
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

Victorian Premier Dan Andrews resigns
Premier Andrews has resigned abruptly, stepping down from his role effective 5 pm Wednesday. Having recently surpassed John Cain Jr. as the longest-serving Labor Premier in Victoria’s history in April 2023, Andrews’ decision was celebrated

America’s “unique” relationship with Australia?
The enthusiasm of the members of Albanese’s staff seems to have run away with them. They declared that ‘the Australian-United States relationship is unique in scale, scope and significance reflecting more than 100 years of

A rethink of Australia’s national security
Sam Roggeveen’s basic storyline in The Echidna Strategy – that the China threat is grossly exaggerated, and that Australia should not, and need not, rely on America for our security protection – is causing predictable

Are earthquakes becoming more common in Melbourne?
Approximately 7,000 Victorians were alarmed by tremors at about 1:32am this morning as a magnitude 4.6 earthquake hit 127km east of Melbourne, near Rawson. Victoria has been hit by several quakes recently, including three in

This outrageously expensive subs deal simply caters to the US. Again
In one week the government’s justification for needing outrageously expensive nuclear submarines has shifted from defending the continent to the old 1960s forward defence policy in Asia which lured us into Vietnam – with all

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

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

Greece resumes migrants deportations to Turkey
Greece says it is restarting deportations of migrants to Turkey in an effort to deal with the increasing number of illegal crossings in recent weeks, the Associated Press reported on Friday. The number of migrants

France to briefly return Parthenon metope to Greece on occasion of 2021 events
France will reportedly loan a frieze from the Parthenon, displayed today at the Louvre, to Greece on the occasion of events and comme-morations in 2021, the 200th anniversary of the beginning of the Greek War

Samos: Tourists and locals evacuated as forest fire is ranging
A big forest fire is raging on the island of Samos and authorities have ordered the evacuation of two hotels as well residents of the area of Mesokampos near Pythagorio. The fire broke out in

Unaccompanied teen migrant accused of fatally stabbing compatriot at Lesvos ‘hotspot’
A minor from Afghanistan, reported as being roughly 15-years-old, was arrested at a “hotspot” on the eastern Aegean island of Lesvos (Mytilene) overnight after he allegedly fatally stabbed a compatriot, also identified as a teenager.

First corporate-business tax cut ‘fixed’, according to Greek PM Mitsotakis
Another highlight from Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ wide-ranging interview to “Le Figaro” this week was an announcement that the first reduction in the corporate tax rate, from 28 to 24 percent, for 2019 profits has

Fotis Kontoglou
In 330 AD the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, also known as Constantine I, moved the seat of the Roman Empire to Constantinople, a city known previously as Byzantium, strategically located on main trade route

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

Who owns the lands of Ukraine for 2024
In 2021, the law on the sale of land came into force in Ukraine. As the Australian National Review neatly reported, “companies from the United States have used the new legislation to make massive investments

You can’t keep the Parthenon Sculptures
Greece can respond to the UK in a tough way if necessary! The recent diplomatic conflict between Greece and the UK over the Parthenon Sculptures (Parthenon Marbles), was ignited by the decision of UK Prime

EU Parliament: Greek and Cypriots voted to override the veto of Member States
The European Parliament adopted on Wednesday 22 November a resolution aimed at amending the EU treaties, abolishing the veto of Member States and giving more power to the EU institutions. Greek and Cypriots voted to

EU’s Ylva Johansson Illegal Immigrant Duplicity
When TURKEY ships “refugees” to Russia and you find them on Finnish borders it’s about EU borders! When Turkish MIT pushes ILLEGAL immigrants on Greek borders, islands, and Greek waters the deterrence is called “pushback”

Turkey’s hypocrisy on full display in Germany
The Berlin meeting between Turkey’s President Erdogan and Germany’s Chancellor Scholz was a show highlighting Turkey’s hypocrisy on full display in Germany. Turkey’s President Erdogan repeatedly belittled and provoked his host, Germany’s Chancellor Scholz, with

What exactly is a ceasefire, and why is it so difficult to agree on one in Gaza?
Marika Sosnowski – via The Conversation Barely a week after Hamas’ attack on Israeli soldiers and civilians on October 7 and the subsequent airstrikes by the Israeli Defence Force on the Gaza Strip, talk of