
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

NSW to roll out digital birth certificates for young people aged 16–21
Young people in New South Wales will soon be able to access a digital birth certificate on their mobile phone for the first time, as part of a major step towards modernising identity documents across

Half of Australia’s students missing a month of school as fears about the future surge
A landmark national report has revealed an alarming shift inside Australia’s classrooms, with more than half of government secondary students missing at least a month of school each year. The first State of Australia’s Children

Major student debt relief begins for three million Australians as Albanese government rolls out $16bn initiative
A sweeping cost-of-living boost has begun reaching millions of Australians, with the Albanese government activating its long-promised plan to cut student debt for roughly three million people. The $16 billion initiative—legislated in July—will be implemented

Australian home prices poised to break all records in 2026
Australia’s housing market is set to enter unprecedented territory, with both house and unit prices in every capital city projected to hit new all-time highs by the end of 2026, according to Domain’s Forecast Report

Australia concedes defeat in high-stakes battle to host COP31, handing victory to Turkey
Australia is preparing to concede defeat in its bid to host next year’s major United Nations climate summit, COP31, despite months of lobbying, millions of dollars in preparatory work, and strong public advocacy from senior

Greece expands tourism footprint with new GNTO (EOT) office opening in Melbourne, Australia
Greece has taken a significant step toward strengthening its presence in the Australian tourism market with the official launch of a new Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) office in Melbourne. The office, housed within the

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.

The ‘Atlantis of Crete’: The sinking village sinks again
The locals call it the “Atlantis of Crete”, as the village of Sfentyli sinks slowly and gradually into the waters coming from the Aposelemis dam. One part of the Cretan village has sunk completely. It

“Repressed Macedonian Slav minority” angers Greece
The article of BBC “Greece’s invisible minority – The Macedonian Slavs” triggered angry reactions in Athens with the government to speak of “inaccurate and distorted Information.” The point that angered the Greek government is the

Ancient Greeks proved the earth was round 2,000 years ago using a stick
Long before the first satellites were sent to space in the 1960’s in order to prove that the Earth is indeed round, Ancient Greek mathematician Eratosthenes had found the proof using a simple …stick. And

Greece, Albania discussing EEZ, not land border
The land border between Greece and Albania is not among the issues being discussed between the two countries, sources from the Greek Foreign Ministry said in a statement Friday, in response to suggestions to that
More than 7,000 Turks have submitted asylum requests since 2016
An upward of 7,000 Turkish nationals have requested international protection in Greece since the failed coup attempt in their country in 2016, according to the data published by the country’s asylum service late last week.

The fate of the treacherous Prespa Agreement
Last Sunday, the German Minister of State for Europe at the German Federal Foreign Office, Mr Michael Roth, in an interview, published by the Greek Sunday newspaper ΕΘΝΟΣ, warned any future governments of Skopje and/or

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

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

Arab Coalition with Iran in response to Israel: The crucial meeting in Tehran
In the wake of the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Iran is mobilising what it calls the “axis of resistance” against Israel. High-ranking officials have been summoned to Tehran for consultations, raising fears of

East-West prisoner swap: Largest since the Cold War
US President Joe Biden has celebrated the return of three Americans who were imprisoned in Russian penal colonies after secret “sham” trials. They were freed as part of a significant East-West prisoner swap. Biden and

USA: We are working to ensure that North Macedonia respects the Prespa agreement
The assurance that the US is working to ensure that the new government of North Macedonia respects the Prespa Agreement was underlined by Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O’Brien. During

Man accused of plotting the 9/11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, reaches plea deal
The man accused of plotting the September 11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and two of his accomplices have reached a plea deal with US prosecutors, the Pentagon said Wednesday local time. The trio have reportedly

