US authorities have released footage of the suspected shooter fleeing the scene after gunning down pro-Trump activist and political figure Charlie Kirk during his event at Utah Valley University.

More than 24 hours after Kirk was shot dead, FBI Director Kash Patel, Utah Governor Spencer Cox, and Commissioner of Public Safety Beau Mason held a press conference today pleading for the public's help.

"We need as much help as we can possibly get", Cox said, adding that the FBI has already received more than 7000 calls in the largest number of tips since the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013.

READ MORE: What we know about the shot that killed Charlie Kirk

"We cannot do our job without the public's help."

Officials shared a video of the person of interest fleeing the rooftop, jumping to the ground and then running across the parking lot.

The suspected shooter then crosses the road and disappears into a wooded area, where officers later found a rifle.

Authorities also circulated new images of the person of interest, dressed in a black shirt with an American flag and eagle on it, Converse shoes, a cap with a triangle on it, sunglasses and a backpack. 

The FBI has announced a US$100,000 ($150,000) reward for the killer's apprehension as the manhunt continues into a new day.

Here's everything we have learnt about the suspected shooter so far.

Who shot Charlie Kirk?

Authorities are still working to track down the person who shot Kirk at his event at Utah Valley University on Thursday (Wednesday US time).

The suspect has not yet been identified, but is believed to be the person pictured.

The FBI released the images and announced a US$100,000 ($150,000) reward for the killer's apprehension.

The Utah Department of Public Safety released more images of the same suspect.

Photos show the suspect wearing a black shirt with an American flag and eagle on it, Converse shoes, a cap with a triangle on it, sunglasses and a backpack. 

Officials said that the suspect appeared to be of college age and blended in well on campus.

Multiple videos of the suspect have also been released to the public, including one clip that shows the suspect fleeing the scene of the shooting.

In it, the suspect can be seen running across the Utah Valley University Losee Centre roof after fatally shooting Kirk.

The shooter jumps to the ground, runs across the parking lot and crosses the road into a wooded area.

Other footage of the incident shows a dark shape, which may show a person lying down on the roof.

Footage obtained and broadcast by TMZ also appeared to show the suspect walking towards the university campus where Kirk was shot.

They appear to be limping in the clip.

The Utah Department of Public Safety said investigators had collected a number of additional details for forensic analysis, including "a footwear impression, a palm print, and forearm imprints".

Mason said they still have "no idea" where the shooter is.

"We're exploring leads for individuals that live close by," he said.

"We literally have persons of interest, tips coming in on the tip line, that are spanning far and wide."

Cox warned there was false information about the shooter circulating on social media.

"There is a tremendous amount of disinformation," he said.

"Our adversaries want violence. We have bots from Russia, China, all over the world that are trying to instil disinformation and encourage violence. I would encourage you to ignore those, to turn off those streams."

Was the shooter on a roof?

It is believed Kirk was shot from a rooftop on the Utah Valley University campus where he was hosting an event.

Footage from the incident showed what might have been a person on the Utah Valley University Losee Centre roof near the site of Kirk's shooting.

Kirk's former head of security, Gregory Schaffer, told the Associated Press that Kirk's security was usually focused on preventing threats like stage-crashers.

"You don't expect a threat to come from 200 yards away on a college campus," he said.

"We didn't have enough manpower to put people on the rooftops, we didn't have the funding to pay for a pair of binoculars that cost $3000."

How far away was the shooter?

CNN claimed the shot was taken from about 137 metres away, based on the work of cartographers and open-source intelligence experts.

Audio forensics expert Rob Maher told CNN he believed the bullet that struck Kirk was fired from a distance of 153 metres away.

He also inferred the bullet had been travelling at about 800m/s.

A former law enforcement ballistic expert told the UK Independent the shooter did not have to be highly experienced to make such a shot.

"He didn't have to be highly trained as a sniper to make that shot from 200 yards (180 metres), because 200 yards with the right rifle and the right optics is not that far," said former FBI supervisory special agent Dennis Franks.

But he also said hitting a target of that distance outside a shooting range was vastly different to a crowded public setting, like at Kirk's event.

"To do it under the stress of a live situation, he was either skilful or lucky."

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Suspected murder weapon revealed

In the 24 hours after Kirk's death, law enforcement confirmed they had found a "high-powered" rifle believed to be the murder weapon.

Today, CNN quoted a law enforcement official as saying it is a Mauser bolt action .30-06 calibre rifle with a long-distance scope.

The official said a single shell casing remained inside the bolt mechanism.

Maher told CNN it appeared Kirk was struck by a single bullet fired by a high-powered weapon and travelling faster than the speed of sound.

According to the Utah Department of Public Safety, members of the public have also sent in tips about the alleged murder weapon.

"There are reportedly photos of a weapon and various details about that firearm and ammunition, including inscriptions and symbols," the department said in a release.

"At this time, we are not able to provide further details on the content of those inscriptions."

Why did the shooter target Charlie Kirk?

No information has been released as to the shooter's motive.

Kirk was an outspoken right-wing and pro-Trump activist and received "thousands" of threats, according to a post on his X profile from his organisation Turning Point USA.

"Charlie was no stranger to threats. He received thousands throughout his life," the post read.

"But he always prioritised reaching as many young Americans as possible over his own personal safety."

President Donald Trump has repeatedly blamed the "radical left" for the shooting, without providing evidence.

"We have a radical left group of lunatics out there, just absolute lunatics, and we're going to get that problem solved. I'm only concerned for the country," he said today.

He ordered all American flags, including the one on top of the White House, to be flown at half mast and announced that Kirk will receive a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Tributes have poured in for Kirk today as Vice President JD Vance escorted his coffin on Air Force Two to return him to his hometown of Phoenix.

Kirk's wife, Erika, was on board.

Trump said he had a "long talk" with her.

"I spoke to Erika, his wife, and we had a long talk, and she's devastated," he told reporters as he departed the White House for New York City earlier today.

"She is absolutely devastated, as you can imagine."

Does Utah have the death penalty?

Yes, Utah is among the 27 US states with the death penalty.

Cox reminded the world of that on national television today, warning "we still have the death penalty here in the state of Utah".

At the press conference later on, he confirmed that authorities will be pursuing the death penalty in this case.

"We've been working with our attorneys, getting everything that we need, affidavits ready so that we can pursue the death penalty in this case," he said.

"And that will happen here in the state of Utah."

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She faces a charge of disqualified driving on Fenton St on August 14.

Candidates debated the $8.3m Rotorua Museum shortfall at a packed Grey Power forum.

Other candidates standing for elections in Northland report death threats and damage.

Rehette Stoltz said 80-85% of council spending already covers core services.

The woman also discussed her desire to have her own child so the child could be abused.

All tram services south of Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast are suspended after a tram derailed this morning.

The tram had unloaded all passengers at the Surfers Paradise North station following a medical emergency at the Cavill Avenue Station.

The tram then continued south until its tail jumped the tracks near Ocean Avenue and Surfers Paradise Boulevard, smashing into a light pole.

READ MORE: What we know about the shot that killed Charlie Kirk

Witness Alan Jarvie said he noticed the tram changing lines.

"I was watching it sorta start moving, taking off and part of it went off, part of it just slid along the track line," Jarvie said.

"All of a sudden, it hit that middle wire post and wires come down, a few sparks, not for very long.

"It shut off pretty quickly and then all of a sudden people came from everywhere."

The driver was taken to hospital as a precaution.

Services north to Helensvale have been restored but south to Broadbeach remains closed, with only buses available as transport.

G:LINK says it is investigating the cause of the derailment and working to identify any damage to the network.

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NASA has banned Chinese citizens with US visas from participating in agency programs — a dramatic escalation in the space race between China and the United States.

It occurs as China gears up to send a crewed mission to land and potentially establish a habitat on the moon, about which the Trump administration has expressed increasing alarm.

The new policy began September 5 and its effects have since rippled across the sprawling agency, according to two people at NASA who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution.

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The change affects hundreds of scientists and researchers, many of whom are funded by NASA to conduct their work in climate science, space and other disciplines, the sources said.

A NASA spokesperson put the number of those affected at less than 100.

It is not clear if there was a specific incident that prompted this crackdown.

When CNN asked NASA why these steps were taken, NASA's press office sent a post on X with a clip of a recent appearance by acting administrator Sean Duffy on Fox Business.

"China is NOT going to the moon with good intentions," the post from Duffy reads.

"America will get there FIRST, preserving peace for both the US and our international partners."

Chinese nationals are no longer allowed to have physical access to NASA facilities, to join Zoom calls with their NASA colleagues or access the agency's supercomputing resources.

Supercomputing work is essential for those who are studying climate change in particular.

The limitations placed on these researchers is disrupting NASA's work and could stymie the careers of younger Chinese researchers who came to the US to advance their scientific work, as well as benefit the space agency through their findings, the sources said.

The restrictions also apply to attendance at NASA-funded meetings, both in person and online.

They are resulting in additional disruptions amid what has already been a turbulent time for NASA employees since the administration has targeted the agency for steep budget cuts and reductions in personnel.

The directive is unrelated to the August 28 executive order from President Donald Trump, which designated NASA as having national security functions, according to an agency spokesperson.

"The internal action taken at NASA pertaining to Chinese nationals, including physical and cybersecurity restrictions, are a separate matter from the Executive Order," the spokesperson told CNN.

Today, NASA press secretary Bethany Stevens was more specific about the sweeping nature of the restrictions imposed on Chinese citizens who have US visas, telling CNN: "NASA has taken internal action pertaining to Chinese nationals, including restricting physical and cybersecurity access to our facilities, materials, and network to ensure the security of our work."

The new restrictions, reported earlier by Bloomberg News, come at a time of heightened competition between the US and China both on Earth and in the new space race.

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China has been advertising plans to land Taikonauts — or Chinese astronauts — on the lunar surface for the first time by 2030, competing with NASA's plan to return its own astronauts to the moon's surface as soon as mid-2027.

Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy, a close Trump ally who is also the Secretary of Transportation, caused a stir in early August by saying he has directed the US space agency to fast-track plans to put a nuclear reactor on the moon to generate power for a future permanent settlement on the lunar surface.

"We're in a race to the moon, in a race with China to the moon," Duffy told reporters at the time, warning that if another country beat the US, that nation could declare a "keep-out zone" that could thwart NASA's moon base plans.

These charged discussions about racing China to the moon come as NASA is set to lose thousands of employees and could lose billions in funding.

At least 4000 people are taking deferred resignation offers from the Trump administration, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

The president's proposed 2026 budget would also slash NASA's overall funding by 24 per cent.

While funding for the agency's Artemis moon landing program has remained largely intact, the cuts would include a nearly 50 per cent reduction in science funding.

Politicians on both sides of the aisle have expressed a desire to secure American supremacy in space.

"Make no mistake, we are in a new space race with China," Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz, the chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, said at a committee hearing last week.

"Space is no longer reserved simply for peaceful exploration.

"It is today a strategic frontier with direct consequences for national security, economic growth and technological leadership."

Cruz's Democratic colleague, Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington, the committee's ranking member, added she viewed continued investments in space technology to be "critical to our future economic and national security".

"We know we need to go back to the moon, and we know we need to go there before China establishes a permanent presence," Cantwell said.

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Likely in her early teens and bearing a close resemblance to her mother, the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is increasingly viewed as his likely heir.

The girl, believed to be named Kim Ju Ae, was in the spotlight again as she accompanied her father on his high-profile China trip, his own first visit to a major gathering of world leaders and her first known trip abroad.

Video and images carried by North Korean state media showed her right behind her father and ahead of Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui as they got off a train in Beijing, clapping as officials at the North Korean Embassy in Beijing bowed to her father, and standing near him as he was seated with senior officials in a meeting room inside his train.

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South Korea’s spy agency said on September 11 that it assesses that the trip solidified her status as her father’s likely heir.

She is believed to be 12 or 13 years old. Not much else is known about her, but her repeated appearances at high-profile events with her father have prompted speculation that she’s being groomed as North Korea’s next leader.

China trip analysed intensively

In a closed-door briefing for politicians, the South Korean National Intelligence Service said Kim Jong Un was believed to have brought his daughter to China to help her acquire overseas experience and cement her status as his likely heir, according to Park Sunwon, who attended the meeting.

The spy agency cited coverage of her appearances in China in the country's main state TV station and newspaper, which target the ordinary citizens, according to lawmaker Lee Seong Kweun, who was also present at the meeting.

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Her name and age are unconfirmed

North Korean state media outlets have never published her name, referring to her as Kim Jong Un's “respected” or “most beloved” child.

The belief that she is named Ju Ae is based on an account by former NBA champion Dennis Rodman, in which he recalled holding Kim Jong Un’s baby daughter during a trip to Pyongyang in 2013.

Her exact age is unconfirmed but South Korean intelligence officials believe she was born in 2013.

In 2023, South Korea's spy agency told politicians it assessed Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju also have an older son and a younger third child whose gender is unknown.

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She’s being increasingly showcased in her father’s events

Kim Jong Un allowed his daughter to be seen in public for the first time during a test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile in November 2022.

Photos in state media showed Kim Ju Ae wearing a white coat and red shoes as she watched a soaring missile from a distance and walked hand-in-hand with her father.

Her carefully crafted appearances have included missile tests, military parades, and the launch of a naval destroyer in April.

Kim Jong Un has recently expanded his daughter’s public appearances beyond military events to include some of his most ambitious economic projects and cultural events, including the opening of a beach resort in June.

READ MORE: What we know about Charlie Kirk's suspected shooter

Some question her chances to take over a male-dominated system

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service issued a careful assessment last year that it views Kim Ju Ae as her father’s likely successor, citing a comprehensive analysis of her public activities and the state protocols provided to her.

However, some outside experts disagree with that assessment, citing Kim Jong Un’s relatively young age and the extremely male-dominated nature of North Korea’s power hierarchy.

In its recent briefing at parliament, the National Intelligence Service assessed that Kim has no major health issues and that he conducted official schedules in China smoothly.

Since its foundation in 1948, North Korea has been successively ruled by male members of the Kim family — Kim's father, Kim Jong Il, and grandfather, Kim Il Sung.

Kim Jong Un inherited power in late 2011 upon his father's death.

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Former Virgin Australia boss Jayne Hrdlicka has walked away from the airline with a massive $50 million golden handshake.

The company's annual report, released this morning, revealed the ex-chief executive was given one of the largest payouts in Australian corporate history.

Hrdlicka, who left Virgin in March, was given a cash package worth more than $20 million – including her salary, short-term incentives and longer-term bonuses – plus more than 10 million shares.

READ MORE: What we know about the shot that killed Charlie Kirk

Those were worth $29.7 million when the airline went public and re-listed on the ASX in late June with a share price of $2.90.

However, that price has since climbed to more than $3.25, taking the total value of Hrdlicka's payout to more than $50 million.

She had forfeited a further 6.8 million shares by resigning earlier this year.

Neither chair Peter Warne nor current chief executive Dave Emerson mentioned Hrdlicka in their annual report statements, however a passage later in the document outlined her role in turning the company around after it had fallen into voluntary administration during the pandemic.

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"During her tenure, Jayne successfully led the group's exit from voluntary administration, stand up of the airline following the COVID-19 pandemic and the transformation of Virgin Australia into a profitable and sustainable business," the report states. 

"In addition, during FY25 Jayne led Virgin Australia's deeper strategic partnership with the Qatar Airways Group, including a 25 per cent equity investment and enhanced strategic alliance."

Hrdlicka's payout dwarfs even that of former Qantas boss Alan Joyce, who was handed $21 million when he left the national carrier in 2023. 

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Almost $10 million of that was clawed back by the Qantas board due to the reputational damage suffered by the airline, although it was revealed last week that Joyce was given one further $3.8 million payout.

Since resigning from Virgin, Hrdlicka has since been appointed as the chief executive of alcohol giant Endeavour Group, which runs the likes of Dan Murphy's, BWS as well as a string of pubs and its own drinks brands.

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