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Australia news live: Qantas seeks answers on data breach, storm prompts asthma warning, property values fall further. Updated November 2, 2026 - 7:56am, first published 6:35am Article gifting is here Give anyone free access to subscriber-only stories when you subscribe. Pinned post Go to latest Jack Gramenz * Trust in Australia's politicians has plunged, fewer than half of voters believe they have a meaningful say in government and almost three-quarters think the country has become more divided over the past year in the latest McKinnon Index charting a profound realignment in Australian politics. * Qantas is working to establish if any customer data was exposed during a breach targeting global travel technology provider Amadeus. * Predicted thunderstorms and high pollen levels have prompted a warning people could quickly develop asthma symptoms in Victoria. * The cost of policing high-risk locations and events in NSW has surged past $50 million in the months following the Bondi Beach terror attack, as a gun buyback begins in the state. * Nationwide property values have slumped further amid fears a downturn could worsen if the Reserve Bank pushes ahead with another interest rate hike this week. House prices have fallen nationwide for the seventh month in a row, ahead of what's expected to be another interest rate rise on Tuesday. Nine people on board private jet that crashed in Florida. A business jet carrying nine people has crashed in Florida, erupting in a massive fireball. The Learjet 60 was carrying nine people when it crashed in a residential area in Florida's Palm Beach County, federal officials said. The Bahamas-bound jet departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. It was unclear if anyone on the ground was hurt. There were also no details yet if anyone on board survived. Martha Stewart responds to Halloween costume uproar. Chris Hook Lifestyle mogul and TV presenter Martha Stewart has responded to the furore after an image of her dressed as a homeless person for Halloween was posted to her Instagram account then quickly deleted. However, in a statement to the New York Post's Page Six column, the 85-year-old stopped short of apologising. The image showed Stewart dressed in ripped jeans and a ragged cardigan, with her face smudged, holding a sign with the message, "I am hungry help me!!!" The image was among several included in a carousel promoting her candles, but a backlash soon followed and it was removed. Judge dismisses Trump lawsuit over same-name Senate candidate. A US federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit by President Donald Trump's administration seeking to block Alaska from certifying a loss for Republican senator Dan Sullivan in Tuesday's midterm elections if votes for a rival with the same name could have changed the outcome. The ruling by US District Judge Sharon Gleason in Anchorage was the latest blow to Trump's efforts to assert a greater federal role in elections, which the US Constitution gives to the states. Democratic former US congresswoman Mary Peltola is challenging Sullivan in the race, whose outcome could prove critical for determining whether Trump's fellow Republicans can retain control of the Senate in the midterms. Democrats need a net gain of at least four seats to gain control of the Senate. Alaska's ballot lists incumbent Senator Daniel Sullivan, Peltola, a retired teacher named Daniel J. Sullivan jnr, and another long-shot candidate. 'We want them off our streets': NSW gun buyback begins. Jack Gramenz Registered gun owners can access a buyback scheme from today in NSW, as Premier Chris Minns urges gun owners to book an appointment to hand back firearms. "Just want to make sure people know, you can't just turn up, you do need to make an appointment... there's already 2400 guns that have been registered to be handed in," Minns told ABC News Breakfast this morning. "Only registered guns are eligible for a buyback. Unregistered guns are illegal, however, there is a national amnesty in place via a federal program, and I encourage people to have a look at that," he said. "Whether they're legal guns or illegal guns or unregistered guns, we want them off our streets." Nationals leader Matt Canavan to seek lower house seat at election. Jack Gramenz Nationals leader Matt Canavan will look to move to the lower house, announcing he will contest the central Queensland seat of Capricornia at the next federal election. The Queensland senator told the Courier-Mail he would contest the seat following the recent announcement that current MP Michelle Landry would retire. "The issue is we need to keep this seat to change the government, and I want us to continue to deliver for central Queensland," he said. "I don't think you'll be surprised by this announcement but I'm not going to die wondering. I may very well die politically, but I'm not going to die wondering," Canavan said. Qantas seeks answers on booking system data breach. Chris Zappone Qantas said it's trying to learn if any customer bookings have been affected by a cyber breach involving global reservation provider Amadeus, after a number of airlines said their customer data had been exposed. While Qantas itself has not been hacked, the airline is trying to learn whether its customers' records have been affected. "We have been advised by global travel technology provider Amadeus that there has been unauthorised access to one of their systems," said a spokesperson for Qantas. "Amadeus advised the issue was contained in September and we're working with them to understand the impact to any Qantas bookings." Victorians warned about asthma storm conditions. Victorians have been warned about epidemic thunderstorm asthma conditions in parts of the state today. Victoria's acting Chief Health Officer Dr Evelyn Wong sent out an alert due to the combination of forecast high grass pollen levels and strong thunderstorm wind gusts that could see a large number of people develop asthma symptoms for a short period of time. "People in Mallee, North Central, North East and Wimmera districts who have asthma or spring hay fever need to be alert and prepared while this high-risk forecast is in place," Wong warned yesterday. "The safest place to be during the strong wind gusts before and during a thunderstorm is indoors, with windows and doors closed. Pinned post from 6.24am Jack Gramenz * Trust in Australia's politicians has plunged, fewer than half of voters believe they have a meaningful say in government and almost three-quarters think the country has become more divided over the past year in the latest McKinnon Index charting a profound realignment in Australian politics. * Qantas is working to establish if any customer data was exposed during a breach targeting global travel technology provider Amadeus. * Predicted thunderstorms and high pollen levels have prompted a warning people could quickly develop asthma symptoms in Victoria. * The cost of policing high-risk locations and events in NSW has surged past $50 million in the months following the Bondi Beach terror attack, as a gun buyback begins in the state. * Nationwide property values have slumped further amid fears a downturn could worsen if the Reserve Bank pushes ahead with another interest rate hike this week. House prices have fallen nationwide for the seventh month in a row, ahead of what's expected to be another interest rate rise on Tuesday. SMH RECOMMENDS

Turkish Airlines launches new 22-hour ultra-long route: see Map now. Published Oct 28, 2026, 11:19 AM EDT Paul has had a career of 25+ years focused on the international technology sector, which has taken him to over 100 countries. Along the way, he developed a deep love for aviation, with a travel bucket list measured by aircraft types flown rather than destinations reached. Now he brings that avgeek passion, along with the journalism experience he accumulated early in his career, to write insightful pieces for Simple Flying. Turkish Airlines launched its new Istanbul-Singapore-Sydney service on October 26, replacing the previous stopover in Kuala Lumpur (KUL). The five-weekly Airbus A350-900 operation has a maximum scheduled journey time of 21 hours and 40 minutes, including its Singapore stop, making it one of the airline's longest services. The change means that Turkish Airlines now serves both of its Australian destinations via Singapore, with eight weekly flights to Sydney and Melbourne combined. The airline has ambitious plans for its Australian network, with traffic rights for up to 35 weekly flights, and eventual nonstop services using the Airbus A350-1000. Inside Turkish Airlines' new Sydney route. Turkish Airlines first started flying to Sydney in November 2024, operating from its hub at Istanbul Airport (IST) with a stop at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL). The route to Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) was actually the airline's second Australian route, with it having already launched a three-times-weekly service to Melbourne Airport (MEL) via Singapore in March of that year. At the time, the choice of different stopover airports was explained as a case of existing flights to each airport being extended on to Australia. However, that has changed, and the Sydney route will also be operating via Singapore Changi Airport (SIN). The new TK22 departs Istanbul at 3:20 PM, reaching Sydney at 7:25 PM the following day. Turkish airline's Australian routes. 4 Airports 13,053 Network mi Drag to explore Map: Simple Flying Returning as TK23, it departs Sydney at 9:35 PM, reaching Istanbul at 11:10 AM. The northbound journey takes 21 hours and 35 minutes, including the stopover. Singapore offers more than a convenient refueling stop. Indeed, Turkish Airlines has fifth-freedom rights to sell tickets between Singapore and Sydney, competing with Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Scoot and British Airways. Changi is also a major Star Alliance hub, giving Turkish Airlines opportunities through its existing codeshare partnership with Singapore Airlines and frequent-flyer connections. Turkish Airlines' ambitious Australian expansion plans. Turkish Airlines entered Australia with Melbourne in March 2024 after two years of negotiations. This resulted in the airline being granted 35 weekly flights as well as fifth-freedom rights for any Asian stopover. Sydney initially received four weekly flights, rising to five in June 2025. The airline had planned daily Sydney services by January 2026, but that target has not yet materialized. As a result, its current eight weekly Australian departures remain well below the 35 permitted under bilateral traffic rights, giving it plenty of headroom for expansion. The next milestone is nonstop service to both current destinations using specially configured A350-1000s. Istanbul-Sydney spans approximately 9,270 miles (14,920 km), requiring aircraft capable of exceptionally long missions. | Date | Australian Network Milestone | | March 2024 | Melbourne launches via Singapore | | November 2024 | Sydney launches via Kuala Lumpur | | June 2025 | Sydney increases to five weekly | | October 2026 | Sydney switches to Singapore | | 2027-2028 | Target period for nonstop flights | However, nonstop Australian flights have been delayed, with recent expectations pointing towards a late 2027 start for Sydney and potentially 2028 for Melbourne. Further expansion is definitely on the cards, given that Turkish Airlines still has rights to a further 27 weekly flights. The Australian reported last month that the current routes are reporting average load factors of 85%, and Turkish Airlines has identified Brisbane and Perth as potential future destinations. However, additional routes will depend on aircraft availability, market conditions and demand. For now, the airline's priority appears to be strengthening Sydney and Melbourne before committing to further Australian gateways. Where Sydney passengers travel beyond Istanbul. Turkish Airlines' Australian ambitions extend well beyond Türkiye. During the 12 months ending August 2026, nearly 100,000 Sydney passengers connected onward through Istanbul. The airline's extensive network across Europe provides convenient access to destinations that may otherwise require additional or less convenient connections from Australia. London is the leading market, fueled by the strong connections between Australia and the UK, and the fact that the airline operates up to 11 daily flights across London Heathrow Airport (LHR), London Gatwick Airport (LGW), and London Stansted Airport (STN). But the strong VFR flows are also evident with the likes of Athens, Rome, Skopje, and Belgrade being so high on the list. | Market | Airports | Peak Daily Flights | Distance | | London | LHR, LGW, STN | 11 | 1,540 mi (2,480 km) | | Athens | ATH | 5 | 345 mi (555 km) | | Rome | FCO | 4 | 865 mi (1,390 km) | | Skopje | SKP | 2 | 380 mi (610 km) | | Belgrade | BEG | 3 | 490 mi (790 km) | | Dublin | DUB | 3 | 1,850 mi (2,980 km) | | Paris | CDG | 7 | 1,375 mi (2,215 km) | | Berlin | BER | 5 | 1,050 mi (1,690 km) | | Milan | MXP | 4 | 1,030 mi (1,660 km) | | Warsaw | WAW | 3 | 860 mi (1,385 km) | Istanbul's geographical position will also offer a distinct advantage in the future. A nonstop Sydney-Istanbul-London journey would cover approximately 10,675 miles (17,180 km), compared with roughly 11,370 miles (18,300 km) via Dubai International Airport (DXB). Although today's Singapore stop negates that advantage, nonstop A350-1000 operations will make Turkish Airlines a stronger competitor versus the Gulf carriers for Australia-Europe passengers.