
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.

2nd Greek Youth Diaspora Symposium in Athens: “Connecting the Voices of Young Greeks Worldwide”
The 2nd Greek Youth Diaspora Symposium, a key initiative for strengthening ties between Greece and young Greeks around the world, will take place in Athens from 25 to 28 November 2025 at the Hellenic Cosmos

Mitsotakis says Europe can build its own powerful AI models
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has emphasised that Europe is capable of developing its own powerful artificial intelligence systems, rooted in European values, languages and cultural identity. Speaking in a public discussion with Arthur Mensch,

1,200 millionaires are coming to Greece with €7.7 billion in their suitcases – the country ranks eighth worldwide
Greece ranks eighth globally as a destination for millionaires, attracting over 1,200 individuals annually who seek safety, stability, and a better quality of life for themselves and their families. According to a recent report by

From Austria to Neo Voutza: A new fire truck for volunteers
A new high-capacity fire truck has recently joined the ranks of the Neo Voutza Volunteer Fire Department (PY.S.E.TH.), significantly enhancing its ability to prevent and combat fires in the region. The vehicle is a Mercedes

Greece ejects Turkey’s objections to updated Maritime Spatial Planning Map
Greece has firmly dismissed Ankara’s latest objections to the updated Greek Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) map uploaded to the European Commission’s platform, stressing that Turkey’s claims lack any basis in European or international law. In

The Norwegian energy success story and what Greece can learn
As part of my ongoing analysis on NewsBreaks artilce regarding energy policy and national resource management, Michalis Christodoulides examine here how Norway transformed its hydrocarbon reserves into a long-term national advantage — and what lessons

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

Independent pro-Palestinian MP Catherine Connolly elected new President of Ireland
Ireland has elected a new head of state — independent left-wing MP Catherine Connolly — marking a historic political shift in the country. Connolly won Friday’s presidential election with an overwhelming 63.4% of the vote,

Eurofighter deal with Turkey nears completion – Airbus CEO confirms final negotiations underway
According to a Deutsche Welle report, the long-anticipated agreement for the sale of Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft to Turkey is now approaching its final stage. Airbus Defence and Space CEO Michael Schöllhorn revealed in an

Seven UN staff arrested by Yemen’s Houthis over alleged espionage for Israel
Seven Yemeni employees of the United Nations were arrested in the Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa, accused of spying for Israel, according to reports by the French news agency AFP. The arrests took place between Thursday night

Europe tightens pressure on Moscow: New sanctions, mirage jets for Ukraine, and Trump weighs tomahawk missiles
In a decisive show of transatlantic coordination, the “Coalition of the Willing” has agreed on tougher measures against Russia while accelerating military aid to Ukraine. The summit, held in London and attended by 33 world

Russia will unleash a devastating response to any US missile strike
Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued his starkest warning yet to Washington, vowing a “serious and devastating” response if any US Tomahawk missiles were to strike Russian territory — a threat that comes as Moscow

Mitsotakis rules out Turkey’s participation in EU SAFE program amid Aegean disputes
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has reiterated that Turkey cannot participate in the EU’s Strategic Armaments Framework (SAFE) program as long as it maintains a casus belli against Greece and disputes the sovereignty of Greek

