Australians head to the polls in a closely watched national election, with cost-of-living and global instability shaping voter concerns.
Australians are casting their final votes Saturday in a national election that pits Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Labor Party against Peter Dutton’s center-right Liberal Party.
While both major parties have focused on cost-of-living pressures, opinion polls indicate that global uncertainty — driven in part by U.S. President Donald Trump’s stop-start tariff policies — has become a top concern for voters during the campaign.
Pre-election polling had firmed in Labor’s favor, but Australia’s preferential voting system and the declining dominance of the two major parties make the outcome difficult to predict in the 150-seat House of Representatives.
A record 8 million of the 18 million eligible voters had already cast their ballots before Saturday.
In the 2022 election, primary votes were nearly evenly split: 32.6% for Labor, 35.7% for the Liberal-Nationals, and 31.7% for other candidates. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine said a similar share of voters choosing independents and minor parties is likely again this year.
Anthony Albanese has secured a second consecutive three-year term as Australia’s prime minister, becoming the first leader to do so in 21 years, in a victory hailed as historic for the center-left Labor Party.
Voting has concluded in Australia’s eastern states, including Sydney and Melbourne, in a general election marked by economic concerns and foreign policy anxieties. With two hours of voting still remaining in Western Australia, early indications point to a close race.
Australians voiced a mix of optimism and apathy Friday as they geared up to vote in Saturday’s tight national election, with cost-of-living pressures, housing affordability and U.S. tariff tensions shaping the contest.
Torrential rain and gale-force winds lashing New Zealand’s east coast shut down flights at Wellington Airport and prompted a state of emergency in Canterbury’s Selwyn district, with residents urged to evacuate as rivers surged.
Australia’s Labor party has promised a free medical advice line and expanded Medicare funding as cost-of-living pressures dominate the election campaign.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced on May 16 that his country has started the process of joining the New Development Bank of BRICS.
Ministers in Libya’s Government of National Unity (GNU) are resigning one by one amid mounting protests in Tripoli, Libya Press agency reports
The US Supreme Court on Friday paused President Donald Trump’s attempt to carry out deportations using the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, siding with a group of Venezuelan immigrants in Texas who argued they were at risk of sudden removal under the rarely used wartime law.
Two North Korean fishermen picked up by South Korean patrols in March remain stranded in the South as Pyongyang refuses to respond to requests for their return.
The US has lost its final AAA credit rating after Moody’s downgraded the country to Aa1, citing growing deficits and mounting debt as risks to long-term fiscal health.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on May 15, with discussions reportedly focusing on upcoming peace talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegates in Istanbul.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war in Gaza will not stop until Hamas is destroyed, following the release of US-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander.
Qatar signed a landmark agreement with U.S. aerospace giant Boeing on Wednesday to acquire 160 aircraft for Qatar Airways, a deal valued at $200 billion. The signing took place in Doha during the visit of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Delegations from Russia and Ukraine met in Türkiye for their first direct peace talks since 2022, with discussions lasting under two hours.
Vietnam and Thailand have officially upgraded their ties to a strategic partnership, marking a significant step forward in regional diplomacy.
Indian Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, announced that India is opening up 200,000 square kilometers of its sedimentary basin for oil and gas exploration, inviting Russian companies to participate.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced on May 16 that his country has started the process of joining the New Development Bank of BRICS.
Ministers in Libya’s Government of National Unity (GNU) are resigning one by one amid mounting protests in Tripoli, Libya Press agency reports
The US Supreme Court on Friday paused President Donald Trump’s attempt to carry out deportations using the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, siding with a group of Venezuelan immigrants in Texas who argued they were at risk of sudden removal under the rarely used wartime law.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced on May 16 that his country has started the process of joining the New Development Bank of BRICS.
Ministers in Libya’s Government of National Unity (GNU) are resigning one by one amid mounting protests in Tripoli, Libya Press agency reports
The US Supreme Court on Friday paused President Donald Trump’s attempt to carry out deportations using the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, siding with a group of Venezuelan immigrants in Texas who argued they were at risk of sudden removal under the rarely used wartime law.
Two North Korean fishermen picked up by South Korean patrols in March remain stranded in the South as Pyongyang refuses to respond to requests for their return.
The US has lost its final AAA credit rating after Moody’s downgraded the country to Aa1, citing growing deficits and mounting debt as risks to long-term fiscal health.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment