As it happened: Brisbane on Friday, February 28

They blew away Australian audiences two years ago, and now Dublin’s post-punk stars Fontaines D.C. return on the back of a triumphant Glastonbury show and smash new album Romance. They play the Riverstage on Saturday.

The OHM Festival (or Festival of Other Music) has taken over the Brisbane Powerhouse, with highlights such as American folk trio Bonny Light Horseman tonight, Camerata (Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra) tomorrow, and Sound Space Silent Disco on Sunday.

Queensland Theatre’s 2025 production of Pride and Prejudice.Credit: Morgan Roberts

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that everyone loves Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Queensland Theatre’s lavish and delightful stage adaptation is now playing at the Playhouse, QPAC.

Brazilian true-life political drama I’m Still Here is nominated for three Oscars including Best Picture and Best Actress (Fernanda Torres). Concerning the murder of an activist by Brazil’s military dictatorship in 1971, it has just opened in cinemas.

Redcliffe Art Gallery is showing the work of great Queensland artist Joe Furlonger, in a show drawn from the QAGOMA collection of his work. The free show continues until May 10, open Tuesday to Saturday.

Thanks for joining us for live coverage of today’s news. We’ll be back on Monday morning.

If you’re just catching up, here are some of the stories that made headlines today:

Brisbane bus drivers have cancelled their strike planned for this afternoon, as council employees reached an in-principle pay agreement with the council.

A $2.4 million settlement for passengers on board a cruise ship that sailed from Brisbane into the path of a category 5 cyclone has been approved by the Federal Court.

Star has confirmed that its board is in a desperate attempt to secure funding for the casino operator that could potentially stave off financial collapse.

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer left Washington having earned Donald Trump’s respect, but without the main commitment he sought: that the United States would help maintain post-war peace in Ukraine.

Two-time Academy Award-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, have been found dead inside their New Mexico home alongside their dog.

And our food and culture editor Matt Shea visits a Tarragindi cafe that does away with the rye to make one of Brisbane’s best variations on the much-loved Reuben sandwich.

They blew away Australian audiences two years ago, and now Dublin’s post-punk stars Fontaines D.C. return on the back of a triumphant Glastonbury show and smash new album Romance. They play the Riverstage on Saturday.

The OHM Festival (or Festival of Other Music) has taken over the Brisbane Powerhouse, with highlights such as American folk trio Bonny Light Horseman tonight, Camerata (Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra) tomorrow, and Sound Space Silent Disco on Sunday.

Queensland Theatre’s 2025 production of Pride and Prejudice.Credit: Morgan Roberts

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that everyone loves Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Queensland Theatre’s lavish and delightful stage adaptation is now playing at the Playhouse, QPAC.

Brazilian true-life political drama I’m Still Here is nominated for three Oscars including Best Picture and Best Actress (Fernanda Torres). Concerning the murder of an activist by Brazil’s military dictatorship in 1971, it has just opened in cinemas.

Redcliffe Art Gallery is showing the work of great Queensland artist Joe Furlonger, in a show drawn from the QAGOMA collection of his work. The free show continues until May 10, open Tuesday to Saturday.

After US President Donald Trump appeared not to be familiar with the AUKUS pact during a meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the White House, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has joined politicians across the board in dismissing the slip-up.

Speaking at a Sydney press conference to announce $25 million towards the solar for residents initiative, Albanese said Trump’s AUKUS slip was not a concern.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with Energy Minister Chris Bowen and NSW Energy Minister Penny Sharpe in Sydney this morning.Credit: Wolter Peeters

“There’s a lot of acronyms in this business and, you know, we all get thrown … from time to time,” Albanese said.

“Donald Trump went on ... [to say] he wanted to speak about the really important and positive relationship with Australia. That is consistent with the discussions that I’ve had with president Trump that included, of course, talking about AUKUS which we spoke about during our discussions.”

Read the full story of the gaffe here.

Star has confirmed that its board is in a desperate attempt to secure funding for the casino operator that could potentially stave off financial collapse.

After going into a trading halt minutes before trading opened, Star confirmed that its board is continuing to explore “possibly liquidity solutions” and expects to receive one or more proposals during the day.

Despite receiving several loans, Star is in a race against time as it burns through cash.Credit: Louie Douvis

“It is likely that the (December half year financial) report will only be able to be finalised if the company has received liquidity proposal which, after appropriate consideration by the directors, are sufficiently capable of being progressed to finalisation in the context of determining whether the company can continue as a going concern,” Star said this morning.

Read the full story.

New Brisbane five-eighth Bent Hunt has revealed how his stunning one and only game for Ipswich at No.6 in 2017 will be a template for how he approaches the role this season.

Hunt, a regular No.7 for most of his NRL career who has played as a starting five-eighth on just 10 occasions in 334 first-grade games, was dropped by former Broncos coach Wayne Bennett as starting half in 2017.

He went back to the Jets in Queensland Cup under innovative coaches Ben and Shane Walker, played No.6 with no shackles and set up four tries in a 44-24 win over Norths Devils.

Ben Hunt (left) with Broncos halves partner Adam Reynolds.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos

It was a career turning point.

“It was a strange year, 2017,” the 34-year-old Hunt said. “Wayne dropped me and that was a kick in the guts.

“When I first found out I was going back to Ipswich I thought, this is going to be ordinary, but it was a breath of fresh air for me under the Walker boys.

“I played five-eighth and they gave me a licence to do whatever I wanted. I went out and had fun and had a great game. I came back into the Broncos team, played Origin three weeks later and went to the World Cup at the end of the year.

“It can be [the same at the Broncos in 2025]. I will be playing with more of a free rein rather than organising everything. I still want to contribute to organising, and think I can still help us out in that regard, but I will have more of a long leash to go out and just play footy.”

The partisan debate over the government’s response to Chinese navy live-fire exercises off Australia’s coast has been inflamed by reports the ADF initially refused to share the location of the Chinese flotilla with commercial airlines on Saturday before Defence Minister Richard Marles intervened.

On Seven’s Sunrise, Education Minister Jason Clare was keen to put the issue to bed.

“With the Chinese, what they did was unsafe. We’ve called that out before on air, we’re monitoring them,” he said. “We’re legally allowed to be up there. We’re up there more than they’re down here,” Clare said, referring to Australia’s operations in international waters near China.

Asked if it was “a bit weird” that the Chinese were tracking around the country, Clare said they had done that before and Australia was “keeping a close eye on them”.

Also on the panel was Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, who said we needed “strong condemnation” from the prime minister.

“You have the prime minister just kind of muddling through his explanations and answers. No condemnation. No clear leadership,” she said.

Clare said that was “rubbish”. “We have condemned it. We’ve said that and called it out to the Chinese leadership directly,” he said.

“Three years ago the Chinese moved into the Solomon Islands and the former Liberal government under Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton didn’t do a thing. Peter Dutton is good at screaming and yelling but not very good at doing anything real.”

Brisbane bus drivers will not go ahead with their planned strike this afternoon, having reached an in-principle pay agreement with the city council.

The Rail Tram and Bus Union’s Tom Brown says his members still wanted to drill down into the detail of the offer presented by the council, but the end of the campaign was in sight.

He said for his members, the backpay to October last year would mean an extra $1000 to $1500 in their pockets.

The 7.35 per cent pay deal, he said, would be a pay rise of about $5000 for many drivers.

The council pay deal came after bus drivers went on strike for two hours last week, and library and call centre staff walked off the job yesterday.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred is becoming less likely to make landfall on the Queensland coast after it briefly intensified to a category four overnight, then was downgraded back to a category three.

This morning, it is sitting about 750km north-east of Mackay and producing wind gusts of 220km/h in the centre of the system. It’s moving south over the Coral Sea at 9 km/h – or jogging pace, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

The latest maps from the weather bureau show Cyclone Afred off the Queensland coast.Credit: Bureau of Meteorology

Forecasters expect it to be downgraded to a category two on Saturday, moving south-west towards the Queensland coast before turning south-east on Sunday and tracking parallel to the state’s Capricornia coast, well away from land.

“There is still a range of possibilities with regards to its exact movement and just how close it will come to the coast, and this will depend on a number of factors, including how the cycle interacts with other systems in our region,” meteorologist Jonathan How said.

The storm is creating hazardous coastal conditions from Townsville south to K’gari. A hazardous surf warning is current between Yeppoon and Hervey Bay, and will extend to the Sunshine and Gold Coasts on the weekend.

Slipstream Brewing Company has been awarded Grand Champion Beer for their Classic Saison product in a ceremony at the RNA Showgrounds.

The top awards came after several category wins for the Yeerongpilly brewer at the Royal Queensland Awards Beer Competition on Thursday.

Slipstream Brewing in Yeerongpilly.Credit: Courtesy of Slipstream Brewing

“Saison requires a delicate approach from the brewer to balance the spicy phenolics with the fruity esters and a nice dry finish, so to win grand champion with this style is phenomenal and shows just how skilled the Slipstream team is,” judge Steve Henderson said.

“It’s such a wonderful style of beer that’s really underrepresented in the Australian beer market.”

Aether Brewing in Northgate won the best ginger beer category for its Ginger Beerd product, while Ben Malt from Felon’s at Howard Smith Wharves was named best emerging brewer.

“The beers have been phenomenal and the variety of styles being entered in the competition continues to grow,” Henderson said.

An e-scooter rider has been rushed to the Royal Brisbane and Woman’s Hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries after a collision with a vehicle in Deception Bay early this morning.

The Queensland Ambulance Service reported that the incident happened about 5.46am at the intersection of Maine Terrace and Silver Street.