Sky News contributor Kosha Gada has taken aim at Pope Francis’ “problematic habit” of “wading into non-religious comments”. Ms Gada’s remarks come after the Pontiff suggested Ukraine should raise the “white flag”. “He’s waded into everything from economic policy to refugee and asylum law,” she told Sky News host Peta Credlin. “That’s not what he should be doing. “That said, he unfortunately has made those comments, and they do carry weight to many parts of the world.”

As part of a system-wide shake-up, wealthier seniors could be asked to pay more as the government grapples with the expected influx of baby boomers into aged care. Following a long-awaited government review, Aged Care Minister Anika Wells ruled out new levies or taxes to boost funding. Instead proposing co-contributions for wealthier Australians, possibly even asking people to draw down on their superannuation. The Aged Care Taskforce’s long-anticipated final report outlines 23 recommendations to improve the sustainability of the sector. Shadow Health and Aged Care Minister Anne Ruston joined Sky News host Peta Credlin to discuss the government's age care proposal. “I was pretty disappointed that they’ve had the report for three months; the minister was the chair of the task force,” Ms Ruston told Sky News host Peta Credlin. “So she clearly has to know what’s been going on for some months before that, and today we got dropped only what they received in December with no attempt by the government to actually even indicate what considerations are on the table.”

Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell says a rate cut “needs to occur sooner rather than later”. The Housing Affordability Report shows the average Australian household is now spending around 48 per cent of their income on mortgage repayments, while renters have seen a median rent increase of nearly 24 per cent as the national vacancy rate sits below one per cent. “The rate cuts are critical politically for the government, but also just plain economically,” Mr Clennell told Sky News host Peta Credlin. “I know they’ve got a cautious approach on inflation, but they can’t really muck around here after the last GDP figures – it needs to occur sooner rather than later. “They have to move.”

Greens leader Adam Bandt under fire over his massive taxpayer-funded spending spree, youth crime crisis continues to plague Alice Springs. Plus, a Jewish director slams the state of Israel at the Oscars. See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

Royal expert Kinsey Schofield says the media in the United Kingdom is “very protective” of Prince William and Princess Catherine amid speculation about the pair’s relationship following the photo debacle. Kensington Palace has faced growing pressure to release the original Mother’s Day photograph after it was revealed the image had been doctored. The Princess of Wales apologised for the “confusion” it had caused and insisted she was the one who edited the photo. However, people have noticed that Princess Catherine was not wearing her wedding ring in the published photo. “We do want to see more of the Princess of Wales, she is polling-wise the most popular royal not only in the UK but in the United States,” Ms Schofield told Sky News Australia.

Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff and opposition leader Rebecca white have outlined their vision for the state after both leaders went head to head in the first forum debate leading up to the March 23 state election. Taking centre of the debate on Tuesday was the Tasmanian AFL Stadium project. Tasmanian Labor leader Rebecca White said if a Labor government was elected, her government would renegotiate the deal with the AFL. However, Premier Rockliff backed the deal, saying the stadium deal cannot be negotiated. The latest polling by the Australian Institute reveals the Liberals are on track to secure the most votes, however, it may fall short of securing that majority government. Liberals on 37 per cent of the first preference vote, Labor at 23 per cent and the Greens at 13 per cent.

Royal expert Kinsey Schofield claims Princess Catherine’s edited photo was an “innocent mistake” and the royal is not a “professional photoshopper”. Kensington Palace has faced growing pressure to release the original Mother’s Day photograph after it was revealed the image had been doctored. The Princess of Wales apologised for the “confusion” it had caused and insisted she was the one who edited the photo. “If you are a social media user you can absolutely relate to that and you might have made a few tweaks on an image yourself,” Ms Schofield told Sky News Australia. “So while it is a PR nightmare, without a doubt, and has led to additional speculation on top of all the chaos as a result of the Princess of Wales’s abdominal surgery, I do think at the end of the day this was just an innocent mistake.”

The Queensland Premier and Opposition leader have butted heads over the cost-of-living crisis. Speaking at a debate hosted by the Courier Mail, both sides have pitched their plans to ease the burden on families. Premier Steven Miles says he’s committed to making sure supermarkets set a fair price for consumers and farmers. Opposition leader David Crisafulli used the debate to announce short-term relief – his new supercharged solar for renters’ scheme. It is based on a trial that offered landlords rebates to install solar panels, lowering the power bills for tenants.

Assistant Defence Minister Matt Thistlethwaite says Australia “can’t afford to wait” on the energy transition away from fossil fuels. Mr Thistlethwaite joined Sky News Australia to discuss the latest on the renewables versus nuclear energy debate. “The problem with nuclear is you’re looking at least ten to 15 years before any of that generation capacity comes online,” he said. “Last Thursday the temperature of the water in Sydney off the coast hit 26.5 degrees, it’s never been that hot since the history of records have been kept in Sydney. “We’ve got an urgent situation where we need to take stronger action on climate change and that involves a transition, a gradual transition to renewables, and the phasing out of fossil fuels.”

Former White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney says Joe Biden’s polling has gone up after his State of the Union Speech. Mr Mulvaney says it went “very well”. “After the Super Bowl, this is the largest television event in the country this year,” Mr Mulvaney told Sky News Australia. “Nearly 50 million people watch this. “It’s one of the rare times that people who don’t follow politics actually watch a politician.”

The fallout of Australia’s cost of living crisis has been revealed in a survey conducted by Suicide Prevention Australia. The survey found a record half of all Australians are currently experiencing elevated cost of living distress. “The cost of living crisis is hitting Australians across all spectrums,” Suicide Prevention Australia CEO Nieves Murray told Sky News Australia. “The data indicates that we’re not out of the woods yet, despite softening interest rates and softening inflation rates. “We really are facing some very difficult times … it’s families that have been hit hardest.” If you or anyone you know needs help: Lifeline: 13 11 14 Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800

Sky News Investigations Reporter Jonathan Lea warns Meta is giving the “middle finger” to the media after Facebook’s decision to stop paying for content produced by Australian news organisations. Mr Lea uncovers how Facebook’s decision to pull the plug on news content will affect millions of Australian social media users, while also exposing them to the growing dangers of misinformation. Executive Chairman of News Corp Australia Michael Miller and the CEO of Nine Entertainment Mike Sneesby have branded Facebook owner Mark Zuckerberg a “digital dictator”. “It is a man with an enormous responsibility now, he has created this company,” Mr Lea said. “He has talked about moving fast and breaking things, well, that is the point we are now at, the better part of two decades on. What does this now mean for society as we have eroded values and institutions? “Where do we pick up from here and how do we move forward? That is what this is all about.” The Sky News exclusive investigation, ‘Tech Tyrants: Facebook’s War on Australia’ is set to premiere Wednesday 8:30pm.

The Palace is under growing pressure to release the original Mother’s Day photograph after it was revealed the image had been doctored. The Princess of Wales apologised for the “confusion” it has caused and insisted she was the one who edited the photo. Associate Editor of The Daily Mirror Russell Myers said “trust is everything” and Kensington Palace has “a lot to answer for”. British historian and writer Tessa Dunlop said “certainly something’s awry”. “Why wouldn’t the Palace have just put out, in the public domain, the original undoctored photograph?” Mr Dunlop said.

Sky News host Sharri Markson says Palestinians would be “better off” without Hamas as civilians live in “appalling” conditions. The Albanese government has come under pressure to resume funding to UNRWA amid a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The United Nations has warned people in Gaza are facing famine-like conditions as a result of the conflict with Israel. Israel alleges twelve of UNRWA’s 30,000 personnel were involved in the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. Both Sweden and Canada have resumed aid to UNRWA.

A man has died in a retirement village fire north of Brisbane. Emergency services were called to the complex in Burpengary at around 9pm Monday night. Crews entered the building once the flames were put out. The body of an 83-year-old man was discovered. He is believed to be a resident.

The Motley Chief Investment Officer Scott Phillips says the cost of aged care is going to “continue to grow” Mr Phillips' comments come as wealthier seniors could be asked to pay more from their own pocket for aged care if the government accepts recommendations from a key task force. The Aged Care Taskforce’s long-anticipated final report outlines 23 recommendations to improve the sustainability of the sector. “We’ve known for three decades … about the length of time the boomers are going to spend in aged care,” Mr Phillips told Sky News Australia. “The number of people over 85, 95 and 100 is going to absolutely balloon and so they’re going to need to be taken care of. “It’s going to have to be funded one way or the other … it’s either going to be taxpayers now, taxpayers at the time or people with the means to do so. “The only question for us as a country is ‘how do we fund it?’”

King Charles has promised to continue to serve the Commonwealth in a video message during the Commonwealth Service in Westminster Abbey. The Royal Family were led by Queen Camilla, who was there without the King as he continues his treatment for cancer. The Prince of Wales also arrived alone while Princess Kate recovers from abdominal surgery. The King said he’s being “cheered on” by people’s messages of goodwill since his diagnosis. “It warms my heart to reflect on the way the Commonwealth has been a constant throughout my own life – a precious source of strength, inspiration, and pride,” King Charles said in the video message. “In recent weeks, I have been most deeply touched by your wonderfully kind and thoughtful good wishes for my health and, in return, can only continue to serve you to the best of my ability.”

The NRL judiciary has come down hard on Rooster’s forward Spencer Leniu, handing him an eight-match suspension. The decision came on Monday night after Leniu directed a racial slur at Broncos flyer Ezra Mam during the Vegas opener. The new Roosters recruit claimed he didn’t know the term “monkey” was a racial slur. However, the judiciary rejected that evidence in their findings. Leniu will not return to the field until Round 10.

Greens Leader Adam Bandt is being criticised for billing taxpayers almost $1 million in a single year. The MP’s immense billing habit has largely consisted of travel and printing, which took place in 2022. The expenses include two private jet trips during the election campaign, adding $23,000 to his total bill. $12,000 for a car lease and fuel expenditure, $372,000 for staff travel, $57,000 for domestic flights, $29,000 for COMCAR and taxi travel and $204,000 for printing and communications. The total arrived at $963,166 in annual expenses.

'Wrong Speak Publishing' Founder Adam Coleman says the immigration situation at the US border is “unprecedented”. Mr Coleman told Sky News host Rita Panahi that there “is no control”. “No one is held accountable for the failures. “As it stands, Joe Biden is the leader of the federal government … and yet now he wants to make it some sort of priority when we’re getting closer and closer to the election season. “But where was he for the past, going on four years, when the situation was getting worse and worse.”