
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.

Warm welcome for 27 Greek activists from Gaza Flotilla – Greta Thunberg among returnees
With emotional scenes and the victory sign raised high, 27 Greek activists who took part in the “Global Sumud Flotilla” to Gaza returned to Athens on Monday afternoon, following their detention by Israeli authorities. The

Political turmoil in SYRIZA: Alexis Tsipras resigns from parliament – “I’m not quitting political action”
The sudden resignation of former Prime Minister and historic SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras from Parliament has triggered strong political tremors and a new wave of realignments within the centre-left. In a public statement, Tsipras clarified

How Greece is changing the balance of power in the Mediterranean
Greece is entering a new era of naval strength, as the Hellenic Navy undergoes a sweeping modernization under a 12-year defense program that is set to reshape the balance of power in the Aegean and

Greta Thunberg to be deported from Israel alongside 27 Greek activists on Tuesday
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg will be deported from Israel on Tuesday, along with 27 Greek activists, according to a report by Ynet. The group was detained after attempting to break Israel’s naval blockade of

Fierce clash between Adonis Georgiadis and Zoe Konstantopoulou over Panos Routsis: “A predator of power and human pain”
A fierce political clash erupted between Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis and the leader of the Plefsi Eleftherias party, Zoe Konstantopoulou, over the case of Panos Routsis — a father of a Tempi train crash victim

Turkey’s ‘Piri Reis’ research vessel sails north of Lesvos – Athens closely monitoring movements
The ship departed Izmir Bay under an illegal Navtex and is expected to conduct surveys in central Aegean waters The Turkish research vessel Piri Reis was sailing north of Lesvos, near the Turkish coastline, on

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

Trump extends “olive branch” to Mamdani after New York election victory
Just weeks after dismissing Zohran Mamdani as “the communist running for mayor” and warning he might cut funding or even leave New York if Mamdani won, President Donald Trump has dramatically shifted his tone, offering

Diplomatic flurry in Paris as Barrot holds talks with European ministers on Ukraine and the Trump Plan
Paris is entering a phase of heightened diplomatic activity as European governments attempt to navigate growing pressure over the war in Ukraine and the controversial peace proposal put forward by Washington. France’s Foreign Minister, Jean-Noël

Guardian: Ukraine peace plan appears to be a direct translation from Russian
Growing criticism surrounds a proposed 28-point peace plan for the war in Ukraine, with many observers arguing that the document reflects the strategic interests—and even the linguistic fingerprints—of the Kremlin. According to The Guardian, a

Trump’s “Peace Plan” branded a fantasy as critics warn Russia will only accept battlefield reality
A Ukrainian lawmaker has published what he claims is the Ukrainian translation of US President Donald Trump’s proposed 28-point peace plan — a document that, if genuine, outlines sweeping security, territorial and military conditions for

The Norwegian energy success story and what Greece can learn
As part of my ongoing analysis on NewsBreaks artilce regarding energy policy and national resource management, Michalis Christodoulides examine here how Norway transformed its hydrocarbon reserves into a long-term national advantage — and what lessons

Michael Rubin issues stinging indictment of Turkish human rights abuses
Michael Rubin — a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and one of Washington’s most experienced analysts on Turkey and the broader Middle East — has published a blistering commentary accusing Ankara of systemic

