SBS News

US President Donald Trump said Europe had loaned money to Ukraine for its war against Russia, expecting to be reimbursed. However, French President Emmanuel Macron swiftly refuted this, clarifying France paid 60 per cent of the total defaults. Read more @sbsnews_au (link in bio).

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he fears "Russia will occupy Europe" if the US withdraws from NATO, starting with smaller countries that were once part of the Soviet Union. Meanwhile Ukraine has reportedly not been invited to upcoming talks between the US and Russia in Saudi Arabia, aimed at ending the war.

A heated exchange broke out between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting at the White House, with the US president accusing his Ukrainian counterpart of not wanting a ceasefire. Zelenskyy had travelled to Washington in an attempt to convince the Trump administration to rethink its approach to early peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. The fiery clash resulted in the meeting ending abruptly and without the leaders signing a deal that would have given the US access to Ukraine's rare minerals. Read more @sbsnews_au (link in bio).

Germany's opposition leader Friedrich Merz has responded to US vice president JD Vance's criticisms about Europe's approach to free speech, saying Germany would "never kick out the news agency" from the Chancellery press rooms. Merz was referring to a White House decision to bar AP journalists from Air Force One over its refusal to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the 'Gulf of America' Read more @sbsnews_au (link in bio).

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has supported Donald Trump's proposition to explore a US take over of Gaza. Trump suggested Palestinians could be relocated from the territory so the US could "level it" and "create an economic development". Read more @sbsnews_au (link in bio) #news

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed Australia will continue to support a two-state solution in Gaza despite US president Donald Trump's proposal to "take over" the Strip and "permanently" resettle Palestinians elsewhere in the Middle East.

Mark Carney, named Canada's next prime minister, vows Canada will never be part of the US. He said: "If they succeeded, they would destroy our way of life." The 59-year-old former central banker will replace Justin Trudeau after winning 85.9% of the Liberal Party vote. Read more @sbsnews_au (link in bio).

American rapper Doechii delivered a heartfelt acceptance speech for Best Rap Album at the Grammys, urging other Black women: "Don't allow anybody to project any stereotypes on you, to tell you that you can't be here, that you're too dark, or that you're not smart enough."Doechii, who won for her album Alligator Bites Never Heal, is the third woman in history to win in the category. #doechii #grammy

US President Donald Trump said he "can't believe" he called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy a dictator. Trump called Zelenskyy "a dictator without elections" during a 20 February speech at an investment summit in Miami. Read more @sbsnews_au (link in bio).

Bodycam footage of Matildas star Sam Kerr allegedly calling a policeman "f—ing stupid and white" in London in January 2023 was shown in court as she faces trial for racially aggravated abuse of a police officer. She has pleaded not guilty. Read more @sbsnews_au (link in bio).

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has urged residents to prepare for Tropical Cyclone Alfred, expected to make landfall later this week. The category two storm, which intensified overnight, currently sits around 450km east of Brisbane. Crisafulli made these comments on Monday March 3, 2025. Read more @sbsnews_au (link in bio)

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced Labor will increase Medicare funding by $8.5 billion if they are re-elected this year. The funding would expand the bulk billing incentive, a payment that clinics receive for bulk billing patient visits. It would also introduce an incentive payment for clinics that bulk bill every patient, to be set at 12.5 per cent of a practice's Medicare rebates. In a press release, Opposition leader Peter Dutton said the Coalition would match the $8.5 billion in funding "dollar for dollar". Read more @sbsnews_au (link in bio).

Billionaire mining magnate Clive Palmer has launched - well, relaunched - a new political party, Trumpet of Patriots, which he says will adopt many of US President Donald Trump's policies. Palmer has not yet given details on specific policies but announced the party shares the same stance on trans issues. Palmer created a new party after he lost bid to re-register his United Australia Party in the High Court earlier this month. Read more @sbsnews_au (link in bio).

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition leader Peter Dutton have expressed support for Ukraine. Albanese said Australia stands with Ukraine but avoided commenting on the explosive meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump. Dutton, on the other hand, supported the US' stance, saying European nations "can't continue to rely on financial or military support" and that "the opportunity is there" to end the war in Ukraine. Read more @sbsnews_au (link in bio).

The UN has condemned the "parading of bodies and displaying of coffins" of deceased hostages killed by Hamas, calling it "abhorrent and appalling". It said both parties have obligations under international law to respect the dignity of the deceased and their families. On Thursday, Hamas returned the bodies of four hostages killed in Gaza, including four-year-old Ariel Bibas, his infant brother Kfir, and 84-year-old Oded Lifschitz. While Hamas said it has returned Shiri Bibas' body, the Israeli military said it did not match any known hostages and remains unidentified. Read more @sbsnews_au (link in bio).

Australian soccer star Sam Kerr has claimed the police officer she’s accused of racially harassing treated her differently based on the colour of her skin. Giving evidence at her trial, the Matildas captain said she expressed herself poorly when she called the policeman “stupid and white", but said she had been scared and feared for her life while "trapped" in a taxi.

The White House has said the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cannot fire federal employees, and the authority lies with administrators of individual agencies. When asked about a court filing clarifying Elon Musk is not the DOGE administrator, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to disclose who is leading the department.

Taylor Swift, Donald Trump, and a Palestinian protest were among the top trending moments of Super Bowl 59, aside from the game itself. The #SuperBowl is US' most-watched TV broadcast, with a record 123 million viewers last year. The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 to win Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans. #taylorswift #US

US President Donald Trump has suggested permanently displacing Palestinians from Gaza, saying people there had no alternative but to leave the Palestinian enclave devastated by Israel's military assault. Read more @sbsnews_au (link in bio)

"Just horrific": More than 150 whales have become stranded on a beach near Arthur River, on Tasmania's remote north-west coast. Authorities have confirmed several have died, and 90 surviving whales will be euthanised after repeated unsuccessful attempts to refloat them. "Stranding response in this area is complex due to the inaccessibility of the site, ocean conditions and the challenges of getting specialist equipment to the remote area," the state's environment department said. #australia #whale