Fresh scrutiny over federal politicians’ expenses rules after pre-election change
Fresh questions are being raised about the expenses federal politicians are entitled to claim, after revelations that key rules governing travel allowances were altered just weeks before the last federal election. While Prime Minister Anthony
Albanese’s first meeting with Trump: warm words, sharp climate divide
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has described his first face-to-face encounter with US President Donald Trump as “warm and engaging” after the two leaders shook hands and posed for a selfie in New York. The
Emma Mason moves UN with emotional plea: Protect children from the dangers of social media
Australian mother Emma Mason brought world leaders to their feet at the United Nations, urging countries to follow Australia’s lead in banning social media for children under 16. Mason, who spearheads News Corp Australia’s Let
Albanese finally meets Trump in New York
Anthony Albanese has met Donald Trump face-to-face after the US president used his UN speech to ridicule those buying into a “global warming hoax”, and criticised Australia for backing a Palestinian state. In a tense
Optus crisis: Kerry Schott to head independent review into deadly triple-zero outage
Telecommunications giant Optus has appointed Dr Kerry Schott AO to lead an independent investigation into last week’s catastrophic triple-zero failure, which has been linked to the deaths of three Australians. The announcement, made this morning,
Albanese brushes off concerns before Trump meeting – White House summit set for October 20
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed he will meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on October 20, brushing aside questions about the deep political differences between the two leaders. Speaking to
Australia wipes student debt for millions – major HECS and HELP reforms begin
Starting today, millions of Australians with student loans will see thousands of dollars wiped from their debt as new HECS and HELP repayment rules take effect. The federal government has honoured one of its key
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 economic positions has been framed in Athens as a national milestone, extending beyond party lines
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
Greek state collects 1.138 bln€ with 26-week T-bills issue; yield at 0.15%
Demand for a new tranche of 26-week T-bills was slightly down on Wednesday, compared to similar issues over the past few months, with an auction of 875 million euros of paper attracting bids of 1.536
Leaked US strategy reveals Trump’s plan to break up the EU
A leaked US strategy reveals Trump’s plan to break up the EU, with a draft of a highly classified National Security Strategy (NSS) suggesting that the United States may be pushing for Austria, Italy, Hungary, and Poland to distance themselves from the European Union as part of a bold new
Europe on high alert: Poland enters pre-war phase as Germany warns of potential conflict with Russia
Europe faces rising tensions as senior military and political officials warn of the increasing likelihood of conflict with Russia. After Germany’s stark warning last week, Poland has now declared a state of heightened alert. Polish
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
Zelensky signals new energy agreement ahead of today’s Athens visit
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that Kyiv and Athens are preparing a new bilateral agreement in the energy sector, ahead of his official visit to the Greek capital today, Sunday, 16 November. In a
Putin and Netanyahu hold phone call amid escalating Middle East tensions
Russian President Vladimir Putin has held a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the rapidly evolving situation in the Middle East, the Kremlin confirmed on Saturday. The call comes as regional
Germany unveils new conscription model aimed at building Europe’s strongest army by 2029
Germany is preparing to overhaul its military service system in what officials describe as the most significant shift in defence policy in decades. The governing coalition has agreed on a new framework for conscription, seeking
Ukraine strikes Russia’s oil heartland with major neptune missile attack
Ukrainian forces carried out one of their most significant long-range strikes in months, targeting critical oil export infrastructure at the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. The coordinated attack, involving upgraded Neptune cruise missiles and
