Three fire trucks were sent as flames engulf scrub, toetoe and flax on a cliff face.

A US contractor was killed and five US service members and one other US contractor were wounded when a suspected Iranian drone struck a facility on a coalition base in northeast Syria on Thursday, the Pentagon said.

In a statement released late on Thursday, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said US Central Command forces retaliated with "precision airstrikes" against facilities in eastern Syria used by groups affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Guard.

The Defence Department said the intelligence community had determined the unmanned aerial vehicle was of Iranian origin.

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"The airstrikes were conducted in response to today's attack as well as a series of recent attacks against Coalition forces in Syria" by groups affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard, Austin said.

Overnight, videos on social media purported to show explosions in Syria's Deir Ez-Zor, a strategic province that borders Iraq and contains oil fields.

Iran-backed militia groups and Syrian forces control the area, which also has seen suspected airstrikes by Israel in recent months allegedly targeting Iranian supply routes.

Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which answers only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been suspected of carrying out attacks with bomb-carrying drones across the wider Middle East.

In recent months, Russia has begun using Iranian drones in its attacks on sites across Ukraine as part of its war on Kyiv. Iran has denied being responsible for these attacks, though Western nations and experts have tied components in the drones back to Tehran.

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The attack and the US response threaten to upend recent efforts in the region to deescalate tensions, as Saudi Arabia and Iran have been working toward reopening embassies in each other's countries.

The kingdom also acknowledged efforts to reopen its embassy in Syria, whose embattled President Bashar Assad has been backed by Iran in his country's long war.

US Army General Michael "Erik" Kurilla, the head of the American military's Central Command, warned that American forces could carry out additional strikes if needed.

"We are postured for scalable options in the face of any additional Iranian attacks," Kurilla said in a statement.

Syria's state-run SANA news agency did not immediately acknowledge any strikes. Syria's mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

There was no immediate reaction from Iran over the strikes, which come during the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Iran's mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Qatar's state-run news agency reported a call between its foreign minister and Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser.

Doha has been an interlocutor between Iran and the US recently amid tensions over Tehran's nuclear program.

Qatar's foreign minister also spoke around the same time with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian.

Austin said he authorised the retaliatory strikes at the direction of President Joe Biden.

The US under Biden has struck Syria previously over tensions with Iran. In February and June of 2021, as well as August 2022, Biden launched attacks there.

US forces entered Syria in 2015, backing allied forces in their fight against the Islamic State group. The US still maintains the base near Hasakah in northeast Syria where Thursday's drone strike happened.

There are roughly 900 US troops, and even more contractors, in Syria, including in the north and farther south and east.

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"As President Biden has made clear, we will take all necessary measures to defend our people and will always respond at a time and place of our choosing," Austin said.

"No group will strike our troops with impunity."

Syria's war began with the 2011 Arab Spring protests that roiled the wider Middle East and toppled governments in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Yemen.

It later morphed into a regional proxy conflict that has seen Russia and Iran back Assad.

The United Nations estimates over 300,000 civilians have been killed in the war. Those figures do not include soldiers and insurgents killed in the conflict; their numbers are believed to be in the tens of thousands.

The Pentagon said two of the wounded service members were treated on site, while three others and the injured contractor were transported to medical facilities in Iraq.

A woman has been commended for her bravery in court after facing the once-prominent real estate agent who attacked her with a samurai sword in Sydney's inner west.

Former high-flying real estate agent Karl Howard was partying at his Annandale home in February 2021 when he hit his then-partner before attacking her friend with a one-and-a-half-metre blade.

CCTV captured Howard running and hiding in the back of a ute before being arrested when he fell onto the road.

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Howard was found not guilty of intending to kill or harm the women in December following a trial in the NSW District Court.

He pleaded guilty to assaulting one woman, causing actual bodily harm, and recklessly causing grievous bodily harm to the second woman.

Today, Howard was forced to hear the impact of his violent rampage as the samurai sword victim read a statement in court.

"I stand before you as a survivor of a brutal and life-altering attack," she told the judge.

The woman told the court about multiple surgeries and seven months spent in a cast, "wondering if I would ever use my right arm again".

"The physical pain was excruciating but the emotional and psychological pain … has been immeasurable," she said.

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The judge commended the woman for her bravery.

The judge also revealed Howard won't be sentenced until November and has been given one last chance to prove himself in rehabilitation.

He has already had one alcohol breach and if it happens again he will return to jail.

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Residents in western New South Wales are concerned about the quality of their water supply after mass fish kills in the local river.

Multiple fish kills have occurred in the lower Darling-Baaka River at Menindee sparking major concerns for residents and their own safety.

Authorities have held meetings with residents to provide an update on the incident.

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Work is underway to remove and dispose of as many fish as possible from the Main Weir pool to ensure fresh and clean water supply is maintained to the Menindee township and surrounding properties.

"The most obvious concern within the community is access to clean water and Essential Water was able to reassure those on town water that there are no – and nor will there be – issues with water supply," NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Brett Greentree said.

"It's also important that I reiterate NSW Health's advice that the drinking water supply in Menindee township is safe to drink and continues to meet all health-related Australian Drinking Water Guidelines values.

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"That said, we would encourage anyone who is concerned or feels unwell, whether that be physically or mentally, please contact the local health service for assessment, advice or assistance."

Greentree said residents in the Main Weir pool who rely on the river for water supply will continue to receive access through water carting services as authorities handle the situation.

Millions of dead fish floated to the surface of the weir pool last week and were killed due to "low oxygen levels especially during extreme conditions such as increased temperatures".

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"These fish deaths are related to low oxygen levels in the water (hypoxia) as flood waters recede," the Department of Primary Industries said.

"Significant volumes of fish including Carp and Bony Herring, nutrients and organic matter from the floodplain are being concentrated back into the river channel.

"The current hot weather in the region is also exacerbating hypoxia, as warmer water holds less oxygen than cold water, and fish have higher oxygen needs at warmer temperatures."

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Some lucky Australians may be treated to a stunning light show tonight as a geomagnetic storm is forecast to make the Aurora Australis visible.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has issued an aurora alert which means the breathtaking dancing lights may be visible after sunset "in good observing conditions at high altitudes" across both Australia and New Zealand.

According to the Bureau, the display may even be visible across "all of Tasmania" tonight. 

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The colours are normally best seen in the south of Tasmania but occasionally the lights are seen in other parts of the country, often in Victoria and Queensland

Bureau space weather forecaster Dr Jeanne Young said chances of seeing an aurora increase between March and September when the Earth's magnetic field is best oriented to interact with solar winds.

But conditions need to be right. You need a dark night with little cloud cover and don't want a bright moon.

Dr Young recommends finding a spot with an unobstructed view to the south, like a hill or a beach.

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Bright auroras last about three hours, generally between 10pm and 2am, she said. 

The natural electric phenomenon results from various interactions in the Earth's atmosphere.

They appear as a curtain of light or glow and are most often green.

The geomagnetic storm can also impact the operations of communication and GPS satellites, power systems and spacecraft.

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Bruce Lehrmann has told police he received a mysterious email titled "Coming for you" in the days before he was publicly accused of raping his parliamentary colleague Brittany Higgins.

The email, from an address bearing Lehrmann's name and which he claimed was not operated by him, was tendered to the Federal Court on Friday as part of defamation proceedings brought by the former Liberal staffer.

Lehrmann also told police he received another email that was subsequently deleted but contained the subject line "Truth will come out".

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The existing emails reference former Australian of the Year Grace Tame, after she appeared on television to speak about her experience of sexual abuse.

"A woman spoke about what happened to her tonight, and she's Australian of the year," the email said.

"I want you to think about what you did, and what might be around the corner for you."

Dated January 25, 2021, the email was taken to police several days later by Lehrmann.

It goes on to reference Parliament House in Canberra, where Higgins alleged she was raped by Lehrmann following a work function in March 2019.

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The charges against Lehrmann – who maintains his innocence – were dropped in December 2021, after a jury was discharged because outside material was brought into the jury room and following concerns about Higgins' mental wellbeing.

"How many people know what you did, and how many did you tell," the email said.

"How many cameras are in Parliament House and how many tracked down the vision."

It concludes, "It's going to be a magical 2021".

Lehrmann is attempting to sue Network Ten and News Corp over interviews with Ms Higgins which he claims defamed him.

Former host of The Project, Lisa Wilkinson, and news.com.au political editor, Samantha Maiden, are both listed as respondents in the lawsuits.

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This week, lawyers for the outlets argued Lehrmann's lawsuit was filed outside a required 12-month window.

Lehrmann's barrister Matthew Richardson SC argued it would not have been reasonable for his client to launch the defamation cases sooner as he was facing ongoing criminal proceedings.

Court documents showed Lehrmann texted colleagues and friends about Ms Higgins' appearance on The Project, suggesting he could be "up for millions" of dollars in defamation damages.

Federal Court Justice Michael Lee has reserved his decision on whether to extend the one-year limitation period and allow the case to proceed.

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