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.

North Korea missile Kim Jong-un

North Korea fires ballistic missile

North Korea has fired a ballistic missile, South Korean news agency Yonhap reports, citing South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. The report provided no further details. It comes as US government experts said they believed North Korea could conduct a new missile test within days. It is the regime’s first missile launch since September.

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The Senate Marriage Equality Bill was again addressed in the Senate Chamber at Parliament House in Canberra. Senator Dean Smith in the chamber apposing a Bill amendment. Picture Gary Ramage

Lib fury over freedom laws

Malcolm Turnbull is facing mounting hostility among conservative MPs after an overwhelming majority of Coalition senators last night voted for amendments to the same-sex marriage bill only to be shot down when six Coalition senators, including three cabinet ministers, sided with Labor and the Greens to scuttle them. The move is likely to see Liberal senator Dean Smith’s bill rammed through the Senate unchanged as early as this morning, crushing attempts by 18 of 26 ­Coalition senators to secure significant amendments to broaden religious protections.

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Dan Purdie (Ninderry), Marty Hunt (Nicklin), LNP Deputy Leader Deb Frecklington, LNP Leader Tim Nicholls, Simone Wilson (Pumicestone), and Brent Nickelberg (Buderim), gather in the seat Pumicestone to congratulate each other on their likely election wins, Beachmere. Photographer: Liam Kidston

Wheeling and dealing in Queensland

Matt Canavan has demanded Annastacia Palaszczuk clarify her vow to block a federal loan for the Adani mine, while Tim Nicholls has moved to hold Ms Palaszczuk to her promise of not doing deals with crossbenchers. Keep up with the latest developments in our live blog, Queensland Decides.

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20-year-old Werribee man - Ali Khalif Shire Ali, born in Australia to Somali parents - was taken into custody by Special Operations Group police just before 3pm in Werribee on Monday. Picture: Mark Stewart

How ASIO tried to recruit alleged terror plotter

Ali Khalif Shire Ali had finished university classes for the day and was waiting for a train at Glen­ferrie station in suburban Melbourne when a curious message popped up on his mobile phone. “Look left,’’ it read. Ali looked nervously along the platform and saw, a few metres away, the familiar face of an ASIO agent staring right back at him. Chip le Grand, Simone Fox Koob and Mark Schliebs have the Inside Story on how ASIO agents tried to recruit the man accused of a New Year’s Eve terror plot in Melbourne.

“Then they start to get to the real questions like who are you friends with, what are your thoughts about ISIS, what are your thoughts about those groups.’’

Ali Khalif Shire

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Rod Clement Margin Call cartoon for 29-11-2017. Version: (650x488 - Canvas Added) 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.

Unions pile onto banking witch hunt

Sally McManus ’s ACTU has joined forces with staff at the big four banks to ramp up the campaign for a banking royal commission, as an inquiry into the $3.5 trillion sector becomes increasingly likely. The Julia Angrisano-led Finance Sector Union had been against a royal commission into the banking sector but in April last year switched sides — provided its terms didn’t allow it to become a witch hunt targeting bank minions. And now that a commission is virtually a fait accompli, the ACTU and FSU have this week pooled their resources and escalated their campaign.

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Twitter pic believed to be Ben Stokes at Heathrow on his way to New Zealand. Supplied

Slugger Stokes on secret mission

Ben Stokes slipped quietly out of England yesterday, heading down under on a potential rescue mission for his embattled teammates, writes Peter Lalor. The star all-rounder boarded a flight to New Zealand, where he could be playing as early as Sunday — raising the possibility of a return to the England team for the third Test in Perth. If the visitors are not in crisis they are doing a good impression of an outfit on the verge of one. News that Stokes, who is under a police investigation following a brawl outside a Bristol nightclub, was flying to New Zealand seemed to come as a surprise to the side, which is attempting to deal with the fallout from a headbutting incident between Jonny Bairstow and Cameron Bancroft and a dispiriting loss in the first Test.

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Kudelka’s view

Jon Kudelka Letters Cartoon for 29-11-2017Version: (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.