Early voting has begun in Australia ahead of the May 3 federal election, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor Party maintaining a narrow lead over the conservative opposition coalition led by Peter Dutton.
Australians began casting their votes on Tuesday as early and postal voting opened nationwide, with up to half of the electorate expected to vote before election day, according to the Australian Electoral Commission.
Prime Minister Albanese’s Labor Party has gained momentum in recent months, reversing a six-point deficit in January to take a lead of up to nine points earlier this month. The most recent Newspoll, released Sunday, shows Labor holding a four-point lead over the opposition after accounting for preference distributions under Australia’s ranked-choice voting system.
The start of voting comes at a challenging time for opposition leader Peter Dutton, whose popularity has declined. He has struggled to distance himself from comparisons to U.S. President Donald Trump, particularly after proposing a controversial policy requiring all federal public servants to return to office full-time and slashing tens of thousands of public sector jobs. The plan, reportedly inspired by Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), spearheaded by Elon Musk, was later dropped amid backlash.
Despite the polling boost, Prime Minister Albanese remained cautious.
“There’s no complacency from my camp, I assure you of that,” he told reporters on Monday. “This election is certainly up for grabs.”
He referenced the 2019 federal election, when early betting markets prematurely declared a Labor victory, only for the Liberal Party under Scott Morrison to pull off an upset.
With voting mandatory for all Australians aged 18 and older, the campaign is set to take a more subdued tone on Tuesday following the passing of Pope Francis. A final televised debate between Albanese and Dutton is scheduled for Tuesday evening, offering voters a last direct comparison before election day.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has warned that without concrete concessions from Russia, such as limiting its military forces or curbing its defe...
Multiple people were shot on Saturday at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, prompting an active shooter alert and a campus lockdown, city o...
The latest round of clashes between Thailand and Cambodia has left 15 Thai soldiers dead and 270 others injured, Thailand’s Ministry of Defence spok...
Iranian authorities have seized a foreign tanker carrying more than 6 million litres of smuggled fuel in the Sea of Oman....
A United Airlines flight heading to Tokyo was forced to return to Washington Dulles International Airport shortly after takeoff on Saturday after an e...
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has warned that without concrete concessions from Russia, such as limiting its military forces or curbing its defence budget, new conflicts could erupt elsewhere, even if Ukraine receives security guarantees.
The latest round of clashes between Thailand and Cambodia has left 15 Thai soldiers dead and 270 others injured, Thailand’s Ministry of Defence spokesman Surasant Kongsiri said at a press conference on Saturday.
Iranian authorities have seized a foreign tanker carrying more than 6 million litres of smuggled fuel in the Sea of Oman.
The Oligarch’s Design is an investigative documentary exploring how financial power, political influence and carefully constructed narratives can shape conflict and public perception.
Japan has lifted a tsunami advisory issued after an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 hit the country's northeastern region on Friday (12 December), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The JMA had earlier put the earthquake's preliminary magnitude at 6.7.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated his offer to host Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Ankara, at his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The talks took place on the sidelines of the international Forum for Peace and Trust in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Friday (12 December).
The United States issued new sanctions targeting Venezuela on Thursday, imposing curbs on three nephews of President Nicolas Maduro's wife, as well as six crude oil tankers and shipping companies linked to them, as Washington ramps up pressure on Caracas.
The resignation of Bulgaria's government on Thursday (11 December) puts an end to an increasingly unpopular coalition but is likely to usher in a period of prolonged political instability on the eve of the Black Sea nation's entry into the euro zone.
Thailand’s caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Saturday that Thai forces would continue military action along the Cambodia border until Bangkok believes there is no longer a threat to Thai territory or civilians.
U.S. stock markets closed lower at the end of the week, as investors continued to rotate out of technology shares, putting pressure on major indices.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has warned that without concrete concessions from Russia, such as limiting its military forces or curbing its defence budget, new conflicts could erupt elsewhere, even if Ukraine receives security guarantees.
Multiple people were shot on Saturday at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, prompting an active shooter alert and a campus lockdown, city officials said.
The latest round of clashes between Thailand and Cambodia has left 15 Thai soldiers dead and 270 others injured, Thailand’s Ministry of Defence spokesman Surasant Kongsiri said at a press conference on Saturday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment