Rachel Pannett

Sydney

Rachel Pannett writes about global news for The Washington Post.

Education: Massey University, BA in Social Anthropology and Journalism

Rachel Pannett started as a journalist in her home country New Zealand, and has reported from around the world including Europe, North America and across the Asia-Pacific. She has covered wildfires and terrorist attacks, elections and political upheavals, and traced the journeys of Myanmar Rohingya refugees and Afghan migrants seeking a better life abroad. On a less-serious note, she has also written about beer-can boat races, Elvis impersonators in the Outback and Australia's 'Route 66'. She joined the Post's foreign desk in 2021 after more than a decade with The Wall Street Journal, where s
Latest from Rachel Pannett

Tourist dies trying to climb Spanish bridge for social media content

The 26-year-old British man died while climbing the roughly 600-foot Castilla-La Mancha bridge, an act local authorities say is prohibited.

October 15, 2024
A British man plunged to his death on a bridge in Spain.

Israel strikes Gaza’s al-Aqsa Hospital grounds, 200 targets in southern Lebanon

Israel’s military struck what it said was a Hamas command center embedded inside a hospital compound in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza early on Monday.

October 14, 2024

New Zealand navy ship sinks, prompting environmental concerns

An oil spill is highly likely, said local authorities, after the New Zealand Navy ship HMNZS Manawanui sank near Samoa.

October 7, 2024
The HMNZS Manawanui in a bay in New Zealand on Dec. 1.

IDF and Hezbollah clash in Lebanon; Israel, U.S. vow consequences for Iran attack

The barrage of missiles from Iran followed “localized” ground raids by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon to root out Hezbollah fighters.

October 2, 2024

Hamas claims responsibility for Tel Aviv shooting and stabbing attack

Seven people were killed and 16 were injured in the attack, just ahead of a large-scale Iranian missile strike on Israel.

October 2, 2024
Emergency responders move a victim of a shooting Tuesday in the Jaffa neighborhood of Tel Aviv to an ambulance.

Iran launched nearly 200 missiles at Israel, U.S. says

The attack came days after Israel killed Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah, a key Tehran ally, and as Israeli ground forces enter Lebanon, sparking fear of an even wider war.

October 1, 2024

Israel launches ground operation in southern Lebanon, Israeli military says

The IDF said the raids were “limited, localized, and targeted,” and aimed at destroying Hezbollah targets and pushing fighters away from the Israeli border.

September 30, 2024

U.S., France and other nations call for Israel-Hezbollah cease-fire deal

In a joint statement, President Joe Biden and President Emmanuel Macron of France called on both sides to “give diplomacy a chance.”

September 26, 2024
French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York on Wednesday.

2 injured as United Airlines flight maneuvers to avert midair collision

The San Francisco-bound plane was alerted near Oakland, Calif., that another aircraft was in the vicinity, but it was able to land safely. The FAA is investigating.

September 25, 2024
A United Airlines jet approaches Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport in Sarasota, Fla., in February.

Australia’s two largest supermarket chains sued over fake-discount claims

The country’s regulator found that Woolworths and Coles hiked the price of Oreos, Kleenex and other staples before cutting them to create “illusory” discounts.

September 24, 2024
A Woolworths in Melbourne, Australia.