The Coalition hoped its path to victory this election would lead through the southern state, but instead it has been left with a bare handful of seats * Election 2025 results LIVE: Australia votes tracker and federal seat counts * See our full coverage of the Australian election * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Fears of a Labor bloodbath in Victoria in the federal election were utterly confounded, with the Liberals recording a statewide swing against them and the party all but certain to lose several seats. Late on Saturday night, according to the Australian Electoral Commission, Labor had won 23 of the state’s 38 seats while the Coalition was at six – three held by the Nationals and three by the Liberals. Independents had three, with six still in doubt. The Liberals have seen a swing of nearly 2% away from them. Continue reading...

The prime minister is the first to be re-elected since John Howard – and becomes one of Labor’s biggest heroes * Election 2025 results LIVE: Australia votes tracker and federal seat counts * See our full coverage of the Australian election * Get our breaking news email,free app ordaily news podcast It might have been the surprise packet of the night, but Labor picked up as early as January that it had a sniff in Dickson. Early in the evening – hours before Anthony Albanese raised workers’ rights, housing, gender equality, childcare, the NDIS and Indigenous reconciliation as the priorities of his second-term Labor government – the hundreds-strong crowd at his election night party grew round-eyed as results from Dickson started pouring in on the television screens. Continue reading...

Despite predictions of an inevitable slide into minority for Labor, Albanese’s election victory demonstrated voters aren’t interested in appeals to the fringes * Election 2025 results LIVE: Australia votes tracker and federal seat counts * See our full coverage of the Australian election * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Just as Australians were returning from the calm of summer holidays, Labor and the Coalition both held their breath as Donald Trump took the presidential oath of office in Washington. With a federal election year under way and the Albanese government desperate to restart Labor’s flagging political prospects, Trump’s victory had emboldened conservatives in the Coalition and right-wing minor parties. Along with sections of the Australia media, they pushed for a version of Trump’s unapologetic politics here. Continue reading...

Radio Free Asia is laying off about 90 percent of its staff meaning it is effectively shutting down. It says it can no longer pay people after its funding was cut off by the Trump administration.

Behind unassuming names lurk parties with some hair-raising and eccentric views. And others that are pretty much what they say they are. Here’s what you need to know * Polls tracker; Election voting guide; Interactive seat explorer * Party policies; Full election coverage * Get our afternoon election email, free app or daily news podcast The most recent federal election proved politics is no longer a two-horse race, with a record 16 independents and minor parties elected to the crossbench, as well as 10 in the Senate. This time around the teals are no longer unknowns, and there are plenty more independents hoping to make a mark in lower house contests. Continue reading...

Long-suffering election viewer James Colley is still here, watching on as Anthony Albanese gets asked intense geopolitical questions on The Sunday Footy Show and Peter Dutton manages to tie everything...

With Peter Dutton’s views on climate change in the spotlight, the focus has turned onto whether there will be any policies to reduce emissions in the next decade

Highlighting the simple correlation between voting records of teals and Greens ignores much of the context

Agapanthus are daggy, environmental pests. Can we stop and think before these unsightly shrubs take over?

The government’s promise to slash the cost of household batteries should be welcomed – it could drive a change that benefits everyone who uses the power grid

YouTube video by Guardian Australia

Zoos Victoria wildlife detection dogs uncovered the ‘bloody gorgeous’ reptiles in return for treats and cuddles

As Australians balk at rightwing populism, cosying up to the US president is no longer an election-winning formula. The opposition leader needs to find a new way to win attention

Tottenham manager chiding his own fans during defeat at Chelsea was an act of self-indulgence that backfired