
Australian father stranded in Iraq issues urgent Christmas plea amid legal limbo
An Australian father, Dr. Robert Pether, who spent more than four years in an Iraqi prison under what he calls “bogus charges,” has issued a desperate Christmas plea, urging Australians to push the government to

Strategic Gap: Australia ranks 15th in global defence spending amid growing regional threats
As geopolitical tensions mount, Australia finds itself under increasing pressure to reassess its military preparedness. New data has revealed that the country ranks only 15th globally in defence spending – far behind nations like Saudi

Police under fire for failing to warn women about released violent partners
Victoria Police is facing fierce criticism after admitting it does not have the resources to warn women when their violent former partners are released from jail. The decision came despite a recommendation from State Coroner

Moira Deeming referred to IBAC over alleged preselection bribe offer
Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming has been referred to the state’s anti-corruption body, IBAC, following explosive allegations she offered to withdraw bankruptcy proceedings against former Liberal leader John Pesutto in exchange for guaranteed preselection for

RBA rate cuts could add $141,000 to property prices by 2026
Australian home prices are poised to rise by as much as 12 per cent—equating to an extra $141,000 on the median house price in the capital cities—if the Reserve Bank of Australia cuts the cash rate

Costeen Hatzi sends heartfelt message to Nick Kyrgios after breakup
Influencer and entrepreneur Costeen Hatzi has opened up publicly for the first time since her high-profile breakup with Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios, offering a message of kindness and reflection amid their split. Costeen Hatzi

Albanese demands ‘Respect’ in first post-election press conference
In his first press conference since winning re-election, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese projected a new, assertive tone, calling for “respect” from both the media and political peers, and signalling a shift in his leadership style.

Holiday traffic normalizes after Tuesday’s gridlock
After yesterday’s disruptions, traffic on the Athens–Lamia and Athens–Corinth highways is expected to return to normal today, Wednesday, as farmers and traffic police coordinated to improve vehicle flow ahead of Christmas. On Tuesday, drivers faced queues of up to 20 kilometres due to farmers’ roadblocks, leaving many stranded for hours.

Mitsotakis unveils reform-heavy, pro-market policy statements in Parliament address
New Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis referred to practically every reform promised by him and his conservative New Democracy (ND) party over the past four years – and then some – expressing a pro-market, meritocracy-based

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

Australian father stranded in Iraq issues urgent Christmas plea amid legal limbo
An Australian father, Dr. Robert Pether, who spent more than four years in an Iraqi prison under what he calls “bogus charges,” has issued a desperate Christmas plea, urging Australians to push the government to secure his safe return. Dr. Pether was arrested in Iraq in 2021 and sentenced to

British man accused of drugging and raping wife over 13 years alongside five accomplices
A 49-year-old British man has been charged with systematically drugging and raping his former wife over more than a decade, alongside five other men, according to Wiltshire Police. The six men face over 60 charges

Libyan military chief killed in Falcon 50 jet crash in Ankara
A private Falcon 50 jet crashed near Ankara on Tuesday evening, killing all five people on board, including Libya’s Chief of the General Staff, General Mohamed Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad. The aircraft had departed from Ankara

Mitsotakis meets Abbas in Ramallah: Greece supports peace in Gaza
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday in Ramallah, ahead of his visit to Jerusalem and participation in the Greece–Cyprus–Israel trilateral summit. Support for the Palestinian Authority and

Trilateral Summit sends clear message to Ankara: “Do not even think of reviving empires”
A strong geopolitical message was sent from Jerusalem on Monday following the completion of the 10th Trilateral Summit between Greece, Cyprus, and Israel, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a pointed warning to those “who

Israeli Foreign Minister urges Jews to move to Israel amid rising antisemitism in the West
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has urged Jews living in Western countries to relocate to Israel, warning that antisemitism is on the rise across Europe, North America and Australia. Speaking on Sunday during a public

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

