Archibald prize 2025: Julie Fragar wins for portrait of artist Justene Williams

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Decision announced at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, where all finalists will be exhibited to the public from Saturday

Julie Fragar has won the 2025 Archibald prize for her portrait of her fellow artist Justene Williams.

Announced as the winner of the $100,000 prize at the Art Gallery of New South Wales on Friday, the winning work was selected unanimously by the judges from 904 entries and 57 finalists.Fragar is just the 13th woman to win the prize in its 104-year history.

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Helmeted honeyeaters return to Cardinia in Victoria for first time since 1983’s Ash Wednesday bushfires

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Healesville sanctuary releases 21 critically endangered birds in hopes a new wild population will thrive

For the first time in 42 years, critically endangered helmeted honeyeaters have returned to Cardinia in south-east Victoria, where they were found until the Ash Wednesday bushfires in 1983.

Helmeted honeyeaters are charismatic, energetic and curious, according to Dr Kim Miller, the manager of threatened species at Healesville sanctuary.

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Sarah Witty v Adam Bandt: how an unlikely Labor champion took down a Greens giant

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Melbourne was barely on the ALP’s radar as a seat it could win – but a sparsely funded campaign proved powerful

Labor could hardly be considered a metaphorical David in most federal election contests. But in the progressive seat of Melbourne, where the now-beaten Greens leader Adam Bandt had reigned for 15 years, there are similarities to the oft-told biblical story.

On 28 March, when Anthony Albanese called an election date for May, Melbourne appeared on no one’s list as a battle to watch.

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German government denies rumoured plans to declare state of emergency – Euronews

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  1. German government denies rumoured plans to declare state of emergency  Euronews
  2. Germany to reject undocumented migrants at border, interior minister says  Reuters
  3. Germany updates: Merz govt to reject more asylum-seekers  DW
  4. Germany to declare national emergency on immigration  The Telegraph
  5. Berlin denies plans to suspend EU border laws after media reports  Euractiv
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Australian Catholics welcome ‘approachable’ new pope in hope he will pursue peace

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Leo XIV is a fan of Tim Tams but not Vegemite, one church leader says, and is ‘humble’ and ‘gentle’

Australian Catholics and politicians have embraced the appointment of the new pope, Leo XIV, with many hoping he will continue his predecessor’s emphasis on peace and social justice.

Archbishop Timothy Costelloe, the president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, offered Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost – now known as Pope Leo XIV – heartfelt congratulations on behalf of the Roman Catholic church in Australia.

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Global militaries to study India-Pakistan fighter jet battle – Reuters

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  1. Global militaries to study India-Pakistan fighter jet battle  Reuters
  2. Live updates: Explosions heard in Indian-controlled Kashmir as tensions with Pakistan escalate  CNN
  3. Exclusive: Pakistan's Chinese-made jet brought down two Indian fighter aircraft, US officials say  Reuters
  4. Pakistan Hails Role of Chinese Jets in Repelling India Strikes  Bloomberg.com
  5. India claims to have thwarted Pakistan missile and drone strikes  The Guardian
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Hospitals in England reducing staff and services as part of NHS ‘financial reset’

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Trusts having to ‘think the previously unthinkable’ to make savings demanded by new NHS England boss

Hospitals in England are cutting staff, closing services and planning to ration care in order to make “eye-watering” savings demanded by NHS bosses.

Rehabilitation centres face being shut, talking therapies services cut and beds for end-of-life care reduced as part of efforts by England’s 215 NHS trusts to comply with a “financial reset”.

47% were cutting services and another 43% were considering doing so.

37% were cutting clinical posts and a further 40% may follow suit.

26% were closing some services and 55% more may do so.

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Vance says US won’t intervene in India-Pakistan conflict: ‘None of our business’

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Vice-president says US will seek to de-escalate but cannot force either nuclear power to ‘lay down their arms’

JD Vance has said that the US will not intervene in the conflict between Pakistan and India, calling fighting between the two nuclear powers “fundamentally none of our business”.

The remarks came during an interview with Fox News, where the US vice-president said that the US would seek to de-escalate the conflict but could force neither side to “lay down their arms”.

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Huckabee says US ‘not required to get permission’ from Israel to cut deal with Houthis – The Times of Israel

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  1. Huckabee says US ‘not required to get permission’ from Israel to cut deal with Houthis  The Times of Israel
  2. Trump operation against Houthis cost more than $1 billion  NBC News
  3. Iran welcomes end of US attacks on Yemen, foreign ministry says  Reuters
  4. Houthis say US 'backed down' and Israel not covered by ceasefire  BBC
  5. Shippers Are Skeptical of Trump’s Truce With the Houthis  WSJ
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‘The pope is Peruvian’: elation in country where pontiff served as bishop

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Leo XIV celebrated as second Latin American pope having spent many years in Peru’s church

The election of Pope Leo XIV has been celebrated across Latin America, where many hailed him as the second pontiff from the region, after his Argentinian predecessor, Francis.

The news prompted particular elation in Peru, where he lived and worked for more than 20 years and was granted citizenship in 2015. In the capital, Lima, the bells of the cathedral rang in celebration.

In his first appearance from the Vatican balcony, Leo XIV briefly switched from Italian to Spanish to address the faithful “from my beloved diocese of Chiclayo, in Peru”, where he served as bishop for more than a decade.

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King calls for renewed ‘commitment to peace’ in VE Day message

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Charles says sacrifice of second world war heroes must not be in vain

King Charles called for a renewal of “global commitments to restoring a just peace where there is war, to diplomacy and to the prevention of conflict”, as the UK marked the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day.

Westminster Abbey was the focal point for national commemorations with a service of thanksgiving weaving poignant reminders of wartime deprivation and loss with the hopes for the future that historic day had promised.

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India and Pakistan trade attacks amid risk of war between nuclear states – NPR

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  1. India and Pakistan trade attacks amid risk of war between nuclear states  NPR
  2. India reports strikes on military bases, Pakistan denies any role  BBC
  3. Indian border cities sound blackout sirens  dw.com
  4. India Says It Intercepted Missiles and Drones Launched by Pakistan  WSJ
  5. Pakistan and India accuse each other of drone attacks as tensions mount  The Washington Post
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