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.
Tempi Tragedy: Plakias’ fury over Mitsotakis’ speech
“I did not bring my children into the world to be sacrificed like Iphigenia.” Tempi Tragedy: Plakias’ fury over Mitsotakis’ speech The speech delivered by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Parliament during the pre-agenda debate
Tempi Tragedy pushes Mitsotakis towards early elections
Public demand for justice, transparency, and accountability in the Tempi Tragedy pushes Mitsotakis towards early elections. Growing louder, public demand is expected to be voiced so powerfully during the upcoming demonstrations that it will be
Australia joins global outcry for Tempi tragedy anniversary
As Greece and Australia prepare for protests on February 28, marking the second anniversary of the tragic train collision in Tempi that claimed 57 lives. Australia joins global outcry for Tempi tragedy anniversary as mounting
Tempi Tragedy: Message of solidarity from the Association of Bereaved Families of the Mati Fire
“We once again express our deepest solidarity to the families of the deceased and the injured, sincerely hoping that the truth will be revealed and justice will be served for the victims, so that the
Musk’s DOGE cancels $25K LGBTQ, refugee funds in Greece
The US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an agency led by Elon Musk tasked with reducing government expenditure. Musk’s DOGE cancels $25K LGBTQ, refugee funds in Greece. Announced on X that it has cancelled a
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
New Zealand: 200,000 children and adults abused in public and religious care facilities
Around 200,000 children, young people and vulnerable adults in New Zealand have suffered abuse or violence in public and religious care settings over the past 70 years, according to official research published on Wednesday (24/7).
The world’s most powerful passports for 2024 so far
What’s red on the outside, purple on the inside, and grants you access to 195 destinations around the world visa-free? It’s the Singapore passport, and it’s just been named the world’s most powerful travel document
The head of the secret services resigned over Trump’s failed assassination attempt
On Tuesday, July 23, Kimberly Chitle announced her resignation as head of the Secret Service, admitting mistakes in operations on the day of Donald Trump’s assassination attempt by shooting during a speech. “We failed,” Chitle
Democrats rally around Kamala Harris – She secured enough support for the nomination
Kamala Harris has secured the support of a sufficient number of delegates at the Democratic Party convention – at least 1,967 – to be held in Chicago in August, and is now considered a lock
Microsoft outage leaves Russia and China largely untouched
An IT issue caused by a faulty update began wreaking havoc with Windows machines worldwide early Friday morning, knocking companies and banks offline and grounding planes at various airports. An update from cybersecurity provider CrowdStrike
Joe Biden pulls out of US presidential race, endorses Kamala Harris to take on Donald Trump
In a historic and unexpected turn of events, President Joe Biden has announced his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic nominee. The decision, which Biden described
