{"id":3877,"date":"2026-08-05T07:30:03","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T07:30:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/?p=3877"},"modified":"2026-08-05T07:30:03","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T07:30:03","slug":"wednesday-briefing-how-misinformation-and-a-hardened-immigration-policy-turned-ceuta-into-europes-latest-flashpoint","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/?p=3877","title":{"rendered":"Wednesday briefing: \u200bHow misinformation and \u200ba\u200b hardened immigration policy \u200bturned Ceuta \u200binto Europe\u2019s \u200blatest \u200bflashpoint"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-14sl0e4\">\n<div class=\"dcr-17l77cs\">\n<figure id=\"595ad490-c351-44d2-bd14-3dba7033d959\" class=\"dcr-191xnya\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"People walk along a debris-strewn beach near the Ceuta border fence with guards\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/96b74b0a78e9276a377293cdc330593ca8185443\/174_0_1260_1008\/master\/1260.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"372\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><span class=\"dcr-kogzpx\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-18mnkpm\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1294qmb\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-4sl2vt\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1mfxiaj\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">The pictures were more dramatic than the reality on the ground.<\/span> Photograph: Reduan Dris\/EPA<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"595ad490-c351-44d2-bd14-3dba7033d959\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-qda0hp\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1e9iiy9\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">The pictures were more dramatic than the reality on the ground.<\/span> Photograph: Reduan Dris\/EPA<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-ql9l8l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-6mja0y\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-l0wuod\">Wednesday briefing: \u200bHow misinformation and \u200ba\u200b hardened immigration policy \u200bturned Ceuta \u200binto Europe\u2019s \u200blatest \u200bflashpoint <\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1xpojbf\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1gm5ptv\">\n<p>In today\u2019s newsletter: The past week shows how quickly images, rumours and \u200bright-wing political opportunism can eclipse the facts on the ground<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-x1al2c\">\n<div class=\"dcr-11gq2tx\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-1w2vkyc\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-ogvvui\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Good morning. Last week, an estimated 72,000 migrants began crossing into a tiny Spanish enclave on the tip of Morocco. Within 24 hours, most of them had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/aug\/03\/ceuta-leader-border-crossing-morocco-spain\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">headed home<\/a>. At least 88 people died after attempting the crossing, according to local officials. This isn\u2019t the whole story of what happened over the last week, but the facts are worth remembering.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">At an emergency meeting yesterday, EU interior ministers sought to draw a line under Ceuta, insisting that the passport-free Schengen area had never been at risk from the arrival of migrants at this scale. Despite this, much of the media coverage has suggested that events in Ceuta represent a territorial threat to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/europe-news\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Europe<\/a>, sparking calls for greater security across the region\u2019s borders.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">It\u2019s a pattern that has become familiar since the 2015 refugee crisis. As Europe has created fewer opportunities for migrants to legally cross its borders, people have tried to cross them illegally, resulting in dangerous bottlenecks, human tragedies, and a slew of spectacular images that the right has seized upon to justify draconian policies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">For this morning\u2019s newsletter, I spoke to <em><strong>Daniel Trilling<\/strong><\/em>, a journalist who writes about refugees and migration, about the political actors trying to capitalise on Ceuta, and why tragedies like this are bound to keep happening. That\u2019s after the headlines.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"five-big-stories\" class=\"dcr-8418j6\">Five big stories<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><em><strong>Environment <\/strong><\/em>| Eight of the biggest oil companies <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/business\/ng-interactive\/2026\/aug\/04\/revealed-major-oil-firms-make-93bn-profits-amid-war-and-climate-crisis\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">amassed profits of more<\/a> than $90bn (\u00a367bn) in just three months as the Iran conflict sent energy prices soaring and the emissions-fuelled climate crisis caused deadly heatwaves.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><em><strong>UK politics <\/strong><\/em>| Women should not feel pressurised into experiencing an \u201cideal birth\u201d, the new health secretary, Yvette Cooper, has said, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/society\/2026\/aug\/05\/women-must-not-feel-pressure-to-have-ideal-birth-says-yvette-cooper\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">promising a root-and-branch reform<\/a> of standards after several damning maternity scandals.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><em><strong>Middle East <\/strong><\/em>| Jordan is convening an emergency meeting over an \u201cimminent\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/aug\/04\/jordan-convenes-emergency-meeting-israel-religious-conflict-jerusalem\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">threat of an Israeli takeover<\/a> of the most important Muslim site in Jerusalem, with the potential to \u201ctrigger a religious conflict\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><em><strong>Ukraine <\/strong><\/em>| Russian strikes in and around Kyiv <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/aug\/05\/russia-kyiv-attack-kills-at-least-14-people-ukraine-authorities\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">killed at least 14 people<\/a>, \u2060injured 27 and \u2060damaged warehouses, \u200bemergency service officials said. Some reports put the death toll at 15.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><em><strong>Ceuta <\/strong><\/em>| Hundreds of people <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/aug\/05\/hundreds-in-morocco-gather-near-ceuta-border-in-anxious-wait-for-missing-loved-ones\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">have gathered<\/a> in the northern Moroccan town of Fnideq, near the border with Spain\u2019s Ceuta, flashing photos of their missing loved ones to passersby in the hope of tracking them down.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 id=\"in-depth-the-claim-that-this-is-some-kind-of-invasion-of-europe-is-entirely-untrue\" class=\"dcr-8418j6\">In depth: \u2018The claim that this is some kind of invasion of Europe is entirely untrue\u2019<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"6b01b30e-74a4-4c0f-8ec6-b5db81b17478\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div id=\"img-2\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Escorted by the Spanish army, migrants who crossed into Spain return to Morocco from the Spanish enclave of Ceuta\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/9716e9d2f5969874fabc890a2eb198f2c5741204\/157_0_3228_2582\/master\/3228.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"355.9448574969021\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><a href=\"#img-2\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"6b01b30e-74a4-4c0f-8ec6-b5db81b17478\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-vyhg7z\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Migrants who crossed into Spain via Ceuta are escorted by the Spanish army back to Morocco.<\/span> Photograph: Antonio Sempere\/AP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">On Thursday, a group of people roughly the size of Guildford\u2019s population began crossing into Ceuta. Many of them swam around the border fence. Some drowned; others were crushed. Dozens died. \u201cThere were so many people in the sea. Everyone was trying to grab on to you to save themselves, and you were trying to escape and move forward so they wouldn\u2019t drag you down or drown you,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/aug\/03\/ceuta-leader-border-crossing-morocco-spain\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">one told<\/a> the Guardian.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Most of these people were young men searching for work and hoping to build a better life for themselves. There are no reports suggesting any of them reached mainland Europe. \u201cIt\u2019s very difficult for people without the right documents to travel from Ceuta to mainland Europe, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/spain\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Spain<\/a> has lots of experience returning people who cross without permission,\u201d Trilling says. \u201cSo the claim that this is some kind of invasion of Europe is entirely untrue.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Although Spain was reporting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/cx2kp639yx4o\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">on Friday<\/a> that most of these migrants had returned to Morocco, videos of men clambering on rocks and walking through Ceuta\u2019s streets had already gone viral on social media, where they were amplified by right-wing voices. \u201cCeuta has been turned into a third world city in only 48 hours,\u201d Tommy Robinson posted on X. Elon Musk, no stranger to sticking his oar into the politics of foreign nations, posted: \u201call military age males means it is an invasion\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cBy the time the images started circulating, the so-called crisis was over. But the political damage was already done,\u201d Trilling says.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"dcr-lhbwso\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><strong>Why did so many people make the crossing?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">A social media hoax, which hinged ona Spanish supreme court ruling that migrants arriving by sea could not be summarily deported, seems to have played a pivotal role in encouraging the crossings. Instagram posts suggested Spain\u2019s border with Morocco was opening up, TikTok videos showed people where to swim, and Facebook users began tracking coast guard patrols. It\u2019s unclear who was behind these accounts, as several of them were <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/ceuta-spain-morocco-migration-f3a7f514a7792c39d8b8d5d814fa5158\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">deleted<\/a> soon after the crossings. At a crisis meeting on Saturday, EU member states speculated that the events may have been coordinated.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">As the hoax spread, Moroccan border surveillance dwindled to a minimum, allowing thousands of people to cross into Ceuta. Some analysts have suggested that Rabat, Morocco\u2019s administrative capital, deliberately opened the border to protest Pedro S\u00e1nchez\u2019s recent visit to Algeria (Morocco has a territorial dispute with the country). Others have pointed to Rabat\u2019s increasingly toasty relationship with the Trump administration, which has clashed with S\u00e1nchez during the Iran war.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"dcr-lhbwso\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><strong>Hasn\u2019t this happened before?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cThe central problem is that European border policies have given countries like Morocco a means of exerting pressure on European states,\u201d Trilling says. The EU has increasingly outsourced (\u201cexternalised,\u201d in the policy lingo) border policing to non-EU countries, which have the power to loosen their borders whenever they choose. We\u2019ve seen versions of Ceuta happen before: in 2021, Morocco allowed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/jul\/31\/ceuta-spain-eu-border-africa\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">10,000 people<\/a> to cross into the territory during a diplomatic row with Spain. Turkey tried something similar on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2020\/mar\/01\/thousands-gather-at-turkish-border-to-cross-into-greece\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Greece in 2020<\/a>, and Poland has long accused Belarus (a close ally of Russia) of encouraging migrants to cross into the Schengen area.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The EU has taken an increasingly hardline stance on migration since 2015. This has paradoxically helped to create some of the problems that politicians say they\u2019re trying to solve. The fortification of security means that people are forced into taking illegal and unsafe routes where there might have been safe, legal routes previously. When border security is breached, it results in a sudden influx of people, and the kind of alarming images that we\u2019ve seen this week, which are then used to justify even further restrictions. \u201cThe performance of control very often leads to precisely the sense in which things are out of control,\u201d says Trilling.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"dcr-lhbwso\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><strong>How is the right capitalising on this?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Following the events in Ceuta, Nigel Farage wasted no time in resurrecting his pernicious \u201cBreaking Point\u201d poster from 2016, and he and Zia Yusuf, Reform\u2019s spokesperson, have described those who made the crossing as \u201cfighting-age males.\u201d The term is one of the right\u2019s favourite new ways to frame peoplecrossing borders, depicting them as threats, while giving little thought to those who lose their lives or don\u2019t fit the brief. By Monday afternoon, Farage had alighted on a new policy that would use the Royal Navy to \u201cstop the boats once and for all\u201d. We published a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/2026\/aug\/03\/reform-uk-navy-stop-small-boat-crossings-migrants-is-plan-feasible\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">useful explainer<\/a> on why this would probably violate international law.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">It would be possible to dismiss this announcement as a last-ditch attempt to change the subject, considering the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/news\/audio\/2026\/aug\/04\/nigel-farage-and-the-5m-question-that-wont-go-away-podcast\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">\u00a35m gift<\/a> that Farage currently seems to want to avert eyes from(and his impending byelection bin fight). But that would be missing the bigger picture. Ceuta has given the right a powerful new argument for why hardline immigration policies are common sense, and, by contrast, why a more pragmatic and humane approach to migration is foolish, harmful or, as one Spectator piece put it recently, the result of \u201cluxury\u201d beliefs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">This sort of language encourages centre-left parties to accept the right\u2019s logic. Take, for example, Germany\u2019s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, who was among <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/aug\/03\/stronger-eu-borders-physical-barriers-ceuta-von-der-leyen\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">22 signatories to a letter<\/a> on Saturday that suggested Spain\u2019s liberal migration policies compromise Europe\u2019s security. These policies have no application in Ceuta, but Merz will soon be trying to fight off the far-right Alternative f\u00fcr Deutschland (AfD) in state elections.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"dcr-lhbwso\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><strong>What happens next?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">In a speech delivered from the White Cliffs of Dover on Monday, Andy Burnham pledged to be \u201crelentless\u201d in curbing small boats while building a system that offers \u201csafe routes\u201d. It marked a change from Starmer, whose attempts to appease would-be Reform voters culminated in his infamous \u201cIsland of strangers\u201d speech. Still, it\u2019s too early to say how Burnham will approach migration, and whether he will reopen <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/jul\/13\/more-than-16000-refugees-unable-reunite-families-uk\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">routes<\/a> that his predecessor closed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cTime and again, the right has tried to claim that you can basically shut yourself off from the rest of the world and make these things go away,\u201d Trilling says. \u201cBut they don\u2019t go away. And Ceuta is a perfect example of that.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-else-weve-been-enjoying\" class=\"dcr-8418j6\">What else we\u2019ve been enjoying<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"8e1b2850-9f1a-44aa-83b9-aa8411a6bdae\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div id=\"img-3\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"House leaders Blanco and Samantha Escand\u00f3n present laurel crowns to their campers Velvet and Pasivan during the opening ceremony. Campers were asked to share their intentions for camp, receiving these crowns as a reminder that having the courage to be themselves is part of their own heroic journey.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/b8dacee709b319213fa9eb211f299b8ff8914c7a\/308_0_2500_2000\/master\/2500.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"356\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><a href=\"#img-3\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"8e1b2850-9f1a-44aa-83b9-aa8411a6bdae\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-vyhg7z\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">House leaders Blanco and Samantha Escand\u00f3n present laurel crowns to their campers during the opening ceremony. <\/span> Photograph: Salgu Wissmath\/The Guardian<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\n<li class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">I was really moved by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/gallery\/2026\/aug\/04\/texas-summer-camp-trans-kids-gallery\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">these images<\/a> from a summer camp for <strong>LGBTQ+<\/strong> kids in Texas, a state where trans people have been regularly targeted and demonised. <em><strong>Michael<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">What do Feast, Viennetta, Magnum, Calippo, Twister and Cornetto have in common? They were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vittlesmagazine.com\/p\/the-golden-age-of-british-ice-cream\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">all invented<\/a> in the 15-year golden age of <strong>British ice<\/strong><strong>-cream<\/strong>. <em><strong>Hettie<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">As a fair weather cyclist, I\u2019ve had a smug summer, avoiding sardines-in-a-sauna style public transport on my bike. Reading about <strong>commuters<\/strong> on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2026\/aug\/04\/a-rail-nightmare-what-its-like-on-englands-busiest-commuter-only-train\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">heaving 17:46 from Euston<\/a> has only confirmed this. <em><strong>Michael<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cIn our culture, we vilify vulnerability and valorise independence\u201d, the author <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/commentisfree\/2026\/aug\/04\/older-people-help-family-care-reform\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Emily Kenway<\/a> writes in this thoughtful opinion piece about the family members who sustain our <strong>care system<\/strong>. <em><strong>Hettie<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">I for one have (obviously) <em>always<\/em> been a fan of the Turritopsis dohrnii, but at last the immortal jellyfish is getting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2026\/aug\/04\/when-you-kill-it-it-doesnt-die-the-jellyfish-that-has-cracked-the-secret-of-immortality\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">proper recognition<\/a> in this year\u2019s Guardian <strong>invertebrate of the year<\/strong> competition. <em><strong>Michael<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.NewsletterSignupBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\"><a data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" href=\"#EmailSignup-skip-link-32\" class=\"dcr-76akua\">skip past newsletter promotion<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1tr4stg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-12qa5gp\">\n<hr class=\"dcr-1cjdlyj\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"EmailSignup-skip-link-32\" aria-label=\"after newsletter promotion\" role=\"note\" class=\"dcr-76akua\">after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"sport\" class=\"dcr-8418j6\">Sport<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"a08c7ff8-3497-476a-8971-5a427fe0acae\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div id=\"img-4\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Marlen Reusser of Switzerland and Team Movistar competes during the 5th Tour de France Femmes 2026\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/60dd730c8dfd74d2a03e0fecf047d438472fc09e\/0_394_4509_3607\/master\/4509.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"355.98026169882456\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><a href=\"#img-4\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"a08c7ff8-3497-476a-8971-5a427fe0acae\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-vyhg7z\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Marlen Reusser shows her time trial pedigree on stage four. <\/span> Photograph: Tim de Waele\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><em><strong>Cycling <\/strong><\/em>| The world time-trial champion, Marlen Reusser, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/sport\/2026\/aug\/04\/marlen-reusser-demi-vollering-tour-de-france-femmes-stage-four-cycling\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">took the overall lead<\/a> in the Tour de France Femmes after winning the fourth stage from Gevrey-Chambertin to Dijon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><em><strong>Football <\/strong><\/em>| Gianni Infantino\u2019s authority was dealt a further blow after his No 2, the Fifa secretary general Mattias Grafstr\u00f6m, called the failed World Cup private investment plan a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/2026\/aug\/04\/arsene-wenger-gianni-infantino-grafstrom-criticise-world-cup-plan-fifa\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">\u201csad and reproachable series of events\u201d<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><em><strong>Football <\/strong><\/em>| The Manchester United captain, Maya Le Tissier, said her team will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/football\/2026\/aug\/04\/manchester-united-women-new-head-coach-marc-skinner\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">\u201cstick together\u201d<\/a> and be ready for the new Women\u2019s Super League season, despite their head coach Marc Skinner departing.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"the-front-pages\" class=\"dcr-8418j6\">The front pages<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"759290f6-fef9-427d-99fe-d6f470470ad7\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div id=\"img-5\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Front page 5 August 2026\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/8400cf38f72efd66650aca4f835309d089385b14\/0_0_820_1020\/master\/820.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"553.5365853658536\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><a href=\"#img-5\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"759290f6-fef9-427d-99fe-d6f470470ad7\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-vyhg7z\"><\/span> Photograph: The Guardian<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cOil giants make $90bn from price surge as climate crisis engulfs Europe\u201d, is the <strong>Guardian<\/strong>\u2019s front page.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The <strong>Telegraph<\/strong> says \u201cSetting free Pc Harper\u2019s killers is \u2018not justice\u2019\u201d, the <strong>Mail<\/strong> writes \u201c9,300 domestic abusers set to be released\u201d, <strong>Metro<\/strong> has \u201cJailed just last year \u2026 but my son\u2019s killer already set freedom\u201d, and the <strong>Sun<\/strong>\u2019s take is \u201cSee you in court, PM\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The <strong>FT<\/strong> splashes \u201cGoogle assembles $200bn Wall Street machine to supply chips for Anthropic\u201d, the <strong>i Paper<\/strong> has \u201cPrivate firms may face ban on profiteering to make care homes cheaper\u201d and the <strong>Express<\/strong> writes \u201cHow many more lives will you risk by doing nothing?\u201d The <strong>Times<\/strong>, on fiscal rules, says \u201cBorrowing splurge in bid to boost economy\u201d.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"the-latest\" class=\"dcr-8418j6\">The Latest<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"1f04a3ea-0349-4de4-816a-a1234eee7b01\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div id=\"\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Lucy Hough speaks to columnist Jonathan Liew.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/uploads\/2026\/08\/04\/0408GIF.gif?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"356\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-vyhg7z\"><\/span> Photograph: The Guardian<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><strong>Is Gianni Infantino\u2019s time up as Fifa president?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Gianni Infantino\u2019s reign as Fifa president is in severe peril after the collapse of his plans to sell off parts of the World Cup to private investment. Many Concacaf countries are considering following Europe\u2019s lead by formally removing their support for Infantino, and there are widespread calls to remove him from his post. <em><strong>Lucy Hough<\/strong><\/em> speaks to columnist <em><strong>Jonathan Liew<\/strong><\/em>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=F2FxTYbbMDU\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Watch it on YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"cartoon-of-the-day-ella-baron\" class=\"dcr-8418j6\">Cartoon of the day | Ella Baron<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"bf895ca6-e141-469d-85a4-3dfaf5a54bc3\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div id=\"img-6\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Ella Baron on Ariana Grande\u2019s decision to step back from public life \u2013 cartoon\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/d198feda686a2c904a77cf472a152edf3a9ad804\/0_0_8566_6878\/master\/8566.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"357.30912911510626\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><a href=\"#img-6\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"bf895ca6-e141-469d-85a4-3dfaf5a54bc3\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-vyhg7z\"><\/span> Illustration: Ella Baron\/The Guardian<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"the-upside\" class=\"dcr-8418j6\">The Upside<\/h2>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><em>A bit of good news to remind you that the world\u2019s not all bad<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"d836f7be-a21c-4678-948f-8e4b7181c1ea\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div id=\"img-7\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A biama dancer performing in Abidjan.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/6c3d0d7407b33336484a436a0ea25fff2184836b\/456_0_4560_3648\/master\/4560.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"356\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><a href=\"#img-7\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"d836f7be-a21c-4678-948f-8e4b7181c1ea\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-vyhg7z\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">A biama dancer performing in Abidjan.<\/span> Photograph: Mil\u00e9qu\u00eam Diarassouba<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Once the soundtrack to postwar optimism and excess, C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire\u2019s dance music scene is evolving, thanks to TikTok and street dance battles.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Seven years after the death of its biggest star, DJ Arafat, a new generation of artists and dancers are reinventing the coup\u00e9-d\u00e9cal\u00e9 genre, with the new high-energy biama movement winning over young fans and social media users alike. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/aug\/04\/biama-dance-ivorian-pop-culture-cote-d-ivoire-tik-tok\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Eromo Egbejule visits<\/a> a 400-strong neighbourhood dance arena in Abidjan, where a local rapper calls the craze \u201ca dance for the immature\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2018\/feb\/12\/the-upside-sign-up-for-our-weekly-email\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Sign up here<\/a> for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"bored-at-work\" class=\"dcr-8418j6\">Bored at work?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">And finally, the Guardian\u2019s puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\n<li class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/crosswords\/quick\/17550\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Quick crossword<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/crosswords\/cryptic\/30077\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Cryptic crossword<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wordiply.com\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Wordiply<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-swayiu\"><span class=\"dcr-1xhbmzr\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-2c03t5\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-p7nd18\">\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/morocco\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Morocco<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/series\/first-edition\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">First Edition newsletter<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/spain\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Spain<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/migration\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Migration<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/africa\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Africa<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/europe-news\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Europe<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/middleeast\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Middle East and north Africa<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/tone\/newsletter-tone\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">newsletters<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-313bdz\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Wednesday%20briefing:%20%E2%80%8BHow%20misinformation%20and%20%E2%80%8Ba%E2%80%8B%20hardened%20immigration%20policy%20%E2%80%8Bturned%20Ceuta%20%E2%80%8Binto%20Europe%E2%80%99s%20%E2%80%8Blatest%20%E2%80%8Bflashpoint%20&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/aug\/05\/wednesday-briefing-how-misinformation-and-a-hardened-immigration-policy-turned-ceuta-into-europes-latest-flashpoint?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-ncybeu\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-19bkree\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2026%2Faug%2F05%2Fwednesday-briefing-how-misinformation-and-a-hardened-immigration-policy-turned-ceuta-into-europes-latest-flashpoint&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=world\/2026\/aug\/05\/wednesday-briefing-how-misinformation-and-a-hardened-immigration-policy-turned-ceuta-into-europes-latest-flashpoint\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-1c41onw\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1kq7f60\"><span class=\"dcr-1ryr20k\"><\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The pictures were more dramatic than the reality on the ground. Photograph: Reduan Dris\/EPA View&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":3878,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3877","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3877","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3877"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3877\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3879,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3877\/revisions\/3879"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3878"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3877"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3877"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3877"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}