
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 embarks on pivotal tour to US, UK and UAE – First UNGA address as Prime Minister
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese departs today for a three-nation diplomatic mission covering the United States, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. The trip marks his first address to the United Nations General

NAB demands sweeping tax reforms to ease younger Australians’ growing income burden and protect national productivity
The National Australia Bank (NAB), one of the nation’s “big four” banks, has issued a stark warning that Australia’s tax system is exacerbating generational inequality and putting the country’s long-term competitiveness at risk. According to

Australia’s new climate target sparks fierce debate, cost concerns and industry criticism
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has unveiled a new mid-term emissions reduction target: a 62–70% cut by 2035. The move, presented as a “responsible, science-backed” step ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in New

Virgin Australia makes history with pet-friendly in-cabin flights
Virgin Australia has launched Australia’s first-ever in-cabin flights allowing small cats and dogs to travel alongside their owners. Starting 16 October 2025, the “Pets in Cabin” service will operate on trial routes between Melbourne, the

Household Power Bills Soar 27% Above Inflation, Sparking Concern for Australians
New figures reveal a sharp surge in electricity bills, with average household power costs in Australia rising 27.16% above inflation over two years. Data from energy comparison service iSelect shows the average electricity price climbed

Australia and Papua New Guinea fail to finalise defence treaty, sign communique instead
A long-anticipated defence treaty between Australia and Papua New Guinea failed to cross the finish line today, with both nations instead signing a communique in place of the formal agreement. The setback is seen as

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.

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

Athens-Piraeus again in ‘top 10’ in terms of global shipping hubs
The Athens-Piraeus area has returned to the world’s top 10 shipping hubs, according to a recent study by Baltic Exchange. The Greek capital bumped Korea’s Pusan from the “top 10” list, while Singapore remained first,

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

Ancient Greek and Roman artifacts found in Alexandria
An announcement from the Archaeological Mission of Alexandria has revealed that an array of Greek and Roman artefacts has been found in Alexandria, Egypt. That date back to the 1st and 2nd centuries BC. The

