
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

One Nation surges as Coalition support collapses, polling shows
Support for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party has more than doubled since the federal election, placing the right-wing party ahead of the Greens in primary vote intentions, according to new polling. The Guardian Essential poll,

Historic intervention in housing market: 5% Deposit Scheme sparks debate over property prices
The Labor government has delivered on its election promise to expand the Home Guarantee Scheme, cutting required deposits from 20% to just 5% for first-home buyers, effective October 1, 2025, instead of January 2026. The

Aged care Workers receive another pay boost in Australia
The Fair Work Commission’s decision increases wages for hundreds of thousands of aged care employees. The Australian government announced today further wage increases for aged care workers following a decision by the Fair Work Commission.

China temporarily bans BHP iron ore exports, raising concerns in Australia
Prime Minister Albanese urges quick resolution to maintain smooth market operations. China has temporarily banned iron ore exports from BHP, Australia’s largest mining company, sparking concern in the Australian government. According to Bloomberg reports, the

Sussan Ley slams Albanese over UK Labour speech funded by taxpayers
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s decision to address the UK Labour Party’s annual conference in Liverpool has sparked fierce criticism at home, with Opposition Leader Sussan Ley accusing him of “crossing the line” and engaging in

Anthony Albanese invites UAE retail giant LuLu to Australia
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has shown keen interest in the international retail chain LuLu Hypermarket, inviting Indian billionaire MA Yusuff Ali to consider expanding the company into Australia. The invitation came during the Prime

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

How China could re-dollarise without funding US wars
China issued a US dollar-denominated bond in Saudi Arabia, directly challenging the petrodollar system. Although the bond was relatively small, at $2 billion, the rate and uptake are noteworthy. China was able to issue US

UK confirms ‘Storm Shadow’ strike in Russia, risking severe escalation
British state media has confirmed that Ukraine launched British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles at targets deep within Russia’s Kursk region. UK confirms ‘Storm Shadow’ strike in Russia, risking severe escalation of the ongoing conflict. This strike,

US, UK, France approve strikes on Russia, NATO set for direct conflict in Ukraine
Bombshell from Le Figaro! US, UK, France approve strikes on Russia, NATO set for direct conflict in Ukraine. This is a transparent attempt to escalate the Ukraine War before Trump takes office. Biden is now

Samaras and Karamanlis apply the brakes on Gerapetritis
Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan came for a package solution, and his Greek counterpart reiterated Athens’ “firm positions” on the continental shelf and EEZ. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attempted to impose the logic of a “holistic

Donald Trump Taps Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy to Lead Nonexistent Department of Government Efficiency
“These two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies,” said Donald Trump in a statement. President-elect Donald Trump announced

A shadow ‘financial crisis’ has cost the world $2 trillion
Last month, two major storms, Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, caused a total of between $51.5 billion and $81.5 billion of property damage, mostly to Southeastern US states, according to estimates from CoreLogic. That’s a

