
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.

Eurovision 2025: Klavdia’s “Asteromata” secures Greece a spot in the grand final
Greece has officially qualified for the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with Klavdia and her captivating performance of the song “Asteromata” (which translates as “Starry Eyes”). Eurovision 2025: Klavdia’s “Asteromata” secures Greece

Maria Karystianou shocks the European Parliament, there’s no rule of law in Greece
New Democracy has paid people to assassinate the characters of victims’ relatives and smear anyone who dares to speak out.” At the event titled “Journalism on Trial”, held at the European Parliament, Maria Karystianou delivered

Tempi in the European Parliament on 19 June – ND–European People’s Party manoeuvres fall flat
The European People’s Party (EPP) and its allies have failed in their attempt to cover up the Tempi crime. The Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament has officially approved the inclusion of the matter

Northern Epirus Youth: Himarians reject Mastoras at Rama’s Himara rally
3 May 2025 will remain etched in the collective memory of Himara and all of Northern Epirus as a day of deep insult and bitter disappointment — a day that underscored the daily mockery and

Turkey’s invasion plans for Greece blocked by US, France, sparking Erdogan’s fury
Turkey’s contingency war plans against Greece, particularly targeting Western Thrace and the Aegean islands, have suffered a serious setback due to the expanded military presence of the United States and France in support of Greek

Greek court awards damages for AstraZeneca Vaccine side effect, a legal first
In a landmark ruling, a Greek court has, for the first time, awarded financial compensation to a citizen who suffered a serious adverse reaction following vaccination with AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine. TGreek court awards damages for

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

‘Jewish Artists for Palestine’ disrupt Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at Royal Albert Hall
A group called Jewish Artists for Palestine disrupted the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) in London, protesting against “Zionist funding, censorship,” and the treatment of Australian-British pianist Jayson Gillham. The interruption occurred Friday night (Saturday AEST)

Netanyahu: Israel discusses demilitarised zone in southern Syria and humanitarian corridor for Druze
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel is currently in talks to establish a demilitarised zone in southern Syria and a humanitarian corridor to support the Druze minority in the region. The statement was

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

