Devon: customers will not pay anything towards addressing parasite outbreak
South West Water (SWW) has stated that the cost of addressing the cryptosporidium outbreak in Devon will be covered by shareholders, not customers. The outbreak affected up to 16,000 households, with about 700 still being advised to boil their tap water. SWW estimated compensation costs up to £3.5 million but assured customers this would not impact their bills. The exact compensation amount for those affected remains unknown. SWW has installed equipment to remove the parasite and flushed the water network 27 times, apologising and thanking customers for their patience. By the end of May, at least 100 confirmed cases of cryptosporidium, which causes diarrhoea and sickness, had been reported. In related news, all the major political parties have been urged to follow the recommendations of the Save Britain’s Rivers campaign: so far, only the Lib Dems have committed to this. See
Lucy Letby found guilty of another murder
Former nurse Lucy Letby has been found guilty of attempting to murder a premature baby girl, Baby K, following a retrial. Baby K’s family described their ordeal as a ‘long, torturous and emotional journey – twice’, expressing their continued distress. Last August, Letby was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six others at the Countess of Chester Hospital. The retrial jury determined she tried to murder Baby K by dislodging her breathing tube. A consultant who intervened to resuscitate Baby K testified that Letby did nothing to help. The baby died three days later due to extreme prematurity and severe respiratory distress syndrome. The hospital has since made significant changes to its services. A public inquiry will begin in September, and a police investigation is ongoing.
France: manoeuvres ahead of second round of elections
Opponents of Marine le Pen’s far-right party National Rally (RN) have intensified efforts to block it from power, with over 200 candidates withdrawing from run-off elections to avoid splitting the anti-RN vote. RN led the first-round vote; the radical left-wing LFI was second, and Macron's centrist group third. Polls give RN between 250 and 300 seats: they need 289 for an outright majority. Macron has said that the top priority is blocking the RN, even if that meant endorsing an LFI candidate, but it was uncertain whether voters would follow that route. Le Pen stated RN would not form a government without a workable majority, hinting at alliances with other parties if needed. The RN would cut funding to the EU, and its anti-migrant policies have been criticised by human rights groups. There are fears that a hung parliament would lead to policy paralysis for the remaining three years of Macron's presidency.
Ukraine: Orban visits, calls for ceasefire
In his first visit to Ukraine for ten years, Viktor Orban has called for a ceasefire. A longstanding critic of Western military aid to Ukraine, he suggested that a swift ceasefire could expedite peace talks. He also expressed a desire to improve ties with Ukraine and offered economic assistance. Zelensky appreciated his visit, but stressed the need for a ‘just peace’ after over two years of fighting. Orban’s visit coincides with Hungary’s assumption of the EU presidency, which has raised concerns due to Budapest’s warm ties with Moscow. In the past, Hungary has accused Ukraine of curbing the rights of ethnic Hungarians, which Kyiv denies. Zelensky has recently said he is preparing a comprehensive plan for ending the war.
