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.
Meet the young greek scientist to become the first Greek Astronaut
A young scientist who is currently attending a space simulation facility at Hawaii’s Mauna Loa volcano spoke of his dream to become the first Greek astronaut. Avgoustos Pantazidis takes great pride from the fact that
30 Ancient ‘curse tablets’ discovered in excavated well, in Athens’ Kerameikos site
Thirty ancient Greek tablets, featuring curses in the form of invocations to the gods of the underworld, dated some 2,500 years ago, were recently discovered at the bottom of a well in the Kerameikos archaeological
Tesla €70 million project of “electric highway” through Greece
US electric vehicles pioneer Tesla wants to include Greece into Europe’s “electric highway.” The company of Elon Musk has reportedly already included significant part of the Greek national roads into a developing mega project involving
Two Greeks in quarantine in Athens hospital after returning from Wuhan
Two Greeks are in quarantine in a hospital in Athens after they arrived from the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the coronavirus broke out and has claimed so far the lives of more than 800
Gas Wars in the Mediterranean
The unexpected alliance between Turkey and Libya is a geopolitical earthquake that changes the balance of power in the eastern Mediterranean and across the Middle East. Turkey’s audacious move has enraged its rivals in the
Asylum seekers to get social security number in Greece in apparent policy U-turn
Five key Greek ministries on Monday decided that the country will re-introduce the practice of granting a social security number to all migrants who have applied for asylum in Greece, something that the current conservative
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
Putin’s 702 decree caused outrage in the West
As reported by journalists from China, Russian President Vladimir Putin caused outrage in the West with a new surprise decree. Relations between Russia and the West have reached their lowest point since the collapse of
Why was Telegram’s Pavel Durov effectively kidnapped at Paris Airport?
Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, was arrested in France today on various charges. Telegram has been a key platform for sharing information about the Israeli actions in Gaza, with thousands of videos
Winners and losers in global commodities this year
The global commodities market has experienced significant volatility this year, with prices generally remaining elevated across various sectors. The first half of the year saw orange juice and cocoa prices reach record highs, while crude
WHO reassures: Mpox is not the new COVID – We know how to control its spread
A World Health Organization (WHO) official emphasized today that Mpox, whether it’s the new or old strain of the disease, is not the new COVID-19, as health authorities have the knowledge to control its spread.
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
