North Africa

Moroccan authorities have arrested two people suspected of links to the alleged perpetrators of the van attack that killed 13 people in the Spanish city of Barcelona, state TV channel 2M reported on Tuesday, quoted by Reuters. 

Spain's coastguard says it has rescued 600 migrants crossing from Morocco in a 24-hour period amid a spike in the number of migrant arrivals, reported BBC. 

The rescued migrants were in 15 vessels including toy paddleboats and a jet ski and included 35 children and a baby.

A Spanish migrant aid group is deciding whether to continue its Mediterranean rescue mission after it said its boat was targeted by Libya's coastguard, reported BBC.

Proactiva Open Arms, one of three groups still operating off Libya, said its boat was in international waters when it was told to head to port in Libya or come under fire.

The victims of the fallen old tree during the religious holiday on the Portuguese island of Madeira reached 13 and the wounded were nearly 50. The tragic incident happened yesterday, when a large group of people celebrated the assumption of the Virgin Mary in a botanical garden 5 km from Madeira's main city of Funchal , AP said, quoting the authorities.

The Greek Police (ELAS) have helped their Egyptian counterparts to arrest a 30-year-old Libyan man believed to be involved in the illegal trade of ancient artifacts, sources at ELAS revealed on Saturday.

A few years ago in a conversation I was having in New York, a Turkish student said something I found resentful. "Istanbul has become full of Arabs; I no longer want to live there."

I asked which of the Arabs he was talking about. "Are you talking about those desperate ones who fled war or the tourists who come to us and spend their money?"

A man has crossed the border of the Spanish enclave of Melilla in Morocco and injured a policeman with a knife, shouting "Allah is great," a spokesman for the police said, quoted by France press.

"The police have arrested a man who has attacked a men with a knife at Benny Enzar border crossing," Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Soido said.

Interior ministers from 14 nations and the European Union agreed Monday to boost cooperation to tackle the migrant crisis along the deadly central Mediterranean route, promising to address why migrants leave home and to beef up actions against human traffickers, reported U.S. News.

A police officer has been knifed in an attack at the Spanish border.
The officer was attacked by a man shouting “Allahu Akbar”, AFP quoted a police source as saying.
The incident occurred at the border between the North African Spanish enclave of Melilla and Morocco.

EU foreign ministers have agreed to restrict exports of inflatable boats and outboard motors to Libya in a drive to curb the smuggling of migrants, reported BBC.

The restrictions will not apply to legitimate Libyan businesses, such as fishing crews, an EU statement said.