After a four-year odyssey through administration, private equity ownership and operational restructuring, Virgin Australia is poised to relist on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) at a share price of $2.90 each. Bankers—led by Goldman Sachs, UBS and Barrenjoey—report “well in excess” demand from domestic and international anchor investors ahead of the book build. The initial public offering (IPO) will see Bain Capital, Virgin’s private equity owner since 2020, sell down its stake from 70.2 percent to 40 percent, raising approximately $685 million and valuing the carrier at close to $2.3 billion. Qatar Airways, which acquired a 25 percent stake in October 2024, will hold 23.4 percent; Virgin’s management team will own 6.4 percent; and up to 30.2 percent of the company will be in the hands of new shareholders when trading commences June 26 under ticker VGN.

Is there anybody who’s done more to make jazz hip again in the past decade than Kamasi Washington? A virtuoso saxophonist, composer and bandleader, Washington has consistently blurred genre boundaries—fusing jazz with hip-hop, soul and funk—to chart a course that resonates with both modern audiences and purist aficionados alike. He counts Snoop Dogg, Lauryn Hill and Brainfeeder label boss Flying Lotus among his collaborators, and earned a prominent shout-out on Kendrick Lamar’s recent US #1 hit “squabble up”. Since the crossover success of his 2015 triple album The Epic, Washington has continued expanding his repertoire—scoring documentaries such as Michelle Obama’s Becoming in 2020, and delivering electrifying live shows that headline festival bills around the globe.

When most of us think of mini-golf, images of resin palm trees, windmills and exaggeratedly cartoonish obstacles come to mind. It’s often dismissed as frivolous, a pastime for children and holiday crowds. Yet nestled within Melbourne’s abandoned Flinders Street ballroom, the Rising festival’s new exhibition “Swingers” challenges this stereotype with a radical, feminist twist. Designed by nine women artists from around the globe, each hole pays homage to mini-golf’s origin as a rebellious protest against gender exclusion, while simultaneously transforming the cavernous space into a series of immersive, interactive art installations.

A large-scale Canadian study has found that use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) medicines—widely prescribed to manage diabetes and promote weight loss—may significantly increase the risk of developing neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) among older diabetic patients. Researchers at the University of Toronto analyzed medical data for more than one million Ontario residents with diabetes and identified a cohort of 46,334 individuals, predominantly taking semaglutide (Ozempic) or, to a lesser extent, lixisenatide. Over a three-year follow-up period, those who used GLP-1 RAs for at least six months exhibited double the risk of new-onset nAMD compared with matched diabetic controls not on these medications. Risk escalated further—to more than three times higher—among patients taking the drugs for 30 months or longer.

After weeks of mounting speculation, United States President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping finally connected via telephone late Thursday evening. According to statements from both sides, the call spanned roughly an hour and a half and concentrated primarily on the bilateral trade dispute that has roiled global markets over the past year. Trump described the conversation as “very positive” and indicated that it laid the groundwork for further negotiations on tariffs. Xi, through official Chinese media, emphasized the need for the U.S. to remove “negative measures” and reiterated his willingness to deepen dialogue. With Washington and Beijing tentatively agreeing in mid-May to a 90-day pause on additional tariffs, observers are now watching closely to see whether this high-profile exchange will translate into a durable easing of tensions—or simply serve as another stopgap in a volatile relationship.

A groundbreaking study led by researchers at Osaka University has revealed that iron deficiency in pregnant mice can disrupt the genetic machinery responsible for male sex determination, resulting in XY offspring developing ovaries—or even a combination of ovarian and testicular tissue. This finding, published in Nature, challenges the long‐held assumption that sex in mammals is dictated solely by chromosomal identity, underscoring the critical interplay between genetics and environmental factors during early embryonic development.

In a pulsating World Cup qualifying encounter at Optus Stadium on Thursday night, Aziz Behich’s dramatic 90th-minute goal secured a 1-0 victory for Australia over Japan—Asia’s perennial powerhouse—and all but guaranteed the Socceroos a berth at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Against the run of play, Australia snatched three points that leave them top of Group A with one match to play, three points clear of second-placed Saudi Arabia. Behich’s right-footed finish, his first goal in green and gold in 13 years, sparked scenes of pandemonium in Perth and effectively sealed automatic qualification for the home nation.

Nintendo enthusiasts across the United States let out a collective sigh of relief on 5 June 2025, as the brand-new Nintendo Switch 2 consoles arrived in stores as promised. With a suggested retail price of $450 for the standalone unit (or $500 bundled with Mario Kart World), the next-generation system’s launch felt precariously close to derailing thanks to looming U.S. import tariffs. Trade policy turbulence under former President Donald Trump’s administration had cast doubt on pre-orders—and, potentially, the release date itself. Yet, despite aggressive proposed tariffs on key manufacturing countries, Nintendo managed to secure a window in which the Switch 2 could be imported and sold at the originally advertised price. What follows is a closer look at how fortunate timing, nimble decision-making and a last-minute presidential pause allowed Nintendo to sidestep steep duties—at least for now—and what challenges may lie ahead as trade negotiations continue.