Winning

Jane Allan’s winning Darling portrait prize painting has raised eyebrows after her Doyles art award piece was compared to artist Nicholas HardingAn Australian painter was “clearly influenced” by New York artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in a major prize-winning work, according to the National Portrait Gallery, after she was accused of winning a separate $20,000 prize with “an imitation” of a Nicholas Harding piece.The National Portrait Gallery has declined to comment further on the marked similarities between a 1982 work by Basquiat, Untitled (Two Heads on Gold), and a work by Lennox Head artist Jane Allan, titled Weight of the Mind’s Periapt. Continue reading...

• Actor Tom Hanks revealed on the podcast *The Rest is Entertainment* that there is a specific scene from the film *Cast Away* he cannot bear to watch. • The 69-year-old actor explained that he must leave the room during the emotional moment when his character, Chuck, returns Kelly's watch to her. • This admission highlights the intense emotional resonance of the Oscar-nominated film directed by Robert Zemeckis.

• U.S. stocks turned lower and remained mixed on Wednesday as investors awaited the first Federal Reserve rate decision under its new chair. • Market data from the CME Group's FedWatch tool indicates a 99% probability that the central bank will keep the fed funds rate flat. • This period of stability is critical as markets gauge the new leadership's approach to monetary policy and economic growth.

• Co-hosts Canada and the USA have officially begun their campaigns for the 2026 World Cup, which will feature an expanded 48-team format. • Former Australia international coach, hired in September 2024, has successfully led the Socceroos to qualification for the tournament. • Australia is set to compete in Group D, where they will face off against Turkey, the United States, and Paraguay.

A renowned academic, Wood was hit by a car as he was crossing a supermarket’s parking lot and later died of the injuriesGordon S Wood, a Pulitzer prize-winning author and historian, was killed on Sunday when he was struck by a car in a supermarket parking lot in Rhode Island.Wood, 92, won the Pulitzer in 1993 in the history category for The Radicalisation of the American Revolution, a landmark tome that advanced the theory of the break with Britain being at least as much of an internal social and political transformation as a desire to be rid of colonial masters. Continue reading...

• Pope Leo is continuing his visit to Spain on June 8, with scheduled meetings with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and members of the Spanish Parliament. • The pontiff's itinerary includes prayers at Madrid's Almudena Cathedral and a gathering with the Catholic community at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. • In sports, world number two Alexander Zverev secured his first major title by defeating Italy's Flavio Cobolli in a five-set match on Sunday.

Trump, still negotiating to conclude the war, claims it’s already over. Some Republican lawmakers have had enoughDonald Trump has two things to say about his war with Iran. The first is that it’s already over. And second, a symbolic congressional vote to end it – carried by four members of his own party – is a stab in the back that could derail the peace talks he’s conducting for the war that’s already over.By a 215-208 margin on Wednesday, the US House of Representatives voted to direct the president to withdraw US forces from hostilities with Iran, the first time either chamber has passed such a measure in the little over three months since Operation Epic Fury began on 28 February. By Thursday morning, Trump was on Truth Social calling the vote “unpatriotic” and blaming it on “Trump Derangement Syndrome”. Continue reading...

• On June 3, 2026, the three major U.S. stock indexes declined, ending a five-session streak of closing records. • The S&P 500 specifically snapped a nine-session winning streak as investors pulled back from recent highs. • In contrast to the equity markets, Treasury yields and oil prices both experienced gains during Wednesday's trading.

Jack Clark describes ‘vertiginous sense of progress’ and ‘profound changes’ to society alongside risks of technologyAn AI system will work with humans to make a Nobel prize-winning discovery within 12 months and tradespeople will be helped by bipedal robots in two years, according to the co-founder of Anthropic.Jack Clark described a “vertiginous sense of progress” in the technology and made a series of predictions, including that companies run solely by AIs would be generating millions of dollars in revenue within 18 months, and that by the end of 2028, AI systems would be able to design their own successors. Continue reading...

• Adelaide United beat Adelaide Olympic 1-0 at VALO Football Centre to move into the last eight of the national cup. • Football Australia said the win was the club’s fourth straight quarter-final appearance, extending its record in the competition. • The milestone matters because cup runs can shape club momentum, revenue and qualification pathways in Australian football.

• BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari defeated West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the Bhabanipur constituency by 15,105 votes, marking a historic breach of her political stronghold. • The victory represents a symbolic turning point in West Bengal politics, ending Mamata's long winning streak in her home constituency during a period of major state-level political realignment. • The defeat follows the BJP's broader success in West Bengal assembly elections, where the party crossed the majority mark after 15 years of TMC dominance in the state.

After an acclaimed, Olivier-winning run on the West End, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical revival will transfer to New YorkAfter months of speculation, the award-winning Evita revival will officially transfer to Broadway in spring 2027.The West End run starred Rachel Zegler in the lead role, winning the actor an Olivier award, and she will follow the revival to New York. The triumphant new take on Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical tale of activist and actor Eva Perón is directed by Jamie Lloyd, who previously won a Tony for reviving Sunset Boulevard. Continue reading...

Former chief of staff who helped bring Mandelson out of Labour shadows for Washington post to be questioned by MPs on vetting processLike many Labour stories, Peter Mandelson’s and Morgan McSweeney’s both start at Lambeth council.Mandelson was in his mid-20s. It was 1979, and he was a new councillor under the leadership of “Red” Ted Knight. He came to despise the local party, describing the Lambeth Labour party’s leadership as “contributing very little to the economic development of south London, instead politicising everything, attacking the police and the Tory government, and making the council go broke.” Continue reading...

Fast food giant cannot not be denied on basis it doesn’t suit ‘vibe’ of location, tribunal findsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMcDonald’s is poised to open a 24/7 takeaway outlet on a Melbourne street once dubbed the “world’s coolest” after the fast food giant won its legal challenge against the local council’s attempt to block the new restaurant.Victoria’s civil and administrative tribunal (Vcat) has upheld McDonald’s application for a review of Darebin city council’s decision to reject its application to turn 323 High Street in Northcote into one of its stores. Continue reading...

Renowned artist, who won 12 Grammys, died at home after being diagnosed with an aggressive type of brain cancerSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxMichael Tilson Thomas, a leading American conductor for a half-century who headed orchestras in Buffalo, Miami, London and San Francisco while also composing, died on Wednesday. He was 81.Tilson Thomas had surgery for a brain tumor in 2021 and resumed his career, then said in February 2025 that the tumor had returned. He conducted his final concert with the San Francisco Symphony in April 2025 and died at his home in San Francisco, spokesperson Connie Shuman said. Continue reading...

• The Nasdaq achieved its 12th consecutive daily gain on Thursday, marking the longest winning streak since July 2009, as easing Middle East tensions and strong corporate earnings sustained broad market momentum. • The S&P 500 closed at a new record of 7,041.28, while the VIX declined to 17.94, reflecting reduced market volatility amid improved geopolitical sentiment. • TSMC's blowout Q1 results—with net profit rising 58.3% year-over-year to a record level and revenue of $35.9 billion—added significant momentum, confirming sustained AI-driven chip demand across the technology sector.

Activists accuse Iran’s regime of crackdown on civil society as whereabouts of Nasrin Sotoudeh are unknownIs Iran using the war to hide a surge in executions?The prize-winning Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has been arrested in Tehran, according to her family, as activists accused the regime of cracking down on civil society under cover of the war with Israel and the US.Sotoudeh’s daughter Mehraveh Khandan said her mother was taken from her home in Tehran late on Wednesday and that her whereabouts were unknown. Khandan suspected the arrest may be related to recent interviews about the war, in which Sotoudeh criticised the government. Continue reading...

• Focus Features released 'The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist,' a new documentary from Academy Award-winning filmmakers Daniel Roher and Charlie Tyrell, examining humanity's most urgent challenge: artificial intelligence. • Co-directed by the filmmakers behind 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' and 'Navalny,' the documentary follows Roher's perspective as a father-to-be seeking to understand the world his child will inherit. • The film explores critical questions about AI's future impact on society, blending personal narrative with broader technological concerns in theatrical release across the United States.

Writer looked to topics such as computer engineering and life in a nursing home to produce richly researched booksTracy Kidder, an award-winning narrative nonfiction writer who turned everything from computer engineering to life in a nursing home into unexpected bestsellers, has died. He was 80.Kidder’s longtime publisher Random House confirmed his death in a statement on Wednesday: “Tracy’s gifts for storytelling and tireless reporting are an enduring reflection of the empathy, integrity, and endless curiosity he brought to everything he did.” Continue reading...