News.com.au Royal Reporter Bronte Coy says Princess Mary is “more popular” than her husband, Crown Prince Frederik, because of affair rumours that have “dogged him”. According to a survey by Ritzau, Princess Mary is more popular than her husband, Crown Prince Frederik, with 82 per cent of people believing Frederik is suited for the role, while 86 per cent believe Mary will be a good queen. “So the family’s actually been extremely popular for a long time – the outgoing Queen has been extremely popular,” Ms Coy told Sky News Australia host Caroline Di Russo. “She’s seen as extremely down to earth, and people just love her – it’s a very similar sort of situation to what we saw with the late Queen Elizabeth II and Mary and Frederik themselves are really popular – they’re seen to be really connected with the modern issues that people are caring about now. “Mary, for example, is engaged with LGBT rights, reproductive rights and things like that – they poll up in the 80s. “Interestingly, Mary is now more popular than Frederik, and this is where the challenge has been – a lot of royal experts in Denmark have pointed out that that has declined for him a little because of these rumours that have dogged him. “That’s going to be a challenge moving forward.”

News.com.au Royal Reporter Bronte Coy says it has been a “weird few months” for the Danish royal family because of rumours of an affair which “threw a spanner in the works”. Some royal experts have suggested Queen Margrethe abdicated to fast-track Crown Prince Frederik’s ascension to the throne to keep his marriage to Princess Mary intact amid affairs of a rumour. “It’s certainly interesting timing,” Ms Coy told Sky News Australia host Caroline Di Russo. “It’s been a weird few months for the royals who are, traditionally, extremely popular – people love Mary and Frederick, and they view theirs as this fairytale marriage. “When rumours surfaced a few months ago that Frederick was potentially allegedly having an affair, something which has been denied by the woman that was named at the centre of it, it really kind of threw a spanner in the works for the family. “The fact that this has come after the Queen has been on the throne for more than half a century … it does send a message of family unity, seeing Prince Frederik and Princess Mary step up to the plate now and have that bestowed upon them by the outgoing Queen. “That will certainly help their image, [but] it will also add further scrutiny.”

Royal commentator Angela Mollard says outgoing Queen Margarethe was “very quick” in her decision to abdicate, giving Crown Prince Frederik only a few days’ notice. A Danish newspaper has reported that Crown Prince Frederik found out about his mother’s abdication on December 28, just three days before she announced it in her New Year’s Eve speech. “It was only three days’ notice that he apparently got, but I can actually believe this because the Queen, of course, when she stripped the younger brother of the title, she only gave five days’ notice, which wasn’t much at all,” Ms Mollard told Sky News Australia host Caroline Di Russo. “She’s very quick to make a decision. “It sheds light on the fact that, of course, when Frederik and Mary were here in December, they can’t have known that they were going to be stepping forward into this role.”

Live to Copenhagen, where excitement is building in two days until Denmark welcomes a new king and queen. The love story of Prince Frederik and Princess Mary. Plus, the family feud threatens to overshadow the ceremony as the guest list is announced.  See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

Sky News Australia host Caroline Di Russo has pointed out the “irresistible comparisons” between Denmark’s soon-to-be Queen Mary and the UK’s Princess of Wales. Miss Di Russo’s compliments of the pair come ahead of the Proclamation of Denmark’s new ‘Aussie Queen’ this Sunday. “There are the numerous and irresistible comparisons with Katherine, Princess of Wales,” Ms Di Russo said. “Both women are known for their immaculate senses of style and their dedication to causes and patronages within their sphere of influence. “It's not hard to see that the future of these two European royal families are in very good hands with these exceptional women in senior roles.”

Australian clinical psychologist Dr Robi Sonderegger specialises in treating trauma arising from war and natural disasters and was invited to conduct seminars with members of the Ukrainian government, last month, including President Zelensky’s staff. It is almost two years since Russia invaded Ukraine, sparking a war that has left many thousands dead and injured on both sides. Zelensky’s wife is the patron for mental health in Ukraine, and Dr Sonderegger was asked to train them how best to work with a population traumatised by tragedy. “People respond to the tragedy of war in a variety of different ways – for example, two people can experience the exact same tragedy, and yet one person can be deeply traumatised, and another relatively ok,” Dr Sonderegger told Sky News Australia host James Macpherson. “Another person can experience a near-death encounter and be relatively resilient in response to it, whereas another person can just witness that near-death encounter and experience signs and symptoms of post-traumatic stress.”

The government's response to Peter Dutton’s call to boycott Woolworths was "as hilarious as it was predictable", says Sky News host James Macpherson. The Opposition Leader called for Australians to boycott Woolworths after the supermarket decided not to sell Australia Day merchandise. Mr Macpherson said Agriculture Minister Murray Watt’s response was to dismiss Mr Dutton's comments as “silly culture war games” while claiming the government was focused on inflation. “Next, they'll tell us the arsonist is focused on the war on fire,” Mr Macpherson said. “This government has done zero about inflation, leaving all the heavy lifting to the Reserve Bank of Australia and then demonising its former boss, Philip Lowe, for increasing rates.”

The transfer of land in Western Australia to traditional owners is “damn tokenism” by the government because there’s a lot more they could do with a “true conviction” Pastoralists and Graziers Association President Tony Seabrook says. The Western Australian government is preparing to hand over control of eight per cent of the state's territory to traditional owners. The area, known as the Aboriginal Land Trust, covers 20 million hectares and includes 284 parcels of land, 142 permanent Aboriginal settlements and five pastoral leases. “The issue about the pastoral lease is that is a worry because these are actual pastoral leases, and they should not be put into a situation where they cannot be transacted,” Mr Seabrook told Sky News Australia host Caleb Bond. “That is really bad news, but it’s only a small proportion of the pastoral leases that are there. “One of the big issues here is, and I’m led to believe that no matter what happens in this Trust, it still doesn’t give communities or anyone in them free title over their land, and you’re not going to care for anything or treat it the same way as if it was yours. “Once again, it’s just damn tokenism, and when I see the parlous condition – what’s going on up in the Kimberley in particular … there’s a lot more that a government with a true conviction and a bit of courage could do.”

Sky News contributor Kosha Gada says former US president Donald Trump giving a closing statement in his fraud trial despite the judge not allowing it down to the belief the case is a “show trial.” Mr Trump defended himself during the closing arguments of his fraud trial on Thursday despite Judge Arthur Engoron initially refusing to let him speak. “A lot of people considered this really a show trial in many ways, starting from the premise of what the indictment is about all the way to how its been conducted,” Ms Kosha told Sky News Australia host Caleb Bond. “Trump is going to Trump - where if he thinks it’s a show trial, that isn’t going to amount to much anyway. “He just decided that he was going to take his six minutes and say whatever he wants to say to move the conversation and suck up the oxygen as he does very well.”

Liberal Senator Alex Antic says corporates have been “weaponised” for a “bigger global push” for environmental, social, and corporate governance. Woolworths Group, which also owns Big W, has said it will not be selling any special Australia Day merchandise in 2024. “I think, ultimately, this comes from a bigger global push,” Mr Antic told Sky News Australia host Caleb Bond. “We’re seeing this sort of language of ESG coming out of the World Economic Forum … the place where billionaires tell millionaires how to make the rest of us live. “The corporate sector has now been weaponised for a greater push, a societal change push, where what we’re expecting out of corporates now is them telling us how to live.” “Controlling the corporate sector is the way of the future, and until people push back on it until consumers show their displeasure as they did with Bud Light and as they did with Gillette prior to that … it’s going to continue.”

Independent MP Zali Steggall has reached out to the federal government and asked for a briefing on the UK and US strikes against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The US and the UK mounted a series of attacks on the Houthi rebels, who have been causing serious disruption in the Red Sea. Defence Minister Richard Marles confirmed that Australia did provide operational military personnel. “I am cautious in respect to this, and I’m asking the government for more information on it because I am concerned,” Ms Steggall told Sky News Australia. “I don’t want to see an escalation of conflict at this time.”

Independent MP Zali Steggall says every year in the lead-up to Australia Day, there’s a “culture war” that develops. “I think it’s really a shame,” she told Sky News Australia. “We need to find a way to actually come together as Australians and actually find a way where we can celebrate what we are now but also our past and recognise the price of that sharing of our land.” Ms Steggall’s remarks come after German supermarket giant Aldi joined Woolworths in refusing to stock Australia Day merchandise this year. The decision by the supermarket giants is dividing shoppers.

Racing Dreams host Tim Gilbert has spoken to the co-owner of Magic Millions, Harvey Norman’s Gerry Harvey, at the Magic Millions 2024. “When you get those elite mares … we always look for that elite mare, and when you get one, then you can get a million dollars with a foal every year – 10 foals, 10 million, one mare – they’re hard to come by,” Mr Harvey said. “They call them the ‘blue hen’. “It’s like you’re chasing the ‘blue hen’, and you’re chasing the great stallion. That’s the dream. “When you’re in this business, the racing dream is the ‘blue hen’ or the great stallion, and you can work all your life, and you might not get one of either. “And so that’s the great challenge.”

Harvard University is being sued for violating Jewish students’ civil rights, with students saying an “anti-Semitism cancer” is growing on the campus. New York City law firm Kasowitz Benson Torres (KBT) filed the lawsuit on Wednesday and accused the institution of "hiring professors who support anti-Jewish violence" and "ignoring students' pleas for protection”. KBT has cited Title V in their suit, which prohibits any institution that receives federal funding from discriminating against those based on their colour, race or national origin. The suit alleges Jewish students face “severe and pervasive” anti-Semitism which has created a “hostile environment” and has made students feel “unsafe against their abusers”. KBT has also requested punitive relief for damages caused to Jewish students in the lawsuit. “Jewish Harvard students have been damaged and continue to sustain substantial damages, in amounts to be determined at trial,” the suit stated.

Action for Alice founder Darren Clark says “nothing has changed” in Alice Springs as crime continues to wreak havoc on the area. “What we’ve got here, mate, is total neglect of what people’s responsibilities here,” he told Sky News Australia. “People have all got to sit at the table and actually find out what’s going on with the money. “For people to come out and say things are better, or things have been addressed – it’s total hogwash. “It’s all smoke and mirrors here.”

Microsoft has briefly overtaken Apple as the world's most valuable company. It's the first time this has happened since 2021 as COVID-19 peaked globally. The value of Microsoft's shares has increased significantly since last year. This surge follows the company's investment in ChatGPT maker Open AI. Apple in the meantime is dealing with weakening demand for its products, including the iPhone.

United States President Joe Biden has confirmed that Australia supports the US and the UK launching strike attacks against the Houthi rebels. This comes after the Houthi rebels stepped up attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea. In a statement from the White House, it is confirmed that the US and UK successfully conducted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen. Support for the strikes comes from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands. The strikes are in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea.

Queen Elizabeth always felt “immortal”, says Italian jockey Frankie Dettori. Dettori was a close friend of the late Queen and he sat with Sky News Australia host Piers Morgan to discuss how the pair met and to reveal the final days of their friendship. “You always feel she’s immortal,” Dettori said. “When it does happen, it’s a shock because I felt she was immortal.” Dettori had known the Queen for 30 years and said every time he met her he was a "nervous wreck". “She had this aura, she had the ability to make you feel, to make you feel good.”

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin warns Hamas is “genocidal in character” and is seeking to destroy the state of Israel. South Africa has taken Israel to the United Nations' International Court of Justice over accusations of genocide in Gaza. The African nation alleged Israel knew of the number of civilians it was killing and had shown an "incontrovertible" intent to commit genocide. “Israel is bombing where it needs to take out Hamas fighters and Hamas infrastructure, but the measures it has gone to, to limit civilian suffering are virtually unprecedented,” Mr Ryvchin told Sky News Australia. “It is literally telling the Palestinians and telling Hamas which neighbourhoods, which parts of Gaza it intends to strike in order to allow civilians to leave and to minimise the displacement and toll of the civilian population.”

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin expressed his disappointment in David Pocock after the Senator voiced his support of South Africa’s genocide case against Israel in the United Nations’ top court. South Africa has taken Israel to the United Nations' International Court of Justice over accusations of genocide in Gaza. The African nation alleged Israel knew of the number of civilians it was killing and had shown an "incontrovertible" intent to commit genocide. Senator Pocock voiced his support for the case and urged the Australian government to publicly support the ICJ process. Mr Ryvchin said the Senator’s comments are “deeply unfortunate” but sympathised with Mr Pocock’s intentions to limit civilian casualties in Gaza. “What Senator Pocock should be doing in his concern for civilian life is calling immediately and unequivocally and consistently for the surrender of Hamas and the release of 130 hostages,” he told Sky News Australia. “That is the way this war will end immediately and that is the way the civilian toll suffered on both sides can be brought to an end.” Mr Ryvchin also revealed that the Executive Council of Australian Jewry will be reaching out directly to Mr Pocock to make their views known to him.