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.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton conceded defeat following Saturday’s tightly contested general election, acknowledging his party’s shortcomings:
“We didn’t do well enough during this campaign, that much is obvious tonight, and I accept full responsibility for that,” he said.
“Earlier on, I called the prime minister to congratulate him on his success tonight. It’s an historic occasion for the Labor Party and we recognise that.”
According to projections from the Australian Electoral Commission, Labor secured 70 seats, while the conservative opposition coalition won just 24 in the 150-seat House of Representatives. Thirteen seats are expected to go to independents and minor parties.
Renowned election analyst Antony Green, speaking on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, predicted Labor would ultimately secure 76 seats — enough to form a majority government — while the coalition would take only 36.
Campaign Themes:
Key campaign issues included the rising cost of living, inflation, and energy policy. While both major parties support a 2050 net-zero emissions target, their approaches differ sharply.
Dutton’s Liberal Party promoted nuclear power as a solution to high energy costs and blamed government spending for rising inflation. It also proposed eliminating over 20% of public service jobs.
Labor countered that plan, accusing the opposition of mimicking U.S. President Donald Trump’s governance style. The party labeled Dutton “DOGE-y Dutton” — a jab at his proposed Department of Government Efficiency, which critics say would lead to deep service cuts.
“We’ve seen the attempt to run American-style politics here of division and pitting Australians against each other, and I think that’s not the Australian way,” said Albanese.
Foreign Policy and Trade:
Albanese also highlighted the restoration of relations with China during his first term. Since Labor came to power in 2022, Beijing has removed several trade barriers that previously cost Australian exporters AU$20 billion ($13 billion) annually.
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Central Asia’s population could reach 96 million by 2040, according to the head of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), highlighting both the region’s economic potential and the growing strain on infrastructure, trade routes and long-term development models.
A British national was among at least 19 people killed when a passenger bus plunged off a mountain highway into the Trishuli river in Nepal before dawn on Monday (23 February), authorities said. A New Zealander and a Chinese national were among those injured.
Against a backdrop of mounting environmental pressure across Central Asia, the Kazakh Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources has announced that the Regional Ecological Summit (RES) 2026 will take place from 22–24 April in Astana.
Iran has signed a secret €500 million arms deal with Russia to rebuild air defences, weakened during last year’s war with Israel, the Financial Times has reported. The agreement, signed in December in Moscow, will see Russia deliver 500 Verba launch units and 2,500 9M336 missiles over three years.
A seven-month-old Japanese macaque has drawn international attention after forming an unusual bond with a stuffed orangutan toy after being rejected by its mother.
Divers have recovered the bodies of seven Chinese tourists and a Russian driver after their minibus broke through the ice of on Lake Baikal in Russia, authorities said.
Pakistan said it carried out cross-border strikes on militant targets inside Afghanistan after blaming a series of recent suicide bombings, including attacks during the holy month of Ramadan, on fighters it said were operating from Afghan territory.
Italy said a fond farewell to the Winter Olympics on Sunday with an open-air ceremony in the ancient Verona Arena that celebrated art and sporting achievement at a Games lauded as a model for how to stage such events.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has approved new sanctions targeting Russian maritime operators, defence-linked companies and individuals connected to Moscow’s military and energy sectors, according to official decrees issued on Saturday.
The United Nations mission in Afghanistan said on Monday it had received “credible reports” that at least 13 civilians were killed and seven others injured in overnight Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan.
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The European Parliament on Monday (23 February) postponed a vote on the EU’s trade deal with the U.S. after President Donald Trump imposed a blanket 15% import duty.
The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned key elements of President Donald Trump’s global tariff policy, creating uncertainty ahead of his March meeting with China’s Xi Jinping. The ruling raises fresh questions about the future of U.S.-China trade relations and the stability of the global economy.
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