MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australian police suspect explosives stashed on Sydney’s outskirts were evidence of a deadly escalation in a campaign of antisemitic arson and graffiti crimes that has been waged in major cities for months, officials said on Wednesday.

Sydney will take centre stage at Rugby World Cup 2027 while a embarrassing situation where Melbourne could have been completely overlooked for even a single match was only avoided by late night talks 48 hours out from the deadline.

Australia has been grappling with a spate of antisemitic attacks on synagogues, buildings and cars since the beginning of the Israel-Gaza war in late 2023.

Thousands of police officers have been deployed to patrol Melbourne suburbs to tackle what Chief Commissioner Shane Patton describes as a “huge rise” in antisemitism across Victoria.

An antisemitic campaign featuring arson and graffiti has been waged in major cities for months, authorities said.

Discovery of sprayed slogans including 'Jew dogs' comes day after announcement of apparent bomb plot against Jewish targets amid escalation in antisemitic incidents in Australia

It’s a question that has long frustrated governments and apartment dwellers, particularly as Australia is a world leader in rooftop solar.

The vandalism unfolded in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. Australia Day is a divisive holiday that critics see as a symbol of racism and oppression.

The extreme temperatures brought back memories of the catastrophic 2019-2020 "Black Summer" that saw fires destroy an area the size of Turkey, killing 33 people and billions of animals.

An Australian state has committed more police to investigate a spate of antisemitic crimes after a childcare center was torched near a Sydney synagogue.

Police say they are stepping up investigations after building was graffitied with anti-Jewish slogans and then burnt, causing massive damage but no injuries

A New South Wales man drove onto a Melbourne beach in the early hours of the morning and got his rental car bogged in the sand near the water.