Live on Sky News.
This is Sharry.
Good evening and yes, As Andrew said, let's start with the major breaking news. An Air India flight to London has crashed with at least two hundred and forty four people on board and a warning. This footage is distressing. The plane came down in a built up residential area up of ah Medabat, a city in western India. The airline has tonight confirmed just minutes ago there were one hundred and sixty nine Indian nationals, fifty three British citizens,
one Canadian and seven Portuguese nationals on board. The aircraft reportedly gave a may day call indicating an emergency just moments after takeoff, but after that there was no response from the pilots.
These are chilling.
Pictures of the aircraft coming down, this tragedy unfolding just in the last hour. There are believed to be two hundred and thirty two passengers and twelve crew on board. As Andrew said, it would be a miracle if there were any survivors. And you can see in this footage the thick smoke from the crash site. It's reportedly an Air India Boeing seven eight seven Dreamliner that was bound for London's Gatwick Airport and it's understood to have crashed
not long after it departed. Sada vallibu Ptu International Airport, India released this statement just minutes ago.
Confirming this tragic news.
They said, India confirms that flight A one seven to one from Ahmadabad to London Gatwik was involved in an accident today after takeoff, so they're calling it an accident. The flight, which departed at thirteen thirty eight hours, was carrying two hundred and forty two passengers and crew members on board the Boeing seven eight seven to eight aircraft.
Of these, one.
Hundred and sixty nine are Indian nationals, fifty three are British nationals, one Canadian national and seven Portuguese nationals. The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals now. This is absolutely tragic news. Two hundred and forty people on board. India have said they will be of course cooperating with authorities as they investigate what went on just moments after takeoff, when that mayday call came through just seconds after they took off, and after that there was no contact at
all with the air carrier before it crashed. Now we're going to keep you updated as we hear more throughout the hour. But right now I'm joined by Skynese contributor Emily car By. Emily, thanks for your time. What more do we know?
What are we learning about this tragic accident?
Well, absolutely shocking and as you see, an absolute tragedy. It is hard to imagine that anyone has been able to survive this, This plane that was headed to London Gatwick one of our major airports here in London, just a standard flight. There are so many of these flies that leave from India to arrive in London. And we find out that fifty three British nationals more on board, one hundred and sixty nine Indians, one Canadian and seven
Portuguese as well. Devastating news for Britain's this morning to hear a lot of people here will be checking whether
they have relatives on board. As you may know, there are a huge number of British Indians in this country and Indian nationals as well, who may well have been coming to Britain after visiting relatives in India, or had been traveling for example, or for many reasons would have been flying back to London, and for this devastating incident to have taken place is truly truly shocking.
Air India has a pretty.
High record when it comes to safety, this particular this particular plane as well, a Boeing seven eight seven Dreamliner, relatively new model.
We're hearing also.
From the India Aviation Regulator that the captain who was on board, who was in charge of this flight, he had two hundred hours of flying experience. The co pilot had over one thousand hours of flying experience. These weren't inexperienced pilots flying this plane, which begs the question what on earth happened? And we're finding out slowly more and more detail. It appears that this plane was in the air for such a short amount of time before it
then crashed to the ground. And we've all seen the images here that you're playing, those huge black smoke clouds. We've also seen fireballs as well. This is a truly shocking event and to hear fifty three British on board as well is devastating news for us here in London.
And we can show you the footage of the moment the plane crashed and just a warning to everyone at home. This is distressing footage. We are only going to play it once. So here is the moment the plane crashed, The moment the plane carrying two one hundred and forty two passengers including crew, went down. That is truly heartbreaking, devastating to watch. To think of all the families on board, and you know, we don't know for sure, of course,
but it's hard to imagine anyone survived that. Emily, in that statement from India, they are calling this an accident of costs.
This happened in the past hour. We can't possibly know.
The investigations haven't taken place yet, but they are calling it an accident.
And there was that may Day.
Call from the pilots not long after takeoff, so it does indicate at this early stage it was likely some sort of technical failure and as you've pointed out, the pilots just had so much experience.
Yeah, very unusual.
Speaking to experts in aviation this morning, it does sound as though there are huge question marks when something like this happens. Of course, people that perhaps there is terrorism involved. We in western Indian not far from Pakistan, so the mind goes in that direction. But it does appear from what we have been told so far that yes, it does appear to have been some kind of freak accident, but I'm sure more information will come very soon this
morning here in Britain and of course in India. But yes, signal appears to have been lost. This according to flight Radar and also Air India. Seconds after takeoff, the plane had reached about six hundred or so feet in the air before then appearing to try and land the plane perhaps but then crashing down and in a residential area
reportedly or just outside of the airport. So potentially more deaths as well we could see, although we've had no confirmation on any fatalities so far, but I'm sure we'll heal more from the Indian authorities very soon when it comes to that. Of course, immediate rescue operations in place. In talking about being on a war footing when it comes to this type of incident. The airport has stopped all scheduled flights for the rest of the day. We're
also hearing from authorities over there. But yes, just to reiterate, really, two hundred and forty two passengers on board this play in two hundred and forty two total, that includes twelve crew as well, devastating for those families, devastating for the fifty three British nationals who were on board as well, and their families who'll be scrambling to try and get in touch to try and find out if their loved one was on board. This particular fight a true horror show beyond imagination.
Really.
That footage that you've just shown and more that's coming up to social media as people take to their phones and take to social media to.
Share what they've seen.
But as yet unclear what caused this disaster, but I'm sure we'll hear more from the authorities as the day goes on.
Indeed, and minute by minute we are getting more information on this, so we will keep everyone updated. Emily Carva, appreciate your time, thank you very much, and we will keep bringing you updates throughout the hour as they come to light. The details are coming in thick and fast.
But i'd to have a look at some of the other news around today and coming up in the show tonight, our exclusive on the real reason why the Trump administration has ordered a review of Orcas I'll tell you what President Trump is frustrated with Albanezi about that scoop in a minute, Plus are.
We on the brink of war with Iran?
Defense expert Peter Jennings will give his view on whether America and Israel are poised.
To strike t RAN's nuclear sites.
Plus Outrage after the corruption watchdog cleared the two point four million dollar payout to Britney Higgins Michaylia.
Cash will be on the show tonight.
But first I can reveal the Trump administration is using a review of the Orcas submarine deal as leverage to force Albernese's.
Hand on defense spending.
The United States President and his officials are frustrated firstly with Albanize his refusal to increase defense spending, Secondly his flippant attitude that defense is an issue of sovereignty. And they're also concerned about his commitment to the Alliance and his refusal to robustly call out China's aggressions in our region. The Pentagon announced today a review of the Orcas submarine deal, in a dramatic move that puts into doubt our defense future.
Now.
Senior national security sources told me today that Australia should have been proactive on the defense budget, particularly after Europe signed up to a three point five percent target, Yet Australia's position was to keep spending at just under two percent, and this was never going to be sustainable.
It's considered a joke.
In the current strategic environment, which even the Prime Minister acknowledges is the most volatile in recent history. The Trump administration gave Australia time and space on the issue of defense spending so as not to interfere with our federal election cycle. They were also waiting to see the outcome.
But confidential sources told me today the Trump administration is extremely serious about needing Australia to lift its game on defense spending, and this is irrespective of Jim Chalmers' budget constraints. US Defense Secretary Pete Haigseth made the point directly to our Defense Minister Richard Miles at the Shangri La Dialogue in Singapore, and Miles then audaciously shied away from publicly revealing the figure that the United States was pushing Australia
to spend. So hag Seth then put it out there publicly that in his view, Australia should be spending three and a half percent of our GDP on defense.
NATLE members are pledging to spend five percent of their GDP on defense, even Germany, So it doesn't make sense for countries in Europe to do that, while key allies in Asia spend less on defense in the face of an even more formidable threat.
But this issue escalated further when Albanezi said that defense spending was an issue of sovereignty.
Well, I think that Australia should decide what we spend on Australia's defense, simple as that. Look, what you should do in defense is decide what you need, your capability and then provide for it. That's what my government's doing. We determine our defense policy here.
I can reveal that the United States views that response from Albanezi as unseerious and staggering, the idea that Australia believes it should get a free pass from increasing our defense spend for no good reason when the rest of the world is prepared to play its part. The Native partners and others have clearly seen the threat and are
prepared to step up. Australia has made a point of sticking with the Paris Agreement, not wanting to be out of step with the international community when it comes to climate action, and yet they're not taking the same attitude to defense spending. And this is Australia embarrassing itself.
Albanizi is showing that he's not a serious player. Now.
Australian defense officials were in Washington just a few weeks ago and they know very well the expectation from the United States. The Albanzi government was on notice.
Now. The third part to this orchestra review is that the.
Trump administration is looking for Albanesi to reinforce his commitment to the US Alliance. More broadly, the view is that he should be prepared to call out China, something he's refused to do, even when China takes egregious action against Australia. While Albanesi insists defense spending is a matter of sovereignty, as you just heard, well, he wasn't so strong on sovereignty when it came into a Chinese warship circumnavigating our coast.
The People's Liberation Army Task Group one oh seven launched live fire exercises west of Hobart, yet there was barely a peep from our Prime minister, and this astounded the United States government.
Their view is Australia's.
Response should be more robust and we should at least call out this provocative behavior from China. Instead, Albanesi defended it. The United States has also already publicly expressed its disappointment with the Alberanzi government's hostile position on Israel, and Albanesi is also moving against America's interests at the United Nations and in other foreign policy areas with respect to Israel.
So Pentagon's review of ORCUS is entirely self inflicted and owing to Albanesi's juvenile conduct and weak foreign policy that's out of step with the United States. I'm a Prime Minister Scott Morrison did the hard work getting ORCUS over.
The line, and now and now Albanesi could lose the deal.
Morrison today said the Albanese government needed to keep making the case for ORCUS. His impression is that Trump had always been committed to it. But he also expressed the point that Australia needs to make it clear that we are aligned on the threat that China poses.
And the second thing is, you know, we have to be very clear that we share the strategic content, which is the deterrence to aggresses in the Indo Pacific. That was a point we'd made strongly at the time, which was well understood and well appreciated, and I don't believe that there's been any fundamental.
Change to that.
I think the tone of that has changed, but I think the I think what I've heard from, particularly Minister Miles on this demonstrates that that intent is still weare.
So that was Morrison speaking to Kieran Gilbert and he was very diplomatic there, as you heard when he said there'd been a change of tone from the Albanizi government on China.
I mean, that's for sure, there's been a change of tone.
Now many commentators and media outlets were today urging alban Easy to renegotiate ORCAS as the Pentagon reviews whether to dump or change the deal. But as I said, this isn't particularly about ORCUS. It's about defense spending and our attitude to the Alliance. Former Australian Ambassador to Washington, Joe Hockey realizes that defense spending was the major sticking point.
We've learned from Ukraine. If you don't make your own weapons, if you don't build your own military, then you can't necessarily rely on foreigners. To pick up the tabs when you really need it. We partner with them, we need them as a partner, but we have to have our own industrial base.
Unless albin Easy changes his tune in the next few days, he won't have an easy meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the G seven. Now ALBINIZI may not personally care about that Trump is out of favor politically in Australia, but he should care. Trump controls the US commitment to Orcus, which is critical for the protection.
Of our nation.
Now, primarily the orcust review is leverage over alban EASi for an increased defense commitment. Trump has got Alban Easy over a barrel, and if he loses Ucus under his watch, it would be disastrous, particularly if he loses it because of his stubborn refusal to commit to a higher defense
spending target. Now we know the Prime Minister isn't the smartest tool in the shed, but surely even he realizes it wouldn't be great for his own legacy if he destroyed Orcus and left Australia vulnerable to attack.
Now are we on.
The verge of war with Iran? There is speculation that a strike on Iran is imminent. This was partly sparked by America withdrawing officials and their families across the Middle East. Now, destroying Iran's nuclear capability has been for a long time a strategic goal of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He wants to eliminate the nuclear threat Iran poses, not just
to Israel, but the world. This move would either be a joint operation between the US and Israel, or Israel could take military action with the.
Backing of the United States.
Now it's reported that Trump had asked Nedinyah who not to launch military strikes against Iran to avoid death and destruction, and that he preferred a path of negotiation. But Iran has now walked away from some five rounds of negotiation, And the bottom line is Tehran is on the brink of developing a nuclear weapon. The US and Israel can't stand idly by and watch Iran build and potentially deploy
nuclear weapons. So if there is a strike, and I think, if executed well, that it's the right thing to do. But if there is a strike, there is the risk that Iran would then launch thousands of ballistic missiles towards Israel in response. The Iron Dome can handle an onslaught, but there's a point where there's concern it may not be able to intercept all Iranian missiles.
Depending on the volume launched.
So we're going to watch this space closely over the coming days and to discuss this, let's bring in strategic analysis Australia Director Peter Jennings.
Peter, thanks so much for your time.
Now, what's your assessment on whether Israel and America are poised to strike Iran? Do you think this move to remove American officials is grand standing to get a deal done with Iran or do you think it's set to happen with Israel now giving American staff time to get out of the region.
I don't think it's grandstanding. I think we are getting pretty close to a time when a strike is going to happen, and withdrawing non essential embassy staff is pretty much the last thing that the Americans need to do. Trump's style here is to give him credit. He attempted
to have a negotiation with the Iranians. There were five rounds of negotiations, but I think Trump will realize that that was getting nowhere and we'll very quickly move back to what Israel has wanted to do pretty much since December, and that strike while they still can before Iran does get nuclear weapons and before they're able to rebuild a significant part of their air defense capabilities which were destroyed
in a previous strike. So I think we are now getting pretty close to a strike that the final piece being that America has to decide that they want to support Israel for the purpose, and I think by looking at the withdrawal of staff, we're now seeing that that's the decision that the US has come to.
Does Israel have the capability militarily to launch this strike on its own or would it need US weaponry as well.
It can launch a strike on its own in the sense of being able to go after the target set that it wants to hit, it needs the Americans to help them identify the targets to then do space based battle damage assessment to work out where they have to
go back to hit a second time. They probably need a bunker busting weapons from the Americans, and they certainly need American air defense capability in the form of a carrier's strike group or two in the Mediterranean to help shoot down drones and missiles coming from Iran because Irondome and the other Israeli air defense systems won't be able
to do all of that themselves. So they can do a lot in terms of undertaking waves of strikes against targets, but they do need the Americans to assist them, and a whole bunch of factors that makes that Israeli sharp end of the sphere possible.
I mean, it's without question that Israel would need America's backing cooperation agreement to launch this, and it's obviously been the subject of numerous rounds of discussions between NAT and Yahoo and Trump probably over many years. But it's the level of US involvement that we don't know where yet to see. I mean, obviously it wouldn't go ahead without US agreement, But you know, I think that's what's going to.
Be fascinating to watch.
When you say you expect it to go ahead in the near future, are you prepared to put any time frame on that. Are you hearing anything definitive at all?
Well, if I'm hearing anything, then that would not be good. It won't be it won't take long because you don't want to give the Uranians any more time than they've already got to get themselves ready for this. This has been delayed for some months, probably since the beginning of the year. I think that was because Trump was wanting to see if he couldn't find a diplomatic solution, and he should get some credit for trying that.
But once.
The US and Israel have decided that this is what they need to do, they have to move fast, so I would expect it pretty soon.
I think his change of attitude Trump has been surprising because when he first got into offics, he kind of said he will give Israel full backing to do whatever at once in Gaza after Hermas refused to release the hostages, and now he seemed to change tune and become this pacifist who wants to avoid death and destruction. I mean, the inconsistency in his approach has been unusual. But nevertheless, Peter Jennings really appreciate your time.
Thank you.
Let's bring in our Thursday panel, our WA opposition leader Basil Zamplus and National Senator Matt.
Canavan, and good to have you back.
Basil, the Vans back together on I just want to get to start off with return to this plane crash that we've just seen happen in the past our Air India flight heading for London.
Matt. You know, again, we don't know, We don't have the.
Full details yet. We know the pilot issued a may day call. There was then no contact at all with the aircraft and it crashed just not long after takeoff. Looks like it's a technical incident. We don't know for sure, but absolutely devastating to think that two hundred and forty two people have lost their lives tonight.
Look, Charrie, I'm just hearing about that now. Sorry, I haven't seen the news, but that is absolutely shocking. It's fortunately not something that happens well, that often doesn't, but obviously something's going horribly wrong and your heart just goes out to those people. Are families affected. There, there's going to be people from all around the world, i'd say, on a flight from India to London that's impacted. So look, yeah,
hopefully we'll get to the bottom of it. There's nothing more nefaris here but a technical problem, which is I say, unfortunately is quite rare.
Yeah, Basil, Yeah, we do know the breakdown. One Canadian, seven Portuguese, fifty three British nationals and the rest Indian families. I mean, this is sort of the fear that everybody has every time they get on a plane. But to watch it crash like that not long after take off, go up in flames, hard to think anyone would have survived.
It, unfortunately, shrry that certainly from the images and from the vision that we have seen, which are quite right, is difficult to watch. Those countries that you've just listed that the passengers are from, they are countries in mourning tonight. But I think the whole world mourns when a tragedy like this plays out before our eyes. And so obviously significant condolences to those nations and to all of those families involved. Just a terrible tragedy. And as we know,
that could have been any of us. All of us catch planes from time to time, could have been any family from anywhere on a family holiday, and they'll never get to where they were going.
It's very, very sad, it's absolutely heartbreaking.
Madam, want to turn to the Orcus announcement today that the Pentagon will review the partnership, they say, to make sure that it's aligned with the President's America First Agenda. Madam, mean, you can't separate the fact, as I spoke about earlier in the show, that this happened after Albin Easy refused to lift our defense spending.
Look, I think you're reporting his spot on there, Shahi. It's not just that the Prime Minister has not decided to increase defense spending. It's also probably the way he did respond. Secretary Hegseth gave a very considered speech at the Changrila Dialogue in Singapore a couple of weeks ago.
He obviously put in a very director request for Australia to increase spending, and the Prime Minister Je've outlined in response, said well, we're a sovereign nation, and he also said we don't respond to every comment that is put out there. And to dismiss Secretary said speech as a mere comment was an insult, I think to our friend and ally in the United States in that speech that he made that hasn't got a lot of reporting in the Australian press.
In the speech he made, he actually mentioned Australia more times than any other country except for China. Most of the speech did focus on the aggression we're seeing from China in the region, but the next country he mentioned the most was Australia, and he mentioned Australia in very positive terms about wanting to work with Australia to help us produce one hundred and fifty five millimeters artillery shells, to upgrade rad repair facilities, and to build a guided
weapons making facility here in Australia. And so the Prime Minister runs around and says that he wants a future made in Australia. Yet he rejected as a mere comments than olive branch from a most important ally to work with us to build industrial supply chains here in our own country. And quite reasonably, if the Americans are going to do that with us, they'd like to see us left spending too, And so that's something shortly we should give some deep consideration too. I realized it's a lot
of money. I realize our budget is tight, but I think there's a clear need here for us to lift defense spending. We have an American administration that wants to work with us to do that. This is very shortsighted from the Albanzi government to dismiss this suggestion such a quick way. Hopefully, for all our sakes, the Primis will reflect on this and take a different approach, and he's
meeting with President Trump next week. Hopefully meeting hasn't set one up yet as he but hopefully he does get to talk to him.
Yeah, it's expected that he were really solid points there, Matt, really solid points, and it would be in here. I mean, he has to change his true and it's only in our national interest surely. Bazila also made the point earlier in the show that Australia, you know, all, particularly the Albanzi government, always speaks about meeting our commitments on the
international stage when it comes to claim action. What about our commitments on the international stage when it comes to defense preparedness.
Well, absolutely, and I think that's been the message, hasn't it from the Americans that they want their allies to lift their game and pull their weight a little more, and that there is a feeling that perhaps there's too much reliance on the Americans when it comes to defense capability. I want to take a slightly different tac though, and say Shari that from a Western Australian point of view,
this is potentially catastrophic. This is a multi billion dollar investment in Western Australian industry and in particular Western Australian jobs. And if this falls over because of some dithering or because of some complacency on behalf of the Albanesi government, the government of Western Australia should be mortified that they will have let that happen on their watch. And Roger Cook has got to bear some responsibility. He's got a
very close relationship with the Prime Minister. They are long long standing colleagues from the same faction of the Labor Party. And if this falls over, this is on Roger Cook as much as it is on Anthony Albanesi. This is a very significant investment in Western Australia that right now is just floating in the breeze. And I hope Anthony Albanese can work it out at the G seven summit.
I'm sure as wa Liberal leader, you'll be continuing to put pressure pressure on Roger Cook over that in the coming days and weeks. Now, just finally, I'm going to turn to the National Anti Corruption Watchdog which has given the all clear to the two point four million dollar
compensation payout to Britney Higgins. They said there was no inappropriate intervention by the Albanese government, but former Liberal Minister Linda Reynolds has told The Australian Today that she was bitterly disappointed, saying that her primary concern has always been how the Commonwealth could possibly settle unsubstantiated and statute barred claims made again her alleging egregious conduct on her part without taking a single statement from her or even speaking to her at all.
I mean, Matt.
It should also be noted that Justice Michael Lee didn't find that there had been any cover up or gross mishandling by Linda Reynolds as well, So what was the compensation even.
For Well, Look, there's still a lot of unanswered questions here, and one of the problems with an inquiry by the KNACK is it's all of their processes are secret. There's good reasons for that, but there's questions that go beyond just I suppose a legal definition of corruption here and
obviously they've made findings on that in the NAK. But there are a whole lot of questions you astrain in public deserve to know about the process by which this was decided upon, Like the spending of any taxpayer's money, is that would normally be subject to significant parliamentary scrutiny and I worry here sometimes now that we when things get referred off to the neck, they're actually uses a cover then to say well, we can't investigate these things
through the normal way in a public parliamentary process because you've got this other process online. And so now that this has been concluded, maybe we should have a parliamentary inquirer. It'll be a test for the new Senate. Not hopeful, I'm not going to hold my breath. But if the Greens were interested in public scrutiny of proper scrutiny, parliamentary scrutiny of government decisions, major goup decisions, why shouldn't there be a proper parliamentary inquiry here and what happened here?
Paul the minister's in and get them to explain to the austral people how they did make a decision to spend so much money when, as you say, there was no real finding of misconduct by an Australian minister to seemingly justify.
That money exactly.
I mean, this government continually promise transparency and accountability and there's been no public reckoning over this. There's been no accountability to the public basilin and people are bothered by the fact there was this large payout when Linda Reynolds was not even asked her version of events.
Well, that part in particular does seem very incongruous, doesn't it.
It doesn't seem as.
Though all of the work required to reach the conclusion that was reached was necessarily done. What we do know is this was a very large sum of taxpayers money and I think taxpayers has matter set. Taxpayers of Australia have a right to understand that that money is being paid out for not so much legitimate reasons, but that all of the work has been done to identify that the money being paid out is okay to be paid out.
The other thing I would say is this has been It's been a very untidy affair, all of it, and I think Australians have felt largely uncomfortable with all of it. And it won't be a bad thing once it is done and dusted and put to bed. But that has to be done with integrity and financial responsibility and I think Australians deserve that indeed.
All right, Basil zamplus Matt Canavan, thank you very much for your time. Now still to come the latest details from that horror Air India plane crash. Brendan O'Neil will join me live from London shortly.
Welcome back.
Well, let's return to tonight's devastating news that an Air India flight to London has crashed with at least two hundred and forty two people on board, including fifty three British nationals. According to flight radar, the plane reached six hundred and twenty five feet before crashing. The last signal was received just after takeoff. The pilot sent a mayday call and after then they lost contact. It was a
Boeing seven eight seven eight Dreamliner. The flight was due to arrive in London Gatwick Airport at six twenty five pm local time. It took off at about one thirty eight pm. In India, All flights out of Ahmedamabad.
Have now been suspended.
The UK Prime Minister Kiir Starmer has described the crash tonight as devastating. Blackman Palace says King Charles is being briefed on the tragic incident. Now this is all unfolding as we speak. We've been showing you the footage tonight. It's absolutely devastating to see the plane go down. Carrying two hundred and forty two passengers. The majority were passengers traveling. There were also twelve crew as you can see in the footage just before, people are now being taken away
in stretches to the local hospital. It's not known yet whether there are any survivors. It would be a miracle to survive that crash in a residential area that took place at six thirty eight pm our time tonight. Well, let's bring it now for her reaction to this and the other news of the day. Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Mikhaylia Cash. Mikhaylia, thank you for your time and look, we're starting off with this devastating news tonight that two hundred and forty people were on board.
That plane when it crashed.
It reached six hundred and twenty five feet before crashing. The pilot's lost contact just moments after take off. Mikhaelia, what's your reaction to this tonight?
It puts everything into perspective, Sharhi. There are hundreds of families tonight who do not know the status of their loved one, but just looking at that footage, I am sure they are thinking the worse as someone who is a frequent flyer, this is your worst possible nightmare it come true.
So certainly on behalf of the opposition.
Our hearts, our thoughts and our prayers go out to all of those families, but also to the governments tonight who are going to have the job of ensuring that the families of those who are on the plane are given all the support that they need. But as I said, this is just a tragedy. It just puts everything into for you, given that there is a very high probability of loss of life.
Absolutely, and there'll be a lot of pressure on the airline as well to explain what happened as what manufacturer. Indeed, I mean that's the question everyone's asking. And as I said before, I mean, every time you bought an international flight, you know, of course it crosses your mind.
You just pray you're going to be safer, and you never think it'll happen to you.
Yep.
Indeed, now let's return to the big story of the day that the Pentagon has ordered this review of Orcus.
The submarine deal.
I mean, I've been reporting this evening that it's leverage to force Albanese's hand on defense spending. I've been reporting that the Trump administration is frustrated with the attitude Albanize has taken that he's refused to increase spending, the flippant remarks he's been making, as well as his attitude towards the Alliance.
More broadly, what's your view on this? Do you think he is putting at risk the orcust agreement.
Well, let's look at the increase in defense spending.
First.
Our clear commitment prior to the election, and our commitment reaffirmed today by Angus Taylor, the Shadow Minister for Defense, is that we must make an increase in our defense spending and we have said over the next decade it
needs to go to three percent of GDP. I am at a loss to understand why mister Alberanzi himself does not understand that it is an Australia's best sovereign interest to do just this, I mean, Shari doesn't mister Albanesi ask himself what does investing in our military actually give us? It gives us influence abroad, but more than that, it contributes to regional stability. So I am concerned mister Albanese's
lackluster approach to defense spending. But I also want to be clear on behalf of the opposition that our commitment is very very clear. We believe in investing in Australia's sovereign capability, in investing in Australia's military capability, and yes we would increase our defense spending. But I think more broadly on the issue of UCAS and the announcement of the review, the review will now take place that it
happens to be a fact. So it is now the outcomes of the review that are important, and mister Albanesi has a key message that he needs to deliver up to mister Trump in terms of our commitment to UCAS. Any delay, any downgrade in relation to the ORCUS agreement would be absolutely detrimental, not just to Australia but more broadly to the UK as well, given this is a trilateral agreement.
So my greatest concern is this Shari, has.
Mister Albaneze secured a meeting with President Trump and the G seven. We are now one of the only major countries that has not had a sit down meeting with President Trump and that is of real concern to me. So mister Albanesi has a huge drop ahead of himself, but it is now the outcome of the review that is most important, and Australia cannot afford any.
Delay or downgrade in the orchest commitment.
Looking part of the reason why he hasn't had a meeting yet with President Trump is that Alberanese is rhetoric. Pennywong's two is often more critical of our allies like American Israel than it is of our adversaries like China. And just yesterday we saw the Foreign Minister in post sanctions on two Yes, highly controversial Israeli ministers, but in a free democracy where there's the rule of law, where they face elections, and this has of course angered the
United States. We saw the statement from Marco Rubio Mikhaelia, what's your reaction to these sanctions?
Do you think they're wrong?
Yes? I do.
Penny Wong, in one signature in issuing the regulations, has also had a fundamental shift in foreign policy in Australia, and Australians need to be asking themselves why Australia's position in relation to sanctions, because of the actions of Penny Wong is now that we will sanction democratically elected ministers in a friendly allied government of Israel. Now Pennywong has a lot of explaining to do. The first is why
did she do this? This is not what Magninsky sanctions were designed to do, but were designed to go after people who were from authoritarian regimes, the unaccountable, basically who could never be held to account by domestic regime. But Shari, the bigger question for Pennywong is now this because you have shifted Australia's position in foreign policy. It's the consistency argument. All because you don't like what a minister has said, and I can tell you right now I condemn what
those two ministers have said. You now have a problem, Penny, because, as Greg Sheridan, Chris Yorman and others have pointed out, there are now other regimes in which ministers have said utterly atrocious things that you now need to seriously question sanctioning. So I think Penny Wong has a huge problem here. But more than that, the question of why what was the outcome the labor wanted.
To achieve here?
Because Marco Rubio has been pretty clear the United States Shari is working with Israel to achieve a cease fire to ensure the return of the hostages.
And then to end the war. That is what we should all be committed to.
And they've been pretty clear what penny Wog has done along with the other nations, it has not helped this process.
So I think Penny Wog has.
A lot of questions that now need to be answered in relation to and you know now I shift in foreign policy and I.
Look forward to you in your new role as Shadow Foreign Affairs spokesman hounding her over those questions in the Senate Mikhalia.
And she has questions to answer.
On many topics. Thank you so much for your time, really appreciate it.
Great to be with you.
Now.
Still to come, we'll bring you more details from the tragic plane crash from India to London. Brendan O'Neil will give us those details after the break. Welcome back, and if you're just joining us, there's been a devastating plane crash this evening in India and Air India flight with two hundred and forty two people on board has crashed in the city of Ahmedabad, shot after takeoff. Indian Prime Minister or Andrew Modi has posted online commenting saying the
tragedy has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words, he says, in this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected.
You can see on the.
Screen the plane going down. India's Health ministry have said that many have been killed. There are no figures yet on whether there are any survivors. It crashed into a doctor's hostel. According to reports on Reuter's It was a long haul flight heading from India to London's Gatwick Airport and crossing life from London now is Spiked online chief political reporter Brendan O'Neil. Brendan, thank you for your time.
Now the details are all still coming through. We don't know the cause of the accident, but this is a terrible tragedy and we know fifty three British cities on board as well.
And as you say, we don't know yet the casualty figures, but it looks terrible from the footage that many of us will have seen online and as you also say, fifty three British nationals on board, So this looks like it's a very dark day, not only for India, but also for Britain and Kirs Starmer. Our Prime Minister has said that it looks devastating. He's keeping a close eye
on it. I think obviously more details will come out in the next few hours, but it looks like there's going to be a period of mourning in both India and the UK after this.
Yeah, one Canadian as well as seven Portuguese nationals. So what we know about what happened is that seconds after takeoff there was this may day call from the pilots, but then there was no other contact with the aircraft after that. The reports are that it finally crashed five minutes after takeoff in a nearby residential area and crashed into reportedly these doctors hostel, perhaps in a canteen area.
That's what some of the vision is showing.
There have been bodies taken on carriers to ambulances. It would be a miracle if anyone survived. We can only pray. But Brendan, I mean, as I've been saying this evening, you just think of all the families on board two hundred and forty two people including twelve crew, and you just wonder how something like this can happen in this day and age, what were the safety checks done? There's going to be so many questions now the need to be answered.
Oh absolutely, And you know, plane crashes are mercifully rare, but when they happen they raise all sorts of questions. How can this still happen? How why did it fail so soon into the flight, just moments after taking off?
The fact that it crashed into a residential area, seemingly into a doctor's hostel, is also incredibly worrying because that raises the possibility that there will be casualties on the ground as well as on the flight, you know, not dissimilar to Lockerby, I guess where many people died on
the ground as well as in the plane. So a terrible tragedy, a global tragedy really, And as you say we think about the families, I'm thinking about all the people who will have been driving to Gatwick Airport this evening in the UK to pick up their loved ones. They must just be devastated. And I'm sure we're going to see some very distressing scenes in Gatwik and on the news over the next few hours. It's really really a tragic situation.
Indeed, indeed it is now Brendan.
I originally organized for you to come on the show to speak about Greta Thunberg, which you've been reporting on so brilliantly over the past week.
We assume she would have made it home to Sweden by now.
One thing you wrote about that I spoke about earlier in the week is how this points to the broad issue where hatred of Israel has become a fashionable cause of the left.
Absolutely, it's really I find it incredibly worrying. The fashionable thing to do now in the Western activist class is to hate Israel, and we really saw that with Greta's stunt. You know, I think this was a stunt designed to raise awareness about Greta rather than to raise awareness about
what's happening in Gaza. But it was just we just saw a complete inversion of the truth, a complete inversion of reality, because in the seven days that Greta and her friends were on that stupid boat, Israel handed out millions of meals to hungry people in Gaza. And yet Greta is cheered to the rafters by the media classes as some kind of heroic savior of the people of Gaza, whereas Israel, which is feeding the people of Gaza is denounced as genocidal and psychotic, a complete travesty of truth.
They're just lying to us, and it really does demonstrate that Israel can't do right for doing wrong in the eyes of these hateful activists like.
Greta and you put it so well and your articles are a complete mass reedom. Sorry we didn't have more time to speak about this tonight, Brendan, but of course there's been full coverage of this unfolding disaster.
Thank you for joining us. We'll catch up with you again, hopefully soon.
Now still to come, we'll get more details from the tragic plane crash after this quick break