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.

AT LEAST 12 pedestrians have been struck by an out-of-control car on Flinders St between Elizabeth and Swanston streets in the heart of Melbourne this afternoon. The driver of the car has been arrested by police. Commuters were making their way to and from the city’s main train station around 4.40pm when the white SUV collided with pedestrians. Source Ch7

CBD Christmas carnage

Nineteen people are in hospital, including a four-year-old boy, after a car ploughed into a busy pedestrian crossing in downtown Melbourne, in what was being treated as a deliberate ­attack by a 32-year-old Australian citizen of Afghan descent with drug ­and mental health problems. In an incident that highlighted the vulnerability of Australia’s ­cities to such an attack, a white ­Suzuki Grand Vitara four-wheel-drive ploughed into pedestrians crossing Flinders Street, at the ­Elizabeth Street intersection. The attack happened at 4.41pm yesterday (AEDT) as ­Melbourne’s streets were teeming with Christmas shoppers and commuters. They heard the car before they saw it, writes Chip Le Grand, of an afternoon ‘when all you could hear were the screams’.

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Police use water cannon to remove demonstrators protesting against the Alternative for Germany (AfD) far-right party in Hanover, northern Germany, on early December 2, 2017. The far-right AfD party who captured nearly 13 percent of the vote the September general election, gathers on December 2 and 3 to elect a new leadership, with police bracing for potentially violent street protests against the anti-migrant, anti-Islam party. / AFP PHOTO / dpa / Peter Steffen / Germany OUT

‘We need water cannons’

A former Victoria Police commissioner has called for the state’s force to be provided with a water cannon to deal with large-scale ­violence, after police came under attack during a rampage at a house party and did not make arrests. Kel Glare, commissioner between 1987 and 1992, blasted Acting Chief Commissioner Shane Patton’s comments defending Victoria Police’s handling of a series of violent parties at Airbnb properties across the city. Scores of youths attended a Werribee Airbnb property on Tuesday night where the home was trashed and the youths allegedly turned on police when they ­arrived.

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Specialist Australian beef store in Dalian north china owned by the Dashang supermarket group where the AAAW wagyu and Angus reared by the chiene on their new Hunter Valley farms will eventually end up, after being exported live to China and slaughtered there.

China consumer boycott threat

Chinese officials have warned of a consumer-led boycott of ­Aus­tralian products following the breakdown in relations ­between the two countries, ­fuelled by Malcolm Turnbull’s foreign interference laws and pushback against ­Chinese influence in the Asia-Pacific region. China is understood to be considering indirectly pulling economic levers — potentially targeting consumer products, tourism and education — that could threaten Australian industry and businesses.

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Illustration by Eric Lobbecke

Rise of the new whingers

Arriving in Australia many decades ago, the first thing I learned was that real Australians never complain. Stoicism ruled and only Poms whinged. All that has changed as the land down under becomes the land of the long loud whine and a culture of complaint and victimhood takes hold, writes Henry Ergas.

“May your Christmas be infused not with whinges and complaints but with the sense of thanks, and with the prospect, as often renewed as it is imperilled, of peace and prosperity, health and happiness, for all people of goodwill.”

Henry Ergas

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The Presidential Seal is seen on the podium prior to US President Donald Trump speaking about the passage of tax reform legislation on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, December 20, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / SAUL LOEB

Trump tax cut windfall

Some of the biggest companies in the Australian sharemarket will receive a financial windfall from US corporate tax cuts due to be signed into law by Donald Trump next month. In the most sweeping overhaul of US tax rules in more than 30 years, the US corporate tax rate will fall to 21 per cent, from 35 per cent. Analysts have calculated the US changes should boost profits across dozens of S&P/ASX 200 companies by $620m.

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Boxing Day Test MCGCrowd imagesPicture: Jason SammonFriday 26th December 2014

Dead rubbers come to life

Fee-fi-fo-fum it is a relief for administrators that Australians appear to love the blood of an English team, writes Peter Lalor. As dead rubbers loom in the final two Ashes Tests in Melbourne and Sydney, officials are hoping for record crowds as Australia goes after a clean sweep.

“No doubt, if they had the kind of pace that our bowlers can generate, they’d probably do the same thing.”

Steve Smith, in response to Mike Atherton’s call to spare tailenders a bouncer barrage

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Kudelka’s view

Jon Kudelka Letters Cartoon for 22-12-17 Version: (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.