Author: staff
The crisis in the Spanish territory of Ceuta is adding fuel to Europe’s bitter debate over migration. Following the arrival of more than 50,000 migrants in Ceuta in northern Africa last week, EU leaders ganged up on Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez over his migration policies. Although 48,300 migrants had returned to Morocco by late Friday, the backlash is ongoing. On Tuesday the EU is set to hold an urgent meeting of interior ministers to figure out next steps. Hosts Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart discuss the incident. Next, European Ombudsman Teresa Anjinho warns that growing global crises can’t become an excuse for secrecy in the EU’s institutions. She says that…
“There has been an impact and the Burnham bounce does also have an impact on the polls of course. The two things are happening together,” Towler said. “But what’s interesting is the impact these attacks are having on our supporters is very little because they expect the establishment to behave like this.” The great establishment stitch-up Public First’s analysis suggests there is truth to the idea that Farage’s core support has solidified as a result of his recent difficulties: During the same period that his overall approval rating has fallen nationally, from early May to the end of July, it…
Published on 03/08/2026 – 4:28 GMT+2 Morocco’s interior ministry has issued its first toll for those who died trying to reach Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta last week, saying 11 people had died, which is significantly lower than the number issued by Spain, which was at least 72 people. Tens of thousands of potential migrants crossed into the territory between Wednesday and Friday, sparking diplomatic tension within the European Union as some member states criticised Spain’s lack of action and loose migration policies. Rachid El Khalfi, a spokesman for Morocco’s interior ministry, said that of the 11 who died,…
At 80, President Lula da Silva is once again running for the Brazilian presidency, presenting himself as a defender of the country’s “sovereignty” at a time when external pressure exerted by the Trump administration, through the imposition of customs tariffs, is casting a shadow over the campaign. Lula is one of the most influential left-wing leaders still in office in Latin America, where the right and far right have been steadily gaining ground in successive electoral cycles. Silva is running for a fourth term in an election race that conveys a sense of déjà vu in a polarised country where…
The Elysée did not respond to questions about the project’s details, and Qiddiya Investment Company did not respond to a request for comment. Qiddiya Managing Director Abdullah Aldawood met with Macron at the last two Choose France summits, which are events organized to attract foreign investment in the country. At the event, the summit’s press kit referred to, in cryptic terms, the signing of a memorandum of understanding aimed at “exploring a major tourism and entertainment project in France.” A few weeks before Choose France this year, Aldawood met with Valérie Pécresse, president of the Île-de-France region, where the abandoned…
Published on 02/08/2026 – 22:20 GMT+2 Greek police have solved the murder of a 38-year-old British national whose body was found inside a suitcase in an abandoned building in Athens’ Kypseli district in July. A 26-year-old Afghan national has been identified and charged with homicide, robbery, and weapons offences. The suspect is reported to have confessed to some of his actions to Greek authorities. After the woman’s body was found, the case was taken over by the Department of Crimes against Life and Personal Freedom, part of the Sub-Directorate for the Investigation of Crimes against Life and Property within the…
Another three Greek firefighters died last Wednesday while tackling wildfires in Crete and on the Peloponnese, a rugged peninsula in southern Greece. While a fire that has been burning since Friday around Porto Germeno on the Gulf of Corinth some 60 kilometers northwest of Athens has subsided, on Saturday the flames crossed a mountain to the south, fanned by strong winds of up to 130 kilometers per hour, and reached the settlement of Veniza closer to the capital. According to initial estimates, the fire has destroyed around 200 houses in the area. On Sunday flames spread rapidly through western Attica,…
Firefighters and helicopters battled a wind-driven wildfire west of Athens on Sunday as thick smoke and flames spread through dry forest near Porto Germeno. Video showed ground crews tackling the blaze while helicopters repeatedly dropped water on the fire. Strong winds complicated firefighting efforts, forcing aircraft to make difficult approaches over the burning hillsides. The wildfire has burned through a large forested area since Friday, prompting evacuations from nearby coastal communities. Hundreds of firefighters and more than 20 aircraft have been deployed as Greece continues to face a severe wildfire emergency.
Published on 02/08/2026 – 14:58 GMT+2•Updated 14:59 A joint operation involving the Guardia Civil, the autonomous police forces of the Basque Country and Catalonia (Ertzaintza and Mossos d’Esquadra) has led to the arrest in Guipúzcoa, a region near the northern border with France, of a 17-year-old Spanish national. The three police forces consider him to be the main figure in Spain for the neonazi, paedophile and satanist 764 network. This organisation, which, according to the investigation, has for months been generating public alarm through threats targeting educational centres, town councils, libraries and other public and private entities. Between January and…
Water levels on the Rhine hit a historic low on Saturday, with the gauge in Cologne measuring 68 centimeters, one centimeter below the previous record set in October 2018, according to the Rhine Waterways and Shipping Authority. Footage from Cologne’s Rheinauhafen marina showed boats stranded in the shallow water as residents walked and cycled along the dry riverbank, some stopping to take photos. Germany’s major waterways, including the Elbe and Danube, are also running low. With no relief from the heat and drought in sight, officials warn of mounting economic consequences for shipping and river-dependent industries.