Arson detectives are investigating a fire at the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne, which authorities have labeled an antisemitic attack.

Witnesses reported seeing two masked individuals break windows and pour accelerants inside before igniting it around dawn.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the act, stating it was intended to maximize damage and create fear.

Congregants attending early prayers managed to escape as flames engulfed the building. Albanese emphasized that this violence at a place of worship is an outrage and threatens social cohesion.

The arson and explosives squad is reviewing security footage to identify the suspects, with Detective Inspector Chris Murray confirming the fire was deliberately lit and targeted.

Significant escalation

Prominent Jewish lawyer Jeremy Leibler stated that the incident reflects a significant escalation of hate against the Jewish community, which has been increasingly visible over the past year.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Daniel Aghion expressed sorrow for the Jewish community, linking the attack to the ongoing tensions stemming from recent events in Israel and Gaza.

Since the October 7 attacks in Israel, which resulted in significant casualties, the conflict has prompted pro-Palestinian protests in Australia and heightened local tensions.

Deputy opposition leader Sussan Ley called the situation concerning, expressing empathy for the Jewish community in light of the incident.

As businesses embrace cutting-edge tech, challenges like data sovereignty and AI are taking centre stage.

Over the past six months, the AI industry has seen significant advancements, with competing models such as Meta’s Luma and Google’s Gemini entering the market.

However, these developments come with a reality check. Building large language models (LLMs) requires substantial computing power and time, making immediate returns on investment unlikely.

One promising innovation is agentic AI, a step beyond generative AI, which enables proactive, automated solutions.

For instance, this technology could stabilise IT systems autonomously, diagnosing and resolving issues without human intervention.

Data sovereignty has also emerged as a key focus, with increasing emphasis on keeping data within national borders to comply with local laws. This has driven the adoption of sovereign clouds and private data centres, ensuring secure and localised data processing for AI development.

Deepak Ajmani, Vice President of ANZ & APAC Emerging Markets at Confluent, joins to discuss the evolving business landscape.

U.S. shoppers opened up their wallets for record-spending on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

As the holiday season kicks into full swing, many Americans are balancing the joy of gift-giving with the financial strain of holiday spending.

A recent survey by the Achieve Center of Consumer Insights reveals that while half of consumers plan to avoid holiday debt, others may find themselves paying off expenses well into the new year.

So, how can consumers budget to avoid last-minute splurges?

Financial expert Nicole Middendorf joins Veronica Dudo to share practical tips to help shoppers save money and focus on the true spirit of the season.