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.
50% of waste in Greece’s seas consists of plastic bags & bottles, aluminum cans
Fifty percent of waste found into Greek seas are plastic bags, plastic bottles and aluminum cans for beer and soft drinks, Professor Giorgos Papatheodorou of the Marine Geology and Natural Oceanography Laboratory at Patras University
Speculation of price hikes for Greeks’ beloved souvlaki/gyros causes outcry, social media frenzy
The recent international rally in meat prices, emanating from the devastating effects of African swine fever disease in China – the world’s biggest producer and consumer of pork – has touched a “raw nerve” in
More than 300,000 ancient treasures unearthed during metro digging in Thessaloniki
Metro digging in Thessaloniki, Northern Greece, has unearthed an extraordinary treasure trove of more than 300,000 ancient artefacts, from gold wreaths and rings to statues of the goddess Aphrodite. The construction of a metro network
Ancient Greek migrants built the famous Stonehenge, DNA reveals
Britons who built the famous Stonehenge were product of ancient wave of migrant farmers, that is of Greeks from Asia Minor, DNA tests have revealed. Ancient skeletons have revealed that the arrival of population from
First two PPC orders for LNG approved for July
State-run Public Power Corp. (PPC) is ready to place its first-ever orders for liquefied natural gas (LNG) over the summer from the Revythoussa isle terminal off Piraeus, a move aimed to reduce power generation costs.
Bill protecting unlicensed buildings on beaches revised
A controversial draft bill that has been widely criticized as giving the green light to illegal construction on the country’s coasts has been revised by the government and resubmitted to Parliament. The bill that was
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
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,
USA: Government considering minting coin featuring Donald Trump
The U.S. government is reportedly considering the possibility of minting commemorative coins bearing the image of Donald Trump. The initiative is linked to the upcoming celebration of the 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026.
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
20-year prison sentence for UK father who fatally beat his 14-day-old baby
A 27-year-old man in the United Kingdom has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the brutal killing of his 14-day-old son, in what the court described as an “exceptionally violent” act. The baby’s
Hamas expected to respond positively to Trump’s Gaza plan – seeks key modifications
Hamas is reportedly preparing to respond positively to U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal for ending the war in Gaza, while submitting a series of requested changes, particularly concerning Israel’s withdrawal and the group’s disarmament, according
Hamas accepts Trump plan: Agrees to release hostages and hand over Gaza governance
Hamas has officially submitted its response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza, signalling a major shift in the ongoing negotiations to end the conflict. According to reports by Al Jazeera and later confirmed
