UK and Australia to ink new 50-year Aukus treaty
The UK will signal a brand new 50-year treaty with Australia in a transfer meant to deepen the Aukus pact, regardless of issues over US involvement within the deal, British information company PA reviews.
The treaty will probably be inked because the overseas minister, Penny Wong, and defence minister, Richard Marles, host their UK counterparts David Lammy and John Healey in Sydney starting at the moment for normal Australia-UK ministerial conferences. Healey stated in an announcement:
This historic treaty confirms our Aukus dedication for the subsequent half century.
Australian defence minister Richard Marles. {Photograph}: Lukas Coch/AAP
Whereas the Aukus nuclear submarine partnership includes the US, UK and Australia, the treaty is between the latter two nations, as a Pentagon assessment into the settlement threatens America’s future participation. Marles and Wong launched a joint assertion saying Australia and the UK would ink the treaty to make the world a safer place:
We take the world as it’s – however collectively, we’re working to form it for the higher.
Marles shared a photograph welcoming Healey earlier than the Sydney Harbour Bridge earlier this morning:
Welcome to Australia @JohnHealey_MP 🇦🇺🇬🇧
Excited to host the UK Secretary of State for Defence for the subsequent few days as we focus on our nations’ shut defence relationship. pic.twitter.com/sAaeg8Kw9Y
— Richard Marles (@RichardMarlesMP) July 24, 2025Share
Up to date at 19.27 EDT
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Queensland Police roll out new bomb robots
Queensland Police have 5 new bomb robots as a part of a $2.6m funding meant to enhance the security of frontline officers responding to hazardous or probably harmful incidents.
Officers described the brand new robots as a “recreation changer” for the police power, noting the Explosive Ordinance Response Staff and the Regional Bomb Response Unit have virtually doubled their officer hours previously 12 months.
One of many 5 new bomb robots. {Photograph}: Queensland Police Service
Three of the brand new robots have been deployed to regional areas throughout the state, whereas the opposite two are based mostly in Brisbane.
Senior sergeant Andy Rowan stated in an announcement:
This new know-how is a big enhance for neighborhood security as a result of we’re capable of zoom in and deal with the suspect object whereas holding the general public and QPS officers at a protected distance.
A bomb technician stated:‘You are able to do a lot extra with this new robotic know-how, it’s like an extension of your personal arm’. {Photograph}: Queensland Police ServiceShare
New paper raises alarm about huge marine heatwaves
Extraordinary marine heatwaves have been described by an Australian researcher as a wake-up name and sparked concern about their long-term impacts, AAP reviews.
Worldwide analysis revealed in peer-reviewed journal Science stated unprecedented underwater heatwaves seen in 2023 may imply ecosystems are pressured past a stage from which they’ll recuperate.
{Photograph}: Lucas Jackson/Reuters
The paper discovered these marine heatwaves smashed data attributable to their depth, length and measurement, with scientists warning they may stress ecosystems “past restoration thresholds” with coral reef collapse, in addition to the displacement of fish and the destabilisation of polar ice sheets.
Alex Sen Gupta, a UNSW affiliate professor, stated the analysis was regarding, however cautioned towards recommendations a tipping level had been reached, saying:
A tipping level would point out that we’ve handed some threshold and we’re not coming again once more, however at this level, we don’t know if that’s true. …
When these habitat-forming species begin degrading or disappearing, clearly that is going to have knock-on results for the entire ecosystem.
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Up to date at 20.25 EDT
Well being minister didn’t know non-public hospital operator Ramsay deliberate to shutter most of its psychology clinics
Well being minister Mark Butler spoke to ABC Information Breakfast this morning after Ramsay Well being Care, Australia’s largest non-public hospital operator, stated yesterday it will shut most of its psychology clinics by the top of August.
Butler stated the federal government was not conscious of the choice, which can see 17 of Ramsay’s 20 clinics shut, earlier than it was reported within the media.
He stated extra Australians had been choosing digital psychiatry and psychology consultations on-line moderately than face-to-face appointments, which was putting “actual monetary strain” on conventional brick and mortar fashions. He continued:
So Ramsey and a few others as nicely are shifting to fairly totally different fashions of care. That’s what’s going to occur with these 17 clinics. They’ll nonetheless be accessible to assist the entire sufferers as I perceive it who’ve been receiving care from these clinics …
We all know there’s extra demand for psychological well being. That’s why we’re investing in coaching extra psychologists as a result of we don’t have sufficient on this nation and increasing different companies as nicely which might be accessible freed from cost to Australians who need assistance.
{Photograph}: KatarzynaBialasiewicz/Getty ImagesShare
Up to date at 20.04 EDT
No Australians affected by Thailand-Cambodia dispute to date
One other replace for anybody travelling in or contemplating journey to Cambodia or Thailand.
Dfat is urging Australians within the area to subscribe to Smartraveller for updates amid elevated tensions alongside the Thai-Cambodian border, pointing to shelling of civilian areas. The division has additionally suggested travellers to watch native media reviews and to comply with the recommendation of native authorities, warning the state of affairs may change rapidly.
The Australian authorities will not be conscious of any Australians impacted within the area by the tensions to date, however stated anybody needing emergency consular help ought to contact the federal government’s 24-hour consular emergency centre.
{Photograph}: AFP/Getty ImagesShare
UK and Australia to ink new 50-year Aukus treaty
The UK will signal a brand new 50-year treaty with Australia in a transfer meant to deepen the Aukus pact, regardless of issues over US involvement within the deal, British information company PA reviews.
The treaty will probably be inked because the overseas minister, Penny Wong, and defence minister, Richard Marles, host their UK counterparts David Lammy and John Healey in Sydney starting at the moment for normal Australia-UK ministerial conferences. Healey stated in an announcement:
This historic treaty confirms our Aukus dedication for the subsequent half century.
Australian defence minister Richard Marles. {Photograph}: Lukas Coch/AAP
Whereas the Aukus nuclear submarine partnership includes the US, UK and Australia, the treaty is between the latter two nations, as a Pentagon assessment into the settlement threatens America’s future participation. Marles and Wong launched a joint assertion saying Australia and the UK would ink the treaty to make the world a safer place:
We take the world as it’s – however collectively, we’re working to form it for the higher.
Marles shared a photograph welcoming Healey earlier than the Sydney Harbour Bridge earlier this morning:
Welcome to Australia @JohnHealey_MP 🇦🇺🇬🇧
Excited to host the UK Secretary of State for Defence for the subsequent few days as we focus on our nations’ shut defence relationship. pic.twitter.com/sAaeg8Kw9Y
— Richard Marles (@RichardMarlesMP) July 24, 2025Share
Up to date at 19.27 EDT
Patrick Commins
Elevate jobseeker to 90% of age pension and pay for it by curbing tremendous tax concessions, Vinnies says
A welfare reform bundle that features elevating jobseeker to 90% of the age pension would raise 590,000 Australians out of poverty, with the $11bn price ticket paid for by curbing tremendous tax concessions in a method that also leaves the overwhelming majority of savers higher off.
A brand new Australian Nationwide College paper for the St Vincent de Paul Society, titled A Fairer Tax and Welfare System for Australia, examines a spread of choices that “are focused to profit individuals who’ve the best monetary want and can be paid for by these most capable of accommodate a modest extra contribution”.
Along with the rise in the primary unemployment profit, the “main” reform bundle additionally consists of will increase to commonwealth hire help and funds to households and single mother and father.
With an estimated one in 10 Australians, or practically 3 million individuals, dwelling in households experiencing poverty, the charitable organisation’s report highlights the pressing must make the nation extra equitable in addition to extra environment friendly.
Learn extra right here:
ShareJosh Butler
US commerce consultant hails finish of Australian beef import restrictions
The USA commerce consultant has praised the top of Australian restrictions on American beef, calling them “unjustified obstacles”. The federal authorities introduced yesterday it will enable imports into Australia of meat processed within the US however grown in Mexico and Canada.
“For many years, Australia imposed unjustified obstacles on U.S. beef, successfully barring U.S. market entry,” the US commerce rep, Jamieson Greer, wrote on X this morning. Greer added:
Because of @POTUS’ management, Australia is opening its market to U.S. contemporary and frozen beef, scoring a significant win for U.S. ranchers.
In a separate submit, the USTR known as it “a significant milestone for the U.S.-Australia commerce relationship” and “a historic win for U.S. ranchers”.
At this time, Ambassador Jamieson Greer and @SecRollins issued statements following the Australian Authorities’s choice to open its market to U.S. contemporary and frozen beef.
This choice marks a significant milestone for the U.S.-Australia commerce relationship and secures a historic win for U.S.… pic.twitter.com/o2FKgbY0Qm
— United States Commerce Consultant (@USTradeRep) July 24, 2025Share
Up to date at 18.43 EDT
Wong urges de-escalation after combating alongside Thai-Cambodian border, warns travellers
Josh Butler
The overseas minister, Penny Wong, says the federal authorities is alarmed by the battle alongside the border of Thailand and Cambodia, urging de-escalation from either side. The federal authorities can also be urging warning for Australians travelling to each nations. She stated on X this morning:
Australia is deeply involved by escalating tensions throughout the Thai-Cambodian border, together with reviews of accidents and lack of life. We urge either side to de-escalate and resolve border points peacefully.
We have now upgraded our journey recommendation for Australians to rethink their must journey to frame areas of Cambodia and Thailand.
Thailand launched airstrikes on Cambodian army targets on 24 July as Cambodia fired rockets and artillery in a dramatic escalation of a long-running border row between the 2 neighbours. {Photograph}: Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP/Getty Photos
The Smartraveller web site, relating to Thailand, says the Australian authorities “proceed to advise train a excessive diploma of warning total. We now advise rethink your must journey to the border areas of Buriram, Si Saket, Surin and Ubon Ratchathani provinces close to the Cambodia border attributable to armed battle within the space.”
Armed battle between Thai and Cambodian forces alongside the Thai-Cambodian border has elevated. This consists of reviews of army strikes, violence and landmines within the border areas of Buriram, Si Saket, Surin and Ubon Ratchathani provinces. There are reviews of casualties.
Comply with the recommendation of native authorities, monitor native media for updates and pay shut consideration to your private safety. Border crossing factors alongside the Thai-Cambodian border proceed to be closed at quick discover.
For Cambodia, it’s a related story, however authorities “proceed to advise train regular security precautions total. We now advise rethink your must journey to the border areas of the northern and north-western provinces of Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey attributable to armed battle within the space”.
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Up to date at 19.03 EDT
Spender says Labor has opened door to tax reform, and also you’ve obtained to maintain the ‘momentum’
Spender was requested in regards to the want for a separate, mini-roundtable earlier than Chalmers’ personal. She stated the federal government’s push to open the door on tax adjustments had unfold all through Canberra, together with to the opposition, and she or he felt the necessity to preserve the “momentum” up. She advised RN Breakfast:
The federal government has extra broadly opened the door lastly to tax reform. You’re beginning to hear, you understand, the opposition beginning to have interaction a bit bit on this space. And I feel that you just’ve obtained to maintain the momentum up.
That is one thing that, once I look again at historical past, you take a look at the Hawke-Keating reforms, you take a look at the Howard-Costello reforms, and I feel most Australians would say these reforms had been tough, however they set the nation up for the long run.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers. {Photograph}: Mick Tsikas/AAPShare
Allegra Spender to carry tax reform roundtable at the moment
Impartial MP Allegra Spender will maintain what’s being known as a tax reform roundtable at the moment. She advised RN Breakfast this morning reforming the tax system would assist Australia “resolve a few of its greatest issues” like sluggish productiveness and the price of dwelling disaster affecting younger individuals, in addition to fund the local weather transition.
The aim for this roundtable is to each contribute to the treasurer’s financial roundtable, contribute to a broader push for broader tax reform, and likewise deliver the neighborhood on board …
I feel we do have a chance on this time period of parliament and into the subsequent election to probably make the type of important reforms that may arrange our neighborhood for the subsequent a long time to come back.
Impartial member for Wentworth Allegra Spender. {Photograph}: Mick Tsikas/AAP
Spender stated she nonetheless has points with treasurer Jim Chalmers’ plan to tax superannuation balances above $3m. Whereas it can in all probability go in parliament, she says she is going to nonetheless attraction to Chalmers to make adjustments to raised deal with her issues surrounding unrealized beneficial properties.
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Up to date at 18.01 EDT
Dfat offering consular help to household of man who died in Thailand
The Division of Overseas Affairs and Commerce (Dfat) is offering help to the household of a person discovered useless in a Thai resort room earlier this week, in the future earlier than he was attributable to fly dwelling to Australia.
The 21-year-old was discovered by housekeeping workers on the vacation island of Phuket on Wednesday, mendacity on his mattress together with his cellphone on his chest. There have been no indicators of assault or theft within the room, however police stated he was nonetheless on a cellphone name with somebody.
There have been no medicine or alcohol on the scene except for over-the-counter painkillers as the person had been in a motorbike accident and injured his elbow the day earlier than his demise. A Dfat spokesperson stated:
The Division of Overseas Affairs and Commerce is offering consular help to the household of an Australian who died in Thailand. Owing to our privateness obligations we’re unable to offer additional remark.
Learn extra right here:
ShareLuca Ittimani
Calls come as authorities prepares for financial roundtable
Requires tax adjustments have mounted forward of the Albanese authorities’s financial reform roundtable, now lower than a month away. The federal government’s Productiveness Fee can also be contemplating choices for company tax reform as a part of a broader inquiry to report later this 12 months.
The proposed levy would increase between $2.14bn and $12.84bn yearly, relying on the dimensions of the levy and reductions, the AAS estimated. That income may then be invested by way of a brand new department of the federal government’s Future Fund, the returns of which may very well be invested in analysis.
The academy has steered two choices for the levy – 0.25% of firm income, or 0.5%. It hasn’t prescribed a spending threshold at which companies needs to be allowed to begin claiming the low cost, as an alternative indicating companies that already spend sufficient on R&D to assert an current tax offset needs to be eligible.
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Up to date at 17.32 EDT
Scientists name for research-boosting tax hike
Luca Ittimani
Companies making greater than $100m in annual income ought to face a tax hike except they put apart cash for analysis and improvement, the Australian Academy of Science has stated.
The academy has proposed a brand new levy on enterprise income that might be halved or eliminated in the event that they spend sufficient on R&D, in a bid to spice up analysis.
Corporations with important R&D expenditure, akin to tech big Atlassian and medical firm CSL, would keep away from half or the entire levy, in response to the Academy’s evaluation of ATO information. Corporations that spend subsequent to nothing on analysis, probably together with miner Fortescue and retailer Wesfarmers, may very well be whacked with the complete levy.
Australia’s analysis spend is proportionally low and declining, at simply 1.66% equal of its gross home product, nicely beneath the OECD common of two.7% of GDP spent on R&D, OECD stats present.
{Photograph}: djgunner/Getty ImagesShare
Up to date at 18.03 EDT
Good morning, Nick Visser right here to take over for Martin Farrer. Let’s get into the information.
SharePatrick Commins
Fee says reforms throughout a spread of areas required to sustainably raise progress
Danielle Wooden, the Productiveness Fee’s chair, stated productiveness over the previous decade grew at lower than 1 / 4 of its 60-year common. She stated:
Australia needs to be a spot the place kids born at the moment can count on to stay higher and extra affluent lives than the generations who’ve come earlier than them. Productiveness progress is important to fulfilling that promise.
If we may enhance progress from its present stage to its historic common, grownup Australian full-time employees can be a minimum of $14,000 a 12 months higher off by 2035.
No single coverage change will assure our prosperity – we have to make sensible reforms throughout a spread of areas to drive sustainable productiveness progress.
In response to the PC’s scene-setting paper, Jim Chalmers stated there was “no fast repair” to the productiveness problem.
The easiest way to strengthen our financial system and make it extra productive is to work by means of the problems in a methodical and thought of method in collaboration with enterprise, unions and the broader neighborhood.
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Productiveness Fee identifies 5 key areas to spice up financial system
Patrick Commins
The Productiveness Fee has issued a name to arms forward of subsequent month’s financial reform roundtable, saying that discovering a strategy to raise nationwide productiveness is “important to fulfilling” the promise that every technology will probably be higher off than the final.
The PC is getting ready to launch 5 interim reviews from separate inquiries that can current sensible reforms to sort out key facets of the nationwide productiveness problem.
The primary on 31 July will take a look at the right way to create a “extra dynamic and resilient financial system”, and embrace choices for tax adjustments to drive extra funding.
That will probably be adopted by reviews on the clear power transition, the digital financial system, expertise and coaching, and the care financial system.
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Prime public colleges add a whole bunch of hundreds of {dollars} to accommodate costs, analysis suggests
Households are paying as much as $1.3m extra to stay in prime public college catchments in main cities, Australian Related Press reviews.
Evaluation from property platform Cotality exhibits consumers are prepared to pay considerably extra to entry high-performing colleges, although comparable properties simply outdoors the catchment usually ship higher capital beneficial properties.
The analysis in contrast 9 college catchment clusters throughout Sydney and Melbourne.
“In a number of the most in-demand college zones, households are paying a whole bunch of hundreds and in a single case greater than 1,000,000 {dollars}, extra for a home in comparison with related homes outdoors the boundary,” Cotality’s head of analysis, Eliza Owen, stated.
The biggest worth hole was in Sydney’s North Shore, the place properties within the mixed catchments of Killara excessive, Willoughby Ladies and Lindfield studying village held a median worth virtually $1.3m greater than properties close by however outdoors the catchment.
Regardless of this, homes within the catchment recorded decrease long-term progress of 126.0% over the previous 15 years, in comparison with 150.3% in neighbouring markets.
In Melbourne, the premium for properties within the catchments of Princes Hill and College highschool reached $357,000, although capital progress was weaker than in surrounding suburbs.
Owen emphasised the premiums in some college catchment zones may additionally mirror different elements akin to proximity to coach stations, or the excessive incomes of these dwelling inside the space.
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Up to date at 18.03 EDT
Aukmin assembly to happen at the moment
Penny Wong and Richard Marles will at the moment welcome their British counterparts – the overseas secretary, David Lammy, and defence minister, John Healey – for the most recent spherical of talks between ministers from the 2 nations.
Referred to as Australia-United Kingdom ministerial consultations (Aukmin), the talks will happen in Sydney and can deal with diplomatic and defence cooperation to deal with challenges akin to coverage within the Indo-Pacific.
On Sunday, Marles and Wong will be part of their counterparts in Darwin to see this cooperation firsthand, with the deployment of a United Kingdom provider strike group to Australia as a part of Train Talisman Sabre 2025.
Marles, the defence minister and deputy prime minister, stated:
The UK is a important companion for Australia. We proceed to work intently collectively, together with by means of the Aukus partnership, to deal with shared strategic challenges in an more and more advanced and unsure world.
We’re seeing a really actual instance of how this works, with the primary go to by a United Kingdom provider strike group to Australia since 1997.
I stay up for discussions within the coming days to advance our enduring relationship.”
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Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our stay information weblog. I’m Martin Farrer with the highest in a single day tales earlier than Nick Visser takes up the reins.
The Productiveness Fee has recognized 5 key areas the place motion could be taken to enhance productiveness because it prepares for Jim Chalmers’ much-vaunted summit subsequent month. Within the coming days, the PC will launch reviews on making a “extra dynamic and resilient financial system”, and embrace choices for tax adjustments to drive extra funding. The opposite areas would be the clear power transition, the digital financial system, expertise and coaching, and the care financial system. Extra arising.
Penny Wong and Richard Marles will probably be in Sydney this morning to welcome their British counterparts – the overseas secretary, David Lammy, and defence minister, John Healey – for the most recent spherical of talks between ministers from the 2 nations. The so-called Aukmin talks will deal with defence and diplomatic cooperation. Extra arising.
Plus, new information places some numbers on the postcode premium – how a lot a sought-after college provides to accommodate costs close by. However there’s additionally a shock: it could be an excellent funding within the children, however not a lot within the property. Extra on that quickly too.
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