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Protesters in Spain Condemn Police Handling of Gaza Flotilla Activists

People hold Palestinian flags during a press conference organized by Basque Delegation within the Global Sumud Flotilla, in Bilbao, northern Spain, 24 May 2026. (EPA)
People hold Palestinian flags during a press conference organized by Basque Delegation within the Global Sumud Flotilla, in Bilbao, northern Spain, 24 May 2026. (EPA)
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Protesters in Spain Condemn Police Handling of Gaza Flotilla Activists

People hold Palestinian flags during a press conference organized by Basque Delegation within the Global Sumud Flotilla, in Bilbao, northern Spain, 24 May 2026. (EPA)
People hold Palestinian flags during a press conference organized by Basque Delegation within the Global Sumud Flotilla, in Bilbao, northern Spain, 24 May 2026. (EPA)

Around two thousand protesters ‌took to the streets of the Spanish city of Bilbao on Sunday to condemn the Basque police's treatment of activists from a Gaza aid flotilla on their return from detention in Israel.

When a relative of one of the six returning activists tried to approach them at Bilbao airport on Saturday, a police officer forcefully prevented him from doing so, leading to scuffles between both sides, images from state broadcaster TVE showed.

Images showed police striking people ‌with batons and ‌pinning others to the ground while being ‌jeered ⁠by onlookers. Before this, ⁠activists appeared to have blocked the exit for other passengers and police tried to move them.

The Basque regional police force said in a statement on Sunday it had launched an investigation to determine if officers complied with procedures. Reuters has reached out to the Spanish government for ⁠comment.

On Sunday's march, pro-Palestinian demonstrators carried banners ‌criticizing the Basque police force ‌and accusing the local government of being complicit with Zionism.

The ‌activists were released from Israeli custody after being detained ‌on a flotilla trying to bring aid to Gaza. Organizers alleged on Friday that the activists were subjected to abuse while in Israeli detention, with several hospitalized with injuries and at least ‌15 reporting sexual assaults, including rape.

Israel's prison service denied the allegations, and Reuters was not ⁠able to ⁠verify the activists' claims independently.

Spain was among a series of Western governments on Thursday which expressed their anger after Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted a video of himself mocking the activists as they were pinned to the ground in a prison.

Francesca Albanese, a UN expert on the Palestinian territories, has called for those responsible for events at Bilbao airport to be held responsible, while Amnesty International has demanded a thorough investigation.

The Israeli Embassy in Spain has demanded an "explanation" from the Spanish government over the events at Bilbao airport.

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World

Iran Offers $30,000 Bounty for Killing, Capturing US Soldiers

A man waves an Iranian flag before a political billboard at Valiasr Square in central Tehran on August 8, 2026. (AFP)
A man waves an Iranian flag before a political billboard at Valiasr Square in central Tehran on August 8, 2026. (AFP)
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Iran Offers $30,000 Bounty for Killing, Capturing US Soldiers

A man waves an Iranian flag before a political billboard at Valiasr Square in central Tehran on August 8, 2026. (AFP)
A man waves an Iranian flag before a political billboard at Valiasr Square in central Tehran on August 8, 2026. (AFP)

Iran's military announced on Sunday that it was offering a bounty equivalent to $30,000 for killing or capturing US soldiers, with the reward doubled if carried out by a woman.

Army chief Amir Hatami said the plan had been drawn up following "the large number of requests" to participate in the financial support, according to the IRNA state news agency.

There has been no known deployment of US ground forces in Iran during the Middle East war, with the exception of a rescue mission in April for a downed American pilot.

Hatami did not provide any details on where or when the killing or capturing of US soldiers was expected to take place.

"Anyone who kills or captures and hands over an invading American military personnel will receive a reward equivalent to $30,000 or 5 billion tomans from Iran's Army," Hatami said, using an informal unit equivalent to 10,000 Iranian rials.

"Courageous Iranian women who carry out such an action will receive double the reward," he added.

The war between Tehran and Washington began on February 28 after the United States, joined by Israel, attacked Iran. It was followed by an April ceasefire after nearly 40 days of fighting, and a June framework for peace talks that later collapsed.

Iran and the United States have since traded fire sporadically, with fighting mainly centered in southern Iran and around the Strait of Hormuz.

World

Iranian Parliament Advances Bill to Curb Foreign Influence

A woman is silhouetted against the sun as she checks her cellphone at Revolution square in downtown Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP)
A woman is silhouetted against the sun as she checks her cellphone at Revolution square in downtown Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP)
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Iranian Parliament Advances Bill to Curb Foreign Influence

A woman is silhouetted against the sun as she checks her cellphone at Revolution square in downtown Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP)
A woman is silhouetted against the sun as she checks her cellphone at Revolution square in downtown Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP)

Iran's parliament approved on Sunday the general principles of a bill that would criminalize interviews and other communications with media deemed hostile to the country, including US or Israeli media and outlets financed by either country, Iran's Shargh newspaper reported.

Osman Salari, a member of parliament's judicial and legal commission, said the individual provisions of the bill, which is aimed at countering foreign intelligence influence, have yet to be debated and approved.

Reports about ‌the bill's ‌details should not yet be considered final, Salari ‌told ⁠the Mizan news ⁠agency.

Under the proposed bill, interviews or participation in discussions with such media would be banned and violations would carry six months to two years in prison.

Interviews with other foreign media would require notification to the intelligence ministry, while contact with foreign embassies, offices of foreign organizations or other non-Iranian institutions without ⁠notification and written permission from the foreign ministry ‌would be punishable by a fine ‌and deprivation of certain social rights.

The proposed legislation would also ‌harden penalties for economic crimes committed under the direction or ‌supervision of foreigners, ban providing information to foreigners without intelligence ministry approval and restrict scientific cooperation with foreign institutions outside an approved list.

It would punish policy or legislative proposals made under the direction of ‌foreign intelligence services if they harm Iran's security or independence, with prison terms of up ⁠to 30 years. ⁠Cases would be heard by Revolutionary Courts.

The bill will be considered article by article in parliament. Once parliament approves the final text, it will have to be reviewed by the Guardian Council before becoming law.

The move is not the first time Iran has criminalized cooperation with foreign entities. A law passed in 2025 after a 12-day war with Israel imposed tougher penalties for alleged cooperation with hostile states.

Iranian photojournalist Yalda Moaiery was sentenced this month to 15 years under that law over allegations that included giving interviews to media deemed hostile and providing photographs to US and Israel-linked organizations.

World

PM Tusk: Poland to Send Emergency Aircraft to Budapest after Coach Crash

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk speaks during the Polish Armed Forces Day in Gdynia, northern Poland, 15 August 2026. EPA/Andrzej Jackowski POLAND OUT
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk speaks during the Polish Armed Forces Day in Gdynia, northern Poland, 15 August 2026. EPA/Andrzej Jackowski POLAND OUT
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PM Tusk: Poland to Send Emergency Aircraft to Budapest after Coach Crash

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk speaks during the Polish Armed Forces Day in Gdynia, northern Poland, 15 August 2026. EPA/Andrzej Jackowski POLAND OUT
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk speaks during the Polish Armed Forces Day in Gdynia, northern Poland, 15 August 2026. EPA/Andrzej Jackowski POLAND OUT

Poland will send an emergency aircraft to Budapest following a coach crash that killed 12 people and left at least 10 critically injured, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Sunday.

"I have made the decision to send a special Polish aircraft to Hungary with representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and medical services," Tusk said on social media. "All the injured will receive the necessary medical and consular assistance," he added.