Yesterday
Albanese hit hard by live fire from all sides
From Chinese warships, to Trump’s tariffs, to Australia’s sense of itself, Anthony Albanese is struggling to show he has convincing answers.
February
Government bracing for tariff rejection by Trump
The Albanese government has started playing down the prospects of securing tariff exemption for the Trump administration.
Australia seeks insurance for Trump’s ‘America First’ and China’s rise
Foreign Minister Penny Wong says the global security outlook is “increasingly fragile” and authoritarianism is spreading.
Rudd, Chalmers, Farrell lock in US talks in race for tariff carve-out
The Albanese government is mounting a full court press in Washington to spare Australian exports from tariffs before the election is called.
NZ ‘monitoring’ live-fire drills by China in international waters
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said it was unclear where the Chinese naval vessels were headed in international waters and for what purpose.
Australia locks out China from PNG ports as military tensions flare
Australia’s $4 billion taxpayer-funded Pacific bank has signed a deal to upgrade one of Papua New Guinea’s major ports and keep Beijing out.
Former Nats MP to be appointed as Vatican ambassador
Labor is poised to name Keith Pitt to a plum diplomatic post in Rome, in a shock appointment ahead of the federal election.
Marles off to D.C. to bolster relations as US launches trade war
Richard Marles will visit the US this week and meet his new counterpart, Pete Hegseth, as Australia seeks to build relations with the Trump administration.
January
Australian soldier captured while fighting for Ukraine is alive: DFAT
Oscar Jenkins remains in Russian captivity, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong, despite earlier reports he had been killed.
Stop ‘grotesque’ politicising of antisemitism: Dreyfus at Auschwitz
In Poland for a Holocaust remembrance service, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus took aim at those he says are politicising attacks on the Jewish community.
Quad could get surveillance role under Trump: Wong
Foreign Minister Penny Wong met other members of the Quad security dialogue in Washington, including US Security of State Marco Rubio.
PM follows on antisemitism when he should be leading
Anthony Albanese’s calling of a national cabinet to discuss antisemitism had an air of inevitability to it, even if the prime minister hadn’t noticed.
![Penny Wong: “Ambassador Rudd is sought out by many in this country and internationally for his understanding of China, and particularly his understanding of President Xi [Jinping] and his agenda.”](https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.2207%2C$multiply_3%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_24/t_crop_custom/c_scale%2Cw_280%2Cq_52%2Cf_auto/ce8662f10ae674bde3662db9739e880ab2ccc49f)
Australia and Trump’s US know how hard to push China: Wong
Speaking in Washington, where she will attend Donald Trump’s inauguration, the foreign minister said Beijing would top the agenda in talks with the new administration.
Star’s stark warning; Israel releases 90 Palestinians; Trump’s $113b crypto grift
Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.
Australia will work Trump’s network of influencers, says Wong
Ahead of her departure for the presidential inauguration, Foreign Minister Penny Wong says Australia should have confidence in how it navigates the White House.
Will Trump’s hard line on Beijing ‘blow up’ Canberra’s China policy?
Canberra insiders fear the second coming of Donald Trump could bring pressure on Australia to disown its “stabilisation” policy with Beijing.
Why Penny Wong has to expel Russia’s ambassador
Russia places little value on human life, but the feared execution of Australian man Oscar Jenkins cannot go unpunished.
PM, Dutton threaten Russia over feared execution of Australian soldier
The Albanese government has left the door open to expelling Russia’s envoy if reports captured Australian fighter Oscar Jenkins has been executed are true.
Penny Wong to represent Australia at Trump inauguration
Penny Wong will hold early meetings with top Trump officials after the US president-elect took the unusual step of inviting foreign dignitaries to his inauguration.
December 2024
Australia to reopen embassy in Ukraine
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has visited Kyiv and put an end to the long-running controversy.