
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.

Attack on Thrace and the Aegean planned by Islamist Erdoğan
Nordic Monitor unveils full invasion plan against Greece – How US and French presence has derailed the offensive. An Attack on Thrace and the Aegean was planned by Islamist Erdoğan. Turkey’s emergency war plans against

Karystianou, “For three minutes, my daughter was alive”
In a powerful statement to the Sunday Times, one of Britain’s leading newspapers, Maria Karystianou expressed her determination to see justice served in the Tempi rail disaster. Karystianou, “For three minutes, my daughter was alive”,

Archbishop’s Easter message calls for the ‘Expulsion of the Turkish invader”
The Easter message of Archbishop George of Cyprus, as translated into Turkish and broadcast by a Turkish Cypriot “news agency,” has drawn sharp criticism from Turkish Cypriot politicians. The Archbishop’s Easter message calls for the

Greece defeats Hungary to win Women’s Water Polo World Cup
Greece defeats Hungary to win Women’s Water Polo World Cup in Chengdu, China, overcoming Hungary 13–9 on Easter Sunday morning. Harry Pavlidis’ side earned their place in the final after a thrilling 15–13 win over

Ancient Greek comes alive: The Active Method gains ground in Greece
In recent years, a growing number of educators and scholars in Greece and abroad have embraced the active method for teaching Ancient Greek, treating it as a living, spoken language rather than merely an academic

The ultimate guide to Greek Orthodox Easter
Greek Easter: A Celebration of Faith, Tradition, and Feasting. The ultimate guide to Greek Orthodox Easter. It’s no secret that Greeks love Easter (“Pascha”). In the Orthodox Christian Church, it’s the most important religious holiday

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

The Middle East on a razor’s edge: Tough bargaining for a ceasefire
International concerns over the escalation of war in the Middle East have peaked as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Israel in a last-ditch diplomatic effort to secure a ceasefire in Gaza. This

Monkeypox: WHO Recommends Vaccination in Affected Areas
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended on Monday that countries affected by the mpox virus (commonly known as monkeypox) initiate vaccination programs, particularly in regions where cases have been reported. The mpox outbreak in the

Sicily shipwreck: Tech tycoon Mike Lynch among the missing
At least one person has died and six others are missing after a luxury yacht was struck by a severe storm and sank off the coast of Palermo, Sicily’s capital. Among the missing is British

159 countries poised to adopt BRICS new payment system
Amid ongoing efforts to create a SWIFT alternative, the BRICS alliance is developing its payment system. This system will play a crucial role in the bloc’s trade, enabling transactions without relying on the US dollar.

German Police to raid homes over sharing non-mainstream content online
The German government has proposed a plan that could allow German Police to raid homes over sharing non-mainstream content online and on social media. According to reports from Der Spiegel and RND, the German Federal

Russian Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant was attacked
It seems the worst has been averted despite a fire in the cooling system of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, caused by another Ukrainian artillery strike. Fortunately, no serious damage or radiation leakage has been

