Qantas Data Breach Exposes Records of 6 Million Customers in Major Cyberattack

Qantas Airways has confirmed a major cyber-attack that exposed the personal records of up to six million customers, making it one of the most significant data breaches in Australia this year. The incident was detected on June 30th, when Qantas identified "unusual activity" on a third-party customer service platform used by its contact centres. This platform contained sensitive customer data, including names, email addresses, phone numbers, birth dates, and frequent flyer numbers.

Upon discovery, Qantas acted swiftly to contain the breach, securing the affected system and launching a comprehensive investigation. The airline emphasised that no credit card details, passport information, or personal financial data were stored on the compromised platform. Additionally, frequent flyer accounts, passwords, and PINs remain secure, as these were not accessible through the breached system.

Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson issued a public apology, acknowledging the anxiety and uncertainty the breach may cause customers. She assured the public that the airline is working closely with the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Cyber Security Centre, and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. Independent cybersecurity experts have also been engaged to assist with the ongoing investigation.

The company has set up a dedicated support line and a special information page to assist affected customers, offering specialist identity protection advice and resources. Qantas has begun reaching out directly to those impacted, promising to keep them informed as the situation develops.

This breach is the latest in a series of high-profile cyber incidents affecting Australian organisations in 2025, following similar attacks on AustralianSuper and Nine Media. According to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, 2024 was already the worst year for data breaches in Australia since records began, with officials warning that the risk from malicious actors remains high.

Despite the scale of the breach, Qantas has confirmed that flight operations and passenger safety have not been affected. The airline is urging all businesses and public sector entities to strengthen their cybersecurity protocols in light of the growing threats.

Heathrow Fire Traced to Ignored Fault from 2018

A fire that forced the shutdown of London’s Heathrow Airport in March 2025 was caused by a preventable technical fault first identified seven years earlier, according to a new damning official report. The incident, which disrupted travel for over 270,000 passengers and led to the cancellation of more than 1,300 flights, was traced to a catastrophic failure at the North Hyde substation in west London, a key power source for Europe’s busiest airport.

The National Energy System Operator (NESO) report revealed that in July 2018, elevated moisture levels were detected in oil samples from the substation’s high-voltage bushing, an insulator critical to the transformer’s operation. This moisture intrusion was flagged as an “imminent fault” requiring urgent replacement, but no corrective action was taken. In 2022, essential maintenance was again postponed, leaving the underlying issue unresolved.

On March 20th, 2025, moisture inside the bushing caused a short circuit and electrical arcing, which ignited the transformer’s cooling oil and triggered a fire. The blaze led to a total loss of power at Heathrow, affecting critical infrastructure such as CCTV, fueling safety systems, and security doors. The airport was forced to close for nearly a full day, with normal operations only resuming three days later.

The report also criticised both National Grid, which operates the substation, and Heathrow Airport. While National Grid failed to address a known risk, Heathrow had previously acknowledged the vulnerability in its power supply but considered a total outage a “high-impact, low-probability event,” opting not to invest in costly upgrades.

The UK energy regulator Ofgem has launched an enforcement investigation into National Grid’s conduct, and Heathrow is considering legal action, demanding accountability for what it called “clear and repeated failings”. The incident has prompted government calls for a review of the resilience of critical national infrastructure, amid growing concerns over the reliability of Britain’s energy system.

Standard Chartered Sued for $2.7 Billion Over Alleged Role in 1MDB Mega-Fraud

Standard Chartered Bank is facing a $2.7 billion lawsuit in Singapore over its alleged role in the massive 1MDB fraud, one of the world’s largest financial scandals. The legal action was initiated by liquidators from the financial services firm Kroll, acting on behalf of three companies in liquidation linked to Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). The liquidators claim that Standard Chartered enabled over 100 internal bank transfers between 2009 and 2013, which helped conceal the movement of more than $2.7 billion in misappropriated funds.

According to the lawsuit, the bank failed to conduct proper anti-money laundering checks and ignored clear warning signs, thereby facilitating the theft of public money by individuals operating at the highest levels of the Malaysian government at the time. The liquidators allege that the funds moved through Standard Chartered accounts ended up in personal accounts linked to former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, currently serving a prison sentence for corruption, as well as his wife and stepson. The money was reportedly used for luxury purchases and to finance a Hollywood film venture.

Standard Chartered has strongly denied the allegations, stating it has not yet received the legal documents and will vigorously defend itself against what it calls “baseless” claims. The bank argues that the companies involved were shell entities with no legitimate business, linked to fugitive financier Jho Low and his associates, who have consistently denied wrongdoing. The bank also highlighted its significant investments in anti-money laundering controls and noted that Singapore’s regulator had previously fined it for related breaches, though no willful misconduct was found.

This lawsuit is part of a broader, multi-jurisdictional effort to recover billions lost in the 1MDB scandal, which saw at least $4.5 billion stolen between 2009 and 2014, sparking investigations in at least six countries. The Board of 1MDB welcomed the legal action, emphasising that the Malaysian people were the true victims and that all facilitators, including negligent financial institutions, must be held accountable.

Italian Executives Sentenced to 141 Years for Massive ‘Forever Chemicals’ Water Scandal

An Italian court has sentenced eleven former executives of companies linked to the Miteni chemical plant to a combined 141 years in prison for their roles in one of Europe’s largest groundwater contaminations involving PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals”. The executives, who worked for Miteni SpA as well as its parent companies Mitsubishi Corp. and International Chemical Investors Group, received individual sentences ranging from two years and eight months up to 17 years.

The case centres on the Miteni factory in Trissino, which began manufacturing PFAS chemicals in 1968 and operated until its closure due to bankruptcy in 2018. Prosecutors revealed that over decades, chemical leaks from the plant polluted approximately 200 square kilometres of drinking water sources, impacting hundreds of thousands of residents in the Veneto region. PFAS chemicals are notorious for their persistence in the environment and have been linked to serious health risks, including hormonal disruptions and cancer.

The court found both the executives and the parent companies liable for failing to prevent the contamination, despite mounting evidence and public concern over the environmental and health impacts. Among the plaintiffs were numerous local families, particularly mothers who discovered elevated PFAS levels in their children’s blood.

In addition to prison terms, the convicted executives and their companies were ordered to pay millions in damages to the Veneto region and the Italian Ministry of the Environment. The verdict marks a significant moment in environmental accountability, as it is one of the harshest sentences handed down for industrial pollution in Europe.

The trial, which began in 2021, has drawn international attention to the dangers of PFAS and the responsibilities of chemical manufacturers. The outcome is expected to set a precedent for similar cases globally, as regulators and communities demand greater protection from industrial pollutants.

Google’s Carbon Emissions Soar 51% as AI Power Demand Derails Green Goals

Google’s latest environmental report reveals a 51% surge in carbon emissions since 2019, driven primarily by the explosive growth in artificial intelligence and its associated electricity demands. In 2024, Google’s total emissions reached 11.5 million metric tons of CO₂ equivalent, an 11% increase over the previous year, placing the company further from its goal of halving emissions by 2030 compared to 2019 levels.

The main culprit behind this spike is the energy-intensive nature of AI workloads, which require vast computational resources and have led to a 27% increase in electricity consumption across Google’s global data centres in just one year. Despite this, Google achieved a 12% reduction in data centre energy emissions in 2024, thanks to investments in energy-efficient infrastructure and procurement of 2.5 gigawatts of new clean energy, enough to power more than four million solar panels. These improvements mean Google’s data centres now deliver six times more computing power per unit of electricity than five years ago.

However, these operational gains have been outpaced by rising supply chain emissions, which jumped 22% last year and now constitute the largest share of Google’s carbon footprint. When including all supply chain and peripheral emissions, Google’s total footprint climbs to 15.2 million metric tons, equivalent to the annual emissions of nearly 40 gas-fired power plants.

Google’s report highlights several external challenges, including the slower-than-needed deployment of carbon-free energy, regional shortages of clean power, and unpredictable shifts in climate and energy policy. While the company remains committed to its ambitious 2030 net-zero target, the rapid evolution of AI and the lag in clean energy infrastructure make achieving this goal increasingly difficult.

Despite setbacks, Google emphasises the positive impact of its AI-powered products, which it claims enabled others to avoid 26 million metric tons of CO₂e emissions in 2024, more than the annual emissions from 3.5 million US homes.