Pacific

• Australia: Albanese secures re-election with landslide majority 8 May 2025
  Anthony Albanese has defied the ‘incumbency curse’, securing a historic landslide re-election for Australia’s Labour Party. At the start of the year polls had put Albanese's popularity at record lows, but he led a disciplined campaign focused on cost-of-living concerns, healthcare, housing, and reconciliation with Indigenous Australians. Voters rejected the…
• Australia: two beaches closed due to toxic foam 20 March 2025
  Two beaches in South Australia have been closed after dead fish and an off-white foam appeared onshore, while surfers reported feeling unwell. Authorities suspect that a microalgal bloom, fuelled by unusual weather, has caused these problems. Environmental scientist Sam Gaylard called the event ‘concerning’ due to its scale. The two…
• Australia: first man with artificial heart is discharged from hospital 13 March 2025
  A medical milestone has been achieved: the first patient implanted with a durable artificial heart has been discharged from hospital. BiVACOR, a titanium mechanical blood pump, was successfully implanted in a man suffering from severe heart failure. Performed at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, the six-hour surgery marked a breakthrough…
• Australia: is increased anti-semitism being funded from abroad? 23 January 2025
  Australia is investigating allegations that foreign funding is fuelling a rise in anti-Semitic crimes. Prime minister Anthony Albanese revealed suspicions that criminals-for-hire who lack ideological motives are being paid to commit these acts. The authorities are working to trace the sources of funding, whether domestic or international. Anti-Semitic incidents have…
• Australia: plans to cut numbers of international students drastically 29 August 2024
  Australia, which currently has one of the biggest international student markets in the world, is to introduce a cap on new enrolments, limiting them to 270,000 in 2025, as part of efforts to reduce overall migration to pre-pandemic levels. Each educational institution will face specific restrictions, with vocational and training…