
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

Airports brace for busiest day of the year as Easter travel kicks off
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to jam airport queues and crowd roads today ahead of the long Easter weekend. More than 200,000 people are expected to pass through Sydney and Melbourne airports in

Sally Capp to step down as Lord Mayor of Melbourne
Sally Capp has announced she will step down as Lord Mayor of Melbourne after six years in the role. Capp, who was elected in 2018, announced this morning “with mixed emotions” that she would not

Melbourne and Sydney record surge in population
Both Melbourne and Sydney have seen a surge in population growth, according to new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The biggest increase was seen in Melbourne, which jumped by 167,500 people in

Inflation holds steady at 3.4 per cent
Inflation has held stable at 3.4 per cent for the third month in a row, according to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Inflation in the 12 months to February was driven by increases

One in 20 mortgage holders spend more than they earn, says new RBA report
A new Reserve Bank report reveals a worrying trend in Australia, with one in 20 mortgage holders spending more money than they earn. What’s more, tens of thousands of households are at risk of running

Easter trading hours 2024: What major stores will be opened on Good Friday and Easter Saturday, Sunday and Monday?
Easter is upon us again and that means a whole heap of confusion with stores across the country either open, shut or operating at different hours. To make things easier for you around the busy

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

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

The largest natural deposit in the world in Crete
NATURAL GAS worth € 600.000.000.000 An Amazing scientific proven discovery that could mean enormous economic benefits to Greece, a solution to the pension insurance and securing tens/hundreds of thousands of jobs for at least 50

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

Shock and dismay from the UN and EU over terrorist attacks in Moscow, but who was behind it?
The EU is shocked and dismayed by the reports of a terrorist attack in the Crocus City Hall in Moscow. The EU condemns any attacks against civilians. Our thoughts are with all those Russian citizens

World Happiness Report 2024
While the top ten countries remain largely unchanged, there has been much more action in the top twenty Finland has retained its position as the happiest country in the world for the seventh consecutive year,

Putin: Is he now more powerful than ever?
Vladimir Putin wins fifth term as President of Russia with a record percentage Vladimir Putin has secured his fifth term as president of Russia with a record-breaking percentage, amid protests and allegations. What does this

War in Ukraine: from caution to panic, what Macron’s change of heart hides
This is an exceedingly rare and fascinating article in the French magazine Marianne, who got access to “several confidential defense reports” from the French army on the situation in Ukraine: https://marianne.net/monde/europe/guerre-en-ukraine-endurance-russe-echec-de-la-contre-offensive-ce-que-cache-le-virage-de-macron . This explains the

Erdoğan-affiliated party competing in EU polls sparks fears in Germany
A group of Germans with Turkish roots have formed a political group to compete in the European elections, sparking fears it could be a vehicle for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to expand his influence

Irish people vote in a referendum (75%) to defend traditional family
Women’s value in society comes from performing tasks at home, according to the Irish Constitution. DUBLIN – Irish voters after the referendum reject the attempt to rewrite the 1937 Constitution’s view of women and family