Police in Melbourne have arrested at least ten suspected drug dealers after a series of raids overnight. More than 150 armed officers raided flats and houses across suburbs including Carlton, Richmond and Sequada as part of operation merges. 

 

A man from eastern Victoria has been flown to hospital with gunshot wounds to his chest. Police were called to the Star Street Reserve in / before this morning where they found the man is under a serious condition. Another man in his 20 was arrested and has now been interviewed by police. 

 

At least 60 people have been killed in a triple suicide bombing near the Syrian capital Damascus. Local news agency’s car bomb exploded near Shiite shrine. And two more bombs detonated their explosive / people gathered at the scene. The Islamic state group has claimed responsibility for those attacks. 

 

And a split between state and federal Labor is widening over possible changes to the GST. South Australia’s Labor Premier Jay Weatherill says he’s prepared to accept the highest GST as the trade for more health and education spending. Labor’s Deputy Senate leader said Steven Conroy has dared Mr. Weatherill to take his idea. To the people predicting, he would lose an election if he did. Meanwhile, a newspoll out today has found 54% of voters opposed raising the GST to 15%.