Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has linked the burning of a Melbourne synagogue to Australia's joining a UN vote for Israel to withdraw from the Occupied Territories this week.

Australia on Wednesday split with the US and its previous practice of abstention on such votes to join 156 other UN countries in calling for "Israel bring to an end its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as rapidly as possible".

The Adass Israel Synagogue in Ripponlea was devastated by a fire lit at about 4.10am on Friday, with witnesses saying offenders were inside pouring liquid on the floor before lighting it.

READ MORE: Man inside synagogue during firebombing says petrol can was thrown

Police are seeking three men believed to be involved.

Investigators have not speculated about motivation for the attack, but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has led a chorus of condemnation describing it as an antisemitic hate crime.

Anti-terror police have also joined the investigation.

READ MORE: Heatwave warnings issued for millions of Aussies

https://twitter.com/netanyahu/status/1865020562294128926?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

In a post on X, Netanyahu, whose oversight of Israel's ongoing war in Gaza has sparked international criticism, accusations of genocide, and mass protests in Israel, called the attack "an appalling act of antisemitism".

"Unfortunately, it is impossible to separate this reprehensible act from the extreme anti-Israeli position of the Labor government in Australia, including the scandalous decision to support the UN resolution calling on Israel 'to bring an end to its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as rapidly as possible', and preventing a former Israeli minister from entering the country," Netanyahu wrote.

Meanwhile, Israel President Isaac Herzog also took to X to confirm he had spoken with Albanese.

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https://twitter.com/Isaac_Herzog/status/1864941136743108754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

"Following the atrocities carried out by Hamas against Israel on and since October 7, 2023, there has been an intolerable wave of attacks on Jewish communities in Australia and around the world," he said.

"I noted to the Prime Minister that this rise and the increasingly serious antisemitic attacks on the Jewish community required firm and strong action, and that this was a message that must be heard clearly from Australia's leaders.

"I thanked him for his ongoing efforts to combat antisemitism, and expressed my trust that the local law enforcement would do everything in their power to bring the perpetrators to justice."

Synagogue board member Benjamin Klein said heightened threats and abuse extended back several months.

"There's been a fair bit of screaming and calling and people coming past. The community has been on edge over the last couple of months," he said.

"It's absolutely shocking, I didn't think this would happen to us in Melbourne."

Police have said they are working with the Jewish community in Melbourne to provide support, and have put extra patrols in place.

The Adass Israel synagogue was built by family members of Holocaust survivors more than 70 years ago.

An online fundraiser to rebuild it has already raised more than $130,000.

Anybody with information about the attack is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online.

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Millions of Australians are facing another scorching weekend, with heatwave warnings in place across multiple states.

Temperatures in western Sydney are expected to rise into the mid-30s, with the humidity to make it feel even hotter.

Hundreds are expected to flock to the newly re-opened "Pondi" of Penrith Beach today.

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Despite the heat, Sydney is also facing summer rain and a possible storm today, though severe weather warnings issued earlier have been cancelled.

Conditions are expected to ease tomorrow, with temperatures dropping back into the high 20s and an ongoing chance of rain.

However, the heatwave will persist in the state's north until Monday.

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Large parts of Queensland are also set to swelter this weekend, with the heatwave moving eastward into next week, covering Brisbane and the south-east.

Temperatures are expected to peak in the high 40s in parts of the affected area, with overnight temperatures staying in the 30s.

Brisbane faces a top of 35 degrees on Sunday and temperatures in the low 30s all the way through next week, along with the chance of rain.

READ MORE: Family rejects hospital apology after girl's death

Heatwave warnings are also in place for South Australia and Western Australia, though Perth and Adelaide will be spared the worst.

Adelaide has been subject to a heatwave warning in recent days but those conditions are moving northward over the weekend.

Stay up to date with the latest weather warnings at the Bureau of Meteorology website.

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A top Romanian court on Friday annulled the first round of the country's presidential election, days after allegations that Russia ran a coordinated online campaign to promote the far-right outsider who won the first round.

The Constitutional Court's unprecedented decision — which is final — came after President Klaus Iohannis declassified intelligence on Wednesday that alleged Russia ran a sprawling campaign comprising thousands of social media accounts to promote Calin Georgescu across platforms like TikTok and Telegram.

Despite being a huge outsider who declared zero campaign spending, Georgescu emerged as the frontrunner on November 24. He was due to face reformist Elena Lasconi of the Save Romania Union party in a runoff on Sunday.

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A new date will now be set to rerun the first round.

The intelligence files were from the Romanian Intelligence Service, the Foreign Intelligence Service, the Special Telecommunication Service and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

In light of the intelligence release, Romania's Constitutional Court received multiple legal complaints urging it to annul the first-round vote but it is not clear yet on what grounds it made the decision.

READ MORE: Two masked suspects wanted over 'targeted' synagogue firebombing

The same court last week ordered a recount of the first-round votes, which added to the myriad controversies that have engulfed a chaotic election cycle.

Three mountain climbers — two from the US and one from Canada — missing for five days on Aoraki, New Zealand's tallest peak, are believed to have died in a fall, authorities said on Friday.

The men's bodies were not found. But based on footprints glimpsed in the snow during an aerial survey, and items believed to belong to them retrieved from the slopes this week, the search for them has ended, Police Area Commander Inspector Vicki Walker told reporters.

The Americans — Kurt Blair, 56, from Colorado and Carlos Romero, 50, of California — were certified alpine guides, according to the website of the nonprofit American Mountain Guides Association.

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Blair and Romero are certified guides in skiing, alpine climbing and rock climbing, according to the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA).

Blair lives in Durango, Colorado, while Romero lives in Livermore, California.

New Zealand authorities have not named the Canadian climber at the request of his family.

The men flew to a hut partway up the mountain last Saturday to begin their ascent and were reported missing on Monday when they did not arrive to meet their prearranged transport after the climb.

Searchers hours later found several climbing-related items believed to belong to the men, but no sign of them, police said.

A search stalled for three days due to treacherous weather conditions in the area. On Friday, drone operators spotted footprints in the snow and more items that authorities believe belong to the men.

The belongings — including clothing, an ice ax and energy gels — were spotted by helicopter and have been retrieved.

"After reviewing the number of days the climbers have been missing, no communication, the items we have retrieved, and our reconnaissance today, we do not believe the men have survived," Walker said.

"We believe they have taken a fall."

The search would resume if more evidence came to light, but the men's deaths have been referred to a coroner, Walker added.

Aoraki, also known as Mount Cook, is 3724 meters high and is part of the Southern Alps, the scenic and icy mountain range that runs the length of New Zealand's South Island.

A settlement of the same name at its base is a destination for domestic and foreign tourists.

The peak is popular among experienced climbers. Its terrain is technically difficult due to crevasses, avalanche risk, changeable weather and glacier movement.

More than 240 deaths have been recorded on the mountain and in the surrounding national park since the start of the 20th century.

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Billionaire Adrian Portelli has hit back at South Australian authorities in an Instagram video after he was accused of running an unlawful lottery.

Portelli said his business had contributed millions to the state's economy and argued that prosecuting him for a tiny fraction of his fortune was a waste of taxpayers' money.

"We had a good relationship with South Australia and they allowed us to invest millions and millions and millions of dollars into their state," he said.

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Portelli is facing nine counts of conducting/assisting in the conduct of an unlawful lottery, and his company LMCT+ is facing 10 counts of the same charge.

"We have met with governing bodies, we have met the gaming commissions, they've come out to see us we've worked with them."

"They all come back with the same finding, that we are compliant," he said.

"The only people, cowboys, I like to refer to them as, is South Australia."

Other states have investigated the subscription platform and cleared it, he said. 

Portelli claims South Australian authorities revoked his licence "overnight".

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SA Consumer and Business Affairs said it had not taken the decision to prosecute lightly, and lottery laws were in place for a reason.

In the Instagram video, Portelli appeared to offer to pay up to "call it even".

"It's a maximum penalty of $190,000. I'll round it up to $200,000" he said.

"Call it even, and stop wasting peoples' money."

It's not clear if that means Portelli intends to admit to the charges when he faces court in Adelaide on January 15.

The promotions guru and property investor is a familiar face on Australian television, including recently purchasing all five homes in the auction finale of the latest season of The Block.

A man has died after he was injured when two boats collided on Sydney Harbour this evening.

Police were called to New Beach Road at Darling Point about 6.30pm after it was reported that two yachts had collided.

When they arrived, they found a man believed to be in his 50s with a severe chest injury.

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He died at the scene, and is yet to be identified.

Both of the yachts' skippers will be tested for drugs and alcohol.

The two vessels have been seized for a mechanical examination, police said.

A report will be prepared for the coroner.

EXCLUSIVE: A tradie on his way to a job site has chased after a Jeep SUV that was stolen just 30 minutes prior from a Caboolture family while they slept.

Security vision shows the suspected teen thief pushing other family vehicles out of the way before he flees, taking out a parked car on the way.

The car's owners, who spoke exclusively to 9News, said they have no idea how the thief managed to get inside the car.

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"I came out, went 'how the hell did that happen', then told the cops," said Gary Clothier.

"It's a bit concerning because there could have been house keys in there, if it's a set that we normally carry. Now I'm going to have to change all the locks."

Tradie Damien Harrison saw the stolen car on the Bruce Highway near Caboolture and followed it.

READ MORE: Severe storms possible in three major cities

"We came to a stop, I ran up to his car, opened the door and went to grab his keys out. It's just an instant thought," Harrison said.

"I thought someone's going to get killed here, I need to try and do what I can to prevent this from happening.

"He was struggling to see over the dash – it's not something you tend to experience on a Friday morning."

The thief was spooked, exiting the highway and turning onto Gympie Road at Lawnton, where he ditched the car.

He remains on the run.

Queensland Police have asked anyone with relevant vision or information to come forward.

Woolworths is one step closer to refilling empty shelves across the country after winning its Fair Work Commission bid against the United Workers Union (UWU).

The commission ruled today that the union had not been bargaining with the supermarket giant in good faith, deeming its picket, which blocked access to one of its key distribution centres was unlawful.

It comes three days after Woolworths confirmed that the ongoing supply chain strike has cost the company $50 million in lost food sales over the past two weeks.

READ MORE: 'Act of hate': Leaders condemn 'horrendous' firebombing attack on synagogue

Woolworths' legal representative Marc Felman KC told the commission that the picket had undermined the bargaining process.

"It's capricious or unfair. It should be stopped," Felman said.

Deputy President Gerard Boyce sided with Woolworths this afternoon, finding that the UWU participated in unlawful picketing, which was found to not be in good faith.

The decision is a win for Woolworths but doesn't guarantee that shelves will be refilled.

The supermarket giant has replacement staff ready to work, but not enough to get its distribution centres back to 100 per cent capacity.

Striking workers are demanding a pay rise above inflation, seeking an immediate 25 per cent increase and a further 30 per cent over the next two years.

They also want the productivity framework, which forces them to meet 100 per cent adherence to a speed-related metric known as pick rates, scrapped.

The strike, now its third week, involves around 1800 distribution workers across three states.

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United Workers Union National Secretary Tim Kennedy said Woolworths could fix the stand-off today if they focus on negotiating a fair outcome.

"Woolworths can open their warehouses. But the warehouses only work if the workers go back to work," he said.

"The strike continues irrespective of what the Fair Work Commission says."

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Maverick Valle has the freedom to learn wherever he chooses, whether it's aboard his family's boat or in between shifts at his part-time job.

At 18, he has just completed his final year of study and is one of many students across the country who are homeschooled.

This trend is growing, with the number of families leaving traditional schools to enrol their children in homeschool programs having doubled since 2019.

READ MORE: 'Act of hate': Leaders condemn 'horrendous' firebombing attack on synagogue

The 18-year-old, along with his father Brent, turned to homeschooling when they started working together.

Maverick explained that he felt like time was being wasted spending six hours a day at school.

"I wasn't enjoying school very much and I thought I was wasting my time and when I found out I could be working and doing a little bit of schooling on the side, I thought it was a good idea," Maverick said.

"Me and dad started talking about working together and we thought it was a good idea to finish Year 12 so we went through and looked at all the options we could have taken and found Euka."

Euka is the largest online full time education providers in the country, which offers homeschooling for students from kindergarten to Year 12.

"Children have different learning speeds different learning requirements, different learning tastes so the ability for them to learn at their own their own pace… It's really rewarding," Euka chief executive Brett Campbell said.

Since 2019 the number of Aussie kids enrolled in home schooling has more than doubled.

In Victoria over the past 12 months, registrations spiked by more than seven percent.

Maverick has been out of regular schooling since Year 10 and already has two-years of experience working in sales and marketing for the tech company his father founded.

He earns about $30,000 a year.

Research on why parents choosing homeschooling shows the majority make the decision because of social issues like bullying.

Enrolments in homeschooling are expected to keep increasing, driven in part by the growing ability for families to travel and work remotely while educating their children.

Yumi Friedman was studying religious texts this morning at Adass Israel Synagogue in Ripponlea when he heard a loud bang on the door.

Moments later, the synagogue on Glen Eira Avenue in Melbourne was engulfed in flames, with emergency services rushing to the scene as two masked suspects fled.

The targeted attack has left the Jewish community in shock, with Friedman calling the firebombing "antisemitic".

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Firefighters and police arrived at the scene just after 4am, after Friedman fled to his store nearby to alert authorities.

He suffered injuries to his hand after returning to the scene.

"When I came back after calling police, there wasn't much of a fire inside. I thought I would go inside, I opened the door and touched something and it was hot.

"It happened within minutes. I saw people doing it, they threw a petrol can in there as well." 

Speaking in the hours following the fire, Friedman said he felt "very scared" in the community.

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Police are investigating the firebombing and said a witness spotted two masked intruders spreading accelerant around the building.

The witness left and police were alerted.

Detective Inspector Chris Murray from Victoria Police's arson and explosive squad said investigators are studying CCTV images from the local area to identify the pair.

"Our first and foremost priority is to identify those individuals that are responsible for this.

"We believe it was deliberate, we believe it has been targeted. What we don't know is why. We'll get to the why."

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