US-North Korea Diplomacy

Spain's Ministry of Defence has confirmed 24 soldiers contracted scabies at the General Command of Ceuta, the North African enclave, dismissing any link to a recent surge in migrant arrivals. Two of the infections predated the migrant influx, the ministry said.

Affected personnel from the 54th Regulars Group were housed on 15 August in the disused K-8 Coastal Battery, a facility lacking mandatory hygiene maintenance and with a history of similar infestations, according to the Armed Forces Troop Union (UMT). The union alleged troops lacked officially issued protective equipment and has submitted formal questions to the defence ministry and armed forces personnel council.

The Army General Headquarters stated all affected soldiers are receiving treatment recommended by health authorities, and the Ceuta command's health directorate has established a prevention protocol. The Spanish Troop and Navy Association had previously sought information on contagious disease risks among deployed personnel.

Mykhailo Fedorov, the former Ukrainian defence minister dismissed in July, has demanded that Ukraine hold elections despite the ongoing war with Russia, marking the first such call by a prominent Ukrainian politician since the 2022 invasion.

In a video address on Tuesday evening, Fedorov argued that democracy "cannot be held hostage by Russia" and urged the government to find a legal, secure and realistic mechanism to restore full democratic processes even during a prolonged war. He described the situation as a systemic governance crisis, noting the difficulty of ensuring safe voting for military personnel, the diaspora and frontline communities.

Fedorov's mid-July dismissal triggered mass protests across Ukraine that continued into August. President Volodymyr Zelensky has since nominated Yevhen Khmara as defence minister and replaced army chief Oleksandr Syrsky with Mykhailo Drapatyi, appointments still awaiting parliamentary approval.

Spain's General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) has requested two additional magistrates and experienced court staff for Ceuta's courts, warning that the North African enclave's justice system is strained following a mass migrant crossing in late July.

The surge of arrivals from Morocco on July 30 and 31 triggered a sharp rise in casework. Between July 30 and August 5, courts opened 96 preliminary inquiries into deaths, 23 involving detainees, and 15 urgent proceedings. The following week brought 72 additional police reports involving detained or summoned individuals.

The CGPJ has asked the Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Courts for two interpreters and an urgent expert appraisal service, along with reinforcement of duty rosters at investigative and violence-against-women courts to handle alleged sexual offence cases. The proposed staffing plan includes a case manager, two procedural officers, and a judicial aide.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has submitted nominations to parliament to appoint Yevhen Khmara as defence minister and Andrii Sybiha as foreign minister, with a vote scheduled for Wednesday.

Khmara, who has served as acting defence minister since July after previously leading the SBU security service, would formally replace Mykhailo Fedorov. Zelenskyy told lawmakers the change was driven by persistent disputes between Fedorov and armed forces commander Oleksandr Syrskyi. The reshuffle proved turbulent: Zelenskyy initially favoured Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko for the defence post but shifted plans amid public protests, ultimately dismissing Syrskyi as well and moving Klymenko to the national security council.

Fedorov, a popular figure, rejected alternative posts offered by Zelenskyy, insisting he would accept nothing less than a return to his former role.

Police in Ceuta are investigating at least 15 suspected rapes of migrant minors, as unaccompanied girls housed on a school football pitch since July 31 endure conditions health officials called the enclave's worst-ever crisis. Emergency doctors have treated multiple rape victims, including a 12-year-old girl, while neighbourhood groups report some girls were assaulted after initially sleeping on the streets.

Ceuta President Juan Jesús Vivas says the city is 5,000 percent over capacity, with local officials estimating some 9,000 migrants remain after the late-July mass crossing. Save the Children demanded on Tuesday that minors be granted access to asylum procedures, calling for specialised legal aid and a mechanism to identify vulnerable children among those who fled conflicts in Sudan and Chad.

Madrid plans to redistribute minors across Spain but has set no timeline, while neighbourhood leaders doubt any bilateral deal with Morocco will secure returns.

More than 100 migrants camped on a beach in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta have launched a hunger strike to demand the right to apply for asylum, two weeks after a mass border crossing that overwhelmed the territory.

The demonstrators, waving Spanish flags at the El Trampolín beach camp, are demanding international protection and better living conditions. Between 5,000 and 8,000 people remain in Ceuta following the July 30 influx, when more than 80,000 people crossed the border from Morocco in under 24 hours. Most have since returned voluntarily to Morocco.

Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska has vowed to return all irregular entrants to their countries of origin. In response to the humanitarian situation, Inclusion Minister Elma Saiz announced temporary shelter units across four Ceuta sites to provide immediate housing for 1,500 migrants.

Ceuta's regional president, Juan Jesús Vivas, has given the central government 30 days to resolve the city's migration crisis, threatening legal action and accusing Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of