
Fresh scrutiny over federal politicians’ expenses rules after pre-election change
Fresh questions are being raised about the expenses federal politicians are entitled to claim, after revelations that key rules governing travel allowances were altered just weeks before the last federal election. While Prime Minister Anthony

Surge in social media use replaces sport, reading and arts among Australian children
A dramatic rise in social media use among children and adolescents is reshaping daily routines and pushing aside key developmental activities such as sport, reading and music, according to a major new study by the

Optus fined $826,320 after major verification flaw allows scammers to steal customer identities and tens of thousands of dollars
Optus has been hit with a substantial $826,320 penalty after a serious security lapse allowed scammers to bypass customer verification processes and steal as much as $39,000 from individual victims. The Australian Communications and Media

Albanese issues ultimatum to Turkey over hosting COP31 Climate Talks
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has drawn a firm line in ongoing negotiations with Turkey over the hosting of next year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), ruling out any possibility of co-hosting the event. Speaking

Australian families face rising private health insurance premiums in 2026
Australian families may be set to pay significantly more for private health insurance in 2026, as premiums are projected to rise between 3.9 and 4.4 per cent. According to analysis by Money.com.au, this increase could

Criticism mounts over First Nations Ambassador Justin Mohamed’s $400,000 role
Controversy has erupted over the role and funding of Australia’s First Nations People Ambassador, Justin Mohamed, after his contract was extended and his annual salary increased to $400,000. Aboriginal academic and human rights lawyer Hannah

Speedway horror in Walcha: Car ploughs into crowd, nine injured, one critical
A speedway event in regional New South Wales descended into chaos on Saturday evening when a racing vehicle broke through a barrier and slammed into spectators, leaving nine people injured—one of them fighting for his

Greece hails Pierrakakis’ Eurogroup victory as a win for the nation — Implications for Australia–EU relations
Greece’s Minister for National Economy, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, received an overwhelmingly enthusiastic welcome from the parliamentary caucus of New Democracy after his election as President of the Eurogroup. His elevation to one of Europe’s most influential economic positions has been framed in Athens as a national milestone, extending beyond party lines

SYRIZA: Kasselakis’ leadership challenged in political secretariat meeting
Tensions within the main opposition party SYRIZA between President Stefanos Kasselakis and prominent party officials continued to escalate during the political secretariat meeting on Thursday, after eight members of a top party committee “87” walked

Over 60,000 lightning strikes in 48 hours – “Multicellular storms” expected in the coming hours
The extreme weather that has been affecting parts of Greece since yesterday, with thunderstorms and hailstorms, is expected to continue through tonight, according to an Emergency Weather Bulletin issued by the Hellenic National Meteorological Service

Turkey stops the Divine Liturgy at Panagia Soumela on 15 August
Turkey is putting an end to the celebration of August 15 at Panagia Soumela in Trapezounta (Trebizond) and the “Kyra of Pontus” will not be reopened for divine service on one of the most important

Greece must shift its mindset to tackle future wildfires
Focusing solely on firefighting without a broader prevention strategy will make it difficult for EU countries to manage future wildfires, according to a Greek expert, where thousands of hectares of forest were recently destroyed in

Total failure in Greece’s fire prevention as 3.2 million acres burned since 2021
Attica is in flames, people are being violently displaced and no one can predict where this drama will end…The government’s attempt to wash out criticism of the government is evident from the TV broadcasts where

Real estate is a big business force in the Cyclades
Which Cycladic islands have seen the most property sales in the past five years? While Santorini and Mykonos are commonly thought to lead due to their popularity, the actual data reveals a different story. According

Leaked US strategy reveals Trump’s plan to break up the EU
A leaked US strategy reveals Trump’s plan to break up the EU, with a draft of a highly classified National Security Strategy (NSS) suggesting that the United States may be pushing for Austria, Italy, Hungary, and Poland to distance themselves from the European Union as part of a bold new

Australia condemns Israeli strike in Doha – global repercussions
Israel’s airstrike in the Qatari capital, Doha, targeting senior Hamas officials, has triggered strong international backlash. Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong described the move as “wrong” and a violation of Qatar’s sovereignty, warning that it

USA: Trump administration launches crackdown on illegal immigrants in Chicago
The Trump administration has escalated its hardline stance on immigration, announcing a sweeping police operation in Chicago targeting undocumented migrants accused of violent crimes. The initiative, named “Midway Blitz”, was launched by the Department of

Trump issues ultimatum to Hamas: “Accept the deal or face the consequences”
U.S. President Donald Trump issued a “final warning” to Hamas on Sunday night, urging the group to accept a proposed deal that would secure the release of all hostages held in the Gaza Strip. In

Trump Renames the Department of Defense to Department of War
Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order today renaming the Department of Defense as the Department of War, as he recently promised, the White House announced Thursday. The Republican U.S. president’s order aims to “restore

Backlash over Daniel Andrews attending Beijing’s military parade
Former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews has sparked controversy in Australia after being warmly greeted by Chinese President Xi Jinping at Beijing’s massive military parade marking 80 years since the end of World War II. The

“Coalition of the Willing” to meet on Ukraine in Paris Thursday – Zelensky to attend
Paris will once again be at the center of global diplomacy this week as the “Coalition of the Willing”—a group of nations providing political, military, and financial support to Ukraine—convenes on Thursday, September 4 at

