December 29, 2025 – Australia Headlines

Story gist: Professor Emma Johnston AO, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Melbourne, died after a short illness.

Bias summary: Left-leaning outlets provided no coverage, omitting the story. Center outlets like AFR framed it neutrally and concisely, emphasizing the short illness without drama. Right-leaning outlets also absent, leaving conservative perspectives unrepresented. Sparse coverage limits framing differences, with the available center report maintaining factual tone and no notable emphasis or omissions.

Story gist: Bureau of Meteorology issued flood warnings for parts of Queensland. Monsoon trough forecast to bring up to 600-700mm of rainfall and storms during flood season in Far North Queensland.

Bias summary: Left-leaning Guardian emphasizes preparation with ‘braces for days of heavy rain’ and BoM warnings, mild tone. Center 9News reports neutrally on meteorological facts like 600mm rainfall and storms. Right-leaning Courier Mail uses alarmist framing (‘700mm to smash Qld, towns cut-off for weeks’), amplifying severity and duration over other outlets.

Story gist: Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and U.S. President-elect Trump met in Florida. Zelenskyy stated progress was made on a Ukraine peace deal, while Trump said ‘thorny issues’ remain.

Bias summary: Left-leaning Guardian emphasizes Trump’s positive quote ‘closer than ever,’ highlighting optimism post-meeting. Center ABC balances both leaders’ views with ‘but,’ noting progress and caveats neutrally. Right-leaning Australian focuses on Trump’s pragmatic advice ‘You’re better off making a deal’ to Zelenskyy, stressing urgency for resolution without mentioning Zelenskyy’s progress.

Story gist: A man was charged with two counts of murder after a woman and a man were stabbed to death in a Quakers Hill home in north-west Sydney.

Bias summary: Left-leaning ABC frames factually with emphasis on charges and location, maintaining neutral tone. Center NSW Police offers unembellished official update on events. Right-leaning The Australian sensationalizes via ‘horror stabbings’ and naming the alleged killer, heightening drama and personalizing the suspect; no major omissions across lanes.