Assistant Defence Minister Matt Thistlethwaite discusses how the US election will shape America’s defence relationship with Australia. “I work in the defence portfolio, and I think it is important we work with whoever is selected as the president of the United States,” Mr Thistlethwaite told Sky News Australia. “The foundation of our security and defence since World War II has been the ANZUS alliance. “In the meeting I had in Congress a couple of weeks ago with both Republican representatives and Democrats, they are 100 per cent committed to the alliance. “They want to see the relationship with Australia in defence terms grow, and they are 100 per cent committed to AUKUS, and that was quite heartening to hear that support for AUKUS counting.

Joe Biden’s highly anticipated first address to the nation since dropping out of the presidential race was a flop. Social media is in overdrive with commentators slamming the President who stumbled and mumbled his way through the prepared speech. Despite reading from a teleprompter in the Oval Office with no press surrounding him, Joe Biden still struggled to form coherent sentences.

Sky News host Paul Murray says US President Joe Biden’s Oval Office speech was “frightening to watch”. The 81-year-old ended his re-election campaign on Sunday after facing relentless pressure over his capabilities to lead amid concern around his cognitive state. “What you saw was the battle between the ego of the man, the desperation of the people around him, the lie that we have been told increasingly as his health has deteriorated,” Mr Murray said. “This was frightening.”

US President Joe Biden says he ran for president four years ago because he thought the “soul of America was at stake” which is still the case. The 81-year-old ended his re-election campaign on Sunday after facing relentless pressure over his capabilities to lead amid concern around his cognitive state. “History is in your hands, the power is in your hands, the idea of America lies in your hands,” Mr Biden said during his Oval Office address.

Several people will receive part of a $2 million reward for helping catch the killer of Scott Johnson in a case that was unsolved for more than 30 years. It's believed to be the first time NSW Police will pay out a seven-figure reward. The US mathematician had been found naked at the bottom of the cliffs in Manly on Sydney's Northern Beaches in 1988. Scott's brother, Steve Johnson, says he hopes the killer's ex-wife will be among the rewards beneficiaries; she tipped off police about her former husband. It is not the final chapter in the case, a Hollywood movie is now in the works.

Sky News host Laura Jayes says Joe Biden "struggled" to get through his Oval Office address and appeared "more frail" than in the past as the President spoke of his decision to drop out of the election race. US President Joe Biden has spoken in an Oval Office address on his decision to drop out of the election race saying he’s decided the best way forward is to “pass the torch to a new generation”. The 81-year-old ended his re-election campaign on Sunday after facing relentless pressure over his capabilities to lead amid concern around his cognitive state. "Frankly, it looks like that his team has had to put a lot of makeup on him just to seem like he's got a bit of bounce back," Ms Jayes said.

Sky News Washington Correspondent Annelise Nielsen says Joe Biden’s Oval Office address had “all the hallmarks” of a resignation speech without the resignation. The 81-year-old ended his re-election campaign on Sunday after facing relentless pressure over his capabilities to lead amid concern about his cognitive state. “It seemed like he was more resigned to his fate but not going anywhere,” Ms Nielsen said. “That really sounded like he was struggling to get through that and at a few moments, I simply couldn’t understand what he was saying.”

A light plane crash in Nepal has left at least 18 people dead. Authorities say the small aircraft crashed after skipping off the runway during an attempt to take off from Kathmandu Airport. All those on board were airline staff enroute to Pokhara for technical maintenance. The pilot was the sole survivor of the crash.

Taiwan is feeling the full force of Typhoon Gaemi as the weather system sweeps the island territory. Wind gusts of 240 kilometres an hour are being recorded – making Gaemi the strongest storm to strike Taiwan in eight years. The island's largest annual military drills have been cancelled along with hundreds of flights. Authorities have also had to shut schools and offices while the storm passes through. Taiwanese officials say at least two people have been killed.

All Exercise Pitch Black flight operations have been suspended after an international partner aircraft crashed during the training exercise. The Italian Eurofighter Typhoon F-2000 aircraft crashed in the Douglas-Daly region in the Northern Territory around 10:45am Wednesday. Authorities attending the scene confirmed the aircraft was part of the training exercise. Australia's and Italy's defence ministries are investigating the cause of the crash.

Economists are warning a rate hike at next month's ­Reserve Bank meeting could put Australia at risk of a recession. A new report from Deloitte suggests the rate rise would erase the benefits of Labor's stage three tax cuts and pay rises for thousands of Australians. Some economists say unless monthly inflation figures buck the trend and decline, it would basically force the RBA to raise rates to 4.6 per cent, meaning more pain for mortgage holders.

FBI Director Christopher Wray has faced questions from US lawmakers over the assassination attempt of Republican nominee Donald Trump. His testimony follows the release of body cam footage showing the aftermath of the shooting at a Pennsylvania rally less than a fortnight ago. This comes as Kimberly Cheatle resigned as Secret Service director after mounting pressure.

Former speaker of the house Bronwyn Bishop has discussed Vice President Kamala Harris's speech during her first campaign rally after US President Joe Biden withdrew his re-election bid. The Vice President referred to her experience as a district attorney and the attorney general of California, saying she knows ‘Donald Trump’s type’. “She stepped out with an aggressive attack which has been repeated everywhere and will go on being repeated,” Ms Bishop said. “Nobody knows much about her so they can really invent as they wish. “In my view, Trump has to attack her but it has to be tying her to the policies and particularly into that wall because everybody knows that was the job she was tasked to do.”

Sky News Contributor Joe Hilderbrand has weighed in on the 2023 presidential election odds and whether or not Kamala Harris has a chance of beating Donald Trump. “I don’t see how she gets there,” Mr Hilderbrand told Sky News host Paul Murray. “Firstly, I don’t know how she gets there in Wisconsin and Michigan. I just think Californian Democrats are toxic to the mid-western Democrats I think the people who have voted for Obama and then voted for Trump were voting against the kind of elite woke identity politics … that she represents.”

Sky News host Paul Murray says if there is another interest rate rise it is Labor’s “fault”. Mr Murray said the Albanese government has claimed inflation will be “beaten”. “What exactly is their option to get out of it.”

Sky News host Liz Storer says there are “very unlikely allies” calling the Democrats “hypocrites”. Ms Storer said the Democrats claim to be “defending Democracy” but have “thrown out” every process. “That is supposed to take place, when the party is choosing their presidential nominee.”

Sky News host James Macpherson says it has been a “massive day” in US politics with Joe Biden’s appearance and Kamala Harris’ first official campaign. Mr Macpherson said Kamala Harris told the crowd at her rally that she would “prosecute Donald Trump”. “Because she used to be a prosecutor, so she’ll do what prosecutors do.”

Sky News Washington Correspondent Annelise Nielsen says there is a sense among Democrats being “so relieved” that Biden is out of the US presidential race. Ms Nielsen told Sky News host Sharri Markson that Democrats are going “all in” on Kamala Harris. Kamala Harris has held her first official campaign in Wisconsin.

Former Victorian Liberal Party president Michael Kroger says Kamala Harris is “not up to the job” of president of the United States. Joe Biden has ended his re-election campaign and endorsed Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate. “It’s relief, not excitement. People in America are just relieved that there’s somebody that put a sentence together that’s running as their candidate,” Mr Kroger told Sky News host Sharri Markson. “I think this will fade over the next few months as people realise that she’s not up to the job.”

Sky News host Sharri Markson discusses the Albanese Labor government’s “most controversial policy” with their Big Australia plan. “One of the Albanese government’s most controversial policy since coming to office, that is their Big Australia plan,” Ms Markson said. “According to The Australian … polling figures over 13 per cent of Australians surveyed do not support the increase in the number of immigrants, half of Australians polled would prefer fewer migrants and support for immigration overall has nearly halved over the past ten years.”