A Chinese fighter jet came within three metres of a United States Air Force B-52 bomber flying over the South China Sea, according to the Pentagon.

The Chinese pilot "flew in an unsafe and unprofessional manner, demonstrated poor airmanship by closing with uncontrolled excessive speed, flying below, in front of, and within 10 feet (three metres) of the B-52, putting both aircraft in danger of collision," US Indo-Pacific Command said in statement.

"We are concerned this pilot was unaware of how close he came to causing a collision."

READ MORE: Coast guard ship and supply boat 'rammed' by Chinese vessels

News of the latest Chinese intercept on Tuesday comes as US President Joe Biden is expected to speak with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi when he visits the White House on Friday, CNN reported on Thursday.

It is not clear whether the meeting will be a formal discussion or a more informal meet and greet. Wang is also expected to meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan late this week.

Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping may also meet on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in San Francisco next month, though neither side has confirmed finalised plans.

The Pentagon's top official in charge of security in the Indo-Pacific, Ely Ratner, said earlier this month that the US has seen more instances of "coercive and risky" behaviour from Chinese pilots against US aircraft in the last two years over the East and South China Seas than in the entire decade before that.

"Since the fall (autumn) of 2021, we have seen more than 180 such incidents," Ratner said. "It's a centralised and concerted campaign to perform these risky behaviours in order to coerce a change in lawful US operational activity."

READ MORE: US accuses China of 'risky' fighter jet intercepts over Pacific

The Pentagon's efforts this year to engage with Chinese military leadership have gone unanswered, and US officials have grown increasingly concerned about the lack of military-to-military dialogue between the countries.

Beijing cut off the communications after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan last year, infuriating Chinese leaders.

As part of the latest National Defence Strategy, the US has pointed to China as the "pacing challenge," capable of competing with America in terms of its military might, economic power and international reach.

Beijing already possesses a standing army of more than one million soldiers, the largest navy in the world by number of ships and the largest air force in the region.

China uses its military might to assert its claims of sovereignty in the South China Sea and beyond, including Taiwan.

In 2022, the Chinese military increased its aggressive actions towards the independent island territory, including ballistic missile overflights, military aircraft flying into Taiwan's aerial identification zone and major exercises near Taiwan.

Though Xi has said he is seeking the peaceful unification of Taiwan with China, he has not renounced the use of military force to achieve his goal.

The names of two of the victims of a mass shooting in Maine in the US have been revealed as the hunt continues for the gunman.

Military reservist Robert Card shot and killed at least 18 people at a bowling alley and restaurant in Lewiston and then fled into the night, sparking a massive search by hundreds of officers while frightened residents stayed locked in their homes on Thursday under a shelter-in-place advisory.

Maine's governor announced during a press conference on Thursday (2am Friday AEDT) that at least 18 people were killed and 13 were injured in the shootings.

READ MORE: Body found as police search for slain Sydney woman's missing colleague

Among the victims were 76-year-old Bob Violette, a children's bowling coach, and Tricia Asselin, 53, who worked at the bowling alley part-time.

"What I'm told is that when it all started happening, she ran up to the counter and started to call 911, and that's when she was shot," her brother DJ Johnson told CNN.

"That was just her. She wasn't going to run. She was going to try and help."

Shooting suspect sparked military concerns

Card had been taken by police for an evaluation after military officials became concerned that he was acting erratically in mid-July, a US official told The Associated Press.

The official said commanders in the Army Reserve's 3rd Battalion, 304th Infantry Regiment became concerned in mid-July that Card was acting erratically while the unit was training at the US Military Academy at West Point in New York.

The official said military commanders became concerned about Card's safety and asked for the police to be called. New York state police took Card to the Keller Army Community Hospital at West Point for evaluation, the official said.

READ MORE: Israeli troops launch brief ground raid into Gaza

The official was not authorised to publicly discuss information about the incident and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

The new information comes as the death toll from the mass shooting rises, while the hunt for Card continues.

Governor Janet Mills said the suspect, who remains at large, was considered "armed and dangerous".

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"This city did not deserve this terrible assault on its citizens, on its peace of mind, on its sense of security," she said.

An arrest warrant for eight counts of murder have been issued for Card, according to state police.

As more victims are identified, the counts against Card will probably grow to 18, Maine State Police Colonel William Ross said.

Police responded to a "very fast moving, very dangerous scene," Ross said, noting that seven people were found dead at the bowling alley and eight at the bar, including one victim who was outside. All had gunshot wounds.

Three people who were taken to hospitals also died, Ross said.

A police bulletin identified Card, 40, as a person of interest in the attack in Lewiston that sent panicked bowlers scrambling behind pins, into corners and a back room when shots rang out around 7pm on Wednesday (10am Thursday AEDT).

Card was described as a firearms instructor believed to be in the US Army Reserve and assigned to a training facility in Saco, Maine.

The document, circulated to law enforcement officials, said Card had been committed to a mental health facility for two weeks in mid-2023.

It did not provide details about his treatment or condition but said Card had reported "hearing voices and threats to shoot up" the military base.

As the manhunt continues to locate the suspect, a shelter-in-place advisory has been extended.

It was issued on Wednesday for Androscoggin County, including the community of Lisbon, about 13 kilometres away, after a "vehicle of interest" was found there, authorities said. It was then extended Thursday to Bowdoin, which is in Sagadahoc County.

Some in the area woke up on Thursday to officers with long guns scouring their neighbourhoods.

"Nerves are rattled right now – keeping an eye on the woods," said Cory, a resident of nearby Lisbon, Maine, whose 10-year-old daughter was inside his home.

"That actually made me feel better. Seeing the cops coming around here, that makes me feel a million times better.

"In the situation like this," he told CNN, "I wish I had a firearm."

Central Maine Healthcare said on Thursday it was closing all physician offices in Lewiston and six surrounding communities for the day. All elective surgery was cancelled at Central Maine Medical Centre.

Major Northeast grocery chain Hannaford Supermarkets kept all its Maine stores closed early on Thursday, the company said.

While schools in multiple communities were closed out of caution on Thursday, including in Kennebunk, an hour away from Lewiston. Classes also were cancelled at Bates and Bowdoin colleges, and the Gorham and Portland campuses of the University of Southern Maine.

With a death toll of 18, the rampage appears to be the deadliest mass shooting of 2023 in the United States, adding to a grim docket of 565 such incidents this year across the country, with four or more shot excluding the shooter, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

It also is the deadliest mass shooting since a gunman in May 2022 killed 19 students and two teachers at a school in Uvalde, Texas.

Wednesday's death toll is also staggering for a state that in 2022 had 29 homicides the entire year.

Author Stephen King responded to the shootings on Thursday morning in a pair of posts on X, formerly known as Twitter.

https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1717494552859213988?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

"The shootings occurred less than 50 miles from where I live. I went to high school in Lisbon. It's the rapid-fire killing machines, people. This is madness in the name of freedom. Stop electing apologists for murder," he wrote.

Maine doesn't require permits to carry guns, and the state has a longstanding culture of gun ownership that is tied to its traditions of hunting and sport shooting.

It's the 36th mass killing in the United States this year, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.

Readers seeking support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78.In an emergency, call triple zero (000).

Israel's prime minister has pledged to "smash" Hamas with a devastating ground offensive in Gaza, but putting boots on the ground brings the risk of a military quagmire.

That is the view of one Australian defence expert who spoke with 9news.com.au as Benjamin Netanyahu signalled an Israeli land assault to secure the release of more than 200 hostages held in Gaza was imminent.

Marcus Hellyer, of the Strategic Analysis Australia think-tank, said while Israelis want to see Hamas destroyed for its devastating October 7 attack, every course of action for Tel Avis risks peril.

READ MORE: Biden says Hamas hostages 'obviously' in danger from Israel invasion

"There are simply no good options for Israel in this conflict," he said.

"Israel said it wants to destroy Hamas … but what does that really mean in practice. It can kill some of its leaders and dismantle some of its government, but what then?"

"Does Israel want to stay in Gaza and leave hundreds of thousands of troops there while taking responsibility for two million civilians."

Despite Israeli having one of the world's most advanced and combat-experienced militaries, its troops face a long and bloody mission battling through densely-populated Gaza City.

Shelled buildings, tunnels and basements offered excellent defensive positions for Hamas militants hunkered down and armed with rocket launchers, anti-tanks missiles and assault rifles.

READ MORE: 'Time we teach them a lesson': Israel-UN spat intensifies

"Urban warfare is a great equaliser in military terms," Hellyer said.

While the Israeli army has proved masters of tanks warfare, the narrow streets, alleyways and high-rise buildings in a battlefield such as Gaza City makes them easy targets for anti-armour weapons.

"Fighting block by block through Gaza would likely to be very grinding, with the chance of major casualties for Israel and the civilian population."

And Hellyer said Hamas' threat to execute the Israeli and international hostages it hold also further constrains Israeli's military options.

The captives risk further hard or even execution unless they can be rescued by force.

The much-vaunted Israeli special forces would be likely to lead any rescue operation, but they face the major obstacle of the captives being held in different locations spread across Gaza.

"Any special forces mission would be perilous … if one went ahead, Hamas could execute some of the hostages," Hellyer said.

"There is also the danger of the mission going wrong in a 'Black Hawk Down' situation," he added, in reference to the disastrous US special forces mission against Somali militants in 1993, when an American military pilot was taken hostage.

Despite the uncertainty of the next military phase of the Israel-Hamas conflict, experts are agreed the United States will do its upmost to stay out of direct military action in Gaza.

The Pentagon has amassed a major force in the eastern Mediterranean over past weeks based around two aircraft carrier strike groups.

But while the US has pledged to continue supplying Israel with the weapons it needs to fight Hamas, the role of American forces remains as deterring other countries and none-state groups from exploiting the turmoil, Hellyer says.

"We won't be seeing American warplanes flying combat missions over Gaza." 

Israeli troops and tanks briefly raided northern Gaza overnight (Thursday AEDT), the military said on Thursday, engaging with Hamas fighters and targeting anti-tank weapons in order to "prepare the battlefield" before an expected ground invasion.

The raid came after more than two weeks of devastating airstrikes in the small, densely-populated territory — with more than 250 in the past 24 hours — and as the UN and other world leaders warn of a dire humanitarian crisis getting worse.

Israel has imposed a suffocating siege on Gaza since Hamas' bloody rampage and hostage-taking across southern Israel ignited the war.

READ MORE: 'Australia shows it doesn't have to be this way': Kamala Harris on US gun violence

Residents are running out of food, water and medicine, and UN workers have barely any fuel left to support their relief missions across Gaza, where more than one million Palestinians have been displaced.

The rising death toll in Gaza is unprecedented in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza said Thursday more than 7000 Palestinians have died in the conflict, a figure that could not be independently verified.

Even greater loss of life could come if Israel launches a ground offensive aimed at crushing Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007 and survived four previous wars with Israel.

Israeli airstrikes in the southern city of Khan Younis leveled more than eight homes belonging to an extended family, killing at least 15 people. Ambulances raced to the scene as dust from the collapsing buildings hung in the air.

The blast zone was a chaotic wasteland of crumbled concrete and twisted metal. Rescuers carried wounded people covered in gray dust.

The body of a boy was dug out from beneath a concrete slab, where his head had come to rest next to the foot of another person entombed in the wreckage.

The Israeli military says it only strikes militant targets and accuses Hamas of operating among civilians in an attempt to protect its fighters.

Palestinian militants have thousands of rockets into Israel since the war began. One struck a residential building in the central city of Petah Tikva, without wounding anyone.

Hamas' military wing said Thursday that Israeli bombardment has so far killed about 50 of the at least 224 hostages the militants abducted during its October 7 assault. There was no immediate comment from Israeli officials, who have denied previous, similar claims.

The conflict has threatened to ignite a wider war across the region.

Hezbollah, an Iranian-funded ally of Hamas operating out of Lebanon, has repeatedly traded fire with Israel along the border. Israel has carried out airstrikes in Lebanon, Syria and even the occupied West Bank.

The United States has sent to the region two aircraft carrier strike groups with a number of ships, along with additional fighter jets and other weaponry and personnel.

Israel has vowed to crush Hamas' capacity to govern Gaza or threaten Israel again, while also saying it doesn't want to reoccupy the territory from which it withdrew soldiers and settlers in 2005.

That could prove a daunting challenge, since Hamas is deeply rooted in Gaza, with political and charity organizations as well as a formidable armed wing.

Benny Gantz, a retired general and a member of Israel's war Cabinet, said any possible ground offensive would be only "one stage in a long-term process that includes security, political and social aspects that will take years."

"The campaign will soon ramp up with greater force," he added.

During the overnight raid, soldiers killed fighters and destroyed militant infrastructure and anti-tank missile launching positions, the military said. It said no Israelis were wounded. There was no immediate confirmation of any Palestinian casualties.

Israeli Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, a military spokesman, said the limited incursion was "part of our preparations for the next stages of the war."

Israel also said it had also carried out around 250 airstrikes across Gaza in the last 24 hours, targeting tunnel shafts, rocket launchers and other militant infrastructure. Its reported targeting could not be independently verified.

The Gaza Health Ministry says more than 7000 Palestinians have been killed in the war in less than three weeks, a figure that includes the disputed toll from an explosion at a hospital. That is more than three times the number of Palestinians killed in the six-week-long Gaza war in 2014. The ministry's toll includes more than 2,900 minors and more than 1,500 women.

On Wednesday, the wife, son, daughter and grandson of Wael Dahdouh, a veteran Al-Jazeera correspondent in Gaza, were killed in an Israeli strike. Dahdouh and other mourners attended the funerals on Thursday wearing the blue flak jackets used by reporters in the Palestinian territories.

The fighting has killed more than 1400 people in Israel, mostly civilians slain during the initial Hamas attack, according to the Israeli government.

The warning by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, over depleting fuel supplies raised alarm that the humanitarian crisis could quickly worsen. Israel is still barring deliveries of fuel — needed to power generators — saying it believes Hamas will take it for military use.

About 1.4 million of Gaza's 2.3 million residents have fled their homes, with nearly half of them crowded into UN shelters.

Hundreds of thousands remain in northern Gaza, despite Israel ordering them to evacuate to the south, saying those who remain might be considered "accomplices" of Hamas.

In recent days, Israel has let more than 70 trucks with aid enter from Egypt, which aid workers say is insufficient and only a tiny fraction of what is needed.

"This is … a drop in the ocean," said William Schomburg, an official with the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza. "We are trying to establish a pipeline."

More than half of Gaza's primary health care facilities and roughly a third of its hospitals have stopped functioning, the World Health Organization said.

At Gaza City's al-Shifa Hospital, the lack of medicine and clean water have led to "alarming" infection rates, the group Doctors Without Borders said. Amputations are often required to prevent infection from spreading in the wounded, it said.

Nine Arab countries – including key US allies and nations that have signed peace or normalization deals with Israel – issued a joint statement Thursday calling for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the targeting and death of civilians.

"The right to self defence by the United Nations Charter does not justify blatant violations of humanitarian and international law," said the statement, signed by Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Morocco.

But ACC disagrees and has declined coverage for the boy.

A couple has been reunited with a triple zero phone operator who coached them through the birth of their second child at their Sydney home.

Alanna Docherty experienced back pain a week before her due date, unaware she had gone into early labour until her water broke.

Docherty's fiance Tyrone Dabbousi rushed home when he got the call and told her to ring Triple Zero.

READ MORE: Woman's body found on school grounds in Sydney's CBD

He made it there before paramedics arrived, just as the baby started to crown.

"She (the baby) was out in like 5 to 10 minutes, it was a really quick one," Dabbousi said.

Phone operator Vivienne Young coached the couple through the delivery over the phone while paramedics sped to the home in Georges Hall.

"This is one of the nicer calls, one that we really take to heart and really enjoy it and know that this is why we're here to help with these kinds of calls," Young said.

Paramedics Samantha Masterson and Doriana Szkudlerek arrived shortly after the baby did.

"Alana was sitting on the floor In between the couches with a baby between her legs, still attached to the cord," Masterson told 9News.

"We gave some oxytocin which is sort of a hormone that helps get all the last stages of labor going and then deliver the placenta," Szkudlerek added.

The paramedics and Young reunited with the family today to wish them congratulations.

Docherty said she was "so grateful" for the team's help.

Ran Yaakoby says Israel’s response to the Hamas attacks was proportionate.

The intense manhunt for the military-trained suspect behind a mass shooting that has killed at least 22 people in the US state of Maine remains ongoing, as officials have revealed disturbing details about the gunman's recent history.

Local police named 40-year-old Robert Card as the suspect in the multiple mass shootings – one at a bowling alley full of families and children, the other at a bar.

Law enforcement officials in Maine described Card as a certified firearms instructor and a member of the US Army Reserves.

READ MORE: Water polo coach found dead at Sydney school as police hunt colleague

Officials also said Card had recently made threats to carry out a shooting at a National Guard facility in Saco, Maine, and also reported mental health issues, including hearing voices.

A police bulletin said Card had been committed to a mental health facility for two weeks in mid-2023.

It did not provide details about his treatment or condition but said Card had reported "hearing voices and threats to shoot up" the military base.

In addition to the 22 fatalities, between 50 and 60 people were injured in the shootings at Sparetime Recreation bowling alley and Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant restaurant in Lewiston, a city of around 37,000 people.

Footage taken outside the Sparetime Recreation bowling alley shows people, including children, running from the scene while separate vision shows the injured being loaded into ambulances.

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There have also been reports of a third shooting location at the Walmart Distribution Centre on Alfred A. Plourde Parkway in Lewiston.

The search for Card has narrowed down on a nearby town after a "vehicle of interest" was located there.

Commissioner of the Department of Safety, Mike Sauschuck, held a news briefing on Wednesday night (Thursday afternoon AEDT) confirming a vehicle of interest was located in Lisbon, 13km south-east of Lewiston.

Residents in both cities are being told to shelter indoors, with police warning the shooter remains "armed and dangerous".

Hundreds of officers are continuing to search for Card.

"Law Enforcement is attempting to locate Robert Card 4/4/1983, as a person of interest regarding the mass shooting at Schemengees Bar and Sparetime Recreation this evening," the Lewiston Police Department said in a statement posted to social media.

"Card should be considered armed and dangerous. Please contact law enforcement if you are aware of his whereabouts."

The Sheriff's Office released CCTV images of the suspected gunman, which appear to show him holding an AR-15-style assault rifle with a telescopic sight mounted on it.

READ MORE: Two men at large after targeted shooting in Kirribilli

Central Maine Medical Centre said on its website staff were "reacting to a mass casualty, mass shooter event" and were coordinating with area hospitals to take in patients.

Residents in Lewiston and neighbouring Auburn – with a combined population of over 60,000 people – have been advised to stay inside and lock their doors.

"We are encouraging all businesses to lock down and or close while we investigate," the Lewiston sheriff's office said earlier on Wednesday evening.

READ MORE: Group of offenders armed with knives attack man at Melbourne gym

Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline said he is "heartbroken for our city and our people" over the mass shooting.

"Lewiston is known for our strength and grit and we will need both in the days to come," Sheline said in a statement.

The mayor called on residents to "follow all recommended guidelines and stay home," adding that the city is currently under a shelter-in-place order.

Maine State Police also say they are responding to an active shooter situation in Lewiston in a post on Facebook.

"Please stay inside your home with the doors locked," state police said.

"If you see any suspicious activity or individuals please call 911."

Lewiston is about 57km north of Portland, Maine, and is the state's second-largest city.

Adelaide teachers are threatening strike action for the second time in a month, with a second strike planned to hit in the middle of SACE exams.

Thousands of teachers across the state last month stormed the steps of Parliament demanding better pay and conditions, many claiming they were overworked and "at breaking point".

"I don't think we can underscore enough the level of anger that's being felt in the education community," Australian Education Union (SA Branch) President Andrew Gohl said.

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The strike last month shut down more than 160 public schools and preschools, and there is criticism now over the union's move to hold a second strike during important higher education exams.

The government has been given a deadline of November 6 to present a third pay offer, or teachers could strike on November 9 – the same day as the SACE physics and accounting exams.

Deputy leader of the opposition John Gardner said any disruption could give private school students an unfair advantage over those in the public system.

"I'd encourage them not to strike at all," he said.

"If they're going to, at least wait eight days until the exams are over."

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Failed negotiations between the union and the government have been underway for nine months.

The union has pushed for an 8.6 per cent pay rise in the new enterprise agreement with the government, followed by a 5.5 per cent increase in the two years after.

Teachers also desire a support officer in every classroom, and more time to complete admin work.

The government earlier offered public teachers a 3 per cent pay rise annually over the next three years, which was rejected.

Andrew Gohl, the President at the Australian Education Union (SA Branch), insisted if strike action proceeded, exams would not be impacted.

"There will be support for year 12 students, we'll make sure that's the case," he said.

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Minister for Education Blair Boyer said he was "shocked" about the union's move to conduct a second strike.

"This doesn't advance anything, it wasn't needed, it came as a real surprise to the government," he said.

"I am still confident despite this that we are able to deliver a final agreement soon that will get teachers a pay rise and get teachers a workload reduction as well."

Police are searching the waters near an affluent Sydney suburb for a male colleague of a young woman who was found dead in a school in Sydney's CBD with severe head injuries.

Just after midnight, police found the body of water polo coach Lilie James, 21, in the toilet area of a gymnasium at St Andrew's Cathedral School on Kent Street.

Her parents had contacted emergency services when she did not return to her Kogarah Bay home after work.

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Police are searching for Paul Thijssen, 24, near Diamond Bay Reserve at Vaucluse after receiving a phone call suggesting that was his last known location.

Police are combing the reserve and are patrolling the waters off South Head.

Thijssen, a former student of the school, had been working there as a sports assistant.

9News understands James and Thijssen had been dating for a few weeks before she called the relationship off.

NSW Police Superintendent Martin Fileman said the scene was "confronting" for the officers who found James, who was the victim of an "apparent" homicide.

"Last night police from Sydney city police area command were responding to a welfare check and attended the school at St Andrew's cathedral where police located the body of a female in her early 20s in the gym area of the school," he said.

"From her injuries, it was apparent she was a victim of a homicide."

9News understands James was attacked with a hammer. 

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Investigators are seeking to speak with Thijssen, also in his 20s.

He and James were known to each other, Fileman said, but there was no police history of domestic violence between the pair.

A second crime scene has been established at Vaucluse, where police believe they have discovered "property associated with the homicide was located".

Police have also examined a car found in a nearby Wilson Carpark.

Fileman said police were interviewing several people, and that other staff were present in the building at that time.

The school will remain closed until Monday while investigations continue. 

The school issued a statement earlier today confirming it would be closed today to everybody except those sitting Year 12 exams "following an onsite death overnight".

"No students were involved and there is no ongoing threat," a school spokesperson said.

"An area of the school, not accessible to students, is a crime zone, and we await the approval of police before bringing everyone back on site."

School counsellors have been called in to offer support for parents and students.

"The only students onsite are those sitting exams, and we ask that the media does not seek to interrupt their concentration or state of mind as they sit exams that are significant for their graduation," the spokesperson said.

They said the school would not make any further comment.

One of Sydney's oldest schools, St Andrew's has fees ranging from $22,000 for kindergarten to $38,000 for Year 12.

Crisis support is available from Lifeline on 13 11 14.