As the COVID-19 pandemic caused global lockdowns and mass panic, a game came along that turned out to be exactly what we needed. Animal Crossing: New Horizons – about making friends with neighbours and the joys of community and everyday life – was released on March 20, 2020. People pounced on it. The Nintendo Switch game is the fifth main title in the Animal Crossing series that began in 2001. According to Nintendo’s 2020 financial report, it sold 11.77 million units in t

“This is what we love, we love music, we love records,” says favourite Swinburne cafe co-owner and manager Max Le Bras. For 14 years, Alley Tunes has sold records and coffees in the heart of Glenferrie Station to university staff, students and train goers. Alley Tunes’ atmosphere radiates through its surroundings, attracting people of all ages and walks of life. Customers can buy their coffee through the front window and then browse through the thousands of records while musi

“Most people take it for granted but being recognised is a very awesome feeling for people like me,” says Keelin Foley, a gamer with a disability from Melbourne. Ms Foley is a 22-year-old wheelchair user with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 2. She is part of a massive community of gamers with disabilities both in Australia and globally. The CDC estimates 61 million American adults live with a disability in the United States. With such a large audience unable to play, it’s no won

Thousands of people gathered near Parliament House in Melbourne today as part of the nation-wide March4Justice rallies, protesting against gender inequality and demanding justice for victims of sexual assault. Event organiser and Animal Justice Party spokesperson Bronwyn Curry said it was “something women and girls should be proud of”. The protests are in response to a series of recent accusations of gender-based discrimination and violence in federal politics. A list of name

In 2004, Mark Barlet watched as a friend’s multiple sclerosis began to interfere with her ability to use a mouse, leaving her unable to game the way they always had. He decided to make sure nobody with a disability would have to miss out on the joy and friendship that comes with video games. And so Barlet founded the AbleGamers charity. Almost two decades later, US live-streaming platform Twitch is donating $1 million to AbleGamers, joining a growing list of companies and in

Surrounded by red soil in the baking Northern Territory, Lajamanu is one of a handful of isolated communities suffering from record-breaking low school attendance rates for Indigenous students. The communities – all hundreds of kilometres from Darwin – share frustrations over a once-strong education system some say is now doomed. Education experts and parliamentarians say one way to help fix the problem is to bring back bilingual education. It’s a system that was painfully

The almost empty terminal makes checking in easy. Pictures by Millicent Spencer Intrepid traveller Milicent Spencer. Social distancing is still the rule.

They were called Irish O’Reilly and The Mighty Joe. Two former circus performers reunite to speak about their past lives travelling the country and performing under the Big Top. Video by Jordan Iaria.

Staring into the void of Melbourne’s stage four lockdown, some local entrepreneurs found the inspiration to reimagine their businesses – and turn 2020 into a winning year. Kate Oxley reports.

Scott Rathman was lacking direction and motivation at school when a chance encounter with an artist changed his life. Scott – the grandson of a member of the Stolen Generation – often found himself skirting the law without understanding why. The artist showed him that a different life, one rich with possibilities that connected him to his culture, was possible. Born in South Australia’s Riverland region, the Arrernte descendant grew up struggling to fit into the Australian

COVID-19, with its disposable masks and bans on KeepCups, brought the fight for the environment to its knees. Meet the entrepreneurs and community leaders who found ways to keep their green hopes alive throughout Victoria’s COVID crisis. Gemma Davidson reports. This video was produced during stage four lockdown in Melbourne. #climatechange #COVID #environment

The UN’s WFP brings mass deliveries of food and equipment to Beirut as staple food prices spike following the August 2020 blast that levelled the port. Emily Spindler-Carruthers reports. Vision courtesy World Food Programme. #Beirut #Explosion #Lebanon #MiddleEast