Qantas confirms engine failure as fire ignites at Sydney Airport, warning over 'severe' heatwave: Australia news live

Plus we bring you further updates from the US election.

One man watches on from across Botany Bay as a bush fire continues to burn. Source: Facebook
One man watches on from across Botany Bay as a bush fire continues to burn next to Sydney Airport. Source: Facebook

Yahoo's live news blog for Friday, November 8 has concluded. A raging grass fire has been contained after it ignited next to Sydney Airport. Qantas has confirmed one of its flights suffered from suspected engine failure and was forced to return to the airport in an emergency landing as the fire broke out.

Three people have been charged in connection to Liam Payne's death, Argentinian authorities have announced. Read more below.

Millions in Australia's east are being urged to know their limits as a "severe" heatwave sweeps parts of the country. Several state capitals are expected to top 30C in the next few days, while inland areas will likely surge beyond 40C.

See all of the day's updates below.

LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER19 updates
  • Featured

    Flight made emergency landing after grass fire started

    Sydney Airport has now shared a statement with Yahoo offering more clarity around the fire which they say is now under control.

    "Earlier today a Brisbane bound flight made an emergency-return to Sydney Airport, landing safely just after 1pm," a spokesperson said.

    "This departure of aircraft coincided with a grass fire along the eastern side of the airport’s parallel runway, which was brought under control by teams from the Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting Service. It’s not clear at this stage if the two incidents are linked and investigations are continuing."

    The airport is working to return the runway to service "as quickly as possible" and that passengers should expect some delays.

  • Passengers report 'loud bang' on Qantas flight before emergency landing

    Passengers have said they heard a "loud bang" on the Qantas flight that was forced to make an emergency landing this afternoon at Sydney Airport.

    “[The plane] kept circling and then everyone started to panic. We were shaking, I’m still shaking… it was actually really frightening," passenger Ashleigh McDonald told The Australian. She said the pilot had announced to passengers the engine had failed and instructed everyone to put their window up.

    Passenger Mark Willacy told the ABC he too heard the bang, calling the flight the scariest of his life.

  • Fire at Sydney Airport contained

    Authorities say the fire at Sydney Airport is now contained. Superintendent Adam Dewberry said the fire was exacerbated by strong winds in the area.

    It is still not confirmed whether the fire is linked to the engine failure on the Qantas flight that was forced to return to the airport at the same time.

    A fire engine hoses down the area where the fire broke out this afternoon. Source: ABC
    A fire engine hoses down the area where the fire broke out this afternoon. Source: ABC
  • Qantas quarantines cockpit voice recorders for investigation

    Qantas has quarantined cockpit voice and flight data recorders from one of its 737 aircraft at the request of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) after it suffered engine failure.

    The Brisbane-bound flight was forced to make an emergency landing on Friday afternoon at Sydney Airport shortly after take-off, with the ATSB now investigating.

    “A team of transport safety investigators, with experience in aircraft maintenance, aircraft operations, material failure analysis and data recovery, has commenced the evidence collection phase of this investigation," ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said.

    “Other likely investigation activities will include interviewing the flight crew, reviewing operator procedures, analysing weather information, examining any relevant engine components, and potentially attending any tear-down inspection of the engine."

  • Qantas crew's 'remarkable' emergency landing

    The pilot and crew of the Qantas flight forced into an emergency landing have been hailed for safely bringing the flight back down to Sydney Airport.

    “Engine failures are extremely rare but Qantas pilots are exceptionally well trained to handle them with the utmost professionalism,”Captain Steve Cornell of the Australian and International Pilots Association said.

    “In this instance the crew displayed remarkable skill, expertise, and composure in returning safely to Sydney and protecting everyone on board."

  • Passenger onboard emergency Qantas landing reveals terrifying ordeal

    A passenger onboard the Qantas flight that made an emergency landing as a grass fire burned at Sydney Airport says it was his "scariest" flight in 40 years of flying.

    “I've flown for 40 years and been on hundreds of flights and that was the scariest one I've been on,” ABC journalist Mark Willacy told the public broadcaster.

    “When [the plane] couldn't seem to take the altitude that a normal flight would … that was the most frightening moment for me.”

    He said an off-duty pilot on the flight rushed to help the pilot and kept them updated on the state of the damaged engine.

  • Smoke from Sydney Airport fire drifts across the city

    The large plume of smoke from the airport fire continues to drift across Sydney's east. Yahoo News Editor Courtney Greatrex said she could smell the fire from Maroubra, 6km away. She said the smell drifting into her home office was "overwhelming".

    Others have shared photos of the fire, visible from inner-city Sydney.

  • Qantas confirms 'distressing' engine failure incident

    Qantas has confirmed one of its planes suffered suspected engine failure at the time a grass fire began at Sydney Airport.

    “One of our flights to Brisbane [QF520 experienced a suspected engine failure after take-off from Sydney Airport this afternoon. After circling for a short period of time, the aircraft landed safely at Sydney Airport," Qantas Chief Pilot Captain Richard Tobiano said.

    “Our pilots are highly trained to handle situations like this and the aircraft landed safely after the appropriate procedures were conducted.

    “We understand this would have been a distressing experience for customers and we will be contacting all customers this afternoon to provide support."

  • Man films Sydney Airport fire from plane window

    There are plenty of striking images and videos shared of the fire across social media this afternoon, including the X post below showing a passenger arriving at the airport filming from his window.

    Another image below shows the airport from what appears to be the Brighton-Le-Sands area.

  • Sydney Airport fire 'started by Qantas plane'

    A fire burning next to Sydney Airport was reportedly started by an engine explosion on a Qantas flight bound for Brisbane, The Australian understands.

    Sydney Airport is expected to address the incident shortly.

  • Striking images as bush fire burns near Sydney Airport

    A grass fire is burning next to Sydney Airport, with fire crews rushing to extinguish the blaze. It is understood several incoming flights have been diverted as a result.

    Dramatic images from surrounding suburbs shared online show a large plume of smoke billowing into the sky as planes sit on the tarmac.

    Fire and Rescue NSW said the grass fire was next to the third runway, with witnesses watching from a distance initially fearing a plane was on fire. The fire is near Sir Joseph Banks Park in neighbouring Botany.

    Aviation Rescue and Firefighting are leading the operation to extinguish the fire.

    Temperatures at the airport have reached 28C with windy conditions. The area is subject to a total fire ban today.

    One man watches on from across Botany Bay as a bush fire continues to burn. Source: Facebook
    One man watches on from across Botany Bay as a bush fire continues to burn. Source: Facebook
  • Outage causes airport delays across the country

    In some developing news now, there are delays at airports across the country after a technical outage caused widespread disruption.

    The issue has impacted SmartGate kiosks, which scan a passenger's face and passport, affecting both departures and arrivals. An Australian Border Force spokesperson told the ABC it is currently working on a fix.

  • Man given jail sentence for nazi salute, but walks free

    A far-right extremist will walk free from court on appeal bail after spending less than an hour in custody for performing a Nazi salute in public.

    Jacob Hersant, 25, was handed a one-month jail term on Friday after becoming the first person in Victoria to be prosecuted for the offence.

    He arrived at Melbourne Magistrates Court prepared for a stint behind bars after a magistrate previously indicated jail was the only appropriate sentence.

    Jacob Hersant outside court
    Jacob Hersant was handed a one-month jail sentence on Friday. Source: AAP

    "I'm ready to go to jail," he told reporters as he walked into court.

    However, less than an hour after being sentenced he was granted bail on appeal.

    Hersant is the first Victorian to be found guilty of intentionally performing the Nazi salute in public, since laws were introduced in October 2023.

    On October 27, 2023, Hersant raised his arm to salute in front of journalists and camera crews outside the County Court, six days after the state laws banning the gesture came into effect.

  • Can Donald Trump run for US president again in 2028?

    Many thought Donald Trump wouldn't return after his 2020 election defeat, but he has now remarkably won a second US election and will return to the White House after four years away.

    US presidents are capped at two four-year terms, thanks to the 22nd Amendment to the US constitution. But because Trump's terms haven't been back-to-back, it has some people wondering if he would be allowed a third when he will be 82 years old.

    Well the short answer is no, he won't be able to. The fact that Trump's two terms will be non-consecutive makes no difference – as the law stands, he cannot be elected president more than twice.

    But there is one wildly unlikely scenario that would allow him to, and that is explored by Yahoo UK here.

    WEST PALM BEACH, FL - NOVEMBER 6: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses the crowd after being declared the winner during an election night party at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida on November 6, 2024. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
    Trump beams after winning the US election. Source: Getty
  • Record number of cases of deadly infection in Australia

    Australia is in the grips of its worst whooping cough outbreak since the introduction of vaccines as people continue to fall behind on immunisations.

    More than 41,000 cases of the highly infectious and deadly lung disease have been recorded in the nation so far this year, surpassing the previous annual record of 38,748 in 2011, according to an Immunisation Foundation of Australia report card.

    About 130 people a day are diagnosed with whooping cough and, with 53 days left in 2024, figures are expected to surpass 45,000.

    Whooping cough, also known as pertussis or the 100-day cough, is a bacterial infection that impacts the airways, causing uncontrollable coughing and difficulty breathing.

    Read more here.

  • Should NRL players be banned from living in different cities to their clubs?

    As new Broncos coach Michael Maguire looks to get to grips with his squad after a disappointing season, there's suggestion players will be made to live near the club's headquarters to put an end to excessive travelling.

    A Broncos staffer previously told the Courier Mail players commuting from the Gold Coast to Brisbane had become a "nightmare". Currently Reece Walsh and Patrick Carrigan are making the 160km round trip daily.

    So what do you think? Should players be able to live where they want if they're turning up on time? Or should everyone be close by? Have your say below.

  • The big six-month Biden 'what if' tormenting Democrats

    Joe Biden's name wasn't on the ballot, but history will likely remember Kamala Harris' resounding defeat as his loss too.

    As Democrats pick up the pieces after President-elect Donald Trump's decisive victory, some of the vice president's backers are expressing frustration that Biden's decision to seek reelection until this summer — despite long-standing voter concerns about his age and unease about post-pandemic inflation as well as the U.S.-Mexico border — all but sealed his party's surrender of the White House.

    “The biggest onus of this loss is on President Biden,” said Andrew Yang, who ran against Biden in 2020 for the Democratic nomination and endorsed Harris’ unsuccessful run. “If he had stepped down in January instead of July, we may be in a very different place.”

    trump biden
    Joe Biden had a disastrous debate against Donald Trump, a damning public display that fuelled calls for him to step aside. Source: CNN

    Biden will leave office after leading the United States out of the worst pandemic in a century, galvanizing international support for Ukraine after Russia’s invasion and passing a $1 trillion infrastructure bill that will affect communities for years to come.

    But having run four years ago against Trump to “restore the soul of the country,” Biden will make way after just one term for his immediate predecessor, who overcame two impeachments, a felony conviction and an insurrection launched by his supporters. Trump has pledged to radically reshape the federal government and roll back many of Biden's priorities.

    “Maybe in 20 or 30 years, history will remember Biden for some of these achievements,” said Thom Reilly, co-director of the Center for an Independent and Sustainable Democracy at Arizona State University. “But in the shorter term, I don’t know he escapes the legacy of being the president who beat Donald Trump only to usher in another Donald Trump administration four years later.”

    Read more here.

  • 'Severe' heatwave warnings issued

    "Severe" heatwave warnings are in place as blistering spring conditions sweep large parts of the country this weekend.

    Swathes of outback Queensland, from the Gulf Country to northern NSW, are being warned by the Bureau of Meteorology to expect severe heatwave conditions across the weekend, while Sydney and Brisbane are expected to top 30C from today.

    Queensland's Longreach in the state's centre is set to reach a scorching 44C on Saturday.

    A warning for severe heatwave conditions is also in place over the weekend in the Northern Territory and Western Australia, from the Kimberley, across Darwin and to the border.

    Read more here.

  • Three charged in connection to Liam Payne's death

    Three people have been charged in connection with the death of Liam Payne, according to authorities in Argentina.

    An official statement from the public prosecutor stated three people were arrested and charged with “abandonment of a person followed by death, supply and facilitation of narcotics.”

    According to Sky News, one of the accused “accompanied the artist on a daily basis” during his stay in Argentina, and another was a hotel employee. The third allegedly supplied drugs.

    Read more here.

    Liam Payne pictured with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy in 2023. Source: Getty
    Liam Payne pictured with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy in 2023. Source: Getty

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.