
Australia deploys Wedgetail surveillance aircraft to Gulf as Iran conflict escalates
Australia will deploy a Royal Australian Air Force surveillance aircraft to the Middle East after a request from the United Arab Emirates, as regional tensions escalate amid Iranian attacks involving drones and rockets. Prime Minister

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

Greece’s political crisis intensifies amid scandal storm
A society at boiling point amid daily scandals and misuse of public funds – growing calls for immediate elections, as the public dismisses manipulated polling Greek society is increasingly on edge, with daily scandals and the alleged misuse of public funds fuelling public anger. Greece’s political crisis intensifies amid scandal

Turkey sending fourth energy drill ship into Cyprus’ waters for oil exploration
Turkey has sent its fourth drilling ship to the eastern Mediterranean waters to participate in the exploration for natural gas and oil within the Cypriot maritime economic zones, defying European and international warnings. The Ministry

Mitsotakis govt announces measures to prevent another 2015-like migrant/refugee crisis
A recent spike in the number of landings of vessels carrying irregular migrants and would-be asylum seekers to a handful of eastern Aegean islands generated a Greek government reaction on Saturday, with a top defense

Greek FM summons Turkey’s Ambassador over mass migrants’ arrivals
Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias summoned the Turkish ambassador to Athens in order to express Greece’s deep dissatisfaction over the increased influx of migrants from Turkey, that culminated with the unprecedented mass arrivals of more than

Major spike in number of illegal migrants, would-be asylum seekers landing in Lesvos last week
A significant spike in the number of small craft carrying third country nationals, mostly Afghans, to the eastern Aegean island of Lesvos (Mytilene) was recorded on Thursday, with no less than 13 flimsy inflatable vessels

Cosco-led Piraeus Port Authority submits revised master plan; worth 800 mln€
A revised master plan by the Cosco-managed Piraeus Port Authority was tabled on Friday for review by a shipping ministry ports committee in the coming period. The revised master plan, which according to the port

Mitsotakis to Observer: Athens will ask for loaning of Parthenon Marbles amid 2021 series of events
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis referred to the “loaning” of the Parthenon Marbles – 14 friezes or metopes – from the British Museum in London to Greece on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of

The Battle of the Strait of Hormuz
For the past few hours, amid a howling south-westerly wind (gusts exceeding 50 mph), reflecting on the The Battle of the Strait of Hormuz and practical realities of the United States attempting to blockade all maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports. Admiral James Stavridis, a familiar “authoritative voice” within

Albanese backs US action against Iran, labels regime ‘without legitimacy’
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has declared that Australia supports United States efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, following the launch of American and Israeli military strikes against Iranian targets ordered by US

Iranian ballistic missiles strike U.S. Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain
Iran launched ballistic missiles on Saturday targeting the headquarters of the United States Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, in what Tehran described as a retaliatory response to the joint military campaign conducted by the United

UNITED STATES AND ISRAEL LAUNCH LARGE-SCALE STRIKES ON IRAN
Tehran responds with ballistic missiles as regional tensions escalate Trump calls for regime surrender; Netanyahu names operation “Lion’s roar” February 28, 2026 The United States and Israel have launched a large-scale military operation against Iran,

Iran as the trigger, Taiwan as the prize: The strategic game behind the diplomacy
China has reportedly published annotated satellite imagery identifying every F-22 Raptor stationed at Israel’s Ovda Air Base. Each aircraft was individually tagged in Chinese characters on Weibo. Iran as the trigger, Taiwan as the prize:

US bolsters forces in the Middle East amid rising tensions with Iran
The United States has significantly reinforced its military presence in the Middle East, deploying two aircraft carrier strike groups, additional warships and combat aircraft as tensions with Iran escalate. The move comes amid reports that

European industry warns sky-high energy costs are crushing competitiveness
More than 1,300 business leaders and industry organisations across Europe have issued an urgent appeal to Brussels. European industry warns sky-high energy costs are crushing competitiveness, warning that soaring energy prices and carbon charges are

