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Brisbane Times

March 2026

Celine Dion reveals live show comeback following stiff-person syndrome diagnosis

Dion, who turned 58 on Monday, plans to perform 10 concerts at the Paris La Défense Arena

Even in my most difficult times, you were there for me. You’ve helped me in ways that I can’t even describe, and I’m truly so fortunate to have your support,
Kunal Desaidr
Just imagine having the worst charley horse [cramp] you can have but it’s affecting a ton of muscles in your lower back and legs — and it’s constant,

Former Home and Away star Alea noticed her smile was uneven. It turned out to be brain cancer

O’Shea suspected her ailments stemmed from a pinched nerve and visited her physiotherapist

Alea O'Sheaaustralian actress
He immediately realised it was beyond his scope and sent me to get a brain scan,
Alea is a remarkable young woman whose strength, kindness, and determination continue to inspire everyone around her,
So I am still going to be as hilarious and have the gift of the yap,

Albanese rules out plan for more politicians after Taylor comes out swinging

At a party room meeting last week, Taylor and his MPs discussed the potential political benefit in running a public campaign against a proposal to expand the size of parliament, a month after this masthead revealed Special Minister of State Don Farrell was speaking to the Nationals about adding dozens of new seats in time for the next election

Angus Tayloropposition Leader
Australians are in a cost-of-living crisis. They’re in a fuel crisis. We have an economy that is not working for hardworking Australians. And the priority of this government, clearly, is to increase the size of the parliament,

Australia politics as it happened: Israeli ambassador defends death penalty laws; Albanese rules out bigger parliament

There is a campaign against Israel about the amount of journalists that have been killed and whether they’ve been intentionally killed. So let’s state the fact: Israel has never targeted a journalist just for being a journalist,

Beatrice and Eugenie to miss Easter church service after Mountbatten-Windsor scandal

The emails also showed Mountbatten-Windsor sent photos of his daughters to Epstein in 2010 and 2011

‘Pocketing billions’: How the Iran war has thrown Putin an oily lifeline

After 30 days of conflict in the Middle East, and with oil prices above $US100 a barrel, it is thought Russia has already collected billions in additional revenue — a boon just as Putin was facing serious budget pressure from a lagging economy and his war against Ukraine

Alexander Gabuevcarnegie Russia Eurasia Centre director
Every $US10 increase in the oil price gives Russia Inc about $US100 million ($146 million) a day,
Donald Trumpu.S. President
They [Cubans] have to survive,
This was a decision that’ll continue to be made on a case-by-case basis for humanitarian reasons or otherwise,

‘No retreat’: Chalmers vows ambitious budget despite global oil crisis

Savings from a 26 cent a litre cut to fuel excise tax could be wiped out within weeks with the global oil price expected to continue its climb, increasing motorists’ bills for diesel and petrol into the foreseeable future and regardless of when the Iran war ends

Shane OliveraMP chief economist
The longer this drags on, the more oil prices globally will start to reflect the full impact of the supply hit, which means you could end up towards $US150 dollars a barrel,
It’s really important to remember that the excise cut is levied to or applied to wholesale fuel sales, so the full 26 cents won’t show up at 12.01 tonight,

‘Indescribable, inescapable pain’: Bindi Irwin details three-year endometriosis battle

Terri Irwinamerican-Australian zoologist, conservationist and television host
I am so proud of you for sharing your journey, Bindi. I have learned that it is important for women to seek out a surgeon who performs excision surgery instead of ablation. Everyone deserves to live without pain,
Bindi Irwintv personality
I’ve felt indescribable, inescapable pain,
Bindi Irwintv personality
In the last three years, I’ve had over 50 endometriosis lesions cut out of my body,

Kanye’s new album is stirring controversy... for being completely uncontroversial

The rap star, who is now known as Ye, spent years mocking and rejecting criticism that he should return to the soulful, socially conscious sound that marked the pink polos-and-a-backpack era of his breakthrough albums, The College Dropout (2004) and Late Registration (2005)

Kanye Westrapper
I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people,
Kanye Westrapper
I miss the old Kanye, straight from the ’Go Kanye. Chop up the soul Kanye, set on his goals Kanye,

Demand for electric vehicles surges as discounted loans hit market

Vanturo managing director
We’re seeing a massive surge in bookings for fuel-efficient cars on the marketplace,
The fuel that is underground at your local servo at the moment has had the higher level of excise tax applied to it,
I currently drive a Prado, and it’s costing me around $400 to fill the car up, so I was thinking it might be a perfect time to test out an EV, and just see what it was like,

US-Iran war live updates: Trump says US will leave Iran ‘very soon’, tells countries ‘go get your own oil’; Iran threatens to target US big tech; Australian fuel excise cut comes into effect

A million dollars more: Inner Brisbane house blitzes 2023 price in auction marathon

A Brisbane character home has sold for more than $1 million above its 2023 price, fetching $2.85 million after a marathon 90-minute auction that defied growing fears of a market slowdown

It’s a pretty tightly held pocket here and homes probably only come up every couple of years if you’re lucky,
The vendors were extremely happy and it’s great when there’s that activity at an auction and you get this level of competition,
The money markets are factoring in another three rate hikes and then we have the ongoing war and the longer it drags on, the more it weighs on buyer confidence as people worry about rising fuel bills as opposed to upgrading a home,
I think a lot of people were hoping it would go for less but it had four usable rooms and the previous owners had three kids living there, but the rooms were under the legal height,

Clever architect-designed reno banks Richmond sellers $4.2m payday

Elliot Gillagent
Only the two families put their hands up to bid, and it was fought out between them,
John Galeaagent
It’s hard to find properties that offer both enough living and bedrooms for a family of five and backyard space, too,
John Galeaagent
They were watching on a friend’s phone via a video call and making bids via my colleague,
John Galeaagent
Then one bidder dropped out and another came in,
Elliot Gillagent
They are both local families, so the seller was really happy that they got it,
There haven’t been many renovated homes that come to market in Richmond Hill for a while,

Fuel price cut for Easter as fears grow nation will be in recession by Christmas

Anthony Albaneseprime Minister
We’re making fuel cheaper today because we understand that Australians are under serious pressure,
Jim Chalmerstreasurer
This is timely. This is targeted. This is responsible cost-of-living relief to help people get through a difficult period. And we don’t choose these circumstances that are being inflicted on us by events on the other side of the world,
But we do choose how we respond, in a cooperative way with the states and territories and also doing what we can to deal with or take some of the sting out of these cost-of-living pressures,

Trump threatens to ‘blow up’ Kharg Island as Albanese seeks ‘certainty’ on war claims

Anthony Albaneseprime Minister
I want to ​see more certainty in what ​the objectives of the war are ⁠and I want to see ​a de-escalation,
To be honest with you, my favourite thing is to take the oil in Iran, but some stupid people back in the US say: ‘Why are you doing that?’ But they’re stupid people,