Latest / NewsCard® Australia Daily News / Australia taxes Big Tech, massive military boost, visa crackdowns
Transcript
- [warm] This is NewsCard Daily for Wednesday April 29, 2026 ... the biggest stories from Australia and around the world in just minutes. — — [serious] We begin in Canberra where the government cracks down on Big Tech. Australia proposes taxing Meta, Google, and TikTok on their local revenue ... unless they strike deals to fund newsrooms. The News Bargaining Incentive slaps a 2.25 percent levy on platforms that don't pay publishers. It could raise up to 250 million dollars a year ... distributed based on journalist numbers. Prime Minister Albanese says it's in the national interest ... protecting local journalism from digital giants. Platforms call it a misguided digital services tax. — — [serious] In Melbourne, Defense Minister Richard Marles announces a massive military boost. Australia ramps up spending by 53 billion dollars over the next decade ... pushing defense from 2.8 percent of GDP to three percent by 2033. Marles blames the Iran war for the most threatening global landscape since World War II. This marks the biggest peacetime increase ever ... as tensions rise in our region. — — [curious] Over to the opposition now ... the Coalition promises to supercharge fuel security. They pledge to lift Australia's minimum fuel reserve to 60 days ... and build at least one billion litres of new storage. Leader Peter Dutton warns current stocks leave us vulnerable to shocks ... from supply chains to conflicts overseas. It's a direct pitch to voters worried about energy reliability. — — [urgent] Meanwhile, migration rules tighten amid surging demand. Student visa refusals spike ... with doubled fees for the popular 485 graduate visa. Iranian passport holders face entry bans ... sparking fears of more border crackdowns. Approval times drag on ... but points still count for skilled visas like 189. Experts urge migrants to chat with employers ... to keep doors open in a tough market. — — [serious] Now to our region ... Iran's Foreign Minister meets Putin in St. Petersburg. This comes as Pakistan demands a US-Iran memorandum before any direct talks. Tensions simmer amid the ongoing war ... rippling through global oil and alliances that hit Australian interests hard. — — [urgent] Overseas in the United States, President Trump eyes a new ceasefire proposal. Sources say he's pushing fresh ideas to de-escalate hotspots ... as Gen Jack Keane warns some plans aren't sustainable. With Australia boosting defenses ... Trump's moves could reshape Indo-Pacific security. — — [warm] That's NewsCard Daily. For more top stories and quick summaries that keep you informed in minutes, download NewsCard ... available in the App Store.