Your noon Briefing

Hello readers. Here’s the latest on how the day is playing out plus a long read, in case you missed it, from our Best of 2017.

Hello readers. In your noon digest, the driver accused of mowing down pedestrians in Melbourne spoke of ‘Muslim mistreatment’, rugby legend Keith Catchpole dies, and Milo, once more with feeling.

21/12/17 Police, Fire and Paramedics treat a number of pedestrians on the corner of Flinders Street and Elizabeth Street in Melbourne after a car is believed to have ploughed through a busy intersection. Aaron Francis/The Australian

Driver spoke of ‘Muslim mistreatment’

Police have revealed that a man accused of ramming his car into pedestrians on busy Flinders Street, in downtown Melbourne yesterday, has attributed his act to the “perceived mistreatment of Muslims”. In other developments following the carnage before Christmas in the CBD, seriously mentally ill people could have their drivers licences reviewed after a man used a car to plough through pedestrians in Melbourne. But Victoria has ruled out plans to use bollards to protect tram routes because it could make spaces more dangerous and halt the public transport network. Footage has emerged of the moment the man began mowing terrified pedestrians down in a Suzuki Grand Vitara. Stay abreast of developments as they unfold in our live blog.

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US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley speaks during a UN Security Council meeting over the situation in the Middle East on December 18, 2017, at UN Headquarters in New York. The UN Security Council is to vote on a draft resolution rejecting US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. / AFP PHOTO / KENA BETANCUR

US: ‘We will remember’

In a dramatic showdown, America’s UN ambassador Nikki Haley warned the US will remember and potentially punish countries that voted for a resolution condemning the US over its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. A furious Ms Haley lashed out after the UN voted 128 to 9 to condemn Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem. Australia was one of 35 countries that abstained from the vote but major US allies including Britain, France, Germany and Japan voted for it.

“The United States will remember this day in which it was singled out in this assembly for the very act of exercising our right as a sovereign nation.”

Nikki Haley, America’s UN ambassador

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(file pic) Ken Catchpole.. sport rugby union action 1968

Rugby legend Ken Catchpole dead at 78

Former Wallabies captain Ken Catchpole, regarded as one of the greatest halfbacks in the history of the game, has died at the age of 78 after a long battle with illness. A state and national representative halfback, Catchpole played 27 Tests for Australia, 13 as captain. He formed a lethal halves combination with five-eighth Phil Hawthorne that was acknowledged as one of the best the game has seen.

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Terms of release, which must be included and passed-on to anyone to whom this image is supplied: USE AFTER 31/05/2018 must be cleared by Kensington Palace. This photograph is for editorial use only. NO commercial use. NO use in calendars, books or supplements. Use on a cover, or for any other purpose, will require approval from Art Partner and the Kensington Palace Press Office. There is no charge for the supply, release or publication of this official photograph. This photograph must not be digitally enhanced, manipulated or modified and must be used substantially uncropped. Copyright in the photographs is vested in Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle. Publications are asked to credit the photograph to Alexi Lubomirski. WINDSOR, UNITED KINGDOM - DECEMBER: In this handout photo provided by Kensington Palace, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pose for one of two official engagement photos at Frogmore House in December, 2017 in Windsor, United Kingdom. (Photo by Alexi Lubomirski via Getty Images)

Cronulla style suits Meghan

When Meghan Markle took the brave choice to wear a $75,000, sheer bodice with a black tulle gown for her official engagement photos and look adoringly into the eyes of Prince Harry, she may not have realised the creation emanated straight from Sydney’s southern beach suburb of Cronulla. Ms Markle chose the high couture design of Ralph & Russo for her sexy, showbiz statement piece, and now the London based firm is one of the favourites to design her wedding dress for the royal marriage on May 19.

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SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 29: Milo Yiannopoulos speaks during a press conference on November 29, 2017 in Sydney, Australia. Yiannopoulos is in Australia for his Troll Academy Tour. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

The long read (Best of 2017): After Milo, the deluge

When Milo set out his manifesto in a guest op-ed piece for The Australian, a tempest descended, raging and roiling in the wake of the buff, bombastic, blond-streaked bete noir of the left. Like a tent revival preacher with cooler sunglasses, Milo swaggered and pranced from city to city, addressing packed, protestor-ringed venues with his new gospel: identity politics and political correctness cannot stand in the face of facts and laughter. No one left of centre was safe, as he took aim at feminist killjoys smelling of cat pee and disappointment to virtue signallers and political correctness bullies and the ‘soy-fed beta male cuckolds’ of the leftist press.

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This image released by Lucasfilm shows Daisy Ridley as Rey in "Star Wars: The Last Jedi." “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” is off to a death star-sized start at the box office. Disney says Friday, Dec. 15, 2017, that eighth installment in the space franchise has earned an estimated $45 million from Thursday night showings. (Lucasfilm via AP)

Comment of the day

“In a galaxy far, far away, I hope there is a planet populated by Mocker and Milo beings. I wanna go there.”

Karl, in response to The Mocker’s Star Wars skewering, ‘It’s still a white, male dominated galaxy’.