AAP Rolling News Bulletin for June 18 at 0530
Qantas (TOULOUSE)
Qantas has announced London as the first destination for the world's longest non-stop commercial flight, a roughly 20-hour trip from Sydney eliminating the traditional stopover on the "Kangaroo Route".
The Australian carrier plans to start selling tickets in February and launch the flights in October 2027, CEO Vanessa Hudson told an event in Toulouse, France.
The flights are part of the airline's "Project Sunrise" initiative, which will also serve New York using modified Airbus A350-1000ULR jets capable of flying up to 22 hours with 238 passengers on board.
Each aircraft will be configured with 238 seats across four cabins - First Class, Business, Premium Economy and Economy - and will be fitted with an additional 20,000-litre fuel tank to the A350 that will enable it to fly over 16,000km for up to 22 hours non-stop.
Ukraine (KYIV)
Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov says his country's forces aim to isolate the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula through drone strikes targeting Russian supply lines.
"It looks as if Crimea will soon turn into an island," Fedorov said in an interview posted on Wednesday by the PRESSING YouTube channel.
The attacks on logistics routes had opened a "window of opportunity" for Ukraine, he said, adding: "For the Russians, a hell is beginning that will be difficult for them to overcome."
Disruptions to Russian logistics are already having a direct effect on the number of Russian attacks along the front line, he said.
In a sarcastic reference to Crimea's popularity as a holiday destination for Russian tourists, Fedorov said the peninsula would be visited this year mainly by "our drones".
One Nation (CANBERRA)
Pauline Hanson is being warned she needs to address Australia's economic grievances if the party is to retain surging support and turn anger against the two major parties into electoral success.
The One Nation leader addressed the National Press Club in Canberra for the first time in her 30-year political career, calling on migrants to assimilate into Australia's "monoculture" and vowing to reduce migrants from countries "immersed in extremism, like radical Islam".
She also labelled the increasing number of households facing financial hardship as "appalling" given the nation's wealth.
The ultra-conservative party's rise was a reflection of working people feeling they were going economically backwards in a wealthy country, YouGov director of public data Paul Smith said.
"Our polling shows that the number one reason for backing One Nation is not the leader, but the feeling of being unrepresented by the two major parties," he told AAP.
Electricity (CANBERRA)
Retailers forced to come clean on the number of customers charged too much for their loyalty features in a comprehensive review of the electricity pricing system.
Tackling the "loyalty tax" was one of the goals of a self-initiated review by Australia's electricity rule-maker aimed at bringing the electricity pricing framework into the modern era.
The Australian Energy Market Commission also has a blueprint to reform network tariffs to ensure households with solar and batteries are both properly rewarded and supporting the grid, and renters and other customers without such kit are not overpaying.
Disengaged electricity customers ending up on uncompetitive offers after their attractive introductory deals lapse has been a long-standing bugbear.
The AEMC wants to "shine a light" on the problem to nudge more consumers to switch, including forcing retailers to notify long-term customers of foregone savings.
Migration (CANBERRA)
Migration's contribution to Australia's population growth is set to be revealed as political parties lock horns over how many arrivals to cut and consensus on diversity frays.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics will release figures on Thursday for migration levels for the 12 months to June as part of annual population data.
The Liberals and One Nation have attacked Labor for underestimating net overseas migration in previous years, with the government revising their forecast upwards by 55,000 arrivals in May's federal budget.
Having projected an intake of 240,000, they now believe just shy of 300,000 foreigners will have made Australia home in the past year.
That's almost identical to the 2024/25 figure of 306,000 and well below bumper years in 2022 and 2023, where a post-pandemic boom caused net arrivals to swell to a record 538,000.
Legal: Haines (ORANGE)
It's been more than 38 years since teenager Mark Haines was found dead on rural train tracks.
"It's 38-and-a-half and counting," his uncle Don Craigie told AAP.
Mr Craigie has spent each of those years fighting for answers after his 17-year-old nephew's body was found on the tracks outside Tamworth, in northern NSW, on the morning of January 16, 1988.
He hopes for new insights when Deputy State Coroner Harriet Grahame delivers her findings on Thursday, marking the end of a lengthy and complex inquest into Mark's death.
"We're hoping it can give us some kind of answers, but I don't know if it will give us any relief from our bloody angst," Mr Craigie said.
Mark's body was found on a rainy Saturday morning, near a crashed stolen Holden Torana.
Housing (CANBERRA)
First home buyers are in no better position to crack into the property market despite house prices falling in Sydney and Melbourne.
While home values have dipped for consecutive months in Australia's two largest markets, 2026's interest-rate hikes have raised the affordability hurdle even higher.
The income required to buy a median house in Sydney eclipsed $178,000 a year in May, up from $170,000 at the start of the year, data from property analytics firm Cotality showed.
In Melbourne, households had to earn more than $108,000 a year, compared to under $104,000 in January.
While the Reserve Bank held rates steady on Tuesday, its three interest rate hikes in February, March and May have collectively added about $450 in monthly interest payments for borrowers with a $1 million mortgage.
Legal: US Mangione (NEW YORK)
Luigi Mangione, the man accused of gunning down a health insurance executive in Manhattan, plans to argue at his murder trial that he was undergoing an extreme mental health crisis at the time of the alleged killing, a judge has revealed at a hearing.
The strategy poses steep legal hurdles but could lead to a jury convicting Mangione of the lesser crime of manslaughter, which carries significantly lighter sentences.
Mangione, who appeared in court in a dark suit and white shirt, is accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a hotel in Midtown in December 2024.
The brazen killing was widely condemned by US officials but became emblematic of the public's frustration with rising healthcare costs and health insurance industry practices.
In finance ...
Sandilands (SYDNEY)
Australia's most notorious radio pairing are heading back to court, where one half will finalise his legal battle with his former employer.
Shock jock Kyle Sandilands reached a settlement with ARN Media to bring his bitter legal battle to an end, but former on-air partner Jackie "O" Henderson will push on with her Federal Court bid on Thursday.
ARN Media revealed it would pay Sandilands $12 million in an ASX announcement published on Wednesday.
He will also receive $1.5 million worth of advertising services on the radio network's partner platforms, while ARN will be given a 19.9 per cent contribution from any of his new ventures for up to three years.
Though the former KIIS FM radio host has said he intends to pursue independent media opportunities, he will not be able to engage with any of ARN's direct competitors for up to nine months from the date of settlement.
Legal: Henderson (MELBOURNE)
Kyle Sandilands says he is relieved to have settled his multimillion dollar legal fight with his former employer, as ex-co-host Jackie "O" Henderson gears up for another day in court.
In an ASX announcement on Wednesday, ARN media said it would pay Sandilands $12 million, with $3 million payable as soon as July.
The figure is well below the $85 million the shock jock sought after he and his fellow KIIS FM co-host were sacked following an on-air row.
But Sandilands said he was relieved to put the ordeal behind him when approached by reporters outside his home on Wednesday.
"It's quite daunting to have that hanging over your head," he said.
"I could have dragged it on for like a year and a half."
In entertainment ...
BonJovi (LONDON)
Rock star Jon Bon Jovi says his band "never doubted me" as he prepares to return to touring after four years, saying he is "fully recovered" from his vocal injury.
The 64-year-old US musician has kept a low profile since he underwent vocal cord surgery after they began to atrophy, and has spent the last few years recovering from the procedure.
Frontman Bon Jovi and his rock band will kick off their first tour since his injury next month, with the singer hailing his comeback as a "rebirth".
In an interview with People magazine, the singer said: "I'm fully recovered. It was longer than I'd ever expected but it had to be right. We never lost faith."
"I think that this is a rebirth. It is simply about the joy," he added.
Clarkson (LONDON)
Jeremy Clarkson has revealed he has been diagnosed with cancer.
The former Top Gear host shared the news in the latest episodes of the fifth season of his series Clarkson's Farm, saying the disease was "aggressive" but had been discovered early.
"I've got cancer," Clarkson told farm manager Kaleb Cooper and farmhand Charlie Ireland during discussions about harvest planning.
The TV presenter said he expected to be "fine" but would be out of action "for a while".
Speaking from a hospital bed at the end of the season finale, Clarkson revealed he had experienced complications during treatment.
"We started season five with me in a hospital bed and here we are at the end of season five and I'm back in a hospital bed," he said.
In sport ...
Gol Open Aust (SYDNEY)
A turning-point adrenaline rush has milestone man Adam Scott believing he can once again challenge for a career-fulfilling second golf major.
Scott enters the US Open starting on Thursday night (AEST) as somewhat of a sentimental favourite in his extraordinary 100th major championship appearance.
Australia's former world No.1 is second only to legend Jack Nicklaus for excellence and longevity but remains more focused on shedding his one-major wonder status than celebrating his crazy feat.
Scott went agonisingly close last year to adding an elusive second major to his iconic 2013 Masters triumph when he snared a share of the third-round lead and playing in the final group on Sunday.
He was right in the mix on the back nine before fading, but believes the experience will stand him in good stead to contend at the famed and treacherous Shinnecock Hills layout on New York's Long Island.
RL Origin (MELBOURNE)
Laurie Daley has issued a rallying cry to his NSW troops, the coach declaring they have a chance to be remembered "for all time" if they can pull off a State of Origin series win in Brisbane.
The 2026 title will be decided at Suncorp Stadium on July 8 after Queensland levelled the series in Melbourne, running in six second-half tries to turn a four-point halftime deficit into a 44-24 victory.
Rampaging winger Selwyn Cobbo scored a hat-trick while fearless young halfback Sam Walker earned man-of-the-match honours in just his second Origin match, engineering their attack and also adding 16 points with his boot.
Queensland skipper Cameron Munster was forced off for a HIA late in the first half and said he could see something brewing as he watched the game from the change-rooms.
Ends Bulletin
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