Australia branded 'shameful' by Netanyahu, body found on highway after crash, price of Aussie icon blasted as 'disgusting'

Yahoo

11-08-2025

Hello and welcome to Yahoo's live news blog this Monday. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has criticised Australia and protests in support of Palestinians, saying he is doing what "any country would do".
The daughter of the man who's behind an iconic Australian treat says she will never buy his creation again. Harry Melbourne's daughter Leonie Wadin says she's "disgusted" how much a Freddo Frog now costs and refuses to buy one.
Follow along as we bring you regular updates throughout the day.
Labor apologises over algal bloom response
The federal environment minister has apologised, acknowledging authorities have been too slow to respond to an algal bloom that's killing vast swathes of marine life.
Tens of thousands of marine animals have been killed since an algal bloom was identified off the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia in March, and has since spread along the coastline.
Environment Minister Murray Watt has apologised to South Australians who believe not enough has been done to tackle the escalating marine crisis.
"I accept that South Australians think that governments were too slow to respond to this event, and for that, I apologise," Mr Watt told Nine's Today Show on Monday.
But he touted the government's recently announced jointly funded $28 million package.
The reason it took months for the funding was because the federal government was working to "understand" the unprecedented event, Mr Watt said.
"We are in uncharted waters as to how to deal with it and what support is needed," he said.
Read more here.
Daughter of man who created iconic Aussie treat says she no longer buys them
The Australian daughter of the man who came up with the idea for the iconic Australian chocolate bar Freddo says she'll never buy one because of how expensive it's become.
Harry Melbourne helped create Freddo bars in the 1930s while working for confectionary company MacRobertson's in Melbourne. Cadbury later bought out the business and the Freddo bar would go on to become a chocolate staple across Australia and the UK.
But its increasing price has become a simple measure of inflation for many in recent years, with shoppers outraged by how high the price for what was once a relatively cheap treat has risen.
"[My father would] roll over in his grave if he could see it now; he'd be disgusted. It was a penny chocolate," Harry's daughter Leonie Wadin told Sky News.
Harry died in 2007 and Wadin says she hasn't purchased a Freddo since.
Last year, Cadbury Australia doubled the price of a Freddo bar from $1 to $2, blaming a record price for cocoa.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Cadbury Australia (@cadburyaust)
Netanyahu says Palestine support is 'shameful'
Benjamin Netnayahu has blasted Australian protests against the war in Gaza, calling them 'shameful' and saying they 'buy into' Hamas propaganda.
The Israeli Prime Minister overnight held a press conference in English to set the record straight, as he sees it, after Western allies, including Australia, condemned his plan to occupy all of Gaza.
An Australian journalist asked Netanyahu if his Western counterparts, who consistently support the Israel's right to defend itself, 'are now struggling to stomach what they're seeing you and your military doing in Gaza'.
'First of all, those who say that Israel has a right to defend itself are also saying, 'but don't exercise that right,' when we do what any country would do, faced with this genocidal terrorist organisation that has performed the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust,' Netanyahu responded.
The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas' October 7 attacks on Israel in 2023.
Militants killed more than 1200 in the shock assault, slaughtering entire families.
Much of the violence was celebrated by perpetrators and sympathisers online.
Israel's furious response has decimated Hamas, but also killed tens of thousands of civilians in the process.
Most of the innocents killed are women, children and the elderly.
Netanyahu insisted his country is 'actually applying force judiciously', adding that critics in Canberra 'know it'.
'They know what they would do if right next to Melbourne, or right next to Sydney, you had this horrific attack,' he said.
'I think you would do at least what we're doing, probably … not as efficiently and as precisely as we're doing it.
'We've lost quite a few soldiers in that effort.'
Netanyahu went on to address the global momentum for recognition of a Palestinian state.
France, the UK and Canada have all committed to conditionally recognise Palestine at the UN General Assembly next month.
Anthony Albanese is yet to commit to such an act but has previously said recognition is inevitable.
Netanyahu said the 'Jewish public is ... against the Palestinian state for the simple reason that they know it won't bring peace', pointing to a recent vote in the country's parliament that overwhelmingly rejected the idea.
'It'll bring war,' Netanyahu said, directly countering rhetoric put forward by the Albanese government.
'To have European countries and Australia march into that … rabbit hole just like that, fall right into it and buy, this canard is disappointing, and I think it's actually shameful.
'But it's not going to … change our position.
'Again, we will not commit national suicide to get to get a good op-ed for two minutes. We won't do that.'
- NewsWire
Member of public finds body on road after crash
A dead body has been found on a major highway near Byron Bay in northern NSW.
The grim discovery was made by a member of the public on Sunday night after a crash involving cars and an unoccupied motorcycle.
Officers at the scene were told three cars crashed into the motorcycle before a person found the body of the man believed to be the rider nearby, police say.
The body is yet to be formally identified. The incident was reported at about 7.15pm on Sunday.
Police and paramedics were called to the M1 Pacific Motorway near Billinudgel, following reports several cars had crashed into an unoccupied motorcycle.
After a member of the public found the body, two drivers were taken to Byron Central Hospital for mandatory testing. A third driver underwent testing at Tweed Valley Hospital.
'A crime scene has been established and officers attached to Crash Investigation Unit were called to commence an investigation into the incident,' a police spokesperson said.
'All vehicles were seized to be forensically examined.'
- NewsWire
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Labor apologises over algal bloom response
The federal environment minister has apologised, acknowledging authorities have been too slow to respond to an algal bloom that's killing vast swathes of marine life.
Tens of thousands of marine animals have been killed since an algal bloom was identified off the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia in March, and has since spread along the coastline.
Environment Minister Murray Watt has apologised to South Australians who believe not enough has been done to tackle the escalating marine crisis.
"I accept that South Australians think that governments were too slow to respond to this event, and for that, I apologise," Mr Watt told Nine's Today Show on Monday.
But he touted the government's recently announced jointly funded $28 million package.
The reason it took months for the funding was because the federal government was working to "understand" the unprecedented event, Mr Watt said.
"We are in uncharted waters as to how to deal with it and what support is needed," he said.
Read more here.
The federal environment minister has apologised, acknowledging authorities have been too slow to respond to an algal bloom that's killing vast swathes of marine life.
Tens of thousands of marine animals have been killed since an algal bloom was identified off the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia in March, and has since spread along the coastline.
Environment Minister Murray Watt has apologised to South Australians who believe not enough has been done to tackle the escalating marine crisis.
"I accept that South Australians think that governments were too slow to respond to this event, and for that, I apologise," Mr Watt told Nine's Today Show on Monday.
But he touted the government's recently announced jointly funded $28 million package.
The reason it took months for the funding was because the federal government was working to "understand" the unprecedented event, Mr Watt said.
"We are in uncharted waters as to how to deal with it and what support is needed," he said.
Read more here.
Daughter of man who created iconic Aussie treat says she no longer buys them
The Australian daughter of the man who came up with the idea for the iconic Australian chocolate bar Freddo says she'll never buy one because of how expensive it's become.
Harry Melbourne helped create Freddo bars in the 1930s while working for confectionary company MacRobertson's in Melbourne. Cadbury later bought out the business and the Freddo bar would go on to become a chocolate staple across Australia and the UK.
But its increasing price has become a simple measure of inflation for many in recent years, with shoppers outraged by how high the price for what was once a relatively cheap treat has risen.
"[My father would] roll over in his grave if he could see it now; he'd be disgusted. It was a penny chocolate," Harry's daughter Leonie Wadin told Sky News.
Harry died in 2007 and Wadin says she hasn't purchased a Freddo since.
Last year, Cadbury Australia doubled the price of a Freddo bar from $1 to $2, blaming a record price for cocoa.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Cadbury Australia (@cadburyaust)
The Australian daughter of the man who came up with the idea for the iconic Australian chocolate bar Freddo says she'll never buy one because of how expensive it's become.
Harry Melbourne helped create Freddo bars in the 1930s while working for confectionary company MacRobertson's in Melbourne. Cadbury later bought out the business and the Freddo bar would go on to become a chocolate staple across Australia and the UK.
But its increasing price has become a simple measure of inflation for many in recent years, with shoppers outraged by how high the price for what was once a relatively cheap treat has risen.
"[My father would] roll over in his grave if he could see it now; he'd be disgusted. It was a penny chocolate," Harry's daughter Leonie Wadin told Sky News.
Harry died in 2007 and Wadin says she hasn't purchased a Freddo since.
Last year, Cadbury Australia doubled the price of a Freddo bar from $1 to $2, blaming a record price for cocoa.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Cadbury Australia (@cadburyaust)
Netanyahu says Palestine support is 'shameful'
Benjamin Netnayahu has blasted Australian protests against the war in Gaza, calling them 'shameful' and saying they 'buy into' Hamas propaganda.
The Israeli Prime Minister overnight held a press conference in English to set the record straight, as he sees it, after Western allies, including Australia, condemned his plan to occupy all of Gaza.
An Australian journalist asked Netanyahu if his Western counterparts, who consistently support the Israel's right to defend itself, 'are now struggling to stomach what they're seeing you and your military doing in Gaza'.
'First of all, those who say that Israel has a right to defend itself are also saying, 'but don't exercise that right,' when we do what any country would do, faced with this genocidal terrorist organisation that has performed the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust,' Netanyahu responded.
The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas' October 7 attacks on Israel in 2023.
Militants killed more than 1200 in the shock assault, slaughtering entire families.
Much of the violence was celebrated by perpetrators and sympathisers online.
Israel's furious response has decimated Hamas, but also killed tens of thousands of civilians in the process.
Most of the innocents killed are women, children and the elderly.
Netanyahu insisted his country is 'actually applying force judiciously', adding that critics in Canberra 'know it'.
'They know what they would do if right next to Melbourne, or right next to Sydney, you had this horrific attack,' he said.
'I think you would do at least what we're doing, probably … not as efficiently and as precisely as we're doing it.
'We've lost quite a few soldiers in that effort.'
Netanyahu went on to address the global momentum for recognition of a Palestinian state.
France, the UK and Canada have all committed to conditionally recognise Palestine at the UN General Assembly next month.
Anthony Albanese is yet to commit to such an act but has previously said recognition is inevitable.
Netanyahu said the 'Jewish public is ... against the Palestinian state for the simple reason that they know it won't bring peace', pointing to a recent vote in the country's parliament that overwhelmingly rejected the idea.
'It'll bring war,' Netanyahu said, directly countering rhetoric put forward by the Albanese government.
'To have European countries and Australia march into that … rabbit hole just like that, fall right into it and buy, this canard is disappointing, and I think it's actually shameful.
'But it's not going to … change our position.
'Again, we will not commit national suicide to get to get a good op-ed for two minutes. We won't do that.'
- NewsWire
Benjamin Netnayahu has blasted Australian protests against the war in Gaza, calling them 'shameful' and saying they 'buy into' Hamas propaganda.
The Israeli Prime Minister overnight held a press conference in English to set the record straight, as he sees it, after Western allies, including Australia, condemned his plan to occupy all of Gaza.
An Australian journalist asked Netanyahu if his Western counterparts, who consistently support the Israel's right to defend itself, 'are now struggling to stomach what they're seeing you and your military doing in Gaza'.
'First of all, those who say that Israel has a right to defend itself are also saying, 'but don't exercise that right,' when we do what any country would do, faced with this genocidal terrorist organisation that has performed the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust,' Netanyahu responded.
The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas' October 7 attacks on Israel in 2023.
Militants killed more than 1200 in the shock assault, slaughtering entire families.
Much of the violence was celebrated by perpetrators and sympathisers online.
Israel's furious response has decimated Hamas, but also killed tens of thousands of civilians in the process.
Most of the innocents killed are women, children and the elderly.
Netanyahu insisted his country is 'actually applying force judiciously', adding that critics in Canberra 'know it'.
'They know what they would do if right next to Melbourne, or right next to Sydney, you had this horrific attack,' he said.
'I think you would do at least what we're doing, probably … not as efficiently and as precisely as we're doing it.
'We've lost quite a few soldiers in that effort.'
Netanyahu went on to address the global momentum for recognition of a Palestinian state.
France, the UK and Canada have all committed to conditionally recognise Palestine at the UN General Assembly next month.
Anthony Albanese is yet to commit to such an act but has previously said recognition is inevitable.
Netanyahu said the 'Jewish public is ... against the Palestinian state for the simple reason that they know it won't bring peace', pointing to a recent vote in the country's parliament that overwhelmingly rejected the idea.
'It'll bring war,' Netanyahu said, directly countering rhetoric put forward by the Albanese government.
'To have European countries and Australia march into that … rabbit hole just like that, fall right into it and buy, this canard is disappointing, and I think it's actually shameful.
'But it's not going to … change our position.
'Again, we will not commit national suicide to get to get a good op-ed for two minutes. We won't do that.'
- NewsWire
Member of public finds body on road after crash
A dead body has been found on a major highway near Byron Bay in northern NSW.
The grim discovery was made by a member of the public on Sunday night after a crash involving cars and an unoccupied motorcycle.
Officers at the scene were told three cars crashed into the motorcycle before a person found the body of the man believed to be the rider nearby, police say.
The body is yet to be formally identified. The incident was reported at about 7.15pm on Sunday.
Police and paramedics were called to the M1 Pacific Motorway near Billinudgel, following reports several cars had crashed into an unoccupied motorcycle.
After a member of the public found the body, two drivers were taken to Byron Central Hospital for mandatory testing. A third driver underwent testing at Tweed Valley Hospital.
'A crime scene has been established and officers attached to Crash Investigation Unit were called to commence an investigation into the incident,' a police spokesperson said.
'All vehicles were seized to be forensically examined.'
- NewsWire
A dead body has been found on a major highway near Byron Bay in northern NSW.
The grim discovery was made by a member of the public on Sunday night after a crash involving cars and an unoccupied motorcycle.
Officers at the scene were told three cars crashed into the motorcycle before a person found the body of the man believed to be the rider nearby, police say.
The body is yet to be formally identified. The incident was reported at about 7.15pm on Sunday.
Police and paramedics were called to the M1 Pacific Motorway near Billinudgel, following reports several cars had crashed into an unoccupied motorcycle.
After a member of the public found the body, two drivers were taken to Byron Central Hospital for mandatory testing. A third driver underwent testing at Tweed Valley Hospital.
'A crime scene has been established and officers attached to Crash Investigation Unit were called to commence an investigation into the incident,' a police spokesperson said.
'All vehicles were seized to be forensically examined.'
- NewsWire