
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

Pentagon confirms AUKUS nuclear submarine deal moving ahead
The Pentagon has completed its review of the landmark AUKUS defence pact involving Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom, confirming that the trilateral submarine program remains on track despite earlier uncertainty under the

Greek-Australian’s winter sports dream hits the slopes by 2028
Greek-Australian’s winter sports dream hits the slopes by 2028, as Australia is closer than ever to having its first indoor ski resort. The ambitious $700 million Winter Sports World project — to be built in

“Listen, don’t ban us”: Young Australians speak out against the teen social media blackout
“Listen, don’t ban us” is what young people across Australia are saying, as thousands under the age of 16 prepare to be locked out of their social media accounts from next Wednesday. The federal government’s

More than one million Australians to receive social security boost from January
More than one million Australians will receive higher social security payments from January 1, 2026, as part of the federal government’s latest indexation round, Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek has confirmed. The increases will apply

Federal Government announces major overhaul of defence agencies to improve efficiency and accountability
The federal government has unveiled a significant restructuring of the Department of Defence, consolidating three major agencies into a single, streamlined entity. Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles announced that the Capability Acquisition

Millions of Aussies at risk of losing thousands in health benefits by year-end
Millions of Australians could lose thousands of dollars in health insurance benefits by the end of the year if they don’t act fast. According to a study by Money.com.au, the extras benefit limits of many

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.

Greek-Turkish talks: Preparations for Mitsotakis – Erdogan meeting in Ankara
The forthcoming meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan marks the start of negotiations between the two countries at a time of relative calm in the Eastern Mediterranean. The

Turkey’s ambition to conquer Greece through military means or demographic shift
Turkey’s ambition to conquer Greece through military means or demographic shift and occupy the Greek Aegean islands remains a concerning issue. The Turkish media persistently asserts that “152 Greek islands and islets in the Aegean

Greece’s minimum wage set to rise today
The new minimum salary to be introduced from today, will amount to 830 euros gross, increased by 6.4%, the government announced on Friday. It will concern at least 560,000 workers already employed in the private

Bicommunal Bi-zonal Federation
For 50 years they have been plaguing us with their three-carat bi-communal bi-zonal federation. Since August 16, 1974, when the Foreign Office finally decided on a “solution” to the Cyprus problem only after the two

Mykonos: where legislation regarding beach use remains unenforced
The incidents of lawlessness on the Greek islands involving businesses seem endless, as they have recently faced legal issues. Last summer, Mykonos was prominently featured on the list of islands where legislation regarding beach use

Tempe Train incident: A year ago the chairman of the engine drivers alleged editing of evidence – he was never invited to the inquiry
A few days after the train tragedy in Tempe, and specifically on March 3, 2023, the former president of the engine drivers, Kostas Genidounias, had spoken about tampering of audio recordings containing the stationmaster’s conversations

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

Hong Kong’s major events at protests
Hong Kong’s anti-government protesters have sustained their momentum for more than three months, facing off against police through summer heat and clouds of tear gas. Officers have met demonstrators head on with a variety of

Pipeline Wars Revisited
Pipeline wars are often overlooked in the scheme of things, where pipelines represent competing national interests of a purely economic sort, beyond the usual political rhetoric surrounding ideology and demagoguery. Because a gas pipeline transports

Cyprus repays remainder of Russian loan, two years early
Cyprus’ finance minister said on Monday that the country has repaid ahead of schedule the remaining 1.58 billion euros ($1.73 billion) of a 2.5 billion euro ($2.74 billion) loan it received from Russia in 2011

What is going on in Libya?
Libya is now ruled by the Government of National Accord (GNA). The GNA is recognized by the UN and holds Tripoli but little else. The situation is immensely complex and forever in flux. For eight

US slaps new tariffs on China; One minute later China retaliates
The biggest reason for last week’s torrid stock market rally was rekindled “optimism” that the escalating trade war between the US and China may be on the verge of another ceasefire following phone conversations, fake

Turkey sending fourth energy drill ship into Cyprus’ waters for oil exploration
Turkey has sent its fourth drilling ship to the eastern Mediterranean waters to participate in the exploration for natural gas and oil within the Cypriot maritime economic zones, defying European and international warnings. The Ministry

