
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.

Albanian journalist says Albania’s PM Rama gave the go-ahead to kill Katsifas
The Albanian Prime Minister’s office gave the go-ahead to kill 35-year-old Greek man Konstantinos Katsifas, with the approval of Turkey, said Albanian journalist Kastriot Miftairi on mainstream television. The execution of Katsifas has cast a

Albanian Police kill Greek who raised Greece’s flag in Northern Epirus
A 35-year-old Greek, named Konstantinos Katsifas, was shot dead by the Albanian special forces near the village Bularat (Vouliarates) in Albania’s northern Epirus region, 6 kilometers (4 miles) from the Greek-Albanian border. According to Albania’s

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

Why the world’s biggest powers can’t stop a Middle East war
The United States’ ability to influence events in the Mideast has waned, and other major nations have essentially been onlookers. Over almost a year of war in the Middle East, major powers have proved incapable

What is Diddy accused of? From JLo to 1,000 baby oil bottles and TikTok conspiracy theories
The 54-year-old rapper and music mogul was arrested by federal agents in New York this September, facing charges of trafficking, sexual assault, and rape – “He exploited his connections with celebrities”. Diddy’s arrest is leading

Horror in Malaysia: Over 350 arrests for child sexual Abuse – Raids on Islamic Institutions
The Malaysian police announced on Saturday that a total of 355 individuals have been arrested as part of an investigation into hundreds of incidents of physical and/or sexual abuse of children in shelters and host

Afghanistan: Taliban’s Draconian laws now impacting men too
For the past three years, since the Taliban took control in Afghanistan, women have faced a myriad of restrictions on their individual rights and personal freedoms, starting with their attire. In contrast, men in urban

Lebanon counts its wounds, Israel prepares for new assault – Hundreds dead, thousands injured
Tensions are escalating in Lebanon, as Israel struck targets in the southern part of the country and the Bekaa Valley throughout Monday. At least 480 people have lost their lives. Hezbollah responded with rocket fire.

“The government is pursuing a foreign policy of a NON-sovereign state!”
George Aifantis on Militaire News doesn’t mince his words with the current government strategy against Turkey’s recent unbridled aggression. He believes that, in light of Greece’s stance, “The government is pursuing a foreign policy of

