New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon believes AUKUS is “very good” for “regional security and stability” and the broader Pacific region. “The first thing I would say is I think AUKUS is actually very good for regional security and stability,” Mr Luxon told Sky News host Erin Molan. “I think that’s a good thing for the broader Pacific region. “We, as I said, are very open to exploring New Zealand’s involvement in what’s called Pillar Two of AUKUS. “Again, it’s been somewhat undefined – it’s only in recent weeks that the pathway for a conversation has really been able to be opened up.”

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says his government wants to teach the “basics well and brilliantly” in education because it enables kids to get to a “better set of circumstances”. “Education is the great leveller … it enables kids to get from a set of circumstances to a better set of circumstances, and I’m an example of that as well,” Mr Luxon told Sky News host Erin Molan. “We’ve got two big challenges here in New Zealand – one is that regular school attendance is at an all-time low, and I want kids back at school. “The second thing is actually getting our kids taught well so that when they arrive at high school, we want 80 per cent of them to be ready and at curriculum – currently, it’s about 50 per cent. “We’ve done several things: first thing is we’ve banned mobile phones all across the schools … we’ve mandated an hour of maths, an hour of writing, an hour of reading in our primary and intermediate schools. “Just yesterday, we talked about the fact that we’re going to mandate something called structured literacy, which is actually one common approach for teaching our kids to read through using phonics and sounds – the old-school way. “We want to teach the basics well and brilliantly.”

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has labelled a Chinese cyber-attack on New Zealand’s parliamentary system “unacceptable”. Mr Luxon recently called out China publicly over a cyber-attack on New Zealand. “It’s been a long-standing and complex relationship for the last 50 years,” Mr Luxon told Sky News host Erin Molan. “There’s no doubt about it – China is an undeniable force in global politics. “For us, we look at it very clearly, which is that we have strong cooperation in areas where there is common and mutual interest around trade, around climate, around our people-to-people links, particularly through tourism and through students. “We have acknowledged that we have different political cultures, histories and systems – that creates divergent views and, therefore, differences of opinion. “What we will do always is present those issues in a predictable and consistent way – publicly or privately with the Chinese, and that’s been the nature of our conversations with them. “You saw us call out recently Chinese cyber-attacks on New Zealand’s parliamentary system – unacceptable – and we’re very comfortable to do that.”

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says it is important for Australia and New Zealand to “advance things” which are in both countries’ “interests”. Mr Luxon has previously said his number one priority is his relationship with Australia. “What I’m wanting to do with Australia is three things,” Mr Luxon told Sky News host Erin Molan. “To make sure that our security and defence connections are deepened – that means that we want to increasingly be a force multiplier and want to be much more interoperable in the defence space with the Australians. “The second thing is we partner with the Pacific Island nations a lot … it’s our backyard, it’s our family, and it’s important that we work together constructively with our Pacific Island partners as well. “Then thirdly, it’s around saying, look, there is a big ... common economic market between the two of us, and there’s probably opportunities for us to reframe that and actually look for more economic opportunities as well. “So, a good personal relationship [with Anthony Albanese], important that we can get on with each other at a personal level, but importantly advance things that are in both Australia and New Zealand’s interests.”

Defence Minister Richard Marles has held a media conference in Hawaii with his ministerial counterparts from the United States, Japan, and the Philippines.  “We meet at a time when the global rules-based order is under intense pressure,” Mr Marles said.  “Our four countries are utterly committed to asserting freedom of navigation, to asserting the UN Convention on the law of the sea, to asserting the global rules-based order around the oceans of the world.  “Our alliance with the United States has been a cornerstone of Australia’s national security since World War Two.  “And today, the security relationship that we have with both Japan and the Philippines has never been closer.  “The meetings that we have held represent a very significant message to the region and to the world.”

Piers Morgan and Cornel West got into a heated argument on Wednesday, leading to West calling Morgan a “racist”. Three panelists joined Morgan on his program Piers Morgan Uncensored to debate racism, terrorism and the crisis in Gaza. The heated debate started when the host asked about the numerous pro-Palestine protests at universities across the US. West argued Morgan was not speaking about the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and purposely ignoring the civilian deaths by Israel. “And that's why I call you a racist because it means then that Palestinian lives do not have the same value as an Israeli life,” he said. Following West’s comment, Morgan hit back at the Presidential candidate and defended his criticism of pro-Palestine protests at US universities. “How dare you call me a racist. What you don’t know is before I did this debate, I did a long interview with one of the IDF spokesmen in which I went after him about their planned invasion of Rafah because I think it would be a catastrophic mistake. So don’t call me a racist,” he said.

Sky News host James Morrow reacts to President Joe Biden calling Japan and India “xenophobic” in his latest blunder. The President was delivering a speech at a campaign fundraising event when he started discussing the growth of America’s economy due to its rapid immigration. “Think about it. Why is China stalling so badly economically? Why is Japan having trouble? Why is Russia? Why is India? Because they're xenophobic. They don't want immigrants,” he said. Following the incident, the White House said President Biden meant no offence to either country, according to the BBC. “Maybe instead of insulting allies for not embracing the left's particular love for cultural diversity, Biden should work on making Bidenomics work for ordinary Americans and not just asset-rich donors,” Mr Morrow said.

Master Builders Australia Chief Executive Denita Wawn says there has been a “massive dwindle” of private investment in property construction. New modelling has revealed the federal government’s housing strategy will only produce around 8,000 extra homes as most of the gains have been erased by labour shortages and red tape. Industry groups believe it is becoming impossible to meet the government’s targets. The National Housing Accord aims to build 1.2 million new homes over five years, but without an urgent influx of labour and the cutting of red tape, the industry believes the target is out of reach. Ms Wawn told Sky News Australia that we have to “recharge” the private investment market.

AAA Managing Director Michael Bradley says the government’s latest announcement on publishing road safety data will “save lives”. The Australian Automobile Association has congratulated the federal Transport Minister for making the states commit to releasing road safety data in return for funding. “We’ve always said to Catherine’s credit, to Albo’s credit, they said before the last election that they want to end the rorts in road funding,” he told Sky News Australia. “The federal government commits about $10 billion to states and territories for road funding, and until this, there have been no strings attached to that. “This announcement will not just save lives by putting on the table the causes of the crashes that are killing people in Australia; it will really clip the wings of politicians who want to prioritise road projects which offer political benefit rather than community benefit.”

Small Business Women Australia CEO Amanda Rose discusses the escalating anti-Israel protests in the US. Anti-Israel protests have broken out across the US and continue to escalate, with law enforcement responding to many university campuses to break up demonstrations. “I always blame the government, they love using divisive tactics, they love it when people are at each other and at each other throats,” she told Sky News Digital Presenter Gabriella Power. “People protest when they feel like they are not being heard. “Then you’ve got the people who take advantage of a protest and are violent, and then the people who are genuine in their plight, right, are demonised.” “Governments love it when people are divided because then they can come in with a solution and look like a hero”.

Small Business Women Australia CEO Amanda Rose has slammed the Prime Minister after he made a domestic violence rally organiser cry. The Prime Minister addressed the crowd at the rally, claiming he wouldn’t be allowed to speak. One of the protest organisers, Sarah Williams, called this comment out as a lie and later was reduced to tears. “It is very disappointing,” Ms Rose told Sky News Digital Presenter Gabriella Power. “It was more the fact that once he did that, he lied, she cried, and he didn’t stop.” “He gaslit a girl, humiliated her, this is not the characteristics we want from someone who is designing policy for women or for the country”.

The OECD is warning interest rates may need to stay higher to combat inflation. This follows financial markets pushing out expectations for rate cuts to May and June of next year. The Paris-based organisation states the global economy is starting to brighten. The OECD also claimed Australia’s economy is proving more resilient than expected. The findings are in contrast to an announcement from Treasurer Jim Chalmers last week, who warned of a “fraught and fragile” global economic outlook.

America's colleges are in chaos, and in the eye of the storm, President Joe Biden is absent. In a wave of activism, anti-Israel encampments have erupted on campuses nationwide. Fueled by a demand for a Gaza ceasefire and a cessation of university ties with Israel, many students are putting political issues ahead of their education. Yet, beneath the surface of these protests lies a troubling current of anti-Semitism and an anti-Israel sentiment. Recent crackdowns at Columbia University and UCLA signal authorities' attempts to quell the unrest. But with the Middle East engulfed in conflict, these campus demonstrations are poised to persist.

The Solomon Islands lawmakers have selected China-friendly Jeremiah Manele as their new Prime Minister. Mr Manele’s ascension to Prime Minister came as a result of winning a secret ballot on Thursday with 31 votes. Mr Manele spoke outside parliament, pledging to continue the country’s policy of embracing China. The previous prime minister withdrew from the contest last week after failing to secure a majority in last month’s election. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote on social media that he looked forward to working closely with Mr Manele.

The Victorian Labor government is “laughing all the way to the bank” after the criminal charges from the botched hotel quarantine project were all dropped, says Sky News host Liz Storer. The mismanagement of the quarantine hotels, overseen the by Andrews government led to the state’s second lengthy COVID-19 lockdown. “Sorry about all your dead and the 18,000 people that then got infected,” Ms Storer said. "No one is going to be held accountable. Ms Storer labelled the process as a “ridiculous, ridiculous farce”.

Filmmaker Ami Horowitz says “what do you expect” from students in universities where professors teach “garbage” in the curriculum, following students occupying buildings on campuses in the United States. “The answer is very simple … this is no secret that the professors, the school itself, the administrators, they have been pushing this garbage for years,” Mr Horowitz told Sky News host Rita Panahi. “It is garbage in, garbage out, how are we surprised? Of course we have a student that comes into it as a freshman on a campus … they come in as empty vessels. “They listen to these professors, day in and day out, talk about the oppression of Israel, the oppression of the United States. “How are they going to react to it any differently than what their professors told them?”

Sky News host Liz Storer says there are currently 100 police and campus security at Melbourne University in an attempt to avoid the pro-Palestine protesting chaos seen on US campuses. “It is just unbelievable,” she said. “As long as these protestors are allowed to camp out there and create this real thriving community with their dancing, with their chants, this is the natural escalation. “It is going to get this bad. “I simply don’t understand why police or at least campus security aren’t nipping it in the bud while it is a smaller affair and before real, true mob rule sets in.”

Despite early signs seeming to point to a family reunion, there are now reports King Charles may be too busy to catch up with Prince Harry, upon his return to London for the Invictus games. ‘To Di For’ podcast host Kinsey Schofield joined Sky News host Rita Panahi to discuss the latest on the Royal Family. "I think well there are a couple of things we need to keep in mind too Prince Harry was also threatening not to come over the last few weeks because ... according to Harry he wasn’t sure he was going to get the type of security that he personally requires," Ms Schofield said. "Now ... the Royal Family have their diaries filled weeks, months you know half a year in advance. "On top of that we’ve got William balancing … taking on more dad duties with Catherine the Princess of Wales going through preventive cancer chemotherapy and then we’ve got the king coming back to do more duties … but he still is receiving cancer treatment. "So it's almost very disrespectful of their schedules."

Former Victorian Liberal Party president Michael Kroger says Queensland Labor are going to “take the money” they are offering residents off their energy bills and “run with it". Queensland Labor have promised $1,000 off energy bills under new state government rebates. “They will take the money and run like Carl Lewis mate, as fast as they can,” Mr Kroger told Sky News Australia host Paul Murray. “This blokes' credentials are as follows, he wrote a PHD in trade union politics … his other two jobs were he was a union official and a political adviser. “Now he is in charge of billions of dollars, against a background of no experience whatsoever.”

GWS Giants Chairman Tim Reed discusses the “ongoing conversation” between his club and the AFL around taking advantage of their good form and attracting children to cross football codes and play Aussie Rules. “That is an ongoing conversation and partnership with the AFL and ourselves as to how we drive that,” Mr Reed told Sky News Australia host Chris Kenny. “Absolutely the numbers are improving – we’d love for them to be improving faster. “We have got a great product – AFL is just a tremendous game. “We are performing on field so we would really like to take advantage of that and see more kids coming in.”