Brisbane news live: Huge cocaine bust in Brisbane could be linked to wider syndicate
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7.10am
Huge cocaine bust in Brisbane could be linked to wider drug syndicate
A quarter-of-a-tonne cocaine shipment into Brisbane could be linked to a larger international drug-running effort, as police flag similarities with a recent bust in Sydney.
Black containers bound for Port Botany in the NSW capital in August were emblazoned with cut-out pictures of lions, panthers and car logos.
The same imagery was found on the 253-kilogram shipment to Brisbane in June.
Combined, the plastic-wrapped drugs could have been worth about $26 million.
Photos of the latest bust have been released, with the Australian Federal Police and Border Force requesting anyone with knowledge of the group responsible come forward.
'If you have information about either seizure and the group behind them, please contact police,' Detective Acting Superintendent Stuart Millen said in a statement.
'The smallest clue could be all it takes to help police identify those involved in this failed plot.'
7.03am
Thursday thunder? Bureau says it's a chance
As thousands of Brisbanites return to work after the Ekka holiday, the bureau has forecast a medium probability of showers and even the chance of a storm with hail this afternoon.
Today is predicted to be the coolest day this week, reaching a maximum of a mere 21 degrees, before the showers clear tomorrow and the weekend is dry and mostly sunny.
Here's the outlook:
7.02am
While you were sleeping
Here's what's making news further afield this morning:
Every year, Petty Georgopoulos would take to social media to honour the birthday of her psixoula, the Greek word for sweetheart and an endearing term she sometimes used to address her daughter. On Wednesday morning, Petty took to social media once again. But this time, it was to express heartbreak and disbelief that someone could have slain her pregnant daughter in Mount Waverley.
Australia must speak more clearly about the threats posed by China, including how it would respond to a regional conflict, or risk the AUKUS submarine agreement, Indo-Pacific experts in the United States are warning.
British television presenter Jeremy Clarkson has joined the Cotswolds backlash against a visit by the US vice president. JD Vance has embarked on a summer holiday in Britain, peppered with formal discussions. In a post on Instagram, Clarkson shared an image showing a no-fly zone, which includes his own Curdle Hill Farm, also known as Diddly Squat Farm.
European leaders have aired a potential deal to halt the war in Ukraine under plans to be put to Russian leader Vladimir Putin in talks with US President Donald Trump on Friday.
6.36am
The top stories this morning
Good morning, welcome to Brisbane Times' news blog for Thursday, August 14. Today we can expect a shower or two and a top temperature of 21 degrees.
In this morning's local headlines:
See how Brisbane insurance premiums have soared in your suburb, how they compare with other suburbs, and where insurers are pricing up the risks of floods and storms.
More families than ever are choosing private schools based on campus appearances and top-end facilities, with new data also showing children are having a greater say in school selections.
In the curious case of the disappearing Queensland Health appointee, minister Tim Nicholls and his department are refusing to say why job ads for a chief health officer have reappeared when the role had already been filled.
A man found dead in a quiet suburban park yesterday has been identified as 29-year-old Logan man Trevor Doyle, whom police believe was murdered during a meeting gone wrong.
And Queensland's Victims' Commissioner has been ordered to attend a ministerial meeting to explain her role in the embattled domestic violence helpline DVConnect following a damning review into the service that she previously helmed.
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