TRANSCRIPT
- US President Joe Biden declares democracy under threat.
- Indigenous leader Dr Lowitja O'Donoghue honoured at a state funeral in Adelaide.
- And in sport, Football Australia pledges its support for Matilda's captain Sam Kerr.
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United States President Joe Biden has declared democracy under threat at home, and abroad, in his State of the Union address.
Speaking before a joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate, the president laid the platform for his 2024 election campaign.
Issues relating to international conflicts dominated the speech, with the president pushing congress to provide additional funding to Ukraine.
President Biden says America will not walk away from Ukraine.
"We have to stand up to Putin. Send me a bipartisan national security bill. History is literally watching. History is watching. If the United States walks away, it will put Ukraine at risk. Europe is at risk. The free world will be at risk and it will embolden others to do what they wish to do us harm. My president to President Putin, who I've known for a long time, is simple - we will not walk away."
President Biden also used his speech to announce that the U-S military will construct a temporary port on Gaza's Mediterranean coast to receive additional humanitarian aid by sea.
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The life and legacy of Dr Lowitja O'Donoghue who is one of Australia's most celebrated trailblazers for First Nations rights has been honoured at a state funeral in Adelaide.
The Yankunytjatjara woman died in February surrounded by family at the age of 91.
Dr O'Donoghue played a key role in the 1967 referendum, native title legislation in the 1990s, and the 2008 Apology to the Stolen Generations.
Indigenous leaders and politicians gathered at South Australia's St Peter’s Cathedral to pay tribute.
Chairperson of the Lowitja Foundation and Alyawarre woman, Aunty Pat Anderson spoke of Dr O'Donoghue's great contributions.
"Everything she did with us and for us, and for the nation always, always these qualities are why she was and always will be so loved and respected. Indeed a grand, a truly grand woman."
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The inquest into the death of Kamilaroi Dunghutti man Ricky ‘Dougie’ Hampson has come to a close today.
Mr Hampson died from perforated ulcers in August 2021 less than 24 hours after being misdiagnosed and discharged from Dubbo Base Hospital.
Over the two-week inquest Deputy State Coroner Erin Kennedy heard from the doctors and hospital staff who treated the 36-year-old as well as medical, cultural safety and racism experts.
Emergency doctor Sokol Nushaj told the inquest "cognitive bias" led him to misdiagnose Mr Hampson with a drug-related condition.
The coroner will now assess the circumstances surrounding his death and decide if he received adequate treatment from the hospital.
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The Great Barrier Reef is experiencing its fifth mass coral bleaching event in eight years, as hundreds of sites turn white.
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority says aerial surveys over two-thirds of the reef have confirmed widespread bleaching.
Climate change is one of the biggest threats to tropical reefs worldwide, and coral bleaching is caused by heat stress.
It's not always fatal but corals are likely to die if temperatures remain higher than normal for too long.
Dr Roger Beeden says its a combined effort to avoid coral bleaching of the reef.
"We can all do our bit also to tackle the underlying cause which is climate change by reducing our climate footprint. It's the combination of local and global actions will best able the reef to tolerate and recover from events such as these, and overall we continue our work to make sure we secure the future of the Great Barrier Reef."
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Football Australia has pledged its support for Matilda's captain Sam Kerr while appealing for respect for the court proceedings surrounding the racial harassment case.
Kerr still hasn't commented publicly after pleading not guilty in a London court to racially aggravated harassment of a police officer.
In a statement, Football Australia say they've been in touch with the global football star and her management after increasing speculation about Kerr's case.
Chief executive James Johnsons says they trust the judicial system to handle the matter appropriately and urge respect for the legal proceedings.
