
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

Exquisite ancient statuettes of Apollo, Artemis unveiled for first time in Chania next week
A pair of small statuettes, depicting mythical Apollo and his twin sister, Artemis, will be presented on Today at the archaeological museum in the west Cretan city of Chania (Hania), the product of excavations at

Athens municipality: Most quake-damaged buildings are abandoned structures
The city of Athens, the biggest municipality in the greater Athens agglomeration, so far announced that 15 buildings in its boundaries were significantly damaged from the 5.1 on the Richter scale earthquake that struck the

Tears at the Mati victims memorial service one year after deadly fires
Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis attended the memorial service held on Sunday in memory of the 102 victims of the deadly fire in Mati a year ago. “I can assure you that such a tragedy

PM Mitsotakis announces generous tax cuts incl. properties ENFIA
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has set as his top priority to implement his pre-election program and proceed with taxation cuts as soon as possible. In his policy statement late on Saturday, he announced several tax

PIPES: Kastelorizo: Mediterranean flash point
That Athens controls this wisp of land implies it could (but does not yet) claim an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the Mediterranean Sea extending 200 nautical miles to Kastelorizo. This would reduce the Turkish

EU agrees to sanction turkey for drilling in Cypriot water
A surprisingly muscular response beyond mere threatening rhetoric out of the European Union over Turkey’s violations of Cypriot territorial waters related to offshore drilling operations: the EU has agreed to bring financial and political sanctions

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

War in Ukraine: from caution to panic, what Macron’s change of heart hides
This is an exceedingly rare and fascinating article in the French magazine Marianne, who got access to “several confidential defense reports” from the French army on the situation in Ukraine: https://marianne.net/monde/europe/guerre-en-ukraine-endurance-russe-echec-de-la-contre-offensive-ce-que-cache-le-virage-de-macron . This explains the

Erdoğan-affiliated party competing in EU polls sparks fears in Germany
A group of Germans with Turkish roots have formed a political group to compete in the European elections, sparking fears it could be a vehicle for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to expand his influence

Irish people vote in a referendum (75%) to defend traditional family
Women’s value in society comes from performing tasks at home, according to the Irish Constitution. DUBLIN – Irish voters after the referendum reject the attempt to rewrite the 1937 Constitution’s view of women and family

De Villepin criticizes Macron’s irresponsible NATO troop Deployment
De Villepin criticizes Macron’s irresponsible NATO troop deployment rhetoric has been translated from French. It’s so important people are aware of the extreme danger behind Macron’s (and some other NATO leaders’) attempt to escalate the

Zaharova: The Greek Government will answer to its people for sending arms to Ukraine
Russia has repeatedly drawn the attention of the Greek government to the issue of the threat to the civilian population, including the Greek community in Donbas, Ukraine, from the shipment of weapons systems and ammunition,

‘Western dominance has ended’, EU foreign-policy chief admits
The European Union’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, admitted that the “era of Western dominance has indeed definitively ended”. He warned that the EU must not divide the world into “the West against the Rest”, as

