What we learned, Thursday 27 February
That’s where we’ll leave the blog for today. Have a good evening – we’ll be back with more news for you tomorrow.
Here were today’s major developments:
Queensland police say they have seized a car in their investigation into yesterday’s fatal shooting of a 27-year-old woman on a suburban street in Toowoomba.
Qantas released its half-yearly financial results, showing the airline enjoyed a bumper $1.39bn pre-tax profit in the six months to the end of 2024, thanks to improved profitability and a 10% uptick in customers.
In more aviation news, Qatar Airways’ acquisition of a 25% stake in Virgin Australia was approved by the federal government, subject to conditions.
Passengers will receive almost double what they paid to take a trip on what their lawyer dubbed the “cruise from hell”, after a settlement was reached in a class action over the a May 2017 journey on the P&O Cruises Pacific Aria.
A “suspicious” device that washed ashore on a Gold Coast beach and led to it being closed for several hours was confirmed to be a practice torpedo.
Former NSW Liberal MP Rory Amon has been committed to stand trial over multiple alleged sexual assaults.
The Victorian government has moved to seize planning controls of 25 suburbs such as Prahran, South Yarra and Windsor in an effort to increase density and build more homes.
New analysis is suggesting an “unprecedented” marine heatwave off the coast of Western Australia that has caused coral bleaching at Ningaloo Reef and mass fish kills extends down to deep-sea waters.
Gambling giant Sportsbet confirmed it will no longer advertise live betting odds and multi-bet options during sport broadcasts, acknowledging strong community criticism.
And 21-year-old Jack Gibson-Burrell, the man police allege is behind Melbourne’s infamous “Pam the Bird” graffiti, was granted bail to live with his grandmother.
Updated
Passengers from 2017 P&O cruise to receive double the price of their ticket in multimillion-dollar settlement
Staying with that AAP story, P&O Cruises’ parent company Carnival denied liability, pointing to ticketing terms expressly rejecting any guarantees and giving the cruise operator the ability to alter a cruise’s circumstances. The firm also argued it had reasonably anticipated the voyage would proceed appropriately when it departed.
But after mediation the company agreed to pay more than $2.4m to settle the matter.
Legal costs for the class action were capped at $1m, with about $1.2m to be paid out to class-action members after administration fees and taxes.
The passengers will receive the $944 median cost of a ticket on the cruise as well as an additional $900 in damages, while the lead applicant is owed an extra $2,000.
The court noted they would have faced hurdles in showing Carnival was liable in any manner and would have to establish disputed facts about whether the conditions were the result of a cyclone, as opposed to localised weather systems.
“The fact that the class members receive anything by the proposed settlement should be regarded as a victory,” Derrington said, noting the case was likely settled for commercial reasons to avoid risk.
Updated
