Syrian insurgents have swept into the central city of Hama and government forces withdrew, dealing another major blow to Syrian President Bashar Assad days after insurgents captured much of Aleppo, the country's largest city.

The stunning weeklong offensive appeared likely to continue, with insurgents setting their sights on Homs, the country's third-largest city. Homs, which is about 40km south of Hama, is the gate to the capital, Damascus, Assad's seat of power and the coastal region that is a base of support for him.

The offensive is being led by the jihadi group HTS and an umbrella group of Turkish-backed Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army. Their sudden capture of Aleppo, an ancient business hub in the north, was a stunning prize for Assad's opponents and reignited the Syrian civil war that had been largely a stalemate for the past few years.

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Hama is one of the few cities that has remained mostly under government control in the conflict, which broke out in March 2011 following a popular uprising.

By sunset on Thursday, dozens of jubilant fighters were seen shooting in the air in celebration in live footage from Hama's Assi Square. The square was the scene of massive anti-government protests in the early days of the uprising in 2011, before security forces stormed it and got the city under control.

The Syrian army said it redeployed from Hama and took positions outside the city to protect civilians.

Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the de facto leader of the Syrian insurgency, announced in a video message that fighters had reached Hama in a "conquering that is not vengeful, but one of mercy and compassion."

Al-Golani is the leader of the most powerful insurgent group in Syria, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which previously served as al-Qaida's branch in Syria and is considered a terrorist group by the United Nations as well as countries including the US.

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The group that was known as the Nusra Front in the early years of Syria's conflict changed its name and said in recent years that it cut ties with al-Qaida.

"This is a massive win for the rebels and a strategic blow for the (Syrian) regime," Dareen Khalifa, a senior adviser with the International Crisis Group and an expert on Syrian groups. She said the question is whether the opposition will be able to reach Homs and take over the area, which she said would be a game-changer.

"I think then we are going to have to pause and consider whether or not this regime can actually survive this war," she added.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose country supports the opposition fighters, reiterated during a telephone call with the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that the Syrian government should urgently engage with its people "for a comprehensive political solution."

The latest flare-up in Syria's long civil war comes as Assad's main regional and international backers, Russia and Iran, are preoccupied with their own wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Ukraine. This time, there appeared to be little to no help from his allies.

Tens of thousands of people have been displaced by the renewed fighting, which began with the surprise opposition offensive November 27.

Hama is a major intersection in Syria that links that country's center with the north as well as the east and west.

With new research showing that younger Australians are feeling the stress of the ongoing cost of living crisis most of all, it's no surprise many are looking for ways to add to their income.

And one young Sydney resident is leading the way, turning a side hustle into a six-figure income.

Alex Munao, 24, joined the burgeoning car-sharing movement several years ago when his grandmother, who could no longer drive, gave him her 2006 Toyota Corolla.

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This planted a seed that bore further fruit late last year, when in November Munao decided to take a new plunge into the industry as a way of getting together some extra cash.

In less than a year, his fleet, which he rents out through Turo, has grown to 16, and he has no plans to stop.

"Demand has been really, really high," Munao said.

High enough that, with a projected income of $160,000 this year, he was able to wave goodbye to his full-time sales job and take a part-time gig selling furniture.

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"It was a lightning-strike moment," Munao said of the moment when, poring through spreadsheets, he realised that if he scaled his fleet up he could turn his fledgling car rental empire into a full-time job.

"I think there will be at least 40 cars by the end of 2025."

Like many entrepreneurs, one of the secrets to Munao's success was his ability to spot a trend and hop on top of it.

"A lot of people in Sydney don't want to own a car," he said.

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"The past seven or eight years, particularly, more people are relying on car-sharing."

This is particularly true for Munao's target market, as Turo tends to advertise itself to out-of-town tourists, or to locals looking for a longer road trip, such as out to the Blue Mountains or the Hunter Valley.

Munao said there were a lot of younger people getting into the car-sharing app, but middle-aged people were also growing their fleets.

"It's great to see," he said.

But he's adamant about the work involved. Not only does it require meticulous planning – see the aforementioned spreadsheets – but there's a lot of due diligence involved.

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For those looking to get started, Munao recommended they look for a reliable car ideally costing $10,000 or less – and one they can pay for in cash.

When the time comes to expand, he said, people should make sure they have a mechanic with them going over prospective purchases, to ensure they're worth the money.

And it's worth investing if possible in vehicles of similar make and manufacture, which adds to ease of management and if nothing else, provides a useful pool of interchangeable parts.

The next stage of Munao's plan is to upgrade his storage facility.

Currently he stocks his fleet at a carpark in Chippendale, but it's nearing capacity.

He said hoped next to get hold of a warehouse near the airport – offsetting the cost by renting the space to other car-share vendors.

The information provided on this website is general in nature only and does not constitute personal financial advice. The information has been prepared without taking into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any information on this website you should consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs.

One is taken out of the water semi-conscious after three kids and an adult hit trouble.

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Maggie Tabberer, an icon of Australia's fashion and television scene, has died aged 87.

The two-time Gold Logie winner and former Australian Women's Weekly fashion editor and supermodel passed away this morning, her daughter, author Amanda Tabberer, said.

"This morning we lost our beautiful mother and Nanna," she wrote on Instagram.

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"She was an icon in every sense of the word and we will miss her dearly… Along with the rest of Australia.

"Rest in peace Nanna. We love you to bits forever."

Born in 1936 in Adelaide, Tabberer began her career as a model in the late 1950s, and was named Model of the Year in 1960.

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A shift to publishing followed in 1963, when she began a long-running fashion column for the Daily Mirror, and a year later she began as a TV panellist on Beauty and the Beast.

In 1970 and 1971 she became the first woman to win back-to-back Gold Logies, taking home the award for Best Female Star two years in a row for her eponymous talk show Maggie.

In addition to a successful public relations career with her own company, Tabberer was also the fashion editor at the Australian Women's Weekly between 1981 and 1996, launched her own clothing brand, Maggie T, and penned a bestselling autobiography, Maggie, which was published in 1998.

That same year, she was made a Member of the Order of Australia for services to charity and fashion.

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Twice she was the subject of a portrait that made the list of Archibald Prize finalists – the first in 1999, the second in 2020, both by artist Paul Newton.

"I'd often thought of approaching her again using the original composition as a starting point for something new," Newton said of his second artwork.

"So earlier this year, before COVID-19 hit, I got together with Maggie, now in her mid-80s (though just as elegant and beautiful as ever), to work with her again on this new portrait.

"I was again drawn to the simplicity and graphic quality of this sort of composition; her strong presence needing nothing else to support her."

In 2015, she came out of retirement to feature on the front cover of Australian Women's Weekly.

Four years later, she was named a finalist for the Australian Fashion Laureate but missed out on the award – only for winner Laura Brown to dedicate the industry's highest honour to Tabberer.

Raelene Castle faced tough questions over her decision to appoint Andrew Matheson.

Friends, family, and community members have gathered to bid farewell to beloved teenager Bianca Jones, who tragically died after drinking suspected methanol-laced spirits while on holiday in Laos.

The 19-year-old, along with her best friend Holly Bowles, died shortly after being taken to separate hospitals in Thailand, having consumed the tainted alcohol at a bar in the town of Vang Vieng in November.

The funeral service for Jones was held at Mentone Girl's Grammar, in Mentone, the same school Jones had graduated from last year.

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Just before the funeral service, Principal Natalie Charles read a statement on behalf of the family.

"We want to thank the people of Australia and the wider community for their outpouring of love, support and compassion during this extremely difficult time," Charles said.

"Your kindness has been a source of strength and comfort for our family. Today is a profoundly significant day as we come together to honour Bianca's life and say our final goodbyes.

"The immense love shown by so many is a testament to the profound impact she had reflected in the scale of today's farewell.

"We remain committed to ensuring that the awareness of Bianca, Holly and others, internationally impacted by this tragic story continue.

"Their legacies are far too important to be forgotten and our children's lives too important not to protect.

"We hope their stories drive change and inspire efforts to save lives. We kindly ask that our family be given the space to grieve on this deeply emotional day."

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Attendees were asked to wear springtime colours, as requested by the Jones family.

The girls had free shots at the hostel before going out and drinking at other bars on the night before they were found ill but the hostel owner insisted the drinks did not come from his bar.

US man James Louis Hutson, 57, British lawyer Simone White, 28, and Danes Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, and Frela Vennervald Sorensen, 21, have been named as the four other tourists who died.

A third Australian was later confirmed to have fallen ill but was last known to be recovering in hospital in a stable condition.

The deaths sparked outrage, well wishes and warnings from Canberra to Washington, including messages from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, various consulates and even Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder.

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9News understands at least 11 staff from Nana Backpacker Hostel in Vang Vieng have now been taken into custody as part of investigations into potentially tainted drinks.

It's believed the source of the deadly outbreak is a rundown factory outside Vientiane that was making Tiger Vodka and Tiger Whisky.

The factory has been ordered to close and the owner has been arrested.

Laos has banned the sale and consumption of Tiger Vodka and Tiger Whisky after the deaths of the tourists.

SmartTraveller has warned Australians in Laos to avoid consuming the products due to "serious safety concerns".

Methanol is a clear liquid chemical used in thousands of everyday products, including plastics, paints, cosmetics, and fuels.

It's often deliberately and illegally added to alcoholic beverages as a cheaper alternative to ethanol, according to the Methanol Institute.

Drinking less than 25 ml of methanol can be fatal.

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Jewish leaders, politicians and community members have strongly condemned a firebombing arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue.

The attack on the Adass Israel synagogue at Glen Eira Avenue in Ripponlea early this morning left the Jewish community in deep shock and the place of worship heavily damaged.

Police believe the fire was targeted and are hunting two masked suspects over the attack, which unfolded while worshippers were inside.

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'Horrendous and scary': Attack shocks community

Board member Benjamin Klein said security had been heightened in recent months following verbal threats.

"We are here most of the time, praying, studying and learning to connecting with the one above," he said.

"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. 

"This is shocking."

Klein described the attack as "quite horrendous and scary".

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

"We are a quiet community, we have our heads down and we don't bother anybody and wish everybody well and to be targeted like this is quite horrendous."

Rabbi Gabi Kaltmann, the head of a modern Orthodox congregation in Hawthorn, said it was a "pure hate crime".

"The way this is looking right now this is pure antisemitism. People coming in the wee hours of the morning to a synagogue, breaking windows, throwing fuel on the floors and setting it alight while people are there sitting and learning."

The Jewish Council Australia said it believed worshippers were inside when the arson attack happened, and Molotov cocktails – a crude incendiary made from a bottle filled with flammable liquid – was used.

"This act of disgusting violence is not just an attack on one synagogue, but is an attack on Jewish communities more broadly," said executive officer Sarah Schwartz.

"No one should be unsafe in a place of worship and I can only imagine the fear that these congregants would have felt.

"Acts of antisemitic violence are attacks on our collective values of inclusivity and respect."

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Police believe fire was 'deliberate'

In an update this morning, police said a witness spotted two masked intruders spreading accelerant around the building.

The witness left and police were alerted. Soon after the building was engulfed in flames.

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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Murray appealed for public help to catch those responsible for the fire.

"We're looking for vehicles, we're looking for those two individuals. We want some starting points.

"We know from experience that these investigations get solved through CCTV. We need the community's help."

One person received an injury to their hand from the fire, Murray said.

Detectives had yet to determine what type of accelerant was used to trigger the blaze. Forensic experts planned to enter the crime scene when it is made safe.

Murray also said he wanted to reassure the Jewish community police would be stepping up patrols to keep them safe.

"We're going to do our best to make sure that they can return as they should to their local synagogues and do what is absolutely Australian – that is to be able to worship without fear."

Yumi Friedman was inside the synagogue with one other person about 4.15am when he heard a big bang like a sledgehammer.

He ran to his fish shop nearby, where his staff member called the police, he said.

He then returned to the synagogue and found a small fire before the entire building was engulfed.

"So I thought maybe I'll be able to open the doors and go inside, but when I touch the door, I burnt my hand," Friedman said.

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'Zero tolerance for antisemitism'

Premier Jacinta Allan confirmed every available resource would be deployed to find the criminals who "tried to tear a community apart".

"I stand here with members of the strong, proud Jewish community that are such an important and beating heart of the city of Melbourne, the state of Victoria and the nation that is Australia, and I thank so many of our community for standing with us here today in what is… one of the toughest times, on one of their darkest days," she said.

"We all stand here today to condemn in the strongest possible terms this hateful violent attack on a beautiful, peaceful place of worship… built by Holocaust survivors who fled that most evil regime in Europe and chose Melbourne and Victoria as their home."

Allan pledged $100,000 for rebuilding work at the synagogue, which she said would begin today.

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Earlier, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the attack on the synagogue, saying there is no place for antisemitism in Australia.

"I have zero tolerance for antisemitism. It has absolutely no place in Australia. This violence and intimidation and destruction at a place of worship is an outrage," Albanese said in a statement

"This attack has risked lives and is clearly aimed at creating fear in the community.

"This deliberate, unlawful attack goes against everything we are as Australians and everything we have worked so hard to build as a nation."

Albanese has been briefed on the fire by the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police. He said the federal government was ready to give full assistance to Victorian investigators.

Speaking at a press conference in NSW, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said the firebombing attack had no place in Australia.

"It's absolutely abhorrent to see any place of worship attacked. I want to pretend this wasn't expected but I can't do that to the Australian people," he said.

Dutton went on to condemn the attack, saying it was "predictable" given the rise of antisemitism in Australia since October 7, 2023.

"Everyone knew that anti-semitism and that hatred, vilification and racism was lurking beneath the surface but what we have seen on our university campuses, online and what we have seen against people of the Jewish faith has been completely and utterly unacceptable and it should be condemned in this country," he said.

"To see the firebombing of a synagogue in this country, a place of worship, is something that is not welcome and has no place in this country."

Foreign Minister Penny Wong called the attack an "act of hate".

"I condemn unequivocally the Melbourne synagogue attack. The targeting of a place of worship is an act of hate," Wong said.

"Violence and antisemitism have no place in Australia."

Anyone who witnessed the incident, has dash cam/CCTV footage or information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000

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The girl has battled daily suicidal thoughts since the rape two years ago.

A witness said the elderly man was sitting on some grass when the boy threw rocks at him.