Independent economist Warren Hogan says consumer sentiment has improved “across the board” as talk of rate cuts increased over the summer. There is more evidence today that interest rate cuts are further off than many anticipate. “The key driver is actually that the worst of the adjustment to higher interest rates is behind us,” Mr Hogan said. “Maybe, especially when it comes to SMEs which tend to be more consumer-facing businesses, maybe the household sector is starting to loosen the purse strings a little bit earlier in 2024. “I would not be concerned about business needing to see rate cuts to keep things ticking over.”

Former Labor Senator Graham Richardson says Israel has been an “ally of Australia forever”. Mr Richardson told Sky News Australia that Australia was there in 1948 when the Arab-Israeli war started. “And we’ve been there in every war since. “I can’t see that changing.” Mr Richardson's comments come after the IDF killed an Australian aid worker in Gaza.

Former Labor Senator Graham Richardson says he has “doubt” of any changing relationships between the Australian and Israeli governments. Mr Richardson told Sky News Australia that the relationship has been strong “for the best part of 50 years.” “It’s not going to change in any great hurry. “It can’t change in many respects. “We are tied together, and we’ll stay together.”

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has claimed Labor’s appointment of former ADF chief Mark Binskin as a special advisor is “political”. The appointment comes after Israel killed seven aid workers in an airstrike in Gaza. “What the Prime Minister is doing here is trying to find a pathway through what’s obviously a torn ALP,” the Opposition Leader said during a media conference on Monday. “What we’ve seen here by the Prime Minister is a political response. “Frankly, while Mark Binskin is an excellent public servant and is beyond reproach an incredible individual, he’s been given mission impossible by this Prime Minister.”

Australia, the US, and the UK are expected to announce they will launch formal talks to collaborate with other countries on advanced defence technologies, with a strong focus on working with Japan. “A great idea and remember it’s not to do with the nuclear submarines if I can make that obvious point, it’s to do with technology transfer and co-development,” said former Howard government minister Peter McGauran. “It does send a strong message to China, the inclusion of Japan will not be missed by China, to put it mildly,” Mr McGauran told Sky News Australia. Former Labor advisor and Hawker Britton Director Simon Banks said Japan is a “really obvious first and natural additional partner to the trio that we currently have”. “I actually hope we think about whether there are other Western nations who can suitably join this partnership as well,” he said. “The more we work together, the better we have a good and effective defence, the less likely it is that the things that we don’t want to have happen will happen.”

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has confirmed he will not endorse Joe Biden again after publicly supporting him for president during the 2020 election. During a wide-ranging interview with Fox News, the actor and wrestler said endorsing Biden in 2020 caused an "incredible amount of division in our country". "Am I going to do that again this year? That answer's no. I'm not going to do that," he told host Will Cain. "Because what I realised that what that caused back then was something that tears me up in my guts back then and now, which is division. And that got me. "The takeaway after that months and months and months, I started to realise like, ‘Oh man, that caused an incredible amount of, division in our country.’ "So I realise now going into this election, I'm not going to do that. I wouldn't do that because my goal is to bring our country together. I believe in that, in my DNA. So in the spirit of that, there's going to be no endorsement."

A Southwest Airlines flight landed safely at an airport in Denver, Colorado, after the engine cowling fell off on Sunday. The cowling ripped off the engine and struck the plane’s wing flaps during takeoff. The Southwest aircraft returned to Denver International Airport around 8:15am local time before being towed away. Flight 3695, which initially departed from Houston, Texas on its roughly two-and-a-half-hour trip, carried 135 passengers and six crew members, no one on board was injured. Southwest Airlines has stated they will review the plane and have confirmed they are in charge of maintaining its parts. “We apologise for the inconvenience of their delay but place our highest priority on ultimate safety for our customers and employees,” they wrote in a statement.

The initial findings of an independent supermarket review suggest larger fines, Anthony Albanese has confirmed his government's commitment to the Operation Sovereign Borders policy, there are concerns interest rate cuts could be delayed, NDIS is providing millions of dollars in support funding to sex offenders, Japan is in talks to join AUKUS, and China has approved a the first two- passenger multicopter aircraft. See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

Liberal Senator Hollie Hughes argues Immigration Minister Andrew Giles' immigration policies are being used to people smugglers’ advantage. The remarks come as a boat carrying 13 asylum seekers showed up on Western Australian shores on Friday. “I’m pretty sure there’s a big old picture of Andrew Giles in people smugglers’ businesses saying we welcome you with open arms,” Ms Hughes said. “We know that that is Mr Giles' political leanings. “He worked in defence of those on the Tampa. “His heart's not in this portfolio, and I still cannot believe that Mr Albanese is leaving him in place.”

Sky News host Paul Murray says it has been a “massive week” at the newspaper The Guardian. Guardian US columnist Margaret Sullivan says Donald Trump’s success in swing state polling is due to a “failure of the press”. “Because they are so fair when they talk about on TV, aren’t they?” Mr Murray said. “Yeah it’s the media – what about the fact that just people are being polled, they know what’s going on. “I don’t think the media is the problem here.”

Liberal Senator Hollie Hughes argues the calls for the release of Israeli hostages seems to have “died down” as the Albanese government “deride” their relationship with Israel. “I haven’t heard that call in a while,” Ms Hughes said. “Haven’t heard anything about the 130 hostages still being held after six months. “That’s sort of died down a bit. “I think there is a mistrust of Israel, and I think it’s incredibly disappointing this government is continuing to deride our relationship with what is the only democracy in that part of the world.”

Shadow Finance Minister Jane Hume has slammed the Albanese government for showing “no real appetite” for getting inflation under control because “its spending is still out of control”. The initial findings of an independent review into supermarket giants will be handed down today. The review – led by former Labor competition minister Craig Emerson – suggests supermarkets with annual revenues of more than $5 billion need to follow a mandatory code. “The first thing we would do is get inflation down,” Ms Hume told Sky News Australia. “Quite frankly, the way to get prices down is to get inflation down – get inflation under control. “This government has shown no real appetite to get inflation under control because its spending is still out of control.”

Shadow Finance Minister Jane Hume has questioned the Albanese government’s “sincerity” in getting supermarket prices under control when they are “inflicting enormous changes” to the industrial relations system. The initial findings of an independent review into supermarket giants will be handed down today. The review – led by former Labor competition minister Craig Emerson – suggests supermarkets with annual revenues of more than $5 billion need to follow a mandatory code. “If they’re not getting the prices of energy under control and they’re inflicting enormous changes to the industrial relations system, which locks up these big supermarket companies in a lot of red tape with their employment contracts, all of these things are feeding higher prices,” Ms Hume told Sky News Australia. “There isn’t just one solution; there are plenty of solutions. “Quite frankly, I’d question the government’s sincerity when they say they want to get supermarket prices down if they’re doing all these other things.”

Air Chief Marshall Mark Binskin has been selected as special advisor to the investigation into an Israeli airstrike that killed seven aid workers, including one Australian. Mr Binskin has previously served as the chief of the ADF for four years, vice chief of Defence Force and chief of Air Force. The Australian government has rejected Israel's initial investigation, calling it unsatisfactory. The findings will be sent to military prosecutors, but it is unknown whether those involved in the attack will face charges. Part of the statement released by the Foreign Minister on Monday reads: ‘Part of Binskin’s work will be the examination of arrangements for the investigation of this incident, IDF policies and procedures for operational incidents, measures taken to hold those responsible to account, and if further investigation is warranted.'

Shadow Finance Minister Jane Hume says prices at the supermarket are causing Australians “a lot of pain in their hip pocket” as prices have risen by “around 10 per cent” in the last two years. The initial findings of an independent review into supermarket giants will be handed down today. The review – led by former Labor competition minister Craig Emerson – suggests supermarkets with annual revenues of more than $5 billion need to follow a mandatory code. “We do know prices at the supermarket are causing people a lot of pain in their hip pocket,” Ms Hume told Sky News Australia. “Prices have already gone up by around 10 per cent in the last two years alone. “The price of bread has gone up by 17.5 per cent. “The price of milk has gone up by around 16.5 per cent. “So, we know that Australian consumers are feeling it in their hip pocket.”

The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water has spent almost $40,000 on sunglasses. The sunglasses were purchased for the Australian Antarctic Division. They were said to be designed for 'extreme climate'. The Australian also reported almost $27,000 was spent on a planning day. The Opposition is calling for full transparency for expenses not aimed at cutting energy costs.

PR Counsel Kristy McSweeney says there are “tensions” between Defence Minister Richard Marles and the leaders of the Defence Force. Ms McSweeney joined Sky News host Paul Murray to discuss the possibility of defence projects being cut from the federal budget. “Last year the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislative Committee launched an enquiry and that was an enquiry into the Defence Department’s capability to support Australia’s defence program. “Now that report of that enquiry was supposed to be released the last sitting day, 28th of March last week, it’s been extended to the 24th of November. “Surprise, surprise, we know that there’s been tensions between the Defence Minister and the top brass of the defence force.”

Former Liberal MP Nicolle Flint says the Labor government has spent a “colossal” amount on renewables and the NDIS. Ms Flint joined Sky News host Paul Murray to discuss the possibility of defence projects being cut from the federal budget. “The scale of spending by the Albanese-Labor government is just extraordinary. “The $1 billion to build solar panels here last week that they had to fly up on their private jets to the Hunter Valley … to make the announcement. “The colossal spending on renewables, on the transmission lines, NDIS, everywhere you look, Labor is spending money.”

Sky News host Paul Murray says the Labor government’s budget is going to have Australia in a deficit for “the next 40 years”. Mr Murray joined PR Counsel Kristy McSweeney, Former Liberal MP Nicolle Flint, and One Nation Chief of Staff James Ashby to discuss the potential for defence projects to face cuts in the federal government. “The hard decision is that Australia needs to find more revenue to match its spending or it needs to cut its spending. “Either way it creates a political firestorm. “We’re about to go through this theatre for the next few weeks about all the tough decisions they’re making in the budget.”

Sky News host Caroline Di Russo says King Charles is now “raring to go” for his Australia visit later in 2024. “It has been reported this week that King Charles is raring to go for his tour to Australia later this year,” she said. “We understand his cancer treatment is going well. “He has asked his aides to get plans in place ready for October. “The King is frustrated by his current health challenges and he is eager to get on with his official engagements.”