Qatar Airways plans to buy a 25% stake in Virgin
Qatar Airways has announced it intends to buy a 25% stake in Virgin Australia from its current owner Bain Capital.
Subject to regulator approval, the deal will launch Virgin launch flights to Doha from Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, Virgin said in a press release this morning.
These flights will open up new connecting flights to destinations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The company said:
The proposed wet lease services will begin in mid-2025, allowing Virgin Australia to assess the longer-term merits and viability of wide-body aircraft flying while providing Australians with greater local competition for their long-haul travel needs in the near-term.
Virgin said the minority stake also “serves as a cornerstone investment ahead of an anticipated return of Virgin Australia into public ownership”.
Virgin CEO Jayne Jrdlicka said:
This partnership brings the missing piece to Virgin Australia’s longer-term strategy and is a huge vote of confidence in Australian aviation. Importantly, it will further strengthen Virgin Australia’s ability to compete over the long term, which will inevitably translate into more choice and even better value airfares for consumers as well as additional Australian aviation jobs.
I am delighted that our closer relationship [with Qatar Airways] allows us to put our ‘toe in the water’ regarding long-haul international.
Key events
Dating protection boost as apps swipe right for safety
Australians looking for love will have more safety protections with dating apps captured by a safety code aimed at improving users’ experiences, AAP reports.
Almost three in four people experienced online sexual harassment, aggression or violence by someone they had met through an online dating platform in the past five years, according to one study. One in five reported being threatened and about one in eight people had images or video taken of them without consent.
A voluntary code to which all the major dating app providers have signed up aims to stamp out this behaviour when it comes into force on 1 October. The most popular apps including Bumble and Grindr as well as Tinder and Hinge, which are both operated by Match Group, have all signed up to the code.
It means they need to put in place measures to detect potential online harm, take actions against perpetrators to make sure they can’t create new accounts or jump across to another app and have a clear reporting mechanism to help victims. The companies are further required to better engage with law enforcement and provide resources promoting support.
Communications minister Michelle Rowland said the largely unregulated space had resulted in harms, including death, from online abuse on top of it facilitating violence against women and girls.
We expect these safety improvements to be rapidly realised.
The eSafety commissioner will assess the code’s effectiveness over nine months.
Cait Kelly
Majority of Australian charities say demand for non-food aid at all-time high
Good360 Australia surveyed 500 charities across the country and found 82% said demand for essential non-food aid was at an all-time high.
The research revealed personal hygiene products were the most in-demand (76%), followed by clothing (72%), and educational supplies (69%).
Managing director Alison Covington said the cost of living crisis is pushing “more Australians to the brink, and we are seeing a significant increase in the number of people turning to charities for help.”
It’s not just the volume of need that’s concerning, but the fact that 58% of charities are reporting a rise in people seeking help for the first time.
The reality is that our communities need more than just food; they need everyday essentials that contribute to a dignified life. We need to do more to ensure that all Australians, regardless of their circumstances, have access to the essentials. This includes items to support personal hygiene, for education, for living comfortably at home, and for play.
Good morning
Emily Wind
And hello! Thanks to Martin for kicking things off for us. I’m Emily Wind, and I’ll be with you most of today on the live blog.
As always, you can reach out via X, @emilywindwrites, or email, [email protected], with any thoughts, questions and tips.
Let’s go.
More on Qatar Airways plans to buy a stake in Virgin
Virgin Australia says its partnership with Qatar will see benefits to flyers from increased competition. The press release says:
The expanded codeshare and collaboration arrangement will provide access to a greater range of international destinations with improved schedules and frequencies, increased earn and redemption opportunities for members of Velocity and Qatar Airways’ Privilege Club, and broader access to great value fares for leisure travellers, small and medium-sized enterprises, and corporate customers.
Qatar Airways CEO Badr Mohammed Al-Meer said:
We believe competition in aviation is a good thing and it helps raise the bar, ultimately benefiting customers. This agreement will also help support Australian jobs, businesses and the wider economy.
Qatar Airways plans to buy a 25% stake in Virgin
Qatar Airways has announced it intends to buy a 25% stake in Virgin Australia from its current owner Bain Capital.
Subject to regulator approval, the deal will launch Virgin launch flights to Doha from Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, Virgin said in a press release this morning.
These flights will open up new connecting flights to destinations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The company said:
The proposed wet lease services will begin in mid-2025, allowing Virgin Australia to assess the longer-term merits and viability of wide-body aircraft flying while providing Australians with greater local competition for their long-haul travel needs in the near-term.
Virgin said the minority stake also “serves as a cornerstone investment ahead of an anticipated return of Virgin Australia into public ownership”.
Virgin CEO Jayne Jrdlicka said:
This partnership brings the missing piece to Virgin Australia’s longer-term strategy and is a huge vote of confidence in Australian aviation. Importantly, it will further strengthen Virgin Australia’s ability to compete over the long term, which will inevitably translate into more choice and even better value airfares for consumers as well as additional Australian aviation jobs.
I am delighted that our closer relationship [with Qatar Airways] allows us to put our ‘toe in the water’ regarding long-haul international.
$30m boost for ACCC to crack down on supermarkets
Australia’s consumer watchdog will be given a $30m boost to crack down on “unfair” practices by supermarkets and retailers.
Anthony Albanese will put the supermarket giants on notice today over their “dodgy practices”. He said:
We don’t want to see ordinary Australians, families and pensioners being taken for a ride by the supermarkets, and we’re taking steps to make sure they get a fair go at the checkout.
Here’s our full story:
And our business correspondent Jonathan Barrett has this analysis piece and some charts to explain how the big two leapfrogged their rivals on profitability.
Everything to know about the Queensland election
Queenslanders will go to the polls on 26 October and we’ve assembled the five key things you need to know about the vote.
And here’s our video explainer:
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our rolling news coverage. I’m Martin Farrer bringing you the best of the overnight news before Emily Wind takes the reins.
The federal government has tasked the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission with cracking down on misleading and deceptive pricing in supermarkets, tipping an extra $30m into the competition regulator after damning allegations against Coles and Woolworths. And we also have an analysis coming up to show how Coles and Woolworths have leapfrogged their peers in profitability.
Gambling reform campaigners have accused wagering companies of “showering” federal politicians with hospitality as the government considers advertising restrictions, with new data showing betting groups have given numerous free tickets to MPs. New analysis from the Alliance for Gambling Reform, informed by a new database collecting all federal politicians’ updates to their parliamentary register of interests, shows at least 19 have accepted hospitality from wagering companies to attend major events including the Melbourne Cup, Australian Open, AFL matches and cricket games.
A former Royal Australian Navy officer who alleges a colleague’s bullying led to them feeling suicidal was further traumatised – and pushed to the brink of suicide again – after appearing as a special “key witness” in the royal commission into defence and veteran suicide. In a Guardian Australia exclusive they tell Paul Daley how the process itself retraumatised them.
The Queensland government will go into caretaker mode today when premier Steven Miles visits governor Jeannette Young, officially starting the countdown to the 26 October poll. We have a run down of the five things you need to know about the election, which is expected to be won by the Liberal National party under the leadership of David Crisafulli. More coming up.
And a new safety code for dating apps comes into force today – more soon on what that means.
