
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

One Nation support surges to record high as Joyce defection and Hanson stunt polarise voters
One Nation has reached the highest level of national support in its history, according to new polling that shows the party surging on the back of Barnaby Joyce’s dramatic defection and renewed controversy surrounding Pauline

Australia’s under-16 social media ban takes effect as major platforms begin lockouts
Australia’s world-first social media ban for children under 16 officially came into force today, triggering sweeping changes across the country’s largest digital platforms and reshaping the online habits of millions of young Australians. The federal

Hanson-Young’s Bluesfest trip adds pressure to overhaul MPs’ family travel rules
Taxpayer-funded travel entitlements for federal politicians have again come under scrutiny, after it was revealed that Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young billed almost $3000 to attend Byron Bay’s Bluesfest alongside a family member. According to travel

Cost of Australia’s power grid overhaul rises to $128 Billion
Australia’s transition to a predominantly renewable electricity system is expected to cost significantly more than previously forecast, with the Australian Energy Market Operator’s (AEMO) new draft Integrated System Plan revealing a revised estimate of $128

Barnaby Joyce defects to One Nation, triggering major political upheaval
Former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce has formally defected to Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, ending months of speculation and setting off one of the most significant realignments in federal politics this term. Standing alongside Hanson

Deported neo-Nazi protester arrives in South Africa after visa cancellation
A South African national who took part in a widely condemned neo-Nazi demonstration in Sydney has arrived back in Johannesburg after being deported by Australian authorities. Matthew Gruter, 35, was removed from the country following

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.

Greece remembers the Cold-Blooded Nazi massacre at Distomo
The massacre at Distomo remains to this day one of the most heinous crimes the Nazis committed against innocent women and children, just months before the German occupying forces pulled out of Greece. On June

UK’s Travel Warning for Greece: Capital controls, alcohol and mosquitoes
The UK Foreign Office has updated its travel warnings for popular British tourists destination. The list concerns more than 200 countries and territories, among them European countries like Greece, Spain and France. The information covers

Employers deny permission to four employees to join Uni entrance exams
Employers have denied permission to four employees, students at the Evening Highschool of Chania, to participate in the general exams for university entrance. The employers did not change the students’ shift in order to facilitate

Ioannina set to elect first Greek-Jewish mayor in country’s post-WWII era
The first Jewish mayor of a municipality in Greece in the post-war period was elected on Sunday, as medical professor Moses Elisaf won a hotly contested race by a razor-thin margin in the northwest lake-side

Greek Island installs lending libraries on its beaches
A group of islanders from Kimolos, located in the southwest of the island group the Cyclades, have installed free lending libraries at all the major beaches of the island to make tourists’ stays even more

The island of Serifos presents “the first smoke-free beach” in Greece
A paradise on Greece’s earth for non-smokers. The first smoke-free beach is here on the island of Serifos in the Cyclades. The pilot program starts this summer in cooperation of local authorities and the Laskaridis

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’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”

Zelensky warns of nuclear risk after Russian drone strike near Chernobyl causes power outage at decommissioned plant
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of recklessly endangering global safety after a wave of drone strikes caused a three-hour power outage at the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear facility, site of the world’s worst nuclear

Three Hamas members arrested in Germany
Planned terror attacks against Jewish institutions – weapons seized during raid German authorities have arrested three men suspected of being members of Hamas, accused of plotting terror attacks on Jewish and Israeli institutions across Germany.

EU leaders approve pan-European anti-drone shield
“Frozen” Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s defence – Strategic readiness by 2030 European Union leaders have agreed to create a pan-European anti-drone shield, aiming to protect the continent from Russia’s growing use of unmanned aerial

Israeli commandos raid Gaza Aid Flotilla – Greta Thunberg detained amid communications blackout
A dramatic maritime confrontation unfolded late Wednesday when Israeli naval forces intercepted multiple vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla, a pro-Palestinian convoy sailing towards Gaza to break the blockade and deliver humanitarian aid. According to

US enters shutdown for first time since 2018: what it means and who is affected
The United States officially entered a government shutdown at midnight on Tuesday (2 p.m. Wednesday Melbourne time), after Republicans and Democrats failed to reach an agreement on federal spending. The shutdown is expected to place

