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.
Mitsotakis at Greek-American community luncheon: Greece returns strongly
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis addressed a luncheon organized by 28 Greek-Australian organizations, highlighting the progress of the Greek economy and the return of young Greeks from abroad. Mitsotakis described it as a “privilege” to
Mitsotakis at UN: Considering a ban on social media for children under 16
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, speaking at the “Protecting Children in the Digital Age” event hosted by Australia during the 80th UN General Assembly in New York, announced that Greece is seriously considering banning social
Mitsotakis–Erdogan meeting in New York likely to be cancelled – “Extremely difficult,” Greek government sources say
The scheduled meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in New York appears to be heading toward cancellation. According to a senior government source, holding the meeting now seems
Metron Analysis poll: New Democracy leads, opposition fragmented
A new Metron Analysis poll for Mega shows New Democracy holding a 14.6-point lead over PASOK, which shows a slight increase since June. SYRIZA remains in sixth place with 6.2%, while KKE records a small
Mitsotakis–Erdogan meeting confirmed for September 23 in New York
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are expected to meet on September 23 in New York during the UN General Assembly. Government sources indicate the meeting will likely take place
NATO backs Turkey’s entry into SAFE, double veto from Cyprus and Greece
The safeguards imposed by the European Union regarding the participation of third countries in the SAFE defence programme act as an obstacle to Turkey’s involvement. NATO backs Turkey’s entry into SAFE, double veto from Cyprus
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
Denmark to ban social media for children under 15
New law to require parental approval from age 13 Denmark is set to ban social media use for minors under 15, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced during the opening session of Parliament, in a move
New political deadlock for Macron – early elections loom on November 16
Elysée tells regional authorities to “prepare” as pressure mounts France is heading into another phase of political turmoil, with President Emmanuel Macron facing mounting pressure from both the opposition and the public — as well
End of passport stamps: EU launches new digital entry/exit system – what travellers need to know
From Sunday, October 12, third-country nationals travelling to Europe will encounter a new, fully digital border control system. The Entry/Exit System (EES) will replace traditional passport stamps with biometric registration, including fingerprints and facial recognition.
Hamas: “We seek guarantees from Trump for a final agreement” – Qatar and Turkey join negotiations
Hamas has demanded concrete guarantees from former and likely returning U.S. President Donald Trump before committing to a final ceasefire agreement that would mark the end of the war in Gaza. Speaking to Egypt’s Al-Qahera
Trump: “Phase one of Gaza peace plan must be completed this week — or mass bloodshed will follow”
US President Donald Trump issued a stark warning, declaring that the first phase of his Gaza peace plan must be completed within this week, or else “mass bloodshed will follow — something no one wants
Friedrich Merz: “Hamas must implement the Trump plan” – Accuses Russia over drone incidents
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has urged Hamas to implement Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza and immediately release the Israeli hostages, arguing that the militant group has now been defeated militarily. He pledged that Germany,
