Your afternoon Briefing

Good afternoon, readers. Here’s what made news this Monday.

Good afternoon, readers. Here’s what made news this Monday.

Former federal treasurer Peter Costello speaking at The Centre for Independent Studies in Sydney, Monday, May 14, 2018. Mr Costello was speaking about the 2018 Budget and his time as treasurer under the Howard Government. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins) NO ARCHIVING

Turnbull’s swipe at Costello

Malcolm Turnbull has taken a swipe at Peter Costello, declaring his government is controlling spending better than the former treasurer did when he handed down budgets for the Howard government.

The Prime Minister hit back at Mr Costello after the Liberal Party luminary questioned whether the Turnbull government would be around for long enough to secure its full tax plan, which would take effect in 2024.

“We have the lowest rate of spending growth of any government in the last 50 years, including the government Peter was treasurer in. That’s just a point,” Mr Turnbull said.

The suspected family involved in the church bombings in Indoesia.

Middle-class family slipped under the radar

Behind their normal, middle-class facade, the Surabaya bombing family was turned into the perfect killing machine.

The family of six, including two boys aged 18 and 16 and two young girls aged just nine and 12, had raised no suspicions among neighbours in Surabaya’s well-to-do neighbourhood of Wonorejo Rungkut ahead of Sunday’s horrific attacks on three separate churches in the city.

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Climber Steve Plain on the crater rim at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Broken neck to record books

An Australian mountaineer who survived a broken neck has become the fastest man to conquer the highest mountains on each of the world’s seven continents.

GPS tracking indicates Steve Plain of Perth summited 8848 metre high Mount Everest around 6am.

Meghan Markle's father thomas markle drops off flowers at her Meghan's mother Doria ragland home days before the wedding. 10 May 2018 Pictured: Meghan Markle. Photo credit: Rachpoot/MEGA TheMegaAgency.com [phone]

Markle’s dad caught with paps

Meghan Markle’s father has been filmed secretly co-operating with a paparazzo to stage photographs of himself, despite demands from Kensington Palace for media organisations to leave him alone.

The footage is a major embarrassment to the Markle family, with daughter Meghan to marry Prince Harry at Windsor Castle on Saturday.

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