Qantas workers 'escalate' strikes at major airports, millions 'unlawfully' charged by state government: Australia news live

Plus see the eye-watering amount a 'historic' licence plate has sold for.

Two Qantas workers work on a plane.
Hundreds of Qantas engineers will strike today. Source: Getty, file.

Yahoo's live news blog for Wednesday, October 23 has now concluded. Hundreds of Qantas workers are set to strike at several major airports as a dispute over pay continues.

The NSW government says millions of people have been unlawfully charged merchant fees. Read more below.

A baby has been injured in what is believed to be a random attack in a WA shopping centre. It comes nearly two months after a baby was injured when it had hot coffee poured over him in a Brisbane park.

A man has been charged after allegedly covering a Queen Victoria statue in red paint.

See all of the day's updates below.

LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER20 updates
  • Millions unlawfully charged fees likely to wait months for refund

    Millions of people wrongly hit with surcharges when paying fines, registration and other government fees over an eight-year period could be waiting months for refunds.

    At least $144 million in merchant fees has been unlawfully charged by the NSW government since 2016, it admitted on Wednesday.

    The surcharges on 92 million transactions occurred despite repeated legal advice stating Service NSW and Revenue NSW could not legally pass on fees.

    "We are so absolutely gobsmacked, flabbergasted and beyond belief," Customer Service Minister Jihad Dib said.

    "The moment we became aware of it, we've acted on this."

    But when residents can expect refunds remains unanswered.

    Potential strategies to return wrongly collected fees were being drawn up and the government urged patience.

    "We cannot just simply say 'refund that money'," Mr Dib said.

    Read more here.

  • Lebron James and son make NBA history

    Basketball superstar Lebron James has made history by becoming the first NBA player to line up with his son.

    The Lakers drafted 20-year-old Bronny James in the second round and the pair entered the court together in the second quarter against the Timberwolves in their NBA season opener. James Sr will turn 40 later this year and has rarely shown signs that age is catching up with him.

    While there has been plenty of commentary suggesting the moment has been manufactured and is simply nepotism, it still is a very special moment. See the video below.

  • 6,000km cloudband stretches all of Australia

    A 6,000km cloudband is stretching from WA's northwest all the way to New Zealand, but there won't be much rain from it as a result, Weatherzone reveals.

    "This Wednesday’s northwest cloudband is one of the mostly dry ones," it said.

    "Overnight, parts of WA, SA Victoria and southwest NSW received a sprinkle from the cloudband but no weather station registered more than a few millimetres.

    "It's expected to be a similar story today, with only light falls in the areas where the cloudband is passing overhead."

    The 6,000km cloudband looks pretty spectacular on the radar. Source: Weatherzone
    The 6,000km cloudband looks pretty spectacular on the radar. Source: Weatherzone
  • ACCC's case against supermarkets 'misconceived', lawyer says

    Woolworths' lawyer fighting allegations of deceptive pricing in court says the ACCCs case is "misconceived".

    Cameron Moore SC said the suggestion in the regulator’s case that the supermarket initiated temporary price spikes was “not correct”.

    “Any price increases were initiated by suppliers... in response to rising costs,” he said.

    Read more about Coles and Woolworths' first day in court here.

  • Man shares giant backyard spider

    No, this isn't someone's Halloween decorations.

    One NSW resident near Byron Bay has shared this spider photo from their backyard that has some feeling a little uneasy.

    Resident Adam says the spider is roughly 9cm wide and says he'll leave it to its own devices.

    As many pointed out, the huntsman will keep other bugs at bay. Source: Supplied/ Adam Morris
    As many pointed out, the huntsman will keep other bugs at bay. Source: Supplied/ Adam Morris
  • Case of rare disease identified in Australia

    Doctors have detected the rare disease of scurvy in Australia, in what one medical journal says could be the result of the cost-of-living crisis.

    A middle-aged WA man presented to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in WA with the disease, the British Medical Journal reports, showing symptoms of a painful rash, blood in the urine and anaemia and telling doctors he sometimes “skipped meals” and “couldn’t afford” nutritional supplements.

    “He tested negative for inflammatory, auto-immune and blood disorders and scans revealed no evidence of internal bleeding,” the BMJ states.

    A case of scurvy has been detected in WA. Picture: Supplied
    A case of scurvy has been detected in WA. Picture: Supplied

    “His rash continued to spread while he was in hospital and further questioning revealed that he was short of cash and neglected his diet, eating little in the way of fruit and vegetables.

    “He said that he sometimes skipped meals altogether. He had also stopped taking the nutritional supplements prescribed for him after previous weight loss surgery because he said he couldn’t afford them.

    “Blood tests to assess his general nutritional status indicated no detectable levels of vitamin C and very low levels of other key nutrients."

    Read more here.

  • Aussies to get tsunami test warning weeks after widespread panic

    The Bureau of Meteorology is once again testing their tsunami warning on their app today so please don't panic like thousands did weeks earlier.

    Many along Australia's east coast were preparing for the worst after they said the Bureau failed to make it clear the tsunami test warning was indeed a test.

    It even forced the Bureau to issue an apology over the confusion.

  • Man wins $100k lottery prize without buying a ticket

    A man in Coffs Harbour has landed $100,000 on Friday's Lucky Lotteries draw – and he didn't even buy a ticket.

    The man received the ticket as a free bonus after buying a Powerball ticket.

    "I guess it was just meant to be," he told lottery officials. He can say that again.

  • King Charles en route to airport as Australia trip comes to an end

    Well that's that then. King Charles was spotted minutes ago being driven along Sydney's South Dowling Street en route to Sydney Airport, bringing an end to their brief trip in Australia.

    The King and Queen Camilla left Admiralty House at Kirribilli, the official Sydney residence of Governor-General Sam Mostyn, on Wednesday morning and are expected to board a RAAF flight bound for Samoa, which is hosting the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

    They waved farewell to thousands of well-wishers around the Sydney Opera House on Tuesday afternoon. Read more about their last day here.

  • Boy, 15, charged over Nazi symbols

    A 15-year-old boy has been charged after he allegedly left Nazi symbols across a Sydney suburb.

    “Just after 5.30pm on Tuesday officers attached to Sutherland Shire Police Area Command commenced an investigation after reports offensive graffiti was seen on driveways, gutters and trees in the Gymea area,” NSW Police said.

    Witnesses told police they had seen a boy marking property in the area and a 15-year-old was arrested a short time after.

    The boy was charged with knowingly displaying a Nazi symbol without excuse and was refused bail to appear in a childrens court today.

  • Queen Camilla to appear in next season of MAFS

    Well this isn't a story we thought we'd be bringing you.

    Queen Camilla is set to appear in the next series of MAFS. Yes, you read that correctly.

    Producers were filming at the MAFS residences in Sydney's Zetland when the Queen visited Green Square Library on Tuesday. Crews quickly repositioned cameras and captured footage of the Camilla and current cast members reacting to her appearance.

    "[Producers] know it’d be ratings gold to try and feature a royal onto the show somehow," a source told Yahoo Lifestyle,

    Read more here.

  • Millions unlawfully charged fees on transactions, state government says

    In some news just in, the NSW government says millions of people have been unlawfully charged additional fees while paying a host of bills such as driving licence renewals.

    "It's currently estimated that 92 million transactions unlawfully incurred about $144 million in merchant fees from 2016 across Service NSW and Revenue NSW," the government said in a statement on Wednesday.

    It said the government has switched off fees for more than 90 per cent of transactions as investigation are ongoing.

    The practice was flagged to previous governments on two occasions however it appears no action was taken.

    “It is deeply concerning that this practice has been ongoing, despite legal concerns being raised," Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Jihad Dib said.

    We'll bring you more details shortly.

  • Search on for winner of $8 million

    The search is on for the winner of last night's Oz Lotto jackpot, with the recipient of $8 million possibly unaware of their life-changing prize.

    The winning ticket was purchased in Melbourne's CBD and lottery officials are urging players to check their tickets.

  • Coles and Woolies to face court today

    Supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths are headed to their first court appearance since being accused of tricking customers with fake discounts.

    Both supermarkets will face the Federal Court on Wednesday accused of violating consumer law by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission which says they misled shoppers on hundreds of popular supermarket items with their "Down Down" and "Prices Dropped" campaigns.

    The alleged fake discounts included dairy, pet food, personal care, coffee, medicine, lollies, cereal and household cleaning products.

    Read more here.

  • Queue-jumping plane passengers to be flagged

    It's a big pet hate of many travellers. Queuing too early to get on the plane can really rile those who prefer to remain seated in the waiting area. And it's only made worse when people jump the queue, boarding when their section of the plane hasn't been called yet.

    Well American Airlines is going to crack down on the practice, telling CBS it is trialling technology that will sound an alarm when a passenger's ticket is prematurely scanned in.

    Would you like to see airlines in Australia use this? Have your say below.

  • Moment Mickey the cockatoo caught at Coles

    After weeks trapped inside a Sydney shopping centre and feeding itself on Coles produce, Mickey the cockatoo has finally been captured.

    Animal trainer Ravi, founder of bird sanctuary Feathered Friends, headed down to the Campbelltown shopping centre to see how he could assist on Tuesday and was able to lure the native bird into a cage.

    Watch the moment below.

  • Man charged after Queen Victoria statue defaced

    A man has been charged after he allegedly covered a Queen Victoria statue in red paint on the day King Charles was visiting sites across Sydney.

    The defaced statue was discovered in the CBD yesterday morning, with a 26-year-old man arrested 16 hours later at a Strathfield home where paint bottles were seized, NSW Police say.

    "He was charged with malicious damage and face blackened/disguised with intent to commit indictable offence," a statement said.

    He is due to face court today.

    Red paint pictured splattered over the Queen Victoria statue in Sydney. Credit: 2GB
    Red paint pictured splattered over the Queen Victoria statue in Sydney. Credit: 2GB
  • Baby injured in random shopping centre attack

    A woman has attacked a baby while her mother was holding her in a shocking random attack at a Perth shopping centre.

    Western Australian Police are urgently appealing for information in relation to the incident inside the shopping centre in East Victoria Park on Tuesday that left the baby with facial injuries.

    Composite picture of woman who assaulted a baby in her mother's arms in a random attack in Perth. Picture: Supplied/WA Police
    CCTV stills of a woman who assaulted a baby in her mother's arms in a random attack in Perth. Picture: Supplied/WA Police

    “About 1.25pm, a female approached a mother who was holding her child, before assaulting the child and leaving the area,” WA Police said in a statement.

    “The female is not known to the mother and child.”

    The incident follows another shocking attack on an innocent baby earlier this year when a Chinese national, who has since fled the country, allegedly poured hot coffee on the child in a Brisbane park.

  • 'Historic' licence plate sells for $310,000

    A 'historic' licence plate has sold for more than expected, attracting a bid of $310,000.

    The 99999 plate in NSW was predicted by auctioneers Lawsons to go for between $250,000 and $280,000.

    While the figure might get you a studio apartment in Sydney's west, it's still shy of the huge amounts being paid for the most sought-after plates in the country. Last month South Australia's 8 plate went for a staggering $2.3 million.

    licence plate
    The plate had plenty of admirers. Source: Lawsons
  • Qantas workers 'escalate' strike

    Qantas engineers are "escalating" their strike action today, with roughly 300 workers set to walk off the job over an ongoing pay dispute.

    The move is expected to disrupt flights at several major airports including Brisbane and Melbourne.

    “Union members are voting overwhelmingly to escalate our industrial activities. This is because every time there is a problem at Qantas, the executives ignore it and just hope that it will go away. Well we’re not going anywhere," Australian Manufacturing Workers Union National Secretary Steve Murphy said.

    “If Qantas wants to show the general public that things are going to change, then valuing the workers that deliver their safety record should be number one priority.”

    Read more here.

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