Australia news LIVE: Trump envoy meets Putin in Moscow; Indian tariffs doubled amid US push for Ukraine ceasefire
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6.55am
A super-sized GST – with a $3300 cheque in the mail
By Shane Wright, Paul Sakkal and Olivia Ireland
All Australians would receive $3300 a year in exchange for accepting a higher and broader GST under a plan which proponents claim would boost the budget by $28 billion a year while driving up the nation's living standards.
Before this month's economic roundtable, independent MP Kate Chaney has backed an idea first floated by leading Australian economist Richard Holden to lift the GST to 15 per cent and extend the tax on food, education, health and childcare services and water and sewerage.
This would raise an additional $92.5 billion in its first full year of operation, but would be offset by a $3300 rebate to every person over the age of 18 that would effectively erase the impact of the higher GST on the first $22,000 of an individual's annual purchases.
6.52am
US Army sergeant shoots five Soldiers at Georgia base
An Army sergeant using a personal handgun opened fire on his unit at Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield in Georgia on Wednesday, the base's commander said. Five soldiers were wounded in the attack, which ended when soldiers tackled the gunman.
None of the injuries were life-threatening, base commander John W. Lubas said in a news conference. He said the victims would not be identified publicly until their families had been contacted. 'All are expected to recover,' he said.
Army officials identified the suspect in custody as Sergeant Quornelius Radford, 28, an automated logistics sergeant assigned to 2nd Brigade Combat Team. They said they were not sure of his motivations or how he had concealed the weapon he used.
About 8,800 people live at Fort Stewart, about 40 miles southwest of Savannah.
The Army Criminal Investigation Division was leading the investigation of the shooting. President Donald Trump was briefed, said Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, and the FBI's Savannah office was assisting the investigation.
The New York Times
6.45am
What's making news today
By Daniel Lo Surdo
Hello and welcome to the national news live blog. My name is Daniel Lo Surdo, and I'll be helming our live coverage this morning.
Here's what is making news today:
White House special envoy Steve Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow hours ago, in an almost three-hour meeting that canvassed Donald Trump's threat to intensify sanctions and tariffs on Russia if an urgent move towards a ceasefire with Ukraine wasn't achieved. Trump described the meeting as 'highly productive', noting that 'great progress was made' towards ending Russia's war in Ukraine.
A proposal that would see all Australians receive $3300 a year in exchange for accepting a higher and broader GST has been proposed ahead of this month's economic reform roundtable. The plan would lift the GST to 15 per cent and extend the tax on food, education, health and childcare services, and water and sewerage, with proponents arguing it would boost the budget by $28 billion a year and drive up national living standards.
Trump has signed an executive order to double tariffs on Indian exports to 50 per cent within three weeks, days after the Indian government warned against new trade penalties. The move is designed to penalise India for its purchasing of Russian oil, as Trump continues work to negotiate an end to Russia's war in Ukraine.
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The Age
29 minutes ago
- The Age
China is playing the long game to win its war with Trump
US President Donald Trump's trade war was meant to rebalance global power in the United States' favour. Instead, China is playing the long game, enduring short-term economic pain to shape any eventual deal to its advantage. The strategy appears to be working — for now. On Monday, Washington granted Beijing another 90-day reprieve, extending a pause on tariffs through November 10. China announced it would do the same. Markets welcomed the move, which offered some relief after months of tension. The delay will give Chinese President Xi Jinping's policymakers more time to plan their next move. Time is Xi's ally. So far, the clearest outcome of each round of talks has been a commitment to meet again. Despite Trump's insistence that China has taken significant steps to improve their trade relationship, Beijing has made no consequential concessions on any of his key concerns. (China has offered some small compromises, none on the scale of American demands.) The extension has come at a delicate time for China's economy, which is plagued by sluggish domestic demand and a slowdown in the property sector. Bloomberg Economics says that it is among the few major nations without a clear timeline or terms for a deal, while others have struck agreements to secure lower tariffs. Even with this reprieve, it notes, Beijing faces average US tariffs of 40 per cent — almost 25 percentage points above the global average. Loading This will hurt prospects for Chinese citizens, who have enjoyed more than three decades of near double-digit growth. The economy expanded by 5.2 per cent in April-June from a year earlier — enviable by global standards — but anxieties among the once-thriving middle class over the future for their children are rising. Youth unemployment remains stubbornly high, with joblessness at 14.5 per cent in June. That figure improved in recent months, but analysts point to significant challenges: More than 12 million university students are set to graduate with hopes of joining the workforce. Still, China is betting that despite these economic costs, it can fight this trade war to the end. Politically, Beijing is preparing the population for a long battle. State media editorials have lauded a Mao-era philosophy as a possible strategy to counter US pressure. They reference the former Chinese leader's 1938 essay ' On Protracted War ', which laid out his approach to combating the invading Japanese between 1937 and 1945. During a series of lectures in May and June 1938, Mao spoke of how the 'contest of strength is not only a contest of military and economic power, but also a contest of human power and morale'. Scholars say the idea was to alert his fellow citizens that the war would be long and gruelling, but could be won through endurance and unity.
Sydney Morning Herald
29 minutes ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
China is playing the long game to win its war with Trump
US President Donald Trump's trade war was meant to rebalance global power in the United States' favour. Instead, China is playing the long game, enduring short-term economic pain to shape any eventual deal to its advantage. The strategy appears to be working — for now. On Monday, Washington granted Beijing another 90-day reprieve, extending a pause on tariffs through November 10. China announced it would do the same. Markets welcomed the move, which offered some relief after months of tension. The delay will give Chinese President Xi Jinping's policymakers more time to plan their next move. Time is Xi's ally. So far, the clearest outcome of each round of talks has been a commitment to meet again. Despite Trump's insistence that China has taken significant steps to improve their trade relationship, Beijing has made no consequential concessions on any of his key concerns. (China has offered some small compromises, none on the scale of American demands.) The extension has come at a delicate time for China's economy, which is plagued by sluggish domestic demand and a slowdown in the property sector. Bloomberg Economics says that it is among the few major nations without a clear timeline or terms for a deal, while others have struck agreements to secure lower tariffs. Even with this reprieve, it notes, Beijing faces average US tariffs of 40 per cent — almost 25 percentage points above the global average. Loading This will hurt prospects for Chinese citizens, who have enjoyed more than three decades of near double-digit growth. The economy expanded by 5.2 per cent in April-June from a year earlier — enviable by global standards — but anxieties among the once-thriving middle class over the future for their children are rising. Youth unemployment remains stubbornly high, with joblessness at 14.5 per cent in June. That figure improved in recent months, but analysts point to significant challenges: More than 12 million university students are set to graduate with hopes of joining the workforce. Still, China is betting that despite these economic costs, it can fight this trade war to the end. Politically, Beijing is preparing the population for a long battle. State media editorials have lauded a Mao-era philosophy as a possible strategy to counter US pressure. They reference the former Chinese leader's 1938 essay ' On Protracted War ', which laid out his approach to combating the invading Japanese between 1937 and 1945. During a series of lectures in May and June 1938, Mao spoke of how the 'contest of strength is not only a contest of military and economic power, but also a contest of human power and morale'. Scholars say the idea was to alert his fellow citizens that the war would be long and gruelling, but could be won through endurance and unity.
West Australian
29 minutes ago
- West Australian
Wonder lost: The end of the line for Disney cruises in Australia
This season's Disney Magic at Sea cruises will be the last Down Under, it has been confirmed. There had been recent speculation that Disney Wonder would not return to its Australian base after its third season, ending in February 2026. In a statement on Monday, the company says: 'While the Disney Wonder will not return to Australia and New Zealand for the 2026-2027 season, Disney Cruise Line is always looking at destinations to explore with our guests and sailings from Australia and New Zealand remain on our list of future considerations.' Disney did not say what the reasons were behind the decision, other than it was repositioning the ship 'to another part of the world after its upcoming 2025-2026 season in Australia and New Zealand'. It had recently brought in a new round of heavily discounted fares of 50 per cent for third and fourth passengers on new and existing bookings for its upcoming local season, promising more whimsical family entertainment with character appearances on board. Disney is the third cruise line to pull out of Australian ports, after Cunard at the end of last season and Virgin Voyages a year earlier. Costs and regulation for cruise lines operating from Australia have been a major issue in recent years, sparking efforts by the industry's peak body CLIA to relieve pressure points for the $8.4 billion industry. Disney goes on to say of its Asia-Pacific strategy: 'The Disney Adventure's maiden sailing from Singapore in December 2025 marks the start of a magical new chapter for Disney Cruise Line.' The maiden voyage of Disney Adventure on December 15, 2025, marks the line's first foray into Asia. It will be the line's, and indeed one of the world's biggest ships at 208,000GT and passenger capacity of about 6700, plus crew. The ship will sail primarily three to four-night voyages and a limited number of five-night cruises from Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore, making it an accessible option for West Australian travellers. Singapore remains a top tourism destination for West Australians. Adventure will sail from Singapore for at least five years as part of a collaboration with the Singapore Tourism Board.
