US Vice-President JD Vance and Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf have begun face-to-face talks at the Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland, just days after the initial 14-point ceasefire deal was signed. Vance said Trump wants to "turn over a new leaf" and that the US is willing to "fundamentally transform" relations if Iran gives up nuclear ambitions and regional destabilisation. Iran insists Sunday's talks are about enforcing existing commitments — not beginning phase two negotiations. The fragile deal is already under strain, with Iran briefly claiming it had closed the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday after continued Israel-Hezbollah clashes, though US Central Command said traffic continued to flow.
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hit back at Donald Trump after the US President questioned her political popularity and accused her of not supporting US efforts on Iran. In an Instagram statement, Meloni called Trump's "constant, unprovoked attacks" senseless, adding: "My popularity is none of your concern. I suggest you focus on yours." The rift stems from Italy barring US use of Italian air bases for military operations against Iran, with Trump claiming she "begged" for a photo at the G7 — which she denies. The public spat highlights a deepening fracture between the two allies since Trump's military action against Iran this year.
Sir Keir Starmer is weighing his political future after Andy Burnham's by-election victory in Makerfield opened the door for a Labour leadership challenge. Cabinet ally Peter Kyle confirmed the PM is "taking time to think through political realities." In a further blow, Donald Trump predicted Starmer "will resign as prime minister," attacking his record on immigration and energy. Downing Street confirmed the two leaders have not spoken since the G7. Burnham has yet to declare a formal challenge, but senior ministers are urging Starmer to set a departure timetable.
Russian-occupied Crimea has halted civilian gasoline sales after Ukrainian drone and missile attacks targeted oil storage facilities. The disruption is the most significant fuel supply issue Crimea has faced since the invasion began, with long queues forming at the few remaining open stations. The strikes are part of Ukraine's ongoing campaign to degrade Russian logistics and fuel supply lines ahead of anticipated counter-offensive operations. The BBC also reports that Ukraine returned Poland's highest honour after President Nawrocki moved to strip Zelensky of the award over the renaming of a Ukrainian army unit after controversial WWII fighters.
France has placed around half the country including Paris under red heatwave alerts, with temperatures in Bordeaux hitting 40°C (104°F) on Sunday. Authorities banned alcohol consumption at the annual Fête de la Musique street festival to preserve emergency services. Italy has also issued red alerts for eight cities including Florence and Milan, while Spain's weather agency warned of 40°C across large parts of the country. The heatwave, driven by hot air from the Sahara, is expected to peak Monday and could match historic highs.
Rockstar has confirmed GTA 6 pre-orders begin June 25, with the game releasing November 19 on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S after two delays. The official cover art was revealed in a 30-second video showing protagonists Jason and Lucia over a booming synth. GTA 5 (2013) remains the second best-selling game of all time. Pricing remains unannounced, but analysts have speculated it could be the first $100 game. The setting is the fictional US state of Leonida, inspired by Florida.
Hobart's Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) has opened Phrontisterion, a $100+ million subterranean library a decade in the making. The collection houses 30,000 books from founder David Walsh's private collection, including a Shakespeare First Folio (1623), a first-edition Lolita, and signed editions by Umberto Eco, JG Ballard and Hunter S Thompson. Handwritten documents by David Bowie, Walt Whitman, Albert Einstein and others are also on display. Visitors can browse and study but cannot borrow books.
Australia's auction clearance rate has dropped to 47% — the first time below 50% since April 2020. Cotality research director Tim Lawless predicts further loss of momentum in housing values as the market digests recent changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax rules. The data suggests buyer caution is deepening, with many vendors now having to adjust price expectations. Once finalised, the numbers could be even lower.
Liberal Party member and IPA education director Colleen Harkin has resigned, a week after attending a One Nation fundraiser in South Melbourne. In an email to Liberal members, she said she had been concerned about the party's direction for years. Harkin described the One Nation event as "very high energy" with attendees who were "concerned about the direction of the country." Her resignation adds to internal Liberal tensions as the party grapples with its positioning against the rising One Nation threat.
The federal government's 32c per litre fuel excise cut will drop to 16c per litre from July 1 and taper off completely by August 2. Albanese says the step-down reflects falling oil prices after the Middle East ceasefire, but would not rule out another extension. The Heavy Vehicle Road User Charge will also rise to 16c per litre. The original cut was introduced in March to buffer the impact of rising oil prices after US-Israeli strikes on Iran disrupted Strait of Hormuz shipping.
Good Food reports that more Australian hospitality operators are turning to AI for menu descriptions, social media content, and even recipe development — but experts warn it comes with risks. The article examines whether customers can tell when food photos are AI-generated and how over-reliance on AI might dilute a venue's unique voice. An interesting read for anyone in the RSN/hospitality world watching how AI is reshaping the industry from the back of house to the menu.
Good Food reviews Pizza'Mare, the new pizzeria from the A'Mare team, which is pushing topping combinations beyond the familiar. The review explores what happens when a high-end Italian kitchen turns its attention to pizza — with unconventional ingredients that challenge the "pineapple debate" in new directions. Located in the same family as A'Mare's existing stable, it's worth noting for anyone tracking Sydney's evolving restaurant scene.
A long-standing Leichhardt institution, after 27 years in its original location, has opened a second venue. The move signals confidence in Sydney's inner-west dining scene despite the broader hospitality industry facing one of its toughest winters — a detail noted in last week's briefing as restaurants brace for what some have described as a "bloodbath" season.
The Real Review's Taste the Top Wineries 2026 is coming to Sydney, alongside the Top Wineries of Australia Dinner. These events bring together Australia's highest-rated wineries for a major tasting — directly relevant for anyone in the wine trade (RSN territory). Tickets and details available via The Real Review website.
Good Food's "New on the app" roundup features a wave of recent Sydney openings: a spot for darkly crusted croissants and cardamom buns, a tequila-focused bar serving spicy margs and crispy fish skin tacos, a Marrickville institution for spit-roasted gyros, a cafe named after its best-selling folded Turkish sandwich, and an Italo-American diner putting fried chicken cutlets on pasta. Worth a scan for anyone tracking the city's dining pulse.
Hobart's Mona has opened Phrontisterion, a $100+ million underground library after a decade in development. Houses 30,000 rare books including a Shakespeare First Folio (1623), first-edition Lolita, and manuscripts by David Bowie, Einstein, and Newton. While privately funded by David Walsh, it represents one of the most significant cultural infrastructure investments in Australia this year.
Music Australia's latest Bass Line report reveals Australia's music industry generated $10.76B in revenue in 2024–25, contributing $4.28B in direct GVA. The companion report, More Than Notes on a Page, finds music education generates $1.79B in revenues — contributing more to GVA than live performance. Revenue grew 5.2% but artist income barely moved (0.9%), highlighting growing pressure on creators. The data is intended to inform policy and investment decisions around local content.
Creative Australia has announced recipients for the 2026 First Nations Arts and Culture Awards, presented annually on 27 May. Key awards: Dr Bronwyn Bancroft and Stephen Pigram received the Red Ochre Award for Lifetime Achievement in Artistic Excellence; Djambawa Marawili AM and Hetti Kemarre Perkins for Cultural Advocacy; John Harvey named Established Artist of the Year; Hayley Millar Baker won the Youth Award. The awards recognise excellence across generations and disciplines.
Ukrainian-Australian artist Stanislava Pinchuk has been awarded the 2026 Mordant Family and Creative Australia Affiliated Fellowship at the American Academy in Rome. Pinchuk's practice explores data-mapping, conflict topographies, and the legacies of literature and politics of translation. The Fellowship provides dedicated time and support to undertake ambitious new work within one of the world's most significant creative communities — supporting Australian artists' global engagement.
Khaled Sabsabi's conference of one's self has premiered at the Australia Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale, commissioned by Creative Australia. The immersive multisensory installation — featuring eight monumental canvases, suspended video projections, and a soundscape — explores spiritual inquiry, migration, and shared humanity. In a historic first, Sabsabi also presents a second installation (khalil) in the Biennale's International Exhibition at the Arsenale. On view 9 May – 22 November 2026.
Creative Australia has announced nine scholarships for emerging artists across acting, painting, poetry, music, ballet and opera. Seven Marten Bequest travelling scholarships ($50,000 each) support interstate and international development. Two further scholarships ($30,000 each over two years) through the Lady Mollie Isabelle Askin Ballet Scholarship and Sir Robert William Askin Operatic Scholarship help recipients build international training and professional networks.
Hermes Agent v0.17.0 is a major release (1,475 commits, ~800 merged PRs since v0.16.0) focused on extending reach. Key features: iMessage integration via Photon Spectrum (no Mac relay required), Raft agent network as a gateway channel, desktop app with full profile builder and secure login, background subagents, image generation that learned to edit, Cursor Composer model accessible through xAI Grok subscription, major memory tool upgrade, revamped Skills Hub browser, and significant reduction in aux-model budget spend. 300+ issues closed plus security round.
SpaceX will acquire AI coding platform Cursor for $60 billion in an all-stock transaction, just two days after SpaceX's unprecedented IPO and months after merging with xAI. Cursor — a VS Code fork with deep AI integration — has seen market share slip as Anthropic's Claude Code dominates, and was struggling to break even. The deal marries SpaceX's compute capacity (via xAI's Grok infrastructure) with Cursor's product, directly competing with Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI in the AI coding space.
Anthropic abruptly paused planned pricing changes that would have moved Claude Agent SDK usage to API-based billing — which would have substantially increased costs for heavy users. The plan would have treated agent usage separately from standard subscription tiers, where generous weekly caps currently allow power users to extract many multiples of subscription value. The pullback comes as GitHub Copilot also faces sticker shock from its own token-based billing changes, and as Anthropic prepares for a possible IPO.
Bernie Sanders has proposed legislation creating a $7 trillion sovereign wealth fund financed by a 50% one-time stock tax on AI firms with over $200M in annual sales. The fund would generate hundreds of billions annually for direct payments to Americans (estimated $1,000+/year per person) and programs in health care, education, and housing. A bipartisan Independent Commission for Democratic AI would oversee the fund with voting shares to block corporate decisions harmful to the public. OpenAI's Altman and Anthropic's Amodei have shown some support for public benefit but remain "far apart" on scale.
Anthropic has shut down its Fable and Mythos model families following a directive from the Trump administration. The move appears related to export control and national security concerns — with the administration arguing the models' capabilities crossed a threshold that triggered regulatory action. The shutdown follows a broader pattern of tension between frontier AI labs and the current US administration, and has sparked debate about whether the ban is accidentally helping Anthropic's brand by painting it as a target of government overreach.
The UK government's under-16 social media ban is set to reshape how everyone accesses the internet, with potential mandatory ID requirements. Millions may need to share official ID with date of birth to access platforms from next spring. YouTube is included, raising concerns about educational content access.
Micro AGI's "Shift" program sends camera-equipped cleaners to New York apartments, recording every inch to train the next generation of autonomous home robots. Free cleaning and cooking — but your entire apartment is being recorded for training data.
Just two days after SpaceX's record-breaking IPO, the $60B all-stock acquisition of Cursor signals Musk's AI ambitions. The deal combines xAI's Grok compute with Cursor's product to challenge Anthropic's Claude Code dominance.
Former US Olympian David "Davey" Hearn, 67, was arrested after touching a peeling paint strip at the Reflecting Pool during a bike ride. Trump called it "vandalism" and ordered immediate repairs. Hearn faces a misdemeanour charge.
Guardian Australia reports that coal companies will receive billions more in taxpayer-funded diesel subsidies under the fuel excise scheme, as the Labor government approves new mining projects — a tension with climate commitments.