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Exit of John Phelan, navy’s top civilian official, comes a week after Pete Hegseth fired army’s top officerThe Pentagon announced on Wednesday that the navy’s top civilian official, John Phelan, the secretary of the navy, is leaving his job.In a statement posted to social media, Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesperson, said Phelan was “departing the administration, effective immediately” Continue reading...

Three-year deal includes funding for a riot squad to ‘disperse’ people trying to board small boatsThe UK government has agreed to pay France another £660m to curb the number of asylum seekers travelling across the Channel, including plans to fund a riot squad to “contain and disperse” people trying to board small boats.Under a three-year deal to be signed on Thursday by the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, 1,100 enforcement, intelligence and military officers – an increase of 40% – will be employed to track down smuggling gangs and people seeking refuge. Continue reading...

Jose Serrano, a sergeant, said Deisy Rivera Ortega, his wife, was arrested at an immigration appointmentA US army sergeant with 27 years of military service – including deployment to Afghanistan – has said that federal immigration agents recently arrested his wife during an appointment at an El Paso, Texas, immigration office.In an interview with CBS News published Monday, Sgt First Class Jose Serrano said that Deisy Rivera Ortega, a Salvadoran and his wife, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers under the command of the Trump administration despite receiving legal protection in 2019 that bars her from being deported to El Salvador. Rivera Ortega, who wed Serrano in 2022, has been in the US since 2016, he said. Continue reading...

Dispatch of vessel strike, like most of military’s statements on strikes conducted in area, did not provide evidenceThe US military said it killed two people in a strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Monday, claiming the targets were involved in “narco-trafficking operations”.The announcement, like most of the military’s statements on the dozens of strikes it has conducted in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean Sea, did not provide evidence to support its claims that the targets were engaged in narco-trafficking. Continue reading...

Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese announces GST revenue on fuel sales to be used to reduce fuel costs by a combined 32 cents a litreFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTrack Australia’s fuel prices, service station outages and shipments in chartsA deal with the states to return GST revenue on fuel sales will knock another 5.7 cents off the price of petrol for three months, bringing the total reduction to 32 cents a litre after this week’s halving of the fuel excise.The government said the 26.3 cent reduction in the fuel tax and the GST deal would cut the cost of filling a 65-litre vehicle by nearly $23. Continue reading...

Mikhail Khodorkovsky says Russian security services may seek to create a ‘sense of vulnerability’ in BritainVladimir Putin is likely to stage another Salisbury-style attack on UK soil unless the government adopts more aggressive tactics against the Kremlin, the exiled Russian billionaire Mikhail Khodorkovsky has said.The former oil tycoon has emerged as a leading figure in Russian diaspora opposition circles and claims to be well-informed about current thinking and developments among Moscow’s elite. Continue reading...

• Legendary golfer Tiger Woods has been arrested on another DUI charge, prompting concern from his inner circle about his current lifestyle and behavior. • According to sources close to Woods cited by People magazine, friends are expressing frustration that the 50-year-old golfer has not taken steps to change his behavior, with one source stating "Tiger has yet to look in the mirror and say, 'You're 50 years old and need to act like it.'" • The latest incident marks a continued pattern of legal troubles for the golf icon, raising questions about his personal well-being and future.