
Australia’s productivity collapses to zero amid weak investment and population surge
Australia’s labour productivity has effectively stalled, with new analysis showing growth has collapsed to zero, placing the country near the bottom of advanced economies since the COVID-19 pandemic. According to an OECD assessment cited in

China warns Australia: Don’t be dragged into NATO’s military spending push
China’s Ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, has issued a strong rebuke of NATO’s new military spending target, warning the Albanese government not to fall in line with what Beijing sees as a dangerous escalation of

Bush Summit 2025: Albanese to champion the regions at Ballarat Summit
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will lead the 2025 National Bush Summit, committing to ramp up support for regional Australia amid a year marred by devastating droughts and floods. The landmark event, organised by News Corp

Trump turns up the heat: Australia pressured to boost defence spending or face trade penalties
The Trump administration is putting mounting pressure on Australia to drastically increase its defence spending, aligning with NATO’s new benchmark of 5% of GDP. While NATO allies recently accepted this demand, Australia is resisting calls

Sussan Ley Vows to Boost Female Representation in Liberal Party Amid Quota Debate
Sussan Ley, newly elected leader of the federal Liberal Party, has pledged to increase the number of women within the party’s ranks, acknowledging a deepening gender divide that contributed to the Coalition’s landslide defeat at

Australia sets tougher PFAS guidelines amid health concerns — But experts warn of high costs
The Australian Government has introduced stricter national limits on cancer-linked “forever chemicals” in drinking water, in a move welcomed by health and environmental experts—but one that could impose significant financial burdens on communities, particularly in

Australia designates white supremacist network Terrorgram a terrorist organisation
In a decisive move to combat domestic extremism, Australia has formally designated the white supremacist online network Terrorgram as a terrorist organisation. The announcement, made by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke on Thursday, grants law

PULS missile system paves the way for Greece’s “Achilles Shield” as defence cooperation with Israel and UAE deepens
Greece is moving decisively to strengthen its military deterrence, following parliamentary approval for the acquisition of the Israeli-made PULS multiple rocket launcher system, a key component of the country’s planned multi-layered air and missile defence architecture known as the “Achilles Shield”. The Special Standing Committee on Armaments Programs of the

Greece replies to Zakharova’s provocative attack: Moscow aligns with Turkey and the Republic of Skopje against Greece
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has once again adopted an openly anti-Greek tone, reviving Cold War-style rhetoric and backing Turkey and the Republic of Skopje [sic “North Macedonia”] in a direct challenge to Greece

Mitsotakis rejects Christodoulides’s joint EEZ plan fearing Turkey
To avoid potential tensions in the Aegean, the Greek government rejected President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides’s proposal to delimit a joint exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between the two states. Mitsotakis rejects Christodoulides’s joint EEZ plan

Mitsotakis to SEV: “A national duty to never relive the illusions and lies of the past”
Message of stability with veiled criticism of Tsipras – Bundesbank praises Greece’s reforms Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis delivered a strong message on political stability and economic responsibility at the annual meeting of the Hellenic

Soufli: 13 Turkish nationals arrested with weapons – six remanded in custody
147 pistols and 190 magazines found – Defendants claim ignorance Greek authorities have released dramatic footage showing the arrest of 13 Turkish nationals near Soufli, Evros, after they illegally crossed into Greece carrying a large

Warm welcome for 27 Greek activists from Gaza Flotilla – Greta Thunberg among returnees
With emotional scenes and the victory sign raised high, 27 Greek activists who took part in the “Global Sumud Flotilla” to Gaza returned to Athens on Monday afternoon, following their detention by Israeli authorities. The

Political turmoil in SYRIZA: Alexis Tsipras resigns from parliament – “I’m not quitting political action”
The sudden resignation of former Prime Minister and historic SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras from Parliament has triggered strong political tremors and a new wave of realignments within the centre-left. In a public statement, Tsipras clarified

Robert Fico confronts Brussels, claiming EU has abandoned democracy
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has crossed a line Brussels hoped no European leader would openly cross — and he has done so publicly. In a sweeping and highly confrontational statement, Fico accused the European Union of suppressing free speech, manipulating democratic processes, enforcing double standards on energy policy, and

Tim Walz: Veteran military man chosen by Kamala Harris as Vice Presidential candidate
Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, has selected Tim Walz as her vice-presidential running mate, a decision that surprised some observers. At 60, Walz has held various roles as a former teacher, coach, and military

“Drums of war” in the Middle East: Awaiting Iran’s retaliation – Israel on high alert
The Middle East appears ready to explode as the war atmosphere intensifies just hours after the U.S. declared that Tehran might attack Israel within the next 24 hours. All eyes are on Iran and the

Stock markets around the world are crashing right now, but why?
The answer to this question is the Yen carry trade, a term you’ll probably hear many times this week. So what exactly is the Yen carry trade and why did it cause a market downturn?

Japan’s Nikkei is down 12%, the largest drop ever
Japan’s Nikkei is down 12%, the largest point ever, as fears of a US recession shook global markets. The Topix index erased its yearly gains, experiencing its steepest sell-off since “Black Monday” in October 1987.

Will Turkey attack NATO with American ships?
President Joe Biden pushed through his sale of F-16s and upgrade kits to Turkey on the logic that the deal was necessary to get Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to drop his objection to Sweden

Australia’s preeminent strategic thinkers: The era of Anglo-Saxon dominance in the Pacific is ending
This might be the most compelling and influential argument against AUKUS, particularly because it comes from one of Australia’s foremost strategic thinkers: Hugh White, the inaugural Director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) and

