Global Briefs: Migrants who stormed Ceuta return home

Spain

Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said Aug. 4 that 70,000 of the 72,000 migrants in Ceuta have returned to Morocco. Tens of thousands of Moroccans flooded the North African enclave of Spain on July 30 after viral videos claiming open borders encouraged many to swim the 3 miles to European territory. Authorities are investigating whether the surge was spontaneous or orchestrated. Some say a June 29 Spanish supreme court ruling that declared asylum seekers entering Spain by sea could not be deported without trial may have contributed to the border breach. The incident has prompted a feud between Italy and Spain, as the former imposed border inspections on travelers from Spain, raising the specter of the return of internal border checks in Europe. —Elisa Palumbo

Uganda

On Aug. 1, army chief Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba unveiled a statue of Yonatan Netanyahu, the older brother of Israel’s prime minister, who was killed during a hostage rescue mission 50 years ago at Entebbe airport. Netanyahu was the only Israeli soldier killed in the raid that freed more than 100 hostages, after two Palestinians and two Germans hijacked an Air France flight and landed it at Entebbe. The hijackers were received by then Ugandan dictator Idi Amin who supported the Palestinian liberation cause. Kainerugaba, the likely successor to his father, President Yoweri Museveni, described the hijacking as “a painful chapter in our history.” He referred to the now-close Uganda-Israel relations, saying they have developed into a “partnership characterized by mutual trust, respect, and cooperation.” —Olalekan Raji

Japan

To counter the dwindling number of imperial family members, a revised royal succession law is set to go into effect on Oct. 24. It will allow the imperial family to adopt distant male relatives to father future heirs and enable princesses to keep their royal status after marrying commoners. Japan’s imperial family—the world’s oldest continuous hereditary monarchy—currently has only 16 members: five men and 11 women. Parliament approved the changes to the Imperial House Law in mid-July but kept Japan’s male-only succession rule. The stipulation bars 24-year-old Princess Aiko, the only child of 66-year-old Emperor Naruhito, from ascending the throne despite strong public support for a female emperor. —Joyce Wu

Nauru/Naoero

President David Adeang announced Aug. 2 that his country—the world’s third smallest by population—has changed its name to the Republic of Naoero to match indigenous spelling and pronunciation. The more easily pronounced “Nauru” was adopted under German colonization in 1888 and retained when the Micronesian island nation gained its independence in 1968. In May, the parliament certified the unanimously supported constitutional amendment to change its name. However, original plans for a national referendum on the issue were scrapped. Naoero joins a recent trend of other countries, like Eswatini and Türkiye—formerly Swaziland and Turkey respectively—seeking official recognition of their indigenous names. —Amy Lewis

Colombia

Survivors searched rubble for thousands of missing people after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck the western part of the country Aug. 10, destroying buildings, and killing and injuring hundreds. The epicenter in San José del Palmar was about 150 miles west of Bogotá, in one of the country’s poorer, undeveloped areas. The country’s new conservative President Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn into office only three days prior to the earthquake, and his government quickly declared a national emergency and dispatched soldiers to the affected region to help. De la Espriella campaigned on retaking control of the country amid the growth of violent criminal groups, and some fear the earthquake’s aftermath will offer those groups a foothold in the damaged cities. —Jenny Lind Schmitt

Brazil

Brazil officially downgraded its diplomatic ties with Argentina on Aug. 5 amid growing tensions between their two presidents. At an opposition party convention in São Paulo on July 25, Argentine President Javier Milei insulted Brazilian President Lula da Silva, calling him “socialist scum” and a “thief.” Brazil recalled its ambassador to Argentina the following day, Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira citing “an unprecedented provocation in our 200 years of diplomatic history.” Milei has publicly endorsed right-wing candidate Flávio Bolsonaro ahead of Brazil’s presidential elections next October. If elected, Flávio has promised to free his father, ex-­President Jair Bolsonaro who is currently in prison for planning a military coup in 2022. —Carlos Paez