Australia news as it happened: Albanese brushes off claims Trump insulted him; First small group of Australians escape Iran by plane; Wong touches down in the US for Quad meeting

Sydney Morning Herald

01-07-2025

2.17pm
Sydney Airport operating on single runway amid 'bomb cyclone' event
By Chris Zappone
Sydney Airport is operating one runway in response to winds from the rainstorm hitting New South Wales.
Airservices Australia, which manages Australia's air traffic control, said it had enacted 'single runway operations' at Sydney Airport due to strong south-westerly winds.
'Delays are expected; we will continue to work closely with industry to minimise impacts for the travelling public,' said a spokesperson for Airservices Australia.
The decisions on specific flight cancellations will depend on individual airlines, said ASA, which noted that airlines would have expected the change to Sydney's Airport takeoff and departures.
Airservices Australia said it anticipated this safety call in cooperation with our airlines and the Bureau of Meteorology.
'Airservices has nightly stakeholder meetings to work out an air traffic management plan prior to the next day's operations, so airlines and airports were well aware single runway ops were a likely outcome today due to BOM's inclement weather forecasts.'
Travellers should consult the airlines to learn the status of particular flights.
12.51pm
Wong touches down in Washington for Quad meeting
By Cindy Yin
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has arrived in Washington to hold talks with her US counterpart, Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Rubio is hosting a meeting of Quad countries, marking the second time in six months foreign ministers of Australia, India, Japan, and the US have held talks.
Wong posted a picture of herself with Kevin Rudd, Australia's ambassador to the US ahead of the meeting.
'Fantastic to arrive in Washington DC ahead of the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting,' she said.
'Looking forward to discussing how we continue to support a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.'
It comes amid ongoing pressure on Australia and the US to resolve trade tensions after US President Donald Trump imposed a 10 per cent baseline tariff on Australian products, as well as a 50 per cent tariff on iron ore and steel earlier this year – an issue expected to be put sharply in focus.
Another issue hanging in the backdrop will be a potential meeting between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Trump.
12.39pm
Liberals 'the party for Australian women': O'Brien
By Cindy Yin
Deputy Liberal leader Ted O'Brien said it was 'absolutely' a clear objective of the party to have more women join its ranks after the party has come under fire for supposedly having a gender problem.
'We need more women representing the Liberal Party in more winnable seats. How that is to be done, as Sussan has outlined, will be a matter for each division of the Liberal Party,' O'Brien told ABC News Breakfast this morning.
'What we have a clear focus on is the outcome – the Liberal Party really is the party founded truly by a lot of the hard work of Australian women.
'It is the party for Australian women, but we need more women in our ranks.'
His comments come just days after Opposition Leader Sussan Ley gave an address at the National Press Club saying she would consider quotas if the party's state divisions saw them as the solution to gender equity.
However, opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor who challenged Ley for party leadership has since slammed the idea, arguing mentoring and recruitment support was a better alternative before claiming the Labor Party 'subverted democracy' with its quotas.
O'Brien did not appear to share the same views as Taylor, saying: 'We've been very open about that, and we've got a lot of heavy lifting to do to get to that objective.'