From global diplomatic meltdowns to local downpours, our correspondents have you covered

Hello there. It’s Liam Phelan again, filling in for Bevan while he is on leave.

This week we’ve been preoccupied with three rolling events, ranging from the cutting edge of international geopolitics through to the quotidian dramas of deluges.

First the big world event: late on Tuesday afternoon news broke that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had launched a scathing personal attack on Anthony Albanese.

“History will remember Albanese for what he is: A weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia’s Jews,” the Israeli leader posted on X.

This extraordinary spray was triggered by a tit-for-tat visa cancellation row between the two nations following the Australian prime minister’s move to recognise Palestinian statehood and marked the lowest point in bilateral relations since the creation of the state of Israel.

It was instantly apparent how significant this would be, and we published a breaking take online, which was quickly filled out by the dream team joint effort from foreign affairs correspondent Matthew Knott, our recently appointed European correspondent David Crowe writing from London, and our chief political correspondent James Massola, writing from Canberra.

It became the site lead, or first story, on our home page. We had already laid out our front page for the next day’s newspaper but I called print editor Jason Avedissian less than an hour before deadline – and he quickly and efficiently remade the front page so this story became the main focus – in newspaper parlance this is called the splash.

When such significant world news breaks, we are lucky to have informed and intelligent correspondents such as Knott, Crowe and Massola to make sense of events, use their contacts to get expert reaction and also provide insightful analysis. The fallout from that outburst carried on throughout the week and I am proud to say the Herald and The Age’s coverage was second to none – yes, I know I am biased!

The big national news event this week was the Canberra roundtable on productivity – or the ovaltable as a few of our sharper-eyed editors and readers pointed out!

Our coverage of this three-day talkfest occupied most of our Canberra correspondents, with economics editor Shane Wright offering this original and engaging assessment. Economics writer Millie Muroi also contributed daily news stories, with her look at the salaries of those sitting at the table providing a different perspective.

From the grand global and national events to the local; this week for Sydneysiders was a soggy mess of rain, rain – and more rain. Our breaking news team of reporters and photographers were kept busy all week, chasing floods, forecasts and commuter delays. A weather outlook story by Bronte Gossling warning of months of wet weather ahead brought groans of misery from the newsroom.

My favourite pic of the week came from Sam Mooy – who also landed a front page photo of Eddie Obeid leaving prison that none of our competitors had. But, on a more arty level, his close up of the Harbour Bridge reflected in raindrops provided a quirky take on a gloomy few days.

Let’s hope the weekend brings better weather and Sam gets to dry out his trademark Doc Martens.

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