The Australian treasurer has announced a big spending budget to help get the country back on track.
The government has announced more than $53 billion in new stimulus payments and funding for key services.
Here’s what you need to know
International borders are likely to remain shut for at least 12-months.
The Treasurer promised $8 billion in new tax cuts for low and middle income earners and more than $20bn in further tax breaks for small businesses.
Mr Frydenberg released an 81-page women’s budget statement, featuring $1.1bn for women’s safety, a $1.7bn investment in childcare and $350m for health and wellbeing measures.
The treasurer says the economy is recovering.
‘Australia’s economic engine is roaring back to life’
As a share of the economy, net debt is around half of that in the United Kingdom and United States and less than a third of that in Japan.
“We are better placed than nearly any other country to meet the economic challenges that lie ahead”
tHE TREASURER SAYS.
The Treasurer says that Consumer sentiment is at its highest in 11 years.
“Business conditions reached record highs. And more Australians are in work than ever before.”
Australia is now well on the road to recovery.#Budget2021 secures our recovery and sets Australia up for the future.
Similarly, Australian politician and former industrial lawyer who is the leader of the Australian Greens and federal MP for Melbourne has shared his response on twitter to the government stating the budget ‘invests in the people’.
There’s tax cuts for billionaires and handouts to big corporations, but wages will *go backwards* for the next two years and job seekers are stuck in poverty.
This is a bad Budget from a trickle-down Treasurer.
Australians have endured eight long years of flat wages, insecure work and skyrocketing cost of living under the Liberals and Nationals – and this Budget does nothing to change that.
In Short:
– Trump announced a $100,000 fee for H-1B visas and a $1 million residency gold card to boost American hiring.
– Critics argue increased fees may limit smaller firms’ access to foreign talent, impacting U.S. tech innovation.
President Trump announced significant changes to the U.S. immigration system, introducing a new $100,000 fee for H-1B visas and a $1 million “gold card” for residency.
The move aims to increase revenue and promote the hiring of American workers, claiming that many tech companies exploit the current system.The fee increase targets H-1B visa applications, which traditionally have low entry costs.
Trump stated the initiative aims to bring in highly skilled individuals rather than those crossing the borders illegally. A gold card requiring a $1 million payment will expedite visa processing, with a reduced availability compared to existing green card categories.
The new programme could alter the competitive landscape for U.S. tech companies, which historically depend on H-1B visas to access foreign talent.
Critics warn that the increased fees may deter smaller firms from utilising these visas, potentially hindering U.S. progress in tech sectors like artificial intelligence.
Visa Impact
Debate persists within Trump’s administration regarding the new policy’s implications. Supporters argue it protects American jobs, while opponents contend it restricts access to global talent crucial for innovation.
The H-1B visa programme, established in 1990, remains vital for skilled foreign workers seeking residency in the U.S., yet faces growing scrutiny.
In Short:
– A fourth death is confirmed due to an Optus network failure affecting emergency calls for 13 hours.
– Optus CEO announced an investigation after communication failures and criticism from politicians and emergency services.
A fourth death has been confirmed following an Optus network failure that prevented emergency calls to Triple Zero for 13 hours.
Initially, Optus reported three fatalities, including an infant and two elderly individuals from South Australia and Western Australia. The latest victim is a 49-year-old man from Perth.Optus CEO Stephen Rue expressed deep sorrow over the incident and announced a full investigation into the network update that caused the outage.
He stated that approximately 600 calls to emergency services were disrupted, impacting residents across South Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory.
Rue confirmed that the outage stemmed from a problematic firewall upgrade and revealed details of communication failures within the company. Politicians and emergency services expressed anger at the lack of timely information during the crisis.
System Failure
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas criticised Optus for their incompetence in handling the situation.
The federal communications minister also condemned the company, highlighting that such failures are unacceptable.
The incident follows a previous outage for which Optus was fined $12 million, raising serious concerns about their emergency service handling.
Israel’s new “Iron Beam” laser defense system to deploy by year-end, promising cost-effective missile interception.
Israel’s Defence Ministry says its new “Iron Beam” laser system will be deployed by year’s end. The technology is designed to destroy incoming missiles, rockets, drones and mortars with precision.
Developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems in partnership with Elbit Systems, Iron Beam will sit alongside existing defences such as Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow. Unlike traditional interceptors which can cost tens of thousands of dollars per shot, the laser comes at negligible expense.
Officials call it the world’s first high-power laser interception system to achieve operational maturity, hailing it as a game-changer for modern warfare. Military leaders expect the system to reshape air defence capabilities and cut costs dramatically.