Qantas flight turns back twice, Sam Armytage's big move after Seven exit, likely source of tourists' poisoning

Temperatures have soared as expected today, with parts of Victoria soaring beyond 45C.

Walpeup in northwest Victoria reached 47.1 at 2.25pm, which has been the hottest temperature of the day so far.

While Melbourne hasn't yet reached 40C as expected, Geelong has, with 42.3C recorded.

Mildura on the Victoria-NSW border has reached 45C, one degree shy of the 46C expected.

Renmark Airport in South Australia has climbed to 46.5

Over in NSW, Wilcannia Airport in the state's west took out the top temperature at 45.3C.

Pizza giant Domino's has offered a glimpse into its year in Australia and there's certainly some interesting details.

The country's busiest store was Sydney's Surry Hills, while the most popular topping nationwide was pepperoni.

And the biggest single order from a customer was a whopping 370 pizzas. Sadly they didn't tell us how many the customer ate themselves.

And we're not quite sure what to make of the following line from Domino's.

"Pizza makes the heart grow fonder: 12 customers popped the question to their Domino’s delivery drivers – talk about saucy proposals!"

Good luck to them, I guess? That's if any of them actually said yes, of course.

An international Qantas flight bound for Melbourne was forced to turn back twice after pilots reported issues with the aircraft.

Flight QF168 departed Christchurch Airport about 6.46am on Monday and was two hours into its journey when pilots chose to return to the New Zealand city.

Pilots reported an issue with the Boeing 737’s radio and returned to Christchurch where the plane landed normally and was inspected by engineers.

A Qantas spokesman said engineers fixed the issue and the aircraft was cleared for take off before it returned to service.

The plane departed from the Christchurch Airport a second time, but shortly after take off an unusual smell was reported in the cabin.

“The pilots followed standard procedures and returned to Christchurch where the plane landed normally,” the spokesman said.

“Engineers are inspecting the aircraft to determine the cause of the smell.”

The spokesman said passengers on board the aircraft were being sent to Auckland, where they would be accommodated on other flights and return to Melbourne today.

- NCA NewsWire

The Salvation Army says this Christmas will likely be the hardest in its 140-year history.

It's a sad update to the end of a year it says has been a real struggle for millions across the country, particularly those with children.

Salvos’ research found that one in four Australians (24 per cent) are concerned that their children will miss out on presents this Christmas. Moreover, 2.5 million (12 per cent) are worried their children will miss out on food, and 1.2 million (5.7 per cent) won’t even talk about Christmas with their children because they can’t afford it.

It also found that an astounding 1.9 million Australians (9.3 per cent) will be reaching out to a charity for help this Christmas, with more than 54 per cent of these people doing so for the first time.

Major Bruce Harmer from The Salvation Army called the findings "truly heartbreaking".

The Fijian government has moved to try and ease concerns of tourists, insisting the suspected alcohol poisoning at the luxury Warwick resort that left four Australians in hospital is an isolated incident.

"The Fiji Government would like to reassure both local and international visitors to Fiji that this is a very isolated incident. Thousands of tourists are currently visiting Fiji, and close to a million tourists visit annually, and safely. This is the only reported case of its kind that we’ve experienced in recent memory, and certainly nothing like this has been experienced this year," it said on Monday.

"While we understand the concern, we want to emphasise that the tourism experience in Fiji is typically very safe, and we have acted immediately to try and discover the cause of what made these guests, at this resort, fall ill."

The luxury resort at the centre of a suspected alcohol poisoning incident in Fiji that involves four Australians says it is taking the matter "very seriously".

"We are aware of the recent news regarding suspected alcohol poisoning," a spokesperson from Warwick Fiji said in a statement shared with Yahoo.

"Please rest assured that we are taking this matter very seriously and are currently conducting a thorough investigation. We are also awaiting the health authorities test result report to gather all necessary information.

"At this moment, we do not have conclusive details, but we are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our guests. We will keep you updated as more information becomes available."

Four Australians, two of whom are 18 and 19, according to the ABC, are among seven people who have fallen ill at the resort.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has led tributes 10 years on from the Lindt Cafe siege in Sydney's CBD.

Two of 18 hostages were killed during the terrorist attack that began on December 15, 2014 and lasted 16 hours.

"The siege in Sydney’s Lindt Cafe shook a city and shocked a nation. Ten years on, we stop to think of those who lost their lives, and those whose lives were changed forever," Albanese said.

"We particularly hold on to the memory of Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson, who never went home again.

"This morning in Martin Place, we laid down hydrangeas and sunflowers – their favourite flowers."

Lone gunman Man Haron Monis was killed when Tactical Operations Unit officers stormed the building.

Victoria is experiencing heat it hasn't seen for a few years and many are doing what they can to keep cool.

And for the lion pride at Werribee Open Range Zoo, in Melbourne's southwest, staff have treated them to an icy pole with a twist. Packed with meat and blood, these frozen blocks have been a big hit with inhabitants.

"This not only keeps them cool but engages their natural foraging behaviours and allows them to use their agility. They can jump up to 12 metres in the air!" the zoo said.

There's a big crackdown on kids gambling in casinos, with authorities warning venues they could cop big fines if children are caught inside venues.

“This is a critical time of year when we see an increase in people visiting casinos, and it’s essential that minors are not among them,” Liquor and Gaming NSW's Dimitri Argeres said.

“Under 18s caught in a casino will forfeit any gambling winnings and may face fines of up to $4,400, along with a ban on entering casinos until they are at least 19.”

Liquor and Gaming NSW flagged one case where a venue was fined $25,000 after a 17-year-old was found to have used a fake ID to enter and gamble for over an hour.

A Sydney man has revealed an agonising Lotto story after he won $4 million on the Powerball last week.

He was one of three Division one winners to share the $12 million prize and revealed he previously made a devastating mistake that kept him from a life-changing sum.

“Believe it or not, when I first started playing Lotto, I used to play the same numbers, but then I stopped. Then those numbers were drawn!" he told lottery officials.

He says after that disappointment he began randomising the numbers so he doesn't remember them if they're drawn in the future.

The Chullora resident has vowed to carry on working despite his big win.

Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx has had stitches to his face after reportedly getting hit with a glass while celebrating his 57th birthday over the weekend.

“Someone from another table threw a glass that hit him in the mouth,” a spokesperson for the actor told the Los Angeles Times.

Foxx took to social media, appearing to address the incident, sharing the below comment.

Foxx was hospitalised in 2023 after experiencing a brain bleed that led to a stroke before requiring surgery.

The punishing conditions millions have been facing will continue today as a heatwave sends temperatures well above 40C.

Victoria, NSW, Queensland, South Australia and the NT will all swelter today as a brutal hot air mass continues to head east, with Mildura on the NSW-Victoria border set to top 46C, which would be its hottest temperature in five years.

Melbourne is expected to reach 41C today.

Western Sydney is set to see 35C today but will cop the worst of the conditions on Tuesday where temperatures could rise to 41C.

Frontbencher Jason Clare says there's a "terrifying sense of deja vu" after four Australians were hospitalised in Fiji with suspected alcohol poisoning.

It comes just a month after two young Australian women died in Southeast Asia in the Laos methanol poisoning tragedy.

The four Australians were among seven who fell ill over the weekend after drinking at a five-star resort on Fiji’s Coral Coast. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade changed its travel advice for the island nation urging Australians to "be alert to the potential risks around drink spiking and methanol poisoning through consuming alcoholic drinks".

Local authorities are investigating the incident.

She became part of the furniture during her time with Sunrise, but Sam Armytage has now found herself presenting for the biggest rival of Seven's breakfast show just three years after her departure.

The host was filling in on the Today show on Monday morning and it's a move that will certainly have people intrigued over her future role with the network. Armytage recently joined Nine in what was a big coup for the network, however an insider told Yahoo Lifestyle current host Sarah Abo was "upset" with plans to have Amytage step in while she was on leave.