In briefAnthony Albanese and Angus Taylor have commemorated the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.John Howard, who was prime minister at the time and on US soil, has also reflected on the tragedy.Twenty-five years ago, the world watched with horror as two hijacked airliners plunged into the Twin Towers at the World Trade Centre in New York, part of a catastrophic attack that would kill 2,977 people and change the world forever. A quarter-century on from the disaster that claimed lives from more than 90 countries — including ten Australians — tributes have poured in from Australian leaders and agencies.In a video posted on social media, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called for a pause to reflect on "that darkest of days", and for Australians to think of the people across the world whose lives were changed forever "in scenes so confronting that they remain seared into our collective memory". Albanese said that while it was a day that changed the world, the bravery seen amid the horror showed "the greater side of humanity"."From New York to Washington, to Pennsylvania, so many people responded to terror with extraordinary courage, compassion and defiance," he said. News that makes senseYour trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox."And together, they defined the spirit of a nation. We hold on to that, and we remember everyone who never came home from what should've been just an ordinary day in September."Coinciding with the historic date is a new event in the relationship between Australia and the United States: the first NFL game played in Australia, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Friday. During the game, the Australian Defence Force teamed up with its US counterparts in a flyover to commemorate the lives lost 25 years ago."In a powerful display of unity and skill, the Royal Australian Air Force Roulettes will fly with the US Marine Corps Ospreys, in a mixed formation above the MCG for this historic event," the ADF said in a statement, adding that the defence force would provide additional ceremonial support at the NFL match, including a Flag Party.The Royal Australian Air Force Roulettes and US Marine Corps teamed up for a joint flyover above the MCG to commemorate 25 years since September 11. Source: AAP / Joel CarrettOpposition leader and former PM reflectLeader of the Opposition Angus Taylor said it was "hard to believe" that the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks had arrived."It is hard to fathom that an entire generation of young Australians have reached adulthood who were not born on 9/11. And yet, they have grown up in a post 9/11 world — a darker world. My four children are among them," Taylor said in a statement."We all remember where we were, and how we received the shocking news ... Of course, this was the pre-smartphone age, and many Australians would not see the news until the following morning. I was one of them ... The entire situation was unfathomable and surreal."Taylor went on to describe his appreciation for then-prime minister John Howard's actions. "In America’s darkest hour, Australia heard America. Australia stood by our ally and dear friend ... It was right that Australia took the fight to the terrorists in the Middle East, regardless of the shortfalls of those campaigns," he said.Howard was on American soil during the attack. He told ABC Radio on Friday he was preparing for a press conference in Washington DC when he was told by his press secretary a plane had hit the World Trade Centre."We knew then it wasn't an accident, it was something worse," he said.The former prime minister was in the US for a visit that included talks with President George W Bush on 10 September 2001.Howard said the significance of the event soon became apparent."It meant a lot to the whole world, and it certainly meant that I quickly came to realise just how important our association with the Americans was, because this powerful country had been attacked in an atrocious, cruel manner," he said."It meant that the world would never be the same."Howard said the decision to follow the US into wars in Afghanistan as a result of 9/11 was the right thing to do."I was unhappy with aspects of the ultimate withdrawal from Afghanistan. It did look rather chaotic at the time ... overall, I don't have any regrets," he said.It's estimated that nearly a million people were killed by post-9/11 war violence in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen and Pakistan between 2001 and 2003, including more than 400,000 civilians, according to research compiled by Brown University.Taylor acknowledged the hard work of Australia's defence personnel in the wars that followed the attack, and called for a "reckoning" on present-day Islamist extremism."As we mark the 25th anniversary of 9/11, an atrocity committed by terrorists, and in memory of all those murdered, it is time we had a reckoning with Islamist extremism," he said.Howard said the September 11 attacks were an unparalleled event of his prime ministership, shattering long-held notions for many around the world."That was the beginning of it ... That shattered the illusion, if it existed as an illusion, that we lived in a world free of terrorism," he said."It was an entirely new and different and horrifying and terrifying world."— With additional reporting from the Australian Associated Press.For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.