
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

Airports brace for busiest day of the year as Easter travel kicks off
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to jam airport queues and crowd roads today ahead of the long Easter weekend. More than 200,000 people are expected to pass through Sydney and Melbourne airports in

Sally Capp to step down as Lord Mayor of Melbourne
Sally Capp has announced she will step down as Lord Mayor of Melbourne after six years in the role. Capp, who was elected in 2018, announced this morning “with mixed emotions” that she would not

Melbourne and Sydney record surge in population
Both Melbourne and Sydney have seen a surge in population growth, according to new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The biggest increase was seen in Melbourne, which jumped by 167,500 people in

Inflation holds steady at 3.4 per cent
Inflation has held stable at 3.4 per cent for the third month in a row, according to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Inflation in the 12 months to February was driven by increases

One in 20 mortgage holders spend more than they earn, says new RBA report
A new Reserve Bank report reveals a worrying trend in Australia, with one in 20 mortgage holders spending more money than they earn. What’s more, tens of thousands of households are at risk of running

Easter trading hours 2024: What major stores will be opened on Good Friday and Easter Saturday, Sunday and Monday?
Easter is upon us again and that means a whole heap of confusion with stores across the country either open, shut or operating at different hours. To make things easier for you around the busy

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

PASOK calls for elections due to OPEKEPE Scandal
For the first time, PASOK officially mentioned the prospect of calling elections in connection with the OPEKEPE scandal, on the condition that the statute of limitations for any offenses will be prevented. During the meeting

Libya’s parliament moves to ratify Turkey-Libya Maritime Agreement despite Greek objections
The Libyan House of Representatives is set to proceed with the ratification of the controversial Turkey-Libya memorandum on the delimitation of maritime zones, despite strong opposition from Greece and other Mediterranean countries. According to reports,

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

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

Venezuela declares UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, persona non grata
In a significant diplomatic development, the Venezuelan National Assembly has declared Volker Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, persona non grata. This decision came after recent criticisms from his office regarding the

Penny Wong under pressure at strategic Quad talks amid rising tensions with Trump administration
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has faced intense diplomatic scrutiny in Washington as she joined her counterparts from the US, Japan, and India at a high-stakes Quad summit, amid growing uncertainty in Australia-US relations and

European Commission accepts 10% universal tariff from Trump – What it wants in return from the U.S.
The European Commission is willing to accept a trade agreement with the United States that includes a universal 10% tariff on its exports, but it seeks commitments from Washington to lower tariffs in key sectors

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

Senior Hamas leader killed in Israeli airstrike
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have announced the killing of a founding member of Hamas and one of the chief architects of the October 7 massacre during a targeted airstrike in the Gaza Strip. Hakeem

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

