
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

Anthony Albanese invites UAE retail giant LuLu to Australia
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has shown keen interest in the international retail chain LuLu Hypermarket, inviting Indian billionaire MA Yusuff Ali to consider expanding the company into Australia. The invitation came during the Prime

US gives green light to AUKUS ahead of Albanese’s visit to Washington
Australia’s largest-ever defence agreement, AUKUS, appears to have successfully passed a US government review, paving the way for its continuation ahead of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s visit to Washington next month. The review began in

Federal government’s 5% First Home Deposit Scheme launches tomorrow – concerns over rising prices
Starting tomorrow, Wednesday, October 1, the federal government’s new First Home Buyer Scheme will officially begin, allowing Australians to enter the housing market with just a 5% deposit. The remaining portion will be guaranteed by

Australia cuts deficit by $18 billion through strong labour market and fiscal restraint
The Albanese government has reported a major improvement in Australia’s finances, with the federal budget deficit slashed by $18 billion — a result of robust employment growth, higher wages, and careful spending control. Treasurer Jim

Albanese government launches new agency to prevent defence and veteran suicides
One year after the Royal Commission into Defence and Veterans Suicide delivered its landmark report, the Albanese government has established Australia’s first independent agency dedicated to preventing suicides among current and former members of the

Australia’s social media age laws praised as ‘world-leading’ at UN
Australia has taken centre stage on the global arena after passing landmark legislation raising the minimum age for social media use from 13 to 16. The reforms, unveiled at the United Nations in New York,

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.

First Greek defence and security micro-satellites successfully launched
Greece has officially entered the space age with the launch of its first Greek micro-satellites for Defence and Security on 28 November, from the Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in

Tsipras announces plans for a new “progressive party” focused on self-organization
Former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras announced plans for the creation of a new political movement aimed at reorganizing the progressive space in Greece, during a high-profile event at the Pallas theater. Speaking in front of

Farmers stage roadblocks across Macedonia ahead of major protests
Farmers and livestock breeders in Macedonia and Thrace are preparing major roadblocks, with key sites targeted in Thessaloniki, Halkidiki, and the Evros region. On Friday (December 5), farmers from Epanomi, Trilofos, Vasilika, Halkidiki, Galatista, and

Chatzidakis: With a fairer system, the country will not lose a single euro in agricultural subsidies
Greek Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Chatzidakis provided detailed information on the government’s agricultural subsidy plan, following recent announcements. Speaking to Alpha TV, he said that Greek farmers will receive a total of €3.7 billion this

Greece holds Winter Olympic Games flame-lighting ceremony Indoors
The countdown to the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics begins this week as the Olympic flame is lit in Greece, marking the start of the torch relay. This year’s ceremony, normally held outdoors in Ancient

Salamina murder: security camera audio exposes 46-year-old daughter-in-law for brutal killing of 75-year-old
New evidence from security cameras has led Greek authorities to arrest a 46-year-old woman for the murder of her 75-year-old mother-in-law in Salamina, a killing she has now confessed to. According to police, a combination

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

Are Turkish Cypriots Done with Ankara?
For the Turks, Turkey is the homeland and Cyprus is the “baby homeland.” In January 2018, several thousand Turkish Cypriots marched against what they said was Turkey’s unwanted influence that has emboldened hard-right groups to

Coronavirus Panic Goes Global: S.Korea Warns of “Watershed Moment”
78,000 cases confirmed, as Italy and Iran scramble to contain major outbreaks. The world is fast approaching a tipping point in the spread of the coronavirus, according to experts, who warn that the disease is
UN to post EEZ maps of Libya, Turkey deal
Athens is bracing for the United Nations’ Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea to post the geographical coordinates outlined in the maritime border agreement signed by Turkey and the Tripoli-based government

Partners with Cyprus in joint Anti-Aircraft defense exercise
France partnered with the Republic of Cyprus in testing its anti-aircraft defense capabilities in a joint military exercise which was conducted across the free territories of the Republic on Monday. Numerous French ”Rafale” fighter jets

Greece – the clearance sale of military bases to the United States
The United States have profited cleverly from Greece’s financial problems in order to force them to sign a contract which would enable the USA to block the ocean passage from the Black Sea to Russia.

A Most Convenient Virus
I prefer to write on things I know about, but once in a while an opportunity presents itself for me to comment on some aspect of widespread mistrust and confusion while resting on a solid

