
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

Pauline Hanson joins anti-immigration rally in Melbourne as clashes erupt
Tensions flared at Flagstaff Gardens on Sunday as One Nation leader Pauline Hanson addressed an anti-immigration rally that drew several hundred supporters — and a vocal counter-protest. The “Put Australia First” demonstration, attended by people

Albanese marries Jodie Haydon in historic ceremony at The Lodge
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has married his long-time partner Jodie Haydon in an intimate and historic ceremony at The Lodge, marking the first time an Australian prime minister has wed while in office — and

Australia unwittingly buys nearly $1bn in fuel linked to Russian oil, analysis shows
Australia has unknowingly helped funnel close to $1 billion into refineries processing Russian crude oil, according to new sector analysis revealing the extent to which imported fuel is tied to Moscow’s war economy. Data from

Liberal MP Roma Britnell walks out of parliamentary hearing over missing data on pregnancies and STIs in state care
A tense parliamentary hearing erupted into open frustration on Friday after Liberal MP Roma Britnell stormed out, accusing senior Victorian bureaucrats of repeatedly refusing to supply critical data about the wellbeing of children in state

Global Airbus warning grounds Jetstar A320 flights, causes widespread travel disruption
A major global aviation alert has triggered significant travel chaos, with Jetstar confirming that several of its Airbus A320 aircraft are currently unable to depart due to a critical software issue affecting thousands of jets

Teen launches High Court challenge against national social media ban
A Sydney high school student has launched an extraordinary High Court challenge against the federal government’s upcoming ban on social media use for children under 16, arguing the new law is unconstitutional and puts young

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.

Four-day wedding celebration in Chania for Kasselakis and Macbeth
Tomorrow marks the beginning of a four-day wedding celebration for Stefanos Kasselakis and Tyler Macbeth in Chania. According to reports, the President of SYRIZA and his husband, Tyler Macbeth, have planned a lavish ceremony that

The Kapodistrian University of Athens topped the list in Southeastern Europe
An important victory for Greek universities – and especially for the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. The Kapodistrian University of Athens topped the list in Southeastern Europe, the ranking of the “Shanghai Academic Ranking

Greece, the country where offenders go unpunished
In an article “on fire” Politico “burns” the government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, focusing on three major cases that have shocked Greece, referring to “cover-ups, failed investigations” and the “general sense of impunity”, which sounds the

SYRIZA: Kasselakis’ leadership challenged in political secretariat meeting
Tensions within the main opposition party SYRIZA between President Stefanos Kasselakis and prominent party officials continued to escalate during the political secretariat meeting on Thursday, after eight members of a top party committee “87” walked

Over 60,000 lightning strikes in 48 hours – “Multicellular storms” expected in the coming hours
The extreme weather that has been affecting parts of Greece since yesterday, with thunderstorms and hailstorms, is expected to continue through tonight, according to an Emergency Weather Bulletin issued by the Hellenic National Meteorological Service

Turkey stops the Divine Liturgy at Panagia Soumela on 15 August
Turkey is putting an end to the celebration of August 15 at Panagia Soumela in Trapezounta (Trebizond) and the “Kyra of Pontus” will not be reopened for divine service on one of the most important

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

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

US demands that Turkey should cease all activity in Cyprus waters
The US State Department has called on the Turkish authorities to remove its drilling vessels from the territorial waters around Cyprus and to cease immediately any “unlawful activities”. The demand comes as Turkey has established

