Melbourne

Authorities have said the fires are the worst to hit the southeast since the 2019-2020 Black Summer blazes that destroyed an area the size of Turkey and killed 33 people.

Three people are unaccounted for as bushfires continue to devastate Victoria, Australia, with 30 active blazes and catastrophic fire conditions. Firefighters battle intense heat and winds.

Suspect John Argento was arrested on a Richmond street without incident following the identification of the 47-year-old as a person of interest a day after the December 25 fire.

What we witnessed that Shabbat was something far rarer and more precious than a Test match victory: a glimpse of genuine Jewish unity. 

Movers and shakers in Israeli society.

Argento is known to police, with an outstanding warrant for deception-related offenses, and is known by law enforcement to frequent the inner southern and northern suburbs of Melbourne.

The car’s interior was extensively damaged, and multiple windows appeared to be smashed. No one was inside the vehicle at the time of the attack.

Police patrolled across the beachfront in Bondi, a traditional Christmas destination, as hundreds of people, many wearing Santa hats, gathered on the sands.

The FBI is investigating Saeed Tavakoli, an Iranian official linked to attacks on US, European officials, and Israelis, including incidents in Australia and Mexico.

Decisions on policing, prosecutions, and hate-speech enforcement are increasingly seen as a test of whether Australia can keep Jewish communities safe.