
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

Greece and Turkey agree on closer cooperation against organised crime
Greece and Turkey have agreed to significantly strengthen bilateral cooperation in the fight against organised transnational crime, following high-level talks in Istanbul between Greek Minister for Citizen Protection Michalis Chrysochoidis and Turkish Interior Minister Ali

Mitsotakis unveils major housing, loan and farming measures during Budget speech
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis used his address to Parliament during the debate on the State Budget to announce a series of significant policy initiatives targeting housing affordability, Swiss franc loan holders, and farmers. The

Farmers submit demands to government, reject transfer of OPEKEPE oversight to tax authority
Greek farmers have formally submitted a comprehensive list of demands to the government, placing strong emphasis on their opposition to the transfer of oversight and control of OPEKEPE—the agency responsible for agricultural subsidies—to the Independent

Postal voting for Greeks abroad set to expand to national elections
The government has signalled its intention to extend postal voting to Greek citizens living abroad in national elections, marking a significant institutional reform of the country’s electoral system. The announcement was made by Interior Minister

Greece hails Pierrakakis’ Eurogroup victory as a win for the nation — Implications for Australia–EU relations
Greece’s Minister for National Economy, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, received an overwhelmingly enthusiastic welcome from the parliamentary caucus of New Democracy after his election as President of the Eurogroup. His elevation to one of Europe’s most influential

OPEKEPE fraud ring in Crete: Subsidy payments routed through bank account of deceased man
A major agricultural subsidy fraud ring in Crete has been dismantled by the Hellenic Financial Police, revealing a sophisticated yet brazen scheme that channelled public funds into bank accounts belonging even to deceased individuals. Authorities

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

Europe faces reckoning as its Ukraine ‘Victory’ illusion crashes
Europe faces a reckoning as its Ukraine ‘victory’ illusion crashes — after spending four years living in a fantasy that Ukraine would advance, Russia would collapse, and “victory” was only one more weapons package away.

Australia at centre of AUKUS push as UK and US call for faster delivery and greater burden sharing
Australia has been thrust firmly into the spotlight of the AUKUS security pact, with both the United Kingdom and United States urging Canberra to accelerate its commitments and take on a greater share of the

Germany: Record number of bankruptcies for businesses and individuals
Germany is experiencing its highest number of bankruptcies since 2014, with experts warning that the peak of the crisis “has not yet been reached.” According to the credit rating agency Creditreform, approximately 23,900 companies will

Hamas signals openness to “freezing or storing” weapons as talks enter difficult second phase
Hamas has indicated it is willing to discuss the “freezing or storing” of its weapons arsenal as part of the emerging ceasefire framework with Israel, according to senior official Bassem Naim, who spoke to the

Modi welcomes Putin with full honours in New Delhi
Russian President Vladimir Putin received a ceremonial welcome in India on Friday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosting him in a display designed to highlight the deep and enduring ties between the two nations. Putin

Deported neo-Nazi protester arrives in South Africa after visa cancellation
A South African national who took part in a widely condemned neo-Nazi demonstration in Sydney has arrived back in Johannesburg after being deported by Australian authorities. Matthew Gruter, 35, was removed from the country following

