Latest news with #AustralianEmbassy
SBS Australia
3 days ago
- Politics
- SBS Australia
Chinese authorities intercept Australian journalists ahead of Albanese's meeting with Xi
Chinese local security guards tried to stop Australian reporters from leaving with footage from a Beijing tourist attraction. Reporters travelled with Australian embassy escort and written permission, to film piece to camera elements for stories on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. While SBS, ABC, Sky News, Channel Nine, and Channel 7 crews were filming their content, the local authorities approached with questions about whether they had the correct permissions, SBS chief political correspondent Anna Henderson reported from Beijing. About eight local security officials surrounded the group, stating they had to stay until police arrived and that they would need to hand over the footage they had collected. SBS chief political correspondent Anna Henderson is covering Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's China visit. Source: SBS News A diplomat from Australia's embassy managed to speak to the local authorities, but they continued to follow and encircle as the group moved towards the bus. While they said the journalists were not allowed to leave, the group boarded the bus without incident and was able to depart. This is a developing story and this article will be updated.
SBS Australia
08-07-2025
- Sport
- SBS Australia
A century, a tie at the top, and an unexpected trip to Paris (Stage 4)
Stage 4, and we had the privilege of recording from Paris, and to witness another little piece of history being made, where Tadej Pogačar reached an incredible milestone: his 100th professional win. That this feat happened during one of the world's most prestigious races only adds to its significance. Beyond the race itself, we shared a personal twist to our Parisian adventure — less than 24 hours before recording, we were caught off guard by a theft. It was a stressful moment, but the swift response of the French police and the Australian Embassy in France left a strong impression and helped us move forward with the episode.
SBS Australia
20-06-2025
- Politics
- SBS Australia
Australian embassy officials in Iran evacuate as conflict grows in Middle East
Australian embassy officials in Iran evacuate as conflict grows in Middle East Published 20 June 2025, 8:37 am Australian officials and their families have been evacuated from Tehran. Threats of a major regional war have prompted Australia to close its embassy. The Federal government is urgently warning Australians in Iran to leave if safe to do so.
SBS Australia
20-06-2025
- Politics
- SBS Australia
Wong calls for 'de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy' after Tehran embassy closure
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has urged Australians who are able to leave Iran to do so if it is safe, and those who are unable to leave have been advised to remain sheltered in place. Source: AAP / Lukas Coch Foreign Minister Penny Wong has called for "de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy" after announcing that the Australian embassy in Tehran would close amid continuing hostilities between Iran and Israel. All Australian foreign affairs staff and their dependents in the Iranian capital have been told to leave "based on advice about the deteriorating security environment", Wong said in a statement sent out early this morning. The statement said the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) was seeking to deploy consular staff to Azerbaijan, including its border crossings, to support Australians departing Iran. DFAT was "in the process of getting a crisis response team into Azerbaijan" to help Australians cross the border from Iran, saying that was their "most likely exit from Tehran", Wong said in Adelaide later on Friday morning. She said Australian military personnel had been deployed to the region to help evacuation efforts. "The deployment is for supporting people; it is not for combat purposes," she emphasised. In the earlier statement, Wong said: "We urge Australians who are able to leave Iran to do so now, if it is safe". "Those who are unable to, or do not wish to leave, are advised to shelter in place," she said. "We are continuing planning to support Australians seeking to depart Iran, and we remain in close contact with other partner countries." "Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters in Washington, quoting a message from Trump. The conflict between Israel and Iran erupted a week ago, when the former launched an attack against the Islamic republic's missile capabilities, claiming it was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 639 people and wounded 1,300 others, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group. Israel says Iran's retaliatory strikes have killed at least 24 and wounded hundreds more. Iran has warned of "all-out war" if the US joins the fray. There are now more than 2,000 Australians who have registered for assistance to leave Iran, up from 1,500 on Thursday. "It's a difficult, hard situation, the airspace is still closed," Health Minister Mark Butler told Seven's Sunrise program on Friday. "We'll be exploring every opportunity we can to support people getting out in other ways." "When the opportunity arises to get people out, we take that opportunity," Butler said. There are still more than 1,200 Australians registered for assistance to depart Israel, where the airspace is also closed. At the late morning press conference, Wong also said she'd spoken with her US counterpart Marco Rubio overnight. "We had a good discussion. A good discussion about the way through the conflict and issues in the Australia-US relationship and our bilateral cooperation," she said. "I emphasise there is an opportunity given what president Trump has said. There is an opportunity over the next two weeks for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy." "That is what we want to see and that is what the world wants to see. Iran must come to the table and it must stop any nuclear weapons program."
Daily Mail
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
I landed in China and wasn't allowed to leave the airport after making a shock discovery in my bag... 18 hours later I was on a flight home to Australia
A young woman has shared her horror experience after being stranded in an airport in China for 18 hours and then flying back to Australia because she lost her passport. Maddi Healey's passport went missing on a flight from Sydney to Guangzhou earlier this month as she was embarking on her dream holiday. Her and a friend were looking forward to visiting the world famous Great Wall of China but she didn't get out of the airport. Her holiday was over after she couldn't find her passport when she got to the customs desk. 'We turned the bag inside out and searched my friend's bag. It was not there,' she told Yahoo. 'I then noticed a decent-sized rip in the top of my backpack that was not there before leaving for China. 'Something didn't feel right. By this point, my friend and I had to make the tough decision as to whether or not she would continue the trip solo in the hope that I would recover my passport and meet up with her. We said our goodbyes.' The 20-year-old was then forced to wait for 18 hours without internet or power access. She said she was given very little information on what would happen to her and the Australian embassy couldn't help because she hadn't gone through customs. 'About seven hours in a lovely man who was working at the international desk came over and offered his help. He sat with me and booked me a ticket back to Sydney. I ended up paying $660,' Maddi said. 'I believe that if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have gotten home the way I did and in such a timely manner. I was in complete despair, filled with fear and frustration.' Maddi told fellow Aussie travellers to keep their passports 'strapped to you at all times'. 'Don't assume everyone has the same level of respect for your belongings. Have all your documents photographed and saved in your phone,' she said. 'I was extremely disheartened that I was missing out on a trip that I had dreamt of for years.' Maddi also said there needed to be more services to help Aussies who are not yet in a country, but have left the plane. 'Being unable to be helped by the embassy due to a matter of metres is really hard. I hope no one else has to experience this during their travels,' she said. There has been a substantial increase in the number of Australian passports stolen, with 1,942 reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade between 2023 and 2024. It was a 28 per cent increase compared to the previous year. In December, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) released its 2023-24 Consular State of Play report, which showed how many Aussies needed consular assistance and crisis support overseas. DFAT responded to 9,067 consular assistance cases over the period which was a seven per cent increase from the previous year. The country where Australians needed the most hekp overseas was Thailand, with 827 consular cases. China recorded 309 cases.
