
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

Karystianou draws red lines on Greek–Turkish talks that challenge power, narrative and sovereignty
Maria Karystianou has made her first substantive intervention in foreign policy, choosing to address the highly sensitive issue of Greek–Turkish relations at a politically charged moment, as preparations reportedly intensify for the launch of her

Greek diaspora: Three parliamentary seats and postal voting presented by minister Livanios
The Minister of Interior, Theodoros Livanios, presented to the Cabinet on Monday morning a comprehensive bill aimed at strengthening the electoral participation of Greeks living abroad. The legislation, titled “Definition of the Electoral District of

The Karystianou political bet and the opposition’s uneasy response
Greece’s opposition landscape appears to be entering a period of significant recalibration, as the prospect of a new political party led by Maria Karystianou sends tremors across the political spectrum. Figures and parties that only

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

Attica submerged by severe weather: Where the heaviest rainfall fell
Attica was effectively “swamped” by extreme weather, with vast areas left underwater after rainfall levels exceeded all previous records. Residents were forced to dig their cars out of mud and debris carried by flash floods.

Targeting Maria Karystianou: How an independent voice became a threat
A wave of political vilification in full motion “Targeting Maria Karystianou at all costs,” on orders of the ‘centre of power’. Targeting Maria Karystianou: How an independent voice became a threat. Over the past few

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

Iranian ballistic missiles strike U.S. Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain
Iran launched ballistic missiles on Saturday targeting the headquarters of the United States Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, in what Tehran described as a retaliatory response to the joint military campaign conducted by the United

UNITED STATES AND ISRAEL LAUNCH LARGE-SCALE STRIKES ON IRAN
Tehran responds with ballistic missiles as regional tensions escalate Trump calls for regime surrender; Netanyahu names operation “Lion’s roar” February 28, 2026 The United States and Israel have launched a large-scale military operation against Iran,

Iran as the trigger, Taiwan as the prize: The strategic game behind the diplomacy
China has reportedly published annotated satellite imagery identifying every F-22 Raptor stationed at Israel’s Ovda Air Base. Each aircraft was individually tagged in Chinese characters on Weibo. Iran as the trigger, Taiwan as the prize:

US bolsters forces in the Middle East amid rising tensions with Iran
The United States has significantly reinforced its military presence in the Middle East, deploying two aircraft carrier strike groups, additional warships and combat aircraft as tensions with Iran escalate. The move comes amid reports that

European industry warns sky-high energy costs are crushing competitiveness
More than 1,300 business leaders and industry organisations across Europe have issued an urgent appeal to Brussels. European industry warns sky-high energy costs are crushing competitiveness, warning that soaring energy prices and carbon charges are

World Greek Language Day: Honouring the language that shaped civilisation
Greece officially marked World Greek Language Day for the first time on 9 February this year, with a sense of responsibility and pride, Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis said in a public message. He noted that

