
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.

Golden Dawn ballots destroyed with antiseptic by unknown perpetrators
Unknown perpetrators have destroyed the whole load of municipality elections ballots of the far-right party Golden Dawn in the suburb of Kallithea, south Athens. The perpetrators used antiseptic Bedatine that soaked into the 92,000 ballot

The dilemma of the elections
This year European Parliament and local elections are neither simple nor commonplace. Their crucial nature is patently obvious. They are considered and indeed are a dress rehearsal for the upcoming parliamentary election, which has not

Lanterns to commemorate 100 years from the Pontic Greeks Genocide
Pontic Greeks in Thessaloniki let 100 lanterns high into the night sky in order to commemorate the Genocide of Pontic Greeks first by the Young Turks and then by Kemalist forces. May 19th commemorates the

Greece refutes Turkish claims on status of Aegean Islands
The Greek foreign ministry late on Sunday strongly refuted a claim by its Turkish counterpart that Greece does not respect the demilitarized status of the islands in the eastern Aegean Sea. Earlier Sunday, Turkish Foreign

Historic decision made to rebuild Part of the Parthenon
The Greek Central Archaeological Council (KAS) decided on Wednesday that a part of the Parthenon, now in ruins on the Athens Acropolis, is to be rebuilt using mostly materials which are now lying on the

Venezuela – another failed coup attempt – What’s next?
In the early morning hours of 30 April, 2019, the self-declare “Interim President”, Juan Guaidó, launched what at first sight appeared to be a military coup – Guaidó calls it “Operation Freedom” (sounds very much

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

USA: Government considering minting coin featuring Donald Trump
The U.S. government is reportedly considering the possibility of minting commemorative coins bearing the image of Donald Trump. The initiative is linked to the upcoming celebration of the 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026.

Greece protests Ben Gvir’s call to jail Gaza flotilla activists instead of deporting them
Greece has lodged a formal protest with Israel following controversial remarks by far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who demanded that the 470 activists of the “Global Sumud Flotilla” be imprisoned rather than

20-year prison sentence for UK father who fatally beat his 14-day-old baby
A 27-year-old man in the United Kingdom has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the brutal killing of his 14-day-old son, in what the court described as an “exceptionally violent” act. The baby’s

Hamas expected to respond positively to Trump’s Gaza plan – seeks key modifications
Hamas is reportedly preparing to respond positively to U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal for ending the war in Gaza, while submitting a series of requested changes, particularly concerning Israel’s withdrawal and the group’s disarmament, according

Hamas accepts Trump plan: Agrees to release hostages and hand over Gaza governance
Hamas has officially submitted its response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza, signalling a major shift in the ongoing negotiations to end the conflict. According to reports by Al Jazeera and later confirmed

British of Syrian descent identified as attacker who killed two in Manchester synagogue
The British Counter-Terrorism Unit announced that the suspect behind the attack at a synagogue in the Crumpsall area of Manchester, which left two people dead, has been identified as 35-year-old Jihad al-Sami, a British citizen

