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.
Mendoni: The goal of returning the Parthenon Sculptures is closer than it has ever been in the past 50 years
“The government is working systematically and methodically toward reunification,” said the Minister of Culture — How she commented on the dinner at the British Museum. “Our goal for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures is
Antonis Samaras hints at new party as he attacks Mitsotakis over ‘arrogance’ and ‘betrayal of principles’
Former Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has strongly criticised Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, accusing him of turning New Democracy into a “personal property” and abandoning its conservative roots. Speaking in an in-depth interview on Sunday,
Two Ukrainians arrested for brutal torture and murder of compatriot in Agios Panteleimon
Greek police have arrested two Ukrainian nationals, aged 29 and 38, accused of the brutal murder of a 31-year-old compatriot in his apartment in Agios Panteleimon, central Athens. The shocking crime, committed on October 10,
Thessaloniki–Skopje oil pipeline set to reopen after 12 years of inactivity
Skopje government approves payment for fuel transport via VARDAX pipeline – gas interconnection with Greece also advancing The government of Skopje has approved the final measure paving the way for the reopening of the Thessaloniki–Skopje
Nearly 3,000 Civil Defence Shelters across Greece — Government updates parliament on emergency readiness
Greece currently has 2,892 designated shelters available to protect civilians in the event of a crisis, according to new data released by the Ministry for Citizen Protection. The figures were submitted to Parliament by Deputy
Eurobarometer: Greeks most concerned about cost of living and irregular migration — EU’s top challenges
According to recent data from the Eurobarometer survey published on 7 November 2025, Greeks are particularly worried about two major issues: the high cost of living and irregular migration. The survey highlights how these concerns
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
New Zealand: 200,000 children and adults abused in public and religious care facilities
Around 200,000 children, young people and vulnerable adults in New Zealand have suffered abuse or violence in public and religious care settings over the past 70 years, according to official research published on Wednesday (24/7).
The world’s most powerful passports for 2024 so far
What’s red on the outside, purple on the inside, and grants you access to 195 destinations around the world visa-free? It’s the Singapore passport, and it’s just been named the world’s most powerful travel document
The head of the secret services resigned over Trump’s failed assassination attempt
On Tuesday, July 23, Kimberly Chitle announced her resignation as head of the Secret Service, admitting mistakes in operations on the day of Donald Trump’s assassination attempt by shooting during a speech. “We failed,” Chitle
Democrats rally around Kamala Harris – She secured enough support for the nomination
Kamala Harris has secured the support of a sufficient number of delegates at the Democratic Party convention – at least 1,967 – to be held in Chicago in August, and is now considered a lock
Microsoft outage leaves Russia and China largely untouched
An IT issue caused by a faulty update began wreaking havoc with Windows machines worldwide early Friday morning, knocking companies and banks offline and grounding planes at various airports. An update from cybersecurity provider CrowdStrike
Joe Biden pulls out of US presidential race, endorses Kamala Harris to take on Donald Trump
In a historic and unexpected turn of events, President Joe Biden has announced his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic nominee. The decision, which Biden described
