
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

Poll: Australia’s “scariest” roads
Australian drivers have voted on the roads they find the “scariest” in each state and territory. In research conducted by Continental Tyres, a road is considered “scary” by motorists due to the number of dangerous

Think your daily coffee is too expensive? It’s actually too cheap!
Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have bitten over the

Push for national hotel quarantine system for future pandemics
The Commonwealth should fund and manage a national hotel quarantine system for future pandemics, senior NSW government officials have said. In a submission to the federal COVID inquiry, the Minns Government’s Cabinet Office argued that

Insomniacs to test new CBD capsule as potential sleep aid
A new pill based on a cannabis compound could be the key to a good night’s sleep for chronic insomniacs. A clinical trial by Melbourne biotech company Avecho is recruiting sleep-deprived Australians to test the

Younger Aussies making sacrifices after spending a quarter of income on food
Younger Australians and lower income households are spending up to 25 per cent of their income on food, according to research by the Australian Consumer and Complaints Commission (ACCC). Australians are spending more time shopping

Australia’s Digital ID Bill was swiftly passed through the Senate, sparking an outcry over the lack of debate
The government-backed digital identity scheme, known as the ‘Digital ID Bill 2023’, was rushed through the Senate without thorough discussion, prompting criticism over its hurried implementation. This legislation lays the groundwork for a comprehensive digital

Turkey’s provocation playbook: Escalation disguised as diplomacy
Turkey’s provocation playbook: Escalation disguised as diplomacy — just days before a scheduled meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Ankara has stepped up its aggressive rhetoric, once again placing territorial waters firmly back on the agenda and heightening tensions in the Aegean. Just

Athens fires back at Ankara over East Med dispute: “Turkey cannot lecture others on International Law”
Greece has issued a stern diplomatic response to fresh accusations from Turkey regarding its stance on the controversial Turkey-Libya maritime agreement. The Greek Foreign Ministry, through diplomatic sources, denounced Turkey’s latest comments as “incompatible with

Mitsotakis pushes for EU action on Libya migration route and defence funding
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, speaking after the conclusion of the EU Summit, called for urgent action to address a new irregular migration route emerging from Eastern Libya to Crete. “We will use every means

Karamanlis Inquiry: Fast-tracked parliamentary probe sparks political backlash
The Hellenic Parliament’s special inquiry committee into former Transport Minister Kostas Karamanlis opened its first session today under accusations of political orchestration, as the government appears determined to fast-track the process surrounding the deadly Tempi

Wildfire disaster in Chios: Tens of thousands of acres burned as blaze continues to rage
Chios is currently experiencing one of the most severe environmental disasters in recent Greek history. For the third consecutive day, an uncontrollable wildfire has scorched vast swathes of the island, with more than 30,000 hectares

Tensions flare with Libya over offshore licensing south of Crete
An unexpected complication has emerged ahead of Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis’ planned visit to Libya, where he was due to hold meetings in both Tripoli and Benghazi. Tensions flare with Libya over offshore licensing

Petro-Loukas Chalkias: The great clarinet virtuoso dies at the age of 90
Petro-Loukas Chalkias was the patriarch of the Epirus clarinet, an authentic representative of the musical soul of Epirus, who honoured his homeland and Greece as a whole with his career and artistry. Through his unique

Israel orders Doctors Without Borders to halt operations in Gaza by February 28
Israel has announced it will terminate the activities of Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières – MSF) in the Gaza Strip by February 28, citing the organisation’s refusal to provide a list of its Palestinian employees. In a statement, the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, which oversees the registration of humanitarian

Australian activists claim to have “outsmarted” Israeli military as aid flotilla nears Gaza
A group of Australian activists on board an aid flotilla bound for Gaza claim they have “outsmarted” Israeli forces and are still on course to reach the besieged Palestinian enclave. Australian filmmaker Juliet Lamont posted

Australia’s opposition demands strong support for BHP in China dispute
Australia’s opposition is urging the Albanese government to actively intervene as BHP faces a reported freeze on iron ore shipments to China following stalled price negotiations. Opposition finance spokesman James Paterson criticized the government’s “hands-off”

Zelensky warns of nuclear risk after Russian drone strike near Chernobyl causes power outage at decommissioned plant
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of recklessly endangering global safety after a wave of drone strikes caused a three-hour power outage at the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear facility, site of the world’s worst nuclear

Three Hamas members arrested in Germany
Planned terror attacks against Jewish institutions – weapons seized during raid German authorities have arrested three men suspected of being members of Hamas, accused of plotting terror attacks on Jewish and Israeli institutions across Germany.

EU leaders approve pan-European anti-drone shield
“Frozen” Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s defence – Strategic readiness by 2030 European Union leaders have agreed to create a pan-European anti-drone shield, aiming to protect the continent from Russia’s growing use of unmanned aerial

Israeli commandos raid Gaza Aid Flotilla – Greta Thunberg detained amid communications blackout
A dramatic maritime confrontation unfolded late Wednesday when Israeli naval forces intercepted multiple vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla, a pro-Palestinian convoy sailing towards Gaza to break the blockade and deliver humanitarian aid. According to

