Key Points
- US president praises Charlie Kirk as man of deep faith
- Australia signs to Pacific Islands treaty for climate change related funding
- Jess Fox won't compete at the World Slalom Championships in Penrith
United States President Donald Trump has strongly condemned the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, hailing him as a "man of deep, deep faith".
The 31-year-old, an influential ally of the president, was fatally shot in the neck during an outdoor debate at a university campus in the U-S state of Utah.
As vigils are being held across the country in his honour, Mr Trump has hit out at the political divisions he says are fuelling such violence.
"I ask all Americans to commit themselves to the American values for which Charlie Kirk lived and died. The values of free speech, citizenship, the rule of law, and the patriotic devotion and love of God ... An assassin tried to silence him with a bullet, but he failed, because together we will ensure that his voice, his message, and his legacy will live on for countless generations to come."
Australia's ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd, has also responded, saying he is thinking of Mr Kirk's family, writing in a statement on social media: "There is no space for political violence in any democracy."
Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau [[bo]] Mason says the suspect remains at large.
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Australia has signed on to the Pacific Resilience Facility: a treaty which will enshrine commitments to protect some of the world's most vulnerable communities in the face of climate change.
The pact is designed to reduce dependency and vulnerability of Pacific Island nations, with measures including more easily accessible international funding streams for protection and recovery from natural disasters.
Forum chair and Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Jeremiah Manele, says getting international climate aid to the area has been complex, unreliable, and often slow.
"We are finally establishing our first international financial institution owned by the Pacific Islands Forum Fund, which will be hosted in the Kingdom of Tonga. My fellow leaders, it has fallen on us to be the custodians of a financial institution to address the existence of a threat our people face."
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On an official visit to the United Kingdom, South Australia's premier has secured a key opportunity for workforce development in the state as part of the AUKUS defence pact.
Under the current AUKUS submarine deal, the fleet will include nuclear reactors built by Rolls-Royce — a British aerospace, defence and power systems company.
At the Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition in London, premier Peter Malinauskas has signed an agreement with Rolls-Royce to fill a critical skills gap — with a particular focus on strengthening a STEM pipeline.
He said despite doubts about the AUKUS project, work is already underway.
"Rolls-Royce are the company that will be building the nuclear propulsion system in the SSN-AUKUS, and they will necessarily require a big presence in Adelaide and South Australia. What we want to do is work together about how we want to train up that workforce in South Australia so that young South Australians are going to have opportunities – incredibly skilled, well-paid and secure opportunities – to work on this program. The level of technical expertise that is required is quite something to behold."
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The Vice Chancellor of one of the country's most prominent universities, the Australian National University, has stepped down after months of controversy.
Professor Genevieve Bell has been in the role since early last year and has been under scrutiny for forced redundancies and her handling of related concerns from staff and students.
Last year, the university announced plans to save $250 million in costs, including $100 million in salaries, by 2026.
That decision was amended in recent weeks to rule out further job cuts, but Professor Bell has acknowledged the university had endured a "very hard time," in her letter of resignation.
Former Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who has also come under fire as the University's chancellor since 2020, would not share details of conversations she had with Professor Bell.
"She is a distinguished academic and she will return to the School of Cybernetics. And I think that sends a very powerful message that she is part of and remains part of the ANU family and I think she should be allowed to have time, to go on leave."
ANU is under ongoing investigation by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency for its operations.
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A childcare worker has been charged after an investigation into child abuse material uncovered more than 550,000 images.
Australian Federal Police seized several electronic devices from the home of the accused, who cannot be named due to a court order, in June.
About 1.4 million files were identified on these devices, including 550,000 unique images.
The man, aged in his 30s, was charged in July.
He is due to face Parramatta Local Court on Friday, on seven counts of using a child to make abusive material.
An eighth charge relates to the transmission of child abuse material.
Anyone seeking information or support relating to sexual abuse can contact Bravehearts on 1800 272 831 or Blue Knot on 1300 657 380.
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To sport now and in paddling,
Superstar paddler Jessica Fox has withdrawn from this month's slalom world championships, robbing the Sydney event of its major draw card.
The three-time Olympic champion was racing the clock to compete in the world titles on her home course in Penrith, after surgery to remove a tumour on her kidney.
While the 31-year-old is making a strong recovery after sitting out two World Cup events in Europe, she won't be ready to be at the start gates by September 29 when racing starts.
Fox wrote on her social media accounts, saying she is "absolutely devastated".
