Sky News host Andrew Bolt says “race games” pitting people against each other is “dividing” them into tribes in a battle for power amid the Australia Day date issue. “These race games, they are all a joke, if they weren’t so dangerous,” Mr Bolt said. “Dividing people into tribes, two races, pitting them against each other in a battle for power in a zero-sum game. “Exploiting resentments instead of looking for what unites. “Where is that going?”

Head of Australian economics at Commonwealth Bank Gareth Aird fears the government’s proposed stage three tax cuts won’t be “big enough” to fend off interest rate cuts. “Our view at the moment, based on the stage three cuts - is they won’t be big enough in size to fend off interest rate cuts later on this year. “That’s obviously subject to what could change in terms of what the governments thinking in terms of tax relief. “If for example we were to see a big tax cut delivered to lower-middle income in Australia then we would have to feed that into our economic forecast, and that could potentially change our view of when our Reserve Bank cuts rates.” The Albanese government have hinted at stage three tax cuts that will apply to “everyone.”

Drakes Supermarket Director John-Paul Drake has criticised Woolworth’s decision to cancel Australia Day as “the problem” of Australia’s duopoly and asked where companies cancelling days will “stop”. Mr Drake says his responsibility as a retailer is to provide customers with the ability to choose products they want, and has accused Woolworths of taking away customers’ choice to celebrate Australia Day. “This is the problem we face in this country about the duopoly having so much power,” Mr Drake told Sky News host Peta Credlin. “It’s really about choice, and, for us, it’s up to us as a retailer to be able to provide the products, whether the days are important to some people or not. “Where does it stop? Is Easter no longer important? “For me, as a very proud Australian, we want to make sure that we are celebrating Australia Day … we want a day that people aren’t embarrassed to celebrate Australia Day.”

Ukraine’s Ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko says he wants to “turn the page” from the Taipan saga and focus on what else can be provided to help Ukraine. This comes after the federal government knocked back a request from Ukraine to donate the retired MRH-90 Taipan helicopters. “I think it is an unfortunate loss,” Mr Myroshnychenko told Sky News host Steve Price. “But I would like to focus more on the positive things and we are in constant discussions with the government in terms of what else could be provided to Ukraine to help. “Because as I am sitting here, Kyiv and other cities in Ukraine are now being shot with missiles and drones at ... high intensity level and Ukraine needs support.”

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has pledged to seal the US border and “shut down the invasion” of America if re-elected in November at the presidential election. The former US president made the comments at a rally in New Hampshire ahead of state’s primary. Mr Trump is up against Nikki Haley in the race to become the official Republican presidential candidate. “We will unleash American energy like I unleashed it before,” Mr Trump said. He said he would instruct the heads of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and border patrol to begin the “largest deportation program in American history”. “Our cities are being choked – this is not sustainable,” he said.

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson sits down with Sky News Australia host Piers Morgan to speak about his new book, ‘Starry Messenger’, which is about how “things look different from a cosmic perspective”. “I quote Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell in this book,” Mr deGrasse told Mr Morgan. “He looked back and he said: ‘You develop an instant global consciousness, a people orientation, an intense dissatisfaction with the state of the world and a compulsion to do something about it. From up there on the moon, international politics looks so petty’. “So he was feeling the cosmic perspective – when you’re that high up, you don’t see the national borders. “And we’re just one species down there on this spaceship, earth, alone, in the darkness of the universe with no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.”

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson tells Sky News Australia host Piers Morgan why he isn’t worried about the advancement of artificial intelligence. “Just consider that right now, AI is basically everywhere, there’s no tech company that isn’t fully exploiting the value of AI to their business model,” Mr deGrasse Tyson told Mr Morgan. “In my field – which is not even a corporate entity, it’s just science – in my field, astrophysics, we’ve been using AI, at any possible point that it could advance us we use it and we’ve been using it for decades." He said any technological advancement has “always had a dark side in the hands of nefarious actors”. “So yes, AI poses an existential risk, so too did nuclear weapons – so too did weapons in general.”

University of California Political Scientist Professor Louis DeSipio says New Hampshire is “very important” for US Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley. Professor DeSipio said it is the “last state” where she has a “reasonable shot at a slight win”. “Or even a slight loss,” he told Sky News Australia. The Professor said even if former US president Donald Trump “weren’t to do as well” as expected, he’d still do very well in the next couple of states. “I sort of suspect that former president Trump will win New Hampshire pretty decisively,” he said.

University of California Political Scientist Professor Louis DeSipio says US Republican Presidential Candidate Nikki Haley “does better” against President Joe Biden than former President Donald Trump does. Mr DeSipio says the polls “look better” if Ambassador Haley were the Republican candidate. His comments come as the Republican Presidential candidates are down to Nikki Haley and Donald Trump. “If it’s a Trump-Biden rematch … the election will likely come down to a handful of states,” Mr DeSipio told Sky News Australia. “There will be a very active race for the next 10 months to see who will be the US president.

A key part of Australia’s firefighting strategy makes dangerous blazes more likely. The claims are according to a landmark research paper on prescribed burns in forests. Calls are now growing for a new approach for greater use of sophisticated tech. Research from Curtin and ANU suggests prescribed burns in forests kill tall plants, which slow fires. The process allows smaller, more flammable plants to thrive.

Sky News Australia host Piers Morgan says Ron DeSantis was “going to be the guy” at the start of the presidential race as he suspends his campaign this week. The Governor of Florida made the announcement in a video posted to social media platform X (formerly Twitter). “I thought he was pitching himself as the Trump without the baggage,” Mr Morgan said. “It turns out, none of these Republicans can stop the Trump train. “He is running them all over.”

Nationals Senator Matt Canavan says net zero was a “complete disaster” as it’s costing Australia jobs and pushing up power bills. “If you’re going to deny yourself the use of natural resources ... you’re going to end up paying more for energy,” he told Sky News host Paul Murray. “That’s what’s happening in front of your eyes. “Don’t let them hoodwink you into thinking that what you see in front of your eyes, what you can see in your power bill, is somehow wrong. “Net zero was a complete disaster – it’s costing us jobs, and it’s pushing up your power bills.”

Redbridge Group Director Simon Welsh says stage three tax cuts are in line to be a “fascinating” litmus test for Labor with Dunkley’s demographic a “challenging” seat for a government historically polling well in progressive seats. “The stage three stuff is fascinating and how this will play out over the next month – we will be watching really keenly,” he told Sky News Australia. Mr Welsh stressed the importance of communication from the Albanese government as they look to re-balance the upcoming stage three tax cuts towards the “aspirational Australians” demographic in the seat of Dunkley, which is preparing for a by-election on March 2. “If the government can reframe these tax cuts and get the communication of that right, about it being we are rebalancing this towards middle-to-lower income Australians – to those aspirational Australians out there in the suburbs,” he said. “Dunkley will be a litmus test of how the government lands its cost-of-living reform package heading into this year and if stage three is at the core of that, then it will be a perfect test.”

Writer and broadcaster Esther Krakue says Labour leader Keir Starmer has the “luxury” of labelling the anti-woke movement as “culture wars”. Keir Starmer called out the Conservative Party for “waging war” on various progressive institutions and vowed to end divisive culture wars if elected. “He shouldn’t have said anything because he is picking a battle he cannot win,” Ms Krakue told Sky News Australia host Piers Morgan. “There is a reason why people are getting upset about this ... there is a reason why when the leader of the opposition doesn’t want to say what a woman is or can’t define it – people get upset. “If you don’t want to talk about or address it – fine – but don’t effectively turn your nose up at people who take this importantly.”

More than 100 ABC union staff have passed a no-confidence vote against managing director, David Anderson. Staff aired their grievances over the broadcaster's coverage of the Israel-Hamas war. The vote also contained issues with the sacking of journalist Antoinette Lattouf. The no-confidence motion was passed by 128 votes to three. The ABC's board is expected to convene an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss the issues raised.

Contenders for the Razzies have been released one day ahead of the Academy Award Nominations. The award for the worst films and performances is led in film by the Expend4bles with seven nominations. The film is also one of five competing for worst picture. Marvel and DC both feature in the worst film nominations. Winners will be announced on March 9.

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong announced Australia has imposed cyber sanctions against a Russian hacker for their role in a Medibank hack. Ms Wong said this was the first time these sanctions have been used. “More than nine million records of Australians, including names, dates of birth, Medicare numbers and sensitive information were stolen in the 2022 attack," she said during a media conference on Tuesday morning. “And the majority published on the dark web was an egregious violation which impacted some of the most vulnerable members of the Australian community. “We have linked Russian citizen and cyber criminal Aleksandr Ermakov to the attack.”

Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York, has thanked her dermatologist and supporters following her second cancer diagnosis in less than a year. In an Instagram post, the 64-year-old said being diagnosed with malignant melanoma was a “shock”, but she was in “good spirits”. The Duchess highlighted the importance of regular skin checks for melanomas. “I believe my experience underlines the importance of checking the size, shape, colour and texture and emergence of new moles that can be a sign of melanoma and urge anyone who is reading this to be diligent,” Ms Ferguson said. “I am resting with family at home now, feeling blessed to have their love and support.”

It took quite a few attempts, but a group of miners have come to the rescue of a baby emu, stuck in the mud. Workers at the Bowen Basin in Central Queensland spotted the distressed bird in a deep mine pit, at the end of their night shift. After diving in hip-deep mud, the trio was able to eventually free the emu, who ran off and rejoined its family. The entire rescue operation was captured on video by a fellow workmate. The mine operator who pulled the bird out was glad it was done at the end of her shift, as the rescue left her covered in mud from head to toe.

Sky News host Caleb Bond says “something has to give” as pro-Palestinian rallies are costing the Australian taxpayer over $200,000 each time they go through with a protest. “$220,000, something has to give, at some point,” Mr Bond said. “Surely, whether it is the state government stepping in or the police simply saying well we’re going to show you and we’re not going to rock up and patrol this protest. “Then someone will have to do something about it after that. “It cannot continue as it currently is.”