
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.

Greece protests Ben Gvir’s call to jail Gaza flotilla activists instead of deporting them
Greece has lodged a formal protest with Israel following controversial remarks by far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who demanded that the 470 activists of the “Global Sumud Flotilla” be imprisoned rather than

New NAVTEX issued by Turkey for “Piri Reis” research mission
The oceanographic vessel will conduct “scientific research” from October 4 to 14 — Greece responds with a counter-NAVTEX Turkey is once again testing Greek-Turkish relations, only days after the controversial cancellation of the planned Mitsotakis–Erdogan

New Left and Plefsi Eleftherias say No to the acquisition of a fourth Belharra Frigate
They have submitted a request for a roll-call vote on the ratification of the agreement for the acquisition of a fourth Belharra frigate and the upgrade of the existing ones. The parliamentary groups of New

Why Greece refuses to send Mirage Jets to Ukraine – NATO and EU pressures mount over Turkey’s role in European defence
Greece is facing mounting diplomatic pressure from NATO allies to increase its military assistance to Ukraine, with the focus now shifting to the possible transfer of Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets — a move Athens firmly

Greek F-16 Viper fly over Cyprus for 65th independence anniversary
Greece marked the 65th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Cyprus with a dramatic display, sending two F-16 Viper fighter jets of the Hellenic Air Force to fly over Nicosia during the military

Internal strife in SYRIZA over defense spending and the 4th Behlarra Frigate
Tensions have emerged within SYRIZA and between SYRIZA and New Left as the government’s defense program, particularly the fourth FDI Behlarra frigate, is discussed in Parliament today. Although SYRIZA’s parliamentary leadership decided to vote in

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 Greek Robotics Team wins Bronze Medal at 2019 FIRST GLOBAL Challenge in Dubai
The Greek National Robotics Team “FIRST GLOBAL Challenge Team Greece» represented Greece in 2019 FIRST GLOBAL Challenge, held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on October 24-27, 2019. This is only the second year that Greece

The Strategic Implications of the Greek Oxi
The first aggression in 20th-century history perpetrated by a fascist state was carried out against Greece, 12 years before the Italian conquest of Ethiopia, and 16 years before the German invasion of Poland. In August

China quietly doubles troop levels in Hong Kong, envoys say
Last month, Beijing moved thousands of troops across the border into this restive city. They came in on trucks and armored cars, by bus and by ship. The state news agency Xinhua described the operation as

Church of Greece and its Arguments Concerning Ukraine’s Autocephaly Issue
The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, held on August 16-28, reviewed the recommendations of the Synodal committees for the dogmatic and canonical issues, as well as Orthodox and inter-Christian relations and recognized the

Hong Kong’s major events at protests
Hong Kong’s anti-government protesters have sustained their momentum for more than three months, facing off against police through summer heat and clouds of tear gas. Officers have met demonstrators head on with a variety of

Pipeline Wars Revisited
Pipeline wars are often overlooked in the scheme of things, where pipelines represent competing national interests of a purely economic sort, beyond the usual political rhetoric surrounding ideology and demagoguery. Because a gas pipeline transports

