
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 protests Ben Gvir’s call to jail Gaza flotilla activists instead of deporting them
Greece has lodged a formal protest with Israel following controversial remarks by far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who demanded that the 470 activists of the “Global Sumud Flotilla” be imprisoned rather than

New NAVTEX issued by Turkey for “Piri Reis” research mission
The oceanographic vessel will conduct “scientific research” from October 4 to 14 — Greece responds with a counter-NAVTEX Turkey is once again testing Greek-Turkish relations, only days after the controversial cancellation of the planned Mitsotakis–Erdogan

New Left and Plefsi Eleftherias say No to the acquisition of a fourth Belharra Frigate
They have submitted a request for a roll-call vote on the ratification of the agreement for the acquisition of a fourth Belharra frigate and the upgrade of the existing ones. The parliamentary groups of New

Why Greece refuses to send Mirage Jets to Ukraine – NATO and EU pressures mount over Turkey’s role in European defence
Greece is facing mounting diplomatic pressure from NATO allies to increase its military assistance to Ukraine, with the focus now shifting to the possible transfer of Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets — a move Athens firmly

Greek F-16 Viper fly over Cyprus for 65th independence anniversary
Greece marked the 65th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Cyprus with a dramatic display, sending two F-16 Viper fighter jets of the Hellenic Air Force to fly over Nicosia during the military

Internal strife in SYRIZA over defense spending and the 4th Behlarra Frigate
Tensions have emerged within SYRIZA and between SYRIZA and New Left as the government’s defense program, particularly the fourth FDI Behlarra frigate, is discussed in Parliament today. Although SYRIZA’s parliamentary leadership decided to vote in

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

Maduro: No chance of U.S. invasion in Venezuela
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has firmly ruled out any possibility of a U.S. military invasion or regime change in his country, despite the recent deployment of American warships in the Caribbean. Maduro declared that Venezuela

NATO: All member countries to meet 2% of GDP defense spending target this year – Expansion plan up to 2035
All 32 NATO member countries are set to meet the long-standing target of allocating at least 2% of their GDP to defense this year, according to new figures released in Brussels. This goal was established

Ukraine thriller continues – Trump: “In two weeks we’ll know if peace is possible”
The war in Ukraine, now over three and a half years ongoing, remains at a critical juncture. Former U.S. President Donald Trump continues diplomatic efforts to arrange a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and

Niger Army Reports Killing of Boko Haram Leader
The Nigerien army announced on Thursday that during an operation in the Lake Chad basin, it had successfully eliminated the notorious leader of the jihadist group Boko Haram, known by the alias Bakura, whose real name

Covid-19 linked to accelerated blood vessel ageing, Australian patients included in major global study
A major international study involving Australian participants has revealed that Covid-19 may accelerate the ageing of blood vessels, particularly in women, raising fresh concerns about the long-term cardiovascular risks of the virus. The research, published

August 15: Melbourne honours the “Easter of Summer” with splendor and devotion
August 15, the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, is one of the most important celebrations of Orthodoxy and is observed with deep emotion both in Greece and in Greek communities around the world.

