NewsBite

Penny Wong

This Month

xx

Birmingham new ABA chief; PwC profit slumps; 50 best restaurants

Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.

Israeli security forces inspect a destroyed building that were hit by a missile fired from Iran, in Holon, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, June 19, 2025.

Australia’s Jewish community welcomes Labor’s criticism of Iran

Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s hardening of rhetoric against the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program could help ease tensions with the Israeli government.

People take shelter in an underground metro station as a precaution against possible Iran missile attacks, in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, June 17, 2025.

Escape path opens for Aussies fleeing Iran’s missiles

Diplomats are preparing to bus people from Israel to safety, although some Australians stuck overseas worry where the escape routes may lead.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in March.

Iran’s supreme leader is on social media. War watchers are paying attention

While Israel and Iran exchange missiles, social media is giving insights direct from key leaders into the course of the war.

xx

Israel strikes Iran; Plane’s mayday call; CEO’s criminal probe

Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.

Advertisement
Marco Rubio.

Labor flexes foreign policy muscles with Israel sanctions

Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong have left open the prospect of further action against Israel over the war in Gaza.

Scenes from the Nova festival massacre site.

Israel’s military resurgence encourages talk of a new Middle East

After 600 days since October 7, Israelis are hoping for the return of the hostages, an end to the Gaza war, and a regional strategy including normalisation with Saudi Arabia.

May

Ed Husic frequently criticised Israel over its conduct of the war in Gaza when he was a minister.

Labor’s pro-Israel group warns Albanese against recognising Palestine

Party group tells prime minister that such a move would be seen as a reward for terrorist group Hamas.

Penny Wong has hit out at Israel.

Australia accuses Israel of politicising aid in Gaza

Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed Australia has joined more than 20 nations in calling on the Israeli government to allow more humanitarian aid in the territory.

A new photograph of Melbourne man Oscar Jenkins has been released by the Luhansk People’s Republic Prosecutor’s Office.

Wong slams Oscar Jenkins’ ‘sham trial’

Oscar Jenkins was found guilty and sentenced to 13-years jail by a court for taking part in an armed conflict as a mercenary,

Prime Minister Albanese arrives in Indonesia and is met by Airlangga Hartarto, Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs.

After three wobbly years, Albanese’s second term is taking off

The stack of new Labor MPs is reminiscent of the “class of 96”, which acted as John Howard’s praetorian guard for many years.

Anthony Albanese focused strongly on aged care in his budget reply this week.

How Albanese’s winning game put his opponents to the sword

For 20 years, the establishment has wondered who would be the next John Howard. It might have been looking at the wrong party.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Labor MP for Tangney, Sam Lim, attacked the Coalition’s anti-China rhetoric in videos published to Mandarin-language social media platforms this week.

Labor deploys Wong in increasingly divisive fight for Chinese vote

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has taken to Chinese social media platforms to attack Peter Dutton and the Coalition in the dying moments of the federal election.

April

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during an address to the National Press Club of Australia.

Albanese denies he’ll revive the Voice

The prime minister has ruled out revisiting the Voice after Penny Wong described it as unfinished business.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Indonesian Defense Minister and President-Elect Prabowo Subianto shake hands during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, July 31, 2024. (Grigory Sysoyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Shelved airbase gambit fails to clarify Russia’s long-term ambitions

The fallout over Moscow’s bid for an airbase Indonesia has prompted a rare admission from Peter Dutton, and sparked fresh Russian criticism of AUKUS.

Advertisement
Albanese speaking at a press conference on Thursday morning in Melbourne about the tariffs.

PM, Dutton both pledge US visit to reason with Trump after tariff hit

Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton both say they will fly to the US soon after the election to try and convince Trump to reverse his decision.

March

Westpac CEO Anthony Miller and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese get chummy at the Press Club.

Budget lunch gets a poor corporate turnout

Westpac’s Anthony Miller was the filling in a power sandwich, but CEOs were thin on the ground at the budget wash-up lunch.

Group CEO National Australia Bank Andrew Irvine in conversation with James Thomson, Senior Chanticleer Columnist.

Productivity an issue from housing to energy: Irvine

Andrew Irvine tells the Financial Review banking Summit that productivity is a complex challenge and needs a variety of fixes. How the day unfolded.

Former DFAT Secretary Peter Varghese says universities need to be clear about whether they are willing to accept conditions on their research being laid out by the Trump administration.

Unis can walk away from Trump’s demands on research: Varghese

Australia’s former chief diplomat says Donald Trump has the right to impose conditions on research funding, but equally universities must decide what is acceptable.

Professor Chennupati Jagadish says the federal government must act on possible foreign influence by the US on Australian science.

Unis urge EU pivot after Trump edict

Pressure is building on the federal government to respond to a Trump administration questionnaire that has been sent to Australian researchers.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/person/penny-wong-4rh