
Capital Gains Tax discount reform under consideration
Speculation is intensifying that one of Australia’s most controversial tax concessions, the capital gains tax (CGT) discount, may undergo significant reform as a central feature of this year’s federal budget. Senior government ministers have stopped

Australians hold 209 million days of unused annual leave as employment landscape shifts
Australian workers are heading into the summer break with a massive stockpile of unused annual leave, collectively sitting on 209 million days of accrued holidays, new data from research firm Roy Morgan shows. The near-record

Surge in social media use replaces sport, reading and arts among Australian children
A dramatic rise in social media use among children and adolescents is reshaping daily routines and pushing aside key developmental activities such as sport, reading and music, according to a major new study by the

Optus fined $826,320 after major verification flaw allows scammers to steal customer identities and tens of thousands of dollars
Optus has been hit with a substantial $826,320 penalty after a serious security lapse allowed scammers to bypass customer verification processes and steal as much as $39,000 from individual victims. The Australian Communications and Media

Albanese issues ultimatum to Turkey over hosting COP31 Climate Talks
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has drawn a firm line in ongoing negotiations with Turkey over the hosting of next year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), ruling out any possibility of co-hosting the event. Speaking

Australian families face rising private health insurance premiums in 2026
Australian families may be set to pay significantly more for private health insurance in 2026, as premiums are projected to rise between 3.9 and 4.4 per cent. According to analysis by Money.com.au, this increase could

Criticism mounts over First Nations Ambassador Justin Mohamed’s $400,000 role
Controversy has erupted over the role and funding of Australia’s First Nations People Ambassador, Justin Mohamed, after his contract was extended and his annual salary increased to $400,000. Aboriginal academic and human rights lawyer Hannah

EU–US backed power link shatters Turkey–Libya maritime claims
The Egypt–Greece 3 GW electricity interconnector has received a €9.56 million EU grant to support further studies and implementation. EU–US backed power link shatters Turkey–Libya maritime claims. The European Commission has approved the funding for additional preparatory work on the 3-gigawatt electricity link connecting the power systems of Greece and

Austerity, unemployment behind ND lanslide
‘I am committed to fewer taxes, many investments, for good and new jobs, and growth which will bring better salaries and higher pensions in an efficient state’ Mitsotakis said. Greece’s opposition conservatives returned to power

Mitsotakis to CNBC: Talks with European partners will begin immediately; ND has presented a clear plan, ‘without surprises’
Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ first press statements after Sunday’s election victory by his center-right New Democracy (ND) came during an interview to CNBC, where he expressed gratitude over the election result – which will make him prime

The importance of the Greek Exclusive Economic Zone
In 1967, Malta’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Arvid Pardo, called for an international conference to devise a new law of the seas. In this call, he referred to the oceans as “the common heritage

Lamda Development warns against last-minute ministerial decisions regarding delay-plagued Helleniko project
A nascent “feud” between the international consortium that’s won a concession for the massive Helleniko property development in southeast Athens and the outgoing Tsipras government, given that the privatization remains mired in Greece’s ubiquitous “red

Greece sees its future as the Florida of Europe
Tourists in hats, cameras slung around their necks, crane them for a view. In the heart of old Athens, it is a reminder that the holiday season has begun. Last week as parties from cruise

More than one in four young Greeks are not working or studying
More than one in four young Greeks aged 20-34 do not work or study, according to the latest Eurostat figures for 2018. Greece is in the second-worst position among the members of the European Union,

EU–US backed power link shatters Turkey–Libya maritime claims
The Egypt–Greece 3 GW electricity interconnector has received a €9.56 million EU grant to support further studies and implementation. EU–US backed power link shatters Turkey–Libya maritime claims. The European Commission has approved the funding for additional preparatory work on the 3-gigawatt electricity link connecting the power systems of Greece and

Mitsotakis from Brussels: Transatlantic ties tested, but signs of cautious stabilisation
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis acknowledged that relations between Europe and the United States have gone through a turbulent period, while stressing that recent developments point to a modest improvement, following the conclusion of the

Greenland: Cyprus-style bases, NATO’s Arctic footprint and Donald Trump’s geopolitical bargaining
As the European Union struggles to forge a unified response to Donald Trump, new details are emerging about Washington’s proposals regarding Greenland, revealing a complex geopolitical bargain centred on the Arctic, military security and control

Leaked: US accused of betraying Kurdish forces amid mounting criticism
Leaked: US accused of betraying Kurdish forces amid mounting criticism. Sources familiar with the discussions say a meeting held in Damascus on 19 January between Mazloum Abdi and Ahmed al-Sharaa (al-Julani), attended by US envoy

Israel and Greece have the capacity to confront Turkey
This week in Athens, the Defence Ministers of Israel and Greece consolidated a partnership that has moved beyond simple alignment and into strategic substance. Israel and Greece have the capacity to confront Turkey. The visit

Kurds accuse US of betrayal in Syria, as region descends into chaos
Letter to the United States Congress and the international community. Kurds accuse US of betrayal in Syria, as region descends into chaos. Dear Senators, a genocide is currently taking place in the Kurdish regions of

What the Greenland dispute means for NATO and Europe’s future
As winter tightens its grip on the Northern Hemisphere, the chill has also spread to relations among NATO allies. What the Greenland dispute means for NATO and Europe’s future. Rising tensions over Greenland have exposed

