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
Liberal MP breaks ranks to call for increase to Newstart
Liberal senator Dean Smith has broken ranks with the federal government to call for an increase to the Newstart payment. WA Senator Dean Smith has become the first Liberal MP to publicly back an increase
Aged care homes spending as little as $7 a day on residents food
Some aged care homes spend as little as $7 a day on food for each resident, a royal commission has been told. Celebrity chef Maggie Beer says that sort of budget is inadequate to prepare
Vic wants federal funds to remove cladding
The Commonwealth is being asked to stump up $300 million to help remove dangerous cladding from hundreds of buildings across Victoria. The state Labor government is establishing a $600 million fund, to be overseen by
Asylum seeker tries to set himself on fire at Melbourne detention facility
Another incident of self-harm has occurred in an Australian detention centre. An asylum seeker detained in the Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation facility has been taken to hospital after trying to set himself on fire, according
No paperwork, increasing rent: Sydney landlords exploiting international students
International students are being exploited by landlords in Sydney’s tight housing market, a new report has found. International students in Sydney are falling victim to financial exploitation by dodgy landlords, who are overcharging on bonds,
Record number of Aussies rush to file tax returns
A record number of Australians have lodged their tax returns in the hope of getting their hands on a hefty refund. About 650,000 people have already filed their tax returns, with this year’s early rush
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.
Famellos on a possible Tsipras party: “No time to wait – progressive Greece needs initiative”
Socrates Famellos, president of SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance (SYRIZA-PA), addressed questions regarding a potential new party led by Alexis Tsipras during a visit to Pyrgos, Ilia. Speaking under the campaign slogan “Progressive Greece”, Famellos emphasized that a
New Democracy unites over AI: handshake between Mitsotakis and Karamanlis at Stylianidis’ book launch
The Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and former Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis shared a warm handshake and applause as they attended the book presentation of Evripidis Stylianidis, dedicated to the challenges and dangers of Artificial
Greece replies to Zakharova’s provocative attack: Moscow aligns with Turkey and the Republic of Skopje against Greece
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has once again adopted an openly anti-Greek tone, reviving Cold War-style rhetoric and backing Turkey and the Republic of Skopje [sic “North Macedonia”] in a direct challenge to Greece
Mitsotakis rejects Christodoulides’s joint EEZ plan fearing Turkey
To avoid potential tensions in the Aegean, the Greek government rejected President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides’s proposal to delimit a joint exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between the two states. Mitsotakis rejects Christodoulides’s joint EEZ plan
Mitsotakis to SEV: “A national duty to never relive the illusions and lies of the past”
Message of stability with veiled criticism of Tsipras – Bundesbank praises Greece’s reforms Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis delivered a strong message on political stability and economic responsibility at the annual meeting of the Hellenic
Soufli: 13 Turkish nationals arrested with weapons – six remanded in custody
147 pistols and 190 magazines found – Defendants claim ignorance Greek authorities have released dramatic footage showing the arrest of 13 Turkish nationals near Soufli, Evros, after they illegally crossed into Greece carrying a large
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
A Most Convenient Virus
I prefer to write on things I know about, but once in a while an opportunity presents itself for me to comment on some aspect of widespread mistrust and confusion while resting on a solid
The Terrorists Migrating into Europe
“Most migrant terrorists involved in thwarted or completed attacks were purposefully deployed to the migration flows by an organized terrorist group to conduct or support attacks in destination countries.” — Todd Bensman, “What Terrorist Migration
Gas Wars in the Mediterranean
The unexpected alliance between Turkey and Libya is a geopolitical earthquake that changes the balance of power in the eastern Mediterranean and across the Middle East. Turkey’s audacious move has enraged its rivals in the
A Global Catastrophe: “260 Million Christians Experience High Levels of Persecution”
Dictatorial paranoia continues to make North Korea (#1) the worst nation. “If North Korean Christians are discovered, they are deported to labor camps as political criminals or even killed on the spot.” — World Watch
Battle of the ages to stop Eurasian integration
The coming decade could see the US take on Russia, China and Iran over the New Silk Road connection. The Raging Twenties started with a bang with the targeted assassination of Iran’s General Qasem Soleimani.
Greece responds to Erdogan’s aggressive remarks ahead of Berlin meeting
Greece and Turkey have traded barbs a few hours ahead of the meeting on the situation in Libya in Berlin. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan again indulged in aggressive remarks early Sunday, before departing for
