
Australian meth, cocaine, MDMA, and heroin use jumps 34% in one year
Australians consumed 34 per cent more methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and MDMA in 2024 compared to the previous year, according to the latest National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program. The survey found that 22.2 tonnes of these

Positive response to proposed changes on children’s online privacy
In a bid to bolster privacy protections, Australia’s Minister for Justice, Mark Dreyfus, has introduced a proposal for a children’s online privacy code. This initiative aims to impose strict regulations on how personal data of

Government and opposition reach landmark agreement on aged care reforms
Australia’s aged care system is set to undergo major reforms, following a historic agreement between the federal government and the opposition. After months of negotiations, a consensus was finally reached, ensuring the sustainability and quality

69-year-old man died after waiting 4 hours for an ambulance
A 69-year-old man in Melbourne’s east has died after waiting four hours for an ambulance due to severe shortages at Ambulance Victoria. The delays were caused by 50 ambulances being out of service due to

Top engineers call for data and solutions for unsafe water in remote Indigenous communities
An explainer released today on the 17th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) outlines the ongoing challenges to providing

Australia to set a minimum age for social media use
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese yesterday announced a landmark move to establish minimum age requirements for social media use, with the aim of protecting children from the mental and physical health risks associated with these platforms.

Gas stoves can remain
Victorians can keep using gas stoves in their kitchens for as long as they want because the Allan government has removed them from the net zero plan. New laws will be proposed to state parliament

Wildfires rage across western Greece and the islands, devastating homes and forests
In the past 24 hours, 48 new fires broke out, bringing the total to 109 incidents since the outbreak began. For a second consecutive day, firefighters battled relentless wildfires across Western Greece and several Aegean islands, as authorities reported a record number of fires sweeping through the country. The most

Mitsotakis pushes for EU action on Libya migration route and defence funding
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, speaking after the conclusion of the EU Summit, called for urgent action to address a new irregular migration route emerging from Eastern Libya to Crete. “We will use every means

Karamanlis Inquiry: Fast-tracked parliamentary probe sparks political backlash
The Hellenic Parliament’s special inquiry committee into former Transport Minister Kostas Karamanlis opened its first session today under accusations of political orchestration, as the government appears determined to fast-track the process surrounding the deadly Tempi

Wildfire disaster in Chios: Tens of thousands of acres burned as blaze continues to rage
Chios is currently experiencing one of the most severe environmental disasters in recent Greek history. For the third consecutive day, an uncontrollable wildfire has scorched vast swathes of the island, with more than 30,000 hectares

Tensions flare with Libya over offshore licensing south of Crete
An unexpected complication has emerged ahead of Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis’ planned visit to Libya, where he was due to hold meetings in both Tripoli and Benghazi. Tensions flare with Libya over offshore licensing

Petro-Loukas Chalkias: The great clarinet virtuoso dies at the age of 90
Petro-Loukas Chalkias was the patriarch of the Epirus clarinet, an authentic representative of the musical soul of Epirus, who honoured his homeland and Greece as a whole with his career and artistry. Through his unique

Greek debt is a ticking time bomb as the Government’s fake stability unravels
Beneath the public relations gloss, the Financial Times has issued a stark warning to investors and potential buyers of Greek debt: Greek debt is a ticking time bomb as the Government’s fake stability unravels and

August 15: Melbourne honours the “Easter of Summer” with splendor and devotion
August 15, the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, is one of the most important celebrations of Orthodoxy and is observed with deep emotion both in Greece and in Greek communities around the world. In Melbourne, celebrations began early in the morning, with the faithful filling churches to honor

Are Turkish Cypriots Done with Ankara?
For the Turks, Turkey is the homeland and Cyprus is the “baby homeland.” In January 2018, several thousand Turkish Cypriots marched against what they said was Turkey’s unwanted influence that has emboldened hard-right groups to

Coronavirus Panic Goes Global: S.Korea Warns of “Watershed Moment”
78,000 cases confirmed, as Italy and Iran scramble to contain major outbreaks. The world is fast approaching a tipping point in the spread of the coronavirus, according to experts, who warn that the disease is

UN to post EEZ maps of Libya, Turkey deal
Athens is bracing for the United Nations’ Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea to post the geographical coordinates outlined in the maritime border agreement signed by Turkey and the Tripoli-based government

Partners with Cyprus in joint Anti-Aircraft defense exercise
France partnered with the Republic of Cyprus in testing its anti-aircraft defense capabilities in a joint military exercise which was conducted across the free territories of the Republic on Monday. Numerous French ”Rafale” fighter jets

Greece – the clearance sale of military bases to the United States
The United States have profited cleverly from Greece’s financial problems in order to force them to sign a contract which would enable the USA to block the ocean passage from the Black Sea to Russia.

A Most Convenient Virus
I prefer to write on things I know about, but once in a while an opportunity presents itself for me to comment on some aspect of widespread mistrust and confusion while resting on a solid