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 and a long read for later.

Member for Longman Susan Lamb. Pic Peter Wallis

Lamb to the slaughter

The Turnbull government has delivered an ultimatum to Bill Shorten to force Labor’s Susan Lamb to resign as an alleged dual citizen, as a leading constitutional expert determined the Queensland MP still holds British citizenship. Defence Industries Minister Christopher Pyne says that if the Opposition Leader does not secure Ms Lamb’s resignation, the Coalition will use its restored majority in the House of Representatives to bring on a vote to refer her case to the High Court when parliament resumes next month.

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Victoria's state premier, Daniel Andrews, speaks during a press conference in Melbourne on December 21, 2017, after car ploughed into a crowd of people earlier in the day. A car ploughed into a crowd in Australia's second-largest city on December 21 injuring 19 people in what police said was a "deliberate act" but one they did not believe was terror related. / AFP PHOTO / MARK PETERSON

Andrews MIA on gangs

Premier Daniel Andrews is resisting calls to return from holidays to deal with a Melbourne street gang crisis and is unlikely to be back at his desk until next weekend. Deputy Premier James Merlino will be Acting Premier for most of the week as the state continues to battle the fallout of an emerging street gangs crisis and the peak summer fire season. The Premier is expected to ­return to office toward the end of the week for a short stint, before leaving again during the week of January 15 to fly out to India on ­official business. Jennifer Oriel concludes that Australia’s migrant experiment has failed, despite the barrowloads of money used over the years to prop up multiculturalism, while John Pesutto contends that the youth crime spree in Victoria stems from a rejection of valuable reforms.

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Steve Bannon and Michael Wolff. Picture: Supplied.

Steve’s sorry now

Former Trump senior strategist Stephen Bannon expressed regret yesterday for his role in a new book critical of the Trump administration as senior White House officials sharpened the administration’s attack on it. “My support is also unwavering for the president and his agenda,” Mr Bannon said in the statement. “I regret that my delay in responding to the inaccurate reporting regarding Don Jr has diverted attention from the president’s historical accomplishments in the first year of his presidency.” The book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House by Michael Wolff, quotes Mr Bannon as speculating whether Donald Trump Jr. may have introduced those who attended a June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between a Russian lawyer linked to the Kremlin and top campaign aides to President Donald Trump.

“The chance that Don Jr did not walk these jumos up to his father’s office on the twenty-sixth floor is zero.”

Michael Wolff, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House

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Generic picture of University of Sydney Students on graduation day 24 Apr 2009.

Uni degrees ‘useless’

More than a quarter of the ­nation’s graduates say their ­degrees are close to useless for their jobs and more than half of employers say management and commerce degrees, the most popular field of study, are not ­important, raising questions about the value of $17 billion in taxpayer support for universities. The largest ever survey of Australian employers and employees about the quality of higher education, released today, also reveals that the quality of graduates at eight universities, including the prestigious Australian National University in Canberra, had failed to meet standards at a fifth or more of the businesses surveyed. Adam Creighton asks: Why churn out useless degrees? The new workplace environment requires people able to work well with others, show initiative and be good problem-solvers, writes Innes Willox.

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England's Joe Root, right, talks with head coach Trevor Bayliss during training for their Ashes cricket test match against Australia in Sydney, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2018. The test begins on Thursday. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Crush your enemies

Almost there. Australia are on the verge of sealing a 4-0 Ashes series win and on the cusp of bedding down a team that can be locked in for a long time, not to mention snuffing out any vestige of English cricketing pride. Follow all the action from the SCG in our live blog as the final day of the Fifth Test of the Ashes gets underway.

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CBA CEO Ian Narev after appearing at the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics hearing, as part of its ongoing review of the banking sector. At Parliament House in Canberra. Picture Kym Smith

The long read (Best of 2017): Inside CBA’s culture

It was 9.39am and 10C outside when a huge electronic document slid out through the encrypted walls of the secretive intelligence organisation Austrac and into the Federal Court of Australia. It ­landed with a loud crash. The document would not only stun the corporate world, it also would up-end the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, writes Pamela Williams.

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Comment of the day

“I would love to know how many previous pollies are retired who were dual citizens and are illegally drawing their supers.”

Brian, in response to ‘Bill Shorten told: get ‘Brit’ MP Susan Lamb to quit’.

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Johannes Leak’s view

Johannes Leak Letters Cartoon for 08-01-18Version: (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.