
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.

Government closes fronts – price cuts and stable electricity rates
The government is attempting to close open political fronts in order to promote a positive agenda that could provide both political and polling relief. In this context, Giorgos Mylonakis, in a letter to the head

Copenhagen: Greece emphasizes protection of Europe’s southern borders amid Russian threats
The informal EU Summit in Copenhagen, hosted by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and chaired by European Council President António Costa, focused on strengthening European defense and supporting Ukraine in the face of ongoing Russian

Major reforms announced in Cabinet meeting: Tax cuts, defence overhaul, and legal migration policy
Key reforms were presented at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, focusing on three main areas: taxation, defence, and migration. Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis introduced a comprehensive tax reform bill titled “Tax

How Athens views Erdoğan’s visit to the White House – Turkey’s F-35 prospects
The recent meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, marking the first top-level contact in six years, signifies a new phase in U.S.-Turkey relations. Despite the

Dendias: Greece moves ahead with Two Bergamini frigates – major steps to strengthen the Navy
Greece is moving swiftly to reinforce its Navy, as the deal for two Italian Bergamini-class frigates is expected to be finalised on Monday. Defence Minister Nikos Dendias informed Parliament’s Defence Committee that the Hellenic Navy

Sokratis Famellos: “It is Time for a common progressive response to today’s challenges”
SYRIZA – Progressive Alliance president, Sokratis Famellos, delivered a strong message of political readiness and coalition-building during a meeting of the party’s Political Secretariat. Famellos stressed that both domestic and global developments make it imperative

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

Hamas hands over two more bodies of hostages to Israel
Hamas delivered two coffins to Israeli forces on Tuesday night, claiming they contained the remains of two Israeli hostages who had been held in the Gaza Strip. The handover was mediated by the Red Cross,

China defends ‘provocative’ jet move after Australia’s protest over South China Sea incident
China has accused Australia of “provocative acts” and “illegal intrusion” after a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) surveillance plane was targeted by flares from a Chinese fighter jet over the South China Sea on Sunday,

Europe in wartime readiness: Germany urges citizens to prepare emergency backpacks
The European continent, once rebuilt from the ashes of two world wars, is once again gripped by anxiety and preparation fever. With tensions escalating in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific, the spectre

Skopje: VMRO-DPMNE scores sweeping victory in first round of municipal elections
The right-leaning ruling party VMRO-DPMNE, led by Prime Minister Christian Mitskoski, achieved a decisive victory in the first round of municipal elections held on Sunday, October 19, 2025, in the Republic of Skopje. According to

Albanese walks diplomatic tightrope in Trump White House – Canberra seeks ‘no fireworks’ in Oval Office test
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese embarks on one of the most delicate missions of his tenure — a high-stakes meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington, where experts say the key goal is simple:

Putin’s “Harem”: From the $78 million cleaner to the Olympic lover – The hidden power behind the Kremlin walls
Explosive revelations from new book “The Tsar Himself” expose the secret life of Vladimir Putin A bombshell book by Russian investigative journalists Roman Badanin and Mikhail Rubin reveals the secret world of Vladimir Putin —

