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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Martin Farrer

Morning Mail: Kamala Harris makes VP pick, 13 new endangered species revealed, Australian teen wins skateboard gold

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has chosen Tim Walz, governor of Minnesota, as her running mate.
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has chosen Tim Walz, governor of Minnesota, as her running mate. Photograph: Jim Watsonchris Kleponis/AFP/Getty Images

Morning everyone. Kamala Harris has picked as her running mate Tim Walz, the progressive Minnesota governor with a history of winning over Republicans. We have extensive reporting on this big story.

At the Olympics we’ve seen an incredible gold for the 14-year-old skateboarder Arisa Trew but an agonising exit for the Boomers.

Plus we reveal a father’s heartache over the investigation into his son’s murder.

Australia

  • Trew blue | Arisa Trew has become Australia’s youngest ever Olympic gold medallist in winning the skateboarding park event medal overnight at the famous Place de la Concorde. Anthony Albanese has shared a video call with some of Australia’s medal winners to congratulate them on their success.

  • Reynolds’ ‘pain’ | Linda Reynolds has told a defamation trial she experienced “incredible pain” and at one point left question time and started “sobbing uncontrollably” due to the media scrutiny over Brittany Higgins’ alleged rape. Communications between Higgins and a sexual assault survivor advocate about a fundraising effort will be handed over to Reynolds’ legal team after the senator’s lawyers argued it was an attempt to “capture public opinion”.

  • Betting balk | A leading anti-gambling advocate has refused to sign a contentious non-disclosure agreement for a briefing with the government about gambling advertising reforms.

  • Centrepay warnings | A government-appointed reviewer who warned the government of serious problems with its Centrepay debt recovery system 11 years ago says her report was “mostly buried” and ignored.

  • Turtle danger | The pig-nosed turtle and the Dalhousie catfish are among 13 new species added to Australia’s list of endangered species.

World

Full Story

How a botched murder investigation left two families broken

Courts and justice reporter Nino Bucci describes how police used flawed identification evidence against a 15-year-old boy after the 2019 stabbing of a Melbourne teenager.

In-depth

“To lose a young man like that, it’s not simple,” says Lual Akech. “And there’s no justice.”

Lual’s 17-year-old son, Aguer, was killed in 2019 during a fight at a Melbourne train station. As we revealed yesterday, the police investigation into his alleged murder was deeply flawed, resulting in a 15-year-old spending a year in custody, before the case against him collapsed. Lual believes the case was mishandled because of how Victoria police treat South Sudanese-Australians. The force strongly rejects this suggestion.

“We’ve been victimised, especially in Victoria,” says Lual. “Are we not human? We should be treated the same way [as other Australians].”

Not the news

What are the best east coast getaways during the winter? Our writers have chipped in with a few suggestions, ranging from hiking and swimming in thermal pools of the Kosciuszko national park to a sauna “you won’t forget” in northern Tasmania.

The world of sport

Media roundup

The Age leads with tributes to the three-time Maribyrnong mayor and “rising Labor star” Sarah Carter who was found dead at her home in Melbourne. Financial traders have told the Fin Review they don’t believe the Reserve Bank chief’s warning yesterday that there is no rate cut in sight and are still betting on a cut this year. Border protection authorities have intercepted at least four suspected illegal fishing boats off WA’s Kimberley coast, the West Australian says.

What’s happening today

  • Sydney | Hearing in Uber’s case against New South Wales state revenue commissioner.

  • Indigenous affairs | Jack Thompson delivers the Vincent Lingiari lecture.

  • Environment | Tanya Plibersek joins a webinar on strengthening nature laws.

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Brain teaser

And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.

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