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17 April 2026

☀️ $7m payday penalty

Lending scheme fined, murder trial hears smoothie claim, and your weekend sorted ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

Morning Post

Brisbane

Saturday, 18 April 2026  •  Issue #656

☀️30°/20°
Sunny skies with a UV index of 7.2
☀️ UV 7.2  •  🌅 Sunset 5:28 PM
 

Good morning! A payday lending operation has been hit with multi-million dollar fines, while a Brisbane court hears disturbing allegations in a fatal smoothie case. Plus Steel Magnolias opens soon at QPAC.

— Nathan, Editor

At a Glance

📰 Payday lender hit with multi-million dollar penalty

📍 Mumford & Sons + 5 more events

🍳 Recipe of the Week: Slow Cooker Beef and Red Wine Casserole

🕰️ On this day in 1946: The League of Nations formally dissolved itself and transferred its...

Today's Brisbane

Payday lender hit with multi-million dollar penalty

Two companies and their directors face $7 million in fines after a court found they violated credit laws while collecting more than $91 million in fees from borrowers.

via ABC Brisbane

Court hears daughter's account of fatal drink allegation

A woman allegedly asked her daughter to stand guard while she crushed medication into a smoothie given to her son, a Brisbane jury was told this week.

via Brisbane Times

Around Australia

Bulldogs suffer heavy defeat and injury blow

Sydney dominated GWS while the Bulldogs lost by 75 points and star forward Sam Darcy to a knee injury in Friday night football.

via ABC News

Kenyan workers earn living as professional mourners

After struggling to find work, some Kenyans now cry at strangers' funerals, helping families provide culturally appropriate send-offs for deceased loved ones.

via SBS News

Around the World

Oil prices drop on Iran shipping announcement — Brent crude fell 10 per cent after Iran declared the Strait open to commercial vessels during ceasefire.

via BBC World

Outsourcing firm dismisses thousand after losing Meta work — A Kenyan company sacked over 1,000 staff after Meta paused its contract following privacy allegations.

via The Guardian World

What's On

Music

Mumford & Sons

Brisbane Entertainment Centre, 28 April

Grammy winners return with their first Australian arena show since 2019.

Arts

Steel Magnolias

QPAC Playhouse, 30 April–10 May

Lisa McCune and Debra Lawrance star in this beloved story of Southern friendship.

Music

Deftones

Riverstage, 6 May

Alternative metal legends bring their heavy atmospheric sound back to Brisbane.

Sport

NRL Magic Round

Suncorp Stadium, 14–17 May

Eight matches, all 16 teams in one city—rugby league's biggest weekend spectacle.

Festival

Paniyiri Greek Festival — 50th Anniversary

Musgrave Park, 23–24 May

Golden anniversary of yiros, loukoumades, and Hellenic dancing with 50,000 expected attendees.

Free

Precious — Museum of Brisbane

City Hall, until 30 June

Explore 3,000 treasures from dolls to rugby memorabilia in remarkable private collections.

Got an event to share? Let us know →

Recipe of the Week

Every Saturday we share a recipe worth trying.

Slow Cooker Beef and Red Wine Casserole

Serves 6 · 8 hours

Let your slow cooker do the work with this rich, warming casserole that fills the house with the most wonderful aroma. Perfect for those cooler evenings when you want something hearty waiting at dinnertime.

1.2kg beef chuck steak, cut into 3cm cubes, 2 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 large brown onion, roughly chopped, 3 cloves garlic, minced, 2 cups beef stock, 1 cup red wine (a good Shiraz works well), 2 tbsp tomato paste, 3 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks, 3 celery sticks, sliced, 2 bay leaves, 2 sprigs fresh thyme, 200g button mushrooms, halved

Method

1. Toss beef in seasoned flour. Heat oil in a large frying pan over high heat and brown beef in batches, transferring to slow cooker as you go.

2. In the same pan, cook onion and garlic for 3 minutes. Add wine and tomato paste, stirring to lift any browned bits from the pan. Pour into slow cooker.

3. Add stock, carrots, celery, bay leaves, and thyme to slow cooker. Stir to combine, ensuring beef is mostly covered by liquid.

4. Cook on low for 7 hours. Add mushrooms and cook for a final hour until beef is melt-in-your-mouth tender.

5. Remove bay leaves and thyme stems. Season to taste and serve with creamy mashed potato or crusty bread to soak up the delicious gravy.

📊 Today's Poll

Slow cooker or oven for a winter casserole?

Slow cookerOven

Daily Brainteaser

🧩

Rearrange the letters N-E-W-D-O-O-R to make one word.

Answer revealed at the bottom of today's edition.

Daily Games

🧠 Today's Featured Game

Trivia

Australia · 7 questions · ~2 min

What is the name of the large sandstone rock formation in the Northern Territory that is sacred to the local Anangu people?

A) Kata Tjuta
B) Uluru
C) Devils Marbles
D) Wave Rock
Play the Quiz →

Yesterday: 🧠 65 played  ·  💡 44 played  ·  ✏️ 68 played

💡 Word Ladder · 2 steps→
MEET → ??? → PEAT
✏️ Crossword · 5×5 Mini→
1 Across: Aesop's tale with a moral

On This Day

Anniversary of

• The League of Nations formally dissolved itself and transferred its functions to the newly created United Nations. (1946)

• Australia won the first official cricket World Series Cup final held as a day-night match at the SCG. (1988)

• The Doolittle Raid saw American bombers launch the first air raid on the Japanese home islands during World War II. (1942)

• Southern Rhodesia officially became the independent nation of Zimbabwe. (1980)

🎂 Born on this day: Australian actress Melissa George (1976), American actor Eric Roberts (1956), and American television host Conan O'Brien (1963).

Brainteaser Answer
One word.

One Last Smile

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