The government’s income tax plan will gift Australia’s top income earners more than $33bn in benefits, according to a new economic analysis from the Australia Institute. The unlegislated income tax package will be one of the Morrison government’s first priorities when parliament resumes next month. Scott Morrison and the treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, have already made it clear that the $158bn ...

Nearly a thousand Australians will be honoured in Queen’s Birthday ceremonies around the country, with female representation reaching a record high of 40 per cent. Women were awarded 395 of the 993 honours this June, with nominations and awards for females continuing to increase. Governor-General Peter Cosgrove said that Australians “would all welcome higher recognition of magnificent Australian women”. The ...

Australian authorities say they have seized the nation’s largest-ever haul of methamphetamine, an illicit drug known locally as ice. The drugs, with an estimated street value of A$1.2bn (£660m; $840m), were found hidden inside stereo speakers in a shipment at a Melbourne port. The consignment had come from Thailand, police said. No arrests have been made. Ice has been described ...

The British government on Thursday accused both Israel and the Palestinians of ongoing human rights abuses, in its first annual report on the state of democracy and human rights across the globe. According to the 76-page report, 2018 saw “continued violations by the Israeli government of international human rights and international humanitarian law in the context of Israel’s occupation” of ...

Amir Ohana, of Mr Netanyahu’s Likud party, was named as acting justice minister following the sacking of the previous office holder. Mr Ohana, 43, is a Netanyahu loyalist, who backs moves to protect the prime minister from possible prosecution. His appointment comes days after parliament dissolved itself in preparation for fresh elections. Mr Netanyahu fired the previous justice minister, Ayelet ...

All eyes were on Dubai World Trade Centre on Thursday afternoon as the country celebrated the wedding reception of the three sons of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, from 4pm. Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the ...

Saudi Arabia has significantly escalated its ballistic missile programme by buying technology from China, according to a US media report. In a story published on Wednesday, broadcaster CNN said the United States government had obtained intelligence on the technology transfers, but the administration of US President Donald Trump did not initially share its knowledge with key members of Congress. Jeff Stacey, a US national security consultant who worked at the ...

Iraqi authorities will begin identifying the remains of 141 people exhumed from mass graves in the Yazidi region of Sinjar, the head of Baghdad’s forensic office said Thursday. “The remains will first be examined, and then DNA samples will be taken to compare with samples gathered from families,” Zaid al-Yousef told AFP. The efforts are part of an investigation by ...

At least five PKK militants were neutralized during Turkey’s counter-terrorism operations in northern Iraq, Turkish Defense Ministry said on June 6. Authorities often use the term “neutralized” in statements to imply militants in question surrendered or were killed or captured. At least three PKK militants were neutralized as part of the ongoing Operation Claw in northern Iraq, bringing the total number of terrorists killed since the beginning of the operation ...

Egyptian security forces have killed 14 suspected militants during a raid carried out in the restive Sinai Peninsula in response to a deadly checkpoint attack, the authorities said. The Wednesday, June 5 attack claimed by Islamic State left dead eight police officers dead southwest of El-Arish, capital of North Sinai, and five militants were killed in exchanges of fire that ensued. ...