Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the government is aiming for Australia’s position to be “strengthened” with other countries. Mr Albanese went on to say the government will be focused on building Australia’s relationship with ASEAN and our Pacific neighbours. “But also of course the enhancements that we’re making to improve our trade relationships including the removal of any impediments to trade with China,” he said during a press conference on Wednesday. “We know that those impediments led to some $20 billion reduction in our trade. “We’ve seen that step up and we’ll see further advances in that this year.”

A woman has died in a rip off the New South Wales North Coast. The woman was swimming alongside two children when all three were pulled into the rip. The 50-year-old was swimming in Park Beach near Coffs Harbour with her family on Tuesday night. Only the two children, a little boy and a girl, were able to be rescued. The woman was found unresponsive in the water and unable to be saved.

The McGrath Foundation celebrates its 16th annual Pink Test, a woman has drowned in the NSW north coast, Melissa Hoskins' family speaks out about her death, Donald Trump appeals Maine ballot removal, Harvard President Claudine Gay resigns over criticisms of anti-Semitism, and Mickey Mouse horror films are set to be released following an end to a 95 year long copyright claim. See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

Women's World Cup star Jennifer Hermoso has testified the kiss with former Spanish football boss Luis Rubiales was at no point consensual. Mr Rubiales was congratulating his players on a successful Women's World Cup championship in Sydney when he publicly kissed Ms Hermoso in front of 75,000 fans. Ms Hermoso gave her version of the kiss to a Madrid court. Mr Rubiales' conduct was called into question immediately after the incident and, as other misdemeanours resurfaced, was told he should resign as head of women's football in Spain. The investigations against the former Spanish football boss now include sexual assault, which carries a prison sentence if found guilty. Mr Rubiales has denied the allegations.

Japan has dispatched its military to help in the disaster zone, with around 1000 soldiers on the ground. A series of powerful earthquakes hit the west of Japan, killing at least 55 people. Homes and vehicles have been damaged – water, power and mobile phone services are still down in many parts. People remain trapped and hundreds of homes have been destroyed in the country's northwest. Emergency supplies are being provided to residents who have been forced to evacuate.

At least 7,000 people are still without power in South-East Queensland as devastated families begin the cleanup from extreme weather which saw an entire summer's worth of rainfall in some regions since Christmas. An easing in the rainfall should see floodwaters start to steady and recede from Wednesday. 50 Australian Defence Force members have green-lit to assist with the recovery effort and will have their boots on the ground by Thursday. On Tuesday, 88 SES Victoria and 42 SES New South Wales joined 170 members of Queensland's SES in disaster recovery. 700 Energex crew members are working out in the field to restore power by Friday. But residents are skeptical power will be restored before the weekend.

At least 55 people have now been confirmed dead after a 7.6 magnitude earthquake devastated large parts of Japan on New Year's Day. People remain trapped and hundreds of homes have been destroyed in the country's northwest. Around 1,000 members of Japan's defence forces have been mobilised to assist with search and rescue efforts. Emergency supplies are being provided to residents who have been forced to evacuate. Tsunami warnings along the Sea of Japan have been lifted – but warnings of further tremors remain.

Australian researchers are a step closer to developing a cure for diabetes. Researchers from the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne have proven that they can rewire pancreatic cells that have been damaged by diabetes. They use two drugs already approved for use in the US to treat rare cancers. With donated stem cells from an adult with type 1 diabetes, an adult without diabetes and a child, they managed to regenerate insulin production after 48 hours of stimulation. Researchers hope they can start human trials in five years’ time, possibly spelling the end to regular insulin injections for diabetic patients.

Sky News contributor Everlyn Rae has slammed the ABC's coverage for serving "a side of guilt" with their New Year's Eve fireworks program. The government-funded network's program included Indigenous band 'Three Percent' aggressively rapping a political song while families were tuned in. "There's very few things left for children and for families to enjoy that's not infested with political messaging from these overrepresented, noisy minority groups," Ms Rae told Sky News host James Macpherson. "Nobody wants a side of guilt with their fireworks, their families and the music. "This is the problem with the ABC - when your salary is paid by taxes, you don't need to worry about what viewers might think."

Daily Mirror royal editor Russell Myers says the timing of Denmark's Queen Margrethe II abdication is "a little suspicious". It comes as there has been speculation that Queen Margrethe II abdication is a plan to cover up a recent cheating scandal surrounding Prince Frederick. In October the soon-to-be king was rumoured to be cheating with a Mexican socialite after the two were pictured seen together in Madrid. Socialite Genoveva Casanova has empathetically denied any romantic relationship between herself and Frederik. Mr Myers told Sky News Senior Reporter Caroline Marcus the timing of Queen Margrethe's abdication has been “a little suspicious".

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s New Year resolutions should be to look back at the “big mistakes” throughout 2023 and make sure they do not happen again, Sky News contributor Joe Hildebrand says. “John Howard made every single mistake you can make as prime minister, but he only ever made them once,” Mr Hildebrand told Sky News Senior Reporter Caroline Marcus. “My hope and prayer would be that Anthony Albanese looks back at the big mistakes that have happened this year. “And thinks right, I’m going to make sure that I do not let something like that happen again. “If he does that, could be one of the best governments in Australia.”

It is clear most Australians support the push for nuclear energy “regardless” of individual politics, Nuclear for Australia Founder Will Shackel says. “I think importantly, people from all sides of politics support nuclear energy,” Mr Shackel told Sky News host James Macpherson. “Whether it’s Peter Costello, or the majority of QandA’s audience, 59 per cent, who say they supported nuclear energy when I was on that program. “Or even going as far as individuals within the Labor Party. “And also, people who vote for the Labor Party, a majority of them also supporting nuclear energy.”

The Australian government is “ignoring the science” and the “global evidence” for nuclear being an effective pathway to net-zero, Nuclear for Australia Founder Will Shackel says. “At the moment unfortunately, our politicians are ignoring the will of the people,” Mr Shackel told Sky News host James Macpherson. “They’re ignoring the science. “Ignoring the global evidence of nuclear being an effective pathway to net-zero. “If they are going to open their minds up to all of those facts and to all of that evidence, I hope that they will therefore change their mind and make their first priority to lift the ban on nuclear energy.”

Daily Mirror royal editor Russell Myers predicts the crowing of a new monarch in Demark will be a “pretty low key” event, similar to the Coronation of King Charles III. “I don’t think it’s going to be as huge as anyone is expecting,” he told Sky News Senior Reporter Caroline Marcus. “They are pretty low key. “I do think there will be a bit of pomp and pageantry, as we expect from royalty, but it will certainly not be as big and that’s in keeping with the cost-of-living crisis that’s going on for all of us.” Denmark is set to crown their new King and Queen - the current Crown Prince Frederick and Crown Princess Mary on January 14 following the shock abdication of Queen Margrethe II after 52 years on the throne.

Sky News host James Macpherson says the Albanese government “really stuffed up” when they denied the United States request to send a warship to the Red Sea. It comes as Iran has sent a warship to the Red Sea amid a rise in tensions after the US Navy destroyed three Houthi boats. According to the Tasnim News Agency, Iran’s Naval fleet has been operating in the area to secure shipping lanes, and repel pirates. Sky News James Macpherson discussed with Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Peterson the government's rejection to send a warship to the Red Sea to fight against Houthi rebels. “The government in Australia really stuffed up by not agreeing to help the United States led coalition by not sending a warship,” Mr Macpherson said.

The Coalition has called on the Albanese government to declare parts of Lebanon a terrorist no-go zone in an effort to stop Australian citizens from joining the terrorist group Hezbollah. Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Paterson said the government travel advice for people not to go to Lebanon isn’t enough. “It’s not enough because clearly, people are still travelling to Lebanon,” he told Sky News host James Macpherson. “At least one Australian has been claimed by Hezbollah as a fighter and after he died had a full military funeral with all the Hezbollah honours. “So, it’s very clearly a problem and I am deeply concerned that there will be more Australians that will seek to go there.”

A plane has burst into flames on the runway of Haneda Airport in Tokyo. Japan Airlines says all 367 passengers on board were evacuated from the plane. The cause of the blaze has not been confirmed. Crews are still working to extinguish the blaze. Footage shows a large burst of fire erupting from the sides of the plane.

The “dark side of the hard left” is exposed in a video recorded on United States’ university campuses with a social experiment done to identify support for the killing of Jews among students, Filmmaker Ami Horowitz says. “This isn’t really about the Israeli conflict, this isn’t really about Israel,” Mr Horowitz told Sky News host James Macpherson. “It’s really about, on one level, the Jews themselves – almost a majority of people I spoke to, who engaged with me, offered me money to murder Jews – to kill Jews. “The vast majority of people who I spoke to, if they didn’t give me money, supported the idea. “What we’re doing is we’re really uncovering the dark side of the hard left.”

Data compiled by the Northern Territory's opposition shows extraordinary rises in crime rates since Labor took power in 2016. New Chief Minister Eva Lawler is promising to crack down on crime ahead of the August election. It comes 12 months on from a crime crisis that made national headlines in Alice Springs. Eva Lawler says she is determined the mistakes of 2023 won’t be repeated. Extra programmes are also being put into place to keep children off the streets.

A series of earthquakes hit western Japan, leaving at least 30 people dead and thousands without power, according to local officials. Ishikawa and Toyoma on Japan's main island bore the brunt of the earthquake where homes and buildings were destroyed. The quake resulted in widespread evacuations after its sheer force triggered multiple tsunami warnings along the west coast and in nearby South Korea. Alerts were dropped in the early hours of Tuesday morning, but not before waves of 1.2 metres were recorded. Over 30,000 homes remain without power, while high-speed rail and air services to the Ishikawa region remain suspended.