In response to an overwhelming surge of migrants crossing into Ceuta from Morocco, Spain is deploying its military forces to this North African enclave. The move comes in light of a tragic incident where at least nine people lost their lives during the dangerous crossings, leading to a heightened security initiative.

The Spanish government has announced that the Armed Forces will bolster the efforts of the Civil Guard to regain control in Ceuta, as the local administration struggles to manage the influx. Both Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska are slated to travel to Ceuta, highlighting Madrid’s urgent response to this escalating situation.

This influx represents one of the most significant waves of migrants since 2021, a time when over 8,000 individuals crossed into the Spanish territory over just two days, straining diplomatic relations between Spain and Morocco.

“The chaos is unimaginable,” remarked Rachid Sbihi, the leader of an organization representing Civil Guard officers in Ceuta, in a conversation with The Associated Press. “Precise numbers are elusive, but we’re witnessing thousands making the crossing.”

Spain’s government delegation in Ceuta said at least nine people died Thursday, though officials did not immediately explain the circumstances. According to the AP, bodies were seen floating in the water as rescue and security operations continued.

Video from the area showed large groups of migrants entering Ceuta through the Tarajal border area, with many arriving by swimming around coastal barriers separating Morocco from Spanish territory. Most appeared to be young men, though families with women and children were also among those crossing.

Spanish authorities said Morocco is cooperating with efforts to regain control of the border. Spain’s Interior Ministry said Moroccan police have intercepted numerous migrants attempting to cross and that both governments are working to return those who entered the territory illegally as quickly as possible.

Authorities have not identified a single cause for the sudden surge, though Ceuta officials have pointed to a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling that limits the immediate return of migrants who arrive by sea without due process. Some migration advocates, however, questioned whether the ruling alone could explain the dramatic increase, arguing many migrants would likely have been unaware of the decision.

The crisis has reverberated beyond Spain. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni threatened to suspend Italy’s participation in the Schengen open-border agreement with Spain, saying the move would be necessary “to defend our borders and ensure the safety of our citizens.”

Ceuta, a small Spanish territory on Morocco’s Mediterranean coast, has long been one of Europe’s most active migration flashpoints. 

Migrants from across Africa regularly attempt to reach the enclave by swimming from Morocco or scaling the heavily fortified border fence in hopes of gaining entry into the European Union.

Spain’s Interior Ministry said nearly 3,000 migrants had entered Ceuta by land or sea this year through mid-July, before this week’s crossings dramatically increased those figures.

News Media has reached out to Spain’s Embassy in Washington, the Department of Homeland Security, the Center for Immigration Studies and the Migration Policy Institute for comment.

In a twist worthy of ancient Greek drama, a book on Greek antiquities has made its way back to an Australian public library an astounding 150 years past its due date. The tome, bearing scars from its years entombed within a bricked fireplace, was discovered water-damaged but fascinating.

The surprise return unfolded in the charming coastal town of Kiama. Local resident Ross Simmons stumbled upon the relic while renovating his home. Nestled within a tea crate that was part of a sealed-off fireplace, the book’s unlikely journey came to an end. This unexpected find was promptly returned to the Kiama Library, according to library manager Michelle Hudson.

“We’ve never witnessed anything quite this old being returned,” Hudson remarked on Thursday, her voice tinged with amazement.

Hudson noted that libraries often receive returns of items decades old when estates are cleared out, pointing out, “Usually, it’s something like 30 or 40 years overdue, but this is a whole other level.”

Ross Simmons shared with The Associated Press on Friday that he suspects the book might have been borrowed by his great-great-grandfather, John Simmons, who originally owned the house. This literary mystery adds a personal chapter to their family history.

“I’m making an assumption. He was in residence in the cottage around about that time and his children were probably too young,” Ross Simmons said.

The library opened in 1872, and the book, “Antiquities of Athens,” published in 1858, was marked as No. 506 in the library’s original collection of around 1,000 books. Hudson suspects the book was lost within a few years of the library opening.

The late return fine would be around 28,000 Australian dollars ($19,500), allowing for inflation, Hudson said. That was calculated on the British three pence-a-week overdue fee that was printed on the inside cover of the book, along with a list of rules that applied when the library opened.

But Hudson said the library’s records of borrowers in the 1870s had been lost. “Unfortunately, we have a missing link. There’s nothing in the book that tells us who the last borrower was,” Hudson said.

Library rules in the 1870s stated that a book had to be returned and an overdue debt paid before another book could be borrowed. “Maybe that’s why they never returned it to us,” Hudson said.

Antiquated rules of the day included that up to three books could be borrowed by households in which at least six members were “known to be able to read.” Proof of reading ability is no longer required to use today’s library.

In the 1870s, books were not lent to people who arrived at the library in a “state of intoxication.” Library users are now asked to leave if their behavior impacts others, but the rules are not specific about intoxication.

Ross Simmons said he had no idea why his English immigrant ancestor, who had also served as an alderman in Kiama’s municipal government, would not have returned the book.

He said he hadn’t been concerned by the prosect of being held liable by an angry librarian for his family’s debt.

“I’ve spent a lifetime dealing with irate customers and being irate with customers himself. Just stick to your guns and say do your worst,” the 77-year-old said.

The returned book will be displayed in the library’s local history collection.

“We’re not going to allow it to go back out again. We don’t want to wait another 150 years for this book to be returned,” Hudson said.

In a dramatic turn of events for the entertainment industry, a film producer has launched a $105 million lawsuit against Netflix. The legal action claims the streaming giant lost a hard drive containing a copy of an unreleased Nicolas Cage film, significantly hindering the producer’s ability to sell the movie.

Simon Afram, along with his company Op-Fortitude, detailed these allegations in a legal complaint filed last Thursday in California. As reported by the Daily Mail, Afram asserts that the hard drive, holding an unencrypted master version of the movie “Fortitude,” mysteriously vanished post-delivery to Netflix’s facilities.

The lawsuit outlines Netflix’s initial interest in reviewing the film, which was first expressed in December 2025 following the receipt of promotional materials. Amer’s legal team notes that the streaming service had requested a master copy of the film, devoid of encryption, by June of this year.

According to Afram’s claims, associate producer Daniel Haido personally delivered the unencrypted master copy of “Fortitude” to Netflix’s Los Angeles office on June 15, intending it purely for evaluation purposes.

The court document further explains that Netflix officials were given strict instructions to “ensure that it is deleted after the screening,” stipulating the handling protocol for the film’s sensitive content.

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Netflix and Afram’s attorneys for comment. 

A spokesperson for Netflix told the Daily Mail in a statement on Thursday: ‘Netflix disputes any claim that it bears the risk of loss for a film delivered without the proper industry-standard safeguards.

‘While we do not own the rights to Fortitude, we take content security seriously and have taken extra measures to support the filmmaker and his team. This includes conducting a thorough investigation and offering to monitor known piracy sites for any unauthorized distribution or sale.’

In a June 25 email, a Netflix executive allegedly informed Haido that the hard drive containing the movie had disappeared after ‘someone stole a good amount of drives from our office desks this past week,’ according to the filing. 

Afram’s legal team said in the filing that ‘the film’s value depended in significant part on its exclusivity as an unreleased, first-to-market work,’ and ‘by losing control . . . Netflix destroyed that exclusivity and materially, if not completely, impaired the film’s marketability.

‘It is not fathomable that a sophisticated buyer would invest tens of millions of dollars to acquire the film – and tens of millions more to market it – while facing the constant risk that it could appear online to be viewed widely for free at any time,’ the complaint added.

Sources at Netflix told the Daily Mail that ‘it is standard practice for these films to be shared either via a secure password-protected link, or as a Digital Cinema Package (DCP) that is secured with what is known as a Key Delivery Message (KDM).’

‘These measures limit access and protect against unauthorized use or loss,’ they continued. ‘Unfortunately, the Fortitude producers elected to share an unencrypted DCP with us for screening.’

Lawyers for Afram claimed in the legal complaint that he had been operating in accordance with instructions from the streamer, as Netflix allegedly wrote, ‘If the DCP is encrypted, please have the keys open from the time the asset lands through EOD on 6/16.’

Netflix sources said that upon learning ‘that the DCP was missing,’ the company ‘notified appropriate parties including our internal security team and the Fortitude team.’

In the complaint, Afram said that the motion picture cost $45 million and took more than seven years to put together.

The movie’s storyline is inspired by a World War II mission conducted by Allied forces, Operation Fortitude, which involved ‘double agents in cooperation with the British Army and Allied Nations who set a trap against Adolf Hitler and his army,’ according to the court filing.

Fortitude, which was directed by Simon West, also stars Oscar winner Sir Ben Kingsley, Ron Perlman, Matthew Goode, Michael Sheen, Art Malik, Jordi Mollà, and Lukas Haas.