The Iran-backed Houthi rebels have been relisted as a terrorist group by the United States. In response to their terrorist designation, the Houthi rebels attacked a US-owned ship with a bomb-carrying drone. The ship's captain said a fire broke out but was extinguished and that the crew were safe, according to ABC News. Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdul-Salam posted to X saying the terrorist designation is, “A badge of honour for Yemen for its support of Palestinian resistance in Gaza.” One of Donald Trump’s last acts as US president was designating the Houthis as global terrorists before it was reversed by Joe Biden early on in his presidency. President Biden's reason for overturning the designation was the “Humanitarian threat that the sanctions posed to ordinary Yemenis” as reported by ABC News.

Some of the biggest tech companies in the world are spending billions of dollars to meet Australia’s insatiable demand for data. New data centres which allow us to use web-connected devices are being built across the country However, there are concerns about how these massive facilities will keep the lights on. NEXTDC’s Steve Martin told Sky News Australia, “Data centres really are the centre of the universe”. “When it comes to everything that we as people are doing with technology.”

The 2024 election has kicked off in a huge way, with Donald Trump storming home to victory in the GOP caucus. Sky News All Star Megyn Kelly sits down with Sky News host Paul Murray to dissect the week that was in US politics.

Woolworths has announced it will fly the Indigenous flag at some of its key locations. The move comes despite calls for a boycott of the supermarket giant after its decision not to sell Australia Day merchandise. Woolworths has been forced to shut down claims it would be flying all three flags, the Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and Australian flags, at all of its 1,400 stores. Instead, the supermarket will hoist the three flags at its key offices. They are already flying at its headquarters In north-west Sydney.

Severe weather conditions have stretched across the Northern Territory through the week with a slow-moving monsoon. The tropical low keeps bringing heavy rainfall, damaging winds and flooding across northern and central parts of the NT. The weather event has led to many road and highway closures, with roadways now waterways, leaving many people stranded and away from home. The water levels in Katherine have been below minor flood levels, but they have risen rapidly over the last few days. Flood watches have been in place for areas in the Victoria, Katherine, Daly and Adelaide River catchments as rivers, streams and creek levels rose in some areas up to moderate flood levels.

CommSec’s Craig James says the stock market in the US has “got some momentum happening”. “It really is the technology sector which is the driving force in terms of the United States,” Mr James told Sky News Australia. “Shares in Apple up 3.4 per cent on a broker upgrade. “We have also got Microsoft shares higher by about nine-tenths of 1 per cent. “And Nvidia shares up in the order of 1.7 per cent as well.”

Sky News Meteorologist Rob Sharpe has delivered a significant prediction for the second half of 2024. “There is a 65 per cent chance of La Nina developing after El Nino ends in Autumn with only a 30 per cent chance of neutral and only a 5 per cent chance of back-to-back El Nino events,” Mr Sharpe told Sky News Australia. “This is based primarily on historical observations on what happens when you are in an El Nino event and this current pattern in the Pacific Ocean. “El Nino is still active throughout the Pacific but this is a different El Nino to normal. “We have got these warmer-than-usual seas hugging the eastern Australian coastline.”

Donald Trump has hit the ground running in New Hampshire ahead of the state's Primary in the coming week but will have to juggle his campaign with tensions in a New York courtroom. After a dominant Iowa caucus victory, the former president is looking to continue his good momentum despite mounting legal woes. Mr Trump described the judge presiding over American author E Jean Carrol’s defamation case as a “Trump-hating guy” after several clashes in the courtroom. “I could care less – it is a rigged deal and it is a made-up story,” Mr Trump said about the defamation case. His comments come after Judge Lewis Kaplan threatened to throw the former president out of the courtroom for misdemeanors.

Tensions in the Middle East are rising after Pakistan has begun retaliating against Iranian air strikes. It follows the decision by the US Government to relist Iranian-backed Houthi Rebels as terrorists. A decision spurred by a spate of attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has claimed the security of the Red Sea region is “intertwined” with Gaza. The US has accused Iran of stirring up trouble by funding terrorist groups like Hamas and the Houthis.

Prince William has visited his wife Catherine in hospital after she underwent abdominal surgery this week. Details surrounding the surgery are scarce but it is expected she will be away from royal duties for several months. Prince William was seen leaving the hospital on Tuesday as it was revealed Princess Catherine would remain inside for a fortnight. Earlier, the Queen gave an update on King Charles' condition after it was revealed he would undergo treatment for an enlarged prostate. Queen Camilla confirmed her husband the king was fine, however, he had cleared his diary.

Master Plumbers Association of NSW CEO Nathaniel Smith has raised concerns over Labor's strict new-car emissions standards that are set to come into effect in 2025. Mr Smith’s comments come as the federal government has announced new laws that will mandate stringent emission standards for petrol and diesel-powered vehicles. With utes and four-wheel drives to be the hardest hit. The regulations are set to be aligned with ‘Euro 6d’ standards. Mr Smith said he would like to see more consultations done by the government with the trade industry before the new emission stands come into place. “I would like to see some more consultation; obviously, they consult with motor groups and manufacturers, but we're the end user,” he told Sky News host Paul Murray. “And there seems to be a push towards hybrid and electric vehicles in the future, and that won't meet the needs of people who work in the maintenance industry - it’s a very spontaneous industry. "You could be doing a job here which is light work changing some washers, and then you're fixing a leak … so that could happen in one day and if eventually, you’re using an electric vehicle, when are you going to charge it.”

Sky News host Andrew Bolt has denounced the Albanese government for “trying to pretend” they are “even-handed” in Israel’s war against Hamas terrorists after Penny Wong refused to visit the sites of the October 7 massacres. Foreign Minister Penny Wong recently announced an additional $21.5 million in support for Gaza and its refugees. She cautioned Israel about its war in Gaza, advocating for the country to comply with international humanitarian law. “Foreign Minister Penny Wong is trying to pretend the Albanese government is even-handed in this war between democratic Israel and Islamist Hamas terrorists,” Mr Bolt said. “But, again, just now, Wong refused to visit the sites of the massacres of the Jews by Hamas that started this war – no time she said – but did visit sites where Palestinians told her Jewish settlers were violent. “Go figure that.”

US President Joe Biden has not yet had a public White House event since 2024 began. Fox News reporter Peter Doocy has labelled the decision as "very unusual" for any president. "We’re almost three weeks into the New Year, which is an election year, and President Biden still has not had any official events, any public events at all at the White House," Mr Doocy told Sky News host Andrew Bolt. "And I've been with him the whole time since inauguration day - that's very unusual. "He does have a few stops in swing states. We saw him pop up at a business in Pennsylvania; he's going to be here in North Carolina tomorrow to give remarks in an electorally competitive place this year, but nothing at the White House, despite everything that is going on."

Daily Mirror Royal Editor Russel Myers says the Princess of Wales is "doing okay" in hospital following abdominal surgery. Kensington Palace has revealed that the Princess of Wales has been admitted to a private London hospital for abdominal surgery and is expected to remain there for up to two weeks. The Palace revealed the planned procedure was successfully carried out on Tuesday. The 42-year-old is not expected to return to her royal duties until after Easter and apologised for having to postpone her royal engagements. "She will have a three-month recovery, which does seem like an awful long period of time ... but I'm told she's doing okay at the moment, so sending her our best wishes," Mr Myers told Sky News host Sharri Markson.

Industrial Relations Minister Tony Burke has criticised the head of DP World's Australian business, saying Australians are sick to death of profitable companies complaining about paying the same wages as their competitors. On Thursday morning Mr Burke met with representatives from Australia's second largest port operator DP World and the Maritime Union of Australia. The meeting comes amid an ongoing dispute between the pair that is causing delays at Australia's ports. The union is asking for a 16 per cent pay rise for more than 1,500 workers over two years, which it says is still below the rate paid by bigger rival Patrick Terminals. Mr Burke also took aim at the tactics used by DP World's local chief executive Nicolaj Noes.

LNP MP Henry Pike has called out the Albanese government for “bending over backwards” for China when they don’t “want to be our friend or equal” – they want Australia to be “subject to their will”. China’s Ambassador to Australia yesterday blamed the Japanese for the sonar pulse that injured Australian navy divers last year. His comments contradict China’s state media, which, at the time, acknowledged it was the fault of the Chinese military. “I think it’s been an incredibly weak response, but it hasn’t just been an incredibly weak response this week - it’s been an incredibly weak response since the prime minister was elected,” Mr Pike told Sky News host Paul Murray. “He has bent over backwards to try to accommodate China, to try to thaw the relationship that had frosted over the last decade, and, unfortunately, he’s finding out the hard way that it’s not because of Australia’s behaviour that has created this frosty relationship, it’s because of China. “China doesn’t want to be our friend or equal; China wants us to be subject to their will.”

Spiked Online Editor Tom Slater says the Princess of Wales’ health matter sounds “quite serious” as she remains in hospital for another fortnight after an abdominal operation. “It’s one of those things where, on the one hand, they’re obviously trying to ensure that Kate enjoys a certain level of privacy,” Mr Slater told Sky News host Peta Credlin. “But at the same time, in the social media age and in the 24-hour news cycle, there’s going to be a lot of speculation. “What we’ve got does sound quite serious … going to be in hospital for a fortnight, out of royal duties until Easter. “It looks like whilst they made a point of saying it’s non-cancerous, something with that kind of recovery time and without any kind of extra detail about what it is that’s actually taking place is naturally going to create huge concern.”

Sky News host Paul Murray says while unemployment is steady, December in 2023 saw “65,000 people” who lost their job in the leadup to the New Year. “He’s not the first politician to do this but he promised not to be a politician who would do it like everyone else,” Mr Murray said. “If you are a real human being you don’t care about what the overall figure says. “You couldn’t care less about how the numbers are pushed this way or that way. “There was, once you put together the number of people who lose a full-time job or a part-time job, 65,000 people who lost their job in Australia, in December.”

Shadow Housing Minister Michael Sukkar says Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is being “tricky” when it comes to stage three tax cuts. Mr Albanese on Wednesday reaffirmed the government's commitment to allow the already legislated stage three tax cuts to proceed unchanged, despite calls to water down reforms. The already legislated changes are set to kick in on July 1, with 94 per cent of Australian taxpayers to face a maximum marginal tax rate of 30 per cent or less. Mr Sukkar claimed that the Prime Minster is “squirming his way through” answering questions on stage three tax cuts. “He’s been around the last week, and never has the prime minster fronted the cameras so often and yet said so little,” Mr Sukkar told Sky News contributor Steve Price. “He’s got nothing to say; he’s got no plan for the cost of living crisis that his government is responsible for, which begs the question, why on earth has he been out there if he’s got nothing to say and no relief to provide Australians. “All he can do is dodge and weave questions that are very straightforward, which are. Are you going to keep the tax cuts that the coalition delivered Australians, and there should be very unequivocal yes from him … but we don’t get that we get this squirming dodging constantly, and I think Australians are sick of that.”

The Australian’s Media Writer Sophie Elsworth has slammed Woolworths for “dividing people unnecessarily” because they are pushing these agendas “down our throats”. A YouGov poll on Peter Dutton’s Woolworths boycott has found only 14 per cent of Australians support the decision by the company to remove its line of Australia Day products. However, 66 per cent said their main concern is with excessive supermarket prices, and only 20 per cent support Peter Dutton’s boycott. “Of course, if you ask Australians do they care more about a boycott or the cost of their fruit and veggies and groceries, it’s pretty obvious what they’re going to say is more important,” Ms Elsworth told Sky News host Paul Murray. “While a lot of people won’t boycott Woolworths, they are doing their brand an awful lot of damage. “This latest business about putting up Indigenous flags – they’re just dividing people unnecessarily.”