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
Iran responds to Trump: Vows stronger retaliation if attacked again by US or Israel
Iran issued a stern warning to the United States and Israel on Monday, promising a more forceful response if it faces further military aggression. The statement came from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who addressed
Asteroid the size of the Empire State Building could hit the moon in 2029- How could that affect Earth?
An asteroid measuring approximately 400 metres — about the size of the Empire State Building — is on a potential collision course with the Moon, according to astronomers. The object, identified as 2022 SF289, is
UK MPs call for recognition of Palestinian State
More than 200 Members of the UK Parliament have urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to recognize the State of Palestine. In a joint letter signed by 221 MPs from nine political parties, lawmakers appealed to
“Kapodistrias” a cinematic tribute to Greece’s first martyr statesman
Set to Hit Cinemas on December 25 At the beginning of July, filming was completed for Kapodistrias, the new film by acclaimed Greek director Yannis Smaragdis. “Kapodistrias” a cinematic tribute to Greece’s first martyr statesman,
Greek passport soars to 5th strongest worldwide in 2025 rankings
The Greek passport has officially entered the ranks of the world’s most powerful, securing 5th place in the 2025 Henley Passport Index. The Greek passport soars to 5th strongest worldwide in 2025 rankings on the
Orban raises prospectof EU exit, citing Brussels’ authoritarian drift
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has once again raised the prospect of a Hungarian exit from the European Union, suggesting that the bloc’s authoritarian evolution may soon outweigh the benefits of membership. Speaking in an
