Gergana Krasteva

A mass border breach saw roughly 60,000 people enter Ceuta from Morocco, with more than 60 reported deaths and many migrants later returned. Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez condemned what he called the selfish and unlawful response of some EU governments, while Italy, Denmark and France backed tougher border controls and questioned Schengen cooperation. The EU called an emergency meeting, and Spain blamed traffickers, misinformation and a Supreme Court ruling for helping trigger the influx. Moroccan forces and Spanish authorities worked to stop and reverse the crossings, while migrants described poverty and a lack of opportunities as reasons for attempting the dangerous journey.

A humpback whale trapped on a sandbank near Timmendorfer Strand, Germany, was freed after a 76-hour rescue operation involving coastguards, police, firefighters, marine experts and heavy equipment. Repeated attempts to guide the 33-foot, 15-tonne whale into deeper water failed, partly because the Baltic Sea has weak tides. Diggers eventually created an escape channel, while strong winds later raised water levels and enabled the whale to move offshore. Rescuers are escorting it through Danish waters and the North Sea, but experts caution that it remains at risk until it reaches the Atlantic Ocean.

More than 200 tourists were rescued after becoming trapped in over 30 vehicles by a severe snowstorm near the Balcon del Pissis viewpoint in Argentina’s Catamarca Province. Emergency teams used specialised snow vehicles, heavy machinery, drones and a helicopter to clear the access road and reach those stranded. The operation took nearly 24 hours and was temporarily suspended overnight because of dangerous weather and terrain. Two people were hospitalised with hypothermia, but all of the tourists were eventually brought to safety.

Six Flags has announced Bakunawa, a 382-foot spinning launch coaster planned for Shoreline Pier at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey in 2027. The ride is expected to reach 100 mph, feature free-spinning floorless vehicles, and set records for height and speed among spinning coasters. It will replace Kingda Ka, while the exact opening date remains unknown.

Wildfires across Greece killed three firefighters, including two on Crete and one near Gytheio, as gale-force winds, drought and heat fueled dozens of blazes. More than 220 firefighters, specialized forest units, fire engines and volunteers were deployed, while emergency alerts prompted evacuations in Crete and heightened warnings in Rethymno. Turkey also evacuated residents from wildfire-hit western provinces. In France, fires destroyed an area four times the size of Paris and displaced more than 220,000 people, although rain, cooler temperatures and rising humidity allowed many evacuees in the southwest to return home.

Michelle Louise Collier, a 15-year-old Fresno girl who disappeared in February 1978, has been identified nearly 50 years after her remains were found in a shallow grave in an Arvin, California vineyard. Authorities used forensic investigative genetic genealogy, DNA profiling and a sample from her mother to make the identification. Her death was ruled a homicide, but the circumstances and identity of the killer remain unknown. Her surviving siblings recently received her remains, while the Kern County Sheriff's Department continues the investigation.

Twenty-one-month-old Jawad Abu Nassar was returned to his family in Gaza about 10 hours after being detained with his father, Osama, near the Maghazi refugee camp. Relatives and a physician said the child had deep lesions and wounds consistent with cigarette burns and possible deliberate torture, although The Independent could not independently verify the medical report. The Israeli Defence Forces rejected the allegations, claiming the injuries were caused by shrapnel after Osama approached soldiers while carrying the child, and alleging that he was a Hamas operative. Osama remains missing, and his family has not been told whether he was arrested or what condition he is in.

A shipping company reportedly paid Iran $2 million to secure the passage of a tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran introduces a selective system allowing vessels judged unaffiliated with the US or Israel to transit Iranian waters. India, Pakistan, Iraq, Malaysia and China are reportedly negotiating with Iran for safe passage, while at least nine vessels have used an unusual route near Larak Island. The policy is attributed to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and follows attacks on commercial ships that have reduced traffic through the strait by 95 per cent. The disruption threatens global energy markets because roughly 20 per cent of the world’s oil normally passes through the waterway, while the US is reportedly considering military pressure on Iran.