A container ship ran aground in the Strait of Hormuz after using a route not approved by Iran, according to Tehran's state TV โ the latest incident in Iran's campaign to assert control over the waterway. Meanwhile, US Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Qatar's emir for technical talks on reopening the strait and extending the shaky ceasefire. A US Navy MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter also made an emergency water landing in the Arabian Sea, leaving one crew member missing (no indication of hostile action). Iran insists on controlling vessel routing and charging passage fees, which the US and Gulf states reject.
The Trump administration has declined to renew the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) in its current form, preventing an automatic 16-year extension that would have lasted until 2042. Instead, the three nations will face annual negotiations to address US concerns over automotive rules of origin, dairy market access, and China exploiting the regional agreement. The decision kicks off a 10-year countdown toward the deal expiring as early as 2036, creating fresh economic uncertainty across ~$2 trillion in annual trade. Steel industry groups welcomed the move; business groups had called for stability.
German prosecutors have filed charges against a Ukrainian national (named only as Serhii K.) for allegedly leading a team of seven accomplices to destroy three of four Nord Stream gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea in September 2022. The attack released record amounts of methane and left the multi-billion-dollar infrastructure inoperable. Ukraine denies involvement. The case has serious implications for Germany-Ukraine relations โ Germany is Ukraine's biggest European military aid source. Many Ukrainians see the pipeline saboteurs as heroes for cutting off a Russian revenue source.
The US Commerce Department has lifted restrictions on Anthropic's most advanced AI tools โ Fable 5 (consumer deep reasoning) and Mythos 5 (business/cybersecurity) โ which were abruptly suspended on 12 June over national security concerns about potential hacking use. Anthropic agreed to proactively detect security risks and collaborate on future releases. Secretary Lutnick reserves the right to re-impose restrictions if necessary.
Official financial disclosure documents reveal US President Donald Trump made approximately $1.2 billion from crypto-related businesses in 2025, alongside other revenue streams including Bibles, merchandise, and licensing deals. The filing highlights Trump's expanding business footprint intersecting with his political role.
Harry Kane scored a second-half double as England fought back to beat DR Congo 2-1 and advance to the World Cup Round of 16, where they'll face Mexico on 6 July. Belgium faced Senegal overnight for a place in the last 16. Mexico ended a 40-year knockout drought by beating Ecuador 2-0. Three people died in Mexico City celebrations. FIFA reported a "significant increase" in online racist abuse at the tournament.
After months of speculation, LeBron James has confirmed he will not return to the Los Angeles Lakers and intends to play his 24th NBA season with another team. The move reshapes the NBA landscape as free agency opens.
Barney Glover, head of the Australian Tertiary Education Commission, has confirmed he will not recommend any interim measures to reduce the cost of arts degrees โ currently $50,000 under the Morrison-era Job-ready Graduates scheme โ despite calling the scheme a "failure". Glover says he will provide advice on degree funding in the second half of next year, meaning changes won't take effect until at least 2028. Critics warn the scheme has created a "segregated" system, with enrolments of lower-SES students falling in arts subjects. Western Sydney University VC George Williams called for urgent action, saying "The longer it takes to fix JRG, the longer students will be paying unfair fees."
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has launched legal action against Amazon, claiming the tech giant used unfair contract terms when it introduced adverts into Prime Video in Australia. The ACCC says over a million annual subscribers were affected between November 2023 and August 2025. Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said "Consumers who wanted to avoid ads were left with no choice but to pay more." Amazon says it is reviewing the case.
Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy is set to announce a major defence overhaul targeting wasteful spending, as he appeals to the Labor faithful to get behind AUKUS. The shake-up aims to rein in ballooning costs across Australia's defence procurement programs.
A slight recovery in Labor's polling numbers is shifting assumptions about what's possible in the remainder of this parliamentary term, writes ABC political editor David Speers. The improvement gives the government more room to pursue reform agendas at a time when Coalition and crossbench dynamics remain unsettled.
Australian pornography website OurDream has had its advertising suspended by Pornhub after the ABC revealed OurDream's content could include child exploitation material. The AI-powered platform CoreFlow, which operates OurDream, now faces significant reputational and commercial fallout.
Labor MP Mike Freelander has acknowledged there's more work needed on gambling advertising reform, as the Coalition, Greens and crossbench push for changes to the current bill. The legislation would limit TV and radio ads during certain times and create an opt-out feature for online platforms, but critics say it doesn't go far enough.
As businesses close on regional main streets across Australia, the government is exploring whether empty shopfronts could be converted into housing to help address the national housing crisis. The proposal could breathe new life into struggling regional centres while adding supply.
Scientists at the University of Queensland have established Australia's first koala egg and sperm biobank, aimed at reducing chlamydia infections in future populations and acting as a genetic safety net for the endangered species.
Broadsheet's comprehensive winter 2026 openings guide, updated 23 June, highlights a wave of new venues. Joy Korean Fried Chicken relocates from Chippendale to Enmore (July). Brent Savage and Nick Hildebrandt open Ashe (Asian grill, CBD) and Vespertine (4am basement bar) after closing Bentley. The Bar Copains trio revives La Buvette in Potts Point (August). Lo Presti's brings Greek/Med to Redfern (July). Aenza, a wine izakaya from Amuro's Joy Liu, opens in Darlinghurst. Da Orazio Trattoria (Neapolitan, Rushcutters Bay) and Super 44 (Margarita bar, Newtown) round out a massive season.
Broadsheet published its mid-year bar roundup on 30 June, covering the standout new drinking venues across Sydney in 2026. The guide spans cocktail bars, wine bars, and neighbourhood pubs that have defined the year's bar scene so far.
The team behind popular bakery Pantry Story is expanding with a second location in Stanmore. The new venue, Sangcuary Bakery, will continue their focus on quality baked goods and community-oriented service in the inner west.
The Odd Culture group (Odd Culture, Bistro Grenier, The Old Fitz) opened two new venues in Sydney's CBD โ Razz Room, an underground Daiquiri bar and discotheque, and Bar Bruno, a "neighbourhood nextdoor" dining room at 18โ20 York Street.
After closing for a full-scale renovation in March, Arthur on Bourke Street is reopening in July with a completely new format. Gone is the set-menu-only approach โ Arthur 2.0 will serve yuzu-dressed prawns, slow-braised kangaroo tail, and wattleseed custard tart in a more casual, walk-in-friendly style.
Barney Glover, head of the Australian Tertiary Education Commission, will not recommend any interim measures to reduce the cost of arts degrees despite calling the Morrison-era Job-ready Graduates scheme a "failure". Changes won't come until at least 2028. The scheme has led to a $1.2 billion reduction in Commonwealth funding to universities in 2024 alone, and lower-SES enrolments in arts/humanities have fallen sharply. The Greens called for immediate fee-free university, while sector leaders warned students are taking on unreasonable debt in the meantime.
The Office for the Arts has opened Round 22 of the Visions of Australia funding program, with approximately $1.4 million available for galleries, museums and cultural institutions to develop and tour exhibitions across the country. Projects start after 1 July 2026. Over the last decade, the program has supported over 140 exhibitions touring to ~1,490 venues nationwide. Indigenous and regional projects encouraged.
On 26 June, the Australian Government paid $28.7 million to Australian creators and publishers through the Public and Educational Lending Rights Schemes (PLR/ELR). These annual payments compensate authors, illustrators, editors and publishers for the loss of income when their works are available in public and educational libraries.
The Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support (IVAIS) program announced additional funding (April 2026) for First Nations art organisations. The program supports a professional, viable and ethical First Nations arts industry, enabling artists and arts workers to earn income, develop professional skills and connect to the art market across remote, regional and urban Australia.
The Revive Live program provided over $500,000 in funding to two upcoming music events (announced May 2026), aimed at helping Australians discover original contemporary music by Australian artists. This is part of the broader Revive National Cultural Policy framework.
Five Expert Panels and a Policy Advisory Group have been appointed (April 2026) to help shape Australia's next National Cultural Policy, succeeding Revive. Public consultation closed on 24 May 2026 and submissions are being reviewed. The new policy will set the direction for arts and culture funding over the next five years. Also: a 19th century Aboriginal ancestral breastplate was returned to Country (Jervis Bay) on 12 June.
A 19th century Aboriginal ancestral breastplate โ inscribed "Mary Carpenter Queen of Jarvis Bay" โ has been returned to Country. The object was entrusted by the community to be held at the Jervis Bay Maritime Museum. This reflects ongoing cultural repatriation efforts under Australian Government cultural heritage programs.
Nous Research shipped Hermes Agent v0.17.0 on 19 June, the "Reach Release" following v0.16's Surface Release. Major additions: iMessage channel (via Photon) and Raft agent network support, background subagents (run tasks independently), image editing/generation capabilities, revamped dashboard with secure login, and better memory tools. Since v0.16: ~1,475 commits, ~800 merged PRs, 245 community contributors. The Skills Hub now exceeds 90,000 community-contributed skills. The Hermes ecosystem has grown from 40K to 188K GitHub stars between April and June 2026.
The US government lifted its export ban on Anthropic's most advanced AI models โ Fable 5 (consumer deep reasoning) and Mythos 5 (business/cybersecurity) โ just weeks after abruptly suspending them over national security concerns about potential hacking abuse. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei had publicly disagreed with the ban, saying the finding of a "narrow potential jailbreak" shouldn't warrant recalling a commercial model deployed to hundreds of millions. The company agreed to ongoing cooperation and risk detection.
In an AP exclusive, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang argued that society needs to develop new social norms to navigate the age of AI, addressing how humans interact with increasingly capable AI systems. His comments come as Nvidia continues to dominate the AI hardware market amid surging demand for GPUs powering the AI boom.
The OpenAI-produced film "Artificial" โ previously dropped by Amazon โ has found a new distributor in Neon, the indie studio behind hits like "Parasite." The movie explores themes of AI sentience and humanity, and its unusual production by an AI company has generated significant industry interest.