The Melbourne Snap⚡- Monday 24 February
School's deepfake porn scandal, more machete attacks, cleanest (and dirtiest) beaches and the street sumo contest.
G’day and welcome back to The Melbourne Snap. Hello to the people who signed up from Friday-Sunday. The Snap aims to give you an espresso shot of news every weekday morning so you can get up-to-date with what’s happening in the city and stop doomscrolling. If you like it, please consider sharing with friends. Now on to Monday’s edition.
💻Police are investigating an AI deepfake photo scandal at a school in Melbourne’s north-west. A series of sexually explicit digitally generated images of up to 60 female students from Gladstone Park Secondary College were being circulated online. - 3AW
➡️Two year 11 students have since been suspended. - Nate Woodall, ABC News
➡️In January experts warned legislators may be unable to keep up as cases of deepfake pornography rise. - Clareese Packer, news.com.au
➡️In June last year around 50 female Bacchus Marsh Grammar students had images taken from their social media accounts and manipulated into deepfake nudes. - ABC News
⚽A 27-year-old has been arrested and released following a wild brawl that broke out on Swan Street, Richmond on Saturday night. Video footage from the street fight showed tables, chairs and even umbrellas used in the melee near G Bar. - outlawmedia
➡️It is uncertain whether the men had attended an earlier soccer match between Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City FC at AAMI Park, but G Bar is known to be a popular post-game pub for Victory supporters. - Zoe De Koning, newscom.au
⛅ Monday weather
Crime Watch
This section is dedicated to crime news. Scroll on if you want to skip to lighter news. The section tends to be longer than normal after a weekend.
🚨In a three-day crackdown across south-east Melbourne (Greater Dandenong, Cardinia and Casey) police arrested 11 people, seized 20 illegal weapons and recovered large drug stashes during 61 firearm prohibition checks. The operation led to over 40 charges and more raids are planned. - Victoria Police
🔪Two people have now been charged following the death of 24-year-old Nathaniel Mwanza (more in Friday’s edition), 24, who was stabbed near a bus stop in Wyndham Vale on Wednesday night. A 17-year-old and a 22-year-old were arrested on a murder charge. - Victoria Police.
🔪A man and a woman were randomly attacked with a machete in separate incidents in Melbourne's southeast, leaving a 37-year-old woman with severe hand injuries at a Cheltenham car wash on Saturday. The attackers, who fled in a stolen white Subaru, are also believed to have assaulted a 73-year-old man in Keysborough the night before. - Nine News
🔪Another machete attack. This time in the inner west. A 24-year-old man is fighting for his life after being stabbed multiple times during a brawl in Footscray on Friday night. The attack, captured on CCTV, involved a machete and left the victim on the ground. Locals expressed frustration over rising crime and drug use in the area. - Nine News
🚓Police charged four men after a high-speed chase through Melbourne’s northern suburbs on Friday morning led to the discovery of two loaded firearms. The pursuit ended in Dallas, where suspects switched cars before being stopped in Broadmeadows. - Victoria Police
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⛩️Only in Melbourne can you have a street sumo challenge a block away from a Greek cultural festival. But on Saturday night that’s exactly what happened.
➡️A former professional sumo wrestler from Japan (he’s @gocchanko on Insta) entertained a lively crowd outside the State Library with an impromptu "street sumo". ➡️Challengers were invited to test their strength against the master…who swiftly dispatched all the young males who wanted a go. - you can watch the video here
➡️Meanwhile, around Lonsdale Street, the Greek Antipodes festival was in full swing. - antipodesfestival/Instagram
🚅Victorian train passengers will soon be able to use bank cards, smartphones, and wearables to tap onto public transport. Don’t throw out your Myki yet, the staggered rollout begins next year. - Guardian Australia
🏢The Victorian government has set height limits for buildings in ten Melbourne suburbs, permitting high-rises of up to 20 storeys to tackle the housing crisis. The initiative aims to create 60,000 new homes by 2051 with the changes expected to be enacted next month.
➡️A maximum of 10 storeys will apply in Niddrie, North Essendon and Preston. A maximum of 12 storeys will apply in Broadmeadows, Camberwell, Chadstone, Epping and Moorabbin. - Vic Gov/Suburb-specific info can be found here.
🌊Melbourne's latest water quality data from Christmas to February 14 shows that while overall beach conditions have improved, inner-city swimming spots remain the most polluted, with Portsea and Queenscliff rated as the cleanest beaches at 89% good quality, while St Kilda was the dirtiest at just 55%. - Lachlan Abbott, The Age
🔥Fire Rescue Victoria responded to a fire at a Brighton apartment complex on Saturday, bringing it under control by 4:30 PM and ensuring all occupants evacuated safely. - FRV
🎓Data from 2023 reveals that the University of Melbourne has the highest proportion of private school students among Victorian universities, with 64% of commencing students coming from non-government high schools. This is despite ongoing efforts to boost representation from low-income backgrounds. - Daniella White, The Age
🧠The state government will introduce new workplace mental health protections by the end of the year. The laws will recognise psychosocial hazards (like bullying and harassment) as important as physical hazards and impose new obligations on employers to manage these risks. - Vic Gov
🍗Lebanese charcoal chicken eatery, Habibi Chicken, has expanded from Wagga Wagga to a new location in Preston, north Melbourne, aiming to enter the city’s food scene and compete with existing chains like El Jannah. - Quincy Malesovas, Broadsheet
⭐After a successful three shows in Melbourne this weekend, hometown hero Kylie Minogue has been given a star on the forecourt of Rod Laver Arena to commemorate 35 years of concerts by the pop superstar. - Kylie Minogue/Insta
🔒The Gaso, a beloved live music venue in Collingwood known for supporting emerging artists, has announced its closure on March 31. - Instagram
✊Residents of Sunshine, in the city’s west, are demanding action from Brimbank Council to address the derelict building at 6-18 Alexandra Avenue, which has become a site of crime and antisocial behaviour. - They started a petition here.
📢Community Noticeboard📢
📌”Christ Church, (14 Acland Street) St Kilda monthly market is on this Saturday. Sausage sizzle, books, plants, preloved clothes and lots of other things.” [no link provided]
📌”We are looking for staff to work at Moomba Festival at the fairy floss stall. Training will be provided. Date and time: 6th and 7th March - 5pm to 10pm, 8th to 10th March - 10am to 10pm. Location: Boathouse Drive (Alexandra Gardens), Melbourne. If you are interested please email glowingfairyfloss@gmail.com”
📌”Help us celebrate Wyndham’s diversity and challenge your perspectives during Cultural Diversity Week (17 - 23 March 2025) – Victoria’s largest multicultural celebration” - more details
📌”Join six choirs for a free Gymanfa Ganu, a Welsh choral festival, at St Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne, on Saturday, March 1, at 3 PM—no tickets needed!” - more details
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🏘️And finally…Neighbours, the world-famous Melbourne soap opera, is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2025. Yet that won’t save it from the axe again. It’s been announced the show is cancelled for a second time. It’s set to conclude in December 2025 after a brief revival by Amazon Prime. But despite its global popularity and a recent Daytime Emmy nomination the streaming service is calling time on it. It’ll be on Network Ten and Prime Video in Australia until the end. - Neighbours/Instagram
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