
Australia to mandate cash payments for essential purchases from 2026
Australia will introduce a nationwide cash mandate requiring major grocery and fuel retailers to accept cash payments from January 1, 2026, in a move aimed at protecting consumers who rely on physical currency for everyday

Albanese defends ‘magnificent’ Kevin Rudd after tense encounter with Donald Trump
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has offered his full backing to Australia’s ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd, following a tense but ultimately productive meeting between the former Australian prime minister and Donald Trump in

China defends ‘provocative’ jet move after Australia’s protest over South China Sea incident
China has accused Australia of “provocative acts” and “illegal intrusion” after a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) surveillance plane was targeted by flares from a Chinese fighter jet over the South China Sea on Sunday,

Albanese government moves to curb supermarket price gouging with new laws
The Albanese Government has unveiled draft legislation aimed at cracking down on excessive pricing by Australia’s largest supermarket chains, delivering on a key election promise to protect consumers from what the Prime Minister has described

Ley promises tax cuts as Coalition seeks political revival
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has unveiled the Coalition’s first major economic policy since its election defeat, pledging tax cuts for low and middle-income Australians in an attempt to reassert the party as a credible alternative

Albanese walks diplomatic tightrope in Trump White House – Canberra seeks ‘no fireworks’ in Oval Office test
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese embarks on one of the most delicate missions of his tenure — a high-stakes meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington, where experts say the key goal is simple:

Major blow for Optus as millions consider leaving after deadly triple zero outage
Optus is facing a major customer backlash after a catastrophic triple zero outage left emergency calls unanswered and was linked to three deaths. A Resolve Political Monitor poll for The Sydney Morning Herald and The

Mitsotakis unveils major housing, loan and farming measures during Budget speech
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis used his address to Parliament during the debate on the State Budget to announce a series of significant policy initiatives targeting housing affordability, Swiss franc loan holders, and farmers. The announcements were described as some of the most substantial interventions of the current parliamentary term.

Golden Dawn ballots destroyed with antiseptic by unknown perpetrators
Unknown perpetrators have destroyed the whole load of municipality elections ballots of the far-right party Golden Dawn in the suburb of Kallithea, south Athens. The perpetrators used antiseptic Bedatine that soaked into the 92,000 ballot

The dilemma of the elections
This year European Parliament and local elections are neither simple nor commonplace. Their crucial nature is patently obvious. They are considered and indeed are a dress rehearsal for the upcoming parliamentary election, which has not

Lanterns to commemorate 100 years from the Pontic Greeks Genocide
Pontic Greeks in Thessaloniki let 100 lanterns high into the night sky in order to commemorate the Genocide of Pontic Greeks first by the Young Turks and then by Kemalist forces. May 19th commemorates the

Greece refutes Turkish claims on status of Aegean Islands
The Greek foreign ministry late on Sunday strongly refuted a claim by its Turkish counterpart that Greece does not respect the demilitarized status of the islands in the eastern Aegean Sea. Earlier Sunday, Turkish Foreign

Historic decision made to rebuild Part of the Parthenon
The Greek Central Archaeological Council (KAS) decided on Wednesday that a part of the Parthenon, now in ruins on the Athens Acropolis, is to be rebuilt using mostly materials which are now lying on the

Venezuela – another failed coup attempt – What’s next?
In the early morning hours of 30 April, 2019, the self-declare “Interim President”, Juan Guaidó, launched what at first sight appeared to be a military coup – Guaidó calls it “Operation Freedom” (sounds very much

Libya parliament speaker declares Turkey–Libya memorandum invalid, opens door to talks with Greece, Egypt and Turkey
Libya’s House of Representatives Speaker, Aqila Saleh, has publicly declared the 2019 Turkey–Libya maritime memorandum “invalid,” marking the first such statement in six years and signalling a potential shift in Libya’s approach to maritime disputes in the Eastern Mediterranean. Speaking to the Libyan News Agency, just days after an official

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

