The 7 biggest Australian news stories of 2025 that everyone clicked on

Australian news in 2025 was shaped by moments that shocked, saddened, and had the nation completely obsessed.

It was a year where horror and heartbreak often dominated the headlines, but also one where readers chased understanding, reassurance, and sometimes just the full story behind the noise.

What follows isn’t a list of the darkest or most significant events, but a snapshot of what drew the biggest audiences to The Nightly this year.

These are the seven stories Australians clicked on most — the ones they wanted to know more about.

Together, they reveal what kind of year it’s been, and what captured Australian hearts in 2025.

7. Accused cop killer Dezi Freeman on the run

‘Headline: Forever nap’: Shock reason Dezi Freeman may already be dead

There are fears self-proclaimed ‘sovereign citizen’ and accused cop-killer Dezi Freeman may never be found if he has secreted himself deep inside one of the many mineshafts in the area where police are searching.

Dezi Freeman is accused of fatally shooting two Victoria Police officers and injuring a third during a warrant operation at his rural Porepunkah property in August 2025, before fleeing into dense bushland and sparking Australia’s largest-ever tactical manhunt.

Mineshaft experts Christopher Bogusis and Kyle Cranfield told News.com.au that the 56-year-old may have found refuge in one of the unused mine shafts that dot the ranges to escape the cold overnight temperatures.

But Mr Cranfield said that while the tunnels provided warmth and protection they were very dangerous for those who didn’t understand how they worked.

“CO2 (carbon dioxide) will sit and pool in a mine, you may, at the entrance, be fine, you may even walk into it and be fine … but once you go down below a certain level, it will just pool there,” he said.

“(If) you lie down in there to take a sleep, you are never getting back out, that’s your forever nap.”

Authorities have still not found Freeman and there is a $1 million reward for information that leads to his arrest.

This story’s reach reflects something deeper than curiosity, readers want answers, accountability, and closure for a tragedy which left two police officers dead, who were just doing their jobs.

6. Father of ISIS bride says she should stay in Syria

Headline: Father of ISIS bride says she willingly joined Islamic State

In November, the father of an ISIS bride who begged to be brought back to Australia says his daughter left Victoria to live under the caliphate of her own volition and is lying about being “tricked” into joining Islamic State.

Guy Rosse-Emile has told The Nightly his daughter Kirsty willingly went to Syria with her husband Nabil Kadmiry in 2014.

“They went there with a view to establishing themselves in Islamic State in Syria under the caliphate,” he said.

“When she said, ‘Oh, I was tricked’ and all that, it’s not true.

“I’m telling you the truth about Kirsty and her husband. They went to live under the caliphate and they didn’t have any children then.”

The revelation came after a group of six Australians — two ISIS brides and four children — quietly returned from Syria in late September.

The two women — believed to be sisters – fled the notorious Al-Hawl detention camp in north-east Syria with their children in June before flying from Beirut to Melbourne in September.

Mr Rosse-Emile last week confirmed his daughter was not among them, saying the 30-year-old remains in al Roj detention camp in the Syrian desert.

Ms Rosse-Emile, who grew up in south-east Melbourne, was 19 when she went to Syria.

The story drew widespread attention because it tapped into a long-running national debate, whether Australians who joined extremist causes abroad should ever be allowed to return home.

5. Bondi terror attack

Headline: Shock revelation about killed gunman’s home

On December 14, at Bondi Beach, the most iconic beach in Australia, became the scene of unimaginable violence when two gunmen allegedly opened fire on crowds, including children gathering for a Channakuh event.

15 people died and 40 were injured.

The terrorist who was shot dead by NSW Police reportedly transferred ownership of the family home exclusively to his wife before the deadly shooting.

The Bonnyrigg property, which Sajid and Verena Akram purchased in August 2016, was transferred solely into Verena’s name in February 2024.

The home, which was reportedly originally purchased for $700,000, was transferred to Verena at a value of $477,500, according to the Daily Telegraph.

If any victims of the Bondi attack were to launch civil action against Sajid’s estate, assets from the home would not be available due to its ownership by Verena.

NSW Police have not identified Verena as a person of interest, and there is no suggestion of wrongdoing or that she was aware of a planned attack.

Since the shooting, Verena has spoken out, saying her son Naveed, the alleged 24-year-old gunman, was a “good boy”, and expressed shock that her family were involved.

This story became one of the year’s most-read pieces, as Australians, and readers around the world, sought to understand how such senseless violence could strike a place so symbolic of peace and everyday life.

4. Missing four-year-old Gus Lamont

Headline: Heartbreak after police drain dam in search for Gus

Little Gus vanished from his family’s Oak Park Station homestead on September 27, sparking one of the most intensive and protracted search efforts ever undertaken by South Australian police.

The nation has been gripped by the case of the little blonde-haired boy who went missing from his grandparents’ sheep station, sparking one of the largest ongoing missing persons searches in Australia’s history.

Gus going missing triggered multiple searches, including one that involved draining a dam on the Yunta property.

The dam, 600m from the family home and about 4.5m deep, had previously been searched by police divers early on in the investigation but a decision was made in late October to go a step further and drain it completely as the mystery surrounding the little boy’s disappearance continued.

Police hoped draining the dam would allow for a “comprehensive visual search”, particularly in areas obscured by underwater vegetation.

He was last seen by his grandmother in a blue Minions shirt playing outside on a mound of dirt. When she went looking for him half an hour later he was gone.

Sometimes the stories that stop a nation are the ones everyone wishes would end differently. As hope fades in the search for little Gus, readers have stayed with this story, hoping police would find answers for his family.

3. Millionaire Universal founder allegedly murdered

Headline: Fresh twist in millionaires’ row alleged house party murder

On June 26, millionaire co-founder Greg Josephson was allegedly murdered by a teenager at an affluent Brisbane home.

Mr Josephson, who co-founded Universal Store with his brother Michael in 1999, was found dead after police responded to an altercation at a teen house party in Clayfield around 8.15pm.

Police say they discovered the 58-year-old deceased on the top level of the 1930s mansion, with approximately 30 teenage partygoers present in the house.

The father of three and his family had been in the process of relocating to the Sunshine Coast, having listed the sprawling property — which features six bedrooms, six bathrooms, alfresco terraces, a pavilion, and a pool — for sale for $5.4 million.

The specific story that captured most attention in this case, was the update that the 15-year-old accused murderer, who was known to Mr Josephson, allegedly phoned police before his arrest on a nearby street.

The boy, who had recently changed schools and had strong connections to two of Brisbane’s most prestigious boys’ schools, was charged with murder. He’s still before the courts as his legal team go through a significant volume of material.

This story has gripped our readers with every new twist. An alleged murder in one of Brisbane’s wealthiest postcodes, a teenage suspect, and a millionaire victim, Australians can’t look away.

2. Anthony Albanese’s landslide

Headline: Anthony Albanese wins landslide, hails ‘profound opportunity’

It might feel like ancient history now, but in May 2025, Australians were glued to their screens as Anthony Albanese swept Labor to a decisive election victory.

“My fellow Australians. Serving as your Prime Minister is the greatest honour of my life,” he said.

“And it is with a deep sense of humility and a profound sense of responsibility that the first thing that I do tonight is to say thank you to the people of Australia.”

Politics doesn’t always dominate traffic, but this one did. After years of turbulence, Australians clicked to see what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese would promise next as he claimed a historic landslide.

1. Power banks banned from planes after fires

Headline: Airlines ban popular item after horror fire

The highest-rated story on The Nightly was about airlines banning power banks after a fire on a plane.

In February, multiple airlines introduced bans or strengthened restrictions on a popular travel product in the wake of a plane fire that caused an emergency evacuation.

An Air Busan plane caught fire in January, first noticed when flames were seen coming out of the overhead luggage compartment of the Airbus.

Crews evacuated the plane, with all passengers escaping safely; however, the plane was severely damaged in the close call.

Investigations determined a power bank was the cause of fire.

Air Busan has since banned power banks on the airline’s flights.

From March 1, passengers travelling with Eva Air and China Airlines also needed to comply with power bank restrictions.

In December Qantas, QantasLink, Jetstar and Virgin Australia introduced new restrictions on power banks across their entire network, after multiple plane fire incidents across the world.

Power banks, which have become immensely popular with travellers, will now need to be in carry-on baggage, within arm’s reach for customers flying with Qantas, QantasLink, Jetstar or Virgin Australia.

When travel and technology literally went up in smoke, Australians couldn’t look away. This story topped The Nightly’s traffic, revealing just how quickly people want to eliminate risks hiding in everyday routines.

What story made you click in 2025? Let us know in the comments below.