Good morning, early birds. A 27-year-old man has botched a planned terror attack in New York City overnight. Plus, the Prime Minister goes on a year-end whirlwind media tour. It’s the news you need to know, with Max Chalmers.

FAILED ATTACK IN NEW YORK

A 27-year-old man is talking to police after attempting to set off a bomb in the New York subway. Akayed Ullah, who migrated from Bangladesh to the US, detonated what New York police described as an “improvised, low-tech” device near Times Square, injuring four people.

The device was attached to Ullah’s body indicating he intended to carry out a suicide attack. While the pipe bomb sent smoke through the underground and into a major bus terminal, all those in the vicinity of the explosion have survived.

According to reports, the bombing was inspired by the Islamic State group, although Ullah is not reported to have had any links to the group.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued a statement several hours after the attack saying it underscored the need for Congress to enact immigration reform.

TURNBULL MEDIA TRAIN STOPPING ALL STATIONS

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has ended the year with a media blitz, giving interviews to multiple Fairfax and News Corp outlets and appearing on the ABC’s Q&A program.

In the interviews, Turnbull spruiked his economic credentials ($), outlining income tax cuts and cuts for corporations with a turnover greater than $50 million as major priorities for 2018.

In conversation with reporters from The Sydney Morning Herald, Turnbull appeared open to the idea of a federal anti-corruption body, though said he did not believe the case had been made yet. He said any federal body should be based on Victoria’s Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission, which has weaker powers than New South Wales’ government-wrecking Independent Commission Against Corruption.

In a live radio interview with News Corp columnist Miranda Devine, Turnbull said he regretted his infamous evocation of Tony Abbott’s defeat in 30 consecutive Newspolls to help justify his decision to roll the then-prime minister.

“It allowed people to focus on that, rather than the substantive reasons [for the challenge],” Turnbull — who has now lost 24 straight Newspolls — said.

On Q&A, Turnbull was confronted by Teela Reid, a member of the Uluru dialogue process that ended up proposing a First Nations Voice be enshrined in the constitution.

Turnbull denied that stories about sinking Labor Senator Sam Dastyari had been leaked by spy agency ASIO.

While the PM has emerged from the year with same-sex marriage, energy supply policy, and the citizenship crisis all resolved or abated for now, the pain might not quite be over. A Newspoll ($) splashed across The Australian today reveals the government is at risk of losing the seat of Bennelong, with Labor and the Coalition locked at 50-50 on the two-party-preferred measure.

The poll has a margin of error of 4.3% and both sides are internally backing Liberal John Alexander to hold the seat, though Labor and unions are running strong on the issues of healthcare and school funding.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Bill Shorten weighs move to force Sam Dastyari to go ($)

Putin, in Syria, says mission accomplished, orders partial Russian pull-out

Union-owned training organisation referred to police over alleged $450k fraud

Golden Globes 2018: Shape of Water, The Post and Three Billboards lead nominations

WHAT’S ON TODAY 

Canberra: High Court to hear case challenging eligibility of Nationals MP David Gillespie under section 44 of the constitution.

Brisbane: The new Queensland state cabinet will be sworn in. The Liberal-National Party opposition will elect a new leader.

Melbourne: Special mention for case involving Cardinal George Pell, who is charged over historical sex offences. 

THE COMMENTARIAT

Is Malcolm Turnbull finally unshackled from 2015? — Laura Tingle (Australian Financial Review $): “The agreement with the Nationals signed at that time, has bound the prime minister’s hands on climate change policy and same-sex marriage and been the measures by which disillusioned voters have marked him down for being at the beck and call of the Coalition’s conservative wing. Having finally found policy solutions for these issues, and with outspoken Nationals shamed by being discovered to be disloyal, there is the chance for the prime minister to start in 2018 with a little clear air.”

CRIKEY QUICKIE: THE BEST OF YESTERDAY

Who is the committee that could imprison Dastyari for his Chinese entanglements? — Charlie Lewis: “The privileges committee has delivered over 150 reports since 1971 on matters that may constitute contempt, but only 12 times has it concluded (and had the senate agree) that contempts had been committed, and in only two of those cases were penalties imposed — mere reprimands, at that.”

Beijing bashing needs reining in if Turnbull is to seize the moment — Tony Walker: “Whatever might be said about Mao’s chaotic rule and its vast costs to the Chinese people in lives and livelihood misapplying one of the more sacred texts in the recent history of our largest trading partner is, well, foolish. This reveals a persistent Turnbull problem. Even when things are going his way, he stoops to conquer, and ends up surrendering political advantage.”

Did you know there’s only one counter-terrorism expert in Australia? — Emily Watkins: “Given those requirements and how demanding the news cycle is, you end up with a few people you could be forgiven for thinking are the only Australian experts in their fields. Crikey has pulled together a list of the experts you’re most likely to come across.”

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