News in Review 2025 — Australia
The year that was 2025 in Australia was marked by significant social and political developments relating to security, public order, federal elections, human rights and international alliances. The country faced challenges ranging from mass demonstrations
Greece expands tourism footprint with new GNTO (EOT) office opening in Melbourne, Australia
Greece has taken a significant step toward strengthening its presence in the Australian tourism market with the official launch of a new Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) office in Melbourne. The office, housed within the
ANZ and NAB chiefs face parliamentary scrutiny after record fines and misconduct
Australia’s largest banks are facing intense parliamentary scrutiny as the government examines past misconduct, employment practices, and customer protections. ANZ’s new chief executive, Nuno Matos, publicly apologised to a parliamentary committee for the bank’s historic
Australians hold 209 million days of unused annual leave as employment landscape shifts
Australian workers are heading into the summer break with a massive stockpile of unused annual leave, collectively sitting on 209 million days of accrued holidays, new data from research firm Roy Morgan shows. The near-record
Surge in social media use replaces sport, reading and arts among Australian children
A dramatic rise in social media use among children and adolescents is reshaping daily routines and pushing aside key developmental activities such as sport, reading and music, according to a major new study by the
Optus fined $826,320 after major verification flaw allows scammers to steal customer identities and tens of thousands of dollars
Optus has been hit with a substantial $826,320 penalty after a serious security lapse allowed scammers to bypass customer verification processes and steal as much as $39,000 from individual victims. The Australian Communications and Media
Albanese issues ultimatum to Turkey over hosting COP31 Climate Talks
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has drawn a firm line in ongoing negotiations with Turkey over the hosting of next year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), ruling out any possibility of co-hosting the event. Speaking
History responds: 145,000 Greeks fill the cinemas
In just four days, 145,000 tickets were sold in Greek cinemas — an achievement that goes well beyond commercial success and firmly into the realm of a cultural moment. History responds: 145,000 Greeks fill the cinemas. Public interest in the film about Ioannis Kapodistrias cannot be explained in box-office terms
Albanian Police kill Greek who raised Greece’s flag in Northern Epirus
A 35-year-old Greek, named Konstantinos Katsifas, was shot dead by the Albanian special forces near the village Bularat (Vouliarates) in Albania’s northern Epirus region, 6 kilometers (4 miles) from the Greek-Albanian border. According to Albania’s
Why the EU drifted into irrelevance and how anti-democratic governance accelerated the decline
The European Union’s slide into geopolitical and economic irrelevance has nothing to do with Donald Trump. Here’s Why the EU drifted into irrelevance and how anti-democratic governance accelerated the decline. It is structural, self-inflicted, and rooted in an increasingly anti-democratic system of governance that prioritises regulation over innovation, symbolism over
From Somaliland to Cyprus: Why occupation is not self-rule
Jerusalem’s decision reflects a principle, not an exception. Somaliland was sovereign before union and has governed itself since that union collapsed. The analogies invoked against its recognition fail on both law and fact. From Somaliland
Bittersweet Christmas in Bethlehem as the city celebrates for the first time in two years
Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, marked a deeply symbolic and emotionally charged Christmas on Thursday, celebrating the holy season for the first time in two years amid a backdrop of conflict, loss and fragile hope.
Australian father stranded in Iraq issues urgent Christmas plea amid legal limbo
An Australian father, Dr. Robert Pether, who spent more than four years in an Iraqi prison under what he calls “bogus charges,” has issued a desperate Christmas plea, urging Australians to push the government to
British man accused of drugging and raping wife over 13 years alongside five accomplices
A 49-year-old British man has been charged with systematically drugging and raping his former wife over more than a decade, alongside five other men, according to Wiltshire Police. The six men face over 60 charges
Libyan military chief killed in Falcon 50 jet crash in Ankara
A private Falcon 50 jet crashed near Ankara on Tuesday evening, killing all five people on board, including Libya’s Chief of the General Staff, General Mohamed Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad. The aircraft had departed from Ankara
Mitsotakis meets Abbas in Ramallah: Greece supports peace in Gaza
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday in Ramallah, ahead of his visit to Jerusalem and participation in the Greece–Cyprus–Israel trilateral summit. Support for the Palestinian Authority and
