Latest from News.com.au
News.com.au
44 minutes ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Matahga storms home for come-from-behind victory in Oaklands Plate at Morphettville Parks
Phillip Stokes has unearthed another exciting youngster after Matahga produced a huge come-from-behind win to nail Saturday's Listed David Peacock Oaklands Plate at Morphettville Parks. Hard ridden, 10 lengths off the lead turning for home, Matahga, showed his class edge, reeling in Hayes-trained fancy Ethereum Girl as he charged home in the final 50m. It saw Stokes claim back-to-back Oaklands Plates, after the stable won last year's race with SA Derby winner Femminile. 'He's a nice colt this horse, (he) dug deep, he's come a long way this prep,' Stokes said. 'Kerrin and Tommy have done a fantastic job with him, he'll go for a break now, I think he deserves to be aimed some of the nicer races in the spring.' The win was the first of a race-to-race double for jockey Jacob Opperman, who nailed a brilliant treble on the program with other wins aboard Test The Law and Fiasco Tess. The hoop elected to save ground aboard Matahga, navigating traffic rather than peeling to the outside. It left Stokes with his heart in mouth momentarily, but it proved to be the right rein. Matahga digs deep for a stirring come-from-behind victory at Morphettville Parks to make it back-to-back wins ðŸ'¥ @pstokesracing picks up a Morphettville Parks double ✌ï¸� @JOpperman15 — (@Racing) June 28, 2025 'We were sort of cursing him there for awhile, we thought maybe he should have went around them, but he rode it very well,' he said. 'He'll take a lot out of it this colt, he's a nice horse going forward, I'm just rapt for the Brook's family.' Paul Trenwith pulled off an upset win with Ginger Sinner early on, the Morphettville trainer bought the gelding for $15,000, and has now nailed two wins from five starts with him, most notably Saturday's Benchmark 72 (1250m) over stakes winner Colmar. The son of Castelvecchio jumped at $21 with Sportsbet, and was guided to the line under promising apprentice Caitlin Tootell. The roughies continued their dominance in the following race, with Left Turn Clyde charging home to produce a blowout result at $27 over 1000m. It's a grandstand finish at Morphettville Parks! ðŸ'¸ Left Turn Clyde storms home from a long way back to get across the line first for his second win this season ðŸ'° @mattLchadwixk — (@Racing) June 28, 2025 The Stuart Gower-trained gelding jumped awkwardly to find himself well back, before in-form hoop Matthew Chadwick worked his way through the field, piercing a gap at the 100m. Left Turn Clyde nosed out rivals Madam Jeanette and Rich Gina in a three-way go on the line. Sir Now once again showed his will to win, the tough gelding hunted down Beast Mode to nail a Benchmark 80 over 1000m, his seventh win from 13 starts for Karoonda handler Darryl Hewitt. Six of those wins have been under the steering of talented apprentice Maggie Collett, who piloted the gelding again on Saturday. The day belonged to Opperman, however, who was unrivalled in the saddle with his three winners, while the Stokes yard were the dominant stable with two wins, with Nicish also saluting in the opening race.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
‘Biggest mystery' in cinematic history still unanswered
It's been more than 20 years since Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson joined forces for Sofia Coppola's award-winning film Lost in Translation. And yet, in the two decades since the movie's release, the mystery surrounding the pivotal final scene has never been revealed. Today, it remains one of the most endearing movie mysteries of all time. What did Murray's character Bob Harris whisper to Johansson's Charlotte during their final encounter? Only the co-stars, and the filmmaker herself know the answer. In the blockbuster, widely regarded as one of the best travel movies of all time, Murray plays a faded film star who forms a fleeting, intimate bond while in Tokyo with Johansson's character, a disillusioned young Yale graduate and newlywed. The film was a bona fide hit, earning $US118.7 million on a $4 million budget. It received four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Murray. Coppola ultimately took home the award for Best Original Screenplay. And yet, that final whispered line seems to be what viewers still obsess over. Over the years, film critics and movie buffs have attempted to decode the parting thoughts of Murray's character at the end of the pair's whirlwind stay in the Japanese capital. But the answer has never been divulged. The most popular guess, which a YouTuber went viral for back in 2007, is: 'I have to be leaving, but I won't let that come between us, okay?' Other stabs in the dark from cinema detectives include: 'Promise me, that the next thing you do, is go up to that man and tell him the truth.' 'I just want you to know I will never forget this okay?' 'When John [Johansson's character's husband] is ready for his next business trip, go up to that man and tell him the truth, okay?' Others on Reddit have weighed in over the years, with one commenting, 'It's supposed to be ambiguous, a private moment just between the two characters.' Another wrote: 'How people hear anything but 'tell him the truth, okay' at the end of the phrase is bizarre.' Yet another couch critic said: 'You are supposed to decide what he whispers. I don't believe it is scripted.' There were plenty of jokes, too. 'You'll become Black Widow one day,' one person quipped. Director Sofia Coppola herself weighed in on the mystery on the film's 15th anniversary, simply stating: 'That thing Bill whispers to Scarlett was never intended to be anything. 'I was going to figure out later what to say and add it in and then we never did.' Meanwhile, the co-stars have continued to enjoy the prolonged secret over the years, without actually giving it away. The Cadyshak star, now 74, appeared on The Drew Barrymore Show back in March to promote his movie Riff Raff, however wound up reminiscing about the hit romantic comedy-drama from 2003. 'Well there was a girl, she was a teenager back then her name was Scarlett Johansson back then,' the comedian told Barrymore. 'She was only 17 when she made that movie, 17 years old and it was beautiful to make the movie with the two of them [Coppola and Johansson].' The host then hit up Murray about the unforgettable whisper scene. 'I love that you guys had the confidence to leave the film on the note of mystery,' she said. 'Well that was an inspired moment, that happened in the moment, it happened in the moment,' Murray said vaguely, before adding, 'there were three of us that had the same moment.' Despite whispering in Barrymore's ear for added flair, Murray concluded by saying: 'That was a moment of seeing, 'This is going to happen and it's going to be even better because we're never going to know'.' Right … Similarly, Johansson weighed in back in 2023 around the film's 20-year anniversary. 'Oh my god, that sounds pretty profound,' the Avengers star replied when hit up by Yahoo Entertainment about the exact transcript of the infamous moment. 'Probably way more profound than what was actually said!' Listening to the internet's answer a second time, she answered less confidently: 'Maybe? I don't know about that. I give it, like, a B-minus.' Of course, Johansson declined to reveal the exact sentence. And so, the mystery lives on.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
Rwanda, DR Congo sign peace deal in US after rebel sweep
Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo signed a peace agreement Friday in Washington to end fighting that has killed thousands, with the two countries pledging to pull back support for guerrillas -- and President Donald Trump boasting of securing mineral wealth. "Today, the violence and destruction comes to an end, and the entire region begins a new chapter of hope and opportunity," Trump said as he welcomed the two nations' foreign ministers to the White House. "This is a wonderful day." The agreement comes after the M23, an ethnic Tutsi rebel force linked to Rwanda, sprinted across the mineral-rich east of the DRC this year, seizing vast territory including the key city of Goma. The deal -- negotiated through Qatar since before Trump took office -- does not explicitly address the gains of the M23 in the area torn by decades of on-off war but calls for Rwanda to end "defensive measures" it has taken. Rwanda has denied directly supporting the M23 but has demanded an end to another armed group, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), which was established by ethnic Hutus linked to the massacres of Tutsis in the 1994 Rwanda genocide. The agreement calls for the "neutralization" of the FDLR, with Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe saying the "irreversible and verifiable end to state support" to the Hutu militants should be the "first order of business." The process would be "accompanied by a lifting of Rwanda's defensive measures," Nduhungirehe said at a signing ceremony at the State Department. But he added: "We must acknowledge that there is a great deal of uncertainty in our region, and beyond, because many previous agreements have not been implemented." His Congolese counterpart, Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, highlighted the agreement's call for respecting state sovereignty. "It offers a rare chance to turn the page, not just with words but with real change on the ground. Some wounds will heal, but they will never fully disappear," she said. The agreement also sets up a joint security coordination body to monitor progress and calls vaguely for a "regional economic integration framework" within three months. - Trump takes credit - Trump has trumpeted the diplomacy that led to the deal, and started his White House event by bringing up a journalist who said he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize. Speaking to reporters earlier Friday, Trump said the United States will be able to secure "a lot of mineral rights from the Congo." The DRC has enormous mineral reserves that include lithium and cobalt, vital in electric vehicles and other advanced technologies, with US rival China now a key player in securing the resources. Trump said he had been unfamiliar with the conflict as he appeared to allude to the horrors of the 1994 Rwanda genocide, in which hundreds of thousands of people, mostly Tutsis, were killed in just 100 days. "I'm a little out of my league on that one because I didn't know too much about it. I knew one thing -- they were going at it for many years with machetes," Trump said. The agreement drew wide but not universal praise. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the deal "a significant step towards de-escalation, peace and stability" in the eastern DRC and the Great Lakes region. "I urge the parties to honour in full the commitments they have undertaken in the Peace Agreement... including the cessation of hostilities and all other agreed measures," Guterres said in a statement. The landmark agreement was also praised by the chairman of the African Union Commission. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, who witnessed the signing of the deal in Washington, "welcomed this significant milestone and commended all efforts aimed at advancing peace, stability, & reconciliation in the region," a statement said. But Denis Mukwege, a gynecologist who shared the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end the DRC's epidemic of sexual violence in war, voiced alarm about the agreement, saying it effectively benefited Rwanda and the United States. The deal "would amount to granting a reward for aggression, legitimizing the plundering of Congolese natural resources, and forcing the victim to alienate their national heritage by sacrificing justice in order to ensure a precarious and fragile peace," he said in a statement ahead of the signing. Physicians for Human Rights, which has worked in the DRC, welcomed the de-escalation but said the agreement had "major omissions," including accountability for rights violations.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Yellow Sam charges home to win at Caulfield and earn crack at Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes
Yellow Sam has earned a shot at the Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) next month at Caulfield with a strong win on Saturday. The Lindsey Smith -trained mare finished powerfully under jockey Fred Kersley to overhaul Lim's Saltoro, well-backed favourite The Open and Rheinberg. 'We thought this craziness she'd go to the Bletchingly with no weight,' Smith said. 'We'll throw a few darts and then if she competed well she'd go to the (PB Lawrence).' Yellow Sam rounded the bend with work to do and duly saluted second-up. Yellow Sam won the Golden Topaz at Swan Hill the start prior, first-up from a long break after a health setback last year – a benign tumour in her hind gut. 'It's easier to train fast horses, I've got a few slower ones,' Smith said. 'Courageous horse, has been from the day dot … great will to win, as I've said many times, will maybe outdoes ability sometimes.' Kersley praised Yellow Sam. 'She has got better, she's probably the ultimate racehorse,' Kersley said. 'She's a professional, probably one of the gutsiest horses I've had the pleasure to do anything with. 'Time and time again she's come back, a filly, a mare, and she's held the form.' YELLOW SAM ON THE LINE 😲 It took every inch of the straight but Yellow Sam got there! What a way to finish the day at Caulfield! @FKersley â€' 7HorseRacing ðŸ�Ž (@7horseracing) June 28, 2025 Earlier on the card, former international Sayedaty Sadaty, trained by Ciaron Maher, opened his Australian account with victory in the 2000m Quality Handicap at Caulfield on Saturday. Sayedaty Sadaty travelled outside leader Amberite and kicked clear in the straight to win third-up after consecutive 1800m placings at Sandown. Unfortunately, the race was marred by separate incidents in the straight. Rolls, trained by Maddie Raymond and Patrick Bell, failed to finish due to a severe leg fracture. Racing Victoria confirmed the gelding was humanely euthanized by on-course veterinarians. Jockey Harry Grace was taken to hospital with a sore hand and some general pain. Dakotah Keane was also dislodged from her mount, King Frankel, in the straight. Thankfully, Keane and King Frankel avoided injury. â– â– â– â– â– Zahra sets sail for big spring Flemington trainer Simon Zahra has spring ambitions exciting Xarpo after the 'beast' responded to challengers at Caulfield on Saturday. Xarpo, expertly handled by apprentice jockey Ryan Houston, found the front early in the straight as favourite Mercurial Lady mounted a case. Xarpo lifted again to hold a margin, while Illyivy bloused Mercurial Lady for second and third. 'They were entitled to beat her,' Zahra said. 'She was a bit underdone, first-up 1200m, most of them had a run under their belt, so it's exciting.' Xarpo sticks the neck out and wins! Ryan Houston on the board for Simon Zahra ðŸ'°ðŸ'° @szahraracing â€' 7HorseRacing ðŸ�Ž (@7horseracing) June 28, 2025 Zahra said Xarpo would get to a mile in the spring. 'She's won over 1400m but I reckon she's a miler, last preparation she just missed the starts, did everything wrong, we got away with that win at Flemington,' Zahra said. 'To see her now compared to what she was six months ago just a different horse.' Xarpo, a rising four-year-old daughter of The Autumn Sun, has won three of six starts to date. 'We gave her a nice prep last time, she wasn't quite furnished and by the end she was starting to switch on,' Zahra said. 'She returned to the stable an absolute beast (after her spell) … we were pretty confident she would come here today and run pretty well. 'There's a bit of spring fortune we want to target … a complete different horse (now), like a big strong mare and she's starting to do everything right.' Zahra deferred spring plans until after Xarpo's next run, potentially at Caulfield in a fortnight or Flemington in three weeks. 'If she can perform well there we'll freshen her up,' Zahra said.
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Footy world divided by controversial Josh Addo-Carr call in Dragons' win
Parramatta was denied a try after a hugely controversial call in the second half of their 34-20 loss to St George-Illawarra on Saturday night. The Dragons led 26-4 at halftime after a dominant opening 40 minutes and appeared ready to coast to victory at WIN Stadium. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. But the Eels had other ideas, scoring three tries in an 11-minute stretch to roar back into the contest at 26-20. Then came the moment that will have plenty of people talking. The Eels moved the ball to the left side of the field with just over 17 minutes remaining, when Sean Russell found Josh Addo-Carr on the left wing. The man known as the Foxx broke a Corey Allan tackle and passed back inside to Russell, who had clear air in front of him to stroll to the line and give Parra the chance to tie the game at 26-26. But the touch judge had other ideas, lifting his flag and ruling Addo-Carr had touched the sideline to stun the Eels fans watching on. When the replay was shown, it was one of the tightest calls you could see on the footy field and far from convincing. 'Addo-Carr is away, it might be 26-26 in a moment,' Andrew Voss yelled on Fox League. 'No the flag is up, a foot over the sideline. Our man is standing by his decision. 'Addo-Carr, left leg down and then the right, where is it? Could be this one. I don't know. 'If it's not, it's as close as you can go. Oh boy.' Steve Roach added: 'I don't know about that. How could naked eye make a call? 'He had a player down in front of him, how could he see it?' Voss then clarified the ruling, stating: 'That is incredible that moment, but once the sideline official's flag goes up, the protocol is you don't go to the Bunker. It was going to be 26-all. 'Send some Panadol to the Dragons' box.' Fans were deeply divided by the incident on social media. Lui Zacher tweeted: 'Touchie has X ray vision to see through a Dragons player, and CSI: Enhance technology to call Addo-Carr's boot on the line 15 metres away, but someone chucks a forward pass right in front and it's 'I didn't see nuffin'.' @aotesam wrote: 'I think his foot *just* went into touch … but there is absolutely no way you can call it with confidence.' Jack Holdsworth said: 'The first time a useless touch judge has ever made a live call and he reckons he's seen 1mm of Addo-Carrs foot on the sideline. Give me a f**king spell.' Mr_Ives wrote: 'That Dragons Eels touchie could see Uranus without a telescope.' Gemma Rogers suggested: 'I thought the touchie got that right. Looked like his foot was just on the line.' LJ declared: 'Parra have been screwed big time there, that was never in touch!' The Dragons eventually scored another try through Valentine Holmes with five minutes remaining to establish a match-winning lead. Voss was left hoping Addo-Carr's moment wouldn't be the biggest talking point of a great game of footy. 'There's been so much happening in this game,' he said. 'I know people are going to go back to the Addo-Carr foot on the line. 'If he's in, it's the closest to being out anyway there's ever been and that would be 26-all at that point. 'But I'd rather savour the game at the moment, rather than the controversy.'
