficient sales volume to justify local assembly in Malaysia, while the locally assembled EV segment will continue offering more affordable options such as the Proton e.MAS, Perodua’s QV-E and Chery.

“Chinese brands such as Zeekr and several others are also planning local assembly operations in Malaysia. Therefore, claims that all EVs will become expensive are inaccurate, as consumers will still have many affordable choices,” he told reporters after visiting three factories here today.

Sim said Miti aims to strengthen policies encouraging CKD assembly for EVs as part of efforts to localise the national automotive industry following the expiry of import duty exemptions for EV CBUs from July.

He said the national automotive policy remains consistent in focusing on developing the domestic value chain and reducing dependence on imported CBU EVs, which do not generate significant value for the local economy.

“The reimposition of import duties, sales tax and excise duties on CBU EVs is not a new tax, but rather a return to the original tax structure after the expiry of the four-year incentive period.

“That is why our policy encourages local assembly or CKD operations so that companies establish manufacturing facilities in Malaysia. We want them to localise operations, set up plants here and collaborate with local vendors to create jobs,” he said.

Previously, Miti announced that all imported CBU EVs would be subject to two key conditions beginning July 1: a revised minimum motor power requirement of 180kW (from the previous 200kW threshold), and a minimum cost, insurance, and freight (CIF) value of RM200,000. — Bernama

MUNICH, May 8 — Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany will not allow his players to feel sorry for themselves after Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final exit to Paris St Germain and has urged them to finish the season strong with the German Cup still up for grabs.

The Bavarians have won the Bundesliga and reached the German Cup final but their 1-1 draw with PSG in Munich saw them eliminated from Europe’s elite club competition 6-5 on aggregate.

“It is normal to be disappointed, it was such a big goal and it cost a lot of energy,” Kompany told a press conference on Friday. “But from the next day it is only about the future.

“My role is to project that and how we must react.”

Kompany was criticised for playing too high a line and leaving gaps at the back in the two matches against PSG.

Bayern have conceded 12 goals in their last four games in all competitions but the Belgian said he would not change the way his team plays as long as they are scoring more goals than the opposition.

Bayern have shattered the record for most goals scored in a Bundesliga season with 116 so far and two matches remaining. The previous record was 101 set in 1971/72.

“We are very pragmatic people in Belgium. If the goal difference (in the Bundesliga) is an all-time record of 81 then you have done quite a lot so as not to lose matches,” Kompany said.

“We win the games and the goal difference shows that we do it with a great difference against our opponents.”

Bayern travel to struggling VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday in the penultimate match of the Bundesliga season before wrapping up their league campaign against Cologne a week later.

They then travel to Berlin to face VfB Stuttgart in the German Cup final on May 23.

Kompany said it was important for the side to show they have moved on from the Champions League exit.

“We want to show that this is already in the past and it is about what we can still achieve, not only in the next weeks but beyond,” he added. — Reuters 

WASHINGTON, May 8 — Astronomers have gotten their clearest look yet at the surface of an exoplanet — a planet beyond our solar system — thanks to Nasa’s James Webb Space Telescope.

Webb gathered data on a rocky exoplanet with a diameter about 30 per cent larger than Earth that indicates it is a desolate and airless world whose surface may resemble that of Mercury, our solar system’s innermost planet. Its lack of a discernible atmosphere and its extreme temperatures — fiercely hot on one side and frigid on the other — seem to render it uninhabitable.

The planet is called LHS 3844 b, or Kua’kua, the word for butterfly in an indigenous language spoken in Costa Rica. It orbits a star smaller and less luminous than the sun, located about 49 light-years from Earth. A light-year is the distance light travels in a year, 5.9 trillion miles (9.5 trillion km).

“This planet is not a nice place,” said astronomer Laura Kreidberg, managing director of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany and senior author of the study published this week in the journal Nature Astronomy.

“It’s a hellish, barren rock — much more similar to Mercury than it is to the Earth. There is no trace of an atmosphere. Instead we’re seeing a dark surface, likely old. Picture a bare rock hurtling through space for billions of years. You wouldn’t want to go there,” Kreidberg said.

The observations suggest an ancient planetary surface covered by darkened regolith — loose, fragmented rocky material that covers solid bedrock, born of eons of continuous bombardment by stellar radiation and micrometeorite impacts.

Webb, which was launched in 2021 and became operational in 2022, has enabled revolutionary advances in the understanding of exoplanets. Its robust infrared observational capabilities have helped discern the chemical composition and internal dynamics of exoplanet atmospheres, even showing what kind of clouds are present.

Webb is now letting astronomers directly study the geology and surface composition of exoplanets, said astronomer and study lead author Sebastian Zieba of the Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian in Massachusetts.

“That was very challenging before the James Webb Space Telescope. This, therefore, also puts the Earth and the solar system as a whole into greater context, allowing us to check if processes or surface compositions familiar within the solar system are common around other stars, too,” Zieba said.

“It’s like we suddenly cleaned our glasses and can see the planets clearly for the first time,” Kreidberg added.

The star that Kua’kua orbits is a common type called a red dwarf. Its mass is about 15 per cent that of the sun and its luminosity about 0.3 per cent. Kua’kua is located extremely close to the star, orbiting it once every 11 hours. It also is “tidally locked,” meaning one side always faces the star and the other side always faces away, as the moon does with Earth.

The planet’s “dayside” surface — perpetually broiled by the star — is about 1,340°Fahrenheit (725°Celsius). There was no detectable heat on the planet’s “nightside.”

Webb enabled the researchers to detect light — specifically the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum — coming directly from the planet’s surface.

“Different rocks have different spectral fingerprints, just like atmospheres do. Dark volcanic rocks like basalt matched our observations much better than brighter, silica-rich rocks like granite,” Zieba said.

The surfaces of Mercury and the moon are basalt-dominated.

“On Earth, widespread granite formation is linked to water and plate tectonics,” Zieba said, referring to the geological process on our planet involving the gradual movement of the immense plates that make up Earth’s surface. “So if you ever robustly identified granite-like surfaces on an exoplanet, that would not (automatically) mean life, but it would suggest a much more Earth-like geological history compared to other surfaces.”

Another possibility matching the observations was a solid surface of relatively recent volcanic rock, but the researchers searched for volcanism-related gases like sulphur dioxide and found none.

Without an atmosphere, there is scant protection from stellar radiation or charged particles from the star and no chance for liquid water, considered fundamental for life.

“So overall, this is almost certainly not a habitable world,” Zieba said. — Reuters