Minister for Skills and Training Brendan O’Connor discusses how the Albanese government supports people to complete training and secure well-paid work. “We also struck a national skills agreement with state and territories – the first agreement of its kind in a decade,” Mr O’Connor said during Tuesday’s Question Time. “Providing $30 billion of security of investment to the sector. “We are creating centres of excellence, bringing tafes and universities and industry together.”

Minister for Skills and Training Brendan O’Connor says the Albanese government has “enacted big reforms” and “deepened its investment” in education training. “We inherited the biggest skill shortage in more than 50 years from those opposite,” Mr O’Connor said during Tuesday’s Question Time. “Last year alone, more than 355,000 Australians enrolled in fee-free TAFE and a further 320,000 fee-free TAFE places from this year on are available to enrol in.”

Defence Minister Richard Marles explained what aid is being sent to Papua New Guinea and what the Albanese government is doing to help displaced people after a landslide buried more than 2000 people. “We have a C-17, which is ferrying supplies between Australia and PNG,” Mr Marles said during Question Time on Tuesday. “In addition to the disaster response experts on their way to PNG, now the emphasis is on those who are displaced, and so we are working on transporting 750 family-sized shelters to the site. “There is more we are seeking to do, but to be frank, part of the issue here is about not overwhelming a system which is currently under a lot of stress. “What every Australian should know and, more importantly, what every Papua New Guinean should know is that we will do everything in our power to help Papua New Guinea through this most difficult time.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says there is “no equivalence” between Hamas and Israel. “This government and, indeed, this Parliament has been very clear from the beginning – we join together, most of us, to condemn the terrorist attacks of October 7th,” Mr Albanese said during Question Time on Tuesday. “We regard Hamas as a terrorist group. “There is no equivalence between Hamas and Israel.”

Sky News host Peta Credlin says she is “very dubious” of the government's $1 billion deal with PsiQuantum. The Albanese government has invested $1 billion in the California-based company to build the world’s first useful supercomputer. “I’m very dubious about any process that picks winners from government, that hands away a billion dollars to a mob in California,” Ms Credlin said. “But, we find out today too – significant links between PsiQuantum and Chinese academics and Chinese experts … concerns me a hell of a lot.”

Writer and broadcaster Esther Krakue has questioned why the Sussexes are considering going to various African nations. “The country that we hear are trying to court them is Ghana, but Ghana doesn’t send veterans to the Invictus Games,” she told Sky News Australia host James Macpherson. “So what would be the excuse of having Harry and Meghan there – Is Meghan going to say that she’s now 50 per cent Ghanian?”

Sky News Business Editor Ross Greenwood says the weakening in the economy has resulted in many families “cutting back” on spending. Retail sales rose only 0.1 per cent in April, lower than expectations of a 0.2 per cent bump. “If you look back over the past six months or so, what you can see is during that period of time, it’s pretty much averaged about 0.1 per cent growth,” Mr Greenwood said. “This is not just the fact that families are being subject to higher prices but also their actual basket sizes have been falling.”

Sky News contributor Sam Crosby discusses the Albanese government’s failure to respond to Ukraine’s request from December 2023 for coal to be shipped. “The other reason could be economic, it’s not as though the government runs coal mines, we don’t own shipping lines,” Mr Crosby told Sky News host Paul Murray. “If Australia’s resources are financially constrained, are capped, we are not just going to say you can have a billion dollars and you can have a billion, everyone can get a billion dollars. “We have done it before, I could not imagine there is some ideological reason.”

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas has encouraged all states to embrace AUKUS as he prepares to speak at the Defending Australia Summit in Canberra. The South Australian Premier recently returned from a 10-day mission in the United States which focused on maximising opportunities for South Australia out of the AUKUS submarine program. “There is opportunity for everybody and I think it is important that all states in the country, particularly on the eastern seaboard, put their policy effort, put their energy effort industrially into make sure we can build these most complex and magnificent of machines that will protect our country for decades to come,” Mr Malinauskas told Sky News Australia.

Drone footage has reportedly captured migrants illegally attempting to scale the border wall before being apprehended by Texas border patrol agents. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) released aerial footage of a border incident on Thursday. The video purportedly shows border patrol agents stopping migrants scaling a fence near Santa Teresa, New Mexico. DPS confirmed in a post on X that "the DPS provided air support to the border patrol agents" to stop "a group of illegal immigrants attempting to climb the border wall near the Santa Teresa POE & illegally enter the U.S." The footage shows individuals, described as migrants, throwing sand and objects at border patrol agents. Since October 1, 2023, around 139,000 migrants have been apprehended near El Paso, 14 miles from Santa Teresa, according to internal CBP statistics.

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong has released a statement following Israel's strike on Rafah which killed at least 45 people. The Foreign Affairs Minister posted on X – “Events of the last 24 hours underscore that we must see a humanitarian ceasefire now so that civilians can be protected.” The post continues with “Israel’s strikes have had horrific and unacceptable consequences”.

CommSec’s Tom Piotrowski says “the Futures are telling us we will kick-off in positive territory” when the ASX 200 opens on Tuesday morning. “They are up by about 0.2 of a per cent as we speak,” he told Sky News Australia. “But you would probably be slow to hang your hat on that because we saw becalmed markets in the Northern Hemisphere.” Presented by CommSec.

At least 16 people have been killed as Cyclone Remal brought strong winds and flooding to India’s West Bengal and neighbouring Bangladesh. Winds of up to 135km an hour were recorded as the system made landfall on Sunday at about 9pm. The strong winds brought down trees and power lines, leaving millions without power.

A mayor in Sydney’s upper North Shore is defending his legal action against the NSW government. Ku-ring-gai Mayor Sam Ngai has promised his campaign against the state’s signature housing reforms will save his community in the long run. Locals who are in favour of greater development have called the move a waste of ratepayer money.

Australia will provide $2.5 million in humanitarian aid to help those affected by the recent landslides in Papua New Guinea. Over 2,000 people are feared to be buried within the rubble. Emergency shelters, hygiene kits and support for women and children will be among the aid given, as well as technical experts who'll help with early recovery efforts.

Police have warned protesters at ANU’s pro-Palestine encampment if they do not leave by midday on Tuesday they 'will be arrested'. It comes as protesters have defied university orders to leave their makeshift encampment at the Australian National University. ANU issued a directive to demonstrators to leave the encampment due to safety concerns.

Sky News contributor Joe Hildebrand says relations with “dictator for life” China’s President Xi Jinping is souring and calls for Australia to look to India for the “future”. “Xi Jinping has just made himself dictator for life, they show signs, if anything, of hardening their position,” he said. “I think China is a foregone conclusion.”

Sky News host Liz Storer says China was recently caught “bullying” New South Wales MPs who attended the Taiwanese president's inauguration. “China has been caught bullying 11 New South Wales MPs who attended and celebrated the inauguration of the new Taiwanese president,” she said. “They sent an email to them saying, ah, not okay guys, we do not like this.”

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has lashed Chinese naval aggression. Ms Wong on Tuesday during a Defending Australia summit is expected to discuss China’s military operations and how they are a growing risk for accidents and conflicts. Sky News host Liz Storer expressed shock over the foreign minister's comments on China. “I can’t believe this, she’s actually saying something along the lines of, China are the aggressors and this, maybe, is getting a bit dangerous,” Ms Storer said. “I am in shock.”

Nationals Senator Matt Canavan says the Albanese government does not want to be seen “doing anything with coal”. Ukraine has been left waiting for six months for a response from the Labor government after the Ukrainian ambassador requested an urgent shipment of coal. Mr Canavan told Sky News host Paul Murray that the government has not “lifted a finger” after the request.