
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

Economic collapse in Iran hits students in Australia
Iran’s deepening economic crisis and ongoing social unrest are now having a direct impact on thousands of Iranians living and studying abroad, with particularly severe consequences for students in Australia. The sharp devaluation of Iran’s

‘Door is open, but I’m not looking’: Ley stands firm after Coalition split
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has moved swiftly to project stability and authority within the Liberal Party following a dramatic and highly public split with the Nationals, declaring she is “absolutely confident” in her leadership despite

Coalition in meltdown as Nationals walk out, declaring agreement with Liberals “untenable”
Australia’s federal Coalition has plunged into its most serious crisis in years, after the National Party formally withdrew from the opposition frontbench, declaring its governing agreement with the Liberal Party “untenable”. The dramatic rupture follows

Australia observes national day of mourning for victims of Bondi Beach terror attack
Australia today marks a national day of mourning to honour the victims of the December 14 Bondi Beach terror attack, which claimed the lives of 15 innocent people and deeply shocked the nation. As part

January 26 protests continue an 88-year First Nations legacy of resistance and survival
First Nations people across Australia are preparing to mark January 26 with rallies, marches and cultural events, continuing a protest tradition that stretches back nearly nine decades and predates the modern celebration of Australia Day

Hate speech and extremism laws pass Parliament as three Nationals defy Coalition line
Australia’s Parliament has passed new hate speech and extremism legislation following an early recall prompted by the Bondi terror attack, marking a significant moment for national security lawmaking—and exposing fresh fractures within the Coalition. The

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

Church of Greece and its Arguments Concerning Ukraine’s Autocephaly Issue
The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, held on August 16-28, reviewed the recommendations of the Synodal committees for the dogmatic and canonical issues, as well as Orthodox and inter-Christian relations and recognized the

Hong Kong’s major events at protests
Hong Kong’s anti-government protesters have sustained their momentum for more than three months, facing off against police through summer heat and clouds of tear gas. Officers have met demonstrators head on with a variety of

Pipeline Wars Revisited
Pipeline wars are often overlooked in the scheme of things, where pipelines represent competing national interests of a purely economic sort, beyond the usual political rhetoric surrounding ideology and demagoguery. Because a gas pipeline transports

Cyprus repays remainder of Russian loan, two years early
Cyprus’ finance minister said on Monday that the country has repaid ahead of schedule the remaining 1.58 billion euros ($1.73 billion) of a 2.5 billion euro ($2.74 billion) loan it received from Russia in 2011

What is going on in Libya?
Libya is now ruled by the Government of National Accord (GNA). The GNA is recognized by the UN and holds Tripoli but little else. The situation is immensely complex and forever in flux. For eight

US slaps new tariffs on China; One minute later China retaliates
The biggest reason for last week’s torrid stock market rally was rekindled “optimism” that the escalating trade war between the US and China may be on the verge of another ceasefire following phone conversations, fake

