TRANSCRIPT
- TikTok one step closer to facing a ban in the United States
- Political and community leaders condemn an arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue
- The Australian 17-year-old making history in sprinting
A court ruling could see social media platform TikTok banned in the United States in just six weeks.
A US federal appeals court has upheld a law requiring Chinese-based ByteDance to divest its popular short video app TikTok in the US by early next year or face a ban.
The ruling is likely be appealed to the Supreme Court or full appeals court panel by ByteDance and TikTok.
The Justice Department says under Chinese ownership, TikTok poses a serious national security threat because of its access to vast personal data of US citizens.
**
Victoria Police are searching for two suspects who they say deliberately lit a fire at a synagogue in Melbourne causing worshippers to flee on Friday morning.
Firefighters battled for nearly an hour to control the blaze at the Adass Israel Synagogue in Ripponlea.
Police say the two suspects were wearing masks and are alleged to have spread an accelerant inside the building.
Arson chemists are investigating the exact cause of the blaze which slightly injured one worshipper.
Synagogue board member Benjamin Klein says the attack has terrified the community.
"Everyone's very shaken. You have families. There are a couple of hundred members belonging to this synagogue. You have families who are really impacted, there's kids, there's parents. This is the focal point of the community, the jewel in the crown of the community. To see it lying burnt and in ruins is quite horrendous to happen to a quiet community in Melbourne, Australia. You don't expect such things to happen."
Political and community leaders have also condemned the attack on the Melbourne synagogue.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has described it as an anti-semitic hate crime.
"There is no place in Australia for an outrage such as this. To attack a place of worship is an attack on Australian values. To attack an synagogue is an act of anti-semitism. It is attacking the right that all Australians should have to practise their faith in peace and security."
Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has also condemned the alleged arson attack on the synagogue in Melbourne.
Mr Dutton says the incident has no place in Australia.
"To see the firebombing of a synagogue, a place of worship, is something that is not welcome, and has no place in our country whatsoever. Today we should double down on our support of the Jewish community who will be feeling this very acutely."
**
Former Australian model, fashion icon and media entrepreneur Maggie Tabberer has died at the age of 87.
Her daughter posted on social media that she was an icon in every sense of the word and they would miss her dearly.
Ms Tabberer is seen as Australia's first supermodel and worked with famed photographer Helmut Newton in the late 1950s on assignment for Vogue magazine.
She went on to become a journalist as well as founding a fashion label and public relations company, as well as creating several television shows.
**
Hundreds of people have turned out to mourn a teenager who died after consuming methanol-laced drinks while on holiday in Laos, in south-east Asia.
Bianca Jones died in a Bangkok hospital late last month, while her best friend Holly Bowles died a day later in another hospital in Thailand's capital.
The 19-year-olds, from Melbourne's southeast, had been on holiday in Laos, and were among six foreign nationals who died in a mass drink-spiking event in the popular tourist town of Vang Vieng.
Guests attended Ms Jones' funeral at Mentone Girls Grammar on Friday wearing colour as a mark of how she lived her life.
**
And in athletics,
Teenage sprint star Gout Gout has underlined his potential with more outstanding performances at the Australian All Schools Championships in Brisbane.
He ran a wind-assisted 10.04 in the 100 metre heats at the Australian All School Championships.
Athletics Australia says that is the fourth-fastest time in all conditions by an Australian on record.
Gout ran a legal personal best of 10.17 to win the men's under-18 final.
The 16-year-old will contest the under-18 men's 200 metre heats on Saturday.