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Australia’s ANZ bank hit with record fine over ‘widespread misconduct’

Australia’s ANZ, one of the country’s “big four” banks, has agreed to pay a record fine of Aus$240 million ($159.5 million) over “widespread misconduct”, the financial regulator said Monday.The fine is the largest ever announced by the regulator against a single entity, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) said.ANZ was fined for “acting unconscionably” …

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Spain’s political class spars over chaotic Vuelta finale

Spain’s political class clashed over chaotic pro-Palestinian protests in Madrid that brought the Vuelta to a premature end Sunday, with the opposition accusing the leftist government of permitting an “international embarrassment”.And comments from Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez Sunday brought an angry response from Israel.Demonstrators denouncing the participation of the Israel-Premier Tech team in one of cycling’s major races overwhelmed police and invaded the course in the Spanish capital, forcing organisers to cut short the final stage.A spokesman for the central government representation in the Madrid region told AFP that 100,000 people had taken part in the pro-Palestinian protests, adding that two people had been arrested.The unrest was the culmination of pro-Palestinian activism against Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, with protests disrupting the three-week race on several occasions. Even before the final day, the race organisers had had to shorten some stages and demonstrators had caused crashes after bursting onto the course.Several members of the leftist government have publicly supported the movement in a country where support for the Palestinian cause is strong.Sanchez made his first public comments on the row on Sunday, saying before the final stage that “Spain today shines as an example and as a source of pride”.The country was “an example to an international community where it sees Spain taking a step forward in the defence of human rights”, he told a Socialist party gathering in the southern city of Malaga.Israel was swift to denounce his comments.Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called Sanchez and his government “a disgrace” to their country, accusing the Spanish premier of “encouraging the protesters to take to the streets” of Madrid through “his incitements”. – ‘International embarrassment’ -The right-wing opposition Popular Party (PP), which runs the Madrid region and the Spanish capital’s council, also reacted furiously.Party leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo’s response on social media was scathing after the prestigious cycling event ended with police charging at protesters and firing tear gas.”The government has allowed and induced the non-completion of the Vuelta and, in this way, an international embarrassment televised worldwide,” he said.The PP head of the Madrid region, Isabel Diaz Ayuso, wrote on X that Sanchez “becomes directly responsible for any altercation that happens… what damage to our sport and our country!”And the city’s mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida said: “What has happened today in Madrid is the fruit of hate and violence that have been irresponsibly encouraged in recent days by leaders from the left.” At the other end of the political spectrum, far-left Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz hailed Spanish society for “giving a lesson to the world”.”Israel cannot compete in any event while it continues to commit a genocide,” she wrote on Instagram, days after the Israeli government barred her from entry for her criticism of the war in Gaza.Israel-Premier Tech, owned by Israeli-Canadian property developer Sylvan Adams, is a private outfit and not a state team, but was hailed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for continuing to compete despite the vehement protests.

Former Lebanese PM faces fraud inquiry in France: lawyers

French investigators have opened a corruption inquiry into former Lebanese prime minister Najib Mikati, lawyers who made the formal complaint said Sunday.Mikati, a 69-year-old billionaire telecoms tycoon, was prime minister until January this year. The Collective of Victims of Fraudulent and Criminal Practices in Lebanon and the anti-corruption group Sherpa, which announced the inquiry, first made a complaint against Mikati in 2024.The groups accused Mikati and his brother, Taha Mikati, of fraudulently building up their fortune.The National Financial Prosecutor’s office did not immediately comment on the claim of a formal inquiry. But the Mikati family indirectly confirmed the investigation in a statement that rejected the charges. “The origin of the Mikati family patrimony is clear, legal and transparent,” said the statement.”We have full trust in the independence and rigour of French justice and are ready to provide any complementary information requested.”The lawyers’ groups had already sought action against the former head of the Bank of Lebanon, Riad Salameh. Salameh is now wanted on fraud and corruption charges by French authorities while his brother, Raja Salameh, has been formally charged in France.

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Two ships set sail from Greece to join Gaza aid flotilla

Two ships set sail Sunday evening from the Greek island of Syros to join the Global Sumud Flotilla, an international mission aiming to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid, AFP journalists saw. Chanting “Free Palestine”, around 500 people gathered at the port of Ermopoulis to see off the two Greece-flagged boats, the Oxygen and Ilektra, carrying goods for famine-hit Gaza along with five and eight people on board respectively.”This is the way to show Israel that it shouldn’t have the right to impose starvation,” Kostas Fourikos, a 39-year-old crew member told AFP. “And of course to send the message of solidarity to the Palestinians, who suffer so much.” Another crew member, Angeliki Savvantoglou, said the flotilla aimed to “put pressure on our own governments to also stop collaborating with Israel and stop this genocide.”Eventually, we want this genocide to stop,” the 35-year-old added.The two vessels are set to join the rest of the fleet, which hopes to help relieve the spiralling humanitarian crisis in Gaza as Israel’s war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas grinds on.In August, as a result of the conflict, the United Nations officially declared famine in and around Gaza City, home to around a million people.Israel denies the existence of famine in the coastal territory. – Attack fears -Backed by high-profile participants including environmental activist Greta Thunberg, the pro-Palestinian Global Sumud flotilla describes itself as an independent group not linked to any government or political party. Sumud is Arabic word for “resilience”.Its journey to the Gaza Strip has been dogged by at least two suspected drone attacks while docked off the coast of Tunisia, sparking concern for the safety of the Greek ships. Crew member Savvantoglou played down such concerns fears. “I think we are all worried, but we’re also all very prepared for as much as we can be prepared for,” she told AFP. “What we are facing all these days with the bureaucracy or even with the drone attacks in Tunisia is nothing in comparison to just one minute of being alive in Gaza.”Along with Rhodes and Crete, Syros saw demonstrations rallying hundreds of people in July to prevent the Israeli cruise ship Crown Iris from docking, in response to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.The Gaza war erupted in October 2023, triggered by a Hamas attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 64,871 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. The UN considers those figures to be reliable.

‘Demon Slayer’ tops N.America box office with record anime opening

The latest entry in Crunchyroll’s “Demon Slayer” anime film series took first place in the North American box office this weekend with a genre-record $70 million debut, industry estimates showed Sunday.”Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba — Infinity Castle: Part 1,” the first title in a new trilogy based on the popular manga series, opened to …

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