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.
How the “Aegean Prespes” will be served
The signs that a full-scale Greek-Turkish negotiation is being launched – with the blessing and behind-the-scenes mediation of the Americans – are too many to ignore. In an article a few days ago, I referred
The Pan-Macedonian Association demands Channel 9’s misleading advertisement must be withdrawn
“Historic Macedonia is in Greece” The Pan-Macedonian Association of Melbourne and Victoria is demanding the withdrawal of the misleading advertisement of Tripadeal, aired by Channel 9 and which refers to Skopje as “Historic Macedonia”, in
Cyprus: Mass migration leads to demographic replacement
The Republic of Cyprus, whose population is approximately 1.2 million, is struggling with a significant mass migration crisis that is gradually leading to the demographic replacement of the island’s native population. Since at least 2016,
Drilling rigs go to work on the deposits of Crete
Indications of the existence of the largest natural gas deposit in the Mediterranean, with a size of 30 trillion cubic feet – Interest from energy giant Chevron to get involved in the project – Countdown
Allegations of coverup, evidence overlooked in Tembi train tragedy probe
ATHENS – A year after a head-on train collision killed 57 people, an investigation into the causes has lagged and seen relatives of victims complaining about evidence being overlooked and media reports of a cover-up.
Has PM Mitsotakis’s same-sex marriage decision backfired?
If gay marriage and the adoption of children by such couples was a political gambit by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to entertain the country’s forthcoming first-ever condemnation by the European Parliament for the rule of
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
Denmark to ban social media for children under 15
New law to require parental approval from age 13 Denmark is set to ban social media use for minors under 15, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced during the opening session of Parliament, in a move
New political deadlock for Macron – early elections loom on November 16
Elysée tells regional authorities to “prepare” as pressure mounts France is heading into another phase of political turmoil, with President Emmanuel Macron facing mounting pressure from both the opposition and the public — as well
End of passport stamps: EU launches new digital entry/exit system – what travellers need to know
From Sunday, October 12, third-country nationals travelling to Europe will encounter a new, fully digital border control system. The Entry/Exit System (EES) will replace traditional passport stamps with biometric registration, including fingerprints and facial recognition.
Hamas: “We seek guarantees from Trump for a final agreement” – Qatar and Turkey join negotiations
Hamas has demanded concrete guarantees from former and likely returning U.S. President Donald Trump before committing to a final ceasefire agreement that would mark the end of the war in Gaza. Speaking to Egypt’s Al-Qahera
Trump: “Phase one of Gaza peace plan must be completed this week — or mass bloodshed will follow”
US President Donald Trump issued a stark warning, declaring that the first phase of his Gaza peace plan must be completed within this week, or else “mass bloodshed will follow — something no one wants
Friedrich Merz: “Hamas must implement the Trump plan” – Accuses Russia over drone incidents
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has urged Hamas to implement Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza and immediately release the Israeli hostages, arguing that the militant group has now been defeated militarily. He pledged that Germany,
