The first nonstop flight from Australia to Britain has touched down at Heathrow.

Qantas Flight 9 from Perth landed at 5:00am after a flight that lasted 17 hours and covered over 15,000 kilometres.

Previously, all Australia to UK flights had stopped at least once en route to refuel. But improved technology and fuel efficiency means the 787 can cover the ground between Perth and London with a full payload without the need to stop.

New research from Anglicare and the Per Capita shows that tax concessions, to the wealthiest fifth of households, are costing the federal budget half as much as the total cost of welfare payments.

The study revealed that major tax concessions cost the government around $135 billion a year in lost revenue.

Anglicare's executive director Kasy Chambers said, "the cost to Australian taxpayers of the richest 20 percent of Australians is actually a staggering $68 billion per annum".

A former French left-wing parliamentary candidate was arrested in southern France last week, over his tweets about a policeman killed during a jihadist siege.

Stéphane Poussier celebrated the death of Lieutenant Colonel Arnaud Beltrame, saying it was great and also adding that his death meant one less voter for President Emmanuel Macron.

Mr Poussier's Twitter account has since been deleted and French media say he could be charged with apologising for terrorism.

Ride hailing firm Uber is selling operations in South East Asia to regional rival Grab, with the sale expected to be announced later today.

The deal mimics Uber’s 2016 sale of Chinese operations to their local rival Didi Chuxing, with the company retreating further from international operations.

Although there has been no official confirmation of the deal yet, Uber is expected to retain a 30 per cent stake in the business with the deal also including the sale of Uber Eats operations in the region.

A group of unit owners in Logan, south of Brisbane say they are extremely disappointed with the QLD government after discovering their homes will be only metres away from the Pacific Motorway when a major upgrade is complete.

The majority of units at the Rochedale South complex were resumed and demolished in order to make way for the upgrade, but nine have been left untouched.

Owners are furious they were not offered resumptions on their properties, after seeing how close they will be to the M1.

Brisbane is preparing to welcome the Queen’s Baton Relay ahead of the Commonwealth Games, with less than a week until it tours the streets of Brisbane.

Roads across the city will be temporarily shut and bus routes delayed as the baton travels from Brighton to Sherwood on Friday, and will then continue its journey on Saturday from Sherwood to South Bank Parklands.

Over the 39-kilometre baton-bearer mode, it will be exchanged every 200 metres. Road closures and bus services on the route will be detoured.

Hundreds of complaints have been made over the past year in regards to bus drivers and the general public smoking at bus stops.

Queensland legislation was amended in 2016 to enforce a statewide ban on smoking within five metres of all public transport waiting points including bus stops, ferry terminals and taxi ranks.

Transport agency Translink says they have received over 80 complaints about bus drivers smoking illegally at bus stops, but states that disciplinary action is the responsibility of the council, and not Translink.

The Coalition government has lost its 29th consecutive Newspoll, finishing behind the Labor party 47 to 53 on a two-party preferred basis.

The latest Newspoll consisting of 1,597 voters that was published in The Australian shows Labor’s primary vote is also climbing to 39% against the Coalitions standstill of 37%.

There is concern for the Coalition as this brings Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull closer to the significant 30th poll, which he believes was one of the reasons for defeating Tony Abbott in 2015.