Minister for Youth Luba Grigorovitch announced on Tuesday night the state government would fund $240,000 for Student Youth Network (SYN) to keep giving young people a radio platform. SYN Media is run for and by young people aged 12 to 26, providing them space to produce and host radio shows that broadcast on 90.7FM and digital radio. SYN volunteers hosted a 24 Hour marathon to raise funds for the station during the radiothon campaign. (Credit: SYN Media) SYN General Manager J

For exhibitors, Oz Comic-Con is more than just an expo. As one of Australia’s biggest pop culture conventions, it’s a major platform for small Australian creators to get their name heard and to connect with the community. With 400 exhibitors ranging from artists and authors to commercial retailers and celebrity guests, the event saw 30,000 attendees participating in events and buying fandom merchandise. The biggest allure of Comic-Con was the Artist Alley where local, interst

The first ever American all women’s referee ensemble officiated the South Africa and Czechia game at the FIFA world cup last Friday. The historic moment highlighted the issue of women’s representation in officiating sports. Hungarian referee Katalin Kulcsár during the Italy vs. Belgium match on April 10, 2018, at the Paolo Mazza Stadium in Ferrara. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons) The first time a women’s referee team adjudicated an elite men's soccer game in Australia was at th

Jonquel Jones at the WNBA finals in 2024. (Credit: Flickr) Over the past few weeks, you may have seen the throngs of fans crowding the streets of New York, chanting “Knicks in Five! Knicks in Five!” The New York Knicks took the crown for the first time in 53 years earlier this month, winning the NBA finals against the San Antonio Spurs. If you’re a basketball fan you may be asking yourself what to do with all this free time now that the season has concluded. Aubrey Plaz

AI is creating more jobs than it is taking, according to an Australian Institute of Business (AIB) report. Net availability of highly automatable AI-exposed jobs grew by 10 per cent 2019-2024. (Credit: Australian Institute of Business) Net AI-exposed job availability grew by 10 per cent over the 2019-2024 analysis period. Roles that are exposed to AI are those where tasks may be augmented or automated, such as ICT professionals, clerks, call centre operators or even teachers

The neurodiverse space in RMIT’s Swanston Library was closed earlier this semester due to misuse. “There were students going in as groups and it was causing a lot of distress to people that were using the room for its intended purpose,” said a Swanston Library staff member who asked not to be named. Room 104 in the Swanston Library. (Credit: Patrick Lyne.) The space contains couches and other comfortable furnishings, with a sliding door leading to a veranda. The room was init

Thousands of young Australians experience homelessness every day with no support, according to a Kids Under Cover report, but Melbourne City Mission wants to change this. The MCM aims to support the 8,000 15 to 24-year-olds who do not have a permanent home. The MCG lit up with sleep at the G slogans as the event began. (Credit: Emma Giles) MCM CEO Paul Wappett emphasised that this issue is a very real, current problem for many Australians. “We want to make something visible

Parliament of Australia in Canberra. Credit: Sammi Sastradipradja Jim Chalmers revealed his fifth budget as Treasurer last Tuesday, with tax reform and housing affordability for young people at the core of Labor’s plan. The war in Iran has greatly disrupted the global economy, sending shocks through oil supply chains. Global fuel shortages significantly impacted our economy, and cost of living is predicted to worsen. There is a lot to digest in this Budget. This is how you w

Hundreds gathered in Melbourne over the weekend to protest Labor’s proposed cuts to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Rallies in every state and territory were organised by the Protect Our NDIS Alliance for a national day of action on Saturday, May 9. Andrew Bretherton, convenor for the Accessible Victorian Greens and a person with ME/CFS, said the NDIS produced "a net benefit for the community". Think tank Per Capita reported that every dollar spent on the NDI

Amyl and the Sniffers at Rough Trade. (Credit: Paul Hudson under the Creative Commons License) Young people are opting towards international acts rather than Australian artists at a higher rate than before, despite Australia’s passion for live music culture. This has posed a challenge for smaller Australian live music venues' ability to flourish, as the majority of their revenue stems from Australian artists' gigs. This struggle has been felt by smaller local music venues su

Carlton Neighbourhood learning Centre. (Credit: Blake Lee) Neighbourhood Houses Victoria is calling on the State Government to provide an extra $11.7 million in annual funding, warning some centres may close without urgent support. Rising costs and increased community demand have forced the sector to advocate for the past six months through their “Keep Our Doors Open” campaign. Around 185,000 Victorians use neighbourhood houses each week, despite half of the state’s 400 c

Crowd in protest, outside of Parliament House. (Credit: Hudson Farr) More than 1,000 local council workers staged a 24-hour strike last week, escalating an ongoing dispute over wages and working conditions. The industrial action, coordinated by the Australian Services Union (ASU), saw workers from eight jurisdictions march from Victorian Trades Hall to Parliament House. The strike followed earlier disruptions in April, when workers in Hume, Darebin, and Merri-bek left more t

Isobel Buckley and Grace Gibson of Rack Off Records. (Credit: Isobel Buckley) Musicians Isobel Buckley and Grace Gibson had one goal in the creation of their punk record label: No boys allowed. Rack Off Records, founded in 2020 by Buckley and Gibson, is a Melbourne-based record label with the mission of promoting the non-male musical talent in the punk and hardcore scene. “Having female [and] non-binary representation on your line-ups [and] bands should be something to be exc

Image credit: Benjamin Crone - stock.adobe.com About 160,000 will be removed from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) by 2030 under reforms aimed at curbing rising costs. Health Minister Mark Butler said the reforms would save Australian taxpayers $35 billion over the next four years, bringing the projected $70 billion price tag down to $55 billion. “Unless we take action to make it sustainable, it simply will not be there in the future for the Australians who nee

From left to right, Associate Professor Natalie Borg, Dr Denver Linklater, Distinguished Professor Elena Ivanova and study lead author Samson Mah. Image credit: RMIT University Media Centre A fast-moving strain of influenza called ‘Super K flu’ has been spreading in Australia since late 2025. Every year, there are new seasonal influenza strains and subtypes that spread through the community and contribute to the respiratory illness season. To stop the spread of diseases like

Participants of the snap rally helped to 'set sail' paper boats in honour of the Global Sumud Flotilla. (Credit: Harrison Caithness) Students for Palestine organised a snap rally on Thursday afternoon at Bowen St, RMIT University, demanding universities to cut ties with weapons companies and for the return of Australian activists. The snap rally, part of Palestine Solidarity Week, was held in light of the Global Sumud Flotilla being intercepted off the coast of Crete by the I

Credit: Ruta Alai The Reserve Bank of Australia’s decision to increase the official cash rate to 4.1 per cent aims to combat the growing economic and geopolitical pressures that are being felt by the whole nation. However, as borrowing costs increase, family businesses have found themselves swimming in the deep end of increased operating costs and drowning amongst larger corporations who have networks to fall back on. Mark Gibbs, owner and co-founder of the Melbourne-based Gi

Credit: Australian Red Cross Lifeblood Lifeblood will stop asking male blood donors if they have had sex with a man from April 20. Gay and bisexual men and transwomen who have sex with men were required to wait three months after their last sexual encounter before being allowed to donate blood under old rules. Spokesperson for the Let Us Give campaign, Rodney Croome AM, welcomed the change. Croome said the previous rules were “unfair, discriminatory and inaccurate”. The new d

Credit: Adobe Stock Images From high school classrooms to University lecture halls, experts warn that the Manosphere is seeping into Australia’s education system. The manosphere refers to an online network of influencers, content creators, podcasters and online communities that can be found on nearly any social media platform. These digital mediascapes promote misogynistic and anti feminist ideologies to a predominantly young male audience. Monash University and Australia’s

Mr Tulk Cafe at the State Library. (Credit: Nicole Manolitsas) After nine successful years of operating, Mr Tulk Cafe will be forced to close in mid-May after losing a tender process. Located on Swanston Street and adjoined to Melbourne’s iconic State Library, the indie cafe is a celebrated community hub for academics, students and tourists. Mr Tulk is owned by a married couple, Michael and Maria Togias, who bought the business in 2017. Michael Togias explained that library s