Woolworths urged by government to sort out strike, ABC host leaving role after 15 years, search for $4.8m winner

We bring you some sad breaking news now. A truck driver has died after his vehicle veered off a major highway and down an embankment south of Sydney.

The truck left the Princes Highway at the Bulli Pass this morning, causing major congestion as the road was shut off.

The driver died at the scene and has yet to be identified, NSW Police said.

An investigation is underway to determine what caused the crash.

It's December and Christmas trees are popping up in homes right across the country.

And take a look at David and Candice Warner's tree, who according to the Daily Mail, have dropped at least a whopping $4,000 on theirs for their Maroubra mansion. Talk about a cost-of-living crisis.

See the creator's Instagram post below.

Chris Minns has knocked back plans to be able to scrap sweet-tasting alcoholic drinks, suggesting NSW is already a nanny state as it is.

The Saturday Telegraph revealed Liquor and Gaming NSW were seeking power to be able to ban the sale of drinks like seltzers as their sweet taste made them too appealing to minors.

But NSW Premier Minns has poured cold water on the idea saying there's "too much regulation" already.

"We’ve got to let people live their lives," he said, The Daily Telegraph reported.

“I think we can manage and moderate the risks of underage drinking without wiping out or stopping adults from making their own decisions in their life."

It's official. Australia's spring was the hottest on record.

The season's average temperature for across Australia was 2.09C above the long-term average from 1961-90, the Bureau of Meteorology reports. Weatherzone called the spike in temperature "exceptionally high", with the average of 112 weather stations around Australia hitting 24.58C.

And the following graph shows quite a clear trajectory since the 1980s.

Queensland senator Matt Canavan has criticised a major pub group after it decided it wouldn't be celebrating Australia Day in its venues.

Australian Venue Co, owner of more than 200 pubs and bars including many iconic venues in Victoria, NSW, Queensland and South Australia, has directed managers not to allow flag-wavers to celebrate in its establishments on January 26 as it can cause "hurt" for some patrons.

Canavan said it wasn't right for the group to be acting as “moral guardians”.

“Get off their moral high horse. They’re a pub, for God’s sake They deal in alcohol … I mean, let people have a good time at a pub,” he told the Today show.

A man has been bitten by a shark off a Queensland island this morning.

Queensland Ambulance Service say the man in his 60s suffered lacerations to both arms, the ABC reported.

The attack happened off Curtis Island and the man has been rushed to Gladstone Hospital in a stable condition.

The Australian Federal Police has charged 11 men and two juveniles over an alleged conspiracy to import 2.34 tonnes of cocaine into Australia by sea.

The men charged include the crew of a vessel allegedly attempting to import the illicit drugs into Queensland and groups allegedly planning to collect the drugs, with an estimated street value of $1 billion, on shore.

The arrests come after an investigation into a transnational organised crime syndicate.

The men were arrested on Saturday night and early Sunday morning following a joint investigation between the AFP and the Queensland Police Service. The vessel was intercepted off the coast of Fraser Island.

- NCA NewsWire

Now this is absolutely terrifying.

A woman driving barefoot along a Melbourne freeway on Sunday was forced to make an emergency stop after a venomous snake began crawling up her leg.

"The woman explained that she had been travelling at 80km/h on the freeway when she felt something on her foot and looked down to find a deadly tiger snake slithering up her leg," Victoria Police said.

Remarkably she managed to pull over safely and call police, who contacted a snake catcher to remove a deadly tiger snake from her vehicle. Thankfully she was unharmed.

A man is due to front court today after he allegedly made aggressive and sexually graphic comments to a female crew member during a Gold Coast-bound flight.

An airline alerted the Australian Federal Police to a man who was allegedly making aggressive and sexually graphic comments to a female crew member in September.

Police met the flight when it landed at Gold Coast Airport and interviewed the Surfers Paradise man.

The 41-year-old was then arrested and charged with one count of acting in offensive manner on board an aircraft.

AFP Acting Superintendent Matthew Biddle said travelling on a plane should be a “safe experience for everyone”, with poor and illegal behaviour not to be tolerated.

“Police will also continue putting people before the court should they misbehave while travelling, particularly in the lead-up to the busy festive season.”

- With NCA NewsWire

Well the results are in and Australia's best new pool for the year has been announced.

Decided by 20 industry experts, online pool marketplace Poolz has announced Australia’s best pool for 2024 is this pretty spectacular pool in Sydney's Seaforth.

It's creators say it was a "challenging build" but "sets a new standard in outdoor opulence". Take a look at it below.

China says it has found a gold deposit worth roughly $127 billion. Yes, you read that correctly.

According to state media, 1,000 tonnes of the stuff was detected in gold fields in its central province of Hunan.

"Many drilled rock cores showed visible gold," said Chen Rulin from the local geological bureau told Xinhua. The site's gold reserve is believed to stretch 3km into the ground.

"Be realistic".

That's the message to homeowners wanting to sell up as the property market slows right now.

“Talk to your agent and think seriously about the price,” Vicki Laing of Laing Real Estate told Domain.

“Look at the prices asked, and then achieved, by comparable properties in your area. Be realistic; don’t just listen to the agent who offers you the highest price.

It comes as markets across the country slow right now after a post pandemic peak, with some agents fearing some homes are being listed with a guide far too high in what is a sensitive market.

So what do you think? Have you seen homes well overpriced?

In some breaking news now. A manhunt is underway after police have found a man and a woman with gunshot wounds this morning in the Melbourne suburb of Rye.

After receiving reports of an altercation on Parson St, police descended on the Mornington Peninsula suburb to find the pair at a residential address. Both were declared dead at the scene.

Police believe a second man fled the scene and the parties were known to another.

Homicide squad detectives are investigating and have established a crime scene.

Police are appealing for information with anyone who witnessed the incident or has dashcam, CCTV footage or information urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

More to come.

- With NCA NewsWire

OK, we've got another mystery multi-millionaire. Well, they will be in a few years.

The winner of Saturday's Set for Life draw has yet to come forward. The ticket was purchased in the NSW town of Kiama.

Once identified, they will receive $20,000 a month for the next two years to the tune of $4.8 million.

“Our elusive winner is likely oblivious to the fact they became a multi-millionaire on the weekend. Imagine starting the working week not knowing you’ve won $4.8 million!” The Lott spokesperson Matt Hart said.

Woolworths have been urged by the government they need to sort out a pay dispute as shelves sit empty across a handful of stores as we enter the festive period.

Workers at several distribution centres in NSW and Victoria have walked off the job nearly two weeks ago and are refusing to budge on their demands.

Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic told ABC News Breakfast the federal government wanted the dispute worked out between both sides "as quickly as they can, particularly given the time of year".

Read all about the dispute here.

There's a big change coming for morning TV. Michael Rowland, who is pretty much a part of the furniture at the ABC, is leaving the public broadcaster's morning show after 15 years.

He announced the decision live on air to viewers this morning, saying he will depart next week. "Sorry to the viewers for the short notice," he told the camera.

He later took to his X account to share the news.

"I love this job but after 15 years of 3am starts, my body is screaming ‘Enough!’ It’s time for a long break before turning to other ABC projects," he said.

The move continues the mass exodus on the show with Lisa Millar and Tony Armstrong both already leaving this year.