
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

Melbourne launches new flood risk register – hundreds of thousands of homes to receive climate hazard rating
In a landmark shift for urban planning and climate adaptation, Melbourne Water has unveiled a new flood risk register that will classify hundreds of thousands of homes across the city into six hazard categories (1–6).

Teenage volunteer firefighter charged with arson in Western Sydney – faces multiple serious offences
A shocking case has emerged in New South Wales, where a 17-year-old volunteer firefighter has been charged with deliberately lighting bushfires across western Sydney. The teenager was arrested early Wednesday in the Lower Blue Mountains

ATO 2024/25 Tax Deadline: What Australians must do before October 31 to avoid penalties
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is reminding taxpayers that the deadline for filing 2024-2025 tax returns is Friday, October 31, 2025. Australians who miss the date could face penalties and fines, officials have warned. When

Lord William Hague praises Australia’s social media ban for under-16s, criticises Albanese government over Palestinian recognition
Oxford University Chancellor Lord William Hague has praised Australia’s “bold and responsible” move to ban social media for children under 16, calling it a landmark step in protecting young people’s mental health and civic integrity.

RBA warns of rising global risks: Overvalued markets, cyber threats, and China’s slowdown
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), in its semi-annual Financial Stability Review, has warned that global financial risks are not easing — in fact, they are rising — as uncertainty continues to cloud the economic

Australia’s opposition demands strong support for BHP in China dispute
Australia’s opposition is urging the Albanese government to actively intervene as BHP faces a reported freeze on iron ore shipments to China following stalled price negotiations. Opposition finance spokesman James Paterson criticized the government’s “hands-off”

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

Greek rapper Negros Tou Moria cracks Guardian’s top two Global Albums of 2025
Greek rapper Negros Tou Moria has emerged as one of the standout figures in global music this year, with his latest album Mavri Ellada ranked No. 2 on The Guardian’s Best Global Albums of 2025

Holiday traffic normalizes after Tuesday’s gridlock
After yesterday’s disruptions, traffic on the Athens–Lamia and Athens–Corinth highways is expected to return to normal today, Wednesday, as farmers and traffic police coordinated to improve vehicle flow ahead of Christmas. On Tuesday, drivers faced

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

Trilateral Summit sends clear message to Ankara: “Do not even think of reviving empires”
A strong geopolitical message was sent from Jerusalem on Monday following the completion of the 10th Trilateral Summit between Greece, Cyprus, and Israel, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a pointed warning to those “who

PASOK intensifies internal debate over potential alliances – Geroulanos rules out ND, Kastanidis open to Tsipras dialogue
Intense discussions are underway within PASOK ahead of the party’s upcoming congress, as leaders debate the strategic direction and potential alliances. Former minister Pavlos Geroulanos has firmly rejected any possibility of a coalition with the

Greek Prime Minister to visit Jerusalem for trilateral summit with Cyprus and Israel, talks also planned with Palestinian leadership
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will travel to Jerusalem on Monday to take part in a high-level trilateral summit between Greece, Cyprus and Israel, as regional diplomacy intensifies amid shifting geopolitical dynamics in the Eastern

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

US gives green light to AUKUS ahead of Albanese’s visit to Washington
Australia’s largest-ever defence agreement, AUKUS, appears to have successfully passed a US government review, paving the way for its continuation ahead of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s visit to Washington next month. The review began in

Plans for a nuclear strike on an asteroid threatening the moon – challenges and prospects
The scientific community is seriously considering the use of a nuclear weapon to intercept asteroid 2024 YR4, which has a significant chance of colliding with the Moon in 2032. Measuring approximately 55 meters in diameter,

Trump Restores Death Penalty in Washington D.C.
Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum reinstating the death penalty in Washington D.C., a move described by the U.S. administration as a strong preventive measure against serious crimes. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that the

Clear European warning to Putin: “We are ready to shoot down Russian aircraft”
Tensions on NATO’s eastern borders are escalating as European diplomats delivered a clear warning to Moscow: incursions into alliance airspace will not go unanswered, including the potential downing of Russian aircraft. According to Bloomberg, the

Erdogan: “We will take our share in the Mediterranean – win-win Cooperation with Neighbours”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, returning from the UN General Assembly in New York, reiterated Ankara’s hardline stance on the Eastern Mediterranean and Cyprus. Speaking to journalists aboard his flight, Erdoğan declared Turkey’s determination to

Trump and Erdogan meet at the White House – “We can make a deal on F-35s, but Erdogan must do something for us first”
U.S. President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a long-awaited meeting at the White House on Thursday evening, in an atmosphere of cautious optimism. The two leaders met for over two hours,

