Global Pulse

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  • Police release Nancy Guthrie ransom notes in latest bid to find kidnappers

    Police release Nancy Guthrie ransom notes in latest bid to find kidnappers

    Six months after 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie was abducted from her Arizona home, law enforcement officials are taking a new step to crack the case by releasing two ransom letters sent to her family, appealing to the public to help identify the kidnapper behind her disappearance. Nancy is the mother of prominent American broadcast journalist Savannah Guthrie, one of the most recognizable on-air personalities in U.S. news media.

    Nancy Guthrie was last seen alive on January 31, when relatives dropped her off at her residence located just outside Tucson. She relied on daily medication for ongoing health conditions, and when she failed to arrive at a friend’s home the next morning to attend a virtual church service, authorities were alerted immediately. Investigators have confirmed they believe the 84-year-old was taken against her will from her home, though no suspects have been arrested to date, and no clear motive for the abduction has been made public.

    In the days following Nancy’s disappearance, two ransom notes addressed to Savannah Guthrie and the wider Guthrie family were sent to a local Tucson television station. The Pima County Sheriff’s Office, which is leading the investigation, confirmed Friday that the first note, received February 2, is considered apparently credible and demanded a $4 million ransom payment in Bitcoin. The letter stated that if the ransom was not transferred to the specified crypto wallet by the initial deadline, the demand would increase to $6 million, and threatened that Nancy would be killed if no payment arrived by the final cutoff. It also included specific details about items inside and outside Nancy’s home, such as a white smart watch left at the foot of her bed and a destroyed outdoor flood light.

    Four days after the first ransom communication arrived, a second note was delivered to the station. This letter claimed that Nancy had died of an apparent heart-related issue shortly after her abduction, saying the kidnappers had not intended to harm her and that she had been buried in an undeveloped natural area. It ended with an apology to the Guthrie family.

    To date, investigators have not been able to confirm Nancy’s death, and the case remains an open and active kidnapping investigation. By releasing the full text of the notes to the public, law enforcement is hoping that distinct writing patterns and phrasing used by the author will be recognized by someone who knows them. “A friend, family member, coworker, classmate, or acquaintance may recognise these patterns of expression and possess information that could help identify the individual responsible,” the sheriff’s office explained in an official statement.

    The strategy of releasing suspect writing to the public to generate identifying tips has precedent in major U.S. criminal cases. Most famously, the Unabomber suspect Ted Kaczynski was identified and arrested after his brother recognized his distinctive writing and ideological tone when major national newspapers published his full anti-technology manifesto in 1995.

    In a update to the case earlier this year, investigators released photos of a masked, armed suspect who was captured on Nancy’s home security camera shortly before the abduction, after the suspect disabled the front door camera. A glove recovered near the neighborhood in the weeks after the kidnapping did not yield usable DNA evidence, leaving investigators with few leads to pursue.

    Following receipt of the second note claiming Nancy’s death, Savannah Guthrie released a public statement on Instagram on February 7, pleading with the kidnappers: “We received your message and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us… This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.” Earlier this week, the prominent host released another public video, renewing her plea for the abductors to “do the right thing” and disclose where Nancy’s remains are located if she is indeed dead.

  • Labour’s Bev Craig is elected Greater Manchester mayor to succeed Andy Burnham

    Labour’s Bev Craig is elected Greater Manchester mayor to succeed Andy Burnham

    LONDON, MANCHESTER — A by-election triggered by Andy Burnham’s departure from Greater Manchester’s top local government role to become the United Kingdom’s prime minister has ended with Labour Party candidate Bev Craig claiming the mayoralty in a decisive victory Friday.

    Craig secured a landslide 66.3% of the vote in the runoff round, beating Sian Astley, the contender from the right-wing, anti-immigration Reform UK. The contest was held after Burnham, who held the Greater Manchester mayoral post for nine years, moved to national office: he won a special parliamentary by-election, was elected Labour Party leader following Keir Starmer’s resignation, and took office as prime minister on July 20.

    In her victory address after the final result was declared, Craig struck an inclusive tone for all voters across the city region. “To those that voted for me, thank you,” she said. “And for those of you that didn’t vote for me, I will still be your mayor. I will defend this city region with every bone in my body and I will fight for a better life for all of us.”

    The election used a ranked-choice voting system, where voters mark first and second preference choices. Craig fell just 0.2% short of an outright first-round majority, forcing a runoff between the top two vote-getters. Second-preference votes from the five eliminated candidates were then allocated to the remaining contenders, sealing Craig’s lopsided win. Prior to the by-election, Craig served as the outgoing leader of Manchester City Council, one of the 10 local boroughs that make up the Greater Manchester city region.

    Notably, voter turnout for Thursday’s poll hit just 25%, the lowest figure recorded in the four mayoral elections held since Greater Manchester introduced a directly elected mayoral system in 2017.

    Unlike Craig’s narrow first-round finish, Burnham never faced a runoff in his three consecutive successful mayoral campaigns, winning outright majority support in every contest.

    Even so, Craig’s win marks a significant political rebound for the centre-left Labour Party, which suffered a devastating defeat to Reform UK in local council elections across Greater Manchester less than three months ago. That poor nationwide performance in local English elections ultimately forced the resignation of then-Labour leader and prime minister Keir Starmer, clearing the path for Burnham’s rise to Downing Street.

    Rob Ford, professor of politics at the University of Manchester, described the result as a critical turning point for Labour after its bruising local election losses. “Labour got an absolute pasting, a shellacking in those local elections,” Ford said. He noted that Craig’s rebound from that low point is “a really powerful moment” for the party as it looks to rebuild confidence ahead of future national contests.

  • Full text: 15-point draft peace plan between Hamas and Israel in Gaza

    Full text: 15-point draft peace plan between Hamas and Israel in Gaza

    After months of intensive, good-faith negotiations, Hamas has formally signed off on a detailed, U.S.-mediated framework to advance further phases of a Gaza ceasefire, a move billed as a historic breakthrough toward ending nearly a year of catastrophic Israeli military operations in the blockaded Palestinian enclave. The plan, developed in coordination with U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, aligns with Trump’s broader comprehensive peace vision and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803, outlining a phased roadmap toward security, new governance, humanitarian relief, and long-term reconstruction in Gaza.

    The announcement comes amid a staggering humanitarian crisis that has left Gaza in ruins. Since the start of Israel’s military campaign, more than 73,000 people in Gaza have been killed, with thousands more still missing and presumed dead. Roughly 90% of Gaza’s 2 million residents have been displaced from their homes, now sheltering in overcrowded, unsanitary tent camps with no access to basic services. Middle East Eye, which obtained the full Arabic draft of the agreement Hamas approved, has published the complete English translation of the text publicly.

    The core framework of the agreement anchors all future progress in verified compliance from both parties, with each phase of implementation proceeding only after the International Verification Committee confirms all prior obligations have been met. That oversight body, established by the Board of Peace, includes representatives from guarantor states, the Board of Peace, and the International Stabilisation Force. Key initial obligations require both Israel and Hamas to immediately end all military operations in line with the existing Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum, with detailed timelines and mechanisms for Phase Two of the agreement set to be finalized within 14 days of the deal’s signing (a deadline that can be extended by the verification committee if needed). Once those logistics are confirmed, the newly established National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) will enter the territory to take up its governing duties.

    Under the terms of the deal, Hamas and all other Palestinian armed factions will transfer full civil and security governing authority for Gaza to the independent NCAG during the transitional period, with factions agreeing to refrain from any interference in the committee’s work. The NCAG will be tasked with maintaining continuity of public services, ensuring fair treatment for all civil servants, conducting a full administrative and financial audit of Gaza’s public resources, and addressing outstanding financial commitments capped at $400 million over a three-year implementation period.

    A core security pillar of the agreement establishes the guiding principle of “one authority, one law, one weapon” for Gaza. All police personnel will undergo mandatory vetting, with unqualified officers offered alternative civilian roles or retirement benefits protected under Palestinian law, and no penalties imposed based solely on political affiliation. All police weapons will be transferred to NCAG control immediately upon the committee’s entry into Gaza. A full inventory and secured storage process for heavy weapons, military infrastructure, weapons depots, and militant tunnels will begin after the Sharm el-Sheikh obligations are met, NCAG is deployed, and the International Stabilisation Force enters the territory. No weapons will be surrendered to Israel or any non-Palestinian entity, and once the process is complete, the NCAG will be the sole body authorized to control weapons in the enclave. Personal weapons will be regulated under existing Palestinian law, with the NCAG holding exclusive authority for registration, licensing, and enforcement.

    Militia personnel will not be integrated into Gaza’s new security or police forces, and all militia weapons will be collected and stored under NCAG control per the agreed timeline, with compliance verified by the International Verification Committee. The deal also requires all factions to sign a social peace agreement committing to an end to internal Palestinian violence, and banning acts of revenge, shows of force, military parades, and armed demonstrations.

    To separate Israeli forces from NCAG-controlled areas, an interim International Stabilisation Force will be deployed to Gaza. The force will not carry out domestic policing, ceasefire enforcement, or police training, instead focusing on monitoring compliance with the deal and facilitating the flow of humanitarian and essential supplies into the territory, along with other non-policing tasks requested by the NCAG. Israel will complete a phased withdrawal from all of Gaza in line with the agreed timeline, with a formal commitment not to force any Gaza residents to leave the enclave. All internal security incidents will be handled exclusively by the NCAG.

    Long-term reconstruction of Gaza, which has seen most of its built infrastructure destroyed, will be overseen jointly by the Board of Peace and the NCAG, which will develop a detailed implementation plan and timeline aligned with international standards and Palestinian law. The overarching goal of the entire process, the agreement notes, is to end the cycle of violence and destruction in Gaza, secure full Israeli withdrawal, restore normal life for Palestinian residents, and open a credible political path to Palestinian self-determination and the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state.

  • Trump now ‘not sure’ about letting Ukraine build Patriot missiles

    Trump now ‘not sure’ about letting Ukraine build Patriot missiles

    Three weeks after publicly offering Ukraine permission to domestically manufacture Patriot air defense interceptor missiles, U.S. President Donald Trump has reversed course, clarifying that no final agreement has been reached and citing long-term national security concerns over sharing advanced American weapons technology.

    “We have not agreed to that. We’re talking about it. But it’s a hard thing to give away, that kind of technology,” Trump stated during a Friday cabinet meeting. Describing the Patriot system as an unparalleled advanced weapons platform, he added, “These weapons are incredible. We have to be very careful about letting somebody build them.” Echoing this caution in a separate interview with the *Financial Times*, Trump noted, “I don’t think this would ever happen, but, you know, those people that you give that technology, they can someday turn on you.” He added that he remained “not sure” about approving the production license, saying “we’re looking into it” and emphasizing that the U.S. rarely licenses such sensitive military equipment to foreign nations.

    Ukraine has sought access to Patriot capabilities for years, as the system is one of the few in the world capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles and attack drones that have repeatedly targeted Ukrainian civilian and infrastructure sites. Just one week prior to Trump’s latest comments, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Washington D.C., where he met with Trump and leadership from Lockheed Martin, the U.S. defense contractor that manufactures the Patriot system. Following that White House meeting, Zelenskyy told Fox News that Trump had formally agreed to issue the production licenses, telling reporters, “He accepted that he will give us licences.”

    The original pledge of production rights came during a NATO summit held in Ankara, where Trump told Zelenskyy, “We are gonna give you a licence to make Patriots… I think they can produce them very quickly once we explain it.”

    Alongside his comments on the Patriot program, Trump announced that two of his senior envoys – his son-in-law and former White House advisor Jared Kushner, and former real estate developer Steve Witkoff – will travel to Ukraine in the coming days to advance peace talks. “Very simply put, we want the war in Ukraine with Russia ended,” he told the *Financial Times*.

    On Friday, Zelenskyy took to social media platform X to share details of a follow-up call with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, writing that the pair had followed up on his earlier meeting with Trump. “As Russia’s air attacks on our country continue unabated, air defence – specifically Patriot interceptors against ballistic missiles – remains a top priority,” Zelenskyy noted, adding that the two leaders had agreed to stay in close contact to work through outstanding issues.

    Ukrainian air force officials have repeatedly warned that severe shortages of Patriot interceptor missiles have severely limited their ability to counter incoming Russian ballistic strikes. The Patriot system is capable of intercepting projectiles with flight ranges of up to 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), with a single battery able to track up to 100 threats and engage eight targets simultaneously. Each individual interceptor missile costs an estimated $3 million to $5 million, and Ukraine has previously stated it requires a total of 25 full Patriot systems to adequately defend its territory.

    The latest diplomatic discussion comes amid a dramatic escalation of Russian air strikes across Ukraine. Earlier this week, a single Russian missile attack killed five members of one family – parents Artem and Olena Voronov and their three children, Mark, Azariah Ilay, and Emilia – after the weapon destroyed their home. Zelenskyy condemned the attack as a “horrific crime”, sharing images of the family on social media to highlight the human cost of the ongoing bombardment. The strike was part of a massive overnight assault that saw Russia launch more than 70 missiles and over 280 drones across Ukrainian territory.

  • Idi Amin’s grandson fights at Commonwealth Games

    Idi Amin’s grandson fights at Commonwealth Games

    The 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games became the center of a small but heated controversy after Ugandan boxer Aziz Abdul, the grandson of former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, claimed he was wrongfully disqualified from his bout on racial grounds. Abdul, who goes by the nickname “Ringo” in the ring, asserted that the decision to strip him of the match was rooted in anti-Black African bias and made solely to favor his English opponent, Damar Thomas.

    Games organizers have rapidly pushed back against these allegations, refuting the claim that bias played any role in the referee’s call. According to official match records, the disqualification came after the referee judged Abdul to have deliberately headbutted Thomas during the contest, a move that violates international amateur boxing rules set for the Commonwealth Games tournament.

    Prior to the controversial bout, Abdul had spoken openly with BBC reporters about his connection to his infamous grandfather, a topic that has drawn extra media attention to his first Commonwealth Games appearance. Amin, who ruled Uganda from 1971 to 1979, is widely infamously remembered for mass human rights abuses, ethnic persecution, and economic mismanagement that left the East African nation deeply destabilized. Despite this controversial family legacy, Abdul has sought to build his own career as an elite athlete, competing on the global stage independent of his grandfather’s political reputation.

    The controversy remains contained to the single bout, with no broader calls for review of other judging decisions at the Games as of the latest updates.

  • Greyhounds bound for Australia as New Zealand racing ban takes effect

    Greyhounds bound for Australia as New Zealand racing ban takes effect

    When New Zealand’s nationwide ban on commercial greyhound racing comes into force this Saturday, a little-known chapter of the industry’s final days will play out across the Tasman Sea: at least two chartered flights carrying up to 150 retired racing greyhounds are bound for eastern Australian states, where the sport remains largely legal, allowing the small number of remaining New Zealand trainers to continue their careers.

    The ban, first announced in December 2024 and formally legislated this past April, mandates the full shutdown of greyhound racing across New Zealand, requiring roughly 1,400 dogs from the industry to be rehomed as pets over the coming years. Greyhound Racing New Zealand (GRNZ), the sport’s former governing body in the country, confirmed to the BBC that a small group of local trainers are choosing to relocate their dogs to Australia rather than retire their animals, keeping the racing practice alive for a subset of the national herd.

    New Zealand’s decision to end greyhound racing followed three independent reviews conducted in 2013, 2017, and 2021. Racing Minister Winston Peters’ spokesperson explained that while the industry had made incremental improvements to animal welfare standards, the injury and mortality rates among racing greyhounds remained unacceptably high, meaning the sector had irrevocably “lost its social licence” to operate in the country. Peters’ office called the planned relocation of racing dogs to Australia “the last gasp actions of a dying industry,” adding that the vast majority of the 1,300 to 1,400 affected greyhounds will be rehomed in New Zealand over the next two years, and the cross-border relocation of a small number of dogs is a one-time final event rather than an ongoing flow. GRNZ has disputed the government’s findings on welfare outcomes, with chief executive Edward Rennell insisting to the BBC that New Zealand greyhound racing already maintained the highest animal welfare standards of any professional racing code in the country.

    Under current Australian import rules, all dogs entering the country from New Zealand are classified as companion animals and must undergo mandatory biosecurity screening for diseases including rabies. Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry clarified to a Senate inquiry in June that import requirements are set based on biosecurity risk, regardless of the animal’s intended future use. The department declined to provide additional comment to the BBC for this report.

    Rennell told the BBC that between 6 and 10 New Zealand trainers have expressed interest in relocating to Australia, noting that most New Zealand citizens do not require special visas to move and work in Australia. Final logistics for the chartered flights are set to be confirmed over the next two weeks, with GRNZ covering the full cost of air travel and owners and trainers responsible for all other relocation expenses. Rennell added that while the imported dogs will continue racing in Australia, their competitive edge is likely limited: New Zealand greyhound breeding operations largely paused immediately after the ban was announced 18 months ago, leaving the current generation of dogs less optimized for top-tier professional racing.

    This is not the first wave of New Zealand racing greyhounds moving to Australia: officials confirmed an initial 80 greyhounds were exported to Queensland on a chartered flight back in April 2025, after the ban was formally passed into law. Simon Stout of Greyhounds Australasia told a Tasmanian parliamentary hearing this week that one relocated New Zealand trainer and their family were drawn to the “shining lights of the new facility” west of Brisbane.

    GRNZ has identified existing kennel facilities across Queensland, New South Wales (NSW), and Victoria as potential destinations for the dogs. The Queensland Racing Integrity Commission confirmed it has been formally notified by GRNZ of the impending arrival of greyhounds and possible relocation of industry participants. Officials in NSW and Victoria stated they have not received notification of specific relocation plans in their jurisdictions, adding that greyhounds are legally permitted to cross jurisdictional borders for racing purposes within Australia.

    Animal welfare advocates have raised sharp alarm over the relocation, noting that Australia already faces a widespread crisis placing retired racing greyhounds. Kylie Field, director of the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds, pointed out that New South Wales alone currently has more than 4,100 retired greyhounds waiting for permanent homes, and the Australian industry has already been sending thousands of retired dogs to the United States and Canada to ease domestic rehoming backlogs – more than 2,000 have been shipped overseas to date. Federal Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi told the BBC she is deeply concerned about regulatory loopholes that allow the ongoing export of racing greyhounds into Australia, saying neither New Zealand nor Australian authorities have taken meaningful action to address the welfare risks.

    Australia’s greyhound racing industry is vastly larger and more commercially valuable than New Zealand’s ever was: the latest Greyhounds Australasia data shows that the Queensland, NSW, and Victorian industries collectively generated nearly A$2 billion in revenue in 2022-2023, dwarfing New Zealand’s peak total of NZ$147 million. Kiwi gamblers are still legally permitted to place bets on Australian greyhound racing even after the domestic ban takes effect. Currently, greyhound racing is only banned in the Australian Capital Territory, and Tasmania has passed legislation to phase out the sport entirely. Globally, Scotland and Wales outlawed commercial greyhound racing earlier this year, and most U.S. states have banned the practice, leaving just two active tracks in West Virginia.

  • Vozinha wins special jersey approval in Chile as Colo-Colo arrival remains uncertain

    Vozinha wins special jersey approval in Chile as Colo-Colo arrival remains uncertain

    SANTIAGO, Chile — Cape Verdean goalkeeper Vozinha, who captured global attention during his breakout performance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, has secured a rare rule exception that will let him display his famous nickname instead of his legal surname on his match jersey if he completes his move to Chile’s top-flight football league.

    The Chilean Football Federation’s Primera Division governing body, ANFP, voted unanimously on Friday to approve the special waiver, which required amending league regulations that previously required all players to print only their family surnames on kit backs. Top leaders from Chilean professional clubs across the division united to support Vozinha’s request, which was advanced by his prospective new club Colo-Colo — Chile’s most successful and widely supported football institution. Vozinha’s full legal name is Josimar José Évora Dias, and the nickname Vozinha has been the moniker he has used throughout his professional playing career.

    While the jersey rule change clears one key hurdle for the transfer, questions about the 40-year-old goalkeeper’s actual arrival in Chile have grown sharper over the past week. Colo-Colo announced Vozinha as a high-profile marquee signing seven days ago, with an initial arrival date set for last Tuesday. Visa processing delays first pushed his travel back to Thursday, but the shot-stopper ultimately never boarded his flight to Santiago, triggering anxiety and speculation among Colo-Colo’s leadership and millions of passionate fans.

    Amid growing public concern over the status of the deal, Colo-Colo sporting director Jaime Pizarro moved quickly to reassure supporters Thursday evening, confirming that the club still intended to complete the transfer. Pizarro told reporters that club representatives had been in touch with Vozinha’s agent as recently as minutes before his press briefing, explaining that the player had requested a short extension to resolve unspecified personal matters that he has not yet detailed publicly. During the ANFP’s rule change vote Friday, Colo-Colo president Aníbal Mosa publicly acknowledged that the player’s official contract has not yet been signed, and multiple local Chilean media outlets have since confirmed that the nickname jersey exception was one of Vozinha’s non-negotiable conditions for finalizing the agreement.

    On Friday, Colo-Colo head coach Fernando Ortiz backed Pizarro’s assurances, confirming he had spoken directly with Vozinha personally, while still maintaining measured caution around the pending transfer. “We spoke, and I could tell he was happy and pleased,” Ortiz told reporters at a press conference in Santiago. “Although he isn’t very expressive by nature, he is excited about the prospect of coming here — though he obviously has personal matters to take care of. The excitement surrounding a figure like him entering our league is understandable. Let’s hope he resolves his situation soon so we can count on him.”

    Vozinha, who has remained active on his personal social media channels since the transfer was announced, has not yet released any public statement addressing the delay or his potential move to Chile. Despite the uncertainty, Ortiz said he remained confident the transfer was progressing appropriately, emphasizing: “Things are being done the right way.”

  • Public wake to be held for musician Glen Hansard

    Public wake to be held for musician Glen Hansard

    The global music community is in mourning following the sudden death of beloved 56-year-old Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard, who lost his life in a crash in the early hours of last Wednesday. The tragedy came just hours after Hansard took part in a traditional Irish music session at The Wren’s Nest pub, a beloved local venue in County Dublin.

    A career that spanned more than 30 years, Hansard first rose to international prominence in 1991 when he was cast as guitarist Outspan Foster in the hit musical comedy film *The Commitments*. Beyond his early on-screen success, he built his reputation as the long-time frontman of The Frames, an acclaimed Irish rock band that earned a dedicated global fanbase.

    His most iconic career milestone came in 2008, when he and collaborator Marketa Irglova won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Falling Slowly” from the low-budget independent musical romance *Once*. The pair went on to release three full-length albums as the duo The Swell Season, while Hansard also built a successful solo career. His 2016 solo album *Didn’t He Ramble* earned a Grammy Award nomination, cementing his status as one of Ireland’s most talented contemporary musicians. Away from the spotlight, Hansard was also a dedicated philanthropist, widely praised by homeless advocacy charities for his consistent fundraising work supporting vulnerable communities. He is survived by his three-year-old son.

    In the days following his death, a wave of tributes has poured in from across the global entertainment and political landscape. High-profile figures including music legends Bruce Springsteen — who shared that he was “heartbroken” over the loss — Ed Sheeran, Billie Eilish, *Hamilton* creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, *West Side Story* actor Rachel Zegler, and former United States President Barack Obama have all honored Hansard’s legacy and life. On Thursday evening, hundreds of fans gathered in Dublin for a public memorial busk, celebrating his music and connection to the city’s artistic community.

    To allow members of the public to pay their final respects, official funeral arrangements have been confirmed. A public wake will be held on Monday, August 3, in the Baroque Chapel at the Irish Museum of Modern Art, located within Dublin’s Royal Hospital Kilmainham. Hansard will lie in repose at the venue from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time. His funeral service will take place the following day, August 4, at 1:30 p.m. local time at St Patrick’s Cathedral in central Dublin. While the funeral is open to all members of the public who wish to attend, venue organizers have noted that access inside the cathedral will be limited due to the large volume of mourners expected to attend. Music for the service will be performed by Hansard’s close friends and family.

  • Influx of migrants to Ceuta gives Spain diplomatic headache

    Influx of migrants to Ceuta gives Spain diplomatic headache

    In the days following an unprecedented mass crossing of 60,000 migrants into the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta, the immediate crisis has started to ease as most arrivals gradually trickle back across the border into Morocco. The surge, which saw six times more people breach Ceuta’s boundary barriers in less than 24 hours than the last major incursion in 2021, has left Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez facing intense political and diplomatic pressure, though that pressure is expected to soften as reinforced military and police deployments secure the border and authorities process and return migrants who do not qualify for the right to remain and do not leave voluntarily.

    Unlike the sub-Saharan migrants who undertake dangerous cross-Sahara treks or risky sea crossings to reach Spain’s Canary Islands, most of those who crossed into Ceuta in this latest event were local Moroccan residents with no preparation for long-distance migration. At least 57 people lost their lives during the crossing attempt, with many confirmed drowned, underscoring the extreme risks migrants took to reach the EU territory.

    Sánchez traveled to Ceuta within hours of the surge, accusing human traffickers of exploiting a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling that limits the government’s authority to immediately deport newly arrived sea migrants. But observers and diplomatic analysts point to a far larger geopolitical trigger for the event: Morocco’s deliberate decision to allow its border forces to step aside and permit the mass crossing, a tactic the kingdom has used before to retaliate against Spanish diplomatic moves tied to the long-running Western Sahara dispute.

    The Western Sahara conflict has shaped Maghreb diplomacy for more than 50 years, ever since Spain ceded control of Spanish Sahara to then-Moroccan King Hassan II, while Algeria threw its support behind the indigenous Polisario Front, which claims independence for the territory. The dispute has left Morocco and Algeria locked in a bitter diplomatic cold war, with a UN peacekeeping force still deployed to monitor the fragile ceasefire between Moroccan forces and Polisario guerrillas.

    For decades, European governments attempted to maintain neutrality on the issue to avoid angering either Rabat or Algiers. But in 2022, Spain broke with longstanding policy to back Morocco’s plan for Western Sahara autonomy, rejecting independence for the territory—a move that infuriated Algeria. Sánchez’s recent diplomatic trip to Algiers, intended to repair strained ties with Algeria, preceded this latest migrant surge, leading analysts to connect the event to Moroccan retaliation for Spanish diplomatic outreach to its regional rival. This is not the first time Morocco has used migration pressure against Spain: the 2021 Ceuta incursion followed Spain’s decision to allow Polisario leader Brahim Ghali to receive COVID-19 treatment on Spanish soil.

    Geographically, Ceuta and its sister enclave Melilla are millennia-old settlements that have been Spanish territory since the 16th century, making them the only EU territory with a direct land border on the North African coast. This unique position leaves Spain uniquely vulnerable to migration pressure leverage from Morocco.

    Domestically, Sánchez has faced fierce criticism from Spain’s mainstream conservative Partido Popular and far-right Vox party over the surge. Internationally, several European governments have raised alarms, with Italy even floating the idea of suspending Spain’s Schengen Area membership. However, analysts note that concerns over unrestricted access to the rest of the Schengen zone are overblown: Spain already operates strict internal border controls for all flights and ferries traveling from Ceuta and Melilla to the Spanish mainland, limiting movement into the wider open borders area.

    Beyond the immediate geopolitical context, the event has also highlighted a policy divide between Spain and much of the rest of the EU. Sánchez has pursued a notably pro-immigration agenda that stands in stark contrast to the restrictive policies adopted by most other EU member states and the UK, including launching a seasonal worker program that brings thousands of Senegalese laborers to Spain’s horticultural sector each year. The long-term political and economic sustainability of this approach remains untested, but it has already created unease among other European governments, which helps explain their sharp reaction to the Ceuta crisis, notes Chatham House Africa Programme consulting fellow Paul Melly.

  • Thousands make dramatic sea crossing into Ceuta from Morocco

    Thousands make dramatic sea crossing into Ceuta from Morocco

    A sudden, unprecedented wave of mass migration has pushed Spain into urgent action to secure its North African enclave Ceuta, after tens of thousands of people crossed into the territory from Morocco in one of the largest border breaches in recent decades. Local authorities in Ceuta confirm that roughly 60,000 people successfully entered the Spanish territory, with around 8,000 of the arrivals recorded as children, according to estimates from Spain’s central government in Madrid. By Friday, Spain’s interior ministry announced that approximately 13,000 of the new arrivals had already been repatriated to Morocco.

    Videos shared across social media platforms captured the risky crossing: migrants swam around the reinforced border barrier separating Ceuta from Morocco, many wearing only swimsuits and relying on simple flotation rings to complete the dangerous aquatic journey. For many who completed the crossing, the arrival brought overwhelming relief. “We’re really happy to be here,” shared Jadid Zacaria, one of the migrants who entered Ceuta. “It’s been a very tough experience to go from the ocean. The [Moroccan] police officers tried to stop us, but through our will and determination, we could [make it] here.” Many migrants were filmed chanting “viva Espana” — long live Spain — immediately after setting foot on Spanish soil.

    Ceuta and the neighboring Spanish enclave of Melilla, both located on Morocco’s Mediterranean and northern coasts respectively, hold unique geographic significance: they are the only land borders connecting the European Union to the African continent. Both territories, each with a permanent population of roughly 85,000, have long faced periodic surges in attempted crossings by people seeking access to Europe and better opportunities. But the scale of this week’s influx is almost unprecedented, marking the largest single arrival of migrants in Ceuta since May 2021, when thousands crossed amid a heated diplomatic dispute between Madrid and Rabat over the contested Western Sahara territory.

    The mass crossing has already sent shockwaves through the European Union, sparking division and immediate policy shifts among member states. France has announced it will ramp up security checks along its own border with Spain, while Italy has issued a formal threat to suspend Spain from the EU’s Schengen Area, the bloc’s internal open-border scheme that allows unrestricted movement between participating countries.

    On the Moroccan side of the border, security forces have moved aggressively to stem the flow of new arrivals. Moroccan authorities deployed water cannon to push back crowds gathered at the Ceuta border gates, and clashes between security forces and migrants left a bus and seven cars burned in the area nearby, according to Reuters reporting.

    Spanish officials have committed to expelling all migrants who entered the territory illegally as quickly as possible, even amid a legal barrier: a recent court ruling has imposed new restrictions on the special “border rejection” rules that previously allowed for immediate expulsions directly from the enclave.

    Unlike most crossing attempts, which see migrants travel several kilometers along the coast to avoid heavily fortified sections of the fence, this wave of migrants faced surprisingly little resistance when approaching the border barrier. Many initially walked along the rocky sea wall to bypass the fence, while the majority swam around the barrier to reach Ceuta’s beaches on the Spanish side.

    To date, no definitive explanation has emerged for what prompted this sudden, large-scale wave of attempted crossings. Spain’s Territorial Policy Minister Angel Victor Torres has suggested the surge may be linked to a recent ruling from the Spanish Supreme Court issued earlier this month, which barred authorities from summarily returning migrants intercepted at sea attempting to reach Ceuta or Melilla under the previous special border rules. Jamila El Abboudi, an activist with the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH), echoed this analysis in comments to French outlet Le Monde, noting that the court decision directly encouraged migrants to travel to Ceuta by sea.

    Other political analysts have pointed to a separate diplomatic context: growing tension between Morocco and Spain following Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s recent visit to Algeria, Morocco’s long-standing rival and Spain’s largest natural gas supplier. The Sanchez visit was part of an effort by Madrid to de-escalate tensions that emerged after Spain backed Morocco’s 2022 autonomy plan for Western Sahara, a disputed territory claimed by the Algeria-backed pro-independence Polisario Front.

    Even after the initial mass crossing, thousands of prospective migrants have gathered in the Moroccan border town of Fnideq, despite heavy reinforced security deployments that have blocked most new crossing attempts. Though the main border access points are now effectively sealed, small groups continue to move along the coastline searching for unfortified gaps in the barrier, with many already preparing to attempt the dangerous swim. “I was late,” 32-year-old Brahim, who only provided his first name, told Reuters after traveling from Tangier to attempt the crossing, only to find the border fully blocked. Among those still waiting to cross are women and children from both Morocco and multiple sub-Saharan African nations.