Penny Wong says Australia ‘alarmed’ by reports of Israeli strikes in Iran
Foreign minister Penny Wong says Australia is “alarmed by the escalation in tensions between Israel and Iran” amid reports of explosions in Tehran. Wong said:
This risks further destabilising a region that is already volatile. We call on all parties to refrain from actions and rhetoric that would further exacerbate tensions.
We all understand the need, the threat of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile program, it represents a threat to international peace and security and we urge the parties to prioritise dialogue and diplomacy.
Key events
Nicola Gobbo’s ‘Lawyer X’ lawsuit against state dismissed
Former gangland lawyer-turned-informer Nicola Gobbo has lost her lawsuit against the state of Victoria after claiming police compromised her safety when she was exposed to have double-crossed clients, AAP reports.
The former barrister sued the state for at least $800,000 in damages over claims she was groomed by police to become a human source in late 2005.
Also known as “Lawyer X”, she claimed police exploited her vulnerabilities and distress due to close ties to gangland figures, including Tony Mokbel, by offering her protection, support and promises to protect her identity in exchange for information on her gangland clients.
But her cover was blown in March 2019 when she was exposed as “Informer 3838” and “Lawyer X”.
Justice Melinda Richards said that once Gobbo decided to become an informer, “exposure was an inherent risk”. Richards said:
So the state can’t be held liable. Therefore it is unnecessary to assess damages.
Police scale back search for missing man near Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain
Police said this morning they have scaled back search efforts for a man missing since Monday. Rescue officials have been searching for Victorian Christopher Inwood, 52, for days after discovering his van in the car park of a ranger station in the Cradle Mountain area on Tuesday morning.
He was last seen in the town of Kindred on Monday night. A Tasmania Police helicopter crew searched the area on Thursday, as have SES volunteers, park rangers, police officers and drone operators. Steven Jones, a rescue inspector for Tasmania Police, said:
Extensive search efforts have been undertaken in the area where the missing person was last believed to be. At this stage, that area has been comprehensively searched, and all reasonable search strategies have been completed.
Given the length of time Mr Inwood has been missing and the harsh weather conditions in the area, if he has been fully exposed to the elements, sadly, his chances of survival are extremely low.
Wong says Albanese ‘very experienced international negotiator’ as PM heads to G7
Wong was asked if the PM had made any progress on efforts to speak with US president Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7. She said:
The prime minister is a very experienced international negotiator and I certainly won’t pre-empt what he might want or have to say, but obviously … this is an important meeting.
It’s a privilege for Australia to be invited and I know the prime minister is looking forward to the opportunity to engage with all of the G7 nations.
Wong said the Aukus deal represented great benefits to Australia, but also to partner nations the US and the UK, saying “we are all custodians” of the deal.
Wong defends sanctions on two Israeli ministers
Penny Wong defended Australia’s joint sanctions announced this week on two far-right Israeli cabinet ministers. The foreign minister described the pair as “inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank” earlier this week.
She said today:
We partnered with others – the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Norway – to sanction two ministers whose extremist settler project or support for that is for the reasons I outlined when I made the announcement. Something we’re all deeply concerned about.
We have a longstanding friendship with the people of Israel. We want that to continue and I said that when we announced. But we disagree with the actions of the Netanyahu government. We disagreed with the actions of these ministers in relation to the West Bank.
Wong repeats calls on Israel to let aid into Gaza
Penny Wong is in Adelaide to announce a new partnership with Jordan to provide urgent medical aid to Palestinians. The foreign minister repeated her calls on Israel to allow aid into Gaza to help Palestinians. She said:
Aid is being prevented from reaching those who need it. Children are injured and children are starving.
Israel’s ongoing restriction of aid into Gaza is costing lives. Israel must allow aid to enter, unhindered. And Australia has consistently been part of the international call on Israel to allow a full and immediate resumption of aid into Gaza in line with the binding orders of the international court of justice. We repeat that call today.
Wong added:
We disagree with the actions of the Netanyahu government in the blockade of aid into Gaza. That is a principled position to take.
Wong says no Australians thought onboard in Air India crash
The foreign minister said Australia’s thoughts were with India and Britain following the Air India crash last night. Penny Wong said:
This is heartbreaking, and I know I speak for all Australians when I say this is heartbreaking. Our thoughts are with all affected, including my good friends in India…
At this stage, I have not been advised that any Australians were onboard. But we remain closely engaged with Indian authorities.
Penny Wong says Australia ‘alarmed’ by reports of Israeli strikes in Iran
Foreign minister Penny Wong says Australia is “alarmed by the escalation in tensions between Israel and Iran” amid reports of explosions in Tehran. Wong said:
This risks further destabilising a region that is already volatile. We call on all parties to refrain from actions and rhetoric that would further exacerbate tensions.
We all understand the need, the threat of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile program, it represents a threat to international peace and security and we urge the parties to prioritise dialogue and diplomacy.
Blasts heard in Tehran as Israel’s defence minister announces strikes on Iran
Follow our live blog for updates on a developing situation in Iran. Explosions were heard north-east of Tehran early on Friday, the state-run Nour News said, with videos shared online showing explosions in the capital.
Australia’s foreign minister, Penny Wong, is expected to speak on the reports shortly.
Two men arrested over alleged scheme to sell fake cocaine to criminals
NSW police have charged two people over their alleged involvement in a criminal syndicate selling fake cocaine to other criminal groups across Sydney.
The organised crime squad has been investigating an alleged South American criminal syndicate that it claims travelled from Spain to Sydney in May with the intent to sell 95kg of cocaine. Earlier this week, detectives executed a search warrant at a unit in the suburb of North Rocks, where police allegedly found 10 bricks of a substance believed to be cocaine, $121,000 and more than a dozen mobile phones, among other items.
Testing revealed the substance was not cocaine, but police will allege the criminal group was selling the substance to other syndicates as the drug for $90,000 a kilogram.
Police will also allege the same group had engaged in a similar scheme in London earlier this year.
The two men have been charged with suppling a prohibited drug and were refused bail this morning at Parramatta Local Court.
Adam Morton
Conservation foundation chief to resign after decade of ‘vision, compassion and integrity’
The chief executive of the Australian Conservation Foundation, Kelly O’Shanassy, is resigning after more than a decade in the job.
In a statement, O’Shanassy said it had been an honour “to lead this powerhouse organisation and serve Australians who love nature and want climate action”.
ACF president Ros Harvey said O’Shanassy, who previously led Environment Victoria, would leave a “lasting legacy”.
Kelly has cultivated a welcoming and empowering culture within ACF and the broader environment movement and has always led with great vision, compassion and integrity.
Under Kelly’s stewardship, ACF created more than 40 ACF community groups across the country and attracted more than half a million new supporters, from cities, farms, the bush, the beach and mining communities.
O’Shanassy will stay in the role until the end of the year. The ACF board is conducting a national search for a replacement.
Albanese calls Air India crash ‘absolutely devastating’
The prime minister responded to the Air India crash last night on social media, saying the event was “absolutely devastating”. He also wrote on X:
In this time of tragedy, Australia’s thoughts are with everyone affected.
Our government is receiving regular updates and we will continue to monitor the situation closely.
The news of a passenger plane crash in Ahmedabad is absolutely devastating.
In this time of tragedy, Australia’s thoughts are with everyone affected.
Our government is receiving regular updates and we will continue to monitor the situation closely.
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) June 12, 2025
Catie McLeod
Woman who witnessed Sydney light rail death calls for safety upgrades
A woman who says she saw a pedestrian fatally struck by a Sydney tram earlier this month is calling for safety upgrades to the city’s light rail network.
Annalise Gasparre, 27, said she was standing on the opposite platform at a light rail stop on Devonshire Street in Surry Hills in the moments before the man died on 5 June.
The man was the second pedestrian to die after being struck by a tram on Sydney’s light rail in two years, after the 2023 death of a teenage girl who became trapped underneath a tram while attempting to cross a street in the CBD.
Read more here:
One Nation won’t contest Tasmania’s snap election
One Nation said today it would not contest the snap election in Tasmania called after a no-confidence vote in Liberal premier Jeremy Rockliff. Lee Hanson – daughter of Pauline – who lost her bid for a Senate seat in the federal election, criticised the timing of the new race, which comes just 16 months after Tasmanians last headed to the state polls.
One Nation said in a statement:
Unlike the major parties caught up in political theatrics over Hobart’s proposed stadium, One Nation is choosing principle over opportunism. Hanson said neither Labor nor the Liberals can be trusted to manage Tasmania’s finances, especially with both backing what she sees as reckless stadium spending.
The party said it would instead focus on growing “its strong federal base and preparing properly for the 2028 federal election and future state races”.
The ABC reports the Jacqui Lambie Network will also not contest the election.
Lattouf case judgment set for 25 June
Amanda Meade
Justice Darryl Rangiah will deliver his judgment in the unlawful termination case brought by former radio presenter Antoinette Lattouf against the ABC in the federal court on 25 June at 10.15am.
The highly anticipated judgment will be livestreamed by the federal court.
Lattouf was let go three days into a five-day fill-in stint on ABC Radio Sydney’s Mornings program when she shared a post that said Israel had used starvation as a “weapon of war” in Gaza.
After the Fair Work Commission found the freelance journalist was sacked from her casual presenting role on the ABC, she pursued an unlawful termination case in the federal court.
The ABC claimed in the trial that Lattouf was not sacked from her role but was merely asked not to present the final two shows.
