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The Latest Breaking News from Penny Wong

Grattan on Friday: Anthony Albanese has a lot on the go in the 'back office' of government

Anthony Albanese will be on the international road again next week. He’ll be at the NATO summit in Madrid, where the war in Ukraine will obviously dominate the discussions, which will also canvass China and climate change.

The Conversation

What do we know about the Afghanistan earthquake and why is the region so vulnerable?

More than 1,000 people have been killed after a powerful 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck in Afghanistan on Wednesday. Here's what we know about the disaster, the region's vulnerability and the Taliban's response.

ABC News

Head of Foreign Affairs Kathryn Campbell ousted in public service shake-up

The secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Kathryn Campbell, has been replaced in a shake-up of federal departmental heads announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

The Conversation

From analysis to the latest developments in health,
read the most diverse news in one place.

US officials find China-Solomon Islands security deal 'very troubling', internal emails reveal

Internal emails reveal United States officials described the signing of a security pact between China and Solomon Islands as "very troubling".

ABC News

Australia funds GPS trackers on Sri Lankan fishing boats, partially to deter people smugglers

New home affairs minister emphasises Australia maintains hardline Operation Sovereign Borders policy despite change in government

The Guardian - AU

Australia should not overstate the threat of China in the Pacific, and mend relationships in the region

The signing of a security agreement between Solomon Islands and China in April 2022 brought geopolitical competition and militarisation in the Pacific to the fore of public discussion.

The Conversation

Australia should rejoin UN climate fund to prove commitment to Pacific neighbours, thinktank argues

Report finds Australia’s ‘Pacific step-up’ could lack credibility if perceived to be only in response to China’s presence

The Guardian - AU

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Dfat head Kathryn Campbell set to be replaced as Albanese reshapes public service

Australia’s ambassador to Japan, Jan Adams, tipped to replace Campbell, who presided over the robodebt scheme while human services boss

The Guardian - AU

Albanese government mobilises diplomacy and aid in effort to counter Sri Lanka people smugglers

The Albanese government has launched a concerted effort to nip in the bud a threatened resumption of the people smuggling trade, with a visit by Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil to Sri Lanka and a $50 million aid package for that economically-beleaguered country.

The Conversation

After China row, Australia eyes Southeast Asia as ally in trade

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pledged to deepen economic engagement with region amid tensions with Beijing.

Al Jazeera

Bureaucratic shake-up likely to see Jan Adams replace Kathryn Campbell as Foreign Affairs and Trade boss

Bureaucrats in Canberra are expecting a shake-up of top jobs, with the head of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade expected to be replaced due to her role in the robodebt scandal.

ABC News

A New Pacific Reset? Why NZ must prioritise climate change and labour mobility

The frequent use of the term “shared values” to describe developments in the Pacific tends to obscure a distinct shift in New Zealand and Australian relations with their Pacific partners over the past two decades.

The Conversation

Vanuatu calls on Australia to back its UN bid to recognise climate change harm

Pacific islands urge new Labor government to support push for international court of justice to issue climate advisory opinion

The Guardian - AU

In the Solomon Islands, Wong takes first tentative steps in repairing a strained relationship

Foreign Minister Penny Wong was no doubt expecting a cooler reception than her three previous visits to the Pacific when she touched down in Honiara last Friday. The Solomon Islands government website had not even listed the Australian minister’s visit – but it did note the first visit of a…

The Conversation

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Tribune News Service

Solomons PM tells Australia there will be no China military base

Australia welcomed reassurances from the Solomon Islands that it would not allow China to install a military base on its territory, helping to assuage concerns about Beijing’s growing influence in the Pacific region.

The Guardian - AU

Thaw or cold war: will Labor succeed in unfreezing Australia-China relations?

The new government has struck a different tone with Beijing but the same difficult problems – from trade to the Indo-Pacific – remain

The Guardian - AU

Former minister hits out at Coalition’s ‘policy of appeasement’ towards China

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells says warnings about China’s influence were ignored and blasts NSW Liberals over preselections

The Independent UK

Australian minister visits Solomons to counter China

Australia’s new foreign minister has visited the Solomon Islands to assure the South Pacific island nation it does not need a security pact with China

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news in one place.

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AAP

Australia supports Solomons' vaccines push

Australia has announced further health support for the Solomon Islands, as Foreign Minister Penny Wong visits the nation's capital Honiara.

ABC News

Solomon Islands seeks to reassure Australia on China security deal, Penny Wong announces 200,000 paediatric vaccines

Solomon Islands' Prime Minister seeks to reassure Australia there will not be a military base in the Pacific island nation, after Foreign Minister Penny Wong touches down in Honiara.

Reuters

Australia's foreign minister in Solomon Islands to discuss security concerns

Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong met with the Solomon Islands leader Manasseh Sogavare on Friday, the first visit to Honiara by the new Australian government amid concern over its Pacific neighbour's security pact with China.

The Conversation

Marles shifts tone on China at defence summit – but the early days of government are easiest

In its first month in power, foreign policy and national security have played a major part of the new government’s activities.

Newsroom.co.nz

Wong turns the page as trans-Tasman ministers face regional challenges

Australia's foreign minister Penny Wong has flagged a less pugilistic approach to China, and greater scope for collaboration with New Zealand, in a flying visit to Aotearoa.

Reuters

Australia has ground to make up on climate change - foreign minister

New Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Thursday that her visit to the Solomon Islands this week as well as trips to other countries in the region were due to her belief that Australia had ground to make up on the issue of climate change.

The Independent UK

Australian minister visits New Zealand during Pacific trip

Australia’s new foreign minister has made New Zealand the first stop on her third Pacific trip in a month as Canberra steps up efforts to counter China’s growing influence in the region

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