
Trump Turns Up the Heat: Australia Pressured to Boost Defence Spending or Face Trade Penalties
The Trump administration is putting mounting pressure on Australia to drastically increase its defence spending, aligning with NATO’s new benchmark of 5% of GDP. While NATO allies recently accepted this demand, Australia is resisting calls

Australia considers recognising Palestinian state: The need for peace and stability in the Middle East
The political scene in the Middle East is undoubtedly rich with conflict and adversity that has lasted for decades. At the heart of this complexity is the longstanding conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. However,

Anglicare: It costs more to be poor
Unemployment benefits are not enough to cover basic living costs, according to a new report from Anglicare Australia. The national not-for-profit organisation highlighted the impact of inflation – and cost-of-living increases from energy suppliers that

Study finds two-thirds of retirees less financially secure amid cost of living crisis
Most retirees in Australia are happy with their retirement, but a significant proportion are concerned about their financial security, according to research commissioned by investment firm Challenger and conducted by YouGov. The survey of 1,000

Regional hospitals are collapsing
Regional hospitals are warning they face ‘inevitable closures’ or widespread job losses following a Victorian-wide mandate to cut spending ahead of this year’s state budget. Leaked internal documents reveal that chief executives of many of

Samantha Mostyn: The next Governor General of Australia
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced that Samantha Mostyn will be the next Governor General of the country. Ms Mostyn, a prominent businesswoman and gender equality advocate, will succeed David Hurley and become Australia’s 28th

“Battle” to release documents from Daniel Andrews’ time in office
In a legal battle with implications for government transparency, Jacinta Allan’s Premier’s Office is fighting to keep secret hundreds of documents from the time of former premier Daniel Andrews. Lawyers for the Premier’s office are

Mitsotakis pushes for EU action on Libya migration route and defence funding
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, speaking after the conclusion of the EU Summit, called for urgent action to address a new irregular migration route emerging from Eastern Libya to Crete. “We will use every means available—carrot and stick—to ensure this route is not consolidated,” he stressed. Mitsotakis announced that the

Turkey’s vessels south of Crete? “We’ll consider all scenarios,” warns Greek Ministry of Defense
“If Turkey violates our sovereignty, we will consider all scenarios”, Greek Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos said on Friday. “We are not warmongers but we will react if deemed necessary,” he added. The threats come just

Cyber-attacks against handful of Greek govt websites
A handful of Greek government and state websites were targets of hackers on Friday evening, with Turkish media reports claiming the cyber-attacks emanated from Turkey. A Facebook page, claiming to represent Turkish “hackers”, said the

The strong symbolism of the Sakellaropoulou nomination
The Prime Minister’s decision to nominate Ekaterini Sakellaropoulou to serve as President of the Hellenic Republic did not startle those in the know. For months most had known that Mr. Mitsotakis had singled out the

Man jailed for 11 months after Greek police mistake baking flour for drugs
A Scopian citizen spent 11 months in a Greek jail suspected of drug trafficking after Greek police mistook a bag of baking flour he was carrying for heroin. The incredible story of the 38-year-old resident

Hundreds of Santas take part in Athens run 2019
Hundreds of people dressed in Santa Claus costumes took part on Sunday in a special 3-kilometer charity run in the center of Athens. This merry tradition returned to the streets of Athens for the sixth

Greek Christmas Question: Melomakarona or Kourabiedes?
This is the eternal Christmas question Greeks are challenged with every year: the traditional to-die-for Greek sweets during the festive days: Melomakarona or Kourabiedes? Melomakarona are egg-shaped calorie-bombs. They are soft and soaked in syrup

Trump Turns Up the Heat: Australia Pressured to Boost Defence Spending or Face Trade Penalties
The Trump administration is putting mounting pressure on Australia to drastically increase its defence spending, aligning with NATO’s new benchmark of 5% of GDP. While NATO allies recently accepted this demand, Australia is resisting calls to push its military budget beyond its current trajectory of 2.3% of GDP—well short of

Greece’s Island of Flames – Evia – Symbol of Europe’s Summer of Hell
ATHENS — While it seemed like all the fires were in Greece, 2021 has been hellish all across Europe where blazes destroyed huge swathes of forests but nowhere more so than Greece’s second-biggest island of

Olympics, Return them to Greece
Holding the games in a different country every four years invites chaos, corruption, and redundant infrastructure. The great Australian journalist Murray Sayle famously said there were only two newspaper stories: “we name the guilty man”

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