
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

ATO GST scam rocks public sector as taxpayer losses hit $2 billion
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is facing one of the worst integrity scandals in its history, after it was revealed that a massive GST refund fraud—amplified on social media—has cost taxpayers over $2 billion. So

Opposition presses Albanese government over lagging productivity
Australia’s economic debate has intensified after Reserve Bank Governor Michele Bullock cited weak productivity as a key concern in her justification for holding interest rates steady — prompting the opposition to demand urgent action from

Trump’s tariff threat sparks alarm in Canberra over pharmaceutical exports
The Albanese government is scrambling to respond to a fresh trade threat from US President Donald Trump, who has floated a staggering 200 per cent tariff on pharmaceutical imports and a 50 per cent tariff

Childcare abuse scandal sparks bipartisan call for tougher child safety laws
Following shocking allegations of sexual abuse at a Melbourne childcare centre, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to work with the Coalition to urgently strengthen child protection laws. Last week,

Mushroom Murder Verdict: Erin Patterson Found Guilty of Poisoning In-Laws with Deadly Lunch
In a gripping and tragic case that has captured national attention, Erin Patterson, 49, has been found guilty of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder after serving a deadly beef wellington

Elon Musk and Billboard Chris win legal battle against Australian eSafety Commissioner
In a landmark legal victory, Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, and Canadian activist Chris Elston, also known as Billboard Chris, have successfully challenged a takedown notice issued by Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant.

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
UN to post EEZ maps of Libya, Turkey deal
Athens is bracing for the United Nations’ Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea to post the geographical coordinates outlined in the maritime border agreement signed by Turkey and the Tripoli-based government

Partners with Cyprus in joint Anti-Aircraft defense exercise
France partnered with the Republic of Cyprus in testing its anti-aircraft defense capabilities in a joint military exercise which was conducted across the free territories of the Republic on Monday. Numerous French ”Rafale” fighter jets

Greece – the clearance sale of military bases to the United States
The United States have profited cleverly from Greece’s financial problems in order to force them to sign a contract which would enable the USA to block the ocean passage from the Black Sea to Russia.

A Most Convenient Virus
I prefer to write on things I know about, but once in a while an opportunity presents itself for me to comment on some aspect of widespread mistrust and confusion while resting on a solid

The Terrorists Migrating into Europe
“Most migrant terrorists involved in thwarted or completed attacks were purposefully deployed to the migration flows by an organized terrorist group to conduct or support attacks in destination countries.” — Todd Bensman, “What Terrorist Migration

Gas Wars in the Mediterranean
The unexpected alliance between Turkey and Libya is a geopolitical earthquake that changes the balance of power in the eastern Mediterranean and across the Middle East. Turkey’s audacious move has enraged its rivals in the

