Sky News Presenter Cheng Lei recalls “pining for Australia” in a prison cell on Australia Day last year. The Sky News Australia presenter was named The Australian newspaper’s ‘Australian of the year.' She was detained for three years in China for breaking an embargo by a few minutes after being briefed by officials. “This time last year I was pining for Australia,” she told Sky News Australia host Steve Price during an emotional interview. “Reciting poems about Australia. “It’s still a subject I get pretty emotional about.”

Former Queensland premier Campbell Newman says it is “always darkest before dawn” as tens of thousands have gathered to march through Australia’s capital cities – calling for a change of Australia Day’s date. Some protesters waved Palestinian flags and beat drums, while in Canberra, the protests sent Parliament House into lockdown. “It’s always darkest before dawn,” Mr Newman told Sky News host Steve Price. “There was a poll around in the last week claiming 68 per cent of Australians wanted the day to say the same. “If these activists want to keep carrying on, that’s their right, but I think Australians are very clear about what they want.”

Sky News Australia presenter Cheng Lei broke down on air while recalling the moment she hugged her children and mother for the first time after being released from prison. “At that moment, I felt their hugs, and I saw my mum's crying face,” Ms Lei told Sky News Australia host Steve Price while fighting tears. “It was like an avalanche. “I had just controlled my mind for so long I forgot what it was like to be held, to be told you can let go now. “So it's so incredibly wonderful to be back in Australia today.” Cheng Lei was named The Australian newspaper’s ‘Australian of the Year.’ The journalist spent three years in a Beijing prison for breaking an embargo.

Sky News host Steve Price has conceded it may be time to give up on Australia Day being January 26. “Today and this week convinced me that no matter what we do and say, the political activists … will just keep shouting, marching, waving incendiary banners and trashing the country that gives them the best standard of living in the world. “January 26 in 2024 has finally broken me ... as you know, I'm no quitter, but I ask you, what's the point.” “I've never committed any injustice against Indigenous people, my parents and grandparents never harmed any Indigenous person, so what are you yelling at me for … why are you angry at me?” “I'm like 99 per cent of Australians, I suspect – I’m sick and tired of being told how evil and horrible I am and that I should be ashamed of being a white Anglo-Australian.”

Former Queensland premier Campbell Newman has criticised Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for “disappointing” him as he used to think “he was a great bloke” who wanted to get things done. Yesterday, the prime minister unveiled the government’s new tax plan – after dumping the much-promised stage three tax cuts – in favour of directed assistance for low and middle-income earners. “When I was the Lord Mayor of Brisbane … he was extremely helpful to me,” Mr Newman told Sky News host Steve Price. “I had a lot to do with him in those days, and, you know what, I thought he was a great bloke; I thought he was someone who wanted to get things done. “Since he’s PM, he has disappointed. “He keeps setting us against each other – whether it be on race, whether it be on economics.”

US comedian and TV host Jay Leno has revealed he never wanted to leave The Tonight Show. “I didn’t want to leave … I would read these things saying Leno demanded $US150 million - no,” Mr Leno told Sky News Australia host Piers Morgan. “They fired me; how could I demand that? “They have all these ridiculous things.” Mr Leno hosted the popular US talk show from 1992 until 2009, when Conan O’Brien took over.

Comedian Jay Leno says he hasn’t spent the millions of dollars he earnt from his time in television. Sky News Australia host Piers Morgan question Leno about the sincerity of the rumour while discussing the highs and lows of the comedian's career. “It’s still there, with the exception of cars and motorcycles,” Mr Leno said. “I’m still using the happy meal coupons,” he joked. “I’m one of those people, I make that week… if I don’t work this week, I think I’m broke. Jay Leno retired from a lengthy stint presenting late night talk shows in the US in 2014.

An Alabama death row inmate has become the first person in the United States to be executed using nitrogen hypoxia. Kenneth Eugene Smith was strapped down to a gurney before being made to breathe in nitrogen gas through a mask to cause oxygen deprivation leading to his death. The new method has come under scrutiny as many deemed the untested execution method as cruel and experimental, Alabama has stated it is humane. Only 50 minutes before his execution, Smith’s lawyers attempted to block the execution but it was rejected. Despite the rejection, three judges dissented from the decision on the method, Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Jackson. Justice Sotomayor criticised the untested method ahead of its first use on Smith. “Having failed to kill Smith on its first attempt, Alabama has selected him as its ‘guinea pig’ to test a method of execution never attempted before. The world is watching,” she said. In 2022, Alabama attempted to execute Smith using lethal injection, however, prison staff failed to insert needles into a suitable vein. This failure, along with several other failed executions using lethal injection led the state to pause executions in 2022.

TV host Jay Leno has recalled the time one of the vehicles in the garage that stores his vast car collection burst into flames. In 2022, Mr Leno suffered from serious burn injuries following the car fire. The comedian had to be treated for third-degree burns and had to get a “brand new ear”. “I went to bed, and when I woke up, the pillow had melted into my face,” Mr Leno told Sky News Australia host Piers Morgan. “So, I’m sitting there with scissors ... cutting the pillow.”

Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill says Townsville was “very fortunate” that only parts of the city felt the effects of a category one weather system and assures that damage crews are hard at work assessing the aftermath. “Cyclone Kirrily came through; by the time it got close to the coast, it had definitely dropped down to a cat two and parts of the city really only saw the effects of a category one,” she said during a media conference on Friday. “QFES have got damage crews out there and (are) helping us with damage assessment. “SES are currently working through their jobs – they do have properties where trees may have fallen to the side of the properties.” More than 40,000 homes were without power on Australia Day morning after the weather system crashed into the northern Queensland coast on Thursday night. The powerful category two system arrived between Townsville and Ingham with wind speeds up to 170 kilometres per hour.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has defended his government's changes to stage three tax cuts as the “right call” but has admitted to the political controversy caused by breaking an election promise. “I don’t see this in political terms, I see it in terms of the economy, and I see it in terms of the cost of living pressures that people are under,” Mr Chalmers told Sky News Australia. “We have put people before politics. “We know it is controversial, we know it is a big call, we know it is not an easy call but it is definitely the right call. “When the economic circumstances demand a change in economic policy – that’s what we have done here.”

US President Joe Biden has been mocked online following a speech at Earth Rider Brewery in Superior, Wisconsin, where he verbally stumbled and stopped to listen to a barrel of beer. The speech on Thursday aimed to highlight his economic record and bipartisan infrastructure success. Biden made a notable gaffe about the brewery and its beer, mumbling, "The beer brewed here, it is used to make the brew beered here". The remarks triggered a range of comments online from accusations of cognitive impairment to calls for respect and dignity for the elderly. "President Biden sounds like he is speaking a different language while giving a speech at the Earth Rider Brewery in Superior, Wisconsin," one user on X wrote. "What Democrats are doing by propping Biden up like this when he’s clearly debilitated is not respectful or dignified. It’s shameful and an insult to all elderly," another wrote. Concluding his Wisconsin speech, President Biden listened to a beer barrel, smiled, then walked away.

In a rare dual-win, Professor Georgina Long and Professor Richard Scolyer have been named joint Australians of the Year. The melanoma researchers and Co-Medical Directors of the Melanoma Institute of Australia were honoured at the National Arboretum in Canberra on Thursday night, on the eve of Australia Day. The joint winners joined Sky News Australia to discuss their prestigious award. Mr Scolyer said he feels “incredibly humbled and honoured” to receive such an award. “Very proud for what we’ve done,” he said. Ms Long revealed the moment “doesn’t feel real”. “It is so humbling, such an honour; we were quite shocked, and we’re proud, proud to be Australian,” she said.

The Rubin Report host Dave Rubin says his fear for Donald Trump as the Republican nominee is where the former president could find new voters who are not tired of the “circus”. “If Trump replicates exactly everybody that he got last time, you still have to find some new voters to win,” Mr Rubin told Sky News host Paul Murray. “Where are those new voters? I know there are some ... that voted for Trump last time that are kind of frustrated with him or don’t want the circus anymore. “I don’t know where those new voters are – you might just get a depressed turnout altogether. “Something is not right here when we are about to repeat Joe Biden versus Donald Trump – it should not have been this way.”

Author Douglas Murray has slammed Palestinian National Initiative leader Mustafa Barghouti for calling Palestinian terrorists “freedom fighters”.

A world-first IVF pregnancy is being heralded as a breakthrough which could save a species from extinction. A new international team successfully implanted the first lab-created rhino embryo. Reportedly, there are only two Northern White Rhinos left in the world. The procedure was carried out with Southern White Rhinos, which are closely related to Northern Whites. Kenya’s Embassy in Berlin Ambassador Valerie Rugene said for the first time, “we really have the chance to save the Northern White Rhino from extinction”.

Multiple weather conditions are sweeping across the nation on Australia Day. “We’ve got ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily up north producing its heavy rainfall, possibly intense at times today,” Sky News Meteorologist Rob Sharpe said. “For New South Wales and Queensland, for many other regions, we’ve got a heatwave currently underway. “From now on we’re looking at hot weather for South East Queensland and North East New South Wales. “Just a chance of a shower for Melbourne and Hobart.”

Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor has ridiculed the Prime Minister’s National Press Club address where he attempted to justify breaking an election promise on stage three tax cuts. “The way they were both trying to spin it yesterday was beyond laughable,” Mr Taylor told Sky News Australia. “It is actually sad that a Prime Minister could lie to the Australian people so many times. “He was actually lying right up until just before he made this announcement. “We know now he made the decision at the back end of last year and I am sure there will be more to come out of this.”

A group of South Australians has not taken its council's decision to dump Australia Day citizenship ceremonies lightly. The patriotic group has opted to organise its own community festivities, dropping invitations into letterboxes across the city of Unley. More than 80 councils across the country will forego the Australia Day traditions on January 26. Liberal Senator Alex Antic has called for only one flag to be flown at any Australia Day celebrations as he slammed an “overarching self-loathing creeping into the country”. Mr Antic confirmed he would attempt to stop by and show support for the ratepayer-organised event which has been decided upon as a barbeque in Heywood Park, Unley.

A High Court judge in Spain is calling for the country's former Football Federation chief to stand trial. Luis Rubiales came under intense scrutiny following the 2023 Women's World Cup final in Sydney. During the medal ceremony, Mr Rubiales kissed Spanish striker Jenni Hermoso on the lips. The court heard an investigation found the kiss was not consensual. The judge is also seeking a trial for the team's coach and marketing chief for attempting to convince the player to admit the kiss was consensual.