UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has insisted his Conservative Party is united amid speculations about his leadership. Senior ministers have rejected allegations of a Tory plot to replace him. They insist the Prime Minister will lead the party into the general election. Mr Sunak says he’s focusing on trying to deliver for the country. “All Conservatives are united in wanting to deliver a brighter future for our country, and that’s why we’re cutting people’s taxes,” he said.

Queensland Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has accused Steven Miles of being “infantile” for stooping to personality politics after the Premier rued two disastrous by-election results over the weekend. “He also said that somehow we’ve tried to sensationalise youth crime,” Mr Crisafulli told Sky News Australia host Peta Credlin. “Tell that to the victims; tell that to the people who have lost loved ones. “It just shows, despite saying that they have got the message, it’s the same playbook – blame everybody else, try to deflect, try to distract. “We are focused on the task at hand, and the result shows Queenslanders want better; they deserve better.”

A New York appeals court has heard former US president Donald Trump is unable to find an insurance company to underwrite his bond. Mr Trump’s lawyers told a Manhattan court it is a “practical impossibility” for him to obtain a bond. The massive judgment against him from the New York civil fraud case exceeds $700 million. Mr Trump’s attorneys say he has approached 30 underwriters to back the bond, which is due by the end of the month. The 2024 Republican presidential candidate needs to post a bond in order to stop the state from enforcing the judgment.

The Australian government was preparing to list Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as a terror group before a sudden change of mind, Senior reporter Caroline Marcus exclusively reports. According to bombshell documents obtained by Sky News, the government has refused to implement the label on the grounds the IRGC is an organ of a nation’s state. It has led to accusations the government is not being upfront with the public and is consequently putting Australian lives at risk. The Coalition is mounting pressure on the Albanese government to follow through with the terror-naming process for the IRCG after US allies completed the progression in 2023. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards are at the core of terror operations throughout the Middle East, arming Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.

Former US president Barack Obama is in London for an undisclosed meeting. A Downing Street spokesperson says the visit was a “courtesy drop-in” and part of his visit to the city. It’s believed the former US president spoke with the UK Prime Minister about the work of the Obama Foundation. Mr Obama also visited Belgium to meet with the Belgian royal family.

Sky News Australia host Liz Storer says US President Joe Biden’s problems don’t end at “tripping” as the president purchases new anti-slip footwear. The president’s new set of shoes reportedly provide “maximum stability". “There are innumerable opportunities that people can just bring up now and go this shows that this guy hasn’t got all his marbles,” Ms Storer said. “If it was just tripping, I wouldn’t mind, wear your sturdy shoes. “I don’t care as long as you’ve got all your faculties about you and this guy doesn’t, and that’s the problem.”

Melbourne Deputy Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece says the Miles government will need to look “long and hard” at the result of the Queensland by-elections in order to hang on in the upcoming election. It comes after Queensland Labor suffered two heavy double-digit swings on Saturday. “There is different dynamic that exists in a state-wide election, compared to a by-election,” Mr Reece told Sky News host Paul Murray. “By-elections, you give the government a whack, send them a message – but you aren’t necessarily changing the government. “If you are the Miles government you would need to be looking very long and hard at that result and be thinking about what you are going to do between now and October if you are going to hang on. “They’ve got to give up this idea of winning seats, they are going to be sand bagging seats.”

Sky News host Rita Panahi warns YouTuber Jake Paul may not last long in the ring with Mike Tyson after the professional boxer shared a video of one of his training sessions. In the video shared by Tyson on X, the boxer warned Jake Paul must defeat the 'God of war'. The fight will reportedly earn the legendary boxer around $20 million. “Good luck to him indeed,” Ms Panahi said. “I am not a religious person but I might just say a little prayer for him because that footage of Tyson is scary.”

Left-wing media in the US misquoting Donald Trump declaring a bloodbath for the country if he loses the election will serve the former US president by dampening the media’s credibility, Nationals Senator Matt Canavan says. The former president said there would be a ‘bloodbath’ for the car industry if he loses the 2024 election, but a number of media outlets omitted the car industry reference in their reporting of the remark. “I think this does Trump more benefits than not, because it just completely destroys the credibility of his opponents in the media,” Mr Canavan told Sky News host Paul Murray. “Now, thanks to social media and 24/7 news, people see that. “They see the likes of Jen Psaki – lying about what he said, and then when they go to criticise him about something else … their critiques will be lessened.”

The Prince and Princess of Wales have “clearly” given permission to close friends to speak on their behalf, says ‘To Di For’ podcast host Kinsey Schofield. She said there are some "chess moves" being seen in the way the pair is handling the fallout from the photo controversy and Kate's disappearance. "We did see a story pop up in The Times in the UK over the weekend, where there is clearly permission given to close friends of the Prince and Princess of Wales to speak on their behalf,” Ms Schofield told Sky News host Rita Panahi. “Although they don’t say that, the details are just too intimate ... you’re no longer a close friend of William and Catherine if you’re talking to The Times with some of these details. “Those friends saying that Kate was absolutely left devastated by the backlash after the photo, that the couple trusted that people would give them space and allow the Princess of Wales to heal."

Sky News host Andrew Bolt calls Russian President Vladimir Putin a “dictator”. Mr Bolt said Putin is also a “war criminal” for his invasion into Ukraine. “He’s just one another election for another six years as Russian President. “And he won it with an amazing, unbelievable, truly unbelievable 88 per cent of the vote. Mr Bolt said Putin engaged in “massive vote rigging” to receive the election outcome.

The Australian’s Foreign Editor Greg Sheridan says the 88 per cent vote of support for Russian President Vladimir Putin is “an obscenity”. Putin has maintained office as prime minister or president since 1999, with the three candidates on the ballot barely making a dent to challenge his winning streak. Many Russians at home and abroad have banded together to protest their leader and claim the election is predetermined. The Russian president’s primary political opponent, Alexei Navalny, died suspiciously in an Arctic prison after being sentenced to 30 years in prison. Mr Sheridan joined Sky News host Andrew Bolt to discuss Putin’s election win.

Former Labor senator Stephen Conroy says Paul Keating meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is not “outrageous”, but Australians will judge him for it if he continues to "spout their propaganda". “Is it some sort of outrageous thing that happens, no,” he said. “In general, in this issue, what it again demonstrates is China want to play and interfere in Australian politics. “If Paul Keating is dumb enough to go to a meeting and then continue to spout their propaganda. “Well, we will all be able to easily judge him.”

The Australian’s Foreign Editor Greg Sheridan says the West is “so addicted to welfare payments”. Mr Sheridan joined Sky News host Andrew Bolt to discuss the threat of war on the West and if funding should be prioritised to Defence. He said that the “insanely expensive green energy transitions” are cutting into spending limits. “They’re not going to spend on Defence. “Our own government has gone quiet, won’t say boo on China.”

GXO Strategies Director Cameron Milner says it is “appalling” for Trade Minister Don Farrell to undermine the importance the United States plays in the defence of Australia considering the “assistance” they played in World War Two. “I find it appalling, I live in Brisbane … if not for the US, we would not have been able to defend against Japan and the hyper aggression at that time from Japan,” he said. “World War Two was won because of American assistance. “And Australian grit, and hard work. “It is appalling that we would forget that history so quickly and dismiss the importance of AUKUS.”

REA Group Economist Anne Flaherty says Australia is seeing “very strong” clearance rates as right across the country the rates are remaining above what they were six months ago. “We have continued to see clearance rates hold really quite strongly particularly in Melbourne, so a clearance rate of 69 per cent there is very strong,” she said. “Across the country, actually, the clearance rates are still remaining above what we were seeing six months ago, especially towards the end of last year. “Expectations around interest rates having peaked are really one of the key drivers here, people are feeling much more confident about how much they are going to be repaying in their mortgages over the coming year.” National total auctions are sitting at 2,093 with clearance rates hitting 63.3 per cent in Sydney. South Australia’s clearance rates are the highest at 77.3 per cent with a total of 66 auctions in the state. In partnership with REA.

More than 34,000 extra households are now suffering hardship because of their energy bills according to the Australian Energy Regulator. It says that 1.7 per cent of customers are now on hardship programs, compared with 1.2 per cent in the final quarter of 2022. The average hardship debt is around $1,692 – down on a year earlier. Though energy companies are required to have schemes to manage hardship, the AER says indicators shows these programs are not yet fully effective. Tomorrow the AER will hand down its latest draft determination for the 2024–25 Default Market Offer for gas and electricity. It's expected to confirm the second consecutive year of 20 per cent plus electricity price rises.

Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth says “every member” of the Albanese-Labor government wants people to keep more of what they earn. This follows Australians experiencing a big win with the paid parental leave scheme being expanded to 26 weeks after the first part of the reforms passed through Senate on Monday. “This is evident with our tax plan which from the 1st of July every single taxpayer will be getting a tax cut with 11.5 million Australians getting a bigger tax cut under Labor,” Ms Rishworth said during Question Time. “But it’s also evident in our historic paid parental leave legislation that has passed the parliament today. “Now as a result of our bill that has passed the Senate from the 1st of July, working families will have access to more paid parental leave with the scheme expanded by two weeks each year until we reach 26 weeks – a full six month in July 2026.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has welcomed new Member for Dunkley Jodie Belyea to Question Time on Monday. Labor held the seat of Dunkley in Melbourne’s southeast on March 2 in a by-election prompted by the passing of Peta Murphy, Ms Belyea’s predecessor. “I’m delighted to welcome the new member for Dunkley, and the newest member of our Labor government, Jodie Belyea,” Mr Albanese said. “The excitement and the pride that you feel today is shared by everyone who has been part of your journey to get here. “Your wonderful family who I have got to know, your campaign staff, all the people who believed in your including of course our beloved friend the remarkable Peta Murphy, the former member for Dunkley.”

Queensland Premier Steven Miles has ruled out building a new $3.4 billion Olympic stadium at Victoria Park. The Premier claims he cannot justify building the stadium while Queenslanders struggle with the cost of living crisis. Mr Miles spoke at a press conference on Monday to explain his decision to reject the Victoria Park stadium plan from the Olympic review. “I asked when it was clear the direction the panel was heading in, I indicated to our public servants that we needed another option,” he said. “We were aware the panel would consider those two options and I asked for more detail to be done on an option two.”