
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

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

Australia, UK and Canada recognise Palestinian statehood in historic shift – Netanyahu furious
Australia has taken a historic step, joining Britain and Canada in formally recognising an independent and sovereign Palestinian state. The move, announced late Sunday (Sept 22), marks a major break from decades of Western policy

Australia to recognise Palestine: Albanese calls for peace and security
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed Australia will formally recognise a Palestinian state during this week’s United Nations General Assembly in New York, joining the UK, Canada and several European nations in a move he

Australians selling burial plots online – Graves become lucrative investments
A striking and somewhat macabre trend is emerging across Australia: burial plots are being listed online as valuable assets, with some fetching more than $150,000. A nationwide shortage of cemetery space, especially in major cities,

Triple tragedy sparks outrage – Optus blamed for fatal emergency network failure
Australia is reeling after a catastrophic Optus outage cut hundreds of Triple Zero (000) emergency calls, resulting in three deaths—including an eight-week-old baby—across South Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory. Optus CEO Stephen Rue

Albanese embarks on pivotal tour to US, UK and UAE – First UNGA address as Prime Minister
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese departs today for a three-nation diplomatic mission covering the United States, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. The trip marks his first address to the United Nations General

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

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

Germany: All EU members must take in Migrants
The continuing debate over migration is, at its core, about European federalism and the degree to which the European Union will be allowed to usurp decision-making powers from its 28 member states. If everything goes

Greek court hands down maximum sentences in Siemens bribery case; prominent defendants tried in absentia
A three-justice Athens appellate court on Monday handed down mostly the maximum possible prison sentences to defendants convicted last month in the more than decade-old Siemens bribery and money laundering case – although four of

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

Mitsotakis from Brussels: Transatlantic ties tested, but signs of cautious stabilisation
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis acknowledged that relations between Europe and the United States have gone through a turbulent period, while stressing that recent developments point to a modest improvement, following the conclusion of the

Greenland: Cyprus-style bases, NATO’s Arctic footprint and Donald Trump’s geopolitical bargaining
As the European Union struggles to forge a unified response to Donald Trump, new details are emerging about Washington’s proposals regarding Greenland, revealing a complex geopolitical bargain centred on the Arctic, military security and control

Leaked: US accused of betraying Kurdish forces amid mounting criticism
Leaked: US accused of betraying Kurdish forces amid mounting criticism. Sources familiar with the discussions say a meeting held in Damascus on 19 January between Mazloum Abdi and Ahmed al-Sharaa (al-Julani), attended by US envoy

Israel and Greece have the capacity to confront Turkey
This week in Athens, the Defence Ministers of Israel and Greece consolidated a partnership that has moved beyond simple alignment and into strategic substance. Israel and Greece have the capacity to confront Turkey. The visit

Kurds accuse US of betrayal in Syria, as region descends into chaos
Letter to the United States Congress and the international community. Kurds accuse US of betrayal in Syria, as region descends into chaos. Dear Senators, a genocide is currently taking place in the Kurdish regions of

What the Greenland dispute means for NATO and Europe’s future
As winter tightens its grip on the Northern Hemisphere, the chill has also spread to relations among NATO allies. What the Greenland dispute means for NATO and Europe’s future. Rising tensions over Greenland have exposed

