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
Backlash over Daniel Andrews attending Beijing’s military parade
Former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews has sparked controversy in Australia after being warmly greeted by Chinese President Xi Jinping at Beijing’s massive military parade marking 80 years since the end of World War II. The
‘Jewish Artists for Palestine’ disrupt Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at Royal Albert Hall
A group called Jewish Artists for Palestine disrupted the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) in London, protesting against “Zionist funding, censorship,” and the treatment of Australian-British pianist Jayson Gillham. The interruption occurred Friday night (Saturday AEST)
Wife of accused police killer Dezi Freeman, begs him surrender
Amalia Freeman, the wife of fugitive Dezi Freeman, has issued an emotional plea for her husband to surrender to police, five days after the deadly Porepunkah tragedy. In a statement delivered through her lawyer on
Manhunt for alleged cop killer Dezi Freeman continues – Two arrested in Porepunkah raid
Victoria Police are entering their fourth day in the hunt for alleged cop killer and self-proclaimed sovereign citizen Dezi Freeman, 56, after two officers were fatally shot and a third wounded during a raid at his property
Australia has banned 3 ‘forever chemicals’, Europe wants to ban all 14,000 – Why the precautionary approach makes sense
Australia has recently banned the import, use, and manufacture of three “forever chemicals”: PFOA, PFOS, and PFHxS. These compounds persist in the environment, accumulate in living organisms, and pose health risks. The World Health Organization
Diplomatic rift deepens: Expelled Iranian ambassador denounces Australia over “lies and baseless allegations”
Australia’s decision to expel Iran’s ambassador has triggered a diplomatic crisis, after the government accused Tehran of links to antisemitic attacks targeting Jewish communities. The envoy, who flew home earlier today, dismissed the accusations as
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
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
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
