Your morning Briefing

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

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

Leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull arrive for the final public hearing to mark the end of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Sydney, Thursday, December 14, 2017. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas) NO ARCHIVING

No satisfaction

Bill Shorten and Malcolm Turnbull have overtaken Tony ­Abbott by racking up more days with negative satisfaction ratings in their roles as Opposition Leader and Prime Minister than Mr Abbott did in either position. While Labor ends the year in a commanding position over the government at 53 to 47 per cent in two-party-preferred terms, an analysis of Newspoll results shows Mr Shorten is one of the most enduringly unpopular ­opposition leaders.

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20/12/2017Merredin airport which is owned by China Southern West Australian Flying College, approx 5minute drive from WA township of MerredinPic Colin Murty The Australian

Aviation community sees red

Merredin airport in Western Australia is effectively under the control of a Chinese government enterprise, prompting outrage in aviation circles, as safety concerns shut down its pilot training school. The airport’s runways, control tower, hangars and all of its assets are 50 per cent owned, and may soon be fully owned, by China’s biggest airline, state-owned China Southern Airlines. In 1993, the secretive company quietly paid $1 to the WA government to lease the airport for 100 years to use as a base to train thousands of Chinese pilots for employment in the world’s fastest- growing aviation market.

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TOPSHOT - US President Donald J. Trump participates in NORAD Santa Tracker phone calls at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida on December 24, 2017. "NORAD Tracks Santa" is an annual Christmas-themed entertainment program, which has existed since 1955, produced under the auspices of the North American Aerospace Defense Command. / AFP PHOTO / Nicholas Kamm

It’s not the stupidity, stupid

This time one year ago, the assumption dominating political coverage was that the only people more stupid than Donald Trump were the deplorables who elected him. Since then, of course, President-elect Trump has become President Trump, and he has taken some time out from tweeting to get a lot of things done. Could The Donald have the last laugh?

“Starting out with the assumption that the president you are covering is a boob can prove debilitating to clear judgment.”

William McGurn

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TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 29: Former U.S. President Barack Obama and Prince Harry on day 7 of the Invictus Games 2017 on September 29, 2017 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation )

Yes we have no Obamas

Barack Obama has helped Prince Harry promote the Invictus Games, and the prince chose the former US president to interview on the BBC’s Today program, which he is guest editing this week. But when it comes to his wedding to Meghan Markle, Harry has been told the Obamas should be excluded from the guest list for fear of infuriating Donald Trump and raising tensions between the White House and Britain.

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Fashion accessories store Oroton is seen in Sydney, Friday, September 29, 2017. Oroton, founded 79 years ago, sank to a $14.3 million full-year loss in the year to July 29 compared to a $3.4 million profit the prior year. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas) NO ARCHIVING

Oroton’s white knight

Caledonia Funds Management chief investment officer Will Vicars has ridden to the rescue of failed fashion retailer Oroton, entering a deal to buy the business from its administrators. The deal will ensure the business (ORL) keeps operating, but ends a near-80 year ownership by the Lane family.

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TWAM-20170617 EMBARGO FOR TWAM 17 JUNE 2017NO REUSE WITHOUT PERMISSION fee appliesSami Shah and Ishma Alvi Pic : Julian Kingma

The long read (best of 2017): Faith no more

Sami Shah and Ishma Alvi thought long and hard about Islam before deciding to renounce it. In their own words, here’s why.

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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 26: Shaun Marsh and Steve Smith of Australia walk from tge ground at stumps during day one of the Fourth Test Match in the 2017/18 Ashes series between Australia and England at Melbourne Cricket Ground on December 26, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

‘David Ramone’ sets stage for Captain Fantastic

England gave their all to get every ounce of movement out of an ­unforgiving pitch, Jimmy Anderson said after play last night, writes Andrew Faulkner.But in the end the pitch won, which meant the Boxing Day fans — those who wanted quick runs and steady wickets — lost. Gideon Haigh ponders how “David Ramone” found his speed on a pitch that had been sedated, while Mike Atherton marvels at how for three hours, David Warner was front and centre stage. But all eyes will be on Captain Fantastic Steve Smith as play resumes at the MCG. Keep up with all the action in our live blog of the fourth Test.

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Comment of the day

“The airfield was a gravel strip, now it has several bitumen runways, lighting for night flying and hangers for planes, a terminus and parking. I bet the Flying Doctor loves the improvements.”

gbe in response to ‘Aviation outrage over Chinese ownership of Merredin airport’.

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Clement’s view

Rod Clement Letters cartoon for 27-12-17Version: (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.