
Trump Turns Up the Heat: Australia Pressured to Boost Defence Spending or Face Trade Penalties
The Trump administration is putting mounting pressure on Australia to drastically increase its defence spending, aligning with NATO’s new benchmark of 5% of GDP. While NATO allies recently accepted this demand, Australia is resisting calls

Regular cannabis use now more accepted by Australians than smoking tobacco, study finds
Source: The Guardian Regular cannabis use has become more accepted than smoking tobacco, the latest National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS) has found. The 2019 data, compiled by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

Telstra moves call centres back to Australia after customers made their preference ‘loud and clear’
Source: 9news Telstra has moved all its call centres that service Australian customers and small businesses back to Australian shores to appease its customers. Telstra CEO Andy Penn has announced the move today, saying it

Cybersafety expert’s alarm over Snapchat’s new precise location feature: ‘Literally shows where you sleep at night’
Source: 9news Sometimes it feels like a full-time job keeping our children safe from online predators. So the last thing we need is technology making the job even harder. But a new feature on the

NASA successfully launches its first rocket from newly created Arnhem Space Centre
Source: ABCnews NASA has successfully launched its first rocket from Australian soil in more than a quarter of a century. After rain and wind delayed the launch by more than an hour, the suborbital sounding rocket took

16 hours from Australia to Greece may become a reality with Qantas
Source: Greekcitytimes Qantas has launched direct flights between Australia and Europe with non-stop routes becoming available between Perth to Rome. The new route will be the only direct flight between Australia and continental Europe offered

Australia’s bulk billing clinics are not covered by Medicare subsidies, doctors say
Doctors warn that regional areas will soon be left with few bulk-billing practices if Medicare subsidies for general practitioners are not increased. An increasing number of practices in Australia have stopped using bulk billing in

Athens fires back at Ankara over East Med dispute: “Turkey cannot lecture others on International Law”
Greece has issued a stern diplomatic response to fresh accusations from Turkey regarding its stance on the controversial Turkey-Libya maritime agreement. The Greek Foreign Ministry, through diplomatic sources, denounced Turkey’s latest comments as “incompatible with international law and good neighborly relations.” The dispute was reignited after Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson

Turkey’s vessels south of Crete? “We’ll consider all scenarios,” warns Greek Ministry of Defense
“If Turkey violates our sovereignty, we will consider all scenarios”, Greek Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos said on Friday. “We are not warmongers but we will react if deemed necessary,” he added. The threats come just

Cyber-attacks against handful of Greek govt websites
A handful of Greek government and state websites were targets of hackers on Friday evening, with Turkish media reports claiming the cyber-attacks emanated from Turkey. A Facebook page, claiming to represent Turkish “hackers”, said the

The strong symbolism of the Sakellaropoulou nomination
The Prime Minister’s decision to nominate Ekaterini Sakellaropoulou to serve as President of the Hellenic Republic did not startle those in the know. For months most had known that Mr. Mitsotakis had singled out the

Man jailed for 11 months after Greek police mistake baking flour for drugs
A Scopian citizen spent 11 months in a Greek jail suspected of drug trafficking after Greek police mistook a bag of baking flour he was carrying for heroin. The incredible story of the 38-year-old resident

Hundreds of Santas take part in Athens run 2019
Hundreds of people dressed in Santa Claus costumes took part on Sunday in a special 3-kilometer charity run in the center of Athens. This merry tradition returned to the streets of Athens for the sixth

Greek Christmas Question: Melomakarona or Kourabiedes?
This is the eternal Christmas question Greeks are challenged with every year: the traditional to-die-for Greek sweets during the festive days: Melomakarona or Kourabiedes? Melomakarona are egg-shaped calorie-bombs. They are soft and soaked in syrup

Senior Hamas leader killed in Israeli airstrike
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have announced the killing of a founding member of Hamas and one of the chief architects of the October 7 massacre during a targeted airstrike in the Gaza Strip. Hakeem al-Issa, who served as Chief of the Combat and Logistics Support Unit within the military

Trump signs order banning citizens of 12 countries from entering the US
Nationals from countries including Afghanistan, Haiti and Sudan ‘fully’ restricted as those of seven other countries partially restricted Donald Trump has signed a sweeping order banning travel from 12 countries and restricting travel from seven

Ange Postecoglou realises his impossible dream with Tottenham’s Europa League Triumph
Driven by a lifelong ambition and a relentless will to win, Ange Postecoglou has climbed to the summit of international football, securing his place as one of Australia’s and Greece’s most successful sports figures. Ange

German supply of Taurus missiles to Ukraine could spark World War III
Germany’s decision to supply Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine under direct German control has drawn sharp warnings from geopolitical analysts. These analysts argue German supply of Taurus missiles to Ukraine could spark World War

EU Prosecutor slams Greek intimidation in farm fraud probe
European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi has vowed to press ahead with a major investigation into alleged fraud involving the EU’s substantial agricultural budget in Greece. The EU Prosecutor slams Greek intimidation in farm fraud probe

EU Parliament rebukes Turkey’s involvement in EU defence
Two letters—one from the European Parliament’s Legal Service and another from its President, Roberta Metsola—have shaken the €150 billion SAFE programme for European defence. EU Parliament rebukes Turkey’s involvement in EU defence. The EU Commission

Encroachment by acquisition: Strategic alarm over property purchases in Thrace
Amid rising geopolitical tensions and demographic shifts in Southeast Europe, a growing wave of property acquisitions by Turkish and Bulgarian nationals in Northern Greece, especially in the Evros border region, is raising strategic alarm. This