A 41-year-old Victorian man has been charged over an incident that allegedly led to a police officer's gun "unintentionally" being fired near a cafe at Sydney Airport. 

An airline reported that a man was acting suspiciously at the T2 Terminal check-in counters, outside gate 49, about 6am today.

Australian Federal Police alleged the man became verbally and physically aggressive with two responding officers.

READ MORE: 'Unimaginable': Australia and allies put pressure on Israel

They allegedly tried to subdue him when a NSW Police officer and a retired NSW Police officer who were waiting to fly to Townsville, stepped in to help.

"We saw this fellow struggling with the two AFP officers. It's gone to the ground," retired officer William told 2GB.

As the man was being arrested, a federal police officer's gun was discharged and hit the wall of a nearby cafe where staff members were working.

"The AFP officer's long firearm has gone to the ground and was underneath the fellow as we went to restrain him. The shot has been discharged," William said.

"The AFP firearm was unintentionally discharged."

Images show a federal officer during the struggle moving the gun away out of reach.

Vision obtained by 2GB shows one officer sorting out the gun while others hold down the man. 

AFP Acting Commander Scott Raven told reporters this afternoon the gun had been unintentionally discharged, but refused to divulge any more details on the incident.

"The circumstances of how the firearm, which was a short-barrelled rifle, was discharged and is now subject to an internal investigation," he said.

READ MORE: Recall notice issued for popular Cadbury product

"Thankfully, there were no injuries as a result of the incident."

Raven said he will look into the procedures and practices of how federal officers carry their firearms, but stood by the officers' conduct.

"All our AFP officers are professional, highly trained and skilled officers, and as part of their duties here at all our airports, we have a counter-terrorism first response and that includes carrying short-barrelled firearms," he said. 

The man was taken to Mascot Police Station, where he was charged with creating a disturbance at an airport and obstructing/hindering/intimidating/resisting a Commonwealth official.

He was granted conditional bail and will appear at Downing Centre Local Court on September 1. 

Raven said the man had also allegedly behaved poorly at the airport yesterday.

"We had dealt with him yesterday in relation to a number of things about his behaviour, and he left the airport," he said.

READ MORE: Netflix hikes up prices again for Australian users

A crime scene was established and an investigation into the incident is under way.

Passengers are advised that there is no ongoing risk to the public and the situation has been resolved.

A Sydney Airport spokesperson said the airport is operating normally. 

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.

Reality TV star Matt Wright visited a pilot while he was heavily sedated in hospital following a deadly helicopter crash, asking him to manipulate flying hour records, a court has been told.

Outback Wrangler co-star Chris "Willow" died in the February 2022 accident, falling to the ground from a sling beneath the chopper while collecting crocodile eggs in remote swampland in the Northern Territory.

The aircraft then crashed, seriously injuring pilot Sebastian Robinson.

READ MORE: Trump got more bad data. He called for the number counters to be fired

Now a paraplegic, he gave evidence at the Supreme Court in Darwin by video link from his wheelchair on Wednesday.

Wright is on trial on three charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice, having pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors allege he was worried crash investigators would discover that flight-time meters were disconnected regularly to extend flying hours beyond official thresholds and that paperwork was falsified.

READ MORE: Dramatic arrest as Aussie airport temporarily locked down

Robinson told the court Wright visited him in Royal Brisbane Hospital 10 days after the crash when he was still in very bad shape, heavily sedated with "tubes coming out of me everywhere".

Crown prosecutor Jason Gullaci SC asked the 32-year-old what Wright had asked of him at his hospital bedside and he replied "to manipulate hours on my aircraft".

"He asked if I would consider putting any of his hours, from his helicopter, onto my helicopter."

The court was told Robinson was being asked to put egg-collecting hours flown on Wright's crashed helicopter onto his own helicopter, which was not fitted with equipment for egg collecting.

Robinson said he told Wright he would think about his request and when he made a return visit the next day told him "I didn't feel comfortable doing it".

Wright had also asked to go through his phone and "delete a few things", Robinson said.

At the time he was "scared and panicked" and didn't know who to trust, he said.

The crash and his life-changing injuries had been "the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with in my life".

The court was told Robinson was asked to fly egg-collecting missions in Arnhem Land, where COVID restrictions were in place, because Wright was an anti-vaxxer so could not enter the Indigenous territory unvaccinated.

Jurors heard that Wright visited Robinson in hospital despite requirements to show a COVID vaccination certificate and having to complete a test for the virus.

The charges against Wright do not relate to the cause of the accident and the prosecution does not allege he is responsible for either the crash, Wilson's death or Robinson's injuries.

The trial continues.

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.

Mystery still surrounds the identity of Australia's third biggest lottery winner nine weeks after the draw.

The individual winner won the entire $100 million jackpot in Powerball draw 1517 on June 12.

The ticket was purchased by a resident or visitor in Sydney at Bondi Junction Newsagency, Shop 2, 191 to 195 Oxford Street in Bondi Junction.

READ MORE: What are your chances of winning division one in the lottery?

The winning numbers were 28, 10, 3, 16, 31, 14 and 21 while the Powerball number was 6.

In NSW, people have six years to claim their prizes before they expire.

The Lott is organising a "memory jog" this week around the streets of Bondi Junction to remind people to check their tickets.

"In previous cases where people have come forward weeks, months and even years after the draw to finally claim their prize, they've told us the winning ticket was hiding in plain sight the whole time – in their wallet or purse, on the fridge, or just lying around in a drawer," spokesperson Matt Hart said.

"Our message to anyone out there thinking it couldn't be them, it really could be you.

"You could be our mystery multi-millionaire and you just need to check your tickets."

There are many different ways to get help and information about gambling. You can visit the National Gambling Helpline or call on 1800 858 858.

Australians travelling to Europe could face longer queues at the border amid a new registration system for non-EU nationals.

From October 12, non-EU nationals who enter a European zone of 29 countries, known as the Schengen Zone, will have to register as part of a new digital border management system.

How is this likely to impact you?

READ MORE: Netflix quietly hikes up prices for Australian users

What is the Schengen Zone?

The Schengen Zone is made up of 29 countries – most of which are located in the EU – that allow travellers to move freely between other Schengen countries without going through border controls or getting a visa for each country.

The non-EU countries part of Schengen are Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

Notably, the United Kingdom, which left the EU in 2020, is not part of the Schengen Area, meaning all people entering the country must go through border control.

READ MORE: Netanyahu hints Gaza ceasefire talks focus on release of all hostages at once

What is changing and what is the EES?

The European Union announces the creation of a new Entry/Exit System (EES) that will be rolled out later this year.

It requires non-EU citizens travelling for a short stay (90 days or less) to register with an internal system.

The system will collect passport data, travel documents and other personal data, which will be stored electronically.

For the purposes of the EES, 'non-EU national' means a traveller not holding the nationality of any European Union country or the nationality of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland.

READ MORE: White House lands on Trump-Putin summit location as officials race to prepare for historic Alaska meeting

Why is it changing?

According to the EU, the EES will make travelling in the Schengen Zone more efficient, as it will replace passport stamps with a modern digital system recording the entry and exit of travellers.

They also say it will prevent irregular migration and use biometric data to stop those with fake identities or who are overstaying in the Schengen Zone.

The EES will also give border and law enforcement more access to traveller information, which they claim will help find security risks in the fight against terrorism and other crime.

Which countries are involved?

Every country in the Schengen Zone will utilise the EES system.

The countries are listed below:

EU Member States in the Schengen Area: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Romania.

Non-EU Countries in the Schengen Area: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

What will Aussies need to do when travelling to these countries?

Aussies will have to provide their personal data including their passport, and also scan their fingerprints and get a photo of their face taken.

The process can be made quicker if they use a self-service system if available at their location, or they can use a mobile app if it's made available by their country of arrival or departure.

READ MORE: Federal Court offers partial victory to Fortnite's creators over Apple and Google

Will these changes come into effect straight away?

No, the changes will be rolled out gradually, beginning in October this year.

Specifically, the EES system will first be used on October 12, with countries slowly rolling it out at their external borders.

It will be in full operation by April 10, 2026.

A smartraveller government alert said: "You'll need to register at borders and have your fingerprint and photo taken. There may be longer border queues".

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.

Millions of people in eastern Australia hoping the recent downpour is behind them are set to be disappointed, with weather forecasters predicting an unusually wet spring.

Abnormally warm sea temperatures around the country will raise the chance of further downpours, thunderstorms and possibly flooding when the new season begins next month, Weatherzone reports.

Soaring temperatures and increased storm activity are regular features of spring ahead of the northern wet season, but other factors are at play this year.

READ MORE: Gruesome scene as victims of horror double murder identified

They include a negative Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) expected to emerge to the north-west of Australia over coming weeks.

A negative IOD would see ocean surface temperatures in the Indian Ocean drive moisture-heavy air towards mainland Australia.

They typically cause above-average rain over the nation's south and south-east.

Ocean temperatures around Australia are also expected to be warmer than average during spring.

"These relatively warm waters will help supply additional atmospheric moisture for rain and clouds over the Australian continent this spring," Weatherzone said.

READ MORE: Dramatic arrest as Aussie airport temporarily locked down

Forecasters are hedging their bets on whether a La Nina or El Nina weather pattern will develop, instead predicting a "neutral phase" in coming months.

While eastern parts of Australia are set for damp conditions, an abnormally dry spring is expected for some northern and western parts.

The lack of rain could be accompanied by warmer-than-average daytime temperatures.

"Some forecast models even suggest that mean maximum temperatures will be in the top 20 per cent of historical records this spring across parts of northern Australia," Weatherzone said.

"These abnormally warm temperatures may help enhance bushfire activity in the final months of the dry season."

But for much of southern and eastern Australia, the mercury during the day will be driven down by increased cloud cover.

Temperatures are still expected to rise during spring in the build-up to summer, but the daytime will feel unseasonally cooler in many regions.

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.

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.