It can now be revealed that a former Dilworth teacher sentenced last week to eight years’ prison for historic sex abuse of students was also facing charges in another court, accused of more recently being in possession of graphic…

Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison actually appointed himself to five portfolios, including Home Affairs and Treasury, not just three as initially thought.

This saga has quickly gathered momentum since breaking, and today he spoke to media for about an hour, taking questions on a spiralling story which has gone global.

Here's everything you need to know about Morrison and his secret ministerial portfolios.

READ MORE: Scott Morrison defends secret portfolios as a 'break glass in emergency' situation

What's the story here?

While PM, Morrison was sworn in as minister of five portfolios, with at least three ministers having no knowledge it had happened.

Five portfolios? I thought there were three?

Well, when the story first broke, there were three: Department of Health, Department of Finance and Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources.

But it's five?

Correct. Yesterday Anthony Albanese confirmed Morrison was also sworn in to take control of Home Affairs and the Treasury.

When did this all happen?

Morrison was secretly sworn into five appointments on four days, between March 2020 – May 2021.

• 14 March 2020: Department of Health
• 30 March 2020: Department of Finance
• 15 April 2021: Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources
• 6 May 2021: Department of Home Affairs
• 6 May 2021: Department of Treasury

READ MORE: The glaring questions Morrison still needs to answer about secret ministries

Where did the story come from?

The secret swearing-in revelations are contained in Plagued, a new book which covers Morrison's prime ministership.

Was any of this illegal?

Early indications are it was not illegal, but Albanese is seeking legal advice.

Under Australian law, it appears the governor-general can swear a prime minister into a portfolio, without anybody else knowing.

So even the ministers didn't know?

We don't know the full answer to this yet.

What we do know is that, when Morrison took control of the finance portfolio, then-Minister Mathias Cormann did not know.

Karen Andrews, who was then Home Affairs Minister, also said she had no idea Morrison had joint control. She has urged Morrison to resign.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg did not know.

Health Minister Greg Hunt was apparently aware.

Albanese was pressed by reporters over who may have known what and when, but he said investigations are in the early stages.

READ MORE: Scott Morrison defiant after taking on secret portfolios

Who were the ministers in charge at the time?

Andrews was Home Affairs Minister, Hunt the Health Minister, Frydenberg served as Treasurer and Keith Pitt the Minister for Industry, Science, Energy and Resources.

Cormann served as Minister for Finance for eight months with Morrison also sworn into the role. But after Cormann left Parliament, Simon Birmingham took over the role.

Why did Morrison do this?

Morrison said he took on the extra responsibilities because of the extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic.

He rejected suggestions his invocation of emergency powers was a dictatorial move.

"I did what I thought was necessary in the national interests to ensure the government continued to perform well," he said.

Will he resign?

No. Morrison said he refuses to resign as the member for Cook.

He said he'd apologised for offence caused to the ministers, but did not concede he had done anything wrong.

What about the ethics of it?

Becoming Minister of Health at the start of the pandemic seemed reasonable, according to Nine's political editor Chris Uhlmann.

Morrison's actions arose from "bad law" which, under the Bio-Security Act, would have given Health Minister Hunt power over the country, Uhlmann said.

However, Uhlmann said Morrison should have been transparent about this, at the time.

Morrison dismissed suggestions he didn't have the courage to tell his frontbench colleagues he had secretly taken their jobs.

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Did Morrison use ministerial powers?

Just once, Morrison said. However, an Albanese investigation is also underway.

"At no time except in the one instance that I have made reference to in relation to resources and Department of Industry did I interfere in any of the decisions or exercise those powers in those departments," Morrison said.

What was the decision?

That's unclear for now.

There are reports it was linked to a gas project off the coast of NSW which Morrison was against, because it potentially threatened Liberal seats during the ill-fated 2022 federal election.

"I made a decision in industry for national interests," is all Morrison is saying for now.

What now?

Watch this space, but Albanese already flagged May 21, 2021 as a key date.

Why May 21?

Morrison took control of Home Affairs on May 6, just weeks before the federal election.

On May 21, the day of the election (which Morrison lost), Australians were notified by Home Affairs that two asylum seeker vessels had been intercepted en route to Australia.

Albanese and Labor were furious about this, accusing the Liberals of "scaremongering".

Today Albanese questioned who was running Home Affairs "during that shocking breach of government policy and the abuse of the information that was put out there with text messages to millions of Australians in order to try to pervert the result of the election."

One of the challenges for parents in today's ever-connected digital world is the simple question of when to get your kids their first phone?

A new smartphone aimed just at this market has launched at just $249.

The Open Mobile SmartKids Phone looks like any other smartphone.

It has a vibrant 5.5 inch colour screen, the same operating system as more than half of all other smartphones, and the capability to install and run all the apps compatible with the Google Play Store.

READ MORE: Morrison says 'extraordinary times' justified secret ministries

What's different here is that this smartphone has no cameras, and has software allowing for parental control that makes it perfectly suitable for a child as their first phone.

With no camera, there's no risk to kids taking photos that may be shared online, and it sets a path for a conversation for parents around what the responsible use of a camera looks like when those kids progress to their next smartphone after the Opel Mobile SmartKids device.

The real power of this device is the control that parents are given via the Open SmartKids Guardian app.

Installed on the parents phone, this app allows the guardian to set several restrictions on the device. Firstly, location.

Using a "GeoFence" you can draw a line around a location, such as a park, school, or home and as a guardian get notification on your phone when the child enters or leaves those locations.

Secondly, you can establish a "whitelist" of contacts who can be called from this phone.

At the same time, only those in the whitelist can call the child on the phone, meaning you can restrict all contact to just a select few – a list controlled by the parents.

Critically, you are also able to control which apps are enabled on the phone, and which ones can be used.

This includes the amount of time per day which the apps can be used.

This simple screen-time feature means you can happily allow your kids to access YouTube for example, but know that it will be limited to as little as 30 mins as you choose.

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Like-for-like when comparing the specs of this device, the $249 price tag might seem high, however it's really what this phone offers from a software perspective that makes "digital parenting" a really simple process unlike anything I've seen before.

While there are many smartwatches for kids, which I would argue are perfect at ages 6-11, once children reach double-digits in age, they are going to want for a smartphone – it's quite logical.

The Open Mobile SmartKids is a perfect first smartphone, though the desire for a camera will kick in very early in high school so the life-span of this phone for any child is likely just one or two years.

The Opel Mobile SmartKids phone is available at JB HiFi and the Good Guys for $249, and would require a separate monthly mobile plan to operate.

A driver has been charged over the death of a young off-duty ambulance officer who died in a motorbike crash. Sean Dickey, 22, died in the crash involving two motorcycles and a vehicle at the intersection of Halswell Rd and Aidanfield…

While Australia's alcohol consumption has dropped from pandemic highs, use of 'ready to drink' beverages, known as RTD's, has soared to a new record.

Roy Morgan's recent Alcohol Consumption Report reveals 13,603,000 Australians aged over 18 consumed alcohol in an average four-week period, a drop of 1.8 per cent from Covid-rampant 2021.

RTD consumption has increased over the past 12 months, from 13.5 per cent of drinkers to 16.7 per cent – an rise of 3.2 per cent, or 680,000 people.

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Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine said that pandemic drinking behaviours have proven short-lived, but that RTD drinkers kept at it, despite the ending of lockdowns.

"The extensive disruption to people's day-to-day lives, and the restrictions on travel for most of this time, led to several changes of behaviour."

"One of the most prominent was the increasing consumption of alcohol during the pandemic years of 2020-21."

Levine said that seltzers have contributed to the increase in popularity of the drink.

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"Hard seltzers' began to hit the Australian market in significant numbers in 2019, just before the pandemic struck, and these newer alcoholic products are still attracting an increasing array of customers," she said.

Wine remains the most popular alcohol, but the number of people having a glass has dropped from 9,237,000 to 8,938,000 over the year.

Beer drinkers have also cut back this year, with 2.3 per cent of people (428,000) saying no to rounds.

About 538,000 have given up spirits, with a 2.8 per cent drop since peak pandemic.

"Although the 'big three' alcohol types of wine, beer and spirits are all down on a year ago, the consumption of wine and spirits is still well above pre-pandemic levels," warned Levine.

"The emerging trends suggest consumption of wine and spirits looks set to return to pre-pandemic levels while RTDs, and 'hard seltzers in particular' rise in significance and beer consumption continues its long-term decline."

A Chinese navy vessel has arrived at a Beijing-built port in southern Sri Lanka, after its port call was earlier delayed due to apparent security concerns raised by India.

The Yuan Wang 5 sailed into the Hambantota port and was welcomed by Sri Lankan and Chinese officials. The development could spark worry in India, which views China's rising influence in the Indian Ocean with suspicion.

Sri Lanka has referred to the Yuan Wang 5 as a "scientific research ship," but there are fears in India that the vessel could be used to surveil the region, with multiple media reports calling it a "dual-use spy ship".

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"The Yuan Wang 5 is a powerful tracking vessel whose significant aerial reach – reportedly around 750 km – means that several ports in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh could be on China's radar," the Indian Express newspaper wrote.

The closely watched developments surrounding the vessel underscore the competing interests of regional giants India and China in the small island nation. For more than a decade, Sri Lanka's strategic location in the Indian Ocean and along one of the busiest shipping routes has seen both countries vie for influence.

Over the years, Beijing was widely seen as having an upper hand with its free-flowing loans and infrastructure investments. But Sri Lanka's economic collapse proved an opportunity for India to gain greater sway, as New Delhi stepped in with massive financial and material assistance to its neighbour.

The ship has permission to dock in Hambantota until August 22, Sri Lanka's Foreign Ministry said last weekend. It added that China had agreed the ship would keep its identification systems on and would not carry out any research activities while in Sri Lankan waters.

"Given the geopolitical dynamics in the region and Sri Lanka's heavy vulnerability on the economic front, Sri Lanka is playing with two fires at a diplomatic level," said international affairs analyst Ranga Kalansooriya.

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The Yuan Wang family of naval vessels serve both the Chinese missile force and its space program, which is run by the People's Liberation Army, the military wing of the ruling Communist Party.

Previous official Chinese media reports have described PLA officers serving in command positions aboard the vessels in the Yuan Wang class, which may also have civilians in their crews.

China Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Wang Wenbin dismissed concerns about the ship in a briefing on Tuesday.

"I would like to reiterate that the marine scientific research conducted by the research ship Yuan Wang 5 conforms to international law and international common practice, and will not affect the security and economic interests of any country," he said.

Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said last week that India was aware of the planned visit by the vessel and that it carefully monitors any development that affects its security and economic interests and would take all measures to safeguard them. He also dismissed claims last week that India put pressure on Sri Lanka to delay the ship.

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As Sri Lanka endures its worst economic crisis, India in recent months has provided crucial assistance including food, fuel, medicines and cooking gas. At the same time, China's agreement to restructure its infrastructure loans to Sri Lanka is vital for the country to reach a bailout program with the International Monetary Fund.

China has lent Sri Lanka billions of dollars for development projects, some of which have been criticised as having little practical use. They include the Hambantota port, built with Chinese money under former president Mahinda Rajapaksa in his home region, despite the plan having been rejected by an expert panel.

A group of hikers have been rescued after they spent two days stuck in the wilderness after a blizzard struck in the NSW snowfields.

Two men, aged 33 and 36, and two women both aged 34, set out from Thredbo Village to explore the back country of Kosciuszko National Park on Sunday.

The weather was already hazardous, police said, but blizzard conditions set in over the course of the day.

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With strong winds and low visibility, the quartet took shelter at an old stone shelter named Seaman's Hut and contacted emergency services at about 5pm. 

NSW Police's Alpine Operations Unit attempted to reach the hut on Monday, but serious weather stopped them.

The group was told to stay in the shelter before they could be rescued at 10am on Tuesday.

The hikers were equipped with adequate clothing, water and food.

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Nevertheless, police are reminding hikers not to venture into the alpine area when conditions are hazardous.

They have urged hikers to use a personal locator beacon and submit a trip intention form before heading out into the national park.

"Hikers – no matter how experienced – should stick to the tracks, as whiteouts and snow clouds can quickly and easily disorientate," a statement from NSW Police read.

"Visitors should expect bad weather and come prepared with the right thermal clothing, and plan their journeys ahead of time.

"Skiers and snowboarders are reminded to stay in designated areas."

READ MORE: The Thredbo landslide and the incredible rescue, 25 years on

Several kegs of beer were the only victims of a multi-truck crash this morning that caused heavy delays in Logan, south of Brisbane.

The truck crashed on the Logan Motorway, eastbound at Heathwood, blocking several lanes of traffic and significantly delaying commuters this morning.

Smashed kegs that were being transported flew across the road, coating the road in beer.

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https://twitter.com/QldPolice/status/1559673064845062144

The eastbound right lane has since been reopened, with traffic easing.

It's the second crash to delay commuters this morning with another collision closing lanes on the Bruce Highway at Morayfield.

Police confirmed two trucks had collided.

Motorists were urged to use a detour while emergency services tended to the crash.

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