When Sydney woman Lee Hunt was diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer back in 2005, she underwent gruelling rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

She also began taking what was a relatively new and promising targeted therapy drug at the time, Herceptin, which has been shown to boost the effects of chemotherapy.

Little did Hunt know that the very treatments that likely saved her life would lead to serious health problems down the track.

READ MORE: Unions are calling for a four-day week, but some sectors don't agree

Five years after finishing her cancer treatments, she began to notice strange symptoms.

"I just started fainting, and feeling very dizzy," Hunt said.

Hunt was referred to a haematologist by her GP, on the assumption that it might be her low blood pressure causing the problem.

Luckily, the hematologist was aware of growing evidence of breast cancer survivors developing heart problems after taking Herceptin.

Hunt was sent to see a cardiologist, who diagnosed her with cardiotoxity, which refers to long-term damage to the heart caused by a medical treatment.

Hunt isn't alone, with data showing heart disease related to cancer treatment is emerging as a significant threat to breast cancer survivors.

It is now estimated that up to 30 percent of breast cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy will go on to develop potentially life-threatening heart complications as a side effect of associated targeted therapies, immunotherapies or the chemotherapy itself.

Australian scientists at the Heart Research Institute hope to have a solution to the problem soon, in the form of a new drug that patients can take while undergoing chemotherapy to prevent heart damage.

Professor Julie McMullen leads a team of researchers at the institute who have earmarked two potential drugs which have been showing promise.

The drugs are being tested on revolutionary "mini-hearts" created in the lab.

The size of a grain of sand, these tiny hearts are made from donated human blood, and have their own heartbeat.

The tiny heart model was developed in the laboratory of University of Technology Associate Professor Carmine Gentile in an Australian first.

"We can collect blood from breast cancer patients, and then isolate their cells, and with those cells, we can make these little mini hearts," McMullen said. 

"Then, if we put some cancer drugs onto them, we can see if that impacts how they beat.

"We can also test whether one of our protective drugs protects them against any defects in how they beat."

The ambitious cardio-oncology project also aims to understand why some patients are more susceptible to cardiotoxicity than others, helping pave the way for more personalised treatment in the future.

"We currently have limited knowledge on why cardiotoxicity occurs and which women will be most impacted," McMullen said.

"This research has the opportunity to identify women at risk of cardiotoxicity before symptoms are present, so we can develop drugs to protect the heart during and after cancer treatment."

If you would like to learn more about the research go to www.hri.org.au

US police have identified the victims in a shooting that killed three people, including a child, in a Target parking lot.

The victims include Hector Leopoldo Martinez Machuca as well as Adam Chow and Chow's granddaughter.

"Adam Chow and his 4-year-old granddaughter were pronounced deceased on scene," a Tuesday statement says. Martinez Machuca was pronounced dead after being transported to a hospital. Chow's wife sustained minor injuries, the release said.

Authorities said the suspected gunman, Ethan Nieneker, "randomly attacked" Martinez Machuca — a Target employee — in the parking lot on Monday local time.

Nieneker allegedly shot him as he was collecting shopping carts, the release said.

The shooting is one in a spate of deadly gun violence in the US, and follows killings in recent weeks at places normally considered safe – a Montana bar, the offices of the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta and an office building in New York City.

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said Tuesday the victims were picked at random and Nieneker had "serious issues".

"There were some serious failures here … when you look at potentially some mental illness there," Davis said.

The firearm used in Monday's fatal shooting was "acquired through family," Austin police Sergeant Nathan Sexton said Tuesday.

Nieneker, 32, is being held at the Travis County Jail, charged with capital murder by terror threat, capital murder of a person under 10 years old and felony first-degree murder, according to online jail records.

He also has prior criminal offences, including assault causing bodily injury to a family member, driving while intoxicated and possession of marijuana, Davis said on Tuesday.

It is unclear if Nieneker has made a court appearance or obtained an attorney.

A motive has not been determined and it's not clear what led to Monday's gunfire.

The shooting erupted during a busy time of year for retailers, with back-to-school shopping underway.

Police were called at 2.15pm and arrived at the Target parking lot where they found three people shot, Davis said.

After shooting Martinez Machuca, Nieneker ran to a black Jeep Cherokee.

He began firing as the Jeep attempted to evade the gunfire, Tuesday's police statement said.

He then ran up to Chow's car, where he shot him and then fired into the backseat, striking the granddaughter, police said.

Nieneker was eventually captured about 32km away in South Austin after someone called police, Davis said.

He was taken into custody after being tased.

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson called the shooting "a sickening, cowardly act of gun violence".

"This is a devastating situation, and my heart is with the victims and their families," he said in a post on X.

Target said in a statement it is "devastated by the violence" at the Austin store and is working with law enforcement on the investigation.

Lonnie Lee, 22, had visited the Target with her sister and was shocked to see the parking lot was cordoned off and filled with police, she told The Associated Press.

"We got really, really lucky," Lee said.

"And some people didn't."

At a Jiffy Lube shop that shares its parking lot with the Target, employees locked the doors as soon as they became aware of the shooting.

Paul Smith, an employee at the oil-change store, saw people running from their cars in the parking lot in a panic, he told the AP.

"I had just gotten back from the Target like a minute before," Smith said.

Pro-Palestine advocates have labelled Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's move to recognise Palestinian statehood as "symbolic" and a "distraction", saying it will not help the situation on the ground.

Monday's announcement confirmed Australia will join the United Kingdom, Canada and France in recognising Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in September.

The move is underpinned by commitments from the Palestinian Authority, including reaffirming recognition of Israel, the demilitarisation of Hamas, holding elections, governance and education reforms, and isolating Hamas from the future state.

READ MORE: Relief for borrowers as RBA hands down long-awaited rate cut

Ramia Abdo Sultan, the executive member of the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network, has been calling for action for her family members and others in Palestine.

But she said the government's recognition was merely a "symbolic step" that did not address the "immediate and imminent" issues faced by Palestinians.

"[My family] received news about Australia, as well as various other countries around the world, recognising Palestine in the next month, and they said, 'We want to hear about our right to actually exist first before an ocean of recognition. We want to know that we have a right to live, a right to self-determination and autonomy and agency, like every other person around the world'," she said.

"That's what Palestinians on the ground in Gaza are saying."

Mussa Hijazi, a lawyer who spent some of his childhood growing up in Palestine, went further to call the prime minister's recognition "a bit more sinister" than a "distraction".

"Number one: it's very late. Two: it's symbolic. Three: it's creating a distraction from what is actually going on," he said. 

"We end up with this half-arsed attempt to basically quieten the public down by proposing possibly recognising a state at some stage, later down the track, subject to conditions," he added.

READ MORE: Australia's AUKUS boost as politicians on both sides send message to Trump

Albanese's sudden shift in policy followed building international momentum, sparked on July 25 when France announced it would be the first G7 country to move to recognise Palestine at the upcoming UN meeting.

Albanese then held phone calls with the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

By August 3, a pro-Palestine protest saw a historic crowd of between 100,000 to 300,000 people march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge against the images of growing starvation in Gaza.

Albanese's decision has put him at odds with the United States, which was notified of Australia's plan to recognise Palestine ahead of the announcement. 

Organisers of the mass bridge protest accused the government of acting with political motivation, adding that recognition is meaningless without sanctions.

"This decision is not borne of principle, but of political heat," Palestine Action Group Sydney said.

READ MORE: Star Entertainment wins back lifeline casino deal to offload Queen's Wharf

Pro-Palestine protesters have been calling for the government to go further, to sanction Israel and stop any arms trade with Israel.

"We don't want symbolic steps and moves. We want actual tangible actions that are going to stop Israel from killing people again," Sultan said. 

"Once we have got a ceasefire, once people are being fed, once the Israelis have withdrawn, we can talk about all sorts of things, including a two-state, but right now it's a distraction," Hijazi said.

Israel's security cabinet last week approved a plan to take over Gaza City, ramping up military action in the besieged enclave. 

The United Nations has warned that this plan would trigger more calamity in Gaza, causing the "unbearable suffering of the population".

The World Health Organisation said the number of starvation-related deaths and malnutrition rates have spiked, while the United Nations estimates that at least 1300 Palestinians have been killed trying to access food since May 27. 

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

An investigation into the murder of three friends while on holiday 46 years ago is gathering "extensive" evidence ahead of hearings into the cold case, a coroner has heard.

Karen Edwards, 23, Tim Thomson, 31, and Gordon Twaddle, 21, left Alice Springs with their dog, Tristie, for a motorcycle trip to Mount Isa on October 2, 1978.

The trio were found dead with gunshot wounds in remote bushland at Spear Creek, 12 kilometres north of Mount Isa.

READ MORE: Third rate cut of the year after July's shock hold

Queensland coroner David O'Connell was given an update on preparations for an inquest into the deaths, which is due to start hearings in October.

Counsel assisting Amelia Hughes said parties involved would receive a copy of the brief of evidence and witness list in September.

"It's quite an extensive brief. That process is still underway with investigations ongoing," she said on Tuesday.

READ MORE: Trump has declared war on the homeless. There are fears it could go national

Edwards' sister and other family members listened remotely to the coroner's pre-inquest conference by phone.

Thomson and Twaddle were family friends from New Zealand and shared a passion for motorcycles.

Edwards was Thomson's girlfriend.

Once they reached Cairns, the friends planned to head south to Melbourne for Christmas with family.

READ MORE: The Australian travellers returning from US accused of overstaying ESTA visas

They were last seen alive leaving the Moondarra Caravan Park in Mount Isa in a brown and white Toyota Landcruiser station wagon four wheel drive with a man on the morning of October 5, 1978.

Queensland police in 2019 renewed a $250,000 reward for information which leads to the apprehension and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the murders.

Former NSW prison guard Bruce John Preston was charged in April 2019 with the murders and granted bail in February 2020.

Crown prosecutors dropped all charges against Preston in July 2023.

The inquest will hold hearings over nine days in Brisbane Coroners Court from October 7.

The hearings are due to end days before the 47th anniversary of the victims being found dead.

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Exclusive: Former South Australian opposition leader David Speirs has opened up about his darkest moments after his departure from state politics under a drug charge cloud.

It has been a whirlwind 10 months for the ex-MP since he stepped down from parliament after he was charged and convicted of drug supply and fined $9000.

Speirs said the pressures he was facing at the time led him to having suicidal thoughts but his own struggles have inspired a change in behaviour and a drive to help others facing similar battles.

READ MORE: Police share key breakthrough in SA cold case murder and disappearance

"It was a very dark time," Speirs said.

"I'm not sugar coating it, I made mistakes, but the consequences were very, very dramatic."

Speirs is committed to walking the Kokoda track in Papua New Guinea in support of men's mental health.

"It's a great opportunity for me to lean into something I'm passionate about, something I've experienced, which is mental health challenges," he said.

But in his fundraising efforts, his return to social media has sparked rumours on whether he would return to public life and in particular a run as an independent for his former seat of Black.

"I do miss it and I wouldn't rule out returning to public life in some way in the future but I'm not ready to make that decision at the moment," he said.

"I don't feel I've got the resilience, I don't feel I've healed enough."

For now he said he would remain committed to getting through the challenge of the next few weeks and being an active part of his community.

"Life is OK but I'm still rebuilding," he said.

"I'm not going to hide away and be a hermit, that would be terrible for me.

"I'm ready to tell my story, to talk about it, to learn from it and maybe help others learn from it as well."

Readers seeking support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyond blue on 1300 22 4636.

The woman, 32, admitted doing an indecent act on Pukuatua St.

He was convicted of sexual offences against girls and women.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has ended five weeks of intense speculation, cutting interest rates and even hinting that more relief could be on the way.

Concluding its two-day meeting this afternoon, the RBA monetary policy board unanimously chose to reduce the official cash rate target by 25 basis points to 3.6 per cent, a level not seen since April 2023.

For the average Australian borrower with $600,000 remaining on their mortgage, today's cut will see their minimum monthly repayments fall by around $89 – or less than $3 a day.

LIVE UPDATES: Live reaction as RBA slashes interest rates

While there had been some speculation that a larger-than-normal cut could have been passed on, RBA Governor Michele Bullock said a 35- or 50-basis-point reduction wasn't even discussed by the board.

"There wasn't a discussion of a larger rate cut," she said.

"It was unanimous… and all board members were fully behind 25 basis points."

And while Bullock played a straight bat to questions about where the official cash rate will end up once her bank has finished its cutting cycle, she did suggest there's more relief still to come.

"We don't have a point estimate for where we might end up," she says.

"You'll note that in the forecasts, we have inflation coming back down to target and the unemployment rate remaining where it is, with the assumption for a couple of more cash rate cuts in there.

"That's the best sort of guess, but things can change.

READ MORE: Australia's AUKUS boost as politicians on both sides send message to Trump

In its monetary statement, the RBA board said it was keenly aware of the impact of lower interest rates, but it remained steadfast in charting a course through an ever-changing world and domestic economy.

"This takes the decline in the cash rate since the beginning of the year to 75 basis points," the board said.

"The board nevertheless remains cautious about the outlook, particularly given the heightened level of uncertainty about both aggregate demand and potential supply.

"It noted that monetary policy is well placed to respond decisively to international developments if they were to have material implications for activity and inflation in Australia."

READ MORE: Police share key breakthrough in SA cold case murder and disappearance

The board noted that Australia seemed to have largely avoided the worst of Donald Trump's tariffs – but some businesses may be pausing investment until its clear how Australian exports will be affected.

"Uncertainty in the world economy remains elevated. There is a little more clarity on the scope and scale of US tariffs and policy responses in other countries, suggesting that more extreme outcomes are likely to be avoided," the statement reads.

"Trade policy developments are nevertheless still expected to have an adverse effect on global economic activity, and there remains a risk that households and firms delay expenditure pending still greater clarity on the outlook."

An overwhelming majority of economists – and more or less the entirety of market traders – had expected the RBA to cut interest rates today after a surprise pause in July.

Graham Cooke, head of consumer research at Finder, says the real pressure is now on the major banks to pass on rate cuts to struggling borrowers.

"Lenders are under immense pressure to pass the savings on to customers. So far, most have passed on the cuts in full," he said.

READ MORE: Trump has declared war on the homeless. There are fears it could go national

"Experts are forecasting more rate cuts, which could change things. Lenders might start to pull back and offer smaller cuts to customers, as we observed during the last round of cuts.

"In a competitive market, lenders are fighting for business, which is a good opportunity for you to review your home loan."

Cooke said while today's news will be welcomed by those with mortgages, renters are unlikely to see any windfall at all.

"Many landlords used rising mortgage costs as justification to raise rents, but as those costs fall they are unlikely to cut rents in response," he said.

"The divide between renters and mortgage holders continues to widen. Those with a mortgage are now seeing relief, while lower-income renters continue to pay through the nose, making saving for a home even more difficult."

READ MORE: Chinese ships collide while pursuing Philippines vessel

Ivan Colhoun, chief economist at CreditorWatch, said while it appeared the RBA was being "overly cautious", today's cut will nevertheless be welcomed by those struggling with repayments.

"The cut is very welcome news for both businesses and households with mortgages, as costs of living and doing business remain very high, while more generally, a less restrictive policy setting will be supportive for economic growth and ensure that any rise in the unemployment rate is minimised," he said.

"One further interest rate reduction is likely in November this year, unless the unemployment rate begins to rise more quickly."

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

All of Australia's big four banks have vowed to pass on today's RBA interest rate cut.

The Reserve Bank handed down a long-awaited rate cut, bringing the cash rate down to 3.60 per cent – its lowest in over two years.

"This is very welcome relief for millions of Australians," Treasurer Jim Chalmers said following the announcement.

READ MORE: Third rate cut of the year after July's shock hold

"This interest rate cut will make a meaningful difference to millions of mortgage holders around the country.

"It will put more money in the pockets of people under pressure."

Commonwealth Bank was the first of the big four to confirm it would pass on the rate cut on to customers.

CBA said it would apply to customers on eligible variable-rate loans, including Business Bank's Variable Base Rate, Residential Equity Rate, and Overdraft Reference Rate and eligible variable-rate business lending products such as BetterBusiness Loans and Business Overdrafts.

The bank said the rate changes announced today will be effective from August 22.

Customers on an $800,000 home loan will save an estimated $385 per month with the 0.25 per cent rate cut, CBA said.

"With now three rate cuts this year, Australian borrowers are getting some breathing room back in their budgets," said CBA retail group executive Angus Sullivan.

"It will be very welcome for those with a home loan."

READ MORE: The Australian travellers returning from US accused of overstaying ESTA visas

Westpac followed closely behind after confirming it would pass on the rate cut too.

This will be a 0.25 per cent reduction on variable home loan rates, but it won't come into effect until even later than CBA, with an August 26 start date.

Westpac will also reduce interest rates on savings accounts, but that will start earlier, on August 22.

ANZ then announced it would lower interest rates for variable rate home loan customers following the Reserve Bank's decision.

Variable interest rates across ANZ's Australian home loans will decrease by 0.25 per cent, effective August 22, the bank said.

ANZ said it would review other interest and deposit rates.

READ MORE: Trump has declared war on the homeless. There are fears it could go national

NAB was the final big four bank to announce its decision to pass on the rate cut.

It said customers will have their standard variable home loan interest rates cut by 0.25 per cent by August 25.

"This comes at a crucial time to reinvigorate economic activity across Australia," NAB's group executive for personal banking Ana Marinkovic said.

"For those who want to reassess their home loan repayments, we're making it as easy as possible for customers to take advantage of the changes."

The banks said customers paying will be notified about what this will mean for their repayments and how they can make changes.

"This move from Australia's two biggest banks puts pressure on the entire mortgage market to do the right thing and pass this RBA cut on in full to variable customers," said Canstar's data insights director Sally Tindall.

"After three cuts this year, many borrowers will finally start to feel some breathing room, even if repayments are still far higher than they were two years ago."

Macquarie Bank also said it cutting both mortgage and savings rates on from Friday, August 15 by 0.25 percentage points.

Other smaller banks including Bank of Melbourne, BankSA and St George have also confirmed plans to pass on the rate cut.

Lenders unloan, which is backed by CBA, and Athena have cut mortgage rates by the same amount too, along with Australian Unity home loans.

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

After a shock hold last month, the official cash rate has been eased to 3.60 per cent.