Brisbane news live: Private health giant to close most of its Qld psychology clinics
Latest posts
6.48am
Friday, dry day: Weather into the weekend
We can expect a sunny Friday, with light winds and a chance of morning frost in the west.
Enjoy the clear day – the weather bureau predicts a 95 per cent chance of rain tomorrow, with the chance of up to 20 millimetres to fall.
Showers should ease on Sunday, for a mostly sunny start to the week next week.
6.48am
While you were sleeping
Here's what's making news further afield this morning:
Male childcare workers have been turned away from centres and had casual shifts cancelled, potentially breaching gender discrimination laws, following horrific allegations of child abuse in daycare facilities.
Imported American steak is a topic many of Australia's fine-dining restaurants would rather avoid. The operators of more than 10 hatted restaurants have declined or failed to respond to Good Food's requests for comment on their appetite for US steak.
Hulk Hogan, the mustachioed, headscarf-wearing icon in the world of professional wrestling, has died at the age of 71.
US President Donald Trump has denied he was seeking to ruin the business empire of his one-time ally Elon Musk as retribution for their dispute over the US president's signature tax law.
An Australian man has been found dead inside a hotel room in Thailand one day before his flight back home, according to local media.
A passenger plane carrying about 50 people has crashed in Russia's far east and initial information suggested everyone on board was killed, Russian emergency services officials said.
And in sport, David Warner is among 16 Australian cricketers caught up in the collapse of a T10 league in the Cayman Islands, after players refused to take the field due to non-payment.
Plus, the likes of Kalyn Ponga and Isaiya Katoa could be free to play State of Origin and represent New Zealand as the ARL Commission considers a landmark change in the game's eligibility rules.
6.46am
The top stories this morning
Good morning, and welcome to Brisbane Times' live news coverage for Friday, July 25. Today should be a sunny day, with a top temperature of 22 degrees.
In this morning's local headlines:
A public servant working for the Department of Main Roads has been reprimanded after she admitted calling her German co-worker 'Helga' behind her back and using the phrase 'nein, nein'.
As former boxing champion Anthony Mundine prepares to launch Australia's first bare-knuckle fighting event in Brisbane – and issued a fight challenge to Conor McGregor – medical experts say the sport is 'brutal, outdated and dangerous'.
Two months after Queensland Arts Minister John-Paul Langbroek intervened in a fellowship for an author accused of glorifying terrorism, new details of his efforts have emerged.
Brisbane's Siang Lu has won the 2025 Miles Franklin Literary Award for his novel Ghost Cities, becoming the first male Asian writer to take out the coveted $60,000 literary prize.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Age
14 hours ago
- The Age
Brace yourself for ‘giant hail' as storms increase along east coast
Hailstorms will become more frequent in Brisbane, Sydney and Canberra, and the size of the stones that the storms create will grow in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne as the climate warms over coming years, new modelling shows. With every degree the atmosphere warms, it can hold 7 per cent more moisture, creating more turbulent conditions and increasing the likelihood of damaging hailstorms, said Dr Tim Raupach, author of a paper on projected hail damage in major Australian cities. His modelling compared the historical incidence of hailstorms over the cities, with conditions expected in a scenario where the climate warms by 2.4 degrees by 2080. The result was that while there may be more hailstorms in Brisbane, the chances of 'giant hail' being produced became far higher in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. 'In the historical scenario, Melbourne would be expected to see a 100-millimetre hailstone – 10 centimetres – every 20 years, but in the future scenario, it would be expected to see one every three years,' said Raupach, whose paper was published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. In Sydney and Canberra, as the atmosphere warmed, the chances of giant hail hitting the cities increased from every three years to every two years. Raupach, a researcher in atmospheric science at the UNSW Climate Change Research Centre, said the purpose of the study was to compare the two atmospheric eras to explore the potential impact of climate on hail. 'If we had all the computing power in the world, we'd run multiple simulations,' he said.
Sydney Morning Herald
14 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Brace yourself for ‘giant hail' as storms increase along east coast
Hailstorms will become more frequent in Brisbane, Sydney and Canberra, and the size of the stones that the storms create will grow in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne as the climate warms over coming years, new modelling shows. With every degree the atmosphere warms, it can hold 7 per cent more moisture, creating more turbulent conditions and increasing the likelihood of damaging hailstorms, said Dr Tim Raupach, author of a paper on projected hail damage in major Australian cities. His modelling compared the historical incidence of hailstorms over the cities, with conditions expected in a scenario where the climate warms by 2.4 degrees by 2080. The result was that while there may be more hailstorms in Brisbane, the chances of 'giant hail' being produced became far higher in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. 'In the historical scenario, Melbourne would be expected to see a 100-millimetre hailstone – 10 centimetres – every 20 years, but in the future scenario, it would be expected to see one every three years,' said Raupach, whose paper was published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. In Sydney and Canberra, as the atmosphere warmed, the chances of giant hail hitting the cities increased from every three years to every two years. Raupach, a researcher in atmospheric science at the UNSW Climate Change Research Centre, said the purpose of the study was to compare the two atmospheric eras to explore the potential impact of climate on hail. 'If we had all the computing power in the world, we'd run multiple simulations,' he said.
7NEWS
19 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Brisbane's Ekka winds a sign the Royal Queensland Show is just around the corner
The Ekka is almost here – and Brisbanites know it before they even check the calendar. The telltale sign? Those infamous dry, gusty westerlies that locals love to hate: the 'Ekka winds'. Every August, a familiar chill sweeps through the southeast, announcing one of the most anticipated events of the year: the Royal Queensland Show. So, what's behind this seasonal phenomenon? 7NEWS Queensland meteorologist Tony Auden said it is a mix of geography, timing and tradition. 'The so-called 'Ekka westerly winds' are famous in southeast Queensland because they feel very different to winds at most other times of the year,' Auden said. These winds are typically dry, bringing clear sunny skies. But that's not what makes them memorable. 'The westerly direction means the wind flows over mountain ranges, which creates waves in the air and gives us that distinct gustiness,' he explained. 'It can be calm for long periods, then a strong gust comes out of nowhere.' The name dates back to the show's early days when these winds often blew through Brisbane during Ekka week in August. But Auden said the timing of these winds isn't as predictable anymore. 'These days, due to yearly variations and possibly a warming climate, they tend to peak earlier. 'In fact, we're just as likely to get a 30-degree day and a thunderstorm during the Ekka as we are to get any extended period of gusty westerlies.' While the Ekka winds aren't usually dangerous, they can still pack a punch. 'Most of the time, these westerlies peak around 60 to 70km/h. 'Warnings aren't required, but we do see a lot of debris come down from trees.' The strongest winds are often felt along the valley from Ipswich through to Brisbane, while the mountain ranges can shield the Gold and Sunshine Coast s from the worst of it, Auden added. In rare cases, unusual wind patterns can even form on the southern Gold Coast, creating a light easterly breeze. These winds also cause headaches for pilots as they've turned deadly before. 'They can cause turbulence for aircraf t, giving a bumpy ride at best and becoming dangerous in extreme cases,' Auden explained. 'Famous Australian singer Shirley Strachan from the band Skyhooks sadly died in a helicopter crash likely caused by severe turbulence in these westerly winds,' Auden said. So, while they might feel like a Brisbane tradition, the Ekka winds are more complex – and far less predictable – than most locals realise. And it's not just the gusts stirring things up. Health experts warn the mix of chilly winds and packed showgrounds creates the perfect conditions for spreading respiratory illnesses. Every year after the Ekka, Queensland hospitals report a spike in flu, RSV and COVID-19 cases. here.
