Australia’s productivity collapses to zero amid weak investment and population surge
Australia’s labour productivity has effectively stalled, with new analysis showing growth has collapsed to zero, placing the country near the bottom of advanced economies since the COVID-19 pandemic. According to an OECD assessment cited in
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
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
PULS missile system paves the way for Greece’s “Achilles Shield” as defence cooperation with Israel and UAE deepens
Greece is moving decisively to strengthen its military deterrence, following parliamentary approval for the acquisition of the Israeli-made PULS multiple rocket launcher system, a key component of the country’s planned multi-layered air and missile defence architecture known as the “Achilles Shield”. The Special Standing Committee on Armaments Programs of the
VirtualDIVER: Innovative platform for underwater experience around Santorini
The innovative platform VirtualDIVER for virtual underwater experiences targeting the cultural and tourism industries has been developed in cooperation of Greek academics and private companies. VirtualDIVER will allow people to “travel” and “explore” the magical
Athens unveils its first electric bus
An electric bus built by Chinese automobile manufacturer BYD, which is silent and boasts of having no environmental footprint whatsoever, was presented for the first time in Athens on Tuesday. The BYD bus is 100%
Increase of households with Greek flag on their balconies
An impressive increase of households with the Greek flag on thier balcony has been recorded after the signing of the Prespes Agreement between Greece and North Macedonia and its adoption by the Parliament. This is
Mr. Tsipras’ twists and turns
Those who have closely followed the evolution of SYRIZA and Alexis Tsipras since they rose to power are aware of their constant Ovidian metamorphoses over many years. SYRIZA started off in 2008 as a basically
How the Aphrodite of Milos statue shaped the Western idea of female beauty
The statue of Aphrodite of Milos, which was discovered on April 8, 1820, changed western culture in the 19th century, creating a certain ambivalence about the idea of female beauty. Aphrodite – the goddess of
Sitia under water after torrential rains strike East Crete
Homes and businesses flooded, agricultural land was covered by water and mud and the city of Sitia in Lasithi Prefecture on the island of Crete turned into a huge lake following huge volume of rainwater
Robert Fico confronts Brussels, claiming EU has abandoned democracy
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has crossed a line Brussels hoped no European leader would openly cross — and he has done so publicly. In a sweeping and highly confrontational statement, Fico accused the European Union of suppressing free speech, manipulating democratic processes, enforcing double standards on energy policy, and
Are you ready for a worse dystopia than 1984?
It has been a lonely concern with the dire economic implications of robotics, but now Clarity Press has provided us with some company by publishing The Artificial Intelligence Contagion by David Barnhizer and Daniel Barnhizer.
Elderly member of Greek minority found murdered on Turkish island of Imvros
An elderly Greek man was found dead and tortured on the Turkish island of Imvros that is home of a small Greek community. 86-year-old Zafiris Ignaris (Piyanari) was found on Monday night. He was tied
Barnier: EU ready to respond to Turkish provocations
Michel Barnier, the European Union’s chief negotiator for Brexit, reiterated on Monday EU readiness to respond accordingly in case Turkey carries out illegal hydrocarbon drilling activities, noting that the EU stands clearly behind Cyprus. Barnier,
100 Years of Silence
Pontus (“sea” in Greek),is an historical Greek designation for a region on the southern coast of the Black Sea, located in modern-day northeastern Anatolia, Turkey. The name was applied to the coastal region and its
EU warns Turkey against ‘illegal’ Cyprus drilling
The EU on Monday warned Turkey not to press ahead with exploratory drilling for oil and gas off Cyprus, calling the plan illegal and vowing to “respond appropriately”. The bloc’s diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini said
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
