Entertainment commentator Shane Bassett says Timothée Chalamet is “channelling Gene Wilder” and “fits perfectly” in his role as Willy Wonka in the newly-released prequel ‘Wonka’. The ‘Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’ prequel, Wonka, has now made over $US400 million worldwide. The movie is expected to become the biggest hit of leading actor Timothée Chalamet’s career. “I am a big fan of the first one too – Gene Wilder is amazing, but then Johnny Depp did a version, which I don’t regard at all," Mr Bassett told Sky News Australia. “Timothée Chalamet in the new one is channelling Gene Wilder, and it’s a prequel, so it’s before he had the chocolate factory, it’s before he meets the Oompa Loompas. “I liked it, but I’m on the fence. I didn’t love it. “A lot of people didn’t realise it was a musical until you’re in there for about five minutes, and then you know.”

Entertainment commentator Shane Bassett says George Clooney’s ‘The Boys in the Boat’ is an “amazing” and “inspirational” film which he highly regards. George Clooney’s new film, starring Australia’s Joel Edgerton, hit cinemas on Friday. The film tells the story of the University of Washington’s rowing team as they chase gold at the 1936 Olympic Games held in Nazi Germany. “It’s inspirational, it’s a bit cliché, it reminded me a little bit of Cool Runnings – what a great true story that was,” Mr Bassett told Sky News Australia. “It’s about a university rowing team in Depression-era the 30s. “George Clooney has directed it. Impeccable acting from Australian Joel Edgerton as the coach, and they go to the Berlin Olympics. “It’s amazing. “I would say it’s a good film, family-friendly… I highly regard it.”

Cypress College Political Science Professor Peter Mathews says Republicans are using the southern border crisis as a “bargaining chip” instead of spending the money to “secure the borders”. US House Speaker Mike Johnson led a delegation of 64 Republicans to the Mexican border to pressure the Biden administration and the Democrats on an immigration deal. The US Customs and Border Protection said almost 2.5 million people have illegally crossed the southern border in the last 12 months. “It was supposed to look dramatic by getting these Republicans there … and it’s supposed to put pressure on Biden to be able to do something about the border, where many people are coming in now and seeking asylum. “We have to determine who are legitimately qualified for asylum and who are not, because the US has signed up to the asylum law … that we have to grant hearings for asylum for people who are seeking it … but to do that you have to have more immigration judges. “The Republican Congress is not spending the money for the kind of things that we need to secure the borders; instead, they’re just using it as a bargaining chip in foreign policy and saying they won’t fund some of our foreign policy needs.”

Australian researchers have made a potential breakthrough for women with untreatable breast cancer. Scientists have identified DNA changes in cancer cells of women suffering endocrine-resistant breast cancer. The effects of which stops hormone therapies from working. Endocrine resistance is found in about 30 per cent of patients with estrogen receptor positive tumours. Medical researchers at the Garvan Institute have identified a process that can cause endocrine resistance and could lead to new treatments.

Australian researchers have made a potential breakthrough for women with untreatable breast cancer, Western Australia nurses’ union has accepted a pay rise offer, Covid restrictions has linked to increases in road rage, Dandenong council erects Palestinian flag, South Korea has been land shelled by North Korea, New Jersey warehouse fire burns for over 12 hours, and the Supreme Court of the United States to rule on Donald Trump’s ballot appeal.   See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

Victoria State Emergency Service Chief Officer Tim Wiebusch has revealed sandbag collection points will be available from Saturday in a number of locations in Victoria ahead of Sunday's severe weather warning. “In the coming days we are asking people to make sure you have that alternative route planned as you are travelling around our great state,” Mr Wiebusch told a press conference Saturday. “Our SES crews are now at the ready – they’re starting to establish sandbag collection points in some of the high-risk areas. “So even from today you’ll find sandbag collection points at locations such as Bendigo, Castlemaine, Campbells Creek, Heathcote, and also Wedderburn.” Severe weather has been forecast for parts of the state from Sunday with predictions of heavy rainfall and possible flooding.

A $600 million fighter jet contract is set to bring more than 350 jobs to Queensland as Australia looks to boost its air force capabilities. Boeing Defence has been awarded a contract to cultivate the Super Hornet and Growler fleets for the Royal Australian Air Force. 90 per cent of the contract will be spent in Australia. The focus will primarily be on South East Queensland. The boost follows a recent $2 billion upgrade to Australia's fleet.

Sydney Festival is returning this summer. It promises a full itinerary of arts events for the whole family. Half a million people are expected to attend the three week festival. The festival celebrates art and culture across the city. It will be its 48th year running since it was created.

More than 1.6 million Tesla cars have been recalled in China. The operation was initiated after faulty steering software was discovered. The recall affects Model 3, S, Y and X vehicles manufactured between 2014 and 2023. Tesla says the recall will be carried out via remote software updates. This means customers will not have to attend a dealership to have the issue resolved.

The United States Supreme Court will hear one of its most consequential cases in recent history. Former US president Donald Trump's appeal against his disqualification from the Colorado primary ballot. The justices agreed to expedite the hearing of Mr Trump's case, scheduling oral arguments for February 8. The court's verdict will set the precedent for other state decisions on the former president's eligibility to run again. In his appeal, Mr Trump's lawyers said the January 6 Capitol Riots, which he is accused of inciting, did not constitute an insurrection under the 14th Amendment.

Gold Coast Turf Club CEO Steve Lines has praised the redevelopment process of the venue as it has resulted in a product “everyone is so far very delighted with” – In Partnership with Gold Coast Turf Club. “We started construction roundabout this time last year and it has been a 12-month slog for everyone,” he told Racing Dreams host Tim Gilbert. “It has been very horrific, the weather up here, but the new track has stood up to all the rigours of those challenges. “Thousands of people have been involved in this project and it has been a massive job from the team at RQ, my team, all contractors involved. “We are pretty excited about folding out our product.”

The Queensland government has partnered with Qantas and Jetstar to provide cheap flights to Cairns. This is in a bid to attract more tourists to Far North Queensland. The community is recovering from its worst flooding event on record. Premier Steven Miles announced $79 flights will be available to the region until March. The move is part of a $5 million flood package.

Victorian drivers with a heavy foot are in the sights of one particular road safety camera. The speed camera in Melbourne’s northwest has raked in millions of dollars in just a matter of months. The camera was only installed last year and within its first 90 days, it had raked in $2.8 million dollars. The camera is placed at the bottom of a valley, which means drivers in both directions are picking up speed. People have claimed the camera is placed to raise revenue for the government.

US President Joe Biden says he “saw an America pushed to the brink” in the aftermath of the January 6 riots. “But I felt an enormous pride, not in winning, I felt enormous pride in America,” he told media in a public address. “Because American democracy had been tested – American democracy had held together.” Mr Biden also took the opportunity to attack his potential opponent, former US President Donald Trump. “Trump is promising a full-scale campaign of revenge and retribution,” Mr Biden said. “He calls those who oppose him vermin – he talks about the blood of America being poisoned. “Echoing the same exact language used in Nazi, Germany.”

Republican candidates are sharpening their attacks on Donald Trump as the Iowa Caucus closes to less than two weeks away. The two leading candidates fighting to de-throne Donald Trump, Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, have hosted televised Town Halls in Iowa. “Rightly or wrongly, chaos follows him,” Ms Haley said about the former US president. “Donald Trump is running for his issues, Nikki Haley is running for her donors’ issues, I’m running for your issues,” Mr DeSantis told the crowd. Despite the back-to-back televised Town Halls from Ms Haley and Mr DeSantis, Donald Trump still remains the favourite in the polls to assume the Republican nomination.

The first Magic Millions Off the Track Showjumping in Queensland is investing in para-athletes ahead of the Brisbane Olympics in 2032. Sky News Australia reporter Holly Edwards-Smith spoke with para-athlete Sian Glanney, who has travelled from Western Australia to compete in horseriding and showjumping. Despite Paris 2024 being only six months away, athletes like Ms Glanney are set on working themselves a pathway to the Brisbane 2032 games. “Stepping out of those grassroots into more states and nationals – it is a big leap, so having more support around that and the para-athletes and helping them realise those dreams are achievable would be absolutely fantastic,” she told Sky News Australia. The 2024 Magic Millions Showjumping and Polo events are aiding up-and-coming athletes in their goals by showcasing local equestrian talent in their events.

A $600 million fighter jet contract is set to secure more than 350 Queensland jobs. The move comes as Australia looks to boost its air force capabilities. Boeing Defence has been awarded a contract to cultivate the Super Hornet and Growler fleets for the Royal Australian Air Force. 90 per cent of the contract will be spent in Australia, mainly in southeast Queensland. The boost follows a recent $2 billion dollar upgrade to the Royal Australian Air Force.

Victorians don't seem to be getting bang for their buck from a bloated public service, an Adelaide man dies after waiting more than 10 hours for an ambulance, Labor struggles to fill clean energy training positions. Plus, Andrew Klavan joins the show.  See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

Futurist Mal Fletcher says there are lots of “immersive” benefits to artificial intelligence as “great developments” continue to occur in the space. Artificial intelligence is being used to bring musicians ‘back to life, with an AI Elvis Presley, who died 66 years ago, appearing in a new stage show starting in November – performing as a hologram. “I think AI will keep surprising us in the arts and in everyday life, and there’s a lot of benefits to it – in education, in the same way, we might go to concerts, we might see immersive learning experience – learning a language could become a fully-immersive experience rather than a piecemeal thing in a classroom,” Mr Fletcher told Sky News Australia host James Macpherson. “Imagine studying historical events by being able to visit them in virtual space, if you combine virtual reality with AI or make that possible in real time. “And healthcare: there are great developments at the moment with nanobots – microscopic machines built from the atomic level up from cellular material that can at least, in theory, be loaded with chemicals injected into the bloodstream and take out harmful cells like cancer while leaving the healthy cells intact. “So, there’s a lot to be said about the immersiveness of AI, but it’s not all for the arts.”

Futurist Mal Fletcher says “a lot of the fear” about artificial intelligence comes down to a “misunderstanding” of some of the terms used to describe it. For many people, their experience with artificial intelligence has been self-scanning groceries at the supermarket or playing around with ChatGPT at home, but advances in artificial intelligence are moving ahead at lightning speed. While some are excited about the possibilities, others, like former Google boss Eric Schmidt, have warned that AI could destroy the world. “I think a lot of the fear that we see about AI – we’re right to be cautious – but the fear that some people express is down to misunderstanding some of the terms we use,” Mr Fletcher told Sky News Australia host James Macpherson. “For example, AI refers, at least at this point in time, to narrow intelligence. It is good at carrying out complex single-level tasks, like winning a game of chess, but it’s not so good at dealing with multiple-level tasks simultaneously in a way that the brain does every day.