A young motorist accused of causing the death of a teen cyclist near an Auckland roundabout by opening the door of her parked car appeared in court for the first time today. Ponsonby resident Hannah Lousie Tilsley, 23, could face…

US government agents have taken control of a Russian oligarch's $430 million superyacht moored in Fiji.

The Amadea – believed to be owned by sanctioned Russian billionaire Sulieman Kerimov – was seized by Fijian authorities yesterday afternoon following a legal wrangle lasting weeks.

Agents of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and US Marshals Service operating in Fiji helped local authorities to execute a seizure warrant.

READ MORE: Ukraine says tradie 'betrayer' helped Russians storm key holdout

"Fijian law enforcement, with the support and assistance of the FBI, acted pursuant to a mutual legal assistance request from the US Department of Justice," the US Department of Justice said in a statement.

The luxurious yacht has been the centre of legal proceedings since it arrived in Fiji in mid-April as the public prosecutor attempted to register a US warrant for its seizure.

The vessel's owners tried to stop the enforcement action.

"This yacht seizure should tell every corrupt Russian oligarch that they cannot hide – not even in the remotest part of the world," US Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said.

"We will use every means of enforcing the sanctions imposed in response to Russia's unprovoked and unjustified war in Ukraine."

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Defence lawyers have claimed the real owner of the Amadea was Russian business tycoon Eduard Khudainatov.

Khudainatov is the former chairman and chief executive of Rosneft, the state-controlled Russian oil and gas company.

Crucially, Khudainatov currently does not appear to face any sanctions, unlike many oligarchs and people with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin who have been sanctioned since the war began.

Defence lawyers have claimed in court that Millemarin Investments Ltd (sometimes spelled Millemarine) is the legal owner of the vessel and that the company is linked to the real, or beneficial, owner – Khudainatov.

READ MORE: Vladimir Putin's inner circle: The men behind Russia's war in Ukraine

But US authorities have claimed that behind all the various fronts, the real owner is Kerimov, an economist and former Russian politician, who was sanctioned by the US in 2018 for alleged money laundering and has faced further sanctions from Canada, Europe and Britain after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Kerimov made a fortune investing in Russian gold producer Polyus, with Forbes magazine putting his net worth at $14.5 billion.

According to Boat International, the Amadea is 106 metres long and was built in 2017.

It features a stainless steel albatross that extends off the bow and weighs more than five tonnes, a live lobster tank in the galley, a 10-metre pool, a hand-painted Pleyel piano and a large helipad.

READ MORE: US provided intelligence that helped Ukraine target Russian generals, warship: reports

– Reported with Associated Press

The United States has provided intelligence to Ukrainian forces that allowed them to target and kill many Russian generals, according to a report in the New York Times.

Citing unnamed senior officials, the newspaper claims US intelligence have detected the whereabouts of several battlefield headquarters where Russian generals were based.

That information was then shared with Ukrainian units, who used artillery and other targeted strikes to kill the senior Russian officers.

READ MORE: Kremlin denies plans to formally declare war on Ukraine

The US also provided vital information on the location of Russia's Black Sea flagship the Moskva, which was struck and sunk by Ukraine last month.

The guided missile cruiser was sunk after being hit by Ukrainian Neptune missiles after the US identified the vessel, NBC News reported.

The Russian navy has since withdrawn from the Ukraine coast.

Ukrainian forces, having spotted the Russian warship in the Black Sea, called their American contacts for confirmation that it was in fact the Moskva, sources familiar with the events told CNN.

The US responded that it was, and provided intelligence about its location.

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It is not clear whether the US knew Ukraine would move to strike the ship, however, and the US was not involved in that decision, the sources said.

The episode, first reported by NBC News, reflects the Biden administration's increasingly forward-leaning posture when it comes to sharing intelligence with Ukraine, part of a broader policy shift toward helping Ukraine defeat Russia decisively on the battlefield and significantly weaken its military.

But it also raises questions about what the red lines are for the US and Russia when it comes to US military support to Ukraine.

The US has for months provided Ukrainian forces with intelligence about Russian troop movements inside Ukraine, including intercepted communications about Russian military planning.

READ MORE: Australia trusts Solomon Islands on Chinese military base, Dutton says

It also provides Ukraine with maritime awareness information to allow them to better understand the threat posed by Russian ships in the Black Sea, many of which are firing missiles onto Ukrainian territory.

There are also clear limits, however, to what the US will share, multiple sources told CNN.

The US government declined to confirm they had deliberately disclosed the location of Russian generals.

"We do not provide intelligence on the location of senior military leaders on the battlefield," the Pentagon's press secretary John Kirby said yesterday.

READ MORE: What Russians are being told about the war in Ukraine

Generals typically stay far enough back from the frontlines to avoid being hit, with mobile headquarters intended to relocate often enough to prevent detection from the enemy.

Matthew Sussex, a senior fellow at the Centre for Defence Studies at the Australian Defence College in Canberra, told 9news.com.au in March the Russian army could ill afford to lose its senior commanders in combat.

"The deaths of generals as well as other officers such as majors and colonels means the Russian army is losing about 20 years' experience with every one," Associate Professor Sussex said.

READ MORE: Russians storm besieged steel plant using information from 'betrayer'

He said junior commanders were ill equipped to take over command because the Russian army has a system of concentrating major decisions with its senior commanders.

While the invasion of Ukraine has been particularly bloody, the deaths of an estimated 12 Russian generals is exceptionally high.

By contrast, only one American general has been killed during wartime since the end of the Vietnam War.

That general, Harold Greene, was killed by a member of the Afghan National Army at a base in Kabul in 2014.

Russia has been concentrating its forces in the east of Ukraine after its attempt to seize Kyiv was a bloody failure.

But their attempted advances in the Donetsk region have been costly and slow-moving.

In Mariupol, a strategically important port city in Ukraine's south, Russia has been unable to claim victory thanks to a tenacious few hundred Ukrainian soldiers holding out in an underground tunnel network underneath the steel plant.

-with CNN

Tasmania's south-east has been hit with a record-breaking storm that hammered towns with hail, resulted in dozens of flood warnings, and left thousands more without power.

And there is a warning more extreme weather is on the way.

Police are investigating whether heavy rain was behind a car accident that left a pedestrian, 81, dead.

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The man was struck by a car near Claremont in Hobart at around 9pm last night and died at the scene.

"Initial investigations suggest it was raining at the time. The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene," police said in a statement.

A record-breaking amount of rain was dumped on Hobart and large hail fell over some suburbs.

Mount Wellington in Hobart was hit by 105mm of rain, a two-year high, and 107km/h winds were recorded; a three-month high.

READ MORE: Ukraine says tradie 'betrayer' helped Russians storm key holdout

Hobart Rivulet flooded overnight.

Water levels had dropped by this morning but video captured by local Kat Joanne shows the rivulet is still raging.

"Hobart gain(ed) more than a month's rain in 12 hours, its heaviest in four years, leading to flooding," Weatherzone said.

READ MORE: Woman drips blood down Melbourne street before cops find horror scene

State Emergency Service (SES) said they've responded to over 40 requests for assistance in greater Hobart and south eastern Tasmania since the deluge.

"Responses are being prioritised based on the greatest need," SES said.

Around 10,000 lightning strikes were recorded.

TasNetworks said about 30,000 homes were left without power last night; nearly 1000 are still without power, according to the energy provider's website.

"Areas affected include Montagu Bay, Rose Bay, Rosny, Brighton, Honeywood, Old Beach, Tea Tree and surrounding areas," TasNetworks said on Twitter.

A flood watch is current for South East, Huon, Derwent, North and North East catchments.

And a moderate flood warning has been issued for the Jordan River, north-west of Hobart.

Minor flood warnings are also in effect for the following waterways: South Esk River, Macquarie River, River Derwent, Coal River, Huon River.

https://twitter.com/BOM_Tas/status/1522107165338750977

A severe weather warning is still in effect for the state.

People in the Upper Derwent Valley, South East and parts of Western, East Coast, Central Plateau and Midlands Forecast Districts are bracing for more heavy rainfall and damaging winds.

"Heavy rainfall which may lead to flash flooding is forecast for the southeastern half of Tasmania…Six-hourly rainfall totals between 40 to 60mm are likely," BoM warns.

"Heavy rainfall is expected to contract south and west of Hobart by Friday afternoon and then ease during Friday evening."

The wild weather is being caused by a low-pressure system which "is expected to move over the state later today."

A strong cold front is also passing across the nation's south-east, making for a chilly weekend.

Lows of 1C are expected in Canberra on Saturday, while Hobart while shiver through a chilly 7C.

The mercury will dip to 9C in both Melbourne and Sydney.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton has insisted Australia wants a "strong friendship" with the Solomon Islands despite reports its Prime Minister will invite Chinese forces there.

Mr Dutton was speaking on Today this morning after The Australian newspaper reported Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare is likely to install a "strongarm" force.

"(Prime Minister) Manasseh has said he will not allow a military base in terms of the Solomon Islands, we take him at his word," Mr Dutton said.

READ MORE: Mariupol steel mill battle rages as Ukraine repels attacks

"We've got Australian Federal Police and troops there at the moment … We've been a trusted partner for a long period of some time."

The Solomon Islands last month signed a security deal with China that could see Beijing set up a military base there.

Mr Dutton said growing Chinese assertiveness in the Pacific was not just a challenge for Australia but for other nations such as Japan and India.

"The Chinese operate by a very different presence of a security force within Africa and elsewhere," Mr Dutton said.

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On Wednesday, Mr Sogavare launched a broadside against countries critical of its new deal with China, claiming the Pacific nation had been "threatened with invasion".

In a full-throated defence of the pact, which many experts fear allows China to establish a military presence less than 2000km from the Queensland coast, he hit out at the "glaring hypocrisy" of "some of our partners working with their agents on the ground"

"We are threatened with invasion, Mr Speaker, and that's serious," Mr Sogavare told Parliament.

A flashy 'rollable' TV has been launched in Australia but it comes with a hefty price tag.

The world-first LG Rollable OLED TV retails for just shy of $130,000 with the company calling it a "work of art fit for luxury living".

It has previously been available overseas but is now on sale here in Australia.

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"LG R Rollable OLED TV reimagines what a TV is capable of and revolutionises the way people use their space," LG said in a statement.

LG's home entertainment marketing manager Tony Brown told 9News the TV "isn't for everyone".

"It's $129,999 so it's not for everyone but it is a cutting edge demonstration of what you can do with OLED technology," he said.

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The TV features an "ultra-thin flexible" OLED screen which makes it possible to roll into the cabinet.

"The screen is so thin you can actually roll it up and around a cylinder and put your TV away when you're not using it."

It is available via custom order and then it is custom made, which you would expect considering the price tag.

Auckland Council voted to endorse the plan to speed up cycleway construction in the city, especially on main routes and around schools and local centres. Councillor Angela Dalton told a meeting of the council’s planning committee…

A tiny ice cream shop in Sydney's CBD has broken records after selling for almost $3 million. 

The 16-square-metre store on Macquarie Street, Circular Quay, has set a new Australian record of $185,000 per square metre.

The tiny patch of Sydney real estate sold for exactly $2.97 million.

READ MORE: How hacker's chilling webcam takeover left Aussie business in tatters

The property has been owned by a family for 20 years and has never been vacant due to its prime location on the golden mile, the retail strip leading up the Sydney Opera House precinct.

"The location is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to purchase a trophy retail investment right on the doorstep of the Opera House," Andrew Vines from Retail Commercial Consultancy said.

Despite the eye-watering price, Mr Vines was hoping to break records even more.

"It was obviously a really great result, I would have liked to get a little bit more," he said.

READ MORE: Solomon Islands 'threatened with invasion', PM claims

Mr Vines said this sale is a 20 per cent increase on the last purchase per square metre.

There were seven bidders at the auction but one lucky private investor based in Melbourne took out the prime location.

The mammoth sale comes despite interest rates rising which will put pressure on mortgage holders and housing prices.

Health authorities have issued new warnings about a rare flesh-eating disease which has been detected in Melbourne's inner north.

For the first time, cases of the Buruli ulcer have been detected in Pascoe Vale and Strathmore.

Victoria's deputy chief health officer of communicable disease says cases of the bacterial ulcer used to be confined to coastal areas, but now it is has made its way into metro Melbourne.

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Thirty nine Victorians have been treated so far this year.

The mode of transmission from wildlife to humans is still being investigated, but scientists believe mosquitoes and possums play a role.

When the bacterium gets under the skin, it secretes a toxin that that kills the skin.

https://twitter.com/VicGovDH/status/1521672707208880129?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1521672707208880129%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2F7news.com.au%2Fnews%2Fpublic-health%2Fflesh-eating-buruli-ulcer-cases-reported-in-melbourne-suburbs-of-pascoe-vale-south-and-strathmore-c-6686124

Victoria's deputy chief health officer of communicable disease, Associate Professor Deborah Friedman said it usually starts as a small spot that looked like a mosquito bite.

She said the spot then grows bigger over days and and weeks developing into a wound that won't heal.

"The ulcer can enlarge over weeks and months.. and they can take months to heal," she said.

People are being urged to cover their body while working outside, reduce areas where water can pool and wash and cover scratches received while working outside.

The highest risk areas for Buruli ulcer are Rye, Sorrento, Blairgowrie and Tootgarook on the Mornington Peninsula.

Health experts say there is no need to be alarmed, but if you have a lump or lesion that is not healing, it's advised people see a doctor and request a test for the ulcer.

A couple has been refused bail today after they were charged with the alleged murder of 19-year-old Amber Haigh, who vanished nearly 20 years ago.

Robert Geeves and his wife Anne Geeves, both aged 61, were arrested at a property at Harden, in the NSW south-west yesterday and were later charged with one count each of murder.

The police prosecutor told Cowra Local Court the homicide squad made the arrests after a new witness came forward via Crime Stoppers, just a week after a $1 million reward for information on the case was announced.

READ MORE: How hacker's chilling webcam takeover left Aussie business in tatters

The court heard Mr Geeves allegedly bought a chainsaw in the days after Haigh's disappearance.

Police will allege they captured the couple on phone intercepts talking about the disposal of Haigh's body including Ms Geeves asking her husband, "where are we going to take the rest of her now" and "have you got rid of her?"

Mr Geeves is also accused of asking his wife "not to roll" on him because he "didn't want to go to jail".

The police prosecutor told the court there was a clear motive, arguing the couple allegedly killed Haigh to obtain custody of a child.

Mr Geeves' lawyer explained during today's bail application her client had previously been charged but acquitted of the murder of another woman.

A magistrate refused Mr Geeves' bail after finding there was a strong circumstantial case.

READ MORE: Solomon Islands 'threatened with invasion', PM claims

Haigh was the mother of a six-month-old son who was fathered by Mr Geeves.

She disappeared on June 5, 2002, after making plans to visit her sick father at Mt Druitt hospital in Sydney.

The Geeves told police they dropped the teen off at Campbelltown train station.

Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty said police will allege Haigh was killed in the Harden-Young area.

"We will allege Amber met her demise in the Harden-Young area and never made it to Sydney and as I've said before it was a terribly tragic event where a six-month-old baby was left behind and never got to grow up and know his mum," Detective Superintendent Doherty said.

READ MORE: Toddler fighting for life after being left on daycare bus in sweltering heat

Haigh's family are still desperate to find her body with a $1 million reward remaining for any information about the location of her remains.

"The family is really keen to find the remains of Amber and put her to rest," Detective Superintendent Doherty said.