Sky News host Andrew Bolt has questioned why prominent spokespeople all the way to the President of the United States would trust the casualty numbers being released from the Gaza Health Ministry. “Why does even Biden repeat Hamas’ claims without question?” Mr Bolt asked. The Sky News host pointed to casualty figures rising in “an almost straight line” even during periods of “less-intensive” combat. “How could 70 per cent of the dead be women and children – that is a huge propaganda point for Hamas and its useful idiots in the Western media. “These figures lie – Hamas lies.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced there will be an increased presence of ADF personnel and assets in the northern parts of Australia. “That was part of the defence strategic review,” Mr Albanese said during a press conference on Wednesday. “It is in Australia’s interest to have a defence of our nation that is appropriate. “It is an important part of my government’s commitment to serving the national interests. “Serving the defence of Australia.”

Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer claims China was more “defensive” when engaging with former president Donald Trump compared with President Joe Biden. Donald Trump’s former chief of staff General John Kelly claimed in a new book that the former president regarded Vladimir Putin as an “OK guy and Kim as an OK guy”. Mr Spicer defended the former president’s handling of Mr Xi and Mr Putin, saying the Chinese President didn’t call out the Trump administration as they have done with Biden. “For four years we had a much better relationship with North Korea in terms of them releasing hostages, not being as provocative as they are now,” Mr Spicer told Sky News host Andrew Bolt. “China was much more contained and in fact, I think President Xi was on his heels the entire time not wondering what Donald Trump would do.”

CNN Reporter Kristen Holmes claims the likely rematch between Donald Trump and Joe Biden is one Americans “do not want”. Joe Biden has clinched the 2024 Democrat presidential nomination, while Donald Trump is poised for the Republican nomination. The President’s win in Georgia pushed his delegate count past the 1,968 needed to win the majority. Mr Trump is currently at 1,089 delegates and needs 1,215 to cross over the threshold. Ms Holmes said both candidates have effectively been operating as the presumptive nominee for several weeks. “Polling in America shows that most people don’t want either of them as their candidates – they think that they are too old, they are looking for alternatives,” he told Sky News Australia.

Sky News Australia has been given rare access to the protected operations area of the Australian Signals Directorate. Sky News Chief Anchor Kieran Gilbert sat down with Australian Signals Directorate Cyber Security Centre Head Abigail Bradshaw and CISA Executive Director Brandon Wales to discuss cyber security. Mr Wales has revealed what they are most concerned about from a cyber security perspective. “The thing that we are most concerned about would be attacks against our critical infrastructure,” Mr Wales said. “The infrastructure that enables our economy, our way of life, our security, and we know that they are nation states today that are targeting our critical infrastructure.”

Shadow Finance Minister Jane Hume says Labor’s opposition to nuclear energy seems to be “illogical but also incoherent and inconsistent”. “If you want that pathway to net zero by 2050 to make sure that we have a reliable energy grid, as well as a cleaner and greener energy grid, well, why would you not consider nuclear as part of the solution,” Ms Hume told Sky News Australia. “I say part of the solution intentionally – renewables are going to be fundamentally important to our energy mix in the future. “But why would you discount an emissions-free technology that could potentially deliver cleaner, greener, and cheaper energy in the long term.” Ms Hume’s remarks come as the Opposition prepares to announce its nuclear energy plan for Australia before the May budget.

The RBA is expected to hold the cash rate when it makes its decision next Tuesday, says Sky News Business Reporter Edward Boyd. “There’s a lot of economists suggesting we’re going to get some cuts later this year,” Mr Boyd said. “Those views haven’t changed. “We’re going to hear from Governor Bullock, Michele Bullock, the head of the Reserve Bank, next week because it’s another cash rate decision. “Expectation is rates will be on hold, but we will probably see some cuts hopefully September.”

Several spelling mistakes have been discovered on the new Kobe Bryant statue. The statue stands outside the LA Lakers arena in California. The errors include the misspellings of two former NBA players. A German NBA reporter pointed out the spelling errors on social media, revealing the word “decision” was spelt correctly in one line but directly below was spelt incorrectly as “decicion”. Former Laker Von Wafer was misspelt as “Vom” while former Toronto Raptors guard Jose Calderon was misspelt as “Jose Calderson”.

The US Federal Reserve is expected to start cutting rates in June, according to Sky News Business Reporter Edward Boyd. It comes after the US inflation numbers were released overnight. “The inflation numbers last night came in a little bit hotter than expected,” Mr Boyd said. “Around 3.4 per cent, an annualised rate. “But some of the big things like food was stable or going down in costs.”

Traffic disruptions will again hit Melbourne this morning as climate protesters take to the streets during peak hour. It comes as Extinction Rebellion promised a week of action. This began on Tuesday with a slow march down Collins Street, disrupting tram services. The protests are building towards a planned large-scale disruption on Saturday.

Australia’s peak car lobby claims Energy Minister Chris Bowen’s Fuel Efficiency Standards modelling proposes unrealistic targets. The Australian Automobile Association says the government’s modelling requires more than 40 per cent of new passenger vehicles and about 50 per cent of new light commercial vehicles be electric by 2029. This would need to occur to meet Labor’s goal of a 60 per cent reduction in average new car emissions. The peak body suggests the proposal doesn’t take into account current market trends and suggests consumers will need better incentives to switch to electric. The association also claimed that a “poorly designed standard and overly stringent targets will deliver bad outcomes for both consumers and the environment”.

Sky News Australia host Caleb Bond says it’s “obvious” why the Republican effort to stop illegal immigrants being counted for House districts and the Electoral College was shot down in the Senate. The measure failed to secure the support of a single Democrat. “Every day it just gets more obvious,” Mr Bond said. “We want two million people every year pouring into the country. “Because if we send them down to a Democrat state it means that we get more apportionment in the House.”

Sky News host Liz Storer says we are “deliberately raising" a generation of "snowflakes” in response to Queensland teachers telling parents to withdraw their children from NAPLAN tests over stress concerns. The Queensland Teachers’ Union have said they are expecting a high number of withdrawals as a result. “We’re deliberately raising snowflakes,” Ms Storer said. “We talk about how bad Gen Y, Gen Z is in the workforce. “Then you look at these younger generations who are already pikers at this age aided and abetted by their own parents, and you’re like what the heck are you going to be like coming out of year 12?” “I don’t want to be around to see it.”

Sky News host Liz Storer has reacted to Argentina President Javier Milei firing an official on live television. “Argentina got to watch as President Javier Milei fired Labor Secretary Omar Yasín live on air over a debacle about the president and his cabinet’s pay rises,” Ms Storer said. “Apparently, a 48 per cent pay rise was triggered by a decree signed by the former president. “Milei has rolled it all back, firing the minister that he says is responsible for this. “The president says no, while the people suffer, we will suffer.”

Former Brexit leader and GB News host Nigel Farage explains how once Labour voting members of the UK public began voting for his Reform Party. Mr Farage’s comments come as former Conservative MP Lee Anderson defected to Reform ahead of the next UK general election. “Old traditional working class – you think they’re left wing, they’re not!" Mr Farage told Sky News Australia host Paul Murray. “They are actually very socially conservative. “They believe in the family, they believe in the community, they believe in their country, they’re deeply worried about levels of immigration – what it’s doing to their wages.”

Sky News host Caleb Bond slams the Greens over their climate spruiking and Adam Bandt taking private jets which show their true “double standards”. “If the Greens did not have double standards, they would have no standards at all,” he said. “You can’t tell me that he could not have got himself a commercial flight from Canberra to Brisbane. “It is not as though it is a route that does not fly daily. “But no, he had to take a private jet.”

Liberal Senator Hollie Hughes says the aged care report needs to be looked at “sensibly”. Ms Hughes said aged care is “problematic” in Australia. “But we do know that there’s a lot of aged care providers who are making a great living out of providing aged care,” she told Sky News host Paul Murray. “Yet aged care homes are not necessarily the standard that we need them to be at. “Certainly many, many of us … would have had parents in those situations, or potentially partners, and seen how heart-breaking it can be.”

Daily Mirror Royal Editor Russell Myers says Princess Catherine was “pushed into a position” to issue a public apology for an edited family photograph. The Princess of Wales has revealed herself as the source that edited the Wales’ Mother’s Day photograph. The photo posted on The Prince and Princess of Wales' official Instagram account ended up being recalled by major photo agencies over concerns that it had been edited from its original version. Princess Catherine responded to the recall, writing on X: ‘Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused.’ Mr Myers told Sky News host Sharri Markson that it is a “real big issue for the Palace”.

Sky News host Rowan Dean says Gareth Evans calling for UNRWA funding to be restarted is providing “moral and popular propaganda support” for Hamas. Former Labor foreign minister Gareth Evans wants the government to reinstate funding to UNRWA. This was despite Israeli intelligence that UNRWA staff were involved in the October 7 attacks. Mr Dean told Sky News host Rita Panahi that UNRWA have “proven links with Hamas”. “If he can live with that on his conscious, good luck to him.”

Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell says the nuclear debate is something that “we might see in the House next week”. The Coalition has flagged Australia could have a nuclear power industry within a decade if it wins the next election. Shadow Energy Minister Ted O'Brien claimed the Coalition was engaging with experts who said it could be achieved in the timeframe. “They can debate in the Parliament next week – Peter Dutton can bring on a matter of public importance, and then it’s a question of whether the PM will go into the Parliament and debate on it,” Mr Clennell told Sky News host Peta Credlin. “It’s a debate we might see in the House next week.”