
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

Albanese wraps up China visit amid tensions and trade talks
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to conclude his six-day visit to China today, wrapping up a trip marked by high-stakes discussions on trade, national security, and diplomatic relations. His final stop in China takes

German backpacker Carolina Wilga leaves Perth Hospital after surviving outback ordeal
Carolina Wilga, the German backpacker who captivated the world with her survival story after spending 12 harrowing days alone in the Australian outback, has finally left hospital. The 26-year-old was discharged from Fiona Stanley Hospital

Tip-off leads to major 3D-printed gun and drug bust in Melbourne’s south-east
A 30-year-old man has been charged with over 27 serious offences following a major police bust in Melbourne’s south-east, where authorities uncovered a cache of illegal firearms—including 3D-printed weapons—drugs, ammunition, and cash. The investigation was

Anthony Albanese commits to reviewing Australia-China Free Trade Agreement during Beijing visit
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has committed to reviewing Australia’s free trade agreement with China as part of a series of deals signed during his official trade visit to Beijing. The Prime Minister signed six memorandums

Taxi drivers win $271.8 million settlement in landmark Uber case
Thousands of Australian cabbies and hire-car operators to receive compensation after years-long battle against Uber’s disruptive market entry. In a historic legal victory, taxi and hire-car drivers and owners across Australia are set to share

Debate erupts over antisemitism laws as Senator Paterson rejects legislation push
Liberal Senator James Paterson has warned against legislating the definition of antisemitism in Australia, arguing that doing so could jeopardize the nation’s long-standing protections for freedom of speech. His comments follow the release of a

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

PM Mitsotakis announces generous tax cuts incl. properties ENFIA
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has set as his top priority to implement his pre-election program and proceed with taxation cuts as soon as possible. In his policy statement late on Saturday, he announced several tax

PIPES: Kastelorizo: Mediterranean flash point
That Athens controls this wisp of land implies it could (but does not yet) claim an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the Mediterranean Sea extending 200 nautical miles to Kastelorizo. This would reduce the Turkish

EU agrees to sanction turkey for drilling in Cypriot water
A surprisingly muscular response beyond mere threatening rhetoric out of the European Union over Turkey’s violations of Cypriot territorial waters related to offshore drilling operations: the EU has agreed to bring financial and political sanctions

Archaeology Piece of skull found in Greece ‘is oldest human fossil outside Africa’
A broken skull chiselled from a lump of rock in a cave in Greece is the oldest modern human fossil ever found outside Africa, researchers claim. The partial skull was discovered in the Apidima cave

Athens-Piraeus again in ‘top 10’ in terms of global shipping hubs
The Athens-Piraeus area has returned to the world’s top 10 shipping hubs, according to a recent study by Baltic Exchange. The Greek capital bumped Korea’s Pusan from the “top 10” list, while Singapore remained first,

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake in Kozani, Northern Greece
According to the Geodynamic Institute of the National Observatory of Athens, the epicenter of the quake was located 8 klm south of Kozani, in northern Greece. The earthquake struck at 13:50 on Sunday with a

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

US, Britain, Ukraine behind Crocus City Hall attack — FSB chief
The United States, Britain, and Ukraine are behind the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall, the chief of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) Alexander Bortnikov has told the media. “We believe that this is true.

Netanyahu: The cancellation of the Israeli delegation’s visit to the United States sends a message to Hamas
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu justified the cancellation of the scheduled visit of a high-level Israeli delegation to the United States, noting that he wanted to send a message to Hamas. Netanyahu’s office stated that

Baltimore: Francis Scott Key Bridge collapses – 6 presumed dead
via the Associated Press A cargo ship lost power and rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, destroying the span in a matter of seconds and plunging it into the river in a

Moscow terror attack a blow to Putin, who promised Russia security
Barely a week since Vladimir Putin secured his fifth presidential term, Russia has been plunged into carnage and disarray. The appalling attack on the vast Crocus City Hall concert venue and shopping complex near Moscow,

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,