By RNZ The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found an officer who fired nine shots at a man was justified in firing some, but not all, of them.The incident unfolded in May 2020 when a prisoner was granted leave from Waikeria…

The days are "blending into each other" for Louise Battye and her family, who have been cut-off from the world for five days after floodwaters surrounded their outback New South Wales farm.

The only way in-and-out of the 1400-acre property in Nyngan is currently by boat; a strange change after battling through years of drought.

While "Wiralla" has been spared damage thanks to a levee, Battye told 9news.com.au only "60cm of freeboard" was left.

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Last night proved an anxious wait as rain pit-pattered on corrugated tin, amid the threat of a "record-breaking" deluge.

Thankfully by sunrise, a total of just 74mm had fallen.

"We're hoping we don't get much more," Battye said.

"The house is completely surrounded by water.

"We have 1000 acres here and 16,000 at Gongolgon which is also inundated with water and more to come up there, as this water moves through the Bogan system.

Wiralla is home to a head of 600 sheep, 40 cattle, as well as crops of wheat and oats.

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Over the past week Battye has raced against breaks in the rain to move "stranded" sheep to high ground – with the help of family visiting from Orange.

"We wouldn't have been able to save the stock we have without them," she said, adding she has fears for livestock on her other property.

"(There's) 6000 sheep at 'Boonery', our other place, and they are all in one paddock on a hill.

"SES did a fodder drop on Sunday or Monday, I can't remember, the days are blending into each other.

"Crops here at 'Wiralla' are submerged for about the third time since sowing, but this is the worst."

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For farmers living in outback NSW the elements have proved relentless over the past five years.

Before the floods came the dust storms, fuelled by a decade-long drought.

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"We owned a 127,000 acre station in Queensland from 2011 to 2017 and had drought for the five out of six years," Battye said.

"We then moved to Nyngan and ended up with the worst drought I've ever seen; no stock water, no feed.

"The drought here was worse than the bad years we had in Queensland".

"(But) I would rather the water than the dust."

This morning Battye said her boys are checking on the livestock via a kayak, while she's in the midst of organising a chopper to drop more hay.

There is no end in sight for the wet weather, with the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) warning "almost every river" west of the Great Dividing Range in NSW could see moderate to major flooding in the coming hours and days.

Australia has entered it's third consecutive La Nina event, which is predicted to hold until early 2023.

A university student who took LSD and became psychotic before killing his girlfriend, fearing she was a demon, has been jailed for 20 years.

Newcastle Supreme Court Justice Richard Cavanagh said Jordan Brodie Miller, 22, had violently attacked his partner of two years, Emerald Wardle, when delusional and suffering a psychotic disorder caused by the temporary effects of his drug taking.

Cavanagh said Miller believed he had been cursed and needed to kill either himself or Wardle to lift the curse.

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"This was his first episode of psychosis, although these effects were only temporary they were acting upon him at the time he killed Ms Wardle,'' the judge said on Thursday.

Miller, who was 20 at the time, admitted strangling Wardle, 18, but pleaded not guilty to murdering her, claiming he had been in a psychotic state, did not intend to harm her and could not be held criminally responsible.

A jury deliberated for 12 hours in June after a two-week trial before finding Miller guilty of murder, rejecting his claims the killing had been caused by an underlying form of undiagnosed schizophrenia.

Crown prosecutor Lee Carr SC had argued Miller's use of drugs and the lack of any early signs of a psychotic illness pointed to the killing being drug-induced, meaning Miller was guilty of murder as it had been his choice to use drugs.

Cavanagh said on Thursday Miller had a genuinely held psychotic belief Wardle was some sort of demon who had to be killed.

"What this means is not capable of rational or logical explanation. This is because it was not a rational thought or belief.

"Having said that, the only finding available is the offender intended to kill Ms Wardle.

"The fact is that he strangled her. However, that does not mean the attack on Ms Wardle was some sort of planned event."

The judge said a letter written by Miller in August to the court and Wardle's family showed he was remorseful.

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"I want it to be known that in my sound mind I would never have done anything like this," Miller wrote.

"I loved Emerald so much."

Police had found Wardle's body in the ensuite bathroom of the main bedroom at a house at Metford, near Maitland, on June 20, 2020.

Miller told police: "If you walk inside and go into the bathroom, it's in there, the demon. Help me, help me, the demon's got me, help me."

After his arrest, Miller, a regular cannabis smoker from the age of 14 with no history of mental illness or violence, admitted taking a half tablet of LSD 11 days earlier and claimed to have reached spiritual enlightenment but Wardle had been "trying to suck the life out of me".

When police arrived at the scene at 1.20am, Miller was standing outside near the gate wearing tracksuit pants and no shirt or shoes. He ran towards the officers pleading for help.

Wardle's mother, Tania Simshauser, upset at the way her daughter was characterised during Miller's trial, told the judge in her emotional victim impact statement how Miller was the real monster, not her daughter.

"She was not a demon. She was an innocent young woman who was born my daughter but became my very best friend," Simshauser said.

"I, however, will forever live with demons in my mind.

"As I approach sleep every night I am haunted with demons.

"As a mother, I know my baby girl died feeling terrified and alone and that is a demon that will stay with me forever.''

Miller will be eligible for parole after serving 13 years.

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The Ukrainian government has accused the Russian military of running a "mini Auschwitz" after a "torture chamber" was allegedly found in recaptured territory.

Ukraine's Ministry of Defence tweeted out photos of items supposedly recovered from formerly Russian-occupied Pisky-Radkivski.

They included a box of dental crowns, and a gas mask.

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The mask had been "put on the head of a victim who was covered with a smouldering rag and buried alive", the Ministry claimed.

"A mini Auschwitz. How many more will be found in occupied Ukraine?" the Ministry wrote in a tweet, comparing the alleged Russian atrocities to the Holocaust.

The Ministry did not speculate online as to the source of the dental crowns but some media outlets have suggested they could have been extracted from prisoners.

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German tabloid BILD, however, reported that a local dentist claimed the crowns had been ones he removed from patients over the years.

He said they had been looted from his home by Russian forces.

Multiple accusations of torture and inhumane treatment of prisoners and civilians have been levelled at Russian forces since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

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Mass graves and brutalised bodies have allegedly been discovered in areas controlled or attacked by invading troops.

Human Rights Watch claims to have verified a number of those claims.

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When Jana Pittman's mum phoned her daughter and said she thought she was having a heart attack and described her symptoms, the Olympic athlete-turned-doctor knew exactly what was wrong.

Jackie, 73, wasn't having a heart attack, but she did have a painful virus which will affect one in three Aussies during their lives – shingles.

Jana sent her mum to her GP, who confirmed the diagnosis.

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Jackie also had other symptoms, including a rash so painful she described it as "like the worst sunburn you could ever have".

"It was pretty shocking watching mum go through it," Pittman, 39, said.

Jackie initially thought she had an allergy, but the pain soon became "unbearable".

"It was first of all like a stabbing pain – it was on the right-hand side and Jana said it can't be a heart attack," Jackie told 9news.com.au.

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"I went to my GP. By then, I'd left it a bit too long. The pain really started.

"The best way for me to describe it is to say aside from the stabbing pain – which made it hard for me to breathe – it's like the worst sunburn you could ever have."

The rash was so painful she could only wear loose pyjamas and as there's no cure, she took pain relief and used in chamomile lotion to ease the itching.

And while most people recover from the virus, for some symptoms hang around.

Jackie suffered from ongoing pain for six weeks.

Almost a year later, she still has some itching in the area her rash developed.

Now the mother and daughter have teamed up to raise awareness of the virus.

Pittman competed in hurdles and later bobsled, making her the first Aussie to compete in both Summer and Winter Olympics, before studying medicine. 

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She's backing a campaign to help raise awareness about shingles, which affects up to 120,000 Aussies a year.

The Know Shingles website, created by pharmaceutical company GSK Australia, aims to bust the myths and help people learn the symptoms.

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A GSK survey found only eight per cent of Australians asked thought they were at risk of getting shingles in the next year.

And Jackie admits she was confused about the link with chicken pox.

"I thought you could only catch shingles if you'd had direct contact with somebody with chickenpox," she said.

Shingles itself isn't contagious – unless you've never had chicken pox, in which case it appears as chicken pox.

However, you can't catch shingles from someone else if you've had chicken pox – which almost every Aussie has.

It's not known exactly what causes it to develop.

Jackie warned people, especially of her age, to see their GP as soon as possible if they have symptoms.

"If you have a rash that is unusual, go to your GP and have it checked out – maybe if I had gone earlier maybe I wouldn't have had such an long reaction," she said.

Pittman, who now works in obstetrics and gynaecology at the Royal Hospital for Women in Randwick, wants more people to be aware of the risks, especially if they are over 50 or immunocompromised.

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"People just assume it's not going to happen to them," she said.

"It's really stopping people's lives."

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) president Karen Price backed the campaign.

"Shingles is a health condition that must be taken very seriously," she said.

"It can be an incapacitating condition, particularly for those who develop persistent nerve pain, which can last months after the rash."

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What is shingles?

Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful, blistering rash.

It is caused by the same virus as chickenpox, the varicella zoster virus.

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You can only get shingles, also known as herpes zoster, if you have had chicken pox.

Shingles isn't contagious – except if you haven't had chicken pox, in which case it can be passed on as chicken pox.

Seventy per cent of cases are in over-50s, according to Australian research

Shingles symptoms

An itchy rash, with painful blisters, usually on one side of the body, either on the face, chest, back, abdomen or pelvis.

The pain is often described as burning, shooting or stabbing.

It can last for weeks.

While most people make a full recovery, in around 10 per cent of people, shingles can cause ongoing pain or tingling, called post-herpetic neuralgia.

Qantas has apologised to a woman who was left "absolutely disgusted" after initially being refused compensation from the airline that left her wheelchair badly damaged.

It was only after she exposed her experience publicly that the company said it made the wrong decision.

Australian writer and disability activist Zoe Simmons wrote on social media that following a recent flight she was returned her wheelchair with a left brake that was "no longer working".

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Simmons said the damage meant she couldn't "safely go down slopes, hills or steer without risk of crashing or injuring" herself.

Faced with having to buy a completely new wheelchair, Simmons hoped Qantas would assist in covering the cost, which can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars.

But in an emailed response, the airline said it was not liable for "minor" damage. Simmons said she was left "so angry" by the level of "crap" disabled people experience and "even more so when it comes to air travel".

"Airlines do not accept responsibility for minor damages to the brakes, wheels, and handles of your wheelchair. Therefore, I am unable to offer you any financial settlement in this matter," an initial email to Simmons from a Qantas customer service representative said.

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"I realise this may not be the outcome you were hoping for, however, if you are covered by insurance you may be able to claim on that policy."

Simmons was incensed by the response. 

"It's not good enough," she said on Twitter.

"I am really upset. Qantas have told me they consider damaged brakes to be "minor" and therefore will not help me.

"Absolutely disgusting. I'm so mad for the disability community. We put up with so much shit."

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However, after Simmons brought the issue to light, Qantas have since offered to cover the cost of the damages and confirmed the incident would be reviewed to ensure it didn't happen again.

"We appreciate this has been a very frustrating experience for Ms Simmons and we sincerely apologise," a Qantas spokesperson told 9news.com.au

"We have contacted her directly and have offered to pay for the required repairs to her wheelchair."

The airline said Simmons' initial request for compensation was not directed to the correct team that deals with such incidents.

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UK Prime Minister Liz Truss pledged on Wednesday to ride out the turmoil unleashed by her tax-cutting economic agenda, saying the "disruption" will pay off in a wealthier, more efficient Britain.

Truss closed a tumultuous Conservative conference in the central English city of Birmingham with a speech intended to revive the spirits of delegates. She told them: "I am ready to make the hard choices" and branded her many critics — including opposition parties, trade unions, environmental protesters and parts of the media — an "anti-growth coalition".

Many Tories are in a glum mood after a four-day gathering that saw policy U-turns from the government, dire opinion polls and open rebellion from lawmakers who fear the party is doomed to lose the next national election under Truss, who took office just a month ago after winning a party leadership vote.

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Truss vowed to stick with her plan to reshape Britain's economy through tax cuts and deregulation in a bid to end years of sluggish growth. She said cutting taxes was "the right thing to do, morally and economically."

Truss acknowledged that "these are stormy days" for a country still mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth II and rocked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"In these tough times, we need to step up. I am determined to get Britain moving, to get us through the tempest and put us on a stronger footing as a nation," she said, as she vowed to "stand by our Ukrainian friends, however long it takes."

Seeking an upbeat tone, Truss took the stage to the strains of the 1990s hit Moving on Up. The founder of the band behind the song, M People, said he was "livid". Mike Pickering said he hoped Truss looked at the lyrics of the song — "Move right out of here, baby, go on pack your bags."

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The speech was briefly disrupted by two Greenpeace activists who unfurled a banner reading "Who voted for this?" — and were escorted out of the hall to boos from the audience. Truss shrugged it off.

"Whenever there is change, there is disruption," she said. "Not everyone will be in favour. But everyone will benefit from the result — a growing economy and a better future. That is what we have a clear plan to deliver."

The pound, which has been on a roller-coaster journey since Truss unveiled her economic proposals last month, fell about 1 per cent to $US1.136 ($1.76) after the speech.

The currency had hit a record low of $US1.03 ($1.60) soon after Truss announced a stimulus package that includes £45 billion ($78.8 billion) in tax cuts to be paid for by government borrowing on September 23. The Bank of England was forced to intervene to prop up the bond market and stop a wider economic crisis.

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Under political and financial pressure, the government on Monday scrapped the most unpopular part of its budget package: a tax cut on earnings above £150,000 ($262,000) a year. That will save about 2 billion pounds, a small share of the government's £45 billion tax-cutting plan. Most economists say deep public spending cuts will be needed to pay for the rest.

The government says it will publish a fully costed fiscal plan, alongside an independent economic forecast, on November 23.

Truss defended the chaotic rollout of her economic measures, saying that in extraordinary times, "it would have been wrong not to have proceeded rapidly with our energy and tax plan".

Truss argues that her policies will bring economic growth, higher wages and eventually more tax revenue for the government to spend. Critics say the plans do little to help millions of people who are struggling right now with a cost-of-living crisis fuelled by soaring energy prices.

Truss insists she is committed to supporting the most vulnerable, pointing to a cap on energy prices that took effect October 1. But she has refused to promise that benefits and state pensions will increase in line with inflation, which has been the practice for years.

That has alarmed some Conservative lawmakers, who say it amounts to penalising the poor while giving tax cuts to the better-off. Several said during the conference that they would not vote for the measure.

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, from the Labour Party, said cutting benefits would provoke "a national uprising."

Truss said "the status quo is not an option" and she would "stay the course."

But uniting her party will be a tough task. As delegates met for panel discussions and wine receptions this week inside a cavernous conference hall, the government descended into factional fighting. Home Secretary Suella Braverman, a Truss ally, accused Conservative lawmakers who disagreed with the leader of staging "a coup".

Amid the Tory turmoil, the opposition Labour Party has taken a commanding lead in opinion polls. A national election does not have to be held until 2024, but many Conservatives fear the party is running out of time to close the gap.

Polling expert John Curtice said "all of the ingredients for electoral defeat are in place" for the Conservatives.

Some delegates left the conference early because of the glum mood, and to avoid a nationwide train strike on Wednesday. Many of those who stayed to listen and applaud Truss said they were impressed.

"I really felt her conviction," said Mo Pantall, a businesswoman from Cambridge in eastern England — though she noted there had been some in the hall "who weren't clapping".

"They weren't with Liz," Pantall said. "But 90, 95 per cent of us are. We know that unity at this time is what will make us succeed."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed laws absorbing four Ukrainian regions into Russia, a move that finalises the annexation carried out in defiance of international law.

The documents were published on a Russian government website on Wednesday morning.

Earlier this week, both houses of the Russian parliament ratified treaties making the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions part of Russia.

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The formalities followed Kremlin-orchestrated “referendums” in the four regions that Ukraine and the West have rejected as a sham.

The move comes as Moscow's war in Ukraine has entered a new, more dangerous phase.

Russia faces mounting setbacks on the battlefield, with Ukrainian forces retaking more and more land in the east and in the south, the very regions Moscow has pushed to annex.

The borders of the territories Russia is claiming still remain unclear, but the Kremlin has vowed to defend Russia's territory, the newly absorbed regions, too, with any means at its disposal, including nuclear weapons.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to the annexation by announcing a fast-track application to join NATO and formally ruling out talks with Russia.

Zelenskyy’s decree, released Tuesday, declares that holding negotiations with Putin has become impossible after his decision to take over the four regions of Ukraine.

On the battlefield on Wednesday morning, multiple explosions rocked Bila Tserkva, setting off fires at what was described as infrastructure facilities in the city to the south of the capital Kyiv, regional leader Oleksiy Kuleba said on Telegram.

READ MORE: Russian losses evident in key liberated Ukrainian city

Early indications are that the city was attacked by so-called “kamikaze” or suicide drones, he said.

Bila Tserkva is about 80 kilometres south of Kyiv.

Russia has increasingly been using suicide drones in recent weeks, posing a new challenge to Ukrainian defences.

The unmanned vehicles can stay aloft for long periods of time before diving into their targets and detonating their payload at the last moment.

Many of the earlier attacks by the Iranian-made drones happened in the south of the country and not near the capital, which hasn't been targeted for weeks.

In a later post, Kuleba said that a total of six Shahed-136 drones struck the city, one of the largest in the region after Kyiv itself.

One person was injured in the attacks.

Dozens of rescue workers were on the scene and still working to extinguish the fires hours after the attacks were reported, he said.

READ MORE: Musk sparks backlash from Ukraine with unsolicited 'peace' plan

Ukrainian forces, in the meantime, continued to make gains in the south.

Kyiv's military said Wednesday they have recaptured more villages in the Kherson region as a part of their massive counteroffensive effort.

Operational Command South said that the Ukrainian flag has been raised above Liubymivka, Khreschenivka, Zolota Balka, Biliaivka, Ukrainka, Velyka and Mala Oleksandrivka villages.

A Chinese evangelist on an “unstoppable mission” to share the gospel despite being detained, interrogated, and hit on the head with a police baton has been granted refugee status in New Zealand. For years in China he preached to…

Four flavours of the popular breakfast staple Dare iced coffee are being urgently recalled after being found to contain potentially hazardous pieces of plastic.

The affected flavours include Espresso, Double Espresso, Mocha and Double Espresso No Sugar Added in the 750mL size.

According to Food Standards Australia New Zealand, "the products have been available in Victoria at independent grocery stores including IGA, convenience stores including Coles Express, and smaller independent outlets".

READ MORE: Popular chips recalled in NSW and Queensland over contamination fears

"The recall is due to the potential presence of foreign matter (plastic pieces)," a statement said.

Food products containing plastic pieces may cause illness and injury if consumed.

The recall comes just days after Smith's Crinkle Cut Salt & Vinegar Chips were similarly recalled.

It is believed chips in 45g, 90g and 170g bags could also be contaminated with plastic pieces.

The chips have been on sale at Woolworths and independent stores in NSW and Queensland and IGA in Queensland​.