Australians praised after Qantas adds new route, staffing 'not normal' before fatal plane crash, supermarket shortage continues

Plus two men have been charged after giant graffiti popped up across Melbourne in recent months.

Palau is looking to bring more tourists over and they say Aussies are a perfect fit. Source: ABC
Palau is looking to bring more tourists over and they say Aussies are a perfect fit. Source: ABC

Yahoo's live news blog for Friday, January 31 has now concluded. Staffing in an air control tower at Washington DC's airport when a deadly plane collision occurred was "not normal", investigations have found. All 64 people on the American Airlines flight, as well as three people on a military helicopter, died when the aircrafts crashed into the Potomac River.

Palau's president Surangel Whipps says Australians are the "ideal visitors" to his country. It comes as direct flights from Brisbane to the tiny Pacific nation began last month, with Qantas saying they've seen huge interest in the destination.

See all of the day's updates below.

LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER16 updates
  • Woman charged with torture after girl, 4, allegedly sustains significant injuries

    In some news just in, a 32-year-old woman has been charged with torture after a four-year-old girl allegedly sustained significant injuries including burns, fractures, and disfigurement.

    “The alleged physical abuse this little girl endured is amongst the worst I have seen in my career. Her injuries are horrific and highlight the unimaginable suffering she has experienced," Detective Acting Inspector Kent Ellis said.

    The Queensland woman has been charged with 29 offences and was refused bail. She is due in court in March.

  • Angry Albo loses patience with reporters

    Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has shut down reporters asking when he was briefed on an explosive-laden caravan involved in an alleged anti-Semitic terror plot in Sydney.

    It has been reported that Albanese was not informed of the discovery of the caravan on January 19 until Wednesday just before it was made public. The Opposition had previously accused Albanese of keeping the incident a secret.

    Asked again point blank when he was briefed, the Prime Minister on Friday refused to “speak about operational matters”.

    “I have no intention of undermining an ongoing investigation by going into the details,” he told reporters in Melbourne.

    “What I will do is continue to prioritise two things – the first and most important is keeping Australians safe.

    “The second is making sure that I provide support to the police and intelligence agencies for them to do their job.”

    Opposition leader Peter Dutton said he'd be surprised if Albanese had not been informed about the incident.

    “For the prime minister not to know about a terrorist attack that was in the planning is of national significance and a complete abrogation of his responsibility," he told 7News.

  • Heatwave sweeping Australia

    A heatwave is sweeping Australia's south and will likely bring Melbourne its hottest three-day stretch since 2014, Weatherzone says.

    There will be maximums of 37, 37 and 38 from Sunday to Tuesday for Victoria's capital while it'll get even hotter in Adelaide which will reach a high of 39 on Monday.

    Hobart will reach 34 on Tuesday, while Perth will hit 40 on Wednesday. Sydney will be a little cooler, but still reaching 30C on Tuesday.

  • The $215k home you're not allowed to inspect

    Normally when you buy a home, you get a good look at it first. Well the agents selling this $215,000 home on the NSW-Victoria border won't actually let you inside.

    “No inspections will be conducted due to safety concerns,” the listing for the Corowa home says. “The property is sold ‘as is’ and the buyer will need to address the white ant infestation and any structural issues that may be present.”

    It seems even the photographer wasn't allowed in with just photos shared of the exterior. Good luck to anyone willing to take this one on.

    Potential suitors are left guessing what the inside of the house actually looks like. Source: Corowa Rutherglen Real Estate
    Potential suitors are left guessing what the inside of the house actually looks like. Source: Corowa Rutherglen Real Estate
  • New paracetamol rules from tomorrow

    A major change to the way Aussies access the popular painkiller paracetamol will be ushered in on Saturday following a startling number of overdoses.

    The Therapeutic Goods Administration announced a suite of changes to the sale of paracetamol in May 2023 to reduce the risk of liver damage and intentional overdoses.

    The changes include a reduction in the size of paracetamol packages sold outside pharmacies from 20 capsules or tablets to 16.

    Paracetamol is also required to be in blister packaging for general sale, and the TGA has encouraged retailers to only sell one pack at a time.

    The new rules also apply to medications that contain paracetamol, such as cold and flu medicine.

    Paracetamol packs with more than 50 tablets will need to be sold under the supervision of a pharmacist under the new regulations.

    However, residents in Queensland and Western Australia will need to consult a pharmacist if they want to buy more than 16 tablets of paracetamol.

    The changes are set to take effect on February 1 after which time it will be illegal to sell paracetamol packs of more than 16 tablets in supermarkets, convenience stores or petrol stations.

    The new rules have been announced to combat a rise in hospitalisations as a result of paracetamol poisoning.

    Read more from NCA NewsWire here.

  • BYD's big plans for Australia

    BYD, the Chinese EV giant which has proven hugely popular in Australia, has confirmed it will bring its luxury sub-brand Denza to our shores.

    Asia-Pacific general manager Liu Xueliang said BYD "is definitely going to launch the Denza brand in Australia" but the model line-up is still to be determined.

    "There is still a consideration going on about which models we're going to bring to Australia," Asia-Pacific general manager Liu Xueliang said, Drive reports.

    "What we can be sure of right now is that more than one model will come to Australia."

    BYD recently released its Shark 6 hybrid ute in Australia, previously saying it has been overwhelmed by the amount of orders they'd received.

    Consumers are learning about DENZA new energy vehicles at a shopping mall in Weihai, China, on June 15, 2024. (Photo by Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
    People inspecting Denza vehicles in China last year. Source: Getty
  • 'What on earth is happening in Australia?'

    A spate of anti-Semitic attacks has tarnished Australia's standing and left its Jewish community reeling, community leaders say.

    Over the past three months, schools have been spray-painted with slurs, synagogues have been firebombed or defaced with swastikas and, it was revealed on Wednesday, an explosives-laden caravan was found on Sydney's outskirts with a note containing the addresses of Jewish institutions.

    All this has marred Australia's reputation in the eyes of the world, according to Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin.

    "People are asking me what on earth is happening in Australia," he told ABC radio on Friday.

    "We have a hard-earned reputation as being a harmonious and peaceful, multicultural society but that reputation is now shredded."

  • 'A mistake' led to deadly plane crash

    US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has said that the Black Hawk helicopter involved in Washington DC's fatal plane crash was conducting a routine training mission but that "a mistake was made" during the training.

    "No excuses, we're going to get to the bottom of this," he told reporters at the White House on Thursday morning (local time).

    On board the Black Hawk was a captain, a staff sergeant and a chief warrant officer. All three were undergoing an annual night flight training when "there was some sort of an elevation issue," Hegseth said.

  • Woman dies inhaling helium before daughter's birthday party

    We take you to a tragic story that will undoubtedly shock many Australians unaware of the devastating consequences a common party trick can have.

    Faith Waterman Batistich, from Te Puke in New Zealand, died in a matter of seconds after inhaling helium from a canister while setting up for her daughter's first birthday party with her family.

    An inquest's findings into her death has now been released warning of the dangers of inhaling the gas.

    Read all about her sad story here.

    Source: Facebook
    Source: Facebook
  • Near miss reported day before horrific plane crash

    Twenty-four hours before Wednesday's deadly crash between an American Airlines passenger jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter, a near miss between another helicopter and a commercial plane transpired, the Washington Post reported.

    As Republic Airlines Flight 4514 approached Reagan National Airport just after 8.00pm on Tuesday (local time), the plane's cockpit crew alerted the control tower that a helicopter had appeared near its flight path.

    “We had an RA with a helicopter traffic below us,” a crew member told air traffic controllers at roughly 8.05pm, the Post reported, using the abbreviation for a resolution advisory, which pilots use to indicate their plane is at risk of colliding with another aircraft.

    Flight 4514 aborted its initial attempt at landing, making a loop and successfully touching down at 8.16pm, according to flight records obtained by the Post.

  • Beachgoer triggers debate over bus etiquette

    There's been a bit of debate online after a Sydney beachgoer says their friend was ordered by a bus driver to stick a t-shirt on or not be able to get on the bus.

    Many on Reddit, including a person claiming to be a bus driver, said it was part of the regulations to enforce a dress code which meant people needed to wear tops on buses.

    Plenty of people agreed it was a good idea, but others didn't see the issue and some said they'd seen way worse on public transport.

    "I saw someone on the B1 bus from Dee Why to Wynyard in just a budgy smuggler," one person claimed.

    So what do you think? Is it a rule that needs to be scrapped? Have your say below.

  • Passenger plane crashed into freezing water

    Images from the Potomac River this morning shows just how cold the water is where an American Airlines flight and a military helicopter crashed in Washington DC.

    Emergency services rushed to the crash scene on Wednesday night (local time) before divers and boats searched for survivors. Sadly none of the 67 aboard the two aircraft were pulled out alive.

    Photos from Thursday morning show the river coated in ice. Local media said the temperature of the water was 5C when the planes crashed.

    The frozen Potomac river is seen in Washington, DC, on January 30, 2025.  (Photo by Daniel SLIM / AFP) (Photo by DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images)
    Ice covers the Potomac River the morning after the fatal crash. Source: Getty
    The frozen Potomac river is seen in Washington, DC, on January 30, 2025.  (Photo by Daniel SLIM / AFP) (Photo by DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images)
    There has been no survivors from the crash. Source: Getty
  • Men arrested over famous bird graffiti

    Police have seized abseiling equipment and charged men allegedly responsible for a graffiti image that has been plastered across Melbourne in seemingly impossible spots.

    The “Pam the Bird” image has been painted on landmarks, trains, signs, buildings and walls across Melbourne.

    A towering clock face above Flinders Street Station was tagged in July, garnering much commentary online.

    On January 20, a large hotel in South Wharf was painted. An Instagram page purported to be run by the people responsible has nearly 70,000 followers.

    On Friday morning, police announced a 21-year-old man had been charged with more than 50 offences, including specifically for some of the most notable, eye-catching Pam the Bird installations.

    The Yarraville man was arrested this week, and police seized abseiling equipment, spray paint, illegal fireworks and property “suspected to be the proceeds of crime”, police say in a statement.

    “In one of the most high-profile incidents, it’s alleged the man scaled and defaced the heritage listed Flinders Street Railway Station clock tower on 10 July 2024,” a police spokesperson said.

    Police will allege the man is responsible for graffitiing the South Wharf hotel this month.

    “It’s alleged he is also responsible for graffiti plastered across the rail network as well as the ‘Cheese Stick’ column on CityLink, a television station building in Docklands and concrete silos on Mercer Street in Geelong,” the spokesperson said.

    Police estimate this man is allegedly responsible for $100,000 of damage.

    Police also arrested and charged a 39-year-old Abbotsford man.

    “He has been charged with more than 20 criminal damage offences relating to the graffiti of suburban trains and the Docklands office building,” police said.

    Both men were denied bail and are expected to appear in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Friday.

    In 2023, a 20-year-old man was charged after allegedly being caught painting the image inside the city’s underground rail loop.

    - NCA NewsWire

  • Egg shortage rolls on for Aussies

    Coles and Woolworths continue to limit the sale of eggs in some stores as Australians face an egg shortage.

    High demand over the holiday period has intensified the problem which Victorian egg farmer Danyel Cucinotta said could last until 2026, the ABC reported earlier this month.

    Bird flu and a shift away from caged eggs are the main causes of the shortage. Coles and Woolworths both told the Guardian they are working to rebuild their supply after a busy Christmas.

  • Staffing 'not normal' in control tower before deadly plane collision

    A report by the Federal Aviation Administration seen by the Associated Press says staffing in the air traffic control tower was “not normal” at the time of the deadly midair collision at Washington DC's national airport.

    The collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines flight from Kansas killed all 67 people aboard the two aircraft, officials said, as they scrutinised the actions of the military pilot after the country’s worst aviation disaster in a generation.

    At least 28 bodies were pulled from the icy waters of the Potomac River after the helicopter apparently flew into the path of the jet late Wednesday while it was landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, officials said. The plane carried 60 passengers and four crew. Three soldiers were aboard the helicopter.

    A source with direct knowledge of the situation told ABC News in the US that a common change to combine two controller positions into one due to low traffic was done 40 minutes earlier than it normally occurs.

    ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA - JANUARY 30:  Emergency response units search the wreckage of an American Airlines plane on the Potomac River after it crashed on approach to Reagan National Airport on January 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. The American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas collided midair with a military Black Hawk helicopter while on approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. According to reports, there were no survivors among the 67 people on both aircraft. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
    Emergency response units search the wreckage of an American Airlines plane on the Potomac River. Source: Getty

    With AP

  • Aussies hailed after Qantas adds new destination

    Australians have come in for praise from Palau's president as his country looks to increase visitors to the tiny Pacific nation.

    President Surangel Whipps said Aussies were the perfect guest after Qantas launched flights to the island nation last month.

    "Australians are the ideal visitors to Palau. You respect the environment you care about nature and you love to explore and Palau has all of those things," he told ABC News Breakfast on Friday, pointing to research on incoming travellers.

    The airline told the Sydney Morning Herald they had been overwhelmed with the number of bookings to what Qantas regional general manager Anthony Penney said was an "untouched gem" of a location.

    Palau is looking to get more Aussies over to enjoy the country. Source: ABC
    Palau is looking to get more Aussies over to enjoy the country. Source: ABC

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.