
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.

Mothers in Greece Mark World Breastfeeding Week
Hundreds of mothers breastfed their infants in public places in major cities across Greece on Sunday to mark World Breastfeeding Week celebrated throughout the globe. Mothers in Athens, Thessaloniki, Patra, Argos, Nafplio, Messolonghi Nafpaktos and

Albanian journalist says Albania’s PM Rama gave the go-ahead to kill Katsifas
The Albanian Prime Minister’s office gave the go-ahead to kill 35-year-old Greek man Konstantinos Katsifas, with the approval of Turkey, said Albanian journalist Kastriot Miftairi on mainstream television. The execution of Katsifas has cast a

Albanian Police kill Greek who raised Greece’s flag in Northern Epirus
A 35-year-old Greek, named Konstantinos Katsifas, was shot dead by the Albanian special forces near the village Bularat (Vouliarates) in Albania’s northern Epirus region, 6 kilometers (4 miles) from the Greek-Albanian border. According to Albania’s

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

Natassa Bofiliou and Giannis Haroulis front 2026 world tour honouring Theodorakis & Hadjidakis
Hellenic Music Ensemble | World Tour 2026. A tribute to the legendary composers Mikis Theodorakis & Manos Hadjidakis. Natassa Bofiliou and Giannis Haroulis front 2026 world tour honouring Theodorakis & Hadjidakis. Discover the full list

Australia concedes defeat in high-stakes battle to host COP31, handing victory to Turkey
Australia is preparing to concede defeat in its bid to host next year’s major United Nations climate summit, COP31, despite months of lobbying, millions of dollars in preparatory work, and strong public advocacy from senior

Erdogan rejects President Trump’s request to halt imports of Russian gas
The Turkish presidency has dismissed as misinformation claims circulating in some domestic media that “Turkey will halt purchases of Russian natural gas because it has signed an LNG agreement with the United States, and that

Dendias’ stark message on war casualties alarms Europe
A storm has erupted in recent days over Defence Minister Nikos Dendias’ deeply unsettling comments about a supposed shift in Europe’s “culture of sacrifice”. Dendias’ stark message on war casualties alarms Europe and Greece. In

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pledges $1 trillion investment to Trump, open to recognizing Israel
Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler and Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday, promising investments worth $1 trillion in the United States. The unprecedented pledge

Hamas rejects UN Security Council approval of Trump plan for Gaza Force
The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas has rejected a United Nations Security Council decision endorsing a plan by former U.S. President Donald Trump, arguing that it violates Palestinian rights and imposes international trusteeship over the Gaza

