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.
Recognition of Macedonian language a ‘grave mistake,’ says prominent linguist
Greece committed a “grave mistake” in recognizing the existence of a Macedonian language, prominent linguist and former education minister Georgios Babiniotis said, adding that the clause in the Prespes accord signed between Athens and Skopje
Greek foreign ministry reacts to Erdogan comments on military flights in Aegean
Athens immediately responded on Friday to inflammatory statements a day earlier by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who, among others, said “we (Turkish military) scramble aircraft in the Aegean, as long as the Greeks do
Lack of new framework to protect primary residences blocks disbursement of €970 mln to Greece
Eurozone finance ministers – the Eurogroup venue – on Monday did not approve the disbursement of a 970-million-euro tranche to Greece, a more-or-less expected development linked with a failure to finalize a new legal framework
Mitsotakis to CNN: Greece will be a ‘positive surprise’ in terms of investments in next 2-3 years
Main opposition New Democracy (ND) party leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis stuck to his pro-reform and pro-market message during an interview with CNN on Monday, as he continued a visit to the United States amid opinion polls
British newspaper reveals plans to uncover Athens’ ancient Ilissos river
The British newspaper The Telegraph revealed on Sunday that a Greek urban renewal firm called ”Anaplasis” plans to uncover Athens’ ancient river of Ilissos. Back in October of 2018, a part of the Athenian tram
Greece blasts BBC for report on non existant “Oppressed Macedonian Minority”
Greece’s Ambassador to the UK, Dimitris Karamitsos-Tziras, send a letter of complaint to the BBC on Monday, following a report which spoke of the existence of a “Macedonian minority” in the country. Karamitsos-Tziras said the
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
Erdoğan visits White House with over $50 billion shopping list
For the first time in six years, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is visiting the White House, bringing a series of major deals aimed at restoring the strained relations between Turkey and the United States.
Trump’s U-turn on Ukraine: from concessions to Moscow to full territorial recovery
A fresh shift in Donald Trump’s position on the Ukraine war has been reported by CNN, raising concern across the West and creating unease among allies. The U.S. President, who previously argued that Kyiv should
Mitsotakis at Greek-American community luncheon: Greece returns strongly
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis addressed a luncheon organized by 28 Greek-Australian organizations, highlighting the progress of the Greek economy and the return of young Greeks from abroad. Mitsotakis described it as a “privilege” to
Mitsotakis at UN: Considering a ban on social media for children under 16
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, speaking at the “Protecting Children in the Digital Age” event hosted by Australia during the 80th UN General Assembly in New York, announced that Greece is seriously considering banning social
Christodoulides at UN: harsh rebuke to Erdogan’s “hypocrisy” on Cyprus and peace
Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides delivered a forceful speech at the 80th United Nations General Assembly, directly challenging Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and accusing him of “selective sensitivity and hypocrisy at its peak.” Christodoulides reminded
Albanese at the UN: strong rebuke of ‘Dictators’ and ‘Tyrants’ – direct message to Iran and Russia
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese delivered a forceful first address to the United Nations General Assembly, calling on world leaders to stand firm against “dictators,” “tyrants,” and authoritarian regimes undermining global peace and democracy. In
