Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister has weighed in on the case involving Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange. Mr Birmingham noted the saga has “gone on for a very long time”. “I think many would welcome the mere ending of the saga,” he told Sky News Australia. “Of course, Mr Assange and his supporters would welcome anything that saw his freedom. “Ultimately, if the US sees a pathway to the resolve it, then that is a matter for the US, but we should clearly respect their processes and systems.”

Wall Street markets dropped overnight after US consumer prices rose more than expected in March. Sky News Business Reporter Edward Boyd says a lot of economists in America are “pushing back their expectations” for when rate cuts will begin. Mr Boyd said there was a “50 per cent chance” of rate cuts in June before the inflation numbers came out. “Since the numbers were released in the early hours of this morning, it’s now a 20 per cent chance of interest rates being cut in June. “A lot of US economists are now expecting to see two rate cuts from the US Federal Reserve – one in November and one in December.”

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has unleashed a tirade of insults directed at Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil for her “dog’s breakfast” legislation attempts at curbing the detainee debacle. “Clare O’Neil is just this rolling trainwreck – she goes from one stop to the next, and every stop she crashes into the platform,” Mr Dutton told a media conference Thursday morning. “The train is derailed on a daily basis – she is a complete debacle, just a walking disaster for the government. “We saw Clare O’Neil say it was ok for 150 people to be released into the community – these are serious criminals – and she says ‘well, we can't do anything about it, the High Court said that these people needed to be released’. “As it turns out, the High Court did not say that and these people are out committing more crimes – we are talking about rapists, we are talking about paedophiles, people who have committed sexual assault against women and children and that was Clare O’Neil’s big claim to fame.”

Sky News host Peta Credlin has called out the Albanese government for “trying to beat the Greens at their own game” with Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s calls for Palestinian statehood. The Opposition leader has taken aim at Penny Wong’s calls for the recognition of a Palestinian state. In a speech at the Sydney Opera House on Wednesday night, Peter Dutton labelled the move reckless and blamed Labor for a rise in anti-Semitism in Australia. “This is absolutely brutally – not just about the Muslim vote in Western Sydney – this is about the Greens,” Ms Credlin said. “They’re now just joining the Greens or trying to beat the Greens at their own game. “This is why it’s just rank politics, and it stinks.”

The Australian Foreign Editor Greg Sheridan is “profoundly disappointed” in the Foreign Minister for her speech calling for a two-state solution. The Opposition leader has taken aim at Penny Wong’s calls for the recognition of a Palestinian state. In a speech at the Sydney Opera House on Wednesday night, Peter Dutton labelled the move reckless and blamed Labor for a rise in anti-Semitism in Australia. “I was profoundly disappointed in this speech,” Mr Sheridan told Sky News host Peta Credlin. “I’ve had a lot of respect and admiration for Penny Wong previously, but this speech, although it was carefully worded, there’s a kind of undergraduate silliness to this speech as if she’s the first person who’s ever discovered a two-state solution.”

The Australian Foreign Editor Greg Sheridan has criticised the Albanese government for “going bad on security”. The Opposition leader has taken aim at Penny Wong’s calls for the recognition of a Palestinian state. In a speech at the Sydney Opera House on Wednesday night, Peter Dutton labelled the move reckless and blamed Labor for a rise in anti-Semitism in Australia. “The government has gone bad on security,” Mr Sheridan told Sky News host Peta Credlin. “It started off very good on security … and they’ve gone worse and worse and worse as the months have gone on.”

Sky News host Liz Storer says Australia is “clearing thousands of hectares” for renewable energy projects. Alinta Energy Chief Executive Jeff Dimery said at the National Press Club on Wednesday that Australians will have to pay more for energy in the future as the country transitions to renewables. “When we’re talking about renewables versus coal or renewables versus nuclear – renewables versus basically any other form of energy – we’re not talking about comparing apples with apples,” Ms Storer told Sky News host Chris Kenny. “Now we’re clearing thousands of hectares. “What do we know about solar energy? It’s not half as powerful as coal, so what are we getting?”

Sky News host Liz Storer has criticised renewable energy projects as Western governments have “now spent $2.7 trillion” on projects but they are “yet to see value for money”. Alinta Energy Chief Executive Jeff Dimery said at the National Press Club on Wednesday that Australians will have to pay more for energy in the future as the country transitions to renewables. “Across the Western world, our governments have now spent $2.7 trillion rolling out renewable energy, and every single country is yet to see value for money,” Ms Storer told Sky News host Chris Kenny. “We keep being told … this is the cheapest form of power. “We are simply not seeing that.”

Canstar Finance Expert Steve Mickenbecker urges Australians to “be aware” of hidden fees when making cashless payments. Mr Mickenbecker pointed out fees attached to credit cards are “significantly higher” than debit cards. “When you use a payment system run by one of the banks … you pay fees,” he told Sky News Australia. “The retailer pays a merchant service fee, and you always will pay a fee. “Now, there are tricks in it because debit fees are lower than credit fees – if you go through a merchant system that is linked by Mastercard or Visa, then you will be paying the credit card fee.”

Australia will get left behind if the government doesn't play a larger role in attracting investment in domestic industries, says Prime Minister Anthony Albanese who is set to unveil the 'Made in Australia' Act on Thursday. It follows countries such as the United States, South Korea, and many European nations who have been pumping money into their domestic industries for a number of years in a bid to try and attract new investment on their soil. As a result of the large amount of money now flashing around their economies the Prime Minister believes Australia has no choice but to go down the same path. During an address in Brisbane on Thursday Albanese will unveil what he hopes will be a key pillar of the second term of an Albanese government –the ‘Made in Australia Act.’ The Act will evolve the way in which the government interacts with business, and the private sector in the Australian economy. The act involves a suite of new measures including subsidies, and incentives to try and attract new investment in Australian manufacturing, alongside existing programs such as the National Reconstruction Fund.

Julian Assange's lawyer Jennifer Robinson says she’s “encouraged” by Joe Biden’s remarks that the US is ‘considering’ dropping charges against the WikiLeaks founder. “We are of course encouraged by his response, this is what we have been asking for over five years,” Ms Robinson told Sky News Australia. “Since 2010 we’ve been saying this is a dangerous precedent that’s being set, “she said. “So, we certainly hope it was a serious remark and that the US will act on it.” Assange is facing 18 criminal charges in the United States related to material published on Assange's WikiLeaks website in 2010. If extradited, the WikiLeaks founder would be charged under the Espionage Act, adopted by the US during World War I to deal with spies and traitors.

The Megyn Kelly Show host Megyn Kelly has praised ‘Back to the Future The Musical’ saying it had “no wokeisms”. Ms Kelly said she had been spending the last two years “ripping on Broadway”. “I’ve had it with Broadway until now,” she told Sky News host Paul Murray. “Back to the Future is just like the movie it’s perfectly done “The acting and the singing is superb, the performances will have you out of your seat laughing, dancing, singing. “I give it five out of five stars.”

Sky News host Caleb Bond says a “probe” is underway into why a Gaza wish list was in the secure area of a Melbourne hospital. A confidential document detailing a $7.7 million wish list of medicines and medical equipment for Gaza is being investigated by Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital after being found in an operating theatre precinct. “Why and how does a document listing exactly what Gaza wants end up in an Australian hospital?” Mr Bond said. “Unless there are doctors or others within the hospital who are lobbying or pushing for this kind of thing to happen. “To give them the medicine and equipment they are asking for.”

NPR Senior Business Editor Uri Berliner ripped NPR “to shreds” as having “completely lost its journalistic way,” says The Megyn Kelly host Megyn Kelly. Ms Kelly’s comments come after Mr Berliner, who works at NPR, wrote a scathing piece for The Free Press outlining his problems with the network. "He says at one point he went and did a little poll to see what the voting registrations of the people were who work in the DC bureau of NPR, and it was 87 registered Democrats working in editorial positions – guess how many Republicans – zero,” Ms Kelly told Sky News host Paul Murray. “He talked about how their coverage of Donald Trump really did them in and how they went from covering a President to actually trying to topple a president. “He goes through this saga that really leaves you completely flabbergasted at how lost this group is.”

Sky News host James Macpherson says a Melbourne council is being accused of “concocting a fantastic story” to cover their backs over a bungled attempt to “rip off” ratepayers. Residents of Malane St in Ormond arrived home yesterday to find cars parked out on the street had been slapped with $96 parking fines. “Outraged residents contacted the Glen Eira City Council yesterday and today received an email where the council told them that someone had tampered with the parking signs,” Mr Macpherson said. “The council withdrew the fines and quickly got rid of the signs but local residents smelt a rat. “Unknown fraudsters ... erected parking signs and parking inspectors just happened to turn up at this off the way street where parking restrictions had never been enforced to start issuing tickets.”

The Megyn Kelly Show host Megyn Kelly has called out Beyonce following the latest release of her country music album ‘Cowboy Carter’. “She’s not a queen – people like her music, she sings some good music, that’s it, she didn’t cure cancer,” Ms Kelly told Sky News host Paul Murray. “Country music’s been around for a long, long time, it goes right to the heart of America and most Americans in red states have been loving and enjoying it long before ‘Queen B’ decided to stick her big toe into the lane. “She makes an album which of course because she’s queen has got the thumbs up and promotion from Michelle Obama, from Vice President Kamala Harris.” Ms Kelly blasted Beyonce for getting “her hands” on the song ‘Jolene’ by Dolly Parton. “God, forbid she sing anything that makes anything look less than all empowered with the muscle,” she said.

Former Labor senator Stephen Conroy says the potential for nuclear energy production in Australia has “missed the window”. Mr Conroy joined Sky News host Paul Murray to discuss the government’s continued push for renewable energy. “The Coalition has been trying to make that case for 14 or 15 years,” he said. “Sometimes they’ve won elections and other times they’ve lost elections. “Now they’ve got the fantasy policy called nuclear.”

A South Australian council has cancelled a public meeting meant to engage the community to discuss whether they should bring back Australia Day events. Adelaide Hills Council rejected a motion to have community consultation about Australia Day events after a meeting on Tuesday night. “We told you last night in the papers segment about Adelaide Hills Council of course in South Australia where they were planning to hold a public meeting where they would discuss whether or not they should hold events on Australia Day,” says Sky News host Caleb Bond. “Now the Adelaide Hills Council made a decision last year to move away from Australia Day events so they don’t have any fireworks, they don’t have citizenship ceremonies, etcetera. “At their council meeting last night they decided they would not have a public meeting to discuss whether or not they should bring back Australia Day.”

Former speaker of the House Bronwyn Bishop says renewables being paraded as the “cheapest form” of energy is a “perpetual lie”. Ms Bishop joined Sky News host Paul Murray to discuss the government’s continued push for renewable energy. “I have said all along right from when I was still in the parliament arguing against these policies that the cost of electricity is – what it costs to get it from the generator, from the point of generation to your house or your business,” she said. “That’s the cost. “The real question that should be put to people in a poll is – do you want cheap, reliable electricity that comes from coal until we get nuclear? Or do you want expensive, unreliable electricity that comes from destroying forests, sea beds and productive land?”

Sky News host Rita Panahi says trust in the National Public Radio has plummeted. “Our own ABC should take note of this next story,” Ms Panahi said. “Uri Berliner, who’s worked at NPR for 25 years, wrote a scathing piece for The Free Press outlining how the network has lost its way and lost the trust of its audience. “As a taxpayer-funded media outlet, it has an obligation to be neutral and it certainly is not just like our ABC and SBS, here, in Australia.” Ms Panahi said the National Public Radio’s response to Mr Berliner’s claims is to “basically bury its head in the sand”.