
Australia deploys Wedgetail surveillance aircraft to Gulf as Iran conflict escalates
Australia will deploy a Royal Australian Air Force surveillance aircraft to the Middle East after a request from the United Arab Emirates, as regional tensions escalate amid Iranian attacks involving drones and rockets. Prime Minister

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

Greece’s political crisis intensifies amid scandal storm
A society at boiling point amid daily scandals and misuse of public funds – growing calls for immediate elections, as the public dismisses manipulated polling Greek society is increasingly on edge, with daily scandals and the alleged misuse of public funds fuelling public anger. Greece’s political crisis intensifies amid scandal

Turkey sending fourth energy drill ship into Cyprus’ waters for oil exploration
Turkey has sent its fourth drilling ship to the eastern Mediterranean waters to participate in the exploration for natural gas and oil within the Cypriot maritime economic zones, defying European and international warnings. The Ministry

Mitsotakis govt announces measures to prevent another 2015-like migrant/refugee crisis
A recent spike in the number of landings of vessels carrying irregular migrants and would-be asylum seekers to a handful of eastern Aegean islands generated a Greek government reaction on Saturday, with a top defense

Greek FM summons Turkey’s Ambassador over mass migrants’ arrivals
Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias summoned the Turkish ambassador to Athens in order to express Greece’s deep dissatisfaction over the increased influx of migrants from Turkey, that culminated with the unprecedented mass arrivals of more than

Major spike in number of illegal migrants, would-be asylum seekers landing in Lesvos last week
A significant spike in the number of small craft carrying third country nationals, mostly Afghans, to the eastern Aegean island of Lesvos (Mytilene) was recorded on Thursday, with no less than 13 flimsy inflatable vessels

Cosco-led Piraeus Port Authority submits revised master plan; worth 800 mln€
A revised master plan by the Cosco-managed Piraeus Port Authority was tabled on Friday for review by a shipping ministry ports committee in the coming period. The revised master plan, which according to the port

Mitsotakis to Observer: Athens will ask for loaning of Parthenon Marbles amid 2021 series of events
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis referred to the “loaning” of the Parthenon Marbles – 14 friezes or metopes – from the British Museum in London to Greece on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of

Iran War Ceasefire: Hormuz Reopens as Two-Week Deal Halts Escalation
Iran has agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for two weeks, guaranteeing safe maritime passage under coordination with its armed forces. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated the arrangement would allow shipping traffic to resume while diplomatic efforts proceed. Ceasefire Deal and Strait of Hormuz Reopening The agreement includes

Microsoft President Warns Orwell’s ‘1984’ Reality ‘Could Come to Pass’ in 2024 Without AI Controls
Since its release in 1949, George Orwell’s famous “1984” novel has become a classic literary example of political and dystopian science fiction, even going so far as coining the terms “thought police” and “doublethink,” among

Turkey, a global problem
Turkey has once again escaped the consequences of its actions, this time in Nagorno-Karabakh. It is probably today in the crosshairs of the Pentagon, which wishes to destroy it like all the other states in

British holidaymakers ‘to be given free coronavirus tests to take abroad’
UK travellers will reportedly be issued free coronavirus tests to take abroad under plans to make foreign holidays safer. Fast-turnaround tests will be made available for free to cut the hassle and expense of getting

‘Signal to the world’: Singapore ready and waiting for Australian travel bubble
Singapore’s so-called “Cruises to Nowhere” have been a big hit since being given the green light last November, with more than 120,000 passengers. “They’ve made something that sounds tacky actually quite fun and enjoyable,” said

Flights between India and Australia suspended until May 15
Flights to and from India into Australia have now been suspended, amid increasing concerns over the nation’s escalating COVID-19 situation. Flights to and from India into Australia have now been suspended, Scott Morrison has announced,

Greek passport eighth most powerful in the world
Due to the enormous ramifications of the global pandemic on travel worldwide, the gap in citizens’ freedom to travel anywhere they wish is the largest in decades, and how the vaccine rollout goes will foretell

