
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

Statement from the Premier
This week I had another round of scans and a meeting with my care team at the Alfred and got some good news. The broken vertebra has almost fully healed and they’re letting me take

What is the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine? Will it be available in Australia soon? And does it use mRNA?
Source: abcnews The Novavax COVID-19 vaccine has been found to have more than 90 per cent efficacy, paving the way for it to be available later this year in Australia. The successful results from the phase 3

‘Signal to the world’: Singapore ready and waiting for Australian travel bubble
Singapore’s so-called “Cruises to Nowhere” have been a big hit since being given the green light last November, with more than 120,000 passengers. “They’ve made something that sounds tacky actually quite fun and enjoyable,” said

Flights between India and Australia suspended until May 15
Flights to and from India into Australia have now been suspended, amid increasing concerns over the nation’s escalating COVID-19 situation. Flights to and from India into Australia have now been suspended, Scott Morrison has announced,

Trans-Tasman travel bubble: The big difference between Australia and New Zealand
Stepping foot on-board one of the trans-Tasman bubble flights was a cause for celebration. But the surprise came on the journey home. A year in the making, it was the flight Australia was itching for.

Qantas sticks to international travel plan despite COVID vaccine delay
Despite the majority of Australians unlikely to be vaccinated against COVID-19 until next year, Qantas is holding firm on their plan to fly overseas by October 31. Australia had been aiming to open its international

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’s early loan repayment brings unexpected benefit to France, says Le Monde
Greece’s decision to repay early a €1.1 billion loan to France has been described as an “unexpected benefit” for French public finances, according to the French newspaper Le Monde. The loan, originally contracted in the

Zelensky signals new energy agreement ahead of today’s Athens visit
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that Kyiv and Athens are preparing a new bilateral agreement in the energy sector, ahead of his official visit to the Greek capital today, Sunday, 16 November. In a

Kimberly Guilfoyle: Greece to become energy hub to counter Russian and Chinese interests
Kimberly Guilfoyle, the new U.S. ambassador to Greece, gave her first Greek television interview on ANT1, highlighting Greece’s emerging role as a regional energy hub and its strategic importance in countering Russian and Chinese influence.

Mitsotakis on UNESCO’s Recognition of World Greek Language Day
On behalf of the millions of Greeks around the world, but also on behalf of thousands of foreign scholars and admirers of the Greek language, I would like to thank UNESCO for declaring 9 February

Violence in Vorizia, Crete: Police make key arrests as investigation unfolds
The investigation into the deadly armed incident in Vorizia, Heraklion, Crete, continues in full force as local and regional authorities work to piece together the sequence of events. The Subdivision for Crime Investigation and Resolution

Tragedy in Western Achaia – Three-year-old boy dies after falling from wall
A three-year-old boy has tragically died in the municipality of Western Achaia after falling from a two-metre-high wall in the Spata area. The child was rushed to the Karamandaneio Children’s Hospital in Patras, where doctors

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

Independent pro-Palestinian MP Catherine Connolly elected new President of Ireland
Ireland has elected a new head of state — independent left-wing MP Catherine Connolly — marking a historic political shift in the country. Connolly won Friday’s presidential election with an overwhelming 63.4% of the vote,

Eurofighter deal with Turkey nears completion – Airbus CEO confirms final negotiations underway
According to a Deutsche Welle report, the long-anticipated agreement for the sale of Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft to Turkey is now approaching its final stage. Airbus Defence and Space CEO Michael Schöllhorn revealed in an

Seven UN staff arrested by Yemen’s Houthis over alleged espionage for Israel
Seven Yemeni employees of the United Nations were arrested in the Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa, accused of spying for Israel, according to reports by the French news agency AFP. The arrests took place between Thursday night

Europe tightens pressure on Moscow: New sanctions, mirage jets for Ukraine, and Trump weighs tomahawk missiles
In a decisive show of transatlantic coordination, the “Coalition of the Willing” has agreed on tougher measures against Russia while accelerating military aid to Ukraine. The summit, held in London and attended by 33 world

Russia will unleash a devastating response to any US missile strike
Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued his starkest warning yet to Washington, vowing a “serious and devastating” response if any US Tomahawk missiles were to strike Russian territory — a threat that comes as Moscow

Mitsotakis rules out Turkey’s participation in EU SAFE program amid Aegean disputes
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has reiterated that Turkey cannot participate in the EU’s Strategic Armaments Framework (SAFE) program as long as it maintains a casus belli against Greece and disputes the sovereignty of Greek

