Foreign Minister Penny Wong issues a warning about the risks of calls for a monoculture; Iran says its war with the US will escalate to military action if conditions are not met; And in cycling, American Riley Sheehan wins the opening stage of the Czech Tour
TRANSCRIPT
In this bulletin
- Foreign Minister Penny Wong issues a warning about the risks of calls for a monoculture
- Iran says its war with the US will escalate to military action if conditions are not met
- And in cycling, American Riley Sheehan wins the opening stage of the Czech Tour
Foreign Minister Penny Wong is warning a monoculture would make Australia more vulnerable globally.
Senator Wong made the comments while delivering the 2026 Gyngell Lecture for the Lowy Institute.
The speech didn't mention One Nation or Pauline Hanson by name but offered criticisms of the party's approach, including that it would risk national security and jeopardise our standing in the world.
Senator Wong says a multicultural Australia is the only Australia that has ever existed.
"At a time where external and internal forces are seeking to divide us, turning Australians against each other makes us more vulnerable. Division makes us easier to exploit, it doesn't make us stronger. Turning Australians against each other is the opposite of patriotism. Our resilience starts with how we choose to live together. it starts with choosing to respect that while we have taken different roads we are all worthy of a place here."
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A spokesman for Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei says the war with the US will shift to an offensive phase if Iran's conditions are not met.
Adviser to the supreme leader, Mohammad Mokhber, says the current situation has proven the inability of the United States to protect its allies in the Persian Gulf.
US President JD Vance, meanwhile, is accusing Tehran of not honouring its own commitments it has made to the US.
Speaking on Fox News, Vance says he's confident Washington will achieve its goals of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and maintaining stable energy prices.
"The Iranians sometimes make commitments that they don't honor. They make a deal, they don't honor the deal. And I understand your point about the see-saw nature of this, but I think what that reflects is that we have a lot of tools at our disposal to compel action."
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the AUKUS defence pact is "full steam ahead" after speaking overnight with US President Donald Trump.
Mr Albanese says he's also urged President Trump to fully exempt Australia from all tariffs.
AUKUS is a defence pact between Australia, the US and Britain intended to deliver nuclear-powered submarines to Australia.
Mr Albanese says the call was constructive and substantial.
"We reviewed the significant progress that has been made under AUKUS, which remains full steam ahead. We agreed it was a project that is and will continue to deliver benefits for the United States, for Australia and for the United Kingdom.”
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A strike team made up of officers from multiple agencies has charged seven people and dismantled two multi-million dollar criminal networks allegedly importing illicit tobacco and vapes into Australia.
Officers have been investigating the networks since May last year, seizing almost 300,000 vapes in multiple searches, as well as $300,000 in gold bullion, $172,000 in cash, $1.5m in luxury watches, $1m of luxury handbags, two firearms, and 350,000 cigarettes.
Seven people have been arrested and put before the courts.
Detectives will allege since May 2026, about 88 air cargo consignments of illicit tobacco were allegedly imported and kept in a storage facility, before being distributed to stores and wholesale distributers.
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Television star Johnny Young of Young Talent Time fame has died after a brief fight with pancreatic cancer.
The 79-year-old was a fixture in Australian homes, showcasing the talent of young Australians, including Dannii Minogue.
The songwriter was born in the Netherlands in 1947 before moving to Australia as a child and launching a pop career.
Speaking to SBS Dutch in 2010, Young reflected on his Dutch heritage, his career in Australia and his 2010 induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame
"I was born in Rotterdam. I will always be a Dutch child at heart, but Australia has been fantastic for me. And the Hall of Fame is about the substance of my work. It’s not just about my television work or my songs; it’s about everything. And it says, “You made a difference,” and I think that’s fantastic."
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And to sport, in cycling,
American Riley Sheehan has won the opening stage of the Czech Tour.
British cyclist Ben Turner took second place, with Estonia's Romet Pajur in third.
The result establishes Sheehan as the first leader of the Czech Tour before the race moves into the high mountains on stage 2.
The 26-year-old says it feels incredible to claim his second win of the 2026 season.
"I think I had full confidence that we would catch the breakway. I had a phenomenal team to back me up and we played our cards right and they all came in together at the final and positioned me perfect and all I had to was sprint at the end. It was a perfect day."
And you can watch all four stages of the Czech Tour on SBS On Demand.
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