Pockets of affordable homes are opening up despite Sydney’s overheated property market.  According to a report on affordable areas, Parramatta and south west regions are where young buyers have the best chance of purchasing a home.  However, property experts explain there are a lot of challenges to overcome.  “I think we’ve got some really big numbers to fill – they’re saying we need 1.25 million homes by 2029,” The Home Establishment Director and Builder Shani Naleshni said.  “I don’t know how we’re going to get to that such an ambitious target.”

Two people are in critical condition after a Brisbane blast, police have charged a man over a fatal crash in Sydney, a shopping strip in Burleigh is under siege, parts of Queensland face rain and flood warnings, WA teachers to strike next week for better pay, hopes for struggling Sydney homebuyers loom, and more than 20 Chinese Olympic swimmers were cleared over test contamination. See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

Multiculturalism in Australia is at a “crossroads,” two leaders of the government’s multicultural policy review have warned.  The incoming reform blueprint will be aimed at strengthening the foundations of social cohesion.  Multicultural Framework Review Chair Dr Bulent Hass Dellal says the key challenge in doing so is to ensure discrimination and hate are not passed on to a new generation.  “Our challenge is to try and break that cycle of hate, learn from history and to move forward,” he said.  The organisation says the success of the policy would depend on bipartisan support and commitment to change.  Some believe the issue stems from the government’s migration policies.

Tech giants are told to remove harmful content off platforms, Westfield Bondi Junction reopens after stabbing attack, a new test to identify a virus in 24 hours for Australians, multiculturalism in Australia is at a 'crossroads', and two children have been killed in Russian strikes on multiple cities in Ukraine. See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

Racing NSW’s Nick Berney has revealed his tips for All Aged Stakes Day at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Mr Berney joined Racing Dreams for the last time in the autumn season to discuss his top tips for Randwick. “lt’s going to be a great meeting,” Mr Berney said. “I’m against a few favourites, so maybe I’m going to go home having a good day or licking my wounds. “So, hopefully, we can get some cash nice and early – I’ve got a roughy in the first race.” Mr Berney revealed that his best bet was on Race 4 No.1 Tannhauser. In partnership with Racing NSW

Treasurer Jim Chalmers forecasts multiple global pressures will “weigh heavily” on next month’s budget.  The Treasurer outlined five pressures on Australia’s economy while meeting other G20 finance ministers in Washington.   They include lingering national inflation, slowing growth and a transforming global economy.   Mr Chalmers said fiscal strategy is evolving in the face of both challenges and opportunities.  “Global factors will be a big part of the next few weeks as we put the finishing touches on the budget,” Mr Chalmers said.  Some political commentators are criticising the Treasurer’s comments.

The Arrowfield name is synonymous with champions of the track and some of the most revered stallions in the industry.   Sky News Australia sat down with Arrowfield’s John Messara to rewind the clock on the history of the iconic farm.  “It’s only in 1979-1980 that I got quite involved in thoroughbreds,” he said.  “We’ve got a lot to go, we’ve got big plans, we’ve got big opportunities now worldwide, and we intend to carry on.  “But it’s certainly met our expectations, but I think there’s plenty more to do.”  In partnership with Arrowfield Stud

The New Republic senior editor Alex Shephard says the United States is doing “everything it can to avert an all-out war” in the Middle East as tensions between Israel and Iran escalate. It comes as Iranian authorities have declared on Friday morning they shot down several drones from the sky over the cities of Isfahan and Tabriz on Friday. Israel's government and military are declining to confirm or deny if they carried out the strike. The United States has denied any involvement in Israel's attack on Iran Friday morning. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said US leaders, along with others at the G7 Summit, are focused on de-escalating tensions. Mr Shephard reacted to the US Secretary of State's comments claiming the remarks made were not surprising. “That was not a terrible surprising given the overall framing we’ve seen from the Secretary of State in the aftermath of these sort of tit-for-tat strikes that we’ve seen between Israel and Iran,” he said.

The US House of Representatives has moved ahead with a $148 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. The chamber voted 316-94 to advance the bills. It is expected to vote on Saturday on the legislation, and if passed, it would need to go back to the Senate for final approval. Hardline Republicans are pushing back against Speaker Mike Johnson and the $148 billion package saying money should not be sent overseas without dealing with the crisis at America’s border. With other conservatives threatening to oust Mr Johnson.

India's election has kicked off after millions of people took to the polls in the first phase of the world's largest election. About 969 million people have registered to vote across 44 days. Populist Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to secure a third consecutive term. The election is seen as one of the most important votes in several decades as Mr Modi's powerful right-wing BJP party seeks to secure an outright majority in India's lower house. India's elections are rolled out over six weeks consisting of seven phases, and votes of almost one billion eligible voters will be counted on June 4.

Iran seems to be downplaying Israel's apparent strike over the cities of Isfahan and Tabriz on Friday. An Iranian senior official has revealed that Tehran has no plan to hit back immediately against Israel, report says. Initial reports have claimed the drones were launched by Israel in retaliation to 300 Iranian drones and missiles launched towards Jerusalem last week. Israel's government and military are declining to confirm or deny if they carried out the strike. Questions remain as to whether Tel Aviv's strike was a pre-cursor to something more sinister in the coming days or weeks. Analysts said the crisis has been somewhat de-escalated but the situation still remains volatile.

Sky News host James Morrow reacts to Joe Biden’s “family cooking lore”, with the President claiming his uncle was eaten by cannibals after his plane crashed in New Guinea. President Biden can be heard in a clip saying, “he got shot down in an area where there were a lot of cannibals in New Guinea at the time”. “They never recovered his body.” “Listen to him here telling the stirring, or should I say pot-stirring, tale of what happened to his old ‘Uncle Bosie’,” Mr Morrow said. “This is, by the way, Biden’s new obsession – he told the same story three times in the past 24 hours, according to various news reports.” Pentagon records state the aircraft plunged into the Pacific off the coast of New Guinea.

Pro-Hamas activists “do not want mass support for Palestinians” because it would ruin their chance to “feel morally superior,” explains Newsweek Opinion Editor Batya Ungar-Sargon. “The truth is they are moral idiots – they are moral imbeciles,” she told Sky News Australia host James Morrow. “Most of the activism is happening on college campuses and they are deeply, deeply unpopular. “People cutting off traffic to an airport are not people who are trying to create a vast movement with a lot of support. “They do not want mass support for Palestinians among Americans because they want the right to feel morally superior.”

NSW One Nation leader Tania Mihaluk says she hopes the state government will review mental health services following the Bondi Junction stabbing attack. Westfield Bondi Junction officially re-opened on Friday after six people died in a horrific stabbing attack last week. The reopening follows a day of reflection, on which members of the community laid flowers amongst a beautiful tribute to those who lost their lives. Ms Mihaluk said mental health services have been outsourced for a long time and must be reviewed. She also expressed warning about people “falling through the cracks”. If you or anyone you know needs help: Kids Helpline – 1800 55 1800 Lifeline – 13 11 14 Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4636

A man has been arrested after threatening to blow himself up outside the Iranian consulate in Paris. It's believed the man was seen around 11am entering the consulate, carrying what appeared to be a grenade and explosive vest. A security perimeter was then set up around the consulate. The man later left the consulate and on being searched was found not to be carrying any explosives, a police source told Reuters.

The “two-tier” justice system in the United States is displaying an “effort to twist the law” and prohibit former president Donald Trump from returning to the White House, says Sky News Australia host James Morrow. “One that sees the law applied differently depending on whether you are a regular US citizen or whether your name happens to be Donald J Trump,” Mr Morrow said of the justice system. “The US is rapidly sliding towards banana republic status, what with those in power, the Biden cabal trying to jail the opposition leader, that is to say, Trump. Mr Morrow pointed out the New York Stormy Daniels hush money trial shared the same “general outline” as the now-settled Steele dossier which was found to be funded by Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign. “But of course, unlike the question of whether or not Trump had it all for the pornstar, this issue had real consequences for our democracy and kicked off the whole Russia, Russia, Russia hoax, but never mind.”

Newsweek Opinion Editor Batya Ungar-Sargon says 80 per cent of Americans stand with Israel as she slammed the “lunatic fringe” activists who continue to march and disrupt in support of Hamas. “All of the money for this is coming from elitist NGOs – all of the activists are from over-credentialled college-educated elites,” she told Sky News Australia host James Morrow. “Most of the activism is happening on college campuses and they are deeply, deeply unpopular. “People cutting off traffic to an airport are not [people who are trying to create a vast movement with a lot of support. “They are people trying to consolidate their own sense of their own superiority and that they are so much better than everybody else.”

NSW One Nation leader Tania Mihaluk has slammed a Queensland high school’s move to convert a female-only toilet block to unisex as “virtue signalling”. The Department of Education confirmed Brisbane State High School changed some toilets to unisex at the school. The Courier Mail obtained a notice sent out to students on the school’s intranet advising of the conversion of the P Block toilets in the Merivale St campus to unisex over the school holidays. Parents have criticised the lack of consultation over the move and are claiming their daughters are too scared to use the bathrooms. “Kids and indeed boys should be able to navigate the challenges of puberty by going to their own bathroom,” Ms Mihaluk told Sky News host Danica De Giorgio.

Comedian Alex Stein has spoken with Sky News host James Morrow about how he paid a visit to a pro-Palestinian protest. Mr Stein said the rally consisted of “white students and one Middle Eastern student”, including one man wearing Palestinian flag earrings. “That guy with the Palestinian earrings, if he wore those earrings in Gaza, he would literally get thrown off a roof,” Mr Stein told Sky News host James Morrow. “These people are confused, and I know this as a person who goes to a lot of protests – they’re really doing it for the social atmosphere of it; they’re not doing it because they really care about the political cause. “Because those people, I doubt, are going to go from Arlington, Texas or ever go to Palestine or Gaza, and if they did, then they should go up there and go fight and help if they really care that much.”

Comedian Alex Stein has slammed protesters who try to get their message across by disrupting people’s everyday lives, urging them to be smarter and more creative. “You guys have to come up with a smarter way to get your message across instead of blocking people from trying to get to their nine-to-five job or people that are trying to fly to see a sick loved one before they pass away,” Mr Stein told Sky News host James Morrow. “These protesters, they’re trying to make their political point, but at what cost? “And for me, that’s when I became more successful – I started going and speaking at city council meetings very earnestly. “But once I started mocking the politicians and I got creative, then my message got across a lot better.”