Hunt for $3.3 million lotto winner, Woolworths teams up with iconic US brand, crash shuts down major Aussie road

Yahoo

24-02-2025

Yahoo's live news blog for Monday, February 24 has now concluded. The hunt is on for a lotto player who officials believe has no clue they've landed $3.3 million.
There was major traffic chaos in Sydney this morning after a crash shut off CBD-bound traffic on one of the city's busiest roads. Southbound traffic was halted after a car was crushed when colliding with a truck during peak hour traffic, forcing commuters to abandon buses and walk along the road back where they came from.
Woolworths is set to release its highly-anticipated collab with Cinnabon, bringing limited-edition hot cross buns to shoppers in the lead up to Easter.
See all of the day's updates below.
A shark expert says a popular strip of the Queensland coastline is in the midst of a "cluster of bites" following a spate of recent shark attacks.
The latest attack in the Moreton Bay area involved a 29-year-old man who was bitten on his abdomen and legs while snorkelling at the Tangalooma Wrecks site. It comes weeks after teen Charlize Zmuda died in an attack off Bribie Island.
Bond University biologist and shark attack expert Dr Daryl McPhee told the Courier Mail he believes the attacks are part of a phenomenon called "cluster of bites".
'It is a global phenomenon… where you get a series of bites in a short period of time and, unfortunately, that's what we seem to be seeing in Moreton Bay at the moment," he said.
'Bad luck does play a part, but you can have circumstances where sharks go where there's abundant prey, and this is a time of the year where you can have abundant prey in Moreton Bay,' he said.
'There's also the dolphin feeding, and the presence of dolphins can also be a food source for and of interest to large sharks.'
NSW Police have shared new details on their investigation into two nurses following the publication of a video chat they took part in while at work where they made shocking anti-Semitic comments.
The pair were filmed wearing their NSW Health uniforms as they threatened Israeli patients who may come to the hospital during a video call with Israeli influencer Max Veifer, which was later uploaded to Tik Tok, sparking global outrage.
Ahmad 'Rashad' Nadir and Sarah Abu Lebdeh have both been stood down by NSW Health following the incident, and NSW Police are investigating whether charges will be laid, with Commissioner Karen Webb revealing a brief was being prepared for the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Commissioner Webb told reporters on Monday the investigation had been delayed by the fact the central witness was based overseas, which had created jurisdictional and language barriers.
'This is a complex matter, given the geography of the nurses being here in New South Wales and the key witness is in Israel,' she said.
'It is a complex matter where we're talking about an international jurisdiction. We don't have jurisdiction.'
Commissioner Webb said officers had worked with counterparts overseas to obtain a statement.
That statement then had to be translated from Hebrew to English to make it admissible as evidence in NSW courts.
'That has just taken time and people just need to be patient. But we've made progress. We've made very, very solid progress,' she said.
Read more from NCA Newswire here.
A tradie who was bit by a highly venomous snake for the second time has described himself as "a fool".
Braydon Brighton, from Gin Gin, inland from Queensland's Bundaberg, says he regrets not being more careful after his first bite – a mistake that led to him being airlifted to hospital.
He was cutting timber in knee-high grass when he felt the bite from a brown snake last month, and quickly began to go light-headed.
'I just wasn't thinking. If I am to be honest about it, I felt like a deadset d****head," he told the Courier Mail."I was a fool for not carrying [a snake bandage].'
He quickly called his mother who called Triple-0, with emergency crews able to reach him quickly before he was flown to Bundaberg Hospital. He believes if that option was not available, he could have been in serious trouble.
The 27-year-old was first bitten by a brown snake in 2021, and the second bite has now finally seen him buy himself a $50 snake bandage.
The rising cost of living has seen a number of Aussies stay in the workforce longer as they see a comfortable retirement as unachievable.
Finder found 1 in 6 Aussies aged over 43 had either delayed their retirement or returned to the workforce in the past two years.
Of this, half those surveyed said the rising cost of living was the main reason.
Finder superannuation expert Pascale Helyar-Moray said retirement is a luxury many Australians simply can no longer afford.
'There's a growing retirement savings crisis in Australia,' she said.
'Australians dedicate much of their lives to working hard, often dreaming of the 'golden years' of retirement, but for many, stepping back simply isn't a viable option.'
Read more from NCA NewsWire here.
This is a debate that we've seen come up a fair bit but this note has gained a huge response online.
One renter in Queensland's Toowoomba explained on Reddit his wife received this note on her car, telling her she is "rude" for parking in the street outside someone else's house when there is space near their property. The person explained their wife parked there because of a tree that provides shade.
The post sparked a wave of comments criticising the person who left the note, with some calling them "entitled".
So where do you stand? Is it rude to park outside someone's house when a space outside your own is free? Have your say below.
Dozens of schools are still waiting for their classrooms to be air conditioned, six years after a $500m program to install air-conditioning units in NSW began.
With temperatures on the rise, Parents and Citizens president Lisa Hamilton told the ABC children at schools yet to benefit from the rollout are enduring temperatures up to 35C inside classrooms during summer.
Some parents have even said they purposely keep their children at home when it gets too hot.
Fifty-two schools are still waiting for air-conditioning to be fitted, 13 of which are in Greater Sydney.
The winner of a multi-million dollar lottery prize may have spent all of Sunday none the wiser about their life-changing win.
Lottery officials are searching for a lottery player who purchased a ticket for the weekend's Saturday Lotto draw in NSW's Lismore.
'Our elusive winner is likely oblivious to the fact they've won more than $3.3 million," The Lott spokesperson Anna Hobdell said. If you've bought a ticket in the area, we strongly advise you to go check your ticket.
I'm sure viewers experiencing the Monday blues will forgive ABC's Catherine Murphy this morning for what was a relatable slip-up for some on live TV.
Describing tennis star Mirra Andreeva, she called her the World Number Wine, instead of nine, prompting the sports host to quickly correct herself.
"That's not what I'm thinking of after the weekend," she said laughing it off, before later adding "it's 5pm nowhere, no wine in sight.. I apologise."
Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to quit as his country's leader if Ukraine is allowed to join NATO.
His remarks come amid a deterioration in relations with the US under President Donald Trump, who accused Zelensky of being a "dictator" for not holding an election since war broke out between Russia and Ukraine three years ago.
"If there is peace for Ukraine, if you really need me to leave my post, I am ready," Zelensky said.
'I can also exchange it for [Ukraine's membership of] Nato, if there is such an opportunity. I'll do it immediately without a long conversation about it.
'I am focused on Ukraine's security now, not in 20 years, and I'm not going to be in post for decades, that is not my dream.'
The young hiker who was lost in the Kosciuszko National Park for nearly two weeks has shared new details about his ordeal, saying a group of hikers ahead of him inadvertently saved his life.
Hadi Nazari, 23, feared he was going to die when he ended up alone in dense bush in late December.
He had no food and was surviving on the land's fresh water and a few berries. But after stumbling across a hiker's hut, he was handed what he believes was a life-saving boost.
"I found a visitors book [in the hut], started reading through people's journals and their journeys, and got up to the last entry on the 27th of December. It said, 'We've left two muesli bars, so enjoy," he told the ABC's 7.30.
"They were the most tasty muesli bars ever, they were Uncle Toby's, maybe caramel," Hadi recalled with a smile.
"I want to say a big thanks to the group of hikers who left those bars, and a big, big thanks to those people who are part of the hut building association. It just saved somebody's life."
After 13 days, a group of hikers found Nazari who was then airlifted to safety.
There's been plenty of fanfare after the collaboration was shared weeks ago, and we're just days out from Woolworths' hot cross bun collab with US icon Cinnabon.
Fans shared their delight at the news earlier in the year, with the limited-edition release coming this Friday.
Bakery merchandise manager Donald Keith said while Woolies has explored many 'trending' flavours over the years, the new buns are 'pretty unique'.
'We've partnered with the Cinnabon team to use their bespoke 'Cinnabon cinnamon' flavour and combined this with an indulgent cream cheese-style filling to bring something completely new to our range,' he said.
'We've seen a lot of hype from customers about our collaboration with Cinnabon and wanted to serve up a surprise by bringing these Hot Cross Buns to shelves early.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Nectorious Papi (@nectoriouspapi)
There is major traffic chaos in Sydney's north this morning after a car was crushed on one of the city's busiest roads.
A collision with a truck and car occurred during peak hour traffic on the Spit Bridge, closing southbound lanes towards the CBD. There is a huge build up of traffic along what is a notoriously busy route taken by Northern Beaches commuters. Images show commuters exiting buses stuck in the traffic several kilometres away, before appearing to walk back in the direction they came.
Photos shared online show the car in a badly-crumpled state, however NSW Fire and Rescue have told local outlet the Manly Observer the male driver appears to only have sustained minor injuries.
🚗 MOSMAN: Heavy traffic is causing delays in both directions on Spit Rd due to a car crash on The Spit Bridge.❌ 2 of 3 southbound lanes of the road are closed.🕙 Allow plenty of extra travel time.📱 You can find out more about this incident here 👉 https://t.co/PaIwaOcQji pic.twitter.com/olB0KTX6VT
— Live Traffic Sydney (@LiveTrafficSyd) February 23, 2025
China has accused Australia of making 'hyped' claims and 'unreasonable accusations' over its live fire naval drills in international waters between Australia and New Zealand.
Australian Defence Force officials says they are monitoring two People's Liberation Army Navy (PLA-N) frigates and a replenishment vessel in the Coral Sea.
The flotilla has since navigated down the east coast, passing within 270km of Sydney, and conducted two live fire drills in the Tasman Sea on Friday and Saturday.
Australia has formally protested the live fire exercises, the first of which forced at least two commercial flights to alter their courses at short notice.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said on Saturday that Chinese authorities had not given a 'satisfactory' explanation.
In a statement, Chinese defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian disputed the Australian government's version of events, saying it had issued repeated safety notices.
'China's actions are in full compliance with international law and international practices and will not affect aviation flight safety,' Mr Wu said.
'Australia, knowing this well, made unreasonable accusations against China and deliberately hyped it up. We are deeply surprised and strongly dissatisfied with this.'
Read more from NCA NewsWire here.
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A shark expert says a popular strip of the Queensland coastline is in the midst of a "cluster of bites" following a spate of recent shark attacks.
The latest attack in the Moreton Bay area involved a 29-year-old man who was bitten on his abdomen and legs while snorkelling at the Tangalooma Wrecks site. It comes weeks after teen Charlize Zmuda died in an attack off Bribie Island.
Bond University biologist and shark attack expert Dr Daryl McPhee told the Courier Mail he believes the attacks are part of a phenomenon called "cluster of bites".
'It is a global phenomenon… where you get a series of bites in a short period of time and, unfortunately, that's what we seem to be seeing in Moreton Bay at the moment," he said.
'Bad luck does play a part, but you can have circumstances where sharks go where there's abundant prey, and this is a time of the year where you can have abundant prey in Moreton Bay,' he said.
'There's also the dolphin feeding, and the presence of dolphins can also be a food source for and of interest to large sharks.'
NSW Police have shared new details on their investigation into two nurses following the publication of a video chat they took part in while at work where they made shocking anti-Semitic comments.
The pair were filmed wearing their NSW Health uniforms as they threatened Israeli patients who may come to the hospital during a video call with Israeli influencer Max Veifer, which was later uploaded to Tik Tok, sparking global outrage.
Ahmad 'Rashad' Nadir and Sarah Abu Lebdeh have both been stood down by NSW Health following the incident, and NSW Police are investigating whether charges will be laid, with Commissioner Karen Webb revealing a brief was being prepared for the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Commissioner Webb told reporters on Monday the investigation had been delayed by the fact the central witness was based overseas, which had created jurisdictional and language barriers.
'This is a complex matter, given the geography of the nurses being here in New South Wales and the key witness is in Israel,' she said.
'It is a complex matter where we're talking about an international jurisdiction. We don't have jurisdiction.'
Commissioner Webb said officers had worked with counterparts overseas to obtain a statement.
That statement then had to be translated from Hebrew to English to make it admissible as evidence in NSW courts.
'That has just taken time and people just need to be patient. But we've made progress. We've made very, very solid progress,' she said.
Read more from NCA Newswire here.
A tradie who was bit by a highly venomous snake for the second time has described himself as "a fool".
Braydon Brighton, from Gin Gin, inland from Queensland's Bundaberg, says he regrets not being more careful after his first bite – a mistake that led to him being airlifted to hospital.
He was cutting timber in knee-high grass when he felt the bite from a brown snake last month, and quickly began to go light-headed.
'I just wasn't thinking. If I am to be honest about it, I felt like a deadset d****head," he told the Courier Mail."I was a fool for not carrying [a snake bandage].'
He quickly called his mother who called Triple-0, with emergency crews able to reach him quickly before he was flown to Bundaberg Hospital. He believes if that option was not available, he could have been in serious trouble.
The 27-year-old was first bitten by a brown snake in 2021, and the second bite has now finally seen him buy himself a $50 snake bandage.
The rising cost of living has seen a number of Aussies stay in the workforce longer as they see a comfortable retirement as unachievable.
Finder found 1 in 6 Aussies aged over 43 had either delayed their retirement or returned to the workforce in the past two years.
Of this, half those surveyed said the rising cost of living was the main reason.
Finder superannuation expert Pascale Helyar-Moray said retirement is a luxury many Australians simply can no longer afford.
'There's a growing retirement savings crisis in Australia,' she said.
'Australians dedicate much of their lives to working hard, often dreaming of the 'golden years' of retirement, but for many, stepping back simply isn't a viable option.'
Read more from NCA NewsWire here.
This is a debate that we've seen come up a fair bit but this note has gained a huge response online.
One renter in Queensland's Toowoomba explained on Reddit his wife received this note on her car, telling her she is "rude" for parking in the street outside someone else's house when there is space near their property. The person explained their wife parked there because of a tree that provides shade.
The post sparked a wave of comments criticising the person who left the note, with some calling them "entitled".
So where do you stand? Is it rude to park outside someone's house when a space outside your own is free? Have your say below.
Dozens of schools are still waiting for their classrooms to be air conditioned, six years after a $500m program to install air-conditioning units in NSW began.
With temperatures on the rise, Parents and Citizens president Lisa Hamilton told the ABC children at schools yet to benefit from the rollout are enduring temperatures up to 35C inside classrooms during summer.
Some parents have even said they purposely keep their children at home when it gets too hot.
Fifty-two schools are still waiting for air-conditioning to be fitted, 13 of which are in Greater Sydney.
The winner of a multi-million dollar lottery prize may have spent all of Sunday none the wiser about their life-changing win.
Lottery officials are searching for a lottery player who purchased a ticket for the weekend's Saturday Lotto draw in NSW's Lismore.
'Our elusive winner is likely oblivious to the fact they've won more than $3.3 million," The Lott spokesperson Anna Hobdell said. If you've bought a ticket in the area, we strongly advise you to go check your ticket.
I'm sure viewers experiencing the Monday blues will forgive ABC's Catherine Murphy this morning for what was a relatable slip-up for some on live TV.
Describing tennis star Mirra Andreeva, she called her the World Number Wine, instead of nine, prompting the sports host to quickly correct herself.
"That's not what I'm thinking of after the weekend," she said laughing it off, before later adding "it's 5pm nowhere, no wine in sight.. I apologise."
Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to quit as his country's leader if Ukraine is allowed to join NATO.
His remarks come amid a deterioration in relations with the US under President Donald Trump, who accused Zelensky of being a "dictator" for not holding an election since war broke out between Russia and Ukraine three years ago.
"If there is peace for Ukraine, if you really need me to leave my post, I am ready," Zelensky said.
'I can also exchange it for [Ukraine's membership of] Nato, if there is such an opportunity. I'll do it immediately without a long conversation about it.
'I am focused on Ukraine's security now, not in 20 years, and I'm not going to be in post for decades, that is not my dream.'
The young hiker who was lost in the Kosciuszko National Park for nearly two weeks has shared new details about his ordeal, saying a group of hikers ahead of him inadvertently saved his life.
Hadi Nazari, 23, feared he was going to die when he ended up alone in dense bush in late December.
He had no food and was surviving on the land's fresh water and a few berries. But after stumbling across a hiker's hut, he was handed what he believes was a life-saving boost.
"I found a visitors book [in the hut], started reading through people's journals and their journeys, and got up to the last entry on the 27th of December. It said, 'We've left two muesli bars, so enjoy," he told the ABC's 7.30.
"They were the most tasty muesli bars ever, they were Uncle Toby's, maybe caramel," Hadi recalled with a smile.
"I want to say a big thanks to the group of hikers who left those bars, and a big, big thanks to those people who are part of the hut building association. It just saved somebody's life."
After 13 days, a group of hikers found Nazari who was then airlifted to safety.
There's been plenty of fanfare after the collaboration was shared weeks ago, and we're just days out from Woolworths' hot cross bun collab with US icon Cinnabon.
Fans shared their delight at the news earlier in the year, with the limited-edition release coming this Friday.
Bakery merchandise manager Donald Keith said while Woolies has explored many 'trending' flavours over the years, the new buns are 'pretty unique'.
'We've partnered with the Cinnabon team to use their bespoke 'Cinnabon cinnamon' flavour and combined this with an indulgent cream cheese-style filling to bring something completely new to our range,' he said.
'We've seen a lot of hype from customers about our collaboration with Cinnabon and wanted to serve up a surprise by bringing these Hot Cross Buns to shelves early.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Nectorious Papi (@nectoriouspapi)
There is major traffic chaos in Sydney's north this morning after a car was crushed on one of the city's busiest roads.
A collision with a truck and car occurred during peak hour traffic on the Spit Bridge, closing southbound lanes towards the CBD. There is a huge build up of traffic along what is a notoriously busy route taken by Northern Beaches commuters. Images show commuters exiting buses stuck in the traffic several kilometres away, before appearing to walk back in the direction they came.
Photos shared online show the car in a badly-crumpled state, however NSW Fire and Rescue have told local outlet the Manly Observer the male driver appears to only have sustained minor injuries.
🚗 MOSMAN: Heavy traffic is causing delays in both directions on Spit Rd due to a car crash on The Spit Bridge.❌ 2 of 3 southbound lanes of the road are closed.🕙 Allow plenty of extra travel time.📱 You can find out more about this incident here 👉 https://t.co/PaIwaOcQji pic.twitter.com/olB0KTX6VT
— Live Traffic Sydney (@LiveTrafficSyd) February 23, 2025
China has accused Australia of making 'hyped' claims and 'unreasonable accusations' over its live fire naval drills in international waters between Australia and New Zealand.
Australian Defence Force officials says they are monitoring two People's Liberation Army Navy (PLA-N) frigates and a replenishment vessel in the Coral Sea.
The flotilla has since navigated down the east coast, passing within 270km of Sydney, and conducted two live fire drills in the Tasman Sea on Friday and Saturday.
Australia has formally protested the live fire exercises, the first of which forced at least two commercial flights to alter their courses at short notice.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said on Saturday that Chinese authorities had not given a 'satisfactory' explanation.
In a statement, Chinese defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian disputed the Australian government's version of events, saying it had issued repeated safety notices.
'China's actions are in full compliance with international law and international practices and will not affect aviation flight safety,' Mr Wu said.
'Australia, knowing this well, made unreasonable accusations against China and deliberately hyped it up. We are deeply surprised and strongly dissatisfied with this.'
Read more from NCA NewsWire here.