Latest news for 31 July 2026

SPAIN

Ceuta surge.

Prime Minister Sánchez is — along with border reinforcements — due in Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta today (Friday) after 49,000 undocumented migrants suddenly swam across from neighbouring Morocco — up to 15 died en route. Italy’s Meloni is now mulling the possibility of limiting arrivals from Spain unless Sánchez can get the situation under control. (El País)

Comment: Once the dust settles, the 84,000 residents of Ceuta (not to mention broader Spain) will want to understand what just happened. The interior ministry is accusing human traffickers of exploiting a recent court decision preventing immediate returns to Morocco; plus Madrid had just received ~1.2 million responses to Sánchez’s offer of legal status (though only for those already in Spain before 2026). Morocco also has a history (eg 2021) of relaxing border controls as political retaliation, and sure enough, Sánchez was only just next door buttering up Morocco’s arch-rival Algeria, though Madrid is insisting Morocco is cooperating. Either way, it’s ammo for Sánchez’s conservative opposition.

SWITZERLAND

Europe draws a line.

All 55 European soccer football associations have now unanimously agreed to boycott FIFA events if Gianni Infantino pushes ahead with his polarising plan to sell parts of the World Cup to private investors. It comes as the Asian Football Confederation and the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) likewise come out against the Infantino plan. (ESPN)

Comment: It’s hard to see how his plan for the world’s biggest sporting event survives in the face of a full boycott by Europe, heart of the sport’s history, talent, and cash. But Infantino is vowing to press on, which might be why we just profiled him as arguably the world’s most hated man.

JAPAN

Backup capital city?

Cities across Japan are competing to become the official ‘backup capital’ in case Tokyo ever gets knocked out by a major disaster. (Japan Today)

Comment: It’s not only about the glory and prestige. The new secondary capital law also pledges to create a second economic engine, though delivering that will be far tougher than winning the title.

POLAND

Russian missile hits Poland?

Polish authorities believe the explosion that left a 10m (32ft) crater deep into Polish territory was a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile that crossed into Polish airspace during Putin’s latest attacks on Ukrainian cities. (EuroNews)

Comment: Coming after last year’s big drone incursion into Poland, this latest missile incident raises familiar questions about NATO’s unity and preparedness, which might’ve (again) been Putin’s aim all along.

CAMEROON

Where’s the president?

Folks are starting to think President Biya’s “brief” Swiss vacation might be a cover-up for something else, with the 93-year-old leader now missing for more than 50 days. The government has banned speculation, but we’ll gladly speculate that maybe he’s there for medical reasons. (Guardian)

Comment: He’s got a record of lengthy vacations in Switzerland, hence netizens dubbing him their ‘remote-work president’.

MYANMAR

Sentences.

The ruling military junta has approved the death penalty for anyone caught using forced labour in the notorious cyber-scam hubs that’ve flourished in the country’s conflict zones. But before you nod in approval, the regime has also sentenced nine protestors to up to 37 years in prison for protesting the country’s recent sham elections. (Al Jazeera)

CHILE

Killer, caught at last.

After three years on the run, police have apprehended Nelson Haase, a former military officer convicted in 2023 over the 1973 murder of folk singer Victor Jara. Pro-Pinochet figures killed Jara for his opposition to the general, shortly after he seized power via a coup. (CBS)

UNITED STATES

Hamas signals disarmament.

President Trump says he has reached an agreement with Hamas to disarm under his proposed Board of Peace initiative. Under the plan, Israel would withdraw from Gaza. (BBC)Comment: Call us sceptical, but both positions (Hamas disarms, Israel withdraws) appear to require significantly more goodwill and trust than currently exists between the two parties.