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'I just want a chance': Moroccans sought better future in collective crossing to Spain territory

When he heard that the border was breached, Abdulah Buji jumped on his motorbike and rode as fast as he could to join the tens of thousands of other Moroccans who swam en masse to reach Spanish territory

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Petrol prices on track to top $2 a litre as Bowen sounds death knell for fuel excise relief

Petrol now costs more than $1.90 a litre in every capital city, with diesel expected to exceed $2.40 a litreGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPetrol prices could surpass $2 a litre and diesel $2.40 in coming days, after the government’s 16-cent discount ends on Sunday.The 32-cent per litre reduction in fuel excise, introduced in March at the peak of the fuel price spike, was halved to 16 cents in July. Continue reading...

Bessent ‘to-do’ list shows proposal for US to buy $5bn-$10bn of Japanese yen

Treasury secretary’s notepad, photographed by Reuters on Friday morning, prompts questions over US plansDuring a cabinet meeting at Camp David on Friday, the US treasury secretary Scott Bessent carelessly revealed plans for the US to buy $5bn-$10bn ⁠in Japanese yen in a scribbled “to do” list left visible to a Reuters photographer.The image, taken over Bessent’s shoulder during a portion of the meeting open to journalists, showed a Camp David notepad with the underscored words “To Do” followed by “Buy Japanese Yen (JPY) $5-10 bil”. Continue reading...

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Hegseth's swagger meets a reckoning as Pentagon moves to unwind 'pugnacious' purge: report

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is being pressured to backtrack after an airstrike gone wrong, according to The Atlantic.The Pentagon is moving towards restoring as many as half of the roles that Hegseth cut during a "pugnacious" purge at the Department of Defense, according to reporting by The Atlantic. Hegseth's downsizing included the firing or reassignment of staff dedicated to avoiding civilian casualties in war, the reporting noted."The potential reversal, which hasn't previously been reported, now awaits Hegseth's signature," according to The Atlantic. The Pentagon is considering bringing back staff as it deals with the fallout of an airstrike that killed almost 170 people, most of them children, at a school in southern Iran, The Atlantic reported.The Atlantic also noted that Hegseth said early in the conflict that the U.S. would fight with "no stupid rules of engagement" and "no politically correct wars."An anonymous Pentagon official confirmed to The Atlantic that the DoD is "currently undergoing a strategic reassessment to inform its future reorganization."A Pentagon inspector general report this spring determined that the DoD's cuts to civilian-harm protections may have violated laws designed to protect noncombatants, The Atlantic reported. Leaders of the Pentagon's combatant commands also support the restoration of personnel who can safeguard against civilian casualties, a U.S. official told The Atlantic."Over the last year, we have seen a total disconnect between the willingness to wage wars all over the world, at an unprecedented pace and scale, while at the same time all but abandoning their leading role in setting up the systems and approaches needed to better protect civilians," Emily Tripp, the head of Airwars, an independent UK-based watchdog, told The Atlantic.

Adani to pay no company tax despite $1bn revenue from Queensland coalmine

Indian conglomerate offsets earnings from Carmichael mine to report $340.6m loss, after promising billions in taxes and royaltiesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIndian conglomerate Adani will pay no company tax despite generating almost $1bn in revenue from coal mining in Queensland over the past year.Financial accounts show the Carmichael thermal coal operations used large costs – including production and related party logistics expenses – to offset its $963.5m revenue in the 12 months to 31 March. This resulted in a recorded $340.6m loss for the year, erasing its tax bill. Continue reading...