Key events
Woods Point earthquake an ‘aftershock’ of 2021 earthquake, geologist says
The Seismology Research Centre said the magnitude 4.1 earthquake near Woods Point in Victoria is the largest in the area since a 4.7 earthquake in June 2023 – following on from a September 2021, 5.9 earthquake.
Earthquake geologist Dr Dee Ninis wrote on X:
This is one of the largest aftershocks of the ongoing sequence since the 2021 M5.9.
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake occurred at 3:48am near Woods Point in Victoria. This is the largest earthquake in the area since a M4.7 in late June 2023. Activity in this region started in September 2021 with an Mw5.9. pic.twitter.com/YcEptVZv2d
— Seismology Research Centre (@AusQuake) August 6, 2024
One person on social media said they are 40km from the epicentre and “it was a good shake.” Another felt it in the Kiewa Valley while watching the Olympics:
…the glass doors shook like crazy. My Cat is spooked.
Another user in Reservoir said they didn’t feel a shake, but “felt like the metal window frames and wooden floorboards ‘creaked’ for a few seconds”.
As of two hours ago, the Victorian State Emergency Service said there had been no reports of damage to buildings or infrastructure following the 4.1 earthquake at Woods Point.
A magnitude 4.0 earthquake occurred near near Woods Point at 3:48am on Wednesday 7 Aug with 1408 felt reports and no reports of damages to buildings or infrastructure. If you require SES assistance please ring 132 500. For more information, visit: https://t.co/BfEDYftW36 pic.twitter.com/2hVmkqtlju
— VICSES News (@vicsesnews) August 6, 2024
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Meteorology said there is no tsunami threat following the earthquake:
Magnitude 4.1 earthquake recorded near Melbourne
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake was recorded near Melbourne in the early hours of this morning.
According to Geoscience Australia, the earthquake occurred in Woods Point at 3.48am today, and there have been 1717 “felt” reports so far.
VicEmergency says the earthquake was felt in Wangaratta, Benalla, South Morang, Healesville, Yarra Junction and Dargo.
It said minor damage may have occurred in these areas, urging people to avoid any damaged buildings, roadways and bridges, and fallen trees and powerlines.
This Advice is for an Earthquake in Woods Point and surrounds.
A 4.0 magnitude earthquake occurred at Woods Point at 3.48am Wednesday 7 August 2024, felt in Wangaratta, Benalla, South Morang, Healesville, Yarra Junction and Dargo.
More details at https://t.co/X27kFi7NOu pic.twitter.com/gr4RSfv2Is
— VicEmergency (@vicemergency) August 6, 2024
Ausmin talks: Wong says Gaza ceasefire has ‘never been more urgent’
Daniel Hurst
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, and the defence minister, Richard Marles, have held annual talks with their US counterparts Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin in Maryland.
At the beginning of the meeting – known as Ausmin – Wong said the group was meeting “in the shadow of a deteriorating situation in the Middle East”.
Wong acknowledged US leadership “to broker peace”. Speaking of the Gaza ceasefire proposal pushed by the president, Joe Biden, Wong said:
The ceasefire has been urgent for months, it’s never been more urgent than it is now.
Wong said the US was also having to show leadership in Ukraine and in the Indo-Pacific:
In the Indo-Pacific, the security guarantee of the United States has enabled a long period of prosperity peace that we have enjoyed, and it has never been more vital. It’s never been more vital.
We see this Ausmin as another opportunity for us to together work in how we rise to the challenges for today to ensure that our alliance, our partnership, our work together, is fit for the times, delivers for our shared objectives and aspirations and for the region that we live in. We are stronger together.
Good morning
Emily Wind
And hello! Thanks to Martin for kicking things off for us. I’m Emily Wind, and I’ll be taking you through our rolling coverage today.
See something that needs attention? You can get in touch via X, @emilywindwrites, or you can send me an email: [email protected].
Let’s get started.
‘Are we not human?’: father’s quest for answers after botched murder investigation
“To lose a young man like that, it’s not simple. And there’s no justice,” says Lual Akech, whose 17-year-old son, Aguer, was killed in 2019 during a fight at a Melbourne train station.
As we revealed yesterday, the police investigation into his alleged murder was deeply flawed, resulting in a 15-year-old spending a year in custody before the case against him collapsed.
Lual believes the case was mishandled because of how Victoria police treat South Sudanese-Australians. The force strongly rejects this suggestion.
“We’ve been victimised, especially in Victoria,” says Lual. “Are we not human? We should be treated the same way [as other Australians].”
Read his story here:
And this investigation is also the subject of our Full Story podcast today, with reporter Nino Bucci explaining how police used flawed identification evidence against the 15-year-old boy accused of stabbing Aguer.
‘Well done to all of you’: Albanese congratulates Olympians
Anthony Albanese has shared a video call he had with some of Australia’s Olympians, during which he told them how much pleasure they had given the nation.
“You have given so much excitement, pleasure and pride to the whole country,” he told the group that included swimmers Kyle Chalmers and Shayna Jack, and boxers Caitlin Parker and Charlie Senior.
“Well done to all of you.”
The boxer Caitlin Parker, who has already secured a bronze medal by reaching the semi-finals, told the PM he would have to set his alarm early on Friday morning Australia time in order to watch her bid to reach the final.
He replied: “We’ve been getting up very early here. It’s been a case of late nights but very early mornings.
“It’s incredibly inspirational.”
Here’s the whole video.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our rolling news coverage. I’m Martin Farrer with the latest overnight news and looking forward to what’s coming up before Emily Wind takes the wheel.
Yesterday a Guardian investigation found the alleged murder of a 17-year-old Melbourne boy remains unsolved after police officers used flawed identification evidence to pursue a 15-year-old for his death. Today his father says he believes their African background is one reason why. More coming up.
Linda Reynolds is expected to be back in the witness box today as her defamation case against Brittany Higgins over social media posts published in July 2023 continues. It is expected that she will finish giving her evidence in chief, and her cross examination by Higgins’ lawyer will begin. We’ll be following the case again today when it gets going at the WA supreme court.
Yesterday, Reynolds told the court in Perth that has said she experienced “incredible pain” and at one point left question time and started “sobbing uncontrollably” due to the media scrutiny over Higgins’ alleged rape. Meanwhile, it emerged last night that possible communications between Higgins and a sexual assault survivor advocate about a fundraising effort will be handed over to Reynolds’ legal team after the former senator’s lawyers argued it was an attempt to “capture public opinion”. Higgins’ lawyer called the argument “beyond any stretch of imagination”.
Penny Wong is about to appear at a press conference after Ausmin, the annual Australia-US defence talks, which this year are taking place in Annapolis, Maryland. Reuters reports that the talks were to focus on China’s “coercive behaviour”, as well as the Aukus nuclear submarine project and mounting tensions in the Middle East. We’ll bring you news of that press conference soon.
And on a much lighter note, we have to mention 14-year-old Arisa Trew’s amazing gold medal in the women’s skateboarding park event at the Paris Olympics. It continues Australia’s winning streak at the Games and which Anthony Albanese has described as “inspirational” in a call to members of the team. More coming up.