Latest news with #US-Australian
Sky News AU
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
‘A lot on her shoulders': Penny Wong advised to ‘adapt' to Trump views amid Washington trip
LNP MP Garth Hamilton says Foreign Minister Penny Wong has 'a lot on her shoulders' as she prepares to fly to Washington, DC, to meet her counterparts from the US, Japan, and India. 'We're going through a period where the US-Australian relationship is in a period of degradation,' Mr Hamilton told Sky News host Caleb Bond. 'This could actually come to define Mr Albanese's time as our prime minister. 'This relationship can't afford to get any worse.'
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Canberra supports US attack on Iranian nuclear sites, pushes for dialogue
Australia has backed US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. At the same time, calling for urgent de-escalation and a return to diplomacy. After several days of escalations, the US launched strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities on Sunday (AEST). President Donald Trump stated, 'There will be peace, or there will be tragedy for Iran.' Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed the support on Monday. She said the world must act to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. A UN watchdog recently found Iran had enriched uranium close to weapons-grade. Senator Wong also said Australia had not received any request for military help and was told that the joint US-Australian base at Pine Gap was not involved. She said this was a dangerous moment. Foreign Minister Penny Wong has urged all parties to prioritise diplomacy and dialogue to prevent a 'full-scale war' in the Middle East. Live Events The National Security Committee will meet in Canberra on Monday to discuss the situation. Australia's backing goes further than that of allies like the UK, Canada, and New Zealand, which have stopped short of directly supporting the strike. Liberal Senator and former Australian ambassador to Israel, Dave Sharma, called the initial response "underwhelming" but said support for the strikes was the right move. However, the Greens strongly opposed the strikes. Senator David Shoebridge said military action would only harm civilians and branded Donald Trump a "warmonger". Former Australian ambassador to Iran Paul Foley said the government's stand was appropriate. But he warned that tensions could rise, depending on Iran's next move. Options for Iran include not responding, launching a limited strike, or attacking US targets. Foley said diplomacy is still possible if both sides are serious. About 2,900 Australians in Iran and 1,300 in Israel have registered to leave. Australia has officials at the border to help citizens exit Iran. Airspace is closed, and Wong warned that leaving is risky but advised it if possible. The UK, France, Germany, and Italy urged Iran not to escalate. Canada and New Zealand echoed calls for diplomacy.
Sydney Morning Herald
01-06-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
The hidden nasty for Australian investors in Trump's ‘big, beautiful bill'
New York: A proposed new tax on foreigners buried in the 'big, beautiful bill' championed by US President Donald Trump has alarmed the Australian business community in New York, with multinationals, super funds and high-net-worth individuals all liable to be hit. Section 899 of Trump's key taxation bill, which has passed the US House of Representatives and now heads to the Senate, would impose 'increased rates of tax on foreign persons of discriminatory foreign countries', starting at 5 per cent and increasing annually to as high as 20 per cent. A number of Australian policies are considered unfair or discriminatory by the US government. The tax threat has unnerved Wall Street and rattled figures in the US-Australian business community, as well as at the highest levels of the Australian consulate in New York. American Australian Association president Steven Marshall said there was growing concern among Australian investors about the proposal, 'particularly its implications for cross-border investment and taxation'. But he noted the bill was not finalised. 'The full details and potential impact remain unclear. We'll have a better sense of the real consequences once the legislation progresses to the US Senate and more concrete provisions are released.' Michael Brown, a senior analyst at Melbourne-based broker Pepperstone, whose clients are largely Australian, said: 'If it ends up passing through the Senate and becoming law, it's going to be incredibly punitive to actually invest in the United States.' Brown said his firm had been flooded with inquiries from Australian and European clients about the proposed law, which escaped initial headlines about the 'big, beautiful bill' but has now become widely seen as a secret 'sting in the tail' of the legislation.
The Age
01-06-2025
- Business
- The Age
The hidden nasty for Australian investors in Trump's ‘big, beautiful bill'
New York: A proposed new tax on foreigners buried in the 'big, beautiful bill' championed by US President Donald Trump has alarmed the Australian business community in New York, with multinationals, super funds and high-net-worth individuals all liable to be hit. Section 899 of Trump's key taxation bill, which has passed the US House of Representatives and now heads to the Senate, would impose 'increased rates of tax on foreign persons of discriminatory foreign countries', starting at 5 per cent and increasing annually to as high as 20 per cent. A number of Australian policies are considered unfair or discriminatory by the US government. The tax threat has unnerved Wall Street and rattled figures in the US-Australian business community, as well as at the highest levels of the Australian consulate in New York. American Australian Association president Steven Marshall said there was growing concern among Australian investors about the proposal, 'particularly its implications for cross-border investment and taxation'. But he noted the bill was not finalised. 'The full details and potential impact remain unclear. We'll have a better sense of the real consequences once the legislation progresses to the US Senate and more concrete provisions are released.' Michael Brown, a senior analyst at Melbourne-based broker Pepperstone, whose clients are largely Australian, said: 'If it ends up passing through the Senate and becoming law, it's going to be incredibly punitive to actually invest in the United States.' Brown said his firm had been flooded with inquiries from Australian and European clients about the proposed law, which escaped initial headlines about the 'big, beautiful bill' but has now become widely seen as a secret 'sting in the tail' of the legislation.
Sydney Morning Herald
31-05-2025
- Science
- Sydney Morning Herald
When worlds collide
Award-winning historian Martin Thomas tells how the US-Australian scientific expedition team set out with fanfare in 1948 and how quickly the expedition turned toxic.
