From emotional to mundane, passengers on board a luxury cruise ship stranded off the coast of Africa have begun giving the world a glance into their purgatory amid a rare and deadly hantavirus outbreak.

Their insights, including a plea to remember they are people, not just headlines, emerged as the World Health Organisation revealed the virus may have been passed between humans.

That's particularly rare for a virus that is normally only spread by close contact with rats, their urine or droppings. It may help to explain how the number of suspected cases has reached seven, including a Dutch couple and a German man who have died.

US travel blogger Jake Rosmarin was the first passenger to comment on the outbreak, posting a quick confirmation on May 2 that he was one of the dozens of passengers, including four Australians, on board the MV Hondius.

By that stage it had already been 21 days since the first patient, a Dutch man, had died, but the news had not spread widely.

On Monday, he shared an emotional video seated on the bed in his cabin, arms crossed, describing the situation as "very real for all of us here".

"We're not just a story, we're not just headlines, we're people, people with families, with lives, with people waiting for us at home," he said, voice quavering.

"There's a lot of uncertainty, and that's the hardest part.

"All we want right now is to feel safe, to have clarity and to get home. 

"So if you're seeing coverage about this, just remember that there are real people behind it, and that this isn't something happening somewhere far away. It's happening to us right now."

https://www.instagram.com/p/DX6iYxFsWvn/

Passengers have been told to stay in their cabins, leading to slightly eerie scenes on the luxury ship, as seen in photos sent to the Associated Press by passenger Qasem Elhato.

Long wooden dining tables sit empty on a deserted deck. The same picture is repeated inside, where a carpeted room is full of armchairs and couches but completely empty of people.

Another image shows four people clad head-to-toe in the PPE medical staff have been ordered to wear while on board, as one grasps the hand of a woman on the edge of the deck.

Medical teams from the nearby archipelago of Cape Verde have been on board the ship providing support as two sick crew members, who the cruise operator says require "urgent medical care", prepare for medevac to The Netherlands.

"Our days have been close to normal, just waiting for authorities to find a solution," Elhato said via WhatsApp. 

"But morale on the ship is high and we're keeping ourselves busy with reading, watching movies, having hot drinks and that kind of things."

Helene Goessaert, another passenger, told Belgian broadcaster VRT that everyone onboard is "in the same boat, literally".

"You don't embark on a trip with the idea that one of your fellow passengers won't make it," she said.

She said they were regularly updated with accurate information.

"For the rest, it is a waiting game," she said. 

"Today we received fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. That was very important to us."

'Blown out of proportion'

Elhato, also known as Kasem Hato and Ibn Hatutta, said the situation on board had been "blown out of proportion partly because of one person panicking on the ship whose video has been circulating the media".

"While his reaction is valid, it doesn't represent the situation on board, everyone else (148 out 149) has been calm, the situation is under control and we just wish those who are sick a speedy recovery," he said, in an Instagram Story posted on Tuesday.

"I'm just a passenger on the ship and I don't represent the company but I can see they've been doing all they can to help us and to find a solution with our safety being their priority. 

"We all feel very sorry for those who passed away as we shared with them a beautiful journey and send their families our condolences."

More recent images from Rosmarin's Instagram show a spectacular sunrise, waves crashing against a rocky coastline and craggy mountain peaks jutting into a washed-out blue sky above the coastal city of Praia, which means beach in Portuguese.

"I'm feeling well, getting some fresh air, and continuing to be well fed and taken care of by the crew onboard," he said.

"Just trying to focus on the positive, think about the good things, and keep a smile on my face.

"Hope to have more updates soon. Thank you again for all the love and support, it truly means a lot."

WHO suspects human transmission

WHO director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness Dr Maria Van Kerkhove said medical experts were working under the assumption that the first man who died and his wife were infected in Argentina before joining the cruise.

She travelled from St Helena, where her husband's body was removed from the ship, to South Africa but collapsed at a Johannesburg airport and died at a hospital on April 26, more than two weeks after her husband.

She said while hantavirus was normally spread by rats, there had been cases of human-to-human spread in what's known as the Andes strain of the virus present in Argentina.

"The cruise did stop at many different islands up the coast of Africa, and again, seeing a lot of different wildlife on those islands," she said.

"There are birds. Some islands have a lot of rodents. Others don't. So there could be some source of infection on the islands as well for some of the other suspect cases. 

"However, we do believe that there may be some human-to-human transmission that's happening among the really close contacts, the husband and wife, people who've shared cabins etc."

She said officials have been told there are no rats on board.

Only the Dutch woman who died and a British man who Van Kerkhove said was in a critical condition in a South African hospital but improving have been confirmed through lab testing to have the virus, while five other people are suspected to have fallen ill from it.

What happens next?

In its latest update on Tuesday afternoon (early Wednesday AEST), cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions said discussions with the relevant authorities regarding the ship's next steps remained ongoing.

Van Kerkhove said the ship would "continue on to the Canary Islands" once the sick passengers were moved.

But Spanish health officials said in a statement that they were monitoring and that "the most appropriate port of call will be decided". 

"Until then, the Ministry of Health will not adopt any decision, as we have informed the World Health Organisation," a spokesperson said.

Officials in Argentina — where hantavirus led to 28 deaths nationwide last year, according to the health ministry — said they confirmed no passengers had symptoms when the Hondius departed. Symptoms can appear up to eight weeks after exposure, officials have said.

In South Africa, authorities said they have started contact tracing — another practice used extensively in the coronavirus pandemic. But officials have emphasised that the chance of a major public health threat is low.

– Reported with Associated Press and Reuters

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Exclusive: If the letters didn't arrive in the mail, Anna* may have never known her identity had been stolen.

She was not a customer with Great Southern Bank, so she was surprised to find a brand new debit card in her name sitting in the letterbox.

"My son and I received ones on the same day," Anna, who wanted to remain anonymous, told Nine.com.au.

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Do you have a story? Contact reporter April Glover at our breaking newsletter here

Tributes have poured in to honour the three men who died in a boating accident on the NSW North Coast yesterday.

Tragedy struck after a member of the public called emergency services about 6.15pm to report a yacht having difficulties off the South Ballina break wall.

Police said Marine Rescue NSW crew responded, but their rescue boat capsized while crossing the Ballina bar in "heavy conditions".

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Three men were killed, including the sole sailor onboard the yacht, Matthew Clayton, and Marine Rescue volunteers Bill Ewen and Frank Petsch, who set out in treacherous conditions in response to the yacht in distress.

Four other crew members were on the Ballina 30, with three being hospitalised with broken bones and other non-life-threatening injuries.

Among the survivors was Ballina Shire Citizen of the Year Geoff Hutchinson, who suffered serious injuries in the rescue attempt.

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Marine Area Command Superintendent Joe McNulty said the rescuers had faced "severe conditions" including 2.5-metre swell as they travelled downriver towards the ocean.

At the Ballina bar, a wave of similar height proved too difficult to navigate, and the boat foundered and capsized.

Of the six men on board, McNulty said some were trapped beneath the boat's hull and some were thrown from the vessel entirely.

"These men are heroes. They volunteer their lives to save others," McNulty said.

The rescue boat and other fragments washed up on the shore today as tributes flowed in at the Marine Rescue tower to honour the men.

"They're a big part of the community," a local told 9News.

"This bar and this waterway cops a lot of boats coming through, it's really sad."

McNulty said the accident would be investigated.

Officers at the time of the incident did not know how many people had been aboard the yacht, and launched a coordinated search with the help of paramedics, the SES, the Westpac helicopter, and the AMSA Challenger jet.

McNulty said police divers would likely enter the water on Thursday when the seas were safe enough to do so, in order to gather evidence from the yacht's wreckage.

McNulty said the yacht, which he believed was NSW-registered, had crashed into the break wall and broken apart.

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The Reserve Bank has done what homeowners were dreading by hiking interest rates again to 4.35 per cent.

The latest rate hike has put millions of Australian borrowers back to square one.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has handed down a third consecutive interest rate hike, increasing the cash rate target to 4.35 per cent.

Nine Money editor Effie Zahos acknowledged the latest decision was a blow for households.

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"The RBA is hoping three rate hikes will make inflation right, but for households right now this is disastrous," she said.

"You're looking basically, depending on the mortgage size, around $100 more for the month."

An owner-occupier with a $600,000 mortgage and 25 years remaining at the start of this year's hikes will need to add $91 to their minimum monthly repayments with the 0.25 per cent rise, according to estimates from financial comparison website Canstar.

The total increase across three consecutive hikes would be $272 a month.

Australians with a $500,000 mortgage over 25 years can expect to pay about $76 extra a month, while those owing $700,000 will need to pay an additional $107 a month.

Owner-occupiers with $800,000 left on their mortgage can expect to pay an extra $122 each month.

Those with $900,000 will likely need to pay an additional $137 a month.

Those owing $1 million could pay an extra $152 following today's rate hike.

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Canstar data insights director Sally Tindall said Australians who kept their mortgage repayments the same following the cash rate cuts in 2025, the repayment buffer they had built up would be essentially erased.

"While more than a year of higher repayments won't have been in vain, the strategy will have delivered only a limited cushion against rising rates," Tindall said.

Borrowers are also being told to prepare and calculate how much repayments will be if there are two further hikes in June and August.

Tindall recommends borrowers contact their lender and request a rate review.

"Haggling should be borrowers' first port of call, because picking up the phone can potentially produce near-immediate relief," she said.

"However, banks aren't handing out discounts as freely as they were a couple of years ago.

"If your bank won't budge when you haggle, don't take it personally, instead, take your business elsewhere."

Haggling can only take your rate so far. Those who want the sharpest rates are likely to have to refinance.

Borrowers should ask about hardship assistance if repayments are becoming difficult and they have already negotiated with their lender.

Independent financial advice is available from the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007.

The information provided on this website is general in nature only and does not constitute personal financial advice. The information has been prepared without taking into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any information on this website you should consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs.

Residents who felt the quakes have shared rattled nerves and shaking homes.

Unveiling Victoria's 2026/27 budget papers today, Premier Jacinta Allan and Treasurer Jaclyn Symes were all smiles as they announced the state's first operating surplus in seven years, ahead of a crucial election campaign. 

This year's budget put forth a $727 million surplus in 2025-26 and estimated $1 billion in 2026-27, with an average $1.7 billion surplus over the forward estimate.

"I am proud to confirm Victoria's first operating surplus in seven years," Symes said in her budget address.

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But behind the polished veil of an operating surplus, budget papers reveal that when project spending is factored in, Victoria's spending is about $7 billion more a year than the revenue it is bringing in.

Figures in the budget reveal a record tax take and a $2 billion GST windfall from the Commonwealth is to thank for this year's operating surplus.

That allowed the state to deliver a raft of sweeteners, including free public transport until the end of May and 20 per cent off vehicle registration.

"We can afford it because our budget is in surplus," Allan wrote in a budget media release.

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Shadow Treasurer James Newbury was quick to label Labor's fiscal strategy a "fake surplus" during question time, while Nationals leader Danny O'Brien also criticised the budget.

"The only thing we see in this budget that's in surplus … is a surplus of spin," O'Brien said.

Net debt in Victoria is hurtling towards $200 billion and is projected to take up a 24.4 per cent share of the state's economy by 2030.

"We have seen net debt soar towards $200 billion in Victoria. When the Coalition left office in 2014, it was $20 billion," Opposition Leader Jess Wilson said.

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"Victorians now will be paying an interest bill that could fund police, ambos and kindergartens and leave a billion dollars in change."

Victoria's interest bill is expected to almost double by 2029/30, rising from $6.774 billion in 2024/25 to $11.82 billion in 2029/30 – the equivalent of $32.38 million per day.

But Symes argued the state's rising interest bill was "helping to grow the economy".

"The reason you pay interest predominantly is because you've borrowed to build productive infrastructure … the alternative is you don't build infrastructure, you stop. And all of those jobs I just talked about go," she said.

"You might have less debt, you might have less interest, but you don't have a productive society.

"Borrowing for infrastructure is what a strong economy needs."

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Today's budget also failed to reveal the impact of Labor's promise to spend an extra $11.5 billion on the Suburban Rail Loop.

The $34 billion project is supposed to be equally funded by the state, the Commonwealth and "value capture".

But in January the government committed to funding that final third through "up-front debt" which will be recouped over 40 years via localised taxes, raising major concerns over potential interest implications.

In an effort to rake in additional revenue, the Allan government will end its motor vehicle duty concession for luxury vehicles, which is expected to bring an extra $12.6 million into the state's coffers in 2027/28.

Victoria will also collect more revenue from fines, which is expected to rise more than 15 per cent from $886 million in 2026/27 to $997 million in 2029/30.

Some of those extra funds will flow to rising public sector wages, which are tipped to pass $41 billion in the next year – $1.3 billion higher than forecast.

By 2030, those figures will hit $45 billion, which Symes said was evidence of the government's endeavour to recruit more teachers and healthcare workers.

"We back our teachers, our nurses, our police. We want more of those people employed, that's why the figures go up," Symes said.

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The man tinkered with a parked car before a nearby pedestrian seemingly sent him running.

Police stand accused of engaging in impropriety when raiding the home of former shock jock Alan Jones during a sexual assault investigation.

Officers searched the 85-year-old's Sydney home in November 2024 after an eight-month investigation into reports of historical sexual abuse.

On Tuesday, his lawyers told Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court the NSW Police should reveal which officers accessed or downloaded material from his phone and through intercepted calls, claiming the search warrants could be invalid.

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"The phone was seized, and the evidence to date suggests it was then searched willy-nilly," his barrister Gabrielle Bashir SC said.

On its face, the search warrant was "bad", she continued, partly because it referred to Jones being accused of sexual intercourse without consent, amongst other offences.

These were not the charges the radio veteran was eventually hit with, Bashir argued.

Jones has pleaded not guilty to 25 charges of indecent assault and two charges of sexual touching against nine alleged victims over nearly two decades when he ruled the airwaves.

Bashir flagged that her client might apply to either temporarily or permanently halt the proceedings, or argue that certain evidence be tossed because it was obtained unlawfully.

Representing the NSW Police Commissioner, barrister Peter Singleton said there was no evidence officers had engaged in any sort of impropriety or that the warrant itself was invalid.

He said the court should not order the release of documents merely to allow Jones' defence team to see if there was anything there to support a future bid to put the case on ice.

"It is fishing to find out whether or not there is a case," he told Judge Glenn Walsh.

Jones is set to contest the allegations in a four-month-long hearing starting in August.

His defence team has been fighting to gain access to documents from the police as well as the complainants in the matter.

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In March, Bashir told the court they were still awaiting "oodles of material" to be produced.

Jones is accused of sexual misconduct against nine complainants between 2003 and 2020, both in private and in public places such as restaurants and at high-profile events.

Two of the alleged victims were acting as chauffeurs for the former private school teacher when he indecently assaulted them, according to prosecutors.

The charges, which Jones has claimed are "all either baseless or they distort the truth", followed his retirement from a hugely influential broadcasting career launched in 1985.

During his decades on the air, Jones became a feared interviewer who excelled at questioning leaders while dividing audiences with his outspoken views.

He worked with Sydney radio station 2UE before joining rival 2GB, where he was a long-time ratings juggernaut until 2020.

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The driver said he grabbed her wrist as she’d stolen something, but a judge didn’t buy it.