Your morning Briefing

Welcome to your morning roundup of what’s making news and the must-reads for today.

Hello readers. Here is your two-minute digest of what’s making news today.

Victorian Police Minister Lisa Neville (R) and acting Chief Commissioner of Police Shane Patton hold a press conference regarding African youth crime in Melbourne, Tuesday, January 2, 2018. (AAP Image/David Crosling) NO ARCHIVING

Alleged cop-kicking teen’s bail ‘incomprehensible’

Victoria’s police minister has criticised the Children’s Court for not reflecting community expectations, after a 17-year-old African youth, accused of kicking a police officer in the head on Boxing Day was granted bail. The youth was on 12-months probation at the time of the alleged attack and has a history of serious offending including charges of aggravated burglaries and car theft. This morning police minister Lisa Neville called the court’s decision “incomprehensible”. Meanwhile, Federal Labor has come under fire for denying that Melbourne has an escalating gang problem and blocking attempts to deport migrants and refugees convicted of violent offences.

“Police rightly strongly opposed bail in this case.”

Lisa Neville, Victorian police minister

2007 Federal Election - Votes in Bowman Andrew and Olesja Laming .

Lib’s excellent family adventure

Liberal backbencher Andrew Laming has charged the taxpayer more than $13,500 for his wife and daughters to accompany him on a week-long trip to the Northern Territory, including claiming more than $3000 per person for business-class flights from Kunu­n­urra to Brisbane via Perth. The sum is almost double the $7800 Mr Laming spent on his staff members’ travel over the three months from July to September 2017, and more than any other MP spent on family travel over the period.

-

A supplied image obtained on Sunday, December 31, 2017 of Sydney Seaplanes' single-engine DHC-2 Beaver Seaplane. The seaplane was returning from a New Year's Eve lunch at a picturesque restaurant on the NSW Hawkesbury river when something caused it to plunge into the water and rapidly sink, killing all six aboard. (AAP Image/Supplied by David Oates)

Seaplane’s fatal 1996 crash

The seaplane that crashed into the Hawkesbury River north of Sydney on New Year’s Eve, killing all six people aboard, had reportedly been rebuilt after another fatal crash in the 1990s. NSW police will attempt to recover the Sydney Seaplanes DHC-2 Beaver from the Hawkesbury River today in an operation that started at dawn and will run into the afternoon.

-

Australia's cricket captain Steve Smith speaks during a press conference before training at the SCG in Sydney on January 3, 2018, a day ahead of the start of the fifth Ashes cricket Test match against England. / AFP PHOTO / WILLIAM WEST / --IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE--

Smith has legends in sights

Steve Smith has the chance to equal and possibly pass Don ­Bradman’s Australian Ashes batting record in the Test starting in ­Sydney today, as morning showers delay the start of play. The skipper has three centuries in the series, only Bradman (4 in 1930), Wally Hammond (4 in 1928-29) and Herb Sutcliffe (4 in 1924-25) have ever done better. England captain Joe Root, meantime, says his veteran pacemen James Anderson and Stuart Broad are up for the challenge of having a potentially heavier workload in the final Ashes Test. Keep up with all the Ashes action from the SCG in our live blog.

-

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 07: Hugh Bowman riding Winx wins Race 5, Turnbull Stakes during Turnbull Stakes day at Flemington Racecourse on October 7, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)

The long read (Best of 2017): A horse possessed

She’s beaten the mighty Phar Lap’s winning streak and captured the public’s heart. Greg Bearup asks: What makes Winx so special?

-

Comment of the day

“If you put a trough anywhere near pigs they will drink till it is all gone, then wait for a refill. Solution: Take the trough away.”

Bill, in response to ‘Taxpayer picks up Liberal Andrew Laming’s $13,000 travel bill’.

-

Clement’s view

Rod Clement Letters Cartoon for 04-01-18Version: (650x366)COPYRIGHT: The Australian's artists each have different copyright agreements in place regarding re-use of their work in other publications.Please seek advice from the artists themselves or the Managing Editor of The Australian regarding re-use.