
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

Australia steps up Pacific leadership amid rising Chinese influence
Australia is strengthening its role as a key security and development partner in the Pacific, as tensions mount following Palau’s President Surangel Whipps Jnr’s warning that “we are already at war” with China. Prime Minister

Liberal Party turmoil as Jacinta Nampijinpa Price dumped from Coalition frontbench
In a dramatic and controversial move, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has sacked Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price from the Coalition frontbench, sparking turmoil within the Liberal Party. The decision followed Price’s refusal to apologise for remarks

NAB announces 410 job cuts following ANZ’s mass redundancies
Australia’s banking sector is reeling after National Australia Bank (NAB) revealed it will slash 410 jobs in its technology and enterprise division, just one day after ANZ announced it would axe 3,500 roles. The NAB

Australian travellers remain safe following deadly attacks in Doha – experts reassure
Following recent deadly air strikes in Doha, Qatar, Australian travellers have not experienced flight cancellations or major disruptions. Hamad International Airport continues to operate normally, serving flights to and from Australia. Airlines are avoiding airspace

ALDI enters Australia’s residential solar market
German discount supermarket chain ALDI, well known for its low-cost strategy and streamlined shopping experience, is now venturing beyond groceries into the residential solar energy market in Australia. Starting Wednesday, households in New South Wales,

Australia condemns Israeli strike in Doha – global repercussions
Israel’s airstrike in the Qatari capital, Doha, targeting senior Hamas officials, has triggered strong international backlash. Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong described the move as “wrong” and a violation of Qatar’s sovereignty, warning that it

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 tightens gun laws: Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis announces seven tough new measures against illegal firearms possession
The Greek government has announced sweeping new reforms aimed at cracking down on illegal gun ownership and use, following a series of violent incidents such as the recent shooting in the village of Vorizia, Crete.

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

Greece emerges as a key energy security partner in U.S. talks
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis held a high-level meeting at the Maximou Mansion with U.S. officials, including Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, ahead of the 6th Ministerial Meeting

Vorisia tragedy: Three brothers surrender after Crete double murder as families plead for calm
Crete remains gripped by shock and grief following the brutal double murder in the village of Vorisia, Heraklion, which has revived painful memories of violent vendettas on the island. Late on Tuesday night, the three

Kimberly Guilfoyle will officially begin her duties in Greece tomorrow with presentation of credentials to President Konstantinos Tassoulas
Kimberly Guilfoyle will officially assumed her role as the new United States Ambassador to Greece, presenting her credentials to the President of the Hellenic Republic, Konstantinos Tassoulas, at the Presidential Mansion on Tuesday. The ceremony

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

Stock markets around the world are crashing right now, but why?
The answer to this question is the Yen carry trade, a term you’ll probably hear many times this week. So what exactly is the Yen carry trade and why did it cause a market downturn?

Japan’s Nikkei is down 12%, the largest drop ever
Japan’s Nikkei is down 12%, the largest point ever, as fears of a US recession shook global markets. The Topix index erased its yearly gains, experiencing its steepest sell-off since “Black Monday” in October 1987.

Will Turkey attack NATO with American ships?
President Joe Biden pushed through his sale of F-16s and upgrade kits to Turkey on the logic that the deal was necessary to get Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to drop his objection to Sweden

Australia’s preeminent strategic thinkers: The era of Anglo-Saxon dominance in the Pacific is ending
This might be the most compelling and influential argument against AUKUS, particularly because it comes from one of Australia’s foremost strategic thinkers: Hugh White, the inaugural Director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) and

The impending conflict between NATO allies: Greece and Turkey
The relations between Turkey and Greece have never been normal. The legacy of Mongol Turkish conquest of Greece in the fifteenth-century poisons all connections between Turks and Greeks. The Greeks remember their Turkish oppressors like

Arab Coalition with Iran in response to Israel: The crucial meeting in Tehran
In the wake of the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Iran is mobilising what it calls the “axis of resistance” against Israel. High-ranking officials have been summoned to Tehran for consultations, raising fears of


