
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.

Tempi Tragedy: Plakias’ fury over Mitsotakis’ speech
“I did not bring my children into the world to be sacrificed like Iphigenia.” Tempi Tragedy: Plakias’ fury over Mitsotakis’ speech The speech delivered by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Parliament during the pre-agenda debate

Tempi Tragedy pushes Mitsotakis towards early elections
Public demand for justice, transparency, and accountability in the Tempi Tragedy pushes Mitsotakis towards early elections. Growing louder, public demand is expected to be voiced so powerfully during the upcoming demonstrations that it will be

Australia joins global outcry for Tempi tragedy anniversary
As Greece and Australia prepare for protests on February 28, marking the second anniversary of the tragic train collision in Tempi that claimed 57 lives. Australia joins global outcry for Tempi tragedy anniversary as mounting

Tempi Tragedy: Message of solidarity from the Association of Bereaved Families of the Mati Fire
“We once again express our deepest solidarity to the families of the deceased and the injured, sincerely hoping that the truth will be revealed and justice will be served for the victims, so that the

Musk’s DOGE cancels $25K LGBTQ, refugee funds in Greece
The US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an agency led by Elon Musk tasked with reducing government expenditure. Musk’s DOGE cancels $25K LGBTQ, refugee funds in Greece. Announced on X that it has cancelled a

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

“Drums of war” in the Middle East: Awaiting Iran’s retaliation – Israel on high alert
The Middle East appears ready to explode as the war atmosphere intensifies just hours after the U.S. declared that Tehran might attack Israel within the next 24 hours. All eyes are on Iran and the

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


