Australian news live: Woolworths reports rise in profits, young surfer fatally stabbed on beach

Vulnerable women are waiting for up to nine months to receive the federal government’s newly refunded leaving violence payment, a crisis services worker has revealed.

Anthony Albanese's $925 million commitment to the scheme has been questioned, with the time it takes to receive the funds called out.

There is also criticism of the three-month period women victims of domestic violence have to claim their money. Macarthur Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service manager Tanya Whitehouse AOM called it "insulting".

Read more here.

At least 36 people are dead after a highway collapsed in the middle of the night following heavy rain in China's south.

Aerial vision of the road in Meizhou, Guangdong, shows vehicles piled up near the top of a landslide next to a gaping hole on the raised highway.

Video and photos in local media showed smoke and fire at the scene, with highway guardrails slanting down into the flames.

Parts of Guangdong have had record rainfall and flooding in the past two weeks.

A 22-year-old male surfer has been stabbed to death moments after leaving the water at a popular Coffs Harbour beach on NSW's Mid North Coast.

Police are searching the surrounding area for evidence and a possible weapon used in the stabbing attack shortly before 7am, the ABC reported.

A desperate search is underway for two Perth brothers who have disappeared on a surfing trip to Mexico.

Jake and Callum Robinson last spoke to family on Saturday but failed to show up to an Airbnb they had booked with an American friend.

Callum has type one diabetes, the brothers' mother Debra revealed, adding to her concerns. "This is a very dire situation," she said on social media.

A local journalist claimed a woman has been arrested for possessing one of the men's phones and methamphetamine, WA Today reported.

Anthony Albanese has congratulated Jermiah Manele after he was confirmed as the new prime minister of the Solomon Islands.

The small island nation has been at the forefront of a strategic struggle in the Indo-Pacific after former prime minister Manasseh Sogavare sparked concern when he signed a security pact with China in 2022.

In a post on X, Albanese delivered a message that will undoubtedly have caught the attention of Beijing.

"Australia and Solomon Islands are close friends and our futures are connected," he said.

A national election in April failed to deliver a majority to any political party, and two camps lobbied to win support from independents ahead of the vote for prime minister. Former foreign minister Manele won with 31 votes to Opposition leader Matthew Wales' 18.

Experts believe Manele will continue to pursue a close relationship with China however will likely be far more measured with his approach to the West compared to Sogavare.

- With AAP

Woolworths has announced its profits are up as the supermarket continues to face scrutiny over its control over the market alongside rival Coles.

The supermarket reported average prices of its products actually dropped in the last quarter by 0.2 per cent. Woolworths has been accused of price gouging as the cost-of-living crisis continues to hurt Australians.

Overall Woolworths reported its total sales - including its New Zealand supermarkets, Big W stores and business-to-business sales - were up 2.8 per cent to $16.8 billion.

Read more here.

TV and radio host Andy Lee has revealed his engagement to long-term partner Rebecca Harding after nearly 10 years together.

"People keep saying we've rushed into this but we don't care what people say!" he wrote on Instagram.

Revealing the news on-air, co-host Hamish Blake also joked about the length of time it took him to pop the question.

"Is it a bit quick?" he asked.

So is 10 years too long to wait? Have your say below.

Anthony Albanese's near-$1 billion package to help women escape violent partners has been described as a "bandaid" measure by a survivor activist.

"I think it was just a mere political manoeuvre attempting to slap a $925 million bandaid on the outcry that happened over the weekend," Harrison James told the ABC.

The funding will see victims receive up to $5,000 to escape violent relationships.

It comes after thousands of Australians rallied over the weekend, many deeply concerned over the rates of female deaths as a result of domestic violence.

How's this for a bit of luck? A NSW woman has revealed she bought her winning lotto ticket with just minutes to spare on Wednesday night.

The Berrigan woman scooped $1 million on the Monday & Wednesday Lotto but initially thought she'd missed her chance to get a ticket.

“It’s funny as last night, I said, ‘bugger, I forgot to buy a Lotto ticket’. I thought it was too late and had missed the draw. But then someone said, ‘No, you’ve still got time’," she said.

“So, minutes before the draw’s close, I quickly logged in and thought, ‘oh, 18 games will do’."

Administrators of budget airline Bonza say they can't issue refunds to customers at this point in time after assessing the troubled company's finances.

All flights were cancelled on Tuesday with the company's future hanging in the balance.

“Unfortunately, the administrators and/or the company are not in a position to process or issue refunds at this time,” administrator Hall Chadwick said in a statement.

Natalie Ball, director of Comparetravelinsurance.com.au, told Yahoo travellers may be eligible to claim back their costs through travel insurance or their credit card company.

“Several travel insurers in the market will provide cover for loss of prepaid expenses in the event of an airline entering voluntary administration. However, cover will usually only apply to comprehensive, higher-tiered policies and claims will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.”