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
Optus crisis: Kerry Schott to head independent review into deadly triple-zero outage
Telecommunications giant Optus has appointed Dr Kerry Schott AO to lead an independent investigation into last week’s catastrophic triple-zero failure, which has been linked to the deaths of three Australians. The announcement, made this morning,
Albanese brushes off concerns before Trump meeting – White House summit set for October 20
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed he will meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on October 20, brushing aside questions about the deep political differences between the two leaders. Speaking to
Australia wipes student debt for millions – major HECS and HELP reforms begin
Starting today, millions of Australians with student loans will see thousands of dollars wiped from their debt as new HECS and HELP repayment rules take effect. The federal government has honoured one of its key
Australia, UK and Canada recognise Palestinian statehood in historic shift – Netanyahu furious
Australia has taken a historic step, joining Britain and Canada in formally recognising an independent and sovereign Palestinian state. The move, announced late Sunday (Sept 22), marks a major break from decades of Western policy
Australia to recognise Palestine: Albanese calls for peace and security
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed Australia will formally recognise a Palestinian state during this week’s United Nations General Assembly in New York, joining the UK, Canada and several European nations in a move he
Australians selling burial plots online – Graves become lucrative investments
A striking and somewhat macabre trend is emerging across Australia: burial plots are being listed online as valuable assets, with some fetching more than $150,000. A nationwide shortage of cemetery space, especially in major cities,
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 journalist says Albania’s PM Rama gave the go-ahead to kill Katsifas
The Albanian Prime Minister’s office gave the go-ahead to kill 35-year-old Greek man Konstantinos Katsifas, with the approval of Turkey, said Albanian journalist Kastriot Miftairi on mainstream television. The execution of Katsifas has cast a
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
