
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

Iron ore vs AUKUS: Albanese courts $120 billion China trade while walking US defence tightrope.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is continuing his six-day official visit to China, where Australia’s $120 billion iron ore trade is front and centre — but concerns over defence obligations to the US are never far

Canberra on alert: National summit to tackle surge in AI-generated child abuse
Australia is facing an alarming surge in child sexual abuse material generated using artificial intelligence — and this Thursday, the nation’s leading experts and officials will gather in Canberra for an emergency summit. The National

Australia backs ‘status quo’ amid US pressure on Taiwan
In a move that highlights the delicate balance of international relations, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has reiterated his government’s stance on Taiwan amidst increasing pressure from the United States. During a visit to Shanghai,

Albanese to raise “full range of issues” in high-stakes China trip
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is embarking on a politically delicate six-day mission to China, vowing to raise the “full range of issues” troubling the bilateral relationship. From the unjust jailing of Australian academic Dr.

Commonwealth Bank executive charged in shocking child exploitation aase
A senior Commonwealth Bank executive has been charged with child exploitation offences after allegedly attempting to lure two underage girls to a Brisbane hotel via a sex worker contact. Christopher McCann, 50, was arrested on

Internal chaos in Trump White House threatens future of AUKUS submarine deal
The AUKUS submarine deal is under renewed scrutiny amid reports of internal dysfunction within the Trump administration, described by insiders as “Game of Thrones politics.” While U.S. Secretary of State Marc Rubio has sought to

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.

How the “Aegean Prespes” will be served
The signs that a full-scale Greek-Turkish negotiation is being launched – with the blessing and behind-the-scenes mediation of the Americans – are too many to ignore. In an article a few days ago, I referred

The Pan-Macedonian Association demands Channel 9’s misleading advertisement must be withdrawn
“Historic Macedonia is in Greece” The Pan-Macedonian Association of Melbourne and Victoria is demanding the withdrawal of the misleading advertisement of Tripadeal, aired by Channel 9 and which refers to Skopje as “Historic Macedonia”, in

Cyprus: Mass migration leads to demographic replacement
The Republic of Cyprus, whose population is approximately 1.2 million, is struggling with a significant mass migration crisis that is gradually leading to the demographic replacement of the island’s native population. Since at least 2016,

Drilling rigs go to work on the deposits of Crete
Indications of the existence of the largest natural gas deposit in the Mediterranean, with a size of 30 trillion cubic feet – Interest from energy giant Chevron to get involved in the project – Countdown

Allegations of coverup, evidence overlooked in Tembi train tragedy probe
ATHENS – A year after a head-on train collision killed 57 people, an investigation into the causes has lagged and seen relatives of victims complaining about evidence being overlooked and media reports of a cover-up.

Has PM Mitsotakis’s same-sex marriage decision backfired?
If gay marriage and the adoption of children by such couples was a political gambit by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to entertain the country’s forthcoming first-ever condemnation by the European Parliament for the rule of

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

Trump extends “olive branch” to Mamdani after New York election victory
Just weeks after dismissing Zohran Mamdani as “the communist running for mayor” and warning he might cut funding or even leave New York if Mamdani won, President Donald Trump has dramatically shifted his tone, offering

Diplomatic flurry in Paris as Barrot holds talks with European ministers on Ukraine and the Trump Plan
Paris is entering a phase of heightened diplomatic activity as European governments attempt to navigate growing pressure over the war in Ukraine and the controversial peace proposal put forward by Washington. France’s Foreign Minister, Jean-Noël

Guardian: Ukraine peace plan appears to be a direct translation from Russian
Growing criticism surrounds a proposed 28-point peace plan for the war in Ukraine, with many observers arguing that the document reflects the strategic interests—and even the linguistic fingerprints—of the Kremlin. According to The Guardian, a

Trump’s “Peace Plan” branded a fantasy as critics warn Russia will only accept battlefield reality
A Ukrainian lawmaker has published what he claims is the Ukrainian translation of US President Donald Trump’s proposed 28-point peace plan — a document that, if genuine, outlines sweeping security, territorial and military conditions for

The Norwegian energy success story and what Greece can learn
As part of my ongoing analysis on NewsBreaks artilce regarding energy policy and national resource management, Michalis Christodoulides examine here how Norway transformed its hydrocarbon reserves into a long-term national advantage — and what lessons

Michael Rubin issues stinging indictment of Turkish human rights abuses
Michael Rubin — a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and one of Washington’s most experienced analysts on Turkey and the broader Middle East — has published a blistering commentary accusing Ankara of systemic

