Australia
🇦🇺 Australia’s PM Albanese discussed strengthening security ties with Trump, focusing on AUKUS and regional stability. Foreign Minister Wong affirmed bipartisan U.S. support, while Ambassador Rudd removed past critical comments about Trump to align with his diplomatic role.
🇦🇺 Australia plans to ban social media for children under 16, citing mental health concerns and risks to youth. PM Albanese emphasizes the urgency of this “world-leading” measure, putting pressure on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook to enforce age verification.
🇦🇺 Australia is addressing defense staffing shortages by offering A$600 million in recruitment incentives, including A$40,000 bonuses for mid-rank personnel. Amid record low unemployment, the Albanese government aims to boost permanent defense staff to 69,000 by the early 2030s.
🇦🇺 PM Albanese announces massive A$16B student debt relief plan, slashing loans by 20% for 3M Australians. Labor sweetens pre-election pot with promise of 100K free TAFE places annually as cost-of-living crisis bites and polls slip.
🇦🇺 Double heat wave set to scorch Australia with temps soaring above 40C inland - Sydney’s west bracing for 36C weekend while Perth, Adelaide hit mid-30s, as forecasters warn of La Nina’s likely return bringing wetter summer ahead.
🇦🇺 Immigration Minister blocks US Neo-Nazi “influencer” Candace Owens' entry to Australia, citing her capacity to incite discord - she fires back calling it “petty vandalism” while organizers vow legal challenge for sold-out tour.
🇦🇺 Brisbane dad ejected from LGBTQIA+ pub for wearing Trump 2024 hat during Halloween rave with family. Staff cited safety concerns, telling him “you’re not welcome here.”
🇦🇺 Major Covid inquiry reveals Australians won’t accept harsh pandemic measures again: Report slams “heavy-handed” restrictions and vaccine mandates for eroding public trust. Government pledges $251.7m for new Disease Control Centre to better handle future outbreaks.
🇺🇦 Australian mercenary in Ukraine warns of dire escalation as Russia makes critical gains, North Korean troops join the fight, and Ukraine’s key city Pokrovsk faces encirclement. With Western aid uncertain, fighter says “Ukraine won’t exist… not as we know it.”
🇦🇺 King Charles embraced by Indigenous elder at Sydney ceremony amid mixed reactions to activist senator’s Parliament protest, as royal visit spotlights Australia’s violent colonial history and ongoing reconciliation battle.
🇦🇺 Indigenous Senator Lidia Thorpe fiercely confronted King Charles during his Canberra visit, accusing him of “genocide” and demanding a return of stolen land and a national treaty. Thorpe’s protest disrupted his speech, challenging the monarchy’s legitimacy in Australia.