
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

RBA keeps cash rate at 4.35%
The cash rate will remain at 4.35% following the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) March monetary policy meeting. The decision was largely expected, as the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data showed annual trimmed mean

$216 Billion: The cost of Victoria’s Suburban Rail Loop
The cost of building and operating the Allan Government’s new underground rail loop through Melbourne’s city centre, which will take five decades to build, has soared to $216 billion, according to an independent study. Estimates

Using Super for home deposits would inflate property prices by $75,000, study claims
A recent study suggests that a Coalition proposal allowing first-time homeowners to use their super for a house deposit could lead to a significant surge in prices, potentially raising property values by nearly $75,000 across

Australian PM is the first Western leader referred to ICC as ‘Accessory to Genocide in Gaza’
More than 100 lawyers endorsed the referral, which points to the military, intelligence, and rhetorical support Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has provided to the Israeli government. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, along with several Western

The Help to Buy scheme will help but it won’t solve the housing crisis
Brendan Coates – via The Conversation The federal government’s Help to Buy scheme is before the parliament. Both the Coalition and the Greens are opposed to it. If the bill is passed, the government will

By establishing a dedicated whistle-blowing body, Labor can prove its integrity credentials
Without the support of a whistleblower protection authority, too many whistleblowers remain silent, to the detriment of our democracy. Imagine finding something amiss at work: irregularities in project numbers as a public servant or discovering

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

Moody’s: Thomas Cook liquidation is “credit negative” for Greek, Cypriot banks
The collapse of British tour operator Thomas Cook is “credit negative” for Greek and Cypriot banks, because it reduces the cash flow of businesses in the tourism sectors of these countries, ratings agency Moody’s said

PM Mitsotakis: By 2023 Greeks living abroad will be able to vote per post
“By 2023 you will finally be able to vote from your permanent place of residence,” Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, told the Greek-American community of Astoria during his visit to New York. One of the key

Gold mask, bronze helmets uncovered at ancient cemetery of Macedonian warriors
Archaeologists in northern Greece have uncovered a gold mask and bronze helmets from a vast ancient cemetery at Ahlada, near the town of Florina. In a statement Friday, the Culture Ministry said the most impressive

Archaeological Museum of Athens to host events on Antikythera Mechanism and the Moon
The National Archaeological Museum of Athens announced on Thursday that a total of four presentations on the Antikythera Mechanism and the understanding ancient Greeks had of the moon will be held in September, October, and

Greece to push for action on protecting cultural heritage at UN climate summit
Greece will present a proposal for coordinated action to protect cultural and natural heritage from the impact of climate change on Monday at the UN Climate Action Summit, taking place in New York City. Greek

Council of State rules “religion courses in schools only for Greek-Orthodox students”
`The Council of State ruled on Friday that religion courses in primary and secondary education schools are exclusively “Greek-Orthodox.” The ruling cancels the previous content of religious books as it was decided by SYRIZA Education

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

Tim Walz: Veteran military man chosen by Kamala Harris as Vice Presidential candidate
Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, has selected Tim Walz as her vice-presidential running mate, a decision that surprised some observers. At 60, Walz has held various roles as a former teacher, coach, and military

“Drums of war” in the Middle East: Awaiting Iran’s retaliation – Israel on high alert
The Middle East appears ready to explode as the war atmosphere intensifies just hours after the U.S. declared that Tehran might attack Israel within the next 24 hours. All eyes are on Iran and the

Stock markets around the world are crashing right now, but why?
The answer to this question is the Yen carry trade, a term you’ll probably hear many times this week. So what exactly is the Yen carry trade and why did it cause a market downturn?

Japan’s Nikkei is down 12%, the largest drop ever
Japan’s Nikkei is down 12%, the largest point ever, as fears of a US recession shook global markets. The Topix index erased its yearly gains, experiencing its steepest sell-off since “Black Monday” in October 1987.

Will Turkey attack NATO with American ships?
President Joe Biden pushed through his sale of F-16s and upgrade kits to Turkey on the logic that the deal was necessary to get Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to drop his objection to Sweden

Australia’s preeminent strategic thinkers: The era of Anglo-Saxon dominance in the Pacific is ending
This might be the most compelling and influential argument against AUKUS, particularly because it comes from one of Australia’s foremost strategic thinkers: Hugh White, the inaugural Director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) and