This Month
Meeting Trump has become a box Albanese needs to tick
There’s a growing sense of urgency within government about the need to secure a meeting with the US president.
Relax, a Trump-Albanese meeting matters less than you think
The talk about the prime minister’s now scrapped meeting with the US president at the G7 Summit has felt like a full-scale freakout.
Trump’s G7 exit snubs PM; US moves warships; Israel-Iran wildcard
Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.
G7 summit opens with a focus on trade, wars — and not riling Trump
If there is a shared mission at this year’s G7 summit, in Canada’s Rocky Mountains, it is a desire to minimise any fireworks at a moment of combustible tensions.
Iran lauds ‘new method’ as missiles hit Tel Aviv, Haifa
At least five people were killed in the latest Iranian strikes, the national emergency service said, raising Israel’s death toll to 18 since Friday.
Storm clouds gather over G7
The intensifying conflict in the Middle East will dominate an agenda that was supposed to focus on trade and support for Ukraine.
G7 leaders aim to show they’re not intimidated by Trump
Many world leaders see fewer reasons to be cowed by the US President, even as they recognise the risks if he follows through on his threats.
PM plays down AUKUS review but puffs up defence
The federal government will seek to reassure the US of its commitment to defence spending and has not ruled out bringing some projects forward.
Why Brazil is too big and too important for Australia to ignore
Amid a shifting global order, expanding international ambitions and a tricky domestic balancing act, Brazil could have a greater impact on Australia than many realise.
G7 Summit will be a test of Albanese’s diplomatic skill
Foreign policy and trade aren’t the prime minister’s strong suit, and he has also appeared flat-footed on key defence issues
Government holds tough on defence amid AUKUS threat
The Albanese government says the defence budget will not be used as a negotiating tool with allies.
May
Steady hand faces test from Trump’s new American revolution
Anthony Albanese is promising a reformist, orderly government with no surprises but what will happen when the shocks keep coming?
February
‘Trade war on steroids’: Trump launches markets gamble
The president bets he can achieve his aims through tariffs without igniting inflation or a sell-off in American stocks.
December 2024
Why the world’s leading democracies are in crisis
The majority of G7 governments are now so burdened with domestic political problems that they are incapable of steering their own countries – let alone the free world.
October 2024
Israel strikes heart of Beirut, killing six
Witnesses reported hearing a massive blast, and a security source said it targeted a building in the central district of Bachoura, near parliament.
September 2024
AUKUS was part of plan to punish Macron, says Boris Johnson
Writing in his upcoming memoirs, the former UK prime minister accused the French president of being a “positive nuisance” during talks to leave the EU.
Iran ships ‘hundreds’ of missiles to Russia in ‘huge threat’
Delivery of weaponry to Moscow marks a “dramatic escalation” in the war against Ukraine, Kyiv and Western officials warn.
US, Britain and Brussels set to sign agreement on AI standards
The convention, which was drafted by more than 50 countries, requires signatories to be accountable for any harmful and discriminatory outcomes of AI systems.
Kishida was better on the foreign stage than at home
The outgoing Japanese PM strengthened international ties and was decisive on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, he missed the opportunity to fix the economy.
July 2024
Meloni vows to ‘relaunch’ cooperation with China
Italy was the only Group of Seven country to join the massive Belt and Road Initiative, but it withdrew last year under US pressure over Beijing’s economic reach.