TENERIFE: A French woman and an American has tested positive for the hantavirus as nations around the world scrambled today to repatriate passengers from a cruise ship hit by a deadly outbreak and quarantine or isolate them.

Passengers from the ship began flying home aboard military and government planes Sunday after the MV Hondius anchored in the Canary islands.

Personnel in full-body protective gear and breathing masks escorted the travellers from ship to shore in Tenerife, an effort that was continuing today.

CHINA: Exports of passenger cars from China last month jumped almost 85 per cent from a year ago to about 796,000 vehicles, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said today.

That’s up from the 748,000 vehicles exported in March.

The surge includes exports of battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, which jumped more than 120 per cent last month from the year before, to about 420,000 units.

PHILIPPINES: The House of Representatives of the Philippines voted to impeach Vice-President Sara Duterte today over alleged unexplained wealth and threats to have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr assassinated.  

The two impeachment complaints against Ms Duterte will now go to the Senate for a trial.

PAKISTAN: Pakistan summoned a senior Afghan diplomat today to lodge a formal protest over a suicide attack in the country’s north-west, bordering Afghanistan, that killed 15 police officers.

Islamabad has blamed the late Saturday attack on the Pakistani Taliban. Kabul denies the charge, saying it doesn’t allow militants to use Afghan soil to attack other countries.