
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

Regular cannabis use now more accepted by Australians than smoking tobacco, study finds
Source: The Guardian Regular cannabis use has become more accepted than smoking tobacco, the latest National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS) has found. The 2019 data, compiled by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

Telstra moves call centres back to Australia after customers made their preference ‘loud and clear’
Source: 9news Telstra has moved all its call centres that service Australian customers and small businesses back to Australian shores to appease its customers. Telstra CEO Andy Penn has announced the move today, saying it

Cybersafety expert’s alarm over Snapchat’s new precise location feature: ‘Literally shows where you sleep at night’
Source: 9news Sometimes it feels like a full-time job keeping our children safe from online predators. So the last thing we need is technology making the job even harder. But a new feature on the

NASA successfully launches its first rocket from newly created Arnhem Space Centre
Source: ABCnews NASA has successfully launched its first rocket from Australian soil in more than a quarter of a century. After rain and wind delayed the launch by more than an hour, the suborbital sounding rocket took

16 hours from Australia to Greece may become a reality with Qantas
Source: Greekcitytimes Qantas has launched direct flights between Australia and Europe with non-stop routes becoming available between Perth to Rome. The new route will be the only direct flight between Australia and continental Europe offered

Australia’s bulk billing clinics are not covered by Medicare subsidies, doctors say
Doctors warn that regional areas will soon be left with few bulk-billing practices if Medicare subsidies for general practitioners are not increased. An increasing number of practices in Australia have stopped using bulk billing in

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.

First Greek defence and security micro-satellites successfully launched
Greece has officially entered the space age with the launch of its first Greek micro-satellites for Defence and Security on 28 November, from the Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in

Tsipras announces plans for a new “progressive party” focused on self-organization
Former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras announced plans for the creation of a new political movement aimed at reorganizing the progressive space in Greece, during a high-profile event at the Pallas theater. Speaking in front of

Farmers stage roadblocks across Macedonia ahead of major protests
Farmers and livestock breeders in Macedonia and Thrace are preparing major roadblocks, with key sites targeted in Thessaloniki, Halkidiki, and the Evros region. On Friday (December 5), farmers from Epanomi, Trilofos, Vasilika, Halkidiki, Galatista, and

Chatzidakis: With a fairer system, the country will not lose a single euro in agricultural subsidies
Greek Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Chatzidakis provided detailed information on the government’s agricultural subsidy plan, following recent announcements. Speaking to Alpha TV, he said that Greek farmers will receive a total of €3.7 billion this

Greece holds Winter Olympic Games flame-lighting ceremony Indoors
The countdown to the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics begins this week as the Olympic flame is lit in Greece, marking the start of the torch relay. This year’s ceremony, normally held outdoors in Ancient

Salamina murder: security camera audio exposes 46-year-old daughter-in-law for brutal killing of 75-year-old
New evidence from security cameras has led Greek authorities to arrest a 46-year-old woman for the murder of her 75-year-old mother-in-law in Salamina, a killing she has now confessed to. According to police, a combination

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

Israel and Hamas exchange blame over ceasefire breach: eleven killed in Gaza airstrikes
A wave of Israeli airstrikes struck Gaza City and surrounding areas, shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to carry out immediate strikes, accusing Hamas of violating the recently established ceasefire. According

Skopje: Garbage crisis escalates – two municipal officials detained
A court in Skopje has ordered the 30-day pretrial detention of the head of the city’s Municipal Cleaning Service and another senior official, following the ongoing failure to collect garbage in the capital. Both are

Jamaica ravaged by hurricane “Melissa”: Roofs torn off, schools and hospitals damaged
Communities across southwestern Jamaica are reeling from the destructive power of Hurricane Melissa, which struck the island on Tuesday afternoon. Winds reaching up to 260 km/h have devastated homes, especially those not built to modern

Strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake strikes Turkey, felt in Istanbul and North Aegean islands
A powerful earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale struck western Turkey on Monday night, shaking large parts of the Marmara region and being felt as far away as Istanbul and several Greek islands in

US Navy helicopter and fighter jet crash into the South China Sea — all crew members safe
Two separate accidents involving a US Navy helicopter and a fighter jet occurred on Sunday over the South China Sea, according to a statement issued by the US Pacific Fleet. All personnel involved were rescued

Mossad reveals Iranian terror network operating across Greece, Germany, and Australia
Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad has uncovered what it describes as a global terrorist network orchestrated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), with active operations across Greece, Germany, and Australia. The network is reportedly responsible

