Albanese Secures Historic Re-Election Victory in Australia

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Labor Party have secured a historic second term in a decisive election victory, becoming the first government in over 20 years to win back-to-back terms. Labor is projected to achieve a strong parliamentary majority, with early results showing significant swings in their favor across the country, while the opposition Liberal-National coalition, led by Peter Dutton, suffered a major defeat, including Dutton losing his own seat. The campaign was heavily influenced by concerns over economic instability, the rising cost of living, housing affordability, and unease about the Coalition's policy direction, particularly on nuclear power and its association with former U.S. President Donald Trump. Albanese's message of fairness, optimism, and stability resonated with voters amid global uncertainty, and his leadership style was contrasted favorably against Dutton's more hardline approach. The election also saw a tempering of the trend toward minor parties, with most regions swinging back to Labor. While the final seat count is pending due to a high number of early votes, Labor's commanding lead marks a remarkable turnaround after earlier low approval ratings for Albanese.