Maggie Beer has a financial deadline for her culinary mission to transform food at thousands of aged care homes.

The effusive celebrity chef, 80, is using her reputation and influence to head up the Maggie Beer Foundation and has been working to put delicious food onto the plates of vulnerable elderly Australians.

Speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra today, Beer said the government cash injection to her foundation for first-of-its-kind specialised chef training in aged care homes will run out in 2026.

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"We simply have not got the capacity to meet demand and our current funding ends in September next year," Beer said.

"[We've had] 135 homes will be through this program. Every day, we get a new inquiry. 135 homes doesn't sound much, but believe you me, the filtering down effect is there.

"We, the foundation, myself, personally, are advocating fiercely for it to continue."

Beer is building a roadmap for a future model of aged care and food is at the heart of it.

Part of the mission is to bridge the training gap in cook and chef roles across the nearly 2700 Commonwealth-subsidised homes in Australia.

Her message has been simple: lovingly-prepared, nutritious food equals better wellbeing.

She told the press club that an ageing population urgently demands more skilled chefs, kitchen hands and staff with a passion for food.

"Beautiful food will make such a difference to the wellbeing of residents and pride of the teams," she said.

"Without those equal amounts of flavour, goodness and pleasure, food becomes a commodity.

"Food becomes institutionalised, and leads to residents not eating well, or not eating enough. And that leads to malnutrition."

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Beer said meals shouldn't be an "afterthought" in aged care homes.

But she acknowledged that underfunding is rampant. In 2021/22, an average of just $14.46 was spent on food per resident per day at aged care providers.

"Fresh real ingredients provide flavour that frozen never can, and we can show aged care homes that cooking fresh actually does not cost more," she added.

"However, only if supported by the skill set, passion and knowledge and support of management, it is all possible and because I know there's so little money to spare within aged care homes."

Aged care facilities are home to some of the most vulnerable members of Australia's elderly population.

According to Dementia Australia, there are an estimated 433,300 Australians living with dementia in 2025.

And over half of the 245,000 people in aged care were living with dementia as of 2022.

Beer said good food can be a familiar, safe space for those enduring the sometimes traumatic transition of moving into care.

"One of the most evocative things is a sense of smell that stays with us and smell that links to good memories," Beer explained.

"Living with dementia is so hard but I can tell you those instincts are still there.

"It's never going to be easy, but all those things can make such a difference."

In a submission on the Aged Care Bill 2024, The Maggie Beer Foundation Trainer Mentor Program asked for an extension to its funding beyond September 2026.

The Maggie Beer Foundation has petitioned for $15.3 million across three years to fund its program to improve food in aged care and solutions for older people recieving care at home.

Beer also issued a plea to the Federal Minister for Ageing and Seniors Sam Rae, who was sitting in the room in Canberra today, for more funding.

"We run a very lean show. And there's no money for us to be funded," she said.

"I can't bear to think of it as being lost. It's so very valuable.

"So you can be sure I will be advocating fiercely again to the government to support the program."

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A 26-million-year-old fossil found by a local on Victoria's surf coast has led to the finding of a new species of ancient whale.

Ross Dullard found a partial skull with ear bones and teeth while walking along the beach near Jan Juc in 2019.

He donated it to Museums Victoria Research Institute, where it was studied by scientists and found to be a new species, which they named Janjucetus dullardi in Dullard's honour.

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The discovery provides new insights into the early evolution of baleen whales.

The juvenile 'baby whale' species belonged to a group of early whales that lived around 30 to 23 million years ago.

Much smaller than modern whales, researchers say Janjucetus dullardi were predators with large forward-facing eyes, razor sharp teeth and a body about the size of a dolphin.

"Imagine the shark-like version of a baleen whale – small and deceptively cute, but definitely not harmless," Museums Victoria Research Institute PhD student Ruairidh Duncan said.

"Ross' discovery has unlocked an entire chapter of whale evolution we've never seen before," Museums Victoria Research Institute senior curator of vertebrate palaeontology Dr Erich Fitzgerald said.

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"It's a reminder that world-changing fossils can be found in your own backyard."

The newfound species is only the found known mammalodontid species in the world, three of which were found in Victoria.

"This region was once a cradle for some of the most unusual whales in history, and we're only just beginning to uncover their stories," Fitzgerald said.

The research team hopes Victoria's coastline can bring more fossil discoveries in coming years.

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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.

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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.

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"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.

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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".

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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