
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.

“Hello, Greece! What an incredible honor”: Kimberly Guilfoyle’s first message as new U.S. ambassador
Kimberly Guilfoyle has officially arrived in Athens to begin her tenure as the new United States Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic, marking her first day in the post with a warm bilingual message on social

Two dead, several injured in Crete -watch video
Village locked down after deadly vendetta — police fearing revenge attacks The quiet mountain village of Vorizia, in Heraklion, Crete, has turned into what locals describe as a “no man’s land” after a brutal vendetta

Nikos Dendias: Greece’s defence transformation and strategic clarity toward Turkey
Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias outlined a comprehensive vision for the modernization of Greece’s Armed Forces, emphasizing innovation, technological autonomy, and national unity during his address at the 4th Naftemporiki Economic Conference at the Zappeion

The day small nations taught the World to say no
Greece’s Oxi Day and Israel’s doctrine of Ein Brera reveal how small nations survive — by turning defiance into strategy, power into peace, and alliances into security. The Day small nations taught the World to

A new face for the Greek Ministry of Defence: Mitsotakis and Dendias at the inauguration
Athens – In a stunning ceremony, the Ministry of National Defence unveiled the new bioclimatic façade of its central building, transforming the historic “Pentagon” into a modern landmark for the capital. The south façade, over

Brian Cox urges return of Parthenon Marbles to Greece
Famed Scottish actor Brian Cox, known for his role in Succession, has taken a clear stance in favor of returning the Parthenon Marbles to Greece. Speaking exclusively to Greek state broadcaster ERT, Cox commented on

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

ICC rejects Israel’s appeal over arrest warrant for Netanyahu
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has rejected an appeal by Israel against the arrest warrants issued for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, who are accused of alleged war crimes and

King Charles and Pope Leo XIV to Pray Together for the First Time in 491 Years
History is set to be made next week at the Vatican, as King Charles III of the United Kingdom and Pope Leo XIV come together in a joint act of prayer — the first between

Berlin urges Hungary to execute arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin ahead of possible Trump meeting
Germany has called on Hungary to comply with International Criminal Court (ICC) obligations and execute the arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, should he visit the country for a planned meeting with former U.S.

Trump and Zelensky clash on peace prospects: “We can end the war without Tomahawks,” says Trump – “Putin doesn’t want peace,” replies Zelensky
In a highly anticipated meeting at the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky presented starkly different views on how to end the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war. While Trump expressed confidence that

Trump issues stark warning to Hamas: “If bloodshed persists, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them”
US President Donald Trump has issued a grave warning to Hamas, declaring that the United States “will have no choice but to go in and kill them” if internal violence in Gaza continues, just one

Trump and Putin’s two-and-a-half-hour call: Inside the secret push for peace in Ukraine
A new chapter in global diplomacy may be unfolding after a rare and lengthy phone conversation between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which lasted more than two and a half hours

