A man has been fatally shot by police officers and six shoppers have been injured – including three critically – in horrific scenes at a West Auckland supermarket this afternoon.Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said it was a terrorist…

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Parents of younger children are being urged to watch out for signs of "distress" with primary school students particularly at risk from the extended lockdown in New South Wales.

Greater Sydney has been locked down since June, with restrictions subsequently spreading to the rest of the state.

It's meant many students have been home-schooled for all of Term 3, a situation that will continue into at least October.

READ MORE: NSW records 1431 new cases, 12 deaths

The state's chief psychiatrist, Dr Murray Wright, has reminded parents that children are likely feeling the same lockdown stresses as adults.

"Children express stress differently and they will often express it indirectly," he said.

"Some children will act out, some will become clingy and some will become dependent, others will withdraw.

"I think it is reasonable if there is any kind of change in behaviour in your school-aged children at this time to assume that is actually a statement of distress and take the opportunity to find out what is causing that distress."

Dr Wright noted that children can often become upset by things they've overheard, misunderstood or misinterpreted.

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He urged parents to be wary of the experiences their children are missing out on while in lockdown, and to be non-judgemental.

"It is important to be validating, to be optimistic, to be reassuring, and to be encouraging of what is going to happen in the future," he said.

He pointed out that any conversations with children need to be regular, and not rushed at a time when parents are juggling a number of priorities.

"These things are really difficult to do," he explained.

"Under these difficult circumstances, it is really important and having this sort of conversation on a regular basis as a family helps manage and contain any distress.

READ MORE: Woman in her 30s dies a day after testing positive

"Children pick up on the emotional environment that is around them.

"They very easily react to strong emotions that are happening in the house around them and it is yet another reminder for us to be very deliberate and very mindful about how and when we express our reactions to the things that are happening to all of us."

Dr Wright warned parents to be vigilant in monitoring the mental health of their children, explaining that the issue won't disappear overnight.

"These things I'm talking about are challenging and difficult and they have to happen day in and day out," he said.

"It is really important to look after your own health and if some of the things which I am talking about prove challenging and difficult to sustain over time, talk to your friends and talk to your family about it."

Three of New Zealand’s top Covid-19 experts say the diminishing number of Covid-19 cases announced today is a great sign as the nation attempts to battle its way out of lockdown. But celebrations over the downward trend this week…

New South Wales has recorded 1431 new local cases of COVID-19 and a further 12 deaths, including a woman in her 30s who had only been tested a day earlier.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian has again warned that health authorities expected a peak in cases in the next fortnight.

"The next fortnight is likely to be our worst in terms of the number of cases," Ms Berejiklian said.

READ MORE: Australia reaches new vaccine milestone with 20 million doses

"But as I have said, it is not the number of cases we need to be focusing on, but how many of those cases and up in our intensive care wards and hospitals.

"And how many people we have vaccinated as quickly as possible."

Ms Berejiklian reiterated her warning October will see a higher number of cases and deaths than ever before.

https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1433596210053402625

But she also said the health system has been planning for this for "18 months".

"We will need to do things differently but that has already been planned for," Ms Berejiklian said.

She added that intensive care units may be expanded into other parts of hospitals during the surge.

"Just because you hear about something done differently, I don't want people to be concerned by that because that is what is in our pandemic plan," she said.

"That is what we have planned and prepared for. So, you will hear examples of how things are done differently.

"Our hospital staff have been trained, redeployed, that is why we have taken a pause on some things because when you know you are going to get the worst caseloads or worst hospitalisation, you do have to make amends and pause but it is only a temporary situation."

One of the 12 deaths announced today was a woman in her 30s from south-west Sydney.

She died with coronavirus at her home, just one day after testing positive to the virus.

"Investigations are underway into the source of her infection, she was not vaccinated," NSW Deputy Chief Health Officer Dr Marianne Gale said.

Nearly 11,000 people with coronavirus are being cared for by NSW Health.

The majority of these people are in the community or in health hotels.

There are 979 people in hospital and 160 in ICU – 63 of which are ventilated.

More than 827,000 have come forward to get vaccinated in the past week.

Breakdown on regional NSW cases

Deputy Premier John Barilaro has provided a breakdown of the cases reported in the regions:

• 53 cases in Western NSW local health district, including 31 in Dubbo, 11 in Bourke, six in Bathurst, two in Walgett, one in Gilgandra, one in Narromine
• Seven cases in the far west, all in Wilcannia
• 13 in the Illawarra, including nine in Wollongong, two in Shellharbour
• 11 in the Hunter New England region – four in Port Stephens, two in Lake Macquarie, two in Newcastle, one in Maitland, one in the Upper Hunter and one in Armidale

A fleet of 30 motorhomes has been sent to the regional town of Wilcannia to help people infected with coronavirus isolate away from their homes and families.

The town, which has a large Aboriginal population, recorded seven new cases today.

"The Department of Rural and Regional New South Wales are working together to make sure we make this as easy as possible and absolutely, it is in line with community sentiment and community expectation and we will keep working at it, refine it and send it up if we need to," Mr Barilaro said.

He was also asked about the spread of misinformation around vaccines in the community.

"I don't think that is just Indigenous communities, it is happening across regional and rural New South Wales, across Australia and the globe," Mr Barilaro said.

"There is a lot of misinformation across the internet and the debate between AstraZeneca and Pfizer, AstraZeneca is abundant and safe and effective and available."

He urged people to "get off social media" and listen to leaders within the community.

Kids are doing it tough

NSW Chief Psychiatrist Dr Murray Wright has asked parents to look out for any changes in their children as home-schooling and lockdown continues.

"I think it is reasonable if there is any kind of change in behaviour in your school-aged children at this time to assume that is actually a statement of distress and take the opportunity to find out what is causing that distress," Dr Wright said.

"Quite often the things which are upsetting to our children are actually things that they have overheard, misunderstood or misinterpreted.

READ MORE: Sydney tradies fined and construction site closed for COVID-19 breaches

"It is really important to try and have these conversations and to validate their distress, to acknowledge the things that they are missing out on and that they may have lost as a consequence of the restrictions, but to do so in a way that is non-judgemental.

"It is important to be validating, to be optimistic, to be reassuring, and to be encouraging of what is going to happen in the future.

"These things are really difficult to do when you are juggling all the other things that we are juggling every day. And the conversations should not be on the run.

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"It is probably a good idea to have a regular conversation as a family, perhaps over a family meal, to discuss these things when you are less likely to be distracted by other things, and so it is not just talking it is listening and getting a really good opportunity for the family to discuss these things."

He added that children "very easily react to strong emotions that are happening in the house" and there are resources available to help with your kids' mental health.

More vaccinations arrive

This morning half a million Pfizer doses have arrived in Sydney under a vaccine swap deal with Singapore.

The precious cargo landed last night on board flight SQ 7292.

The 500,000 Pfizer shots are due to expire and in return Australia will send the same number of doses back to Singapore in December.

The vaccine will undergo batch testing by the TGA before being distributed equally across the country based on the population of each state and territory.

"This deal gives us the further supplies we need as we bring new groups into the program for Pfizer, including 12- to 15-year-olds from September 13, and the 16 to 39 age group that has already commenced," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.

Small freedoms for high-risk LGAs

The arrival comes as some restrictions have now eased for residents living in the 12 Sydney local government areas where coronavirus cases are at their highest.

People in south-western and western Sydney can now exercise outdoors for as long as they want, with the one hour limit scrapped. The 9pm to 5am curfew remains.

But that curfew is reportedly now under review with the limits impacting shift workers.

READ MORE: NSW records 1288 cases of COVID-19 as seven million vaccine target hit

And weddings are back on but with strict rules in place.

Couples can now tie the knot with no more than five guests, plus the wedding party – the two people getting married, two witnesses required for the marriage, one person conducting the service and one person to photograph or film the wedding.

Travel limits are also in place for those who can attend the wedding.

Ms Berejiklian yesterday confirmed NSW had reached seven million jabs, with 70 per cent of residents receiving their first dose.

Queensland's Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young has fired back at reporters after being questioned over "what level of death" from COVID-19 she would be comfortable with to open up the state.

The Queensland Government has been vocal on its reservations to reopening the state to the rest of the country, even once vaccine thresholds have been met.

When asked by reporters how many deaths she would be comfortable with in order to get to "COVID normal", Dr Young did not hold back her disdain for the question.

READ MORE: Premier apologises for allowing NRL partners into Qld

"Come on? Can you please remember who I am?" she said.

"I stand up here every day, I went into medicine to save lives.

"I'm not comfortable with any deaths that are preventable so that's why I want every single Queenslander to get vaccinated because that is the best protection.

"You've got me quite upset now. I do not want to see any death of a Queenslander that is preventable."

READ MORE: Palaszczuk accused of stoking fear over COVID threat to children

It comes as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she would ask Prime Minister Scott Morrison for "further detailed modelling" to inform the country's domestic re-opening plan.

"It is only fair and reasonable that we have a constructive debate in this country," she said.

"And rather than picking fights and attacks, let's have a decent, educated conversation."

NASA’s newest Mars rover Perseverance successfully collected its first rock sample for return to Earth, after its attempt last month came up empty.

The rover's chief engineer, Adam Steltzner, called it a perfect core sample.

"I’ve never been more happy to see a hole in a rock," he tweeted on Thursday.

READ MORE: NASA prepares to send astronauts to Mars

A month ago, Perseverance drilled into much softer rock, and the sample crumbled and didn't get inside the titanium tube.

The rover drove a half-mile to a better sampling spot to try again. Team members analysed data and pictures before declaring success.

Perseverance arrived in February at Mars' Jezero Crater — believed to be the home of a lush lakebed and river delta billions of years ago — in search of rocks that might hold evidence of ancient life.

READ MORE: SpaceX launches ants, avocados and robots to space station

NASA plans to launch more spacecraft to retrieve the samples collected by Perseverance. Engineers hope to return as many as three dozen samples in about a decade.

"Be patient, little sample, your journey is about to begin," Steltzner said.

An urgent appeal is underway to identify a man wanted for questioning over the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl at a pool north of Melbourne.

Victoria Police have today released images of the man following the incident in January.

Detectives said a 16-year-old girl was playing water volleyball with friends at an aquatic centre on Central Park Avenue in Craigieburn just after 2pm on January 10 when they were allegedly approached by two men.

LIVE UPDATES: Victoria's coronavirus cases reach 208

Police allege that during the game one man sexually assaulted the girl in the water.

She swam away and he followed her before asking her to go to the bathroom with him, police said.

Around 30 minutes later, the man approached the victim at a kiosk and again asked her to come with him.

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The girl left the pool and reported the incident to police.

Police have today released two CCTV images of the man they are looking to speak with.

He is believed to be Middle Eastern in appearance, aged approximately 20-years-old, about 187cm tall, with a solid build and a short buzz cut.

He was wearing black board shorts with a red and white stripe.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000

A stunned US East Coast faced a rising death toll, surging rivers, tornado damage and continuing calls for rescue overnight after the remnants of Hurricane Ida walloped the region with record-breaking rain, drowning more than two dozen people in their homes and cars.

In a region that had been warned about potentially deadly flash flooding but hadn't braced for such a blow from the no-longer-hurricane, the storm killed at least 32 people from Maryland to New York on Wednesday night and yesterday morning.

At least 12 people died in New York City, police said, one of them in a car and 11 in flooded basement apartments that often serve as relatively affordable homes in one of the nation’s most expensive housing markets.

READ MORE: New York subways flooded

Suburban Westchester County reported three deaths.

Officials said at least 10 people died in New Jersey and at least five in Pennsylvania, including one killed by a falling tree and another who drowned in his car after helping his wife to escape, according to authorities.

A Connecticut state police sergeant perished after his cruiser was swept away.

In New York City, Sophy Liu roused her son from bed and put him in a life jacket and inflatable swimming ring as their first-floor apartment flooded in Queens.

Unable to open the door against the force of the water, she called friends for help. The water was nearly 1.5 metres high when they came to her rescue, she said.

“I was obviously scared, but I had to be strong for my son. I had to calm him down,” she recalled as medical examiners removed three bodies from a home down the street.

In another part of Queens, water rapidly filled Deborah Torres' first-floor apartment to her knees as her landlord frantically urged her neighbours below — who included a baby — to get out, she said.

But the water rushed in so strongly that she surmised they weren't able to open the door.

The three residents died.

“I have no words," she said.

“How can something like this happen?”

Ida's remnants maintained a soggy core, then merged with a more traditional storm front and dropped an onslaught of rain on the Interstate 95 corridor, meteorologists said.

Similar weather has followed hurricanes before, but experts said it was slightly exacerbated by climate change — warmer air holds more rain — and urban settings, where expansive pavement prevents water from seeping into the ground.

The National Hurricane Center had warned since Tuesday of the potential for “significant and life-threatening flash flooding" and moderate and major river flooding in the mid-Atlantic region and New England.

Still, New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the storm's strength took them by surprise.

"We did not know that between 8.50 and 9.50pm last night, that the heavens would literally open up and bring Niagara Falls level of water to the streets of New York,” Ms Hochul, a Democrat who became governor last week after former Governor Andrew Cuomo resigned, said.

Mr De Blasio, also a Democrat, said he'd gotten a forecast Wednesday of 7.5cm to 15cm of rain over the course of the day.

The city's Central Park ended up getting 8cm just in one hour, surpassing the previous recorded high of 5cm in one hour during Tropical Storm Henri on August 21.

Wednesday's storm ultimately dumped over 23cm of rain in parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and nearly as much on New York City’s Staten Island.

READ MORE: Dolphin spotted in Ida floodwaters

In Washington, President Joe Biden assured Northeast residents that federal first responders were on the ground to help clean up.

As Ida's remnants hit New York, some highways flooded, garbage bobbed in streaming streets and water cascaded into the city's subway tunnels, trapping at least 17 trains and halting service until early morning.

Videos online showed riders standing on seats in swamped cars.

All riders were evacuated safely, officials said.

At one Queens development, water-filled the sunken patio of a basement apartment, then broke through a glass door, trapping a 48-year-old woman in two metres of water.

Neighbours unsuccessfully tried for an hour to save her.

“She was screaming, ‘Help me, help me, help me!’ We all came to her aid, trying to get her out. But it was so strong – the thrust of the water was so strong," the building’s assistant superintendent, Jayson Jordan, said.

In Elizabeth, New Jersey, near Newark Airport, four people died and 600 were left homeless from rain and river flooding in an apartment complex, Mayor J. Christian Bollwage said.

Neighbours described hearing screaming from the complex at about 11pm as water flowed down the street, pushing dumpsters and cars around.

“Sandy had nothing on this,” resident Jennifer Vilchez said, referring to 2012′s Superstorm Sandy.

Greg Turner, who lives in another part of the city, said his 87-year-old mother started calling 911 from the complex at 8pm when the water started rising in her apartment.

High water kept him and his brother from getting to her.

As midnight approached, the water reached her neck, he said. Rescuers finally cut through the floor of the apartment above and pulled her to safety.

“She lost everything," Mr Turner said as he headed to a bank for money to buy his mother clothes and shoes.

In New Jersey's Milford Borough, authorities said they found a man’s body in a car buried up to its hood in dirt and rocks.

The ferocious storm also spawned tornadoes — at least seven, according to the National Weather Service.

One split trees on Cape Cod, another tore off part of a high school roof in suburban Philadelphia and yet another ripped apart homes and toppled silos in Mullica Hill, New Jersey, south of Philadelphia.

"It just came through and ripped,” resident Jeanine Zubrzycki, 33, who hid in her basement with her three children as the house shook and lights flickered, said.

When the danger passed, they went upstairs and saw a neighbour's house had been destroyed.

“And then you could just hear people crying,” Ms Zubrzycki, 33, whose own home was damaged but liveable, said.

Record flooding along the Schuylkill River in Pennsylvania inundated homes, highways and commercial buildings, even as meteorologists warned that rivers likely won’t crest for a few more days.

The riverside community of Manayunk remained largely underwater.

The Schuyilkill reached levels not seen in over 100 years in Philadelphia, where firefighters were still getting calls about minor building collapses and people stuck in flooded cars Thursday morning, Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel said.

The managers of a 941-unit apartment complex near the river ordered residents to evacuate, citing “deteriorating” conditions after water rushed into the parking garage and pool areas.

In suburban Bucks County, several firefighters had to be rescued after rushing floodwaters pinned a rescue boat against a bridge pier, state emergency management director Randy Padfield said.

Others were unable to escape the floods, including Donald Bauer, who was driving home to Perkiomenville after attending their daughter’s volleyball game at DeSales University, near Allentown. The game had been moved up by two hours because of the weather.

State police Trooper Nathan Branosky said Mr Bauer, 65, drowned in the car after helping his wife get out.

His wife is hospitalised, DeSales spokesperson Michael Corr said.

A flash flood warning continued into Thursday in New England, where authorities used boats to rescue 18 people from a neighbourhood in Plainville, Connecticut, and 15 people — one in a wheelchair — from a complex in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.

A road in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, crumbled.

In Frederick County, Maryland, first responders used a boat to rescue 10 children and a driver from a school bus caught in rising waters.

On Sunday, Ida struck Louisiana as the fifth-strongest storm to ever hit the US mainland, leaving 1 million people without power, maybe for weeks.

– reported with AP

The Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards, celebrates the lighter side of the animal kingdom.