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
Black Saturday fires commemoration highlights kindness and recovery
The Black Saturday bushfires, which claimed the lives of 173 people on February 7, 2009 brought out the very best in people, giving victims the strength they needed to begin the process of recovery, a
Police investigation underway after toddler found dead in car on sweltering day
A 22-month-old boy, who could not be revived, was found inside a car in Sydney’s west on a sweltering day after family noticed he wasn’t in their house. Police are investigating whether a toddler died
Greek Community executive members meet Minister Mikakos
In a spirit of cooperation and noting historical support from minister Mikakos and the Andrews Labor Government, President Bill Papastergiadis, together with the Secretary of the Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM), Costas Markos, met with
Small business asset tax break extended
The instant asset write-off for small businesses will be extended to June 30, 2020 and lifted to cover purchases of up to $25,000. Small businesses will get an extra tax break with the Morrison government
Ministers leaving for personal reasons: PM
Scott Morrison says characterising ministerial resignations as rats leaving a sinking ship is offensive, despite the coalition struggling in opinion polls. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has bristled at suggestions an exodus of coalition frontbenchers ahead
‘Absolute waste’: NSW residents shocked over scale of second wave of fish deaths
Residents in the NSW town of Menindee have expressed shock at the scale of the latest mass fish death, calling it “an absolute waste”. Locals have woken up to a thick blanket of dead fish
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.
Golden Dawn ballots destroyed with antiseptic by unknown perpetrators
Unknown perpetrators have destroyed the whole load of municipality elections ballots of the far-right party Golden Dawn in the suburb of Kallithea, south Athens. The perpetrators used antiseptic Bedatine that soaked into the 92,000 ballot
The dilemma of the elections
This year European Parliament and local elections are neither simple nor commonplace. Their crucial nature is patently obvious. They are considered and indeed are a dress rehearsal for the upcoming parliamentary election, which has not
Lanterns to commemorate 100 years from the Pontic Greeks Genocide
Pontic Greeks in Thessaloniki let 100 lanterns high into the night sky in order to commemorate the Genocide of Pontic Greeks first by the Young Turks and then by Kemalist forces. May 19th commemorates the
Greece refutes Turkish claims on status of Aegean Islands
The Greek foreign ministry late on Sunday strongly refuted a claim by its Turkish counterpart that Greece does not respect the demilitarized status of the islands in the eastern Aegean Sea. Earlier Sunday, Turkish Foreign
Historic decision made to rebuild Part of the Parthenon
The Greek Central Archaeological Council (KAS) decided on Wednesday that a part of the Parthenon, now in ruins on the Athens Acropolis, is to be rebuilt using mostly materials which are now lying on the
Venezuela – another failed coup attempt – What’s next?
In the early morning hours of 30 April, 2019, the self-declare “Interim President”, Juan Guaidó, launched what at first sight appeared to be a military coup – Guaidó calls it “Operation Freedom” (sounds very much
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
Australia at centre of AUKUS push as UK and US call for faster delivery and greater burden sharing
Australia has been thrust firmly into the spotlight of the AUKUS security pact, with both the United Kingdom and United States urging Canberra to accelerate its commitments and take on a greater share of the
Germany: Record number of bankruptcies for businesses and individuals
Germany is experiencing its highest number of bankruptcies since 2014, with experts warning that the peak of the crisis “has not yet been reached.” According to the credit rating agency Creditreform, approximately 23,900 companies will
Hamas signals openness to “freezing or storing” weapons as talks enter difficult second phase
Hamas has indicated it is willing to discuss the “freezing or storing” of its weapons arsenal as part of the emerging ceasefire framework with Israel, according to senior official Bassem Naim, who spoke to the
Modi welcomes Putin with full honours in New Delhi
Russian President Vladimir Putin received a ceremonial welcome in India on Friday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosting him in a display designed to highlight the deep and enduring ties between the two nations. Putin
Deported neo-Nazi protester arrives in South Africa after visa cancellation
A South African national who took part in a widely condemned neo-Nazi demonstration in Sydney has arrived back in Johannesburg after being deported by Australian authorities. Matthew Gruter, 35, was removed from the country following
Europe’s fear isn’t of Russia, it’s of itself
Europe’s fear isn’t of Russia, it’s of itself. The Guardian splashed its front page with the usual hysteria, hoping readers wouldn’t notice the one line that undercut the entire narrative: “We are not planning to
