Morning Mail: Trump defends travel ban as necessary to protect from 'bad dudes', six dead in attack on Quebec mosque, Australia's response to Trump ban

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Guardian Australia's Morning Mail Tuesday 31 January 2017 g "We are better than this": US diplomats' memo sparks mutiny murmurs Good morning, and welcome to the Morning Mail. Among the stories leading our website this morning: A mutiny among US diplomats appeared to be gathering steam yesterday as a draft memo circulated around foreign missions strongly dissenting against Donald Trump's ban on refugee admission and travel from seven Muslim-majority countries. "We are better than this ban," the memo said, arguing that it would backfire, making the US less safe from terrorism, and "stands in opposition to the core American and constitutional values that we, as federal employees, took an oath to uphold." Keep reading for the rest of the top stories this morning, with more news from around Australia and the world.

Headlines Trump travel ban: president defends order amid new lawsuit challenges – live As Donald Trump says ban is needed to protect US from 'bad dudes' and lashes out at critics, worldwide opposition to executive order deepens US could resettle zero refugees from Manus and Nauru and still 'honour' deal Terms of agreement do not commit US to taking a single refugee, and Trump's ban on travel from seven Muslim-majority countries exclude majority of Australia's detainees How war on Islam became central to the Trump doctrine An apocalyptic view of Islamist terrorism is the thread that connects Trump to key allies in his administration and underpins this weekend's immigration chaos. But is their ramped-up rhetoric just giving terrorists what they want? The Muslim ban has brought the US close to constitutional crisis A series of troubling events since Friday's order have pushed the country into uncharted territory – and Stephen Bannon was central to the chaos Australia must not become an 'unskilled enclave' in Asia, Bill Shorten to warn Labor leader to accuse some employers of using overseas workers as a low-cost substitute for local staff Australian news and politics Courts around Australia face huge backlog of criminal cases, report finds About a quarter of pending cases in NSW, Tasmania, South Australia and the ACT are taking more than a year to process, well above target of 10% Liberals face wipe-out in key Western Australian seat, polling shows Labor is leading 58-42 on two-party preferred vote in Joondalup, one of nine seats that need to change hands for the ALP to win 11 March state election How Daniel Andrews' human rights agenda unravelled The Victorian premier once celebrated for promoting diversity and inclusion is adopting punitive approaches to youths in detention, sparking strong warnings from human rights advocates Melbourne mall deaths: woman becomes sixth person to die Woman, 33, died in hospital more than a week after car mowed down pedestrians in Bourke Street attack Dumped One Nation candidates take aim at James Ashby Peter Rogers and Shan Ju Lin accuse Pauline Hanson's adviser of seeking to control party Does Australia's government support the Trump travel ban? It depends The vexed issue of Australia-US relations under Trump is even more complicated than it seems thanks to internal Coalition tensions Scott Morrison cites UK housing affordability woes in defence of negative gearing Treasurer avoids responding to call from Liberal MP John Alexander to offer more 'nuanced' policies to curb investors Around the world Québec City mosque shooting: six dead as Trudeau condemns 'terrorist attack' One suspect held after fatal shooting on Sunday night as Canadian prime minister condemns act as senseless violence Milky Way being pushed through space by cosmic dead zone, say scientists It is known that our galaxy is being pulled through space, but cosmologists suspected it was being pushed as well – and new research might confirm it Joseph Goebbels' secretary, Brunhilde Pomsel, dies aged 106 One of last people close to Nazi leadership was subject of film last year, but felt no sense of guilt for Hitler's crimes Iraqi MPs call for US entry ban as translators condemn 'betrayal' Iraqis who worked alongside US troops and now fear for their safety say they feel abandoned by Trump administration Anti-pipeline activists and film-makers face prison, raising fears for free press Trials begin on Monday in Washington state after actions intended to shut down oil sands pipelines, in solidarity with Standing Rock Sioux tribe's efforts

One last thing A huge mouth and no anus – this could be our earliest known ancestorA tiny prehistoric creature with a bag-like body, a huge mouth and no anus has become the best candidate yet for our earliest known ancestor. Thought to have lived 540 million years ago, the discovery of Saccorhytus coronarious fossils sheds light on the early stages of evolution Have an excellent day and if you spot something I've missed, let me know on Twitter at @earleyedition.

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