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.

(FILES) This file photo taken on December 07, 2017 shows Britain's Queen Elizabeth II attends the Commissioning Ceremony for the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth at HM Naval Base in Portsmouth, southern England on December 7, 2017. Queen Elizabeth II's luxury lingerie maker Rigby & Peller has lost its royal warrant, an official said on January 11, 2018, after its former owner published a book revealing details of the royal bra fittings. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / Chris Jackson

‘Scrap HM’s birthday’

Labor frontbencher Linda Burney has proposed replacing the Queen’s Birthday with a national holiday to celebrate Australia’s indigenous heritage and says she finds it “difficult” to be involved in Australia Day celebrations, despite maintaining that her party’s “clear position” is for the date of Australia Day to remain the same. The first indigenous woman elected to the House of Representatives repeatedly said Labor’s policy on Australia Day was “very clear”, despite leader Bill Shorten refusing to issue a statement about his views, and Ms Burney yesterday describing the day as “problematic”. Meanwhile, the Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance claims a groundswell of support is building for more drastic action than changing the date.

-

Federal Immigration Minister Peter Dutton speaks to the media about global terrorism prevention in Melbourne, Monday, December 11, 2017. Victoria Police are hosting a three day International Counter Terrorism Forum. (AAP Image/Joe Castro) NO ARCHIVING

Give Dutton the power

There is a simple way to put eastern Australia on the track to much lower gas and power prices, writes Robert Gottliebsen: appoint Peter Dutton as energy minister for a day. Australians, and particularly Victorians, are not being told the truth of how vast reserves of low cost gas are being concealed by Victorian politicians and thus forcing up the prices of both gas and power in NSW and Victoria. We need a Peter Dutton to break the silence code just as he did with the African gang concealment. For years politicians and police told Victorians that there was no such thing as gangs of Africans and that people were not at all afraid of Melbourne’s gang violence. From NSW, Peter Dutton on radio brutally explained the real situation in clear language so that everyone could understand.

-

FILE - In this Nov. 13, 2017, file photo, U.S. President Donald Trump, center, reacts as he does the "ASEAN-way handshake" with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, left, and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on stage during the opening ceremony at the ASEAN Summit at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Manila, Philippines. Trump has proven himself an unconventional leader time and time again in his first year in office. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

What a specimen

Donald Trump has “no issues” with his thought process and is mentally fit for office, his doctor said today. In an unusual press briefing lasting almost an hour, Mr Trump’s physician, Navy doctor Ronny Jackson revealed that the 71-year-old president asked him to test his cognitive ability and then to release the results publicly. The move appears to be a response by Mr Trump to questions raised by his critics, including in Michael Wolff’s recent book Fire and Fury, about his mental fitness to serve as president. Despite high cholesterol and a diet consisting mainly of diet sodas and junk food, Mr Trump had excellent cardiovascular health, mainly due to winning the genetic lottery.

“I’ve seen him every day. I had absolutely no concerns about his cognitive ability or his neurological functions.”

Dr Ronny Jackson

-

Female supporters of Saudi's Al-Hilal attend their team's football match against Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh on January 13, 2018. Saudi Arabia allowed women to enter a football stadium for the first time to watch a match on January 12, as the ultra-conservative kingdom eases strict decades-old rules separating the sexes. / AFP PHOTO / Ali AL-ARIFI

The long read: Sands of change

Saudi Arabia is on shifting sands as change trickles into the ultra-conservative kingdom.

Spearheading the transformation is 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who sees social liberalisation as a vital part of his radical economic modernisation plan and has vowed to return his country to a more tolerant form of Islam.

-

Actor Will Ferrell of the United States (left) conducts a post match interview with Roger Federer of Switzerland after he defeated Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia during round one, on day two of the Australian Open tennis tournament, in Melbourne, Tuesday, January 16, 2018. (AAP Image/Joe Castro) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

Stay classy, Melbourne

Stay abreast of the Australian Open Day 3 with our live blog coverage, and find out what Will Ferrell as Ron Burgundy asked in an interview with Roger Federer that delighted fans.

-

Comment of the day

“It’s starting. There will be no Australia Day in 3 years. The MSM, publically funded institutions and some prominent business heads will get on board and anyone not supporting the change will be labeled as bigots and racists.”

Joanne, in response to ‘Tens of thousands’ to join Australia Day activist WAR’

-

Kudelka’s view

Jon Kudelka Letters cartoon for 17-01-2018Version: (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.