Australian news and politics live: Taylor says Wong returning from US ‘empty-handed’, making ‘no progress’

The Quad group of Australia, the US, India and Japan have signed up to a new critical minerals initiative to bolster supply chains on materials vital for vehicles, defence and green energy technologies.

A joint statement from the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue in Washington, attended by Foreign Minister Penny Wong, said the “flagship” program would “strengthen economic security,” among the four nations.

“The Quad Critical Minerals Initiative will strengthen cooperation on priorities such as securing and diversifying reliable supply chains, and electronic waste (e-waste) critical minerals recovery and re-processing,” it said.

The statement also highlighted more cooperation on cable connectivity and resilience, amid growing fears of the vulnerability of the undersea network critical for global internet functioning.

“The Quad will continue to promote digital infrastructure projects across the Indo-Pacific, in close collaboration with the private sector, to support security, interoperability, and innovation,” the statement added.

US President Donald Trump says Israel has agreed to the key terms needed to finalise a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, during which efforts will be made to end the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian territory.

“Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalise the 60-day ceasefire, during which time we will work with all parties to end the war,” Mr Trump posted on social media on Wednesday morning AEST.

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NSW SES Deputy Commissioner Debbie Platz said that the areas on high alert include Illawarra, the South Coast and some areas in Sydney.

Ms Platz urged residents to take care on the roads as there have been multiple car crashes due to the slippery conditions.

“That is extremely important, and once again, a reminder to everybody not to drive, play or walk in flooded areas.”

See live updates here.

Detectives have charged a third person in relation to the alleged murder of Pheobe Bishop.

Police allege the 30-year-old man was an accessory after the fact to the murder and had interfered with the investigation.

“It will be alleged the man used the victim’s mobile phone to interfere with the investigation,” police said in a statement.

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Qantas is warning that up to six million customers could have been hit by a “significant” cyberattack at one of its contact centres.

“We understand this will be concerning for customers,” the airline said in a statement on Wednesday morning.

“We are currently contacting customers to make them aware of the incident, apologise and provide details on the support available.

Read the full story here.

Federal Housing Minister Clare O’Neil has fought back tears speaking of her own “panicked” response to the alleged child sexual abuse that occurred at a daycare centre in Melbourne.

Childcare worker Joshua Brown, 26, was arrested over charges related to eight victims who attended a Point Cook childcare centre between April 2022 and January 2023.

Ms O’Neil, whose young children attend childcare centres in Victoria, said she was left “panicked” herself as she scanned list of childcare centres involved in the incidents.

“I was so panicked yesterday, looking on that list to see if any of my kids have been affected in any of these centres.

“(I know) thousands of parents around Victoria having to go through these discussions with their children, that we would never want a parent to have to talk to a child about, so I just say from a human perspective, this is absolutely awful.”

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A man has died during an overnight Emirates flight from Dubai to Sydney, prompting a major response from the AFP, biosecurity officials, and NSW paramedics.

Passengers reported frustration after the A380 landed at around 6.20am, with many still held on board more than 90 minutes later.

“We haven’t been allowed off the plane due to a medical emergency,” one passenger told 2GB’s Ben Fordham on Wednesday morning.

“Everyone has been told to remain seated to allow medical teams access, but it’s now been well over an hour and a half.”

A Sydney Airport source has reportedly told ​The Sydney Morning Herald​ that there are no suspicious circumstances, with the involvement of multiple agencies part of standard procedure.

Penny Wong said she discussed US tariffs with Marco Rubio but did not announce any breakthrough.

“We made clear what we’ve made clear privately - that we have a free trade agreement with the United States, we continue to honour that, we enable US goods to enter our country tariff-free, and we continue to advocate for that US-Australia Free Trade Agreement to also be observed by the administration,” Senator Wong said.

“That remains Australia’s position. The Prime Minister has said that very clearly during the election campaign and since.

“I’m not going to go into all details... ..but I can assure you our position remains unchanged. Unchanged and delivered.”

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The Foreign Minister said the US demand that Australia raise its spending on defence be raised to 3.5 per cnet of GDP, was not discussed during her meeting with Marco Rubio.

“Secretary Rubio didn’t raise Australia’s defence budget with me,” Senator Wong said.

“What we talked about was our partnership and the ways in which we work together.

“We obviously talked about the AUKUS agreement and the benefits that it gives all three countries.

“It’s a good deal for Australia, it’s a good deal for the United States, and it’s a good deal for the United Kingdom.”

Penny Wong said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio ‘expressed regret’ over the canceled meeting between Anthony Albanese and Donald Trump at the G7 Summit.

“I explained to him we understood that the President had to leave early,” Senator Wong said on ABC.

“We understood why the meeting needed to be rescheduled. And we’re both looking forward to a rescheduled meeting between our two leaders.”