
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.

Cosco-led Piraeus Port Authority submits revised master plan; worth 800 mln€
A revised master plan by the Cosco-managed Piraeus Port Authority was tabled on Friday for review by a shipping ministry ports committee in the coming period. The revised master plan, which according to the port

Mitsotakis to Observer: Athens will ask for loaning of Parthenon Marbles amid 2021 series of events
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis referred to the “loaning” of the Parthenon Marbles – 14 friezes or metopes – from the British Museum in London to Greece on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of

Greek state collects 1.138 bln€ with 26-week T-bills issue; yield at 0.15%
Demand for a new tranche of 26-week T-bills was slightly down on Wednesday, compared to similar issues over the past few months, with an auction of 875 million euros of paper attracting bids of 1.536

Teenager killed in horrific accident at Greek amusement park
A 14-year-old girl was killed on Friday at a horrific accident in an amusement park near the Greek sea-side city of Volos. The accident happened at the town of Almyros when the teenager fell from

Yiannis Tsarouchis
The years after the First World War had a tremendous political, social and cultural impact on Greece. The end of the war coupled with the Asia Minor Tragedy almost brought Greece to its knees financially

Greek shipping fleet’s transport capacity more than doubles since 2008; global first place retained
The transport capacity of the Greek-controlled fleet multiplied over the 2007-2018 period, according to the Union of Greek Shipowners, which noted that the fleet increased from 170 million dwt to more than 389.68 million dwt

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

Trump signs order banning citizens of 12 countries from entering the US
Nationals from countries including Afghanistan, Haiti and Sudan ‘fully’ restricted as those of seven other countries partially restricted Donald Trump has signed a sweeping order banning travel from 12 countries and restricting travel from seven

Ange Postecoglou realises his impossible dream with Tottenham’s Europa League Triumph
Driven by a lifelong ambition and a relentless will to win, Ange Postecoglou has climbed to the summit of international football, securing his place as one of Australia’s and Greece’s most successful sports figures. Ange

German supply of Taurus missiles to Ukraine could spark World War III
Germany’s decision to supply Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine under direct German control has drawn sharp warnings from geopolitical analysts. These analysts argue German supply of Taurus missiles to Ukraine could spark World War

EU Prosecutor slams Greek intimidation in farm fraud probe
European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi has vowed to press ahead with a major investigation into alleged fraud involving the EU’s substantial agricultural budget in Greece. The EU Prosecutor slams Greek intimidation in farm fraud probe

EU Parliament rebukes Turkey’s involvement in EU defence
Two letters—one from the European Parliament’s Legal Service and another from its President, Roberta Metsola—have shaken the €150 billion SAFE programme for European defence. EU Parliament rebukes Turkey’s involvement in EU defence. The EU Commission

Encroachment by acquisition: Strategic alarm over property purchases in Thrace
Amid rising geopolitical tensions and demographic shifts in Southeast Europe, a growing wave of property acquisitions by Turkish and Bulgarian nationals in Northern Greece, especially in the Evros border region, is raising strategic alarm. This

