
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.

Greece must shift its mindset to tackle future wildfires
Focusing solely on firefighting without a broader prevention strategy will make it difficult for EU countries to manage future wildfires, according to a Greek expert, where thousands of hectares of forest were recently destroyed in

Total failure in Greece’s fire prevention as 3.2 million acres burned since 2021
Attica is in flames, people are being violently displaced and no one can predict where this drama will end…The government’s attempt to wash out criticism of the government is evident from the TV broadcasts where

Real estate is a big business force in the Cyclades
Which Cycladic islands have seen the most property sales in the past five years? While Santorini and Mykonos are commonly thought to lead due to their popularity, the actual data reveals a different story. According

Greece’s wildfires trigger widespread evacuations and warnings
Tourists traveling to Greece have been warned of extreme weather and wildfires as thousands of people were evacuated from areas near Athens. On Sunday, residents were forced to flee their homes as a fast-moving wildfire,

Turkey and Turkish Cypriots “Torpedo” Cyprus Talks
The leader of the Turkish Cypriot entity, Ersin Tatar, is systematically “torpedoing” UN efforts to restart negotiations aimed at resolving the Cyprus issue. Meanwhile, the Turkish government, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the forefront,

Diplomatic sources: Serious doubts about the integrity of elections in Himara
Greek diplomatic sources have called on Tirana to address allegations concerning the integrity of the electoral process in Himara. “Allegations made by members of the Greek ethnic minority in Albania regarding the conditions under which

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

Poland: Surge in volunteer military training amid fears of Russian aggression
As Russia’s war in Ukraine grinds on this Saturday, 14 September, NATO member Poland is experiencing a surge of public anxiety and action. According to Reuters, over 20,000 Poles have already enrolled in voluntary military

Australian teens traumatised after seeing Charlie Kirk assassination video with no warning
Australia is facing renewed scrutiny over online safety after multiple teenagers reported seeing unfiltered footage of US political commentator Charlie Kirk’s assassination without any warning on Saturday morning. The shocking event occurred earlier this week

USA: Evacuation and intense police activity at Tyler Robinson’s family home – new details emerge
On Friday morning (local time), Washington, Utah, was placed on high alert as authorities ordered the evacuation of the area surrounding the family home of 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who has been arrested and confessed to

Qatar PM’s high-stakes Washington visit: Al Thani and Trump to discuss Israel bombing and fragile Gaza ceasefire talks
Diplomatic tensions in the Middle East are reaching a critical point as Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, travels to Washington for urgent talks with US President Donald Trump. According to Politico,

FBI releases new photos of Charlie Kirk murder suspect – $100,000 reward and U.S. political fallout
The FBI has released four new photos of the suspect in the murder of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk in Utah, as authorities continue their intensive manhunt. The young man is pictured wearing black clothing, sunglasses,

Anthony Albanese praises EU for following Australia’s lead on social media restrictions for children
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has welcomed the European Commission’s decision to follow Australia’s lead in implementing strict social media restrictions for children under 16. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the creation

