Pacific leaders issue joint rebuke to China over its missiles test; Iran claims strikes on US military bases in the Gulf; Slovenian Cyclist Jakob Omrzel Makes Vuelta History.
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TRANSCRIPT
- Pacific leaders issue joint rebuke to China over its missiles test.
- Iran claims strikes on US military bases in the Gulf.
- Slovenian Cyclist Jakob Omrzel Makes Vuelta History.
Pacific Island nations have condemned a Chinese missile test fired into the region in July.
Seventeen of the 18 Pacific Islands Forum members backed a statement calling for at least 24 hours’ warning before any future intercontinental ballistic missile tests.
Naoero, formerly known as Nauru, was the only country to oppose the statement.
China gave only limited notice before launching the missile, which landed in international waters near Tuvalu and Naoero, triggering anger across the Pacific.
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Iran says it has hit US military bases in Kuwait and the UAE, vowing to avenge a strike on a wedding it blames on the US.
The Iranian army says it has hit the Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base in Kuwait, and Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates.
The strikes come after the Iranian Red Crescent reported a missile attack on a wedding this week in the Iranian coastal town of Ku-heSTAK killed four people and wounded more than 50.
US Vice President JD Vance says the United States is investigating the strike and the military never targets civilians in combat.
"I will say that the Iranian state media has not been a very good scribe about what's happened in the conflict thus far. So I'm extremely sceptical of this. What I can't say with 100% confidence is that unlike the IRGC, the United States never targets civilians in combat. We never will do that. We never have done that. And unfortunately, obviously, sometimes things happen. But in this particular case, I don't think that we have any information one way or the other. "
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New South Wales acting premier Prue Car insists police have a handle on the a series of recent shootings.
A day after a young university student was shot dead in his family's southwest Sydney home, a man in his 40s was killed outside a western Sydney duplex.
It's at least the fifth-suspected mistaken identity case since May 2025, with fears overseas criminal leaders are worsening the potentially misguided attacks.
Acting premier Car has warned citizens should remain vigilant.
"We have to be honest here about what we're confronting. These organised criminal gangs are recruiting children to outsource their violence. As a government we have been resourcing and will continue to resource the police in whatever way possible to crack down on the actions of these criminal gangs. It is not on."
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Police-recorded theft and robbery victims fell nationally in 2025, according to new Australian Bureau of Statistics figures.
Robbery victims dropped by eight per cent from the year before, while theft victims fell by two per cent.
Queensland recorded the biggest fall in robbery, down 13 per cent, followed by New South Wales, down 11 per cent.
But motor vehicle thefts went the other way, rising to a 17-year high.
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The Kindred People festival is underway in Melbourne, bringing together First Nations artists, Elders and knowledge holders from around the world.
The five-day event at Monash University features Indigenous art, performance and storytelling, and has been years in the making.
Organisers say the inaugural festival has been a success and hope it will become a regular fixture on Australia’s arts calendar.
Boonwurrung Elder and Monash University professor Carolyn Briggs says storytelling is what connects Indigenous cultures across the world.
"Stories, dance, performances. You know, every culture brings something new and presents to a place where this school or this university is multicultural and a global society. So, when we bring First peoples from around different parts of the continent, we rebuild that energy again."
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Slovenian young gun Jakob Omrzel has claimed the biggest win of his career, taking stage 12 of the Vuelta a España with a huge solo ride to Calar Alto.
The 20-year-old attacked on the final climb and powered clear to win by almost two minutes.
The victory makes Omrzel the youngest Slovenian to win a Grand Tour stage, breaking the mark previously held by Tadej Pogačar.
Omrzel says the win came sooner than he expected.
"I mean I'm not surprised because I know how much work I've put in and I knew that this days is going to come sooner or later but for sure I was not expecting it 100% on the first grand tour so yeah I still can't believe what I did but I felt super good I'm still feeling ok I'm not tired so I don't know I'm just enjoying it at the moment."
