Panorama

As we enter our second COVID winter and Victoria extends its fifth lockdown, it’s difficult to find things to be optimistic about. This week, reporter Fae O’Toole set out to find some good news stories from lockdown no.5. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In recent weeks, we've seen bizarre ads pop up urging people to go and get the jab. One was targeting young people, many of whom are still not eligible to get their preferred vaccine.  Reporter Benjamin Lamb caught up with RMIT marketing lecturer Dr Torgeir Aleti, One Small Step Collective creative director James Proctor and Olivia Rodrigo super-fan Caitlin Paull to discuss the issue. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following months of isolation and years of detention, Medevac refugees in Melbourne’s MITA have been on hunger strike against their indefinite detention.Update: Seven refugees have now been hospitalised after the two week hunger strike, as per The Feed. Reporter Emile Pavlich caught up with recently released asylum seeker Ramsiyar Sabanayagam and Refugee Action Collective spokesman Chris Breen.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison's announcement that people under 40 should speak to their GP about getting the AstraZeneca vaccine caused a heap of confusion last week. But with vaccine hesitancy and the in-demand Pfizer vaccine in short supply, experts say young people are keen to roll up their sleeves and get Australia moving again.  Reporter Angus Thomson has the story. Twitter: @_justgusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Increases in the number of police reports into sexual violence jumped dramatically in March, a surge attributed to discussion around consent driven by young women like Chanel Contos and Brittany Higgins.  If you, or someone you know has been affected by Sexual assault, Domestic violence, please call 1800 respect.  Reporting by Sahar (Yumna) FoladiSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Social media has became the main mode of connection during the COVID pandemic for many people. Melbourne university researcher Jess Frank is doing research investigates young Victorian's social media use during the COVID-19 lockdowns and its impact on wellbeing.  Reporter Mengjie Cai has the story See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Fairwork commission raised Australia's minimum wage by 2.5 per cent this week, but the increase has been delayed for award rates in some sectors such as hospitality and retail. With nearly half of all young people with jobs working in these sectors, is this just another setback for those of us trying to recover from the pandemic?Angus Thomson has the story.. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new research has found two-thirds of Australian parents are worried about their child's mental health but a quarter don't know how their kids can get support. Reporter Faith Macale has the story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Philippines celebrates 123 years of Independence. Different organisations took the chance to speak up about the sovereignty of the country involving the Chinese militarization of the West Philippine sea.Reporter Faith Macale has this story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A jaw-dropping number of webpages such as the BBC, Reddit and The UK government became unavailable last week and many pointed to the company Fastly and their CDN delivery.  Professor Paul Haskell-Dowland, associate dean in computing and security at Edith Cowan University, caught up with reporter Emile Pavlich to unpack the story for this week's News Talk.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The world's best female tennis player is taking some time off from the media and the public scrutiny that often follows professional athletes. The New Daily columnist Madonna King thinks it's a brave example for young people living with mental illness. If you or anyone you know needs help you can visit a number of mental health services, including 1800 Respect, LifeLine, Beyond Blue, KidsHelpline or Headspace.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For many years it was believed that the Himalayas acted as a barrier between people living to the north and south of the mountain range. But a world-first dating technology has revealed that people have lived in the Himalayan highlands for more than 5,000 years.Sahar Foladi spoke to Dr Jan-Hendrik May from the University of Melbourne and Dr Luke Gliganic from the University of Wollongong about their discovery.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year reign over Israel is about to come to an end, with a new coalition of parties from across the political spectrum set to form government. But what will the change in government mean for the country's ongoing tensions with Palestine? Reporter Sahar Foladi speaks to Nasser Mashni from the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Faith Macale reports on the National Reconciliation Week oration by professor Marcia Langton.  National Reconciliation Week's 2021 theme 'More than a word. Reconciliation takes action' urges braver and more influential action to support First Nations' perspectives. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reporter Emile Pavlich caught up with Lydia Brown to talk about how people can address fluctuations in mental health as Victoria is plunged into lockdown.  Update: The lockdown has been extended by one week as this podcast was uploaded. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reporter Sahar Foladi puts together a collection of vox pops from students and young people on the state of immunity passports. Twitter: @SaharFoladi See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Researchers at the University of Melbourne have built a website where you can upload a photo of your face and find out what Dungeons and Dragons character you are. It may be fantasy, but artificial intelligence is already making decisions about our real lives, too. Producer Angus Thomson reports. Twitter: @_justgusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reporter Emile Pavlich caught up with Youth Affairs Council spokesperson Mark Yin to discuss the state government spending on mental health services and what impact that will have on Australia's youth. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Concussion is a growing issue in contact sports, with a website launched last week to track all player concussions during the AFL season. But the problem is even more serious in junior and local competitions, where the protocols for protecting young people's brains aren't always clear. Producer Angus Thomson talks to young footballer Aiden May about his latest concussion, as well as Concussion Watch founder, Peter Jess.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Faith Macale reports on former CNN journalist and Rappler CEO Maria Ressa's UNESCO press freedom prize."Freedom of the press continues to be a strong pillar of democracy in the Philippines"    Twitter: @FaithMacaleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reporter Kendra Jewell spoke to young Australian singer songwriter Holly Hebe and emerging R&B artist Squid about their experiences of the music industry in a post-COVID world.     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’ve ever ridden a bike in Melbourne, you’ll know that sharing the road with trams, cars and trucks can be a scary experience. But the coronavirus pandemic has made the City of Melbourne re-think how cyclists move through the city. Angus Thomson begins this story in Carlton.  He spoke with Bike Network CEO Craig Richards and Victorian Transport Association CEO Peter Anderson. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Deadwood, leaf litter and other high-risk bush has been the target of 'planned burning' around the state this autumn. From a practical standpoint, the burns reduce fuel for future bushfires.  The Joint Fuel Management Program is a state-wide, three year initiative to manage bushfire fuel across public and private land.  Reporter Emile Pavlich chats to Murray Johns, a landcare facilitator from the Victorian Landcare Gateway group about the planned burns.    @emile_pavlichSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A proposed tax on electric and other low emission vehicles is currently being debated in the lower house of the Victorian parliament. Reporter Lilian Bernhardt spoke to electric vehicle researcher and specialist Jake Whitehead from the University of Queensland to discuss the possible implications of the tax and what it could mean for Victoria's emission goals and the uptake of EV'S in Australia. Twitter: @LilianBernhar12See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.