What happened
The UK has clinched a landmark £10 billion agreement to supply at least five Type 26 anti-submarine frigates to Norway, its largest ever warship export deal. The vessels will be built by BAE Systems at its Glasgow shipyards, where eight similar frigates are already underway for the Royal Navy. Together, the British and Norwegian ships will form a 13-frigate fleet to patrol northern European waters amid increasing Russian naval activity.

Who said what
Keir Starmer, speaking of the agreement, said: "This £10 billion deal is what our plan for change is about – creating jobs, driving growth and protecting national security for working people."

The collaboration "also signals a strengthening of a long-term strategic relationship with Norway", said Mark Sweney in The Guardian. Norway has "snubbed France to buy British", said Kieran Kelly in The Telegraph, with a deal that represents Oslo's "biggest-ever military investment".

What next?
Deliveries are slated to begin in the early 2030s, initiating a tighter UK-Norway naval partnership that strengthens Nato's northern defences. The deal is projected to support approximately 4,000 British jobs and benefit hundreds of suppliers – including more than 100 Scottish firms – through the late 2030s.

What happened
The Bayeux Tapestry, the 11th-century embroidery depicting the Norman conquest of England, will be closed to visitors in France from today as preparations begin for its display at the British Museum in September next year. Visitor numbers have surged at the Bayeux Museum ahead of the closure, which coincides with construction of a new gallery in Normandy that will take two years to complete.

Who said what
The loan, announced by Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer in July, has ignited backlash among French art experts. Initially conceived as a gesture of cultural unity before Brexit, the loan "foundered as cross-Channel relations soured" during negotiations, said Jon Henley in The Guardian. The plan was revived after the UK's EU "reset" under Starmer, but the agreement "ignores decades of warnings about the state of the tapestry". Moving it long distances will "be a risk to its conservation", according to Cecile Binet, a regional museum adviser.

What next?
The tapestry will be displayed in London until July 2027, while artefacts including the Lewis chess pieces and treasures from Sutton Hoo will be loaned to Normandy in exchange.

The Oropouche virus, also known as sloth fever, was not seen outside the Amazon until recently. Prior to 2023, only a few hundred cases were recorded annually. But the virus has been spreading across the Western Hemisphere and infections are likely only going to increase.

Sloth fever is mostly spread by a small insect called the biting midge, which lives in rural areas all over the world. Midges can transmit the virus to several animals, including sloths and humans. The virus is vector-borne and does not spread directly from person to person. Instead, "when a midge bites an infected host, it can pass on the pathogen to a human during a subsequent bite", said Vox. Oropouche fever has "sprung up in the US, Canada and Europe in people returning from the afflicted region", added the news site.

Infection with the Oropouche virus can cause a fever, cough, chills and body aches. People generally survive it, and many cases are asymptomatic. But in severe cases it can be deadly. It also poses a particular risk during pregnancy as it may "trigger a fever that can cause miscarriage or babies to have birth defects known as microcephaly", similar to the Zika virus, said news site Salon.

There is currently no cure for the virus, so experts recommend taking precautions like wearing long clothing and using bug spray in order to avoid being bitten.