Winner

The Plaza Prizes offered 10 awards in 2025 but some judges say they were not paid, while a number of winners hit back over AI accusationsA competition for new writers that promised a £20,000 prize fund appears to have shut down, leaving winners and judges, including a Booker prize-winning novelist, out of pocket.Established in 2022, the Plaza Prizes last year offered 10 awards that were judged by the “finest poets and writers in the world”. Continue reading...

Presidential elections in Djibouti and Benin at the weekend highlighted how a costly electoral system is reshaping democracyAlexis Mohamed would have loved to stand against his former boss. A longtime adviser to Djibouti’s president, Ismail Omar Guelleh, Mohamed resigned last September, citing democratic regression in the country.But at the election at the weekend, Mohamed was not on the ballot. Now outside the country, he says he cannot return home to file nomination papers or campaign freely without credible security guarantees. Even if he were allowed to compete, nomination costs would still loom as a steep barrier in a political environment many critics describe as ceremonial, with Guelleh the habitual winner. Continue reading...

Beijing’s powerbrokers are being credited with winning Iran over, although one analyst says they were ‘pushing an open door’Middle East crisis – live updatesAs the world struggles to make sense of what, if anything, was achieved by the ceasefire deal announced by the US and Iran on Tuesday, one major power that stands to win regardless is China.Beijing’s powerbrokers are being credited with pushing Iran towards agreeing to the ceasefire, bolstering its status as a regional mediator. In China’s tightly censored domestic media, articles basking in the glory of China being the grown-up in the room at a time of international crisis were allowed to circulate. Continue reading...

As Iran and US agree fragile ceasefire, Israel’s conflict has turned out to be a bust and, say opponents, ‘a political disaster’Middle East crisis – live updatesIn a war where there have been no winners, Israel’s prime minister looks set to be the biggest loser entering a fragile and vague ceasefire with Iran.After years of Benjamin Netanyahu’s threats against Iran, his stunts at the UN’s general assembly, the dodgy dossiers endlessly wafted under the noses of the world’s media, and diplomatic pressure on successive US presidents to agree to a war against Iran, Israel’s conflict has turned out to be a bust. Continue reading...

• Plug and Play hosted Demo Day on April 6, 2026, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, showcasing 10 winning teams from 285 applications in the NJEDA-supported AI Innovation Challenge. • Winners include AgentGov for AI-powered fraud detection in government, NJSecure for cybersecurity in community banks, CardioLink for cardiovascular care intelligence, and GlucoSync for real-time diabetes decision support. • The initiative advances AI solutions in government services, clinical intelligence, climate resilience, and energy forecasting, with up to $3.34 million in sub-grant funding available for pilots and commercialization.

Ticket bought in Bexley expires after 180-day claim period, despite extensive search for holderFor someone in south-east London the thought of winning the lottery and becoming an overnight millionaire would have been a wonderful dream. Now, however, that dream is a nightmare after missing the deadline to claim a jackpot of more than £10m.National lottery players have 180 days to claim their winnings, but are entitled to nothing after the deadline has passed. Despite an “extensive search”, the national lottery said no valid claim had been made for a jackpot worth £10.6m for a Lotto ticket bought in Bexley on 4 October last year. Continue reading...

Burglary arrest was James Farthing’s latest run-in with the law after winning the Powerball jackpot last yearSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA man who recently won a $167m Powerball lottery jackpot stands accused of stealing the relatively paltry sum of $12,000 after breaking into a house in his home state of Kentucky on Saturday, according to authorities who arrested him.James Farthing’s arrest on Saturday on counts of burglary and illicit marijuana possession reportedly was at least his third since winning Kentucky’s most lucrative lottery prize ever. Continue reading...

• The U.S. National Science Foundation on March 24, 2026, named winners of the multi-year Critical Minerals Challenge, including alkaLi Labs, ChemFinity Technologies, Intel-E-Waste, and University of Wisconsin-Madison, to secure domestic supply chains for lithium, cobalt, rare earths, and other metals. • Winners develop innovations like engineered biosorbents recovering lithium from byproducts, tunable polymer sorbents capturing over 25 metals at room temperature, modular e-waste processing platforms, and electrochemical electrodes generating acids in situ. • The program, co-designed with Germany’s SPRIND Tech Metal Challenge, uses donated e-waste from IBM and Aurubis with U.S. Naval Research Laboratory collaboration for national security relevance and real-world validation.

• Backstage at the 98th Academy Awards on March 15, 2026, stars like Teyana Taylor and Chase Infiniti chatted candidly while winners such as Amy Madigan paused to celebrate their victories. • Emotional reactions and spontaneous conversations unfolded out of view from the main stage cameras at the Dolby Theatre. • These unscripted moments provided a glimpse into the excitement and relief of Hollywood's biggest night.

• Backstage at the 98th Academy Awards on March 15, Teyana Taylor and Chase Infiniti were spotted in candid chats while winners like Amy Madigan paused to celebrate and pose for photos. • The area revealed emotional reactions and conversations away from the main stage cameras during Hollywood's biggest night. • These moments provided an intimate glimpse into the excitement, contrasting the on-stage glamour.

• ABC News' Kelley Carter and Variety's Clayton Davis predict Oscar victors ahead of the 98th Academy Awards on March 15, 2026. • Discussion covers tight competitions in major categories like best picture amid high anticipation for Hollywood's biggest night. • Predictions highlight potential surprises in film races, drawing from awards season trends and expert analysis.

Variety chief awards editor Clayton Davis forecasts top 2026 Oscar races, predicting Best Actress frontrunners and whether Sinners could set records in a tight Best Picture field. Discussed on ABC News March 14, Davis analyzes prior awards shows like BAFTAs for predictive patterns favoring Warner Bros films. The preview comes hours before the March 15 ceremony in LA, influencing betting odds. Davis notes, 'Previous wins give strong insight into Oscar outcomes.'

ABC News interviewed Variety's chief awards editor Clayton Davis, who analyzed recent awards to forecast 2026 Oscar outcomes, including Best Actress, Best Picture, and whether 'Sinners' will set records. Davis highlighted frontrunners emerging from guilds and other ceremonies as reliable indicators for Sunday's Academy Awards. The discussion underscores 'Sinners' potential historic run from Warner Bros amid industry turmoil. Predictions come days before the March 15 ceremony in Los Angeles.

Variety chief awards editor Clayton Davis forecasts strong wins for Warner Bros. films 'One Battle After Another' and 'Sinners' at the 98th Academy Awards on March 15 in Los Angeles, potentially breaking records amid industry turmoil from mergers and AI threats. Davis highlighted frontrunners in Best Actress based on prior awards momentum from SAG and BAFTA. The predictions come as Hollywood faces a production slump and layoffs, intensifying pre-Oscars anxiety. Experts note the ceremony's role as a PR boost for a struggling industry.