Sky News Senior Reporter Caroline Marcus says the Gaza wish list was “so inflated” that it is likely a “fundraising exercise” over an actual genuine call for medication. “There is also concern that the prices of this list of demanded medicines were so inflated that it is possible it was more a fundraising exercise,” Ms Marcus told Sky News host Peta Credlin. “For the Palestinian health ministry, which is Hamas-run. “Rather than a genuine call for medication. “Staff at the children’s hospital where the document was originally found have been told the hospital did not send any of these medications or equipment.”

A candlelight vigil will be held at 5:30pm on Sunday to honour the victims of the Bondi Junction attack. Various government members from all levels around the area are helping to coordinate the event. NSW Labor MP for Coogee Marjorie O’Neill acknowledged the “community is in a lot of pain” and this is an opportunity “to demonstrate our support for each other”. Ms O'Neill has stressed safety and security at this event is of “utmost importance”. “NSW Police are working very closely with Waverley council” she added.

The Albanese government will spend another $50 billion overall on defence over the next decade but also cut $73 billion from existing projects. That is to pay for modernising the defence force and the expensive nuclear submarines. The additional defence spending will go to the Navy surface fleet, long-range strikes, and investment program. Labor will invest $5.7 billion over the next four years and $50.3 billion over the next decade in additional defence funding. The government’s increase in funding will see defence spending as a proportion of GDP increase to 2.4 per cent by 2033-34.

Bondi Partners Senior Advisor and retired Major General Fergus McLachlan says Australia needs a “more mobile army”. Defence Minister Richard Marles launched a new National Defence Strategy, which has an investment of an extra $50.3 billion over the next decade. Extra funds will be allocated to longer-range strikes and targeting, including in precision missiles and guided rocket-launch systems. The Defence Minister said the army must become more “amphibious” and mobile to contribute to the security of the region. Mr McLachlan told Sky News Australia that the ADF needs to be “armed to the teeth”.

Environment and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek believes the federal government have “hit the sweet spot” despite criticism of their new Environment Protection Body. The new independent body will be responsible for enforcing environmental laws. The head of Greenpeace Australia Pacific likened the government’s announcement to a ‘pub without beer.’ “The Liberals say we are doing too much, the Greens say we are not doing enough; I think it shows we’ve hit the sweet spot,” Ms Plibersek told Sky News Australia. “What we’ve got with this package is stronger environmental protection, faster decision making for business, a lot more data and transparency. “There is something in this package for everyone.”

Defence Minister Richard Marles says the Albanese government is committing “real money, not fantasy money” to improving Australia’s defence capability. Mr Marles highlighted Australia’s need for a “dramatic transformation” in its capability. “That’s why we’ve actually made the decisions to commit real money, not fantasy money, to that endeavour,” he said during a National Press Club conference. “It is precisely so that we can have genuine, Australian capability to be able to meet that moment in that time frame. “That is what we are trying to do.”

The Spectator Australia’s Australiana Podcast host Will Kingston has criticised Greens Senator Nick McKim for trying to “get a 60-second grab on social media” during a fiery supermarket inquiry. Mr McKim threatened Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci with jail time for providing evasive answers at the inquiry into price gouging. “This is the Americanisation of Australian politics,” Mr Kingston told Sky News host Andrew Bolt. “It’s not about holding people to account. “It’s really a way for a senator like this to get a 60-second grab on social media.”

A new warning has been issued for people to beware of fake invoices from scammer impersonation businesses. Last year Australians reported losing $16.2 million to payment redirection scams, which is three per cent more than in 2022. The increase has prompted the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to issue a new warning over fake invoices from scammers. Consumers are being urged to check payment details with a business independently before paying. “The main thing that consumers can do is when they receive an invoice by email is to actually contact the business through an independently sourced phone number, call them and confirm the payment details directly,” ACC National Anti-Scam Centre Heidi Snell said.

Child and adolescent psychologist Clare Rowe has weighed in on the growing concerns of excess screen time for children. In an interview with Sky News host Rita Panahi, Ms Rowe said the “negative impacts” of screen time on children far outweigh "any positives, if there are any positives”. “We’re kidding ourselves if we’re saying there’s educational positives," she said. “It’s destroying their brains. “I think in the future we will look back and think we were just sitting six- and seven-year-olds on iPads.”

Sky News Business Reporter Edward Boyd says Australia’s inflation numbers “haven’t been great”. Mr Boyd said there are still “quite a few” economists in Australia predicting rates to be cut in September. “So, a little bit earlier now than where we could potentially see rates go down in the US. “But it all hinges on next week’s CPI number. “If it stays sticky, stays around a little bit too high, then we’ll see rates unfortunately not be coming down till later this year.”

The Spectator Australia’s Australiana Podcast host Will Kingston has compared Greens Senator Nick McKim to US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez after a fiery supermarket hearing on Tuesday. Mr McKim threatened Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci with jail time for providing evasive answers at the inquiry into price gouging. “This is the Americanisation of Australian politics,” Mr Kingston told Sky News host Andrew Bolt. “This is the same thing that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez does in these sorts of Senate hearings. “It’s not about holding people to account. “It’s really a way for a senator like this to get a 60 second grab on social media.”

Warmer conditions on the east coast are aiding the potential for wet weather. It brings with it the possibility of a rain event developing from the weekend. The northwest, on the other hand, can expect dryer than usual conditions and warmer weather moving into the winter months. It echoes the Bureau of Meteorology's prediction most of the country will experience dryer-than-usual conditions throughout May. Parts of the West and East Coast, however, are still looking at near-normal rainfall over the coming month.

Sky News host Andrew Bolt says American politics are getting “dangerously close” to the “politics of a banana republic”. Former US president Donald Trump’s hush money trial has begun in New York City. It is the first time a US president has faced trial in a criminal court. Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records. “American politics seems to be getting dangerously close to the politics of a banana republic,” Mr Bolt said. “Donald Trump … became the first president who ever faced a criminal court charge.”

CommSec’s Tom Piotrowski says the latest inflation figures in the United States “don’t” give the Federal Reserve “enough confidence” to cut rates. “One of the features of the session overnight was that US Federal Reserve Chairman, as part of a panel discussion, offered some comments,” Mr Piotrowski told Sky News Australia. “To paraphrase what he said is that presently given the latest inflation figures that the US has seen, they don’t give the Fed enough confidence to be cutting rates. “That’s the conclusion that the markets had already drawn last week. “It’s why you’ve seen interest rates shoot up.” Presented by CommSec.

Sky News host Caleb Bond has slammed the “left in the US” for trying to “impugn Trump’s character” with his New York hush money trial. Former US president Donald Trump’s hush money trial has begun in New York City. It is the first time a US president has faced trial in a criminal court. Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records. “We know the point of all of this, of course, is it’s not a trial really about whether or not he did anything wrong in terms of using that money or covering it up – it’s a trial of Donald Trump’s character,” Mr Bond said. “They’re doing everything they can – the left in the US – to try and impugn Trump’s character.”

Israel’s war cabinet is set to meet for the third time in three days to decide on its response to Iran’s drone and missile attack. Saudi Arabia is the latest country to call for a de-escalation of tensions. An Israeli drone strike has killed a Hezbollah commander in South Lebanon. Israel insists it will not be rushed into a decision on how to retaliate. “We cannot stand still from this kind of aggression,” Israel Defence Forces Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said. “Iran will not get [off] scot-free.”

Former Liberal MP Nicolle Flint says “people are hurting” as Labor loses its lead over the Coalition in the polls due to the cost-of-living crisis. Ms Flint joined Sky News host Paul Murray to discuss Labor losing its lead over the Coalition in the latest polls. “I sincerely hope for the good of the Australian people – that cost-of-living goes down. “But I just cannot see how that’s going to happen under this Albanese-Labor government. “People are hurting, migration is hurting them, housing is hurting them, detainees running riot in the communities, worrying them and they’re concerned about law and order.”

Sky News host Liz Storer says Australia needs “more men” like ‘Bollard Man’ who fended off the knifeman during the Bondi Junction stabbings on Saturday. Footage was captured of the Bondi stabbing offender Joel Cauchi being confronted by the French national holding a bollard on an escalator. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Frenchman Damien Guerot showed “such bravery” during the attacks and welcomed him as an Australian citizen despite him dealing with visa applications. “We need more men like this in Australia,” Ms Storer said. “Can we clone him?”

Sky News host James Macpherson says the Biden administration has recently passed legislation to ensure levels of forever chemicals “don’t exceed four parts per trillion in drinking water”. Mr Macpherson said a report out this week states that forever chemicals are “allowed in Australia’s tap water” at “140 times the maximum level now considered safe by the United States”. Forever chemicals are called that because they “never break down in the environment and they take years to leave the human body”. “The forever chemicals … are known to cause serious illnesses such as cancer and birth defects. “The Australian health department says they’re currently looking again at the levels of chemicals in tap water”.

According to a new financial review poll Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has a “higher unfavourable rate” than Peter Dutton, says Sky News host Paul Murray. Mr Murray said according to the poll the two-party preferred is “50-50” for the Labor and Liberal parties. “The Labor party’s primary vote now 31 per cent. “The Liberal National Party generally speaking can win an election if they’ve got a primary at 40. “The Greens are going backwards and everything else remains stable.”