
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

Wild winds to smash popular camp spots in final days of school holidays
The final days of school holidays will be wild and windswept, with these popular tourist spots set to cop a battering. Popular holiday spots are among the locations bracing for wild wind, with the Bureau

Greg Hunt plays down impact of NZ case on travel bubble
The Health Minister has responded to a COVID-19 case in New Zealand and its potential impact on the trans-Tasman travel bubble. The trans-Tasman travel bubble will not be derailed despite New Zealand suffering a COVID-19

The coming Greater Depression of the 2020s
While there is never a good time for a pandemic, the COVID-19 crisis has arrived at a particularly bad moment for the global economy. The world has long been drifting into a perfect storm of

Australia’s post-war recovery program provides a direction as to how to get out of this
As the Covid-19 pandemic spreads around the world, wartime metaphors abound. And, with what amounts to a war economy now in place, attention has inevitably turned to post-war reconstruction. It is self-evident that, without any

CORONOAVIRUS CLOSURES: Everything that will shut from midnight tonight
Australians will face even tighter restrictions on daily life as the country grapples with the an upturn (that will peak sometime inn April or May) in coronavirus cases. An expanded list of businesses will be

What coronavirus has done or could do to your super — and why you shouldn’t panic
Watching the stock market nosedive and freaking out about what it’s doing to your super? Superannuation analyst SuperRatings has a message for you — don’t panic. “It is putting pressure on super,” said SuperRatings CEO

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

Fidan raises the war tone: ‘If Diplomacy Fails, the Military Speaks’ – Ankara’s fear of encirclement in the Eastern Mediterranean
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has issued a stark warning, claiming that alliances are forming in the Eastern Mediterranean with the aim of encircling Turkey. In a statement laden with military undertones, Fidan declared that

Ceasefire and hostage talks to begin in Egypt tomorrow
Hamas accepts US peace plan in principle but refuses disarmament — Israel insists on Gaza demilitarisation Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas are set to begin tomorrow in Cairo, aiming to achieve a ceasefire in

Trump urges immediate ceasefire as 57 killed in Gaza overnight bombings
At least 57 people were killed overnight in the Gaza Strip following intense Israeli airstrikes, according to the Palestinian Civil Defence, which operates under the Hamas-run administration. The strikes began in the early hours of

Prosecutor’s probe against Israel as “Sumud” flotilla activists testify in Istanbul (Constantinople)
A group of activists who participated in the “Sumud” flotilla — an international convoy that attempted to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza — have begun giving testimony before prosecutors in Istanbul (Constantinople), following their

At least 30 injured in Russian drone strike on Ukrainian railway station
Zelensky condemns ‘barbaric attack’ in Sumy region – victims include railway workers and passengers At least 30 people have been injured following a Russian drone strike on a railway station in the Ukrainian city of

Australian activists detained in Israeli prison – Canberra demands access and answers
Australian consular officials are heading to a notorious Israeli prison where five Australian citizens are reportedly being held after the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla en route to Gaza. The flotilla, carrying humanitarian aid,

