
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

Measles alert: Second case in Cairns – Vaccination urged for Bali travellers
Queensland health authorities have confirmed a second case of measles in Cairns, urging travellers to Bali to ensure they are vaccinated. The new case involves a close contact of a person diagnosed last week after

Dementia now Australia’s leading cause of death
Dementia has overtaken all other illnesses to become the leading cause of death in Australia, according to a sobering new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). In 2023, nearly 17,400 Australians

Awkward Moment for Anthony Albanese at Pacific Summit – $100 Million Pledge to Climate Fund
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese found himself in an awkward situation during the Pacific Islands Forum in the Solomon Islands when he arrived wearing the wrong shirt. Instead of the navy-blue shirt worn by the

Alleged tobacco ‘mastermind’ arrested after major Melbourne raid
Melbourne authorities have charged the alleged ringleader of a criminal syndicate believed to supply illegal tobacco across the city, following a raid on a North Coburg property. The 49-year-old man is accused of orchestrating a

Australia launches world-first Koala Vaccine to combat Chlamydia
Australia has approved a groundbreaking vaccine to protect its koala population against chlamydia, marking a world-first initiative. Researchers at the University of the Sunshine Coast spent over ten years developing the single-dose vaccine, designed to

Long wait times still plague Services Australia calls despite recent improvements
New operational data from Services Australia for April–June 2025 has revealed which Australians face the longest call wait times — and who gives up first. Older Australians experienced the longest waits, averaging 36.5 minutes, while

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 turns a page
Greeks sent a clear and resounding message with their vote in Sunday’s European Parliament and local elections. They denounced the SYRIZA government and the PM personally as he shouldered the entire weight of the European

Elderly member of Greek minority found murdered on Turkish island of Imvros
An elderly Greek man was found dead and tortured on the Turkish island of Imvros that is home of a small Greek community. 86-year-old Zafiris Ignaris (Piyanari) was found on Monday night. He was tied
Barnier: EU ready to respond to Turkish provocations
Michel Barnier, the European Union’s chief negotiator for Brexit, reiterated on Monday EU readiness to respond accordingly in case Turkey carries out illegal hydrocarbon drilling activities, noting that the EU stands clearly behind Cyprus. Barnier,

Ceremonies for the 100th Anniversary of the Pontic Genocide Culminate at the Turkish Consulate
The ceremonies for the Commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Pontian Greeks’ genocide on Sunday culminated at the Turkish Consulate with Pontic associations delivering a resolution. The ceremonies, that were organized by the Pan-Pontian

100 Years of Silence
Pontus (“sea” in Greek),is an historical Greek designation for a region on the southern coast of the Black Sea, located in modern-day northeastern Anatolia, Turkey. The name was applied to the coastal region and its

Temple of Nemesis found under an ancient Greek Theatre. Here’s Why…
A Temple of Nemesis has recently been unearthed under the ruins of an ancient theatre in Mytilene, on the Greek island of Lesbos. In the ancient Greek and Roman world, Nemesis was the goddess who

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

Germany unveils new conscription model aimed at building Europe’s strongest army by 2029
Germany is preparing to overhaul its military service system in what officials describe as the most significant shift in defence policy in decades. The governing coalition has agreed on a new framework for conscription, seeking

Ukraine strikes Russia’s oil heartland with major neptune missile attack
Ukrainian forces carried out one of their most significant long-range strikes in months, targeting critical oil export infrastructure at the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. The coordinated attack, involving upgraded Neptune cruise missiles and

Russia challenges US proposal at UN Security Council over Gaza: Moscow offers alternative plan
Moscow has presented an alternative draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council concerning the Gaza Strip, challenging the U.S.-led initiative promoted by President Donald Trump. The move comes amid intense pressure from Washington to

Trump threatens $1 Billion legal action against BBC over edited Jan. 6 speech
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to sue the BBC for $1 billion, accusing the broadcaster of intentionally manipulating his Jan. 6, 2021 speech in a documentary aired just days before the 2024 presidential

Israel’s red lines on Turkey align with Greece and Cyprus amid rising destabilisation
A central element of the author’s argument is President Erdogan’s explicit calls for Israel’s destruction, most notably his March 2025 Eid al-Fitr speech praying for the devastation of “Zionist Israel.” The author views this as

Julia Gillard warns Australia’s under-16 Social Media Ban “does not go far enough”
Former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard has called for far tougher regulation of social media platforms, arguing that the nation’s world-first ban on under-16s accessing social media is only “a start” and falls short of

