All posts tagged: Atlantic

What is Hantavirus? How does it spread? New Atlantic cruise ship cases spark major concern

What is Hantavirus? How does it spread? New Atlantic cruise ship cases spark major concern

Published by Parlour News

A health emergency aboard the MV Hondius has caused panic after multiple passengers developed a severe respiratory illness during a voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. The World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday said that at least three people have died following a suspected hantavirus outbreak. The ship had been sailing from Ushuaia toward Cape Verde. This aerial picture shows a general view of the cruise ship MV Hondius stationary off the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde (AFP) What did WHO say about the hantavirus cases? The WHO confirmed that one patient tested positive for hantavirus, while several additional infections remain under investigation. “To date, one case of hantavirus infection has been laboratory confirmed, and there are five additional suspected cases,” the international health organization told AFP. “Of the six affected individuals, three have died and one is currently in intensive care in South Africa.” South African health authorities first described the incident as an outbreak of a “severe acute respiratory illness” after critically ill passengers were medically evacuated to Johannesburg for treatment. …

Search Underway for 2 US Service Members Missing Near Morocco’s Rugged Atlantic Coast During ‘African Lion’ War Games

Search Underway for 2 US Service Members Missing Near Morocco’s Rugged Atlantic Coast During ‘African Lion’ War Games

Published by Parlour News

2 min readRabat (morocco)May 3, 2026 07:25 PM IST Two US service members are missing in southwestern Morocco after taking part in annual multinational military exercises in the North African country, the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) said Sunday. The US, Morocco and other countries participating in the African Lion exercise have launched a search and rescue operation, AFRICOM said. “The incident remains under investigation and the search is ongoing,” it said in a statement. The incident happened on Saturday at about 9 pm, the Moroccan military said, near the Cap Draa Training Area near Tan Tan, close to the Atlantic Ocean. The terrain is mountainous, a mix of desert and semidesert plains. The war games exercise started in April and runs across four countries, including Tunisia, Ghana and Senegal. It is scheduled to end in early May. The command did not state what unit or branch of the military the missing service members belong to. The Associated Press has requested clarification. The exercise began in Tunisia with active-duty members of different branches of the …

NASA Spots Plankton Swarms from Space to Help Save North Atlantic Right Whales

NASA Spots Plankton Swarms from Space to Help Save North Atlantic Right Whales

Published by Webster

North Atlantic Right Whales (NARW) are one of the Earth’s most critically endangered mammals. While commercial whaling is no longer a threat to them, accidental entanglement in fishing gears and vessel strikes account for a lot of NARW deaths. Researchers have been tracking their movements to prevent these by mapping their primary food source, a reddish planktonic copepod named Calanus Finmarchicus. Using NASA satellite data, they found a way to detect Calanus swarms at the ocean surface in the Gulf of Maine, picking up on the animals’ natural red pigment. This new approach may help to understand the migration pattern of the NARW based on those copepod gatherings. Understanding the patterns According to a new study, this approach uses data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite. The MODIS instrument reads how the spectrum of sunlight reflected from the ocean surface changes in response to what’s in the water. Astaxanthin, the reddish pigment of the copepods, alters the absorption or scattering of photons in the ocean, affecting the mix of living …

Mumbai-bound Virgin Atlantic flight stuck in Turkey for 2 days – How visa laws work in such scenarios

Mumbai-bound Virgin Atlantic flight stuck in Turkey for 2 days – How visa laws work in such scenarios

Published by Webster

Over 250 passengers on a London-Mumbai Virgin Atlantic flight, many of them Indian nationals, have been stranded at Turkey’s Diyarbakir Airport for more than 40 hours. Flight VS358 from London to Mumbai on April 2 was cancelled due to a “medical urgency”. Mumbai: Several Indians are among the 250 passengers of a Virgin Atlantic flight from London to Mumbai who are now stranded in Turkey after the plane made an unscheduled detour following an “urgent medical diversion”. Flight VS358 was diverted to the Diyarbakir airport and suffered a technical glitch upon landing on Wednesday and is now under inspection. However, that was two days ago; the passengers are still waiting to be flown to Mumbai, while the airline awaits necessary approvals for the flight to take off again. As per the latest information from Virgin Atlantic, the passengers were initially kept at the airport for hours and then shifted to hotels for the night while the journey is expected to resume at 12 noon (local time) today. The Indian Embassy in Ankara has said it …

Indians stranded on Virgin Atlantic flight in Turkey to resume Mumbai journey today | Latest News India

Indians stranded on Virgin Atlantic flight in Turkey to resume Mumbai journey today | Latest News India

Published by Parlour News

Apr 04, 2025 11:25 AM IST After receiving the necessary technical approvals, the flight will resume its onward journey to Mumbai from Diyarbakir Airport at 12:00 local time today The London-Mumbai Virgin Atlantic flight, with over 200 Indian passengers, stranded in Turkey will resume their journey towards Mumbai on Friday, subject to necessary technical clearance, a Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said. The Heathrow-Mumbai flight was diverted to Turkey for a medical emergency on Thursday and had a hard landing. (Bloomberg) The Heathrow-Mumbai flight was diverted to Turkey for a medical emergency on Thursday and had a hard landing due to which the aircraft could not take off. Passengers were stuck at the military airport and had to spend time in the airport lounge. “The VS358 flight from London Heathrow to Mumbai on 2 April was cancelled due to an urgent medical diversion to Diyarbakır Airport in Turkey, followed by ongoing technical inspections of the aircraft”, Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said. “Subject to receiving the necessary technical approvals, we will continue flight VS1358 to Mumbai from Diyarbakır Airport …

Virgin Atlantic flight from London to Mumbai diverted to Turkey due to urgent medical reason

Virgin Atlantic flight from London to Mumbai diverted to Turkey due to urgent medical reason

Published by Webster

A Virgin Atlantic flight spokesperson said, ” If approvals are not received, we plan instead to provide a bus transfer for customers to an alternative aircraft at another Turkish airport tomorrow to complete our customers journey to Mumbai.” A Virgin Atlantic flight (VS358) that took off from London Heathrow to Mumbai on April 2 was diverted to Diyarbakır Airport in Turkey due to an urgent medical reason. After receiving the necessary technical approvals, the flight will resume its onward journey to Mumbai from Diyarbakır Airport at 12:00 local time today, as per the airline company. A Virgin Atlantic flight spokesperson said, ” If approvals are not received, we plan instead to provide a bus transfer for customers to an alternative aircraft at another Turkish airport tomorrow to complete our customers journey to Mumbai.” He said in the meantime, passengers are being provided with overnight hotel accommodation and refreshments in Turkey, while we work towards a resolution, and we will keep all customers informed as soon as new updates become available.  Source link

Joby will launch UK air taxi service with Virgin Atlantic

Joby will launch UK air taxi service with Virgin Atlantic

Published by Webster

Virgin Atlantic announced a partnership with California-based Joby Aviation to launch an air taxi service in the UK, becoming the latest airline to bet on a new class of electric aircraft vying to become taxis in the sky. Joby’s all-electric aircraft has six rotors and seats five, including the pilot. The vehicle can take off vertically, like a helicopter, and then shift into forward flight using tilt rotors. Joby says it can reach a top speed of 200mph, travel 150 miles on a single battery charge, and is 100 times quieter than a conventional aircraft. Under the partnership, customers will be able to book a seat in one of Joby’s multi-rotor aircraft through the Virgin Atlantic website and app. The vehicles will be co-branded with Joby and Virgin Atlantic logos. But the UK service will need to wait until Joby has acquired type certification, which means the aircraft meets all the FAA’s design and safety standards, and then launched its US-based service. Under the partnership, customers will be able to book a seat in one …

Ananya Prasad becomes the first woman of colour to row solo across the Atlantic

Ananya Prasad becomes the first woman of colour to row solo across the Atlantic

Published by Webster

Bengaluru-born Ananya Prasad made history by becoming the first woman of color to complete a solo row across any ocean. The 34-year-old endurance athlete achieved this extraordinary feat by completing the 3,000-mile World’s Toughest Row, crossing the Atlantic from La Gomera in Spain’s Canary Islands to English Harbour in Antigua. She finished the grueling race in an impressive 52 days, 5 hours, and 44 minutes, making her the second-fastest solo woman of all time to complete the event. Ananya, who moved to the UK when she was just six years old, began her race on December 11, 2024, and reached the shores of Antigua on February 1, 2025. She secured second place in the solo category of the annual race, which tests physical strength, mental endurance, and technical skill on the Atlantic. But nothing came easy for her. During the journey, Ananya battled harsh conditions, including relentless winds, towering waves, and equipment failures. One of her toughest moments came when her boat’s rudder broke, forcing her to dive beneath the vessel in rough 20-knot winds …

SpaceX’s Starship Explodes Over Atlantic Ocean After Successful Booster Landing

SpaceX’s Starship Explodes Over Atlantic Ocean After Successful Booster Landing

Published by Webster

The seventh test flight of SpaceX’s Starship rocket ended with an explosion over the Atlantic Ocean, as confirmed by sources. Launched from the company’s Starbase facility in South Texas on January 16, 2025, the 403-foot-tall spacecraft marked another significant step in SpaceX’s efforts to advance reusable rocket technology. The test featured successful stage separation and a return of the first-stage booster, Super Heavy, which was safely caught by the launch tower’s “chopstick” arms in a controlled descent. However, communication with the upper stage was lost roughly eight minutes into the flight, leading to its eventual disintegration. Details of the Incident As per a report by Space.com, the upper stage, known as Ship, exploded over the Atlantic Ocean near the Turks and Caicos Islands approximately 8.5 minutes after launch. Visuals of the event, described by witnesses as a dramatic sky show, were shared widely across social media platforms, adding to the visibility of the anomaly. SpaceX referred to the explosion as a “rapid unscheduled disassembly” and stated that data from the test would be analysed to …

Blue Origin Delays New Glenn Launch to January 12 Due to Adverse Weather in Atlantic

Blue Origin Delays New Glenn Launch to January 12 Due to Adverse Weather in Atlantic

Published by Webster

The launch of Blue Origin’s highly anticipated New Glenn rocket has been delayed due to adverse weather conditions. Initially planned for Friday, January 10, the liftoff was rescheduled to Sunday, January 12, at 1:00 a.m. EST (0600 GMT). This decision was taken because rough seas in the Atlantic Ocean could jeopardise the landing of the rocket’s reusable first stage. The launch will proceed from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, with the same three-hour launch window. Weather Challenges Force Delay According to a statement by Blue Origin, as reported by Space.com, the high sea state in the Atlantic presented risks to the landing operation of the rocket booster, which is designed to return to Earth and land on a barge named Jacklyn. Named after Jeff Bezos’ mother, the barge is critical to the company’s plans to achieve reusability. Blue Origin acknowledged the ambitious nature of attempting a first-time booster landing, emphasising their determination to succeed despite the challenges. Technical Details of New Glenn Standing at an impressive height of 320 feet (98 meters), …