
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.

Mitsotakis at Greek-American community luncheon: Greece returns strongly
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis addressed a luncheon organized by 28 Greek-Australian organizations, highlighting the progress of the Greek economy and the return of young Greeks from abroad. Mitsotakis described it as a “privilege” to

Mitsotakis at UN: Considering a ban on social media for children under 16
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, speaking at the “Protecting Children in the Digital Age” event hosted by Australia during the 80th UN General Assembly in New York, announced that Greece is seriously considering banning social

Mitsotakis–Erdogan meeting in New York likely to be cancelled – “Extremely difficult,” Greek government sources say
The scheduled meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in New York appears to be heading toward cancellation. According to a senior government source, holding the meeting now seems

Metron Analysis poll: New Democracy leads, opposition fragmented
A new Metron Analysis poll for Mega shows New Democracy holding a 14.6-point lead over PASOK, which shows a slight increase since June. SYRIZA remains in sixth place with 6.2%, while KKE records a small

Mitsotakis–Erdogan meeting confirmed for September 23 in New York
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are expected to meet on September 23 in New York during the UN General Assembly. Government sources indicate the meeting will likely take place

NATO backs Turkey’s entry into SAFE, double veto from Cyprus and Greece
The safeguards imposed by the European Union regarding the participation of third countries in the SAFE defence programme act as an obstacle to Turkey’s involvement. NATO backs Turkey’s entry into SAFE, double veto from Cyprus

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

Greek mercenary ‘Zeus,’ who murdered Russian prisoners, was eliminated
“Shocking news from the Russian media about the extermination of the Greek mercenary ‘Zeus,’ who murdered Russian prisoners, was eliminated. Tasos Antonakos, known by the nickname ‘Zeus’. Antonakos, who was allegedly involved in massacres of

Analysis of world population in 2023: India in first place and age trends
According to the latest UN estimates, the world population in 2023 will be 8.04 billion people. India is the country with the largest population with 1.43 billion, followed by China with 1.42 billion and the

UK election: a new chapter for the country – what Labour will really change
Labour’s historic victory in the UK election was underlined by the exit poll, which showed that Kir Starmers’ party won 410 seats in the House of Commons, while Rissy Shunak’s Conservative Party won 131 seats,

The impending surge of Marine Le Pen in France
Examining the momentum behind Le Pen’s National Rally Marine Le Pen and her National Rally movement have emerged as the leading force in the European elections this year and appear poised to also secure victory

Which is the best city in the world to live in?
How do you measure the sustainability of a country? The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has come up with a formula to help companies calculate the level of difficulty in different cities when relocating their staff.

The 10 cities with the world’s highest fines for offending drivers
Today, traffic offences are commonplace in the world’s major cities, but the penalties imposed vary greatly from city to city. Some cities are stricter than others, and offending drivers can expect to pay hefty fines

