A ‘mini tornado’ has torn through Clyde as high winds buffeted the Central Otago town.

A team of Kiwi firefighters will take on Australia in a golf rivalry.

The Black Power member was previously jailed for 11 years for his involvement in a murder.

Will Kiri Allan be able to hold on to her job?

Coroner says motorists and cyclists need education about how to negotiate risks.

Four people have been killed and two children – aged two and 13 – injured in a mass shooting in the US city of Philadelphia, police said.

A suspect was apprehended with an AR-style rifle, a handgun, a bulletproof vest, multiple ammunition magazines in the vest, and a scanner after the shooting that spanned several blocks in or around the Kingsessing neighbourhood, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle M. Outlaw said.

A second person – who may have picked up someone's gun and returned fire – also was in custody, Outlaw said.

READ MORE: Customer closes account after shock call from bank teller

Three of the four killed ranged in age from 20 to 59, police said.

The age of the fourth wasn't immediately available.

Outlaw described the conditions of the wounded children as stable.

Investigators don't immediately know what led to the shooting, police said.

About 50 spent shell casings litter the shooting scenes, Outlaw said.

Earlier, police said eight people had been injured.

READ MORE: Weather records tumble as another threat prepares to unleash

At least 339 mass shootings have happened in the US so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

The archive, like CNN, defines a mass shooting as one in which four or more people are shot, not including the shooter.

Sign up here to receive our daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, sent straight to your inbox.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has left interest rates on hold at 4.1 per cent, but has warned that more hikes will be needed to contain inflation.

RBA Governor Philip Lowe cited falling inflation and lagging productivity as large drivers of this month's decision to hold the cash rate steady, as well as a preference to see more economic data before changing the base rate.

This is just the second meeting since May 2022 in which the RBA has decided to keep interest rates on hold.

READ MORE: Mark Bouris predicts Australian recession 'likely' amid rate hikes

In his monetary statement, Lowe said it was likely that more hikes would be needed to bring inflation down to the target band of under 3 per cent.

"Some further tightening of monetary policy may be required to ensure that inflation returns to target in a reasonable timeframe, but that will depend upon how the economy and inflation evolve," Lowe said.

"The decision to hold interest rates steady this month provides the Board with more time to assess the state of the economy and the economic outlook and associated risks.

"In making its decisions, the Board will continue to pay close attention to developments in the global economy, trends in household spending, and the forecasts for inflation and the labour market. The Board remains resolute in its determination to return inflation to target and will do what is necessary to achieve that."

READ MORE: Mortgage stress at highest point in 15 years, research finds

Currently inflation is still tracking at a quarterly-posted level of 7 per cent.

Graham Cooke, head of consumer research at Finder, said this month's monetary decision was a genuine coin toss.

"The latest inflation figures made a strong case for the RBA to pause its series of rate hikes," Cooke said.

"However, the RBA repeatedly states that its intention is to get inflation all the way to the target rate of 2-3 per cent and we aren't there yet.

"While homeowners have been given a break this month, they should buckle up for further hikes this year."

READ MORE: Finance guru says one stat will stop rate hikes

Senior economist at PropTrack Paul Ryan said property prices remained stubbornly high despite 12 previous interest rate hikes in 15 months.

"So far, the housing market has shown remarkable resilience to sharply higher interest rates," he said.

"Despite rates now at levels not seen since 2012, home prices increased further in June, and are up 2.3 per cent over 2023 so far.

"Forward indicators point to further home price growth in the months ahead.

"But continued higher interest rates remain a risk for the housing market.

"At some point, eroded borrowing capacities and weaker economic conditions brought about by higher interest rates may lead to price falls, as seen in 2022."

Josh Gilbert, Market Analyst at eToro, said the RBA has clearly concerned about the prospective of tipping the economy into a recession if they moved too quickly with interest rate hikes.

"The decision today points towards the economy weakening and the RBA's clear worry over tipping Australia into a recession, with the board reiterating that the path to a soft landing is narrow," he said.

"The good news for equities, as mentioned, is that there is a strong chance we don't see a cash rate peak of 4.6 per cent."

Sign up here to receive our daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, sent straight to your inbox.

Three men allegedly involved in a violent confrontation over an e-scooter sale will remain behind bars after being charged.

Aron Nsengiyumva, 21, Alex Edward Deng, 20 and John Wal Wal, 24, have been remanded in custody on a string of charges after three men were stabbed and a dog was killed during the weekend attack in Brisbane's southwest.

The violence erupted on Sunday evening when three armed men allegedly demanded the residents of a Forest Lake property hand over an e-scooter that had been advertised for private sale on social media for $2000.

READ MORE: Customer closes account after shock call from bank teller

Three men inside the home – aged 33, 30 and 21 – armed themselves with shovels and were stabbed by the intruders during a wild backyard brawl.

Nsengiyumva, from Redbank, on Tuesday appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court with what appeared to be facial injuries.

His matter was adjourned until July 24.

Co-accused Deng, from Darra, did not appear in court when his matter was adjourned to the same date.

They did not apply for bail and have been remanded in custody.

Wal Wal, from Goodna, appeared in Richlands Magistrates Court on Monday.

He will remain in custody until his next appearance in October.

READ MORE: Weather records tumble as another threat prepares to unleash

All three men have been charged with offences including serious animal cruelty, threatening violence, attempting to illegally enter premises and wounding.

Police say two of the alleged attackers went to the Forest Lake home about 1.30pm on Sunday to inspect the scooter before trying to pay with counterfeit cash.

They allegedly produced a knife but left without the scooter after an altercation.

Hours later they returned with another man, scaling the back fence armed with weapons including knives, machetes and what was later revealed to be a gel blaster pistol, police allege.

READ MORE: Skeletal remains found in torched car in Sydney's south

They allegedly demanded the scooter, smashing rear glass doors and stabbing the dog to entice the victims outside.

Despite the efforts of police and late-night vets, the dog later died.

Two of the alleged attackers suffered injuries during the confrontation, including a fractured cheekbone, lacerations to an eye socket and injuries to the back of the skull, police said.

Sign up here to receive our daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, sent straight to your inbox.

A lawyer covertly recorded telling his co-conspirators theirs was "the biggest tax fraud in Australia's history" has been jailed for at least nine years for his discreditable conduct.

Dev Menon, 39, was found guilty in March along with four others of conspiring to dishonestly cause a loss to the Commonwealth and deal with the proceeds of crime worth more than $1 million, described as the tax fraud and money laundering conspiracies of Plutus Payroll.

The company collected money from legitimate clients and funnelled it through a web of second-tier companies instead of paying it to the tax office, siphoning a loss of $105 million between 2014 and 2017.

READ MORE: Son of former ATO deputy commissioner found guilty of $105m tax fraud

"It would be the biggest tax fraud in Australia's history, definitely, there is no question," Menon was covertly recorded telling conspiracy architect Adam Cranston, among hundreds of "compelling" recordings played to the jury that sat on the marathon nine-month trial.

Menon who advised co-conspirators how to try avoiding detection, helped manage vulnerable straw directors of second-tier companies and had them sign false documents exposing them to massive tax liabilities became a knowing participant in the conspiracy from at least June 2015, Justice Anthony Payne found.

READ MORE: Customer closes account after shock call from bank teller

He sentenced the lawyer and accountant to a total of 14 years with a non-parole period of nine years in the NSW Supreme Court on Tuesday.

Menon knew the straw directors were not capable of genuinely fulfilling their roles, describing one as "not smart enough to sit in a meeting with the ATO".

He concealed those opinions and later lied to Revenue NSW that those same directors were legitimate, all "thoroughly discreditable conduct" for a solicitor, the judge found.

It was submitted in his defence Menon performed real and valuable legal work for which he was paid accordingly.

READ MORE: Weather records tumble as another threat prepares to unleash

"This rather misses the point," Justice Payne said.

Menon's abuse of his professional status and the trust placed in it exacerbated his persistent course of conduct throughout his involvement in one of the most serious tax fraud and money laundering conspiracies, and he has not demonstrated any remorse or contrition.

Justice Payne accepted Menon's child had a "very serious" medical condition and his imprisonment posed a burden on his family, but those "heartbreaking circumstances" and a finding Menon was not primarily motivated by greed could not prevent him being jailed.

Menon shook his head, which was in his hand, appearing via video link from the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre in Sydney's west at Silverwater.

He is eligible for parole in May 2032.

Sign up here to receive our daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, sent straight to your inbox.

A baby gorilla is now happy and healthy after he was fighting for life from a traumatic birth on the NSW South Coast.

Five-month-old Kaius was delivered by a health team at Mogo Wildlife Park via caesarean in October 2022.

Zoo keeper Chad Staples said his mum didn't pass on the placenta which caused him to develop sepsis pneumonia.

READ MORE: Australian craft gin company Four Pillars sold to brewing giant Lion

"Nine months later we are here and hopefully introducing him to his surrogate soon," Staples said.

Staples has been caring for baby Kaius since the birth after his mother rejected him.

"It is life-changing, we are just so similar so it has been like having another baby around the house but with the added pressure of millions of people watching," he said.

The zoo doesn't know when the public will be able to visit Kaius but will make an announcement once Kaius has successfully bonded with his surrogate mother.

Sign up here to receive our daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, sent straight to your inbox.