Prime Minister Anthony Albanese accepted the Global Citizen Award at a star-studded dinner in New York City, despite a backlash from Australians questioning whether he should receive the prestigious honour.

The Atlantic Council presented the award on Wednesday night, citing Albanese’s work to strengthen Australia’s international alliances, advance the AUKUS security partnership and support stability and cooperation throughout the Indo-Pacific.

In his acceptance speech, Albanese warned that the assumptions shaping the post-Cold War era were rapidly breaking down. He said the international system created after World War II was struggling to respond to the challenges of the modern world.

‘Since the end of the Cold War, the prevailing assumptions of international affairs were clear: openness was security; efficiency mattered more than resilience; and international rules would be observed as a matter of course,’ he said.

‘Both those expectations are now being tested. The post-1945 world order is no longer fit for purpose. Universal institutions that remain necessary are now not always sufficient for the challenges we face.’

He argued that rising geopolitical tensions and instability had revealed the shortcomings of institutions designed for another era, making stronger partnerships and greater national resilience increasingly important.

The ceremony followed an awkward exchange at the beginning of Albanese’s New York trip just days earlier.

During a press conference on Sunday night, The Nightly journalist-at-large Latika Bourke challenged Albanese over whether he deserved an international leadership award while facing domestic criticism after a recent Newspoll.

‘Prime Minister, here in New York on Wednesday night, you will receive an award for being a global citizen,’ Bourke said.

‘Don’t you feel like a bit of a fraud accepting this award when at home you’ve screwed up the response to the worst massacre since Port Arthur, Labor is one point shy of where it was under Julia Gillard when you rolled her, and your net approval ratings are worse than Scott Morrison’s?’

Albanese paused before responding with a single word.

‘No,’ he replied, as the press conference then moved to another question.

Many Australians rallied behind Bourke, applauding her decision to put the pointed question to the Prime Minister.

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‘He is the worst and most dangerous PM in the history of Australia. He has no idea how hated he is,’ one person wrote.

‘A great and reasonable question Latika. The PM could have taken the opportunity to answer in a manner befitting his position, yet he arrogantly ignored it,’ another added.

The other 2026 recipients were Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Wicked actress and singer Cynthia Erivo, and Formula 1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali.

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd was seen seated beside Albanese at the dinner. Actor Keanu Reeves introduced Domenicali before the Formula 1 executive accepted his award.

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape praised Albanese’s leadership and highlighted Australia’s importance to the Pacific, describing the Australian Prime Minister as both a trusted partner and a friend.

‘It is our privilege tonight to introduce not only the Prime Minister of Australia, but someone I am proud to call a friend,’ Marape said.

‘The Honourable Anthony Albanese, or Albo, as he is known to many. To those who are his friends, he is a fair dinkum Australian.’

Marape said Australia played a unique role in the region because of its economic strength and international influence, giving it a powerful voice across the Pacific and on the world stage.

‘For those of us from the island nations of the Pacific, Australia is a special nation,’ he said.

‘Its economic strength and international influence give it an important voice across our region and on the global stage.’

He said he and Albanese had worked closely together on issues including security, economic development and climate change.

‘My brother, the Prime Minister, understands the responsibility that comes with that,’ Marape said.

Harvey Weinstein has been sentenced for the sexual assault of former Project Runway production assistant Miriam Haley.

The disgraced former Hollywood producer was ordered to spend 15 years in prison on Wednesday, bringing to a close an extraordinary six-year legal battle that turned one of the entertainment industry’s most powerful figures into a defining symbol of the MeToo era.

Weinstein, 74, appeared at Manhattan Criminal Court in a wheelchair, his hands cuffed to the seat. Looking visibly frail, he faced the consequences of a conviction that had endured appeals, retrials and years of courtroom proceedings.

A jury convicted the former Hollywood kingmaker in June last year of sexually assaulting Miriam Haley. She testified that Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her at his New York City apartment in 2006.

Haley delivered an emotional victim impact statement on Wednesday, describing the enduring damage caused by the assault.

“He abused his position and power,” she said, speaking about the “devastating effect” his actions had on her sense of safety. “It is a life sentence for me,” Haley added.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg praised Haley’s testimony and said he had been deeply moved by her courage.

Weinstein has repeatedly denied more than 80 allegations of sexual misconduct and maintained that his sexual encounters were consensual. Before the sentence was imposed, he addressed the court and defended himself.

“I am not a perfect person,” Weinstein said. “But I am a person who has made mistakes.”

He apologized to “anyone I may have hurt by my actions,” but continued to reject the allegations against him, telling the court: “I am not a violent man.”

Judge Curtis Farber offered a sharply contrasting view as he condemned Weinstein’s conduct before announcing the sentence.

“You took what you wanted by force, and you have never accepted responsibility,” Farber told Weinstein.

Following the 15-year prison term, Weinstein will serve five years of supervised release. He must also register as a sex offender.

Bragg said the sentence was ultimately about the women who came forward to report Weinstein’s conduct.

Haley had support in the courtroom from fellow Weinstein accuser Jessica Mann, who sat in the pews to witness the sentencing.

Mann has alleged that Weinstein raped her in a Midtown Manhattan hotel room in March 2013. She said he overpowered and assaulted her despite her resistance.

After the sentence was handed down, Mann appeared visibly distressed and was seen leaving the courtroom in tears.

‘Today was about the survivors,’ Bragg said in a statement, praising their ‘courage and their steadfastness’ throughout what had been an exceptionally difficult legal process.

Haley’s attorney, Gloria Allred, likened her pursuit of justice to a ‘trial by fire.’

‘In other words, Mimi underwent a trial by fire twice, and prevailed both times, unlike any other person in the ‘MeToo’ movement. Mimi is a true hero. She has survived all attempts both inside and outside of court to discredit her or question her motives,’ Allred said, adding ‘To describe Mimi as courageous is an understatement. She faced her fears and overcame them.’

‘This being so public, for this having gone on for so long, it’s been really, really tough,’ Haley said following the sentencing. ‘It’s a really tough thing to do. I have to say, and I thought of not doing it many times. I thought of pulling out.’

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But Haley did not call it quits; she persevered through the full duration of the sentencing and told journalists outside 100 Center Street that she believes she can now reach full closure.

Outside the courthouse, Haley and Allred took each other by the hands and raised their arms to the sky in victory. 

Weinstein’s downfall has been years in the making.

He was originally convicted in New York in 2020 of third-degree rape involving former aspiring actor Jessica Mann and first-degree criminal sexual act involving Haley. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison.

But in 2024, New York’s highest court overturned that conviction and ordered a new trial, ruling that testimony concerning uncharged alleged sexual acts had been improperly admitted.

The retrial produced a mixed result. In June 2025, Weinstein was again convicted of first-degree criminal sexual act involving Haley, while jurors acquitted him of a separate charge involving former model Kaja Sokola.

The jury could not reach a verdict on Mann’s allegation. A subsequent retrial of that charge also ended without a verdict, and prosecutors ultimately declined to pursue the case for a fourth time.

Weinstein is also serving a separate 16-year sentence imposed in California after his 2022 conviction in Los Angeles for rape and two counts of sexual assault stemming from a 2013 attack on an Italian actor and model. An appeals court has since vacated that sentence, and he is due to be resentenced.

His legal troubles began after a bombshell series of investigations by The New York Times and The New Yorker in 2017 detailed allegations of sexual harassment and assault by numerous women.

More than 80 women have since accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct, allegations he has vehemently denied.

Before his fall from grace, Weinstein occupied an almost untouchable position in Hollywood. Miramax, the distribution company he co-founded, helped turn films including ‘Pulp Fiction’ and ‘Clerks’ into cultural landmarks. 

He won an Oscar as a producer of ‘Shakespeare in Love,’ while his company enjoyed consecutive Best Picture victories with ‘The King’s Speech’ and ‘The Artist.’

Then came the reckoning with his 2018 arrest.

The sheer volume of allegations and the prominence of the accusers transformed the phrase “#MeToo” (initially coined by activist Tarana Burke a decade prior) into a worldwide social movement and prompted women across entertainment, politics and other industries to speak out about sexual misconduct and abuses of power.

Now, nearly a decade after the revelations that shattered his Hollywood empire, Weinstein remains behind bars.

His health has also visibly deteriorated in recent years. He has faced a number of serious medical problems and has been held at the Bellevue Hospital prison ward while awaiting transfer to a state prison.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Allred for comment.

A marketing executive has brought a discrimination claim against her former employer after being denied annual leave to attend a rock music festival, which she said held spiritual significance for her.

Sarah Sadler, 49, wanted to take time off to attend the 2000 Trees Festival. She argued that her request related to a philosophical belief rather than simply a personal preference.

At an employment tribunal, Mrs Sadler claimed she held a protected philosophical belief that taking part in a music festival could promote “human flourishing”.

Mrs Sadler was working as the marketing executive for disability charity Arthouse Unlimited at the time. She said she genuinely believed in community, mutual support, authenticity, inclusion and shared responsibility, and felt festivals helped create spaces where those values could thrive.

Arthouse Unlimited, which supports disabled people, refused her request to attend the festival because it could not find cover for her shift.

The employment tribunal dismissed her case. The judge ruled that her belief was not protected under equality law and was instead closer to a “lifestyle choice”.

Mrs Sadler, a cancer survivor from Surrey, also claimed disability discrimination over the way she was treated following emergency surgery. That claim was dismissed as well.

The Reading Employment Tribunal in Berkshire heard that Mrs Sadler joined Arthouse Unlimited as a marketing executive in June 2023 and remained there until her dismissal in June 2024.

Arthouse Unlimited is a charity that helps adults with disabilities create artwork, which is later sold commercially.

When Mrs Sadler began working for the charity, it knew she had previously been diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer. She had undergone major bowel surgery and chemotherapy, and also experienced PTSD.

In December 2023, she applied for three days of annual leave in July the following year so she could attend the 2000 Trees Festival, a rock event held in Gloucestershire.

The 2024 line-up featured rock acts including Don Broco and The Gaslight Anthem. Bob Vylan also performed; the artist later became embroiled in controversy at Glastonbury in 2025 after chanting “death to the IDF” on stage.

Camilla Capel told Mrs Sadler that the leave could not be approved because she was already due to take several lengthy periods off. As the charity operated with a small team, it would not be able to arrange cover for the requested dates.

Mrs Sadler responded that the festival had “spiritual significance” for her. She said the refusal made her consider looking for another job.

During the tribunal hearing, Mrs Sadler maintained that her connection to the festival reflected a philosophical belief.

The tribunal heard: “[Mrs Sadler] states that she holds a genuine belief in the importance of community, mutual support, authenticity, inclusion and shared responsibility.

“She believes that people flourish when they can participate in communities that value cooperation, creativity, equality and acceptance of difference. [Mrs Sadler] actively seeks out communities that reflect those values.

“Music and arts festivals are one means by which those beliefs find expression, but they are not the beliefs themselves.”

The statement continued: “[Mrs Sadler’s] attendance at the same annual festival over many years represents a significant and continuing manifestation of those beliefs in practice.

‘[Mrs Sadler] and her family’s attendance at the 2000 Trees Festival was therefore an expression of those beliefs and values.’

The tribunal was told that in January 2024, Mrs Sadler underwent emergency gallbladder surgery, and she was off work until the following month because she had a ‘flu-like’ illness afterwards. 

She alleged she was pressured to return to work as soon as possible and not supported when she wanted to work from home. But the tribunal dismissed these allegations.

In February 2024, Mrs Sadler complained about not being allowed time off for the festival.

In an email to her bosses, she wrote: ‘It is with deep regret that if you cannot allow me three days – 10th/11th/12th July with seven months’ notice, I will have to start the process of seeking employment elsewhere.

‘To deny a leave request for a festival as referred to in the correspondence could be considered to be indirect discrimination and prejudicial.

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‘The festival is an annual gathering which is of deep cultural significance to me. (Equality Act 2010).’

Mrs Sadler raised an unsuccessful formal grievance over the issue and how she was treated after her surgery.

She told the charity she wanted a ‘financial settlement’ which was refused and she was fired after she did not turn up to a meeting to discuss how to move forward.

Employment Judge Andrew Gumbiti-Zimuto dismissed Mrs Sadler’s claim that she had a protected philosophical belief.

He said: ‘[Mrs Sadler] seeks to advance a belief about human flourishing, namely that people flourish through participation in enduring communities characterised by inclusion, reciprocity, creativity and mutual responsibility.

‘[She] presents this proposition as a guiding principle by which [she] seeks to live rather than as a mere opinion.

‘However, the evidence relied upon to demonstrate that belief centres almost entirely upon attendance at a festival and participation in a particular social community.

‘The evidence demonstrates that [Mrs Sadler] values, and repeatedly participates in, that community and the activities associated with it.

‘That, without more, does not necessarily establish the existence of a protected philosophical belief.

‘In my view, the evidence does not sufficiently identify a belief independent of [her] participation in that community.

‘Rather, it describes a lifestyle choice and a strong attachment to a particular community.’

Judge Gumbiti-Zimuto added that her being refused holiday ‘had nothing to do with her philosophical belief’ and that it was an ‘operational’ decision.

Mrs Sadler lost claims of philosophical belief discrimination, disability discrimination, and victimisation.

Speaking after the tribunal, Mrs Sadler said that she was ‘extremely upset’ when she was denied the time off to attend the festival. 

She said: ‘2000 Trees has been part of my life and my family’s life for many years. The importance of it to me is bound up with community, continuity, identity and belonging.

‘What was particularly difficult was feeling that the significance it had for me wasn’t understood. The case was never about believing that everyone should automatically be entitled to particular festival dates off work.

‘It was about the significance of these gatherings to me and the way my request and beliefs were treated. For me, these longstanding festival communities represent something much deeper than entertainment.’

She continued: ‘They are places of community and belonging where people come together around shared values, music, creativity and mutual support.

‘They have provided continuity through some extremely difficult periods of my life, including cancer and its aftermath, and they are particularly important to my family. They are places where I feel able to be myself and connected to a community.

‘That is why I described this as a philosophical belief rather than simply saying that I really like going to festivals.’

Mrs Sadler said that after her surgery she had wanted to return to work but it became ‘increasingly stressful’ for her.

On the tribunal, she said: ‘I was extremely disappointed by the judgement and I do not believe that it fully reflects the case I presented or some of the evidence that emerged during the hearing.

‘What I can say is that bringing an Employment Tribunal claim as a disabled litigant in person has been an extraordinarily demanding experience.

‘Whatever ultimately happens legally, I hope there can be some useful discussion about how disabled employees asking for flexibility and reasonable adjustments are supported at work, and about how accessible the Tribunal process itself is for disabled people representing themselves.’

Mrs Sadler now runs her own business, Integra Baby, a British baby-carrier brand.