India denies role in Sheikh Hasina’s planned vir…

Thousands of Moroccan migrants who entered Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta this week have begun returning home after their hopes of reaching mainland Europe faded. Many said they were driven back by hunger, exhaustion and difficult living conditions, while others claimed they faced hostility after arriving in the Spanish territory. Several returnees said they had decided to cross into Ceuta after watching viral social media videos and receiving messages from friends claiming the heavily guarded border could be breached. Believing they had a chance to build a better future in Europe, many left their jobs and travelled to the border. However, after reaching Ceuta, migrants discovered there was no clear route to mainland Spain. Many said they became stranded in the enclave with limited access to food, water and shelter. One migrant said he survived for three days by drinking only water because he could not afford food. He described the cost of basic meals as extremely high and said life in Ceuta was far more difficult than he had expected. Returning migrants also claimed that many supermarkets and shops remained closed, making it difficult to buy essential supplies. Some spent days in wet clothes after swimming across the border and struggled to find safe places to rest. Several migrants alleged they were forced to leave certain neighbourhoods by local residents, although those claims could not be independently verified. Spanish authorities confirmed that two people suffered minor injuries in separate knife attacks and said one suspect had been arrested. Officials added that no deaths linked to the incidents had been reported. The large influx also affected businesses on both sides of the border. In the Moroccan border city of Fnideq, hotels and restaurants faced staff shortages after several workers crossed into Ceuta. Some employers have already begun looking for replacement workers as many employees remain missing. Meanwhile, daily life in Ceuta has gradually started returning to normal. Cafes have reopened in parts of the city, while police continue to maintain a strong security presence. Many businesses, however, remain closed as authorities monitor the situation. Aid workers said migrant reception facilities are operating at full capacity, with thousands of people still believed to be inside the enclave awaiting assistance or decisions on their future. Local residents expressed mixed emotions over the crisis. While many admitted the sudden arrival of thousands of migrants created fear and uncertainty, others said they sympathised with the young people, arguing they had been misled by false hopes of an easier route into Europe.

Shares of major semiconductor companies dropped sharply on Monday after a report suggested that a Chinese firm has made significant progress in developing advanced chipmaking equipment. The news raised concerns among investors that China could reduce its reliance on foreign technology and strengthen its position in the global semiconductor industry. The market reaction followed a report by The Information, which said Shanghai Yuliangsheng is producing immersion deep ultraviolet lithography machines. These machines use ultraviolet light to carve extremely small circuits onto silicon wafers, a key step in manufacturing modern computer chips. Neither Shanghai Yuliangsheng nor related companies SiCarrier and Huawei responded immediately to requests for comment. However, the report was enough to unsettle investors, who fear that China’s progress in chip manufacturing could reshape competition in the technology sector. If the reported breakthrough proves successful, China could reduce its dependence on Dutch company ASML, the world’s leading supplier of advanced lithography equipment. ASML’s exports are subject to strict restrictions, limiting China’s access to some of the most advanced chipmaking technology. Developing its own DUV lithography machines would allow China to expand domestic chip production and accelerate the development of more powerful processors. Industry analysts believe this could help Chinese technology companies narrow the gap with leading American semiconductor manufacturers. The development is also seen as important for China’s artificial intelligence industry. Improved access to advanced chips would strengthen the country’s AI capabilities and help Chinese companies compete more closely with leading US firms developing cutting edge AI models. The report triggered heavy selling across the US technology sector. Shares of AMD fell by as much as eight percent during trading, while Nvidia dropped nearly five percent. Micron Technology also lost around five percent, and Intel declined about 3.7 percent as investors reassessed the competitive outlook for the semiconductor industry. The decline spread quickly to Asian markets on Tuesday. South Korea’s stock market suffered steep losses as concerns over the future of the AI industry combined with the reported Chinese breakthrough. The Kospi index plunged more than 10 percent to its lowest level since April. Major South Korean chipmakers were among the hardest hit. Shares of SK hynix and Samsung Electronics each fell by around 12 percent as investors worried that stronger competition from China could affect future earnings and market share. Japan’s technology sector also came under pressure. The Nikkei 225 index dropped more than four percent, while leading technology companies including Advantest, Kioxia and Tokyo Electron each lost more than 10 percent during trading. The sharp decline across global markets highlights how closely investors are watching developments in the semiconductor industry. As countries compete to secure leadership in chip production and artificial intelligence, even reports of technological advances can have an immediate impact on stock markets and reshape expectations for the future of the global technology sector.