Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is a “failure” as he is failing to show leadership with the ongoing anti-Semitic crisis on Australian shores, Former speaker of the House Bronwyn Bishop says. “The problem is, he is just Albo the trot,” Ms Bishop told Sky News contributor Gary Hardgrave. “In the 20-plus years I sat in that chamber nobody ever said he was leadership material. “And it’s just been proven. “We’re seeing all this anti-Semitic movement going on right now simply because there is a failure of leadership at the top.”

MacroBusiness Chief Economist Leith van Onselen has shared his economic projections for 2024, touching on cash and inflation rates. “The best-case scenario is that these attacks in the Middle East don’t disrupt global supply chains and we actually have fallen inflation globally brought down by goods primarily,” he told Sky News host James Macpherson. “What that would mean is that the central banks are likely done raising interest rates, including Australia and we could actually start seeing interest rates cuts towards the second half of this year. “That’s the best-case scenario and it would mean 18 months of pain that Australian households have suffered would start to alleviate. “And we could also potentially see lower migration than what the federal government has forecast. “That’s more – wishful thinking but if we get that, that would also ease the rental crisis. “So those are the two things I am hoping happen this year.”

A tsunami warning has been issued in Japan after a 7.6 magnitude earthquake in the country’s west. A series of 20 earthquakes have been reported each with a magnitude of four or stronger. A 6.3 magnitude earthquake has also been recorded. Since the initial tsunami warning, parts of Russia and North Korea have also issued tsunami warnings. Tsunami advisories have been issued as far north as the Island of Hokkaido and the southern island of Kyushu

Sky News Contributor Gary Hardgrave says the stage-three tax cuts “surely” must go ahead as “leftist types” are battling against them. “Our former colleagues, our leaders … are demanding leadership from the Prime Minister,” Mr Hardgrave said. “As leftist types try to stop the middle-income tax relief due this year. “Surely it’s got to go ahead.” Mr Hardgrave sat down with former speaker of the House Bronwyn Bishop and Nationals MP Keith Pitt to discuss stage-three tax cuts.

The migrant crisis along the US southern border is still straining resources in Texas. However, one man has opened his Airbnb to dozens of migrants needing a roof over their heads. Santiago Rodriguez transformed an Airbnb into a makeshift shelter, where they welcomed more than 40 migrants over the past two weeks. Mr Rodriguez said he spent thousands of dollars on all sorts of goods to ensure the families are able to live comfortably while they figure out the next steps in their journey across the United States. A Catholic Charities spokesman says they continue to see an influx of migrants – some arriving without proper federally approved documentation, which is required to receive services.

A report into the Sea World helicopter crash, which left four dead, is set to be released tomorrow. The report includes video footage, 3D computer modelling technology, and interviews from more than 80 witnesses, including crash survivors. Australian Transport Safety Bureau Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell says the investigation is one of the most complex in the agency’s history. It is almost twelve months since the two helicopters collided. The collision killed four people and injured nine others.

There's a heavy police presence at this year's annual Field Day music festival in Sydney. Sniffer dogs are in place, and officers will be keeping an eye on festivalgoers at The Domain. They're expected to see headline acts such as dance group Rufus Du Sol and British rapper Central Cee. Field Day is an annual music festival which was established in 2002 and has attracted thousands of revellers each year. This comes as Victorian festival goers have flocked to Werribee for the ‘Let Them Eat Cake’ festival.

Almost one million Centrelink recipients will see a six per cent boost to their payments from today. Australian Council of Social Service CEO Cassandra Goldie says there's "no doubt" every dollar will help people. "But it does not get these key payments to the level that will lift people out of poverty," she told Sky News Australia. "Our cost of living research towards the end of now-last year showed people relying on these kinds of payments were going without food; they were going without heating and cooling. "So we want to see action - we do want the government to go much further with its approach to tackling cost of living, particularly for people on the very lowest incomes."

Huge amounts of rain are coming down in areas surrounding the border between south-east Queensland and north-east New South Wales. Sky News Meteorologist Rob Sharpe says Coffs Harbour is one of the worst places which has been hit by the severe weather system. “In just a matter of three hours, we saw 180 millimetres (of rain),” Mr Sharpe said. “This wasn’t just heavy rain or flash-flooding – we’re talking about intense rain and life-threatening flash-flooding. “That is still a chance up around the border area.”

Mayors of so-called sanctuary cities in the US are taking action to slow the influx of migrants coming to them from Texas. Authorities at the southern US border encountered a record number of migrants in December, seeing the highest monthly total recorded in more than 20 years. For months, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has sent thousands of migrants to certain cities led by Democrats, resulting in turmoil and straining resources. The mayors of Chicago, Denver and New York City are asking the federal government for help. They are also demanding coordinated drop-offs with exact times and locations to dedicate the appropriate resources.

Russia has begun hitting back at Ukraine in retaliation to yesterday’s attack on the border city of Belgorod that killed 24 people and injured 108 others. Most of the new attacks ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin hit the city of Kharkiv in the east of Ukraine. A hotel, apartment blocks, homes, and hospitals were hit, with at least 28 people injured – according to Ukrainian authorities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed retribution. This is the latest in a flurry of tit-for-tat aerial attacks by the two countries.

The mother of an 18-year-old girl who died after taking ketamine on her first night at university has called for UK police and the government to take its dangers more seriously. The number of young people taking ketamine has tripled in Britain in recent years. Sandra Larmour now visits schools, warning young people of the risks, but she wants government action too. "The political leaders of the country need to take it seriously, and the only way that I believe it can be taken seriously is if the sentences are increased," she said. Home Office figures show ketamine is the country's fourth most popular illegal drug.

Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is calling for a return of Jewish settlements to Gaza, which is illegal under international law. Opinion polling reveals most Israelis do not support the return of settlements to Gaza. He also says Palestinians should be encouraged to leave the enclave and emigrate overseas. Mr Smotrich’s views come in conflict with the official Israel government position that Gazans will be able to return home after the war. The call comes as the Gaza Health Ministry says at least 100 people have been killed by Israeli air strikes in the past 24 hours.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wishes Australians a Happy New Year, two children pulled from Perth's swan river, toddler found dead in northern Queensland, pushback against desexing medical language, New Year brings in national vape crackdown, the New Year brings free kindergarten for Queensland and Queen Margrethe abdicates the Danish throne. See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

Former White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney says it's going to be a "nasty" year for US politics following Colorado and Maine's banning of Trump from state ballots. "There's going to be a chance that he may not be on a couple of different ballots going into the election," Mr Mulvaney told Sky News Australia. "I don't think it makes a real difference directly because these are not states that Donald Trump could win ... so it doesn't really change the outcome. "But it's just simply going to raise the temperature. "It's going to be a very, very interesting, very difficult year for electoral politics here in the United States."

The release of previously undisclosed cabinet papers from 2003 has highlighted the Howard government's internal deliberations shaping its decision to join the US invasion of Iraq. The ADF was deployed to Iraq to help locate and destroy suspected weapons of mass destruction, but an intelligence failure meant no weapons were ever found. Australia’s decision to follow the US into Iraq would come to define parts of former prime minister John Howard’s legacy. The cabinet papers reveal then-president Bush had requested that Australia assist the US in disarming Iraq of its suspected weapons of mass destruction. Cabinet noted the weapons were one of the greatest threats to Australia’s security at that time. Coincidentally, the very same cabinet meeting in which the invasion of Iraq was agreed to 20 years ago – cabinet also noted the desire for progress to resolve the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Child Protection detectives are investigating the death of a toddler in North Queensland. Emergency services rushed to a home in Eungella, west of Mackay, but did not arrive in time. At the scene, a young girl was found unresponsive inside of a car. First responders did all they could but the two-year-old was unable to be saved. The tragic incident occurred around 2:20pm on Sunday afternoon.

The war on vapes is set to intensify starting from January 1. Authorities are beginning to crack down on imports. The federal government is vowing to destroy disposable single-use products, even those without nicotine, at the border. It comes as one in five 18 to 25-year-olds are becoming hooked, leading to a nicotine addiction. New data has also revealed the habit has landed 178 people in hospital since 2020.

The United States is officially in an election year, and it's shaping up to be a wild one. The leading Republican candidate Donald Trump is facing over 90 criminal indictments while President Joe Biden is the second oldest candidate to run for the White House in US history. If he wins, Mr Biden will be the oldest to ever assume office at 82 and will top out the record for oldest president when he leaves office at 86. There are virtually no historical precedents which show how Donald Trump’s legal cases will impact his re-election bid. Sky News Washington Correspondent Anneliese Nielsen says these facts render the upcoming presidential election “all the more extraordinary in just about every way imaginable”.

Denmark's Queen Margrethe II has announced she will formally step down from the throne. After 52 years, she made the announcement in her annual New Year's Eve address. The monarch will hand over the Danish crown to her eldest son Prince Frederik on January 14. Queen Margrethe's abdication would see Australian-born Princess Mary become Denmark's new Queen, 20 years after meeting the Prince in a Sydney bar. Margrethe is the longest serving monarch in Danish history and took over from her father King Frederik IX in 1972.