The Victorian State government is failing to use its considerable legal powers to protect threatened species from extinction, including its state faunal emblems, the Leadbeater’s possum and helmeted honeyeater. Habitat destruction, invasive species and climate catastrophes that include last year’s bushfires are exacerbating Australia’s reputation as a country with one of the highest species extinction rates in the world. Victoria’s principal biodiversity law, the Flora and

Content warning: this article discusses suicide and drug use themes Australian metal four-piece The Amity Affliction have dropped their first new music in over 18 months with the new single, Like Love . The band released the track on Wednesday morning, dedicating it to their “dear friend” Sean Kennedy, former I Killed the Prom Queen and Deez Nuts bassist who died in February this year at 35.  The band regularly touches on difficult topics like mental health and suicide, and

Everyone’s feeling the frustration with the return of lockdown restrictions and now more than ever it’s important to get some time away from the doom and gloom of the pandemic age. There’s plenty of AAA games to fill the market so instead The Standard presents a list of games with innovative strides and varying length that you just can’t get from the mainstream output. Whether you’re looking to get lost in a new world or simply want to while away some time before your next re

Riley Barker, an upcoming Twitch streamer, Picture by Trent Kniese Imagine playing a video game as a full-time job. Creating funny, insightful or just awesome gameplay and broadcasting it to all corners of the world. Twitch regular Riley Barker, who goes by BarksAU and live-streams role-playing games, says the platform brought people together in dark times. “During a time like this, where a lot of us have felt so disconnected, Twitch allows people to feel like they belon

A photo of a tiny grey-headed flying fox resting at a wildlife centre in Melbourne is among the pictures to be highly commended in the 57th annual Wildlife Photographer of the year awards. The Natural History Museum in London has released 11 highly commended images on their website in the lead-up to announcing the winners. The photos span all corners of the globe and are of creatures great and small, with all images united by the theme of resilience. Museum director Dr Doug

Nearly 20 years on, the weird world of Psychonauts still possesses the power to assault the mind and bewilder the senses. Levels transform and bend into themselves like a drug-induced hallucination; a banal and clinical medical scene becomes transfigured with beaming neon lights, upbeat jazz and gambling motifs; an office complex becomes twisted into a dental nightmare of teeth and braces. Released on August 25 by developer Double Fine, Psychonauts 2 is the long-awaited direc

“My whole feed is just swamped with dog videos! Puppies, dogs, and animals, because they make me laugh,” says Quilesha Webber, a mental health peer practitioner. “Pay attention to the emotions you feel when looking at [social media] accounts,” she says. Quilesha, whose day is filled with helping and supporting young people with mental health issues, says her approach to social media reflects a mindful way of dealing with the damaging pressures it places on teenagers. “It c

For many university students, sleep deprivation has become an accepted part of their life, but research shows that missing some shut-eye can have long-term implications. A third of university students were not getting enough sleep, a recent research paper out of Edith Cowan University found. Many students were unaware of how many hours of sleep they should be getting, what time they should be going to bed, and what effective strategies for sleeping were. Pulling all-nighter

Amid the cottagecore trend, EA has thrown their hat into the ring with the new Sims 4 expansion pack, Cottage Living . The 11th Sims 4 expansion introduces a new, English countryside-inspired location called Henford-on-Bagley, where Sims can raise cows, grow their own food and forage in the wilderness. Similar to Stardew Valley , Cottage Living focuses on farming and interacting with the community. The new release, which came out on July 23, comes with a host of new items

When 27-year-old administration manager Kiara Dean started looking for new rental accommodation in Warrnambool four months ago, she was optimistic. “We thought we weren’t going to look too bad. Two full-time workers, old enough that we weren’t young party people,” Kiara said. However, by March, Kiara still hadn’t found a property to rent. We were just getting knockback after knockback. All the agents that we spoke to were saying they were getting 20, 30, up to 70 applications

With winter break coinciding with lockdowns around the country, it’s time to put your feet up, pick up the controllers and get stuck into some video games. There’s something for every type of player, so whether you’re into fast-paced shooters, laid back life sims, or just a way to stay connected with friends while stuck at home, The Standard has six games to help you pass the time. Cosy games are growing increasingly popular due to a desire by gamers to de-stress. Image: C

The new pride centre on Fitzroy St in St Kilda – which opened yesterday – is the first purpose-built LGBTQ+ building in the world, its designer says. Architect Grant Amon said the main goal of this building was to provide a place where diverse groups of people could meet and safely exchange their cultural identities. “This building should be a stimulus, not a barrier,” he said. Victorian Pride Centre board chair June Munro said a pride centre “underpins society’s acceptance