The death toll from a mass rush of migrants from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta last week reached at least 72 ‌on Sunday, as five more bodies were found along the North African coast, Reuters reported citing officials.

The number of fatalities was considerably higher than what was announced by Moroccan authorities on Sunday.

More than 50,000 people crossed into Ceuta by land and sea in an unprecedented surge that began on Thursday at one of the European Union’s only two land borders with Africa, prompting alarm across the bloc. More than 48,000 returned to Morocco within 48 hours and more did so over the weekend, Spanish authorities said.

The Spanish government representative in Ceuta, Miguel Angel Perez, told reporters on Sunday that, in addition to the 72 fatalities, ⁠more than 1,000 people had been treated by health services. The situation in the enclave had improved markedly, he said, but more remained to be done to re-establish normality.

Some migrants drowned and others were crushed while trying to climb a breakwater and border fence. Many had been driven to migrate by economic hardship and encouraged by social media rumours.

Morocco’s Interior Ministry said in a statement on Sunday that 11 people had died, mostly by drowning while trying to cross into Spanish territory, noting that it was fact-checking reports on deaths from the other side of the border.

The ministry blamed the rush of migrants on social media misinformation, human trafficking networks and misinterpretation of a Spanish ruling banning immediate returns of migrants intercepted at sea. That statement is similar to the Spanish Foreign Ministry’s comments on the matter.

Moroccan authorities set the number of those involved in the crossing at 40,000, far lower than the figure used by Spanish officials, adding that 1,135 were ‌stopped from ⁠entering Melilla, another Spanish enclave.

The statement reiterated that Morocco was committed to countering illegal migration and called for the burden of managing migration to be shared.

Two crew members have been killed after two helicopters collided mid-air in Greece while battling wildfires, the BBC reported.

The fatalities were a Danish pilot and a Greek fire service liaison officer. A British pilot and another Greek co-ordinator on the second helicopter survived.

Video of the incident some 65 km (42 miles) west of the capital Athens shows one of the two Bell helicopters hitting the rotors of the other, which bursts into flames and crashes in a ravine. The other aircraft made an emergency landing.

Wildfires have broken out in Greece this week, prompting mass evacuations. Other European states have also suffered devastating blazes during prolonged heatwaves.

According to the Greek Fire Service, the two Bell helicopters leased from Australian company McDermott Aviation collided on Sunday while taking part in efforts to tackle a large wildfire burning on the Attica-Boeotia border.

The crew members of one aircraft were rescued alive, while the second crew were recovered unconscious and later pronounced dead.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his “deepest sorrow” over the accident.

According to protocol, all Bell helicopters across the country have been grounded, a source from the civil protection ministry told the BBC.

At least 17 people were killed in a ‌suspected suicide bombing outside a police station in northwestern Pakistan on Sunday, Reuters reported citing a rescue group and a regional police official.

The explosion took place in the Kabal area of Swat, a district in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

A ⁠pro-police rally of local residents was taking place in the same area on Sunday, but it was not immediately clear whether the rally was the intended target.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militant Islamist group in a statement claimed responsibility for the attack.

At least 34 people were wounded in the explosion, according to a spokesperson for Rescue 1122.

The rescue official said the death toll rose to 17 from 14 after three victims died in ‌hospital. ⁠The victims included seven police officers and 10 civilians. One of the dead persons was believed to be the suicide bomber, Fida Hussain, a regional police official, told Reuters.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in a statement expressed “deep grief and ⁠sorrow over the suicide blast”.

The police said an operation had been launched to arrest anyone who may have assisted in the attack.

A second tanker carrying Qatari liquefied natural gas (LNG) has come under attack in the Strait of Hormuz within the past month, Euronews reported.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a projectile struck the vessel off the coast of Oman.

Maritime security consultancies Vanguard Tech and Marisks identified the vessel as an LNG carrier operated by GasLog.

The incident occurred as the vessel was leaving the strait. Fortunately, no crew members were injured, and the ship remains seaworthy and is able to continue its voyage.

It is not yet known who the liquefied natural gas cargo was destined for or whether the incident has affected deliveries.

Following the crisis in Ceuta, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for tighter border controls and the construction of barriers along the most vulnerable sections of the European Union’s external borders, Euronews reported.

Von der Leyen made the remarks in a letter addressed to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

Sánchez accused several of his counterparts in the European Union of using the migration crisis in Ceuta to attack his government.

Several days ago, around 60,000 third-country nationals crossed into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, marking the largest border crossing in Europe over such a short period. A few days later, most of the migrants returned to Morocco, and the situation in the enclave largely stabilised.

Ceuta’s local authorities said at least 72 people were killed while attempting to cross the border.

Although Ceuta is located on the African continent and none of the migrants reached mainland Europe, footage from the border triggered a strong reaction from European governments and the European Commission.

Sánchez came under criticism from other European governments over his handling of the crisis, while the Spanish leader accused his counterparts of acting selfishly, dividing society and violating the law.

“This incident clearly demonstrated that we need to do more to strengthen our borders at key points and, where necessary, through the installation of physical barriers,” von der Leyen wrote in her letter.

Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed the situation in the Middle East and the latest developments regarding the conflict in Ukraine with UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, RIA Novosti reported.

“During the telephone conversation, the sides discussed the situation in the Middle East, primarily in the Gaza Strip, developments surrounding the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and efforts to end the ongoing military hostilities in the region,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

Hakan Fidan also congratulated Ed Miliband on assuming the post of the United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary.

Iran has denied claims by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding a new round of negotiations with the United States, Deutsche Welle reported, citing Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

Baghaei said no dialogue with the United States is currently under way.

He also said there are no plans in the coming days either to receive U.S. government representatives or to send an Iranian delegation to the United States.

According to Baghaei, all Iranian negotiators are currently in the country. The only exception is Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is on a pilgrimage in Iraq and will not be available for negotiations at least until the end of the week.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson also said that negotiations on navigation in the Strait of Hormuz are being conducted only with Oman.

“Discussions are currently focused on a possible navigation corridor for two-way vessel traffic. That initiative is unrelated to negotiations on fully reopening the strait. It is a separate issue. The situation will not change as long as U.S. aggression continues,” Baghaei said.

Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump said the White House had decided to refrain from carrying out further strikes against Iran in order to give diplomacy a chance to resolve the conflict.

According to Trump, a new round of negotiations had been scheduled to begin on August 3.

“I would rather reach an agreement. I don’t like killing people,” the U.S. president said.

He also added that Washington could launch new strikes against Iran at any time if necessary.

Lilit Makunts has been appointed Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister’s Office.

The decree appointing Makunts was formalized by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

The position had been held since 2021 by Arayik Harutyunyan, who was elected to parliament as an MP in the June 7 elections.

From 2018 to 2019, Makunts served as Armenia’s Minister of Culture. She then served as a lawmaker in 2019 before being appointed Armenia’s Ambassador to the United States in 2021, a position she held until 2025. Makunts was then appointed chief advisor to PM Pashinyan.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Monday introduced the newly appointed Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister’s Office, Lilit Makunts, to officials of his administration.

The Prime Minister first thanked outgoing Chief of Staff Arayik Harutyunyan, noting that over the past five years he had effectively supported and advanced the government’s priorities.

“Now, in the next phase, Ms. Makunts will be responsible for advancing these priorities. The position of Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister’s Office is one that is most directly connected with the Prime Minister’s working priorities. I believe that during this period we should continue our work while making certain adjustments to our priorities,” Pashinyan said.

The Prime Minister wished Arayik Harutyunyan success in his future work as a Member of Parliament, adding that this role is very important for a public political figure.

Pashinyan recalled that Lilit Makunts had served as a Cabinet member in 2018, holding the position of Minister of Culture, after which she moved to Parliament, where she served as head of the “My Step” parliamentary faction. She later became Ambassador of Armenia to the United States and subsequently served as the Prime Minister’s Chief Adviser.

“Ms. Makunts will now lead the Prime Minister’s Office of the Republic of Armenia, and I am confident that both of our colleagues, as in their previous roles, will continue to make significant and visible contributions to the further development of the Republic of Armenia,” the Prime Minister said.

Arayik Harutyunyan thanked the Prime Minister for his remarks, as well as for their joint work and support.

“Throughout these years, both I personally and the staff have done everything possible to make the Prime Minister’s work easier and to advance the issues assigned to the Office. I believe we have established a very strong system within the Office, and I would like to thank our colleagues gathered here today, as each person has contributed to this work. I am confident they will ensure continuity. We have completed the transition phase, and Ms. Makunts is currently well informed about the ongoing processes. I am ready to continue providing support,” Harutyunyan said.

In turn, Lilit Makunts thanked Prime Minister Pashinyan for his trust and said she would do her utmost to meet the Prime Minister’s expectations.

“I would also like to thank Mr. Harutyunyan for setting a very high standard for his successors in this position and for the support he provided during this transitional period. I wish you all the best and further success. I am confident that, in any capacity, you will continue to play an outstanding role,” the newly appointed Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister’s Office said.

Makunts also expressed confidence that future cooperation with the Prime Minister’s Office would be constructive and effective.

Concluding the meeting, the Prime Minister said that significant work lies ahead within the framework of the broad agenda they have been pursuing.

“I define this broad agenda as the agenda of ensuring the continuity of Armenian statehood. Of course, the next five-year period opens new opportunities for us and brings new challenges. I hope we will be able to identify and seize these opportunities and manage these challenges. We are already an experienced government, and this brings both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that accumulated experience is a resource that we must be able to use. The disadvantage is that turning this work into a routine may create a certain sense of complacency, and we must do everything possible to avoid that. I am confident that we will be able to achieve this together, including with the support of our parliamentary partners and through continuously reviewing our work,” the Prime Minister said.