It has been a tough year for Qantas and its passengers – and now the Australian flagship carrier has now been crowned by consumer advocacy group Choice in its annual Shonky Awards.

But Qantas has fired back at the "award" this morning, insisting the data used by Choice is itself "shonky".

Describing Qantas as the "spirit of disappointment", Choice criticised the carrier for delayed flights, lost baggage, airport chaos and the problems many customers had trying to claim travel credit stemming from COVID-19 pandemic flight cancellations.

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The consumer group also called out long wait times for customer service, claiming the company appeared "deliberately to be going out of its way to win a Shonky Award".

"Qantas has always sold itself as the premium Australian domestic airline, and Australians have been very proud of Qantas as a premium airline," Choice money and travel expert Jodi Bird said.

"But what we've seen recently is Qantas taken down to the level of a budget airline."

Choice claimed the airline had the worst rate of on-time domestic arrivals of any Australian airline in July, with a disappointing 47.1 per cent that had improved to 69.2 per cent in September.

It claimed Qantas and Jetstar combined were sitting on about $1.4 billion in unused flight credits and future bookings in April, highlighting customer complaints that flights cost more when booking with vouchers.

"At the beginning of the pandemic Qantas communicated to their customers that they were entitled to a credit voucher for cancelled flights," Bird said. 

"Qantas didn't state upfront that customers may be entitled to refunds."

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The "spirit of Australia" has issued a series of apologies for service problems throughout the year, culminating in a $50 discount and message from CEO Alan Joyce for millions of frequent flyers.

"Over the past few months, too many of you have had flights delayed, flights cancelled and bags misplaced," he said, in August.

"There are good reasons why, but when it comes to what you expect from Qantas, it's not good enough.

"On behalf of the national carrier, I want to apologise and assure you that we're working hard to get back to our best."

In a statement to 9news.com.au, Qantas claimed Choice's data is incorrect and the airline has been transparent about the challenges facing the entire airline industry.

DEB KNIGHT OPINION: Protests are meant to disrupt – but leave the artworks alone

"These awards are clearly out of date and the data Choice is using is itself a bit shonky," a Qantas spokesperson said.

"We had several months of poor performance earlier in the year, but it's improved significantly since August and we're back to our pre-COVID level of service.

"We've been very transparent with our performance figures, both good and bad, but Choice is using figures that are just wrong."

The spokesperson said the data Choice used to analyse wait times was incorrect.

"Our call wait times are less than half what Choice is claiming," they said.

"Our customers have redeemed more than $1 billion in COVID-related flight credits.

"The conditions for these are the same or better than they were pre-COVID and we're actively encouraging our customers to use them.

"No one is disputing the fact we had issues earlier this year, and we apologised for that, but it's disappointing that Choice failed to acknowledge the impact that COVID and border closures have had on the entire aviation industry."

Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air Māori fashion designer Kiri Nathan (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Hau) has opened the doors to her first operations whare/community hub in her…

OPINION: Protests are meant to attract attention.

The aim is to shine a light on an issue, and either sway public opinion to bring about change, or force authorities to take action by causing maximum damage or disruption.

Activists use all sorts of techniques. Super glue is a favourite of environmental protestors, and now art is in their sights — the more priceless the better.

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Environmental guerilla groups like Extinction Rebellion want to force governments to tackle climate change.

Their members have done everything from supergluing themselves to busy roads and bridges, to sticking themselves fast to the Speaker's Chair of the UK Parliament.

Priceless art is now the target of choice, using either superglue, or food smeared across paintings, but I seriously doubt this will have any effect in shifting public opinion or helping the environment.

It attracts attention, sure, but threatening priceless art may well turn people against their cause, with many asking the question – what's art got to do with it?

A Picasso painting at the National Gallery of Victoria was recently targeted by two Extinction Rebellion protestors, who were arrested for supergluing themselves to the artwork.

Cake has been smeared over the Mona Lisa. Soup has been splashed over Vincent Van Gogh's famous Sunflowers painting.

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Thankfully no damage has been done to these priceless works, but it feels like it's only a matter of time.

Art galleries around the world are ramping up security, and plastic covers have been added to most works that aren't already roped off to keep any potential protests at bay.

Pity the art lovers who just want to enjoy the work.

Governments in countries like the UK are now cracking down, introducing tough new laws and harsher sentences to punish art vandals, but what will they target next?

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Protest and demonstration is a democratic right, but art is part of our heritage and history and should be protected.

Vandalising priceless art is not the way to make your voice heard.

It only serves to alienate people and turn them off the important message of the need to protect our environment.

Protestors may want to protect the planet, but targeting and potentially damaging art is the wrong way to go about it.

Tune into Afternoons with Deborah Knight for a mix of news, opinion and fun from 12pm-3pm on 2GB.

WorldPride 2023 is tipped to be the biggest event in Sydney since the 2000 Olympic Games, injecting up to $600 million into the local economy as 500,000 international travellers head Down Under for the 17-day celebration.

The supercharged version of the annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is a celebration of LGBTQIA+ visibility and will run in Sydney from February 17 to March 5.

The event will have opening and closing ceremonies, along with parades, festivals, theatre, art and a human rights conference aiming to support and amplify the voices of marginalised people within the community.

Here's a rundown of everything we know so far.

What is WorldPride? 

WorldPride is a global festival held every two to three years that celebrates inclusivity, diversity and acceptance within the LGBTQIA+ community.

The first event was held in Rome in 2000 and has since been organised to coincide with historic events in the community's rich history, including the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.

Cities need to compete to host, with Sydney successfully winning the bid in 2019 – beating out Houston in Texas and Montreal in Canada.

Sydney will be the first city in the southern hemisphere to host and this year's celebration lines up with the 45th anniversary of the first Mardi Gras Parade in Australia.

For 17 days, Sydney's inner-city will transform into a Pride hub, with a number of streets set to shutdown to make way for "Pride villages".

The NSW Government estimate the event will funnel $600 million into the local economy.

Key WorldPride dates

Revellers will be able to enjoy a plethora of offerings for Sydney WorldPride.

From marches to festivals, human rights conferences and ceremonies, here are some of the key dates to remember – and in some cases book tickets for.

Mardi Gras Fair Day – February 19

The iconic Mardi Gras Fair Day will be held at Victoria Park in Chippendale in the city's inner-city.

Fair Day is one of the most well-loved events in the Mardi Gras calendar, where punters can enjoy live music, dance floors as well as plenty of food and drinks.

Mardi Gras Paradiso Pool Party – February 20

The bash will be held Ivy Pool Club, where ticketholders will get the chance to dance the night away to some of the country's biggest musical acts.

The line-up is yet to drop, but think DJs, cocktails and speedos.

WorldPride Opening Concert – February 24

Held at The Domain in the heart of Sydney's CBD, the WorldPride official opener will be headlined by none other than Australia's pop princess: Kylie Minogue.

Songstress Casey Donovan and drag superstar Courtney Act will host the event, with a string of others also set to perform.

Mardi Gras Parade – February 25

The Mardi Gras parade will return to Oxford Street after the pandemic forced the event into the Sydney Cricket Ground for two years.

Labelled the "biggest event" in the WorldPride calendar, glittery spectators will watch on as 12,500 people and over 200 floats make their way along a path forged by civil rights activists in the late 70s.

Mardi Gras Afterparty – February 25

The party so popular, it's already sold out.

The Afterparty is held in Moore Park's Hordon Pavilion and in recent years has been headlined by international superstars Sam Smith and Dua Lipa.

It's not known which big name will take the stage yet this year. 

WorldPride Human Rights Conference – March 1 – 3

More than 60 local and international speakers will take the stage at Darling Harbour's International Convention and Exhibition Centre over three days.

First Nations leaders and elders, along with lawmakers, academics and LGBTQIA+ activists will discuss how to make positive changes for equality and justice.

United Nations Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Victor Madrigal-Borloz has been confirmed as a special keynote speaker.

The program will focus on:

• Community and Culture
• Justice and Freedom
• Health and Wellbeing
• Visibility and Inclusion

Tickets start at $747 and you can find out more information here.

Pride March – March 5

Some 50,000 people are to set march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in their loudest and brightest attire, making a powerful statement about LGBTQIA+ visibility and awareness.

You can find a full rundown of every event being held during the celebration on the official Sydney WorldPride website

Where will Sydney WorldPride events be held?

The location of individual events will vary over the 17 days, however they will primarily be in Sydney's inner city. 

Specifically, the suburbs adjacent to Oxford Street, including Darlinghurst, Surry Hills, Paddington and Moore Park.

A number of streets will be closed to traffic between February 24 and March 5.

"For nine days from February 24, Crown Street will be closed between Oxford and Campbell Streets, as will Riley Street between Oxford and Goulburn Streets," event organisers said.

"The area will become home to daily stalls, performances, dining and a place to connect with friends and family in between WorldPride events.

"Crown Street will be home to a stage with nightly shows and special extended entertainment on weekends.

"To mark the final weekend of WorldPride, Oxford Street will also be closed for once-in-a-lifetime street party, all the way from College Street to Flinders Street."

Who is performing at Sydney WorldPride?

We already know Kylie Minogue will headline the official WorldPride opening show, but other big names have yet to be announced.

A spokesperson for Sydney WorldPride told 9news.com.au more details about the event are set to be revealed next week.

So far, Muna, G Flip, Keiynan Lonsdale, Peach PRC, Alter Boy, BVT and Vetta Borne have been confirmed to perform in one way or another.

It's also fair to assume a string of local drag performers will make appearances, including many cast members of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under, which you can stream now on Stan.

Exclusive: A distraught Newcastle widower has questioned why Optus hung on to his deceased wife's personal information for years, leading to her details being stolen by hackers.

Edgar Mueller, aged 82, said he felt traumatised when a letter from Optus addressed to his wife Rosemarie suddenly appeared in his letterbox last month.

The letter advised various items of her personal information had been taken by criminals during Australia's largest-ever corporate cyberattack.

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"I think it is absolutely disgusting that they kept her personal things on file, knowing full well she is dead. She is gone," Mueller told 9news.com.au.

In June 2018, Mueller called Optus to tell them his wife of 60 years had passed away and ordered them to cancel her account.

"Now four years later, my wife received a letter in her name. And it made me very sad, because it took me a while to get over this and now everything starts up again," he said.

"I believed once you cancelled an account, everything is gone, that they delete everything.

"She's dead. You wipe it. It shouldn't be there."

Under the consumer code, Optus is required to keep billing information for up to six years.

An Optus spokesperson told 9news.com.au the company was "deeply sorry" for Mueller's loss "and we apologise for any distress our contact may have caused."

Almost 10 million former and current Optus customers were victims of the data breach.

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Investigations by the Information Commissioner and the Australian Communications and Media Authority will explore whether Optus securely held appropriate levels of information about their customers, past and present.

Australian Federal Police are trying to find the hackers, who can use the stolen information and identities in a variety of ways.

Personal details can be sold on the dark web, used to open bank accounts to receive welfare payments or to shield criminals from law enforcement.

Data breaches are estimated to be an annual $20-30 billion dollar underworld industry.

Optus said 9.8 million customers had their data stolen, including 2.1 million personal ID documents.

Yesterday 9news.com.au reported how some Optus customers were being sent letters about the hack, despite not being a customer for years.

Around four million people caught up in the breach were no longer with Optus.

Mueller, who is an Optus customer, said he plans to quit the beleaguered company.

EXPLAINED: What to do if you have been hacked

Have you been badly affected by the Optus hack? Email ms**********@******om.au

A prominent real estate agency in Melbourne has been targeted by a cyberattack, leading to clients' personal information being leaked.

Harcourts Melbourne City said it had been aware of the issue since October 24, when a third party accessed personal information from its clients.

"We became aware that our rental property database had been accessed by an unknown third party without our authorisation," the firm said in the email.

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"This platform holds certain personal information of all our landlords, tenants, trades and is used by our service."

The email said the information which was visible to the third-party included email addresses, legal names, phone numbers and copies of signatures and bank details.

The firm said they "took immediate steps to contain" the breach.

"Our commitment (is to) take privacy seriously," the email said.

"Importantly, our networks, accounts and your personal information are now all secure and our services are able to continue as normal."

Harcourts Melbourne City has been contacted by 9News for comment.

'We've been warning for months'

Digital Rights Watch executive director James Clark said his organisation had been warning "for months" the dangers that lurked for real estate companies collecting huge amounts of personal data.

"We've been warning about the risk of a data breach in the real estate industry for months," Clark said.

"Renters in particular are asked to provide everything from passports to employment histories when applying for a house and this pool of data was clearly a ripe target for hackers."

Clark said "the only way to minimise the harm of a data breach is to not collect and store so much information to begin with".

https://twitter.com/DRWaus/status/1587724693481877504

"This breach is another example of why we need comprehensive privacy reform to stop companies from collecting and storing more information than they really need. We also need a regulator that is well resourced and empowered to ensure companies are complying with privacy law," he said.

Some states already limit what information real estate agents are allowed to collect, Clark said.

"For example in Victoria they aren't meant to collect full bank statements, but many agents still ask for this information.

"It's not just about what is legalm it's also a question of power. As long as agents have the ability to make you homeless, renters will do what they ask, and regulations mean very little if they are poorly enforced."

A man who was sleeping in a tent at Taronga Zoo has described the moment he was told one lion and four cubs had escaped from their enclosure.

The five lions were spotted outside of their main enclosure about 6.30am, after there was an 'integrity issue' with a containment fence, which triggered a full emergency response.

Magnus Perri's tent was next to the enclosure, along with a group from Cammeray Public School, as part of the Roar and Snore luxury experience.

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Perri said he was told to "run" by Taronga Zoo staff.

"They came running into the tent area saying, 'This is a code one, get out of your tent and run, come now and leave your belongings,'" Perri said.

"We had to run about 50 to 70 metres before they opened the door, everyone got in, they counted us and they locked the door and we stayed inside the building.

"We realised something's outside, (we asked) 'What is it?' and they said, 'It's the lions' and we thought, 'Oh scary.'"

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A loud duress alarm – sounded soon after the discovery of the lions outside their normal enclosure – prompted the lockdown and could be heard by nearby residents.

The escapees have since been identified as father Ato and cubs Khari, Luzuko, Malike and Zuri.

They are five of seven African lions kept at the Savannah enclosure.

Taronga Zoo has confirmed an "integrity issue" with a containment fence allowed the lions to escape.

"The lions are now in a back-of-house holding area while a full review continues," the statement said.

"A full report will now be prepared for the NSW Department of Primary Industries.

"Keepers and vets report all lions are doing well."

One of the cubs had to be tranquilised, the zoo's executive director Simon Duffy confirmed.

Duffy said the lions were spotted outside their main enclosure but were still separated from the rest of the zoo by a six-foot (1.8-metre) fence.

He said less than 10 minutes elapsed between the animals exiting the enclosure and the full emergency response being enacted.

Veterinarians equipped with tranquiliser guns used them on one of the lion cubs.

The other animals were returned to their enclosure without issue.

Duffy confirmed that the lions had been in their proper enclosure throughout the night and an investigation is now underway.

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The animals have been blocked off from the area in which they made their escape.

In an earlier statement, Taronga Zoo said the zoo would open as normal.

"An emergency situation occurred this morning at Taronga Zoo Sydney when five lions were located outside their enclosure," the statement reads.

"The Zoo has strict safety protocols in place for such an incident. All persons on site were moved to safe zones and there are no injuries to guests or staff.

"All animals are now in their exhibit where they are being closely monitored.

"The Zoo will be open as normal today. Further details will be provided when possible."

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has hinted at progress in the Government’s longstanding efforts to negotiate a free trade agreement with the Pacific Alliance, a group comprising Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Chile, in a speech to businesses…

More than 50 students have been evacuated after fire broke out at a Sydney boarding school.

Fire and rescue responded to an auto alarm trigger from St Catherine's School at 4.20pm, in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

Superintendent Adam Dewberry said firefighters found a fire on level three of a dormitory area in the school.

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"Firefighters searched the area to find the scene of the fire. That has been located and the fire was extinguished," Dewberry said.

"We have got about 55 evacuated, no major injuries reported at this stage."

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Local traffic diversions are in place at Albion and MacPherson street in Waverly.

Fire and rescue crews are using thermal imaging cameras and gas detectors to ensure the area is safe.

An investigation into the cause of the blaze is underway.

Aussies are urged to check their coin stash as a pretty penny might be hiding there and it could sell for tens of thousands of dollars.

After a 1930s penny from the Gold Coast was sold at Lloyds Auction for $60,000 last month, many Aussies started checking their drawers.

The pennies were accidentally minted in the 1930s and about 1500 ended up in circulation.

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So, the chance of finding one hidden away is low but Lloyds Auctions now has a plethora of the rare pennies.

"Lloyds auctions has six of the rarest Australia pennies almost never minted in the history of auctions," Lee Hames from Lloyds Auctions said.

Three of the pennies were found on the Gold Coast in great condition.

"We might see a new record set this month at Auction and so the rest is up to the auction gods," Hames said.