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
Teenage volunteer firefighter charged with arson in Western Sydney – faces multiple serious offences
A shocking case has emerged in New South Wales, where a 17-year-old volunteer firefighter has been charged with deliberately lighting bushfires across western Sydney. The teenager was arrested early Wednesday in the Lower Blue Mountains
ATO 2024/25 Tax Deadline: What Australians must do before October 31 to avoid penalties
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is reminding taxpayers that the deadline for filing 2024-2025 tax returns is Friday, October 31, 2025. Australians who miss the date could face penalties and fines, officials have warned. When
Lord William Hague praises Australia’s social media ban for under-16s, criticises Albanese government over Palestinian recognition
Oxford University Chancellor Lord William Hague has praised Australia’s “bold and responsible” move to ban social media for children under 16, calling it a landmark step in protecting young people’s mental health and civic integrity.
RBA warns of rising global risks: Overvalued markets, cyber threats, and China’s slowdown
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), in its semi-annual Financial Stability Review, has warned that global financial risks are not easing — in fact, they are rising — as uncertainty continues to cloud the economic
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”
‘Mushroom Murderer’ Erin Patterson to lodge appeal against convictions
Erin Patterson, infamously known as the “mushroom murderer,” is preparing to appeal her convictions for three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. The Victorian Supreme Court has granted her an additional 28
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
Thessaloniki–Skopje oil pipeline set to reopen after 12 years of inactivity
Skopje government approves payment for fuel transport via VARDAX pipeline – gas interconnection with Greece also advancing The government of Skopje has approved the final measure paving the way for the reopening of the Thessaloniki–Skopje
Humanitarian aid enters Gaza at a slow pace, says the UN
More than 37,000 tonnes of UN humanitarian aid have entered Gaza since the ceasefire began on October 10, according to a UN spokesperson who criticised the slow pace at which barriers to aid delivery are
Eurobarometer: Greeks most concerned about cost of living and irregular migration — EU’s top challenges
According to recent data from the Eurobarometer survey published on 7 November 2025, Greeks are particularly worried about two major issues: the high cost of living and irregular migration. The survey highlights how these concerns
UN Security Council votes to lift sanctions on Syrian transitional President Ahmad al-Sara
The United Nations Security Council has voted to lift sanctions against the transitional President of Syria, Ahmad al-Sara, and Interior Minister Anas Hatab, removing them from the UN sanctions list linked to the terrorist group
Trump open to discussing lifting sanctions on Iran, announces rapid deployment of international force to Gaza
U.S. President Donald Trump said yesterday that Iran has repeatedly requested the lifting of U.S. sanctions and that he is “open” to discussions on the matter. “Iran has asked for sanctions to be lifted,” Trump
U.S., Greece, Cyprus, and Israel form joint front for energy security in the Eastern Mediterranean
A new chapter in regional cooperation unfolded in Athens this week as the United States, Greece, Cyprus, and Israel reaffirmed their commitment to energy security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean. Meeting at the Zappeion
