
3 Interest Rate cuts spark biggest Home Loan rush since the Pandemic
Australia’s housing market is experiencing an unprecedented surge in home loan applications, driven by three consecutive interest rate cuts in 2025 that have significantly boosted buyers’ borrowing power. According to recent data from Commonwealth Bank

Australia considers new Road Usage Tax as part of broader fiscal reform
The Australian federal government is considering introducing a new road usage tax, as part of broader tax reform and the transition to new mobility trends. The proposal emerged following a three-day productivity forum in Canberra,

New report shows Australians embracing AI in the workplace
Australian workers are optimistic about artificial intelligence adoption and the impact it will have in the workplace, with a new report from the Tech Council of Australia (TCA) finding most workers believe technology has improved

Australia-Israel diplomatic standoff: Visa revocations for Australian representatives to Palestine
An unprecedented diplomatic confrontation has erupted between Australia and Israel following the Australian government’s decision to recognise the Palestinian state. This move triggered a series of retaliatory actions, with the Israeli government revoking visas for

Covid-19 linked to accelerated blood vessel ageing, Australian patients included in major global study
A major international study involving Australian participants has revealed that Covid-19 may accelerate the ageing of blood vessels, particularly in women, raising fresh concerns about the long-term cardiovascular risks of the virus. The research, published

Australian meth, cocaine, MDMA, and heroin use jumps 34% in one year
Australians consumed 34 per cent more methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and MDMA in 2024 compared to the previous year, according to the latest National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program. The survey found that 22.2 tonnes of these

Nationwide ban on abusive childcare workers could take a year, Attorney-General warns
Attorney-General Michelle Rowland has admitted that urgent measures to close loopholes in Australia’s childcare system, which are being exploited by child abusers, may take up to 12 months to implement. Speaking ahead of a meeting

Sokratis Famellos calls for joint action of progressive parties on Gaza
In a move to coordinate and strengthen Greece’s diplomatic stance amid the crisis in Gaza, Sokratis Famellos, leader of SYRIZA–Progressive Alliance, reached out today to the heads of progressive opposition parties. His goal is to promote unified positions toward the government, urging Greece to take initiatives to halt the invasion of

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

EU agrees to sanction turkey for drilling in Cypriot water
A surprisingly muscular response beyond mere threatening rhetoric out of the European Union over Turkey’s violations of Cypriot territorial waters related to offshore drilling operations: the EU has agreed to bring financial and political sanctions

Archaeology Piece of skull found in Greece ‘is oldest human fossil outside Africa’
A broken skull chiselled from a lump of rock in a cave in Greece is the oldest modern human fossil ever found outside Africa, researchers claim. The partial skull was discovered in the Apidima cave

Ukraine thriller continues – Trump: “In two weeks we’ll know if peace is possible”
The war in Ukraine, now over three and a half years ongoing, remains at a critical juncture. Former U.S. President Donald Trump continues diplomatic efforts to arrange a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an attempt to achieve peace, though significant obstacles persist. Tonight,

Hong Kong’s major events at protests
Hong Kong’s anti-government protesters have sustained their momentum for more than three months, facing off against police through summer heat and clouds of tear gas. Officers have met demonstrators head on with a variety of

Pipeline Wars Revisited
Pipeline wars are often overlooked in the scheme of things, where pipelines represent competing national interests of a purely economic sort, beyond the usual political rhetoric surrounding ideology and demagoguery. Because a gas pipeline transports

Cyprus repays remainder of Russian loan, two years early
Cyprus’ finance minister said on Monday that the country has repaid ahead of schedule the remaining 1.58 billion euros ($1.73 billion) of a 2.5 billion euro ($2.74 billion) loan it received from Russia in 2011

What is going on in Libya?
Libya is now ruled by the Government of National Accord (GNA). The GNA is recognized by the UN and holds Tripoli but little else. The situation is immensely complex and forever in flux. For eight

US slaps new tariffs on China; One minute later China retaliates
The biggest reason for last week’s torrid stock market rally was rekindled “optimism” that the escalating trade war between the US and China may be on the verge of another ceasefire following phone conversations, fake

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