Morning everyone. We have a disturbing exclusive report today that despite warnings by psychologists and youth workers, a vulnerable 13-year-old boy was sexually assaulted in a Queensland watch house. We also report on an experiment that shows electric cars might help stabilise our electricity grid, how DNA shows dingoes are definitively not related to domestic dogs, and Alex de Minaur marches on at Wimbledon.
Australia
Dingo study | DNA recovered from the remains of dingoes up to 2,700 years old has shown the predators share little ancestry with domestic dogs, with scientists saying the study will finally “put to bed the idea that dingoes are hybrids with no conservation value”.
Exclusive | Authorities repeatedly ignored pleas that a 13-year-old boy was at risk of harm in the days before the child was allegedly sexually assaulted in an overcrowded Queensland police watch house cell, documents seen by Guardian Australia show.
Energy boost | A trial run by the ACT government using 51 Nissan Leaf electric cars has shown how the power stored in the vehicles’ batteries can help manage the national electricity market.
Sydney murder | A man has been arrested after a woman was allegedly stabbed to death at a home in Sydney in another suspected domestic-related homicide.
Brethren ‘surveillance’ | Students at a network of private schools set up by the Exclusive Brethren sect are subject to near constant surveillance, including in out-of-school hours, according to former staff, students and parents, the second part of our investigation reveals.
World
‘Come with me’ | Joe Biden told Democrats in an open letter and Americans in a pugnacious live TV interview that he is staying in the presidential race despite growing calls to exit in favour of a younger candidate after his disastrous TV debate performance.
Kyiv barrage | An unknown number of people have been trapped under rubble after Ukraine’s largest children’s hospital was hit in a daylight Russian missile barrage on Kyiv that the authorities said had killed 36 people across the country.
Gaza attack | Grim news from another conflict as well today after reports from Gaza City of one of the heaviest attacks by Israeli forces since 7 October, sending thousands of Palestinians fleeing from an area already ravaged in the early weeks of the nine-month-long war.
Kenya cult | The leader of a Kenyan doomsday cult has gone on trial on charges of terrorism over the deaths of more than 400 of his followers in a macabre case that shocked the world.
Flight risk | A passenger who suffered a traumatic brain injury after slipping in a puddle of Baileys liqueur while heading for a flight could receive up to £4m in compensation.
Full Story
Is Labour’s landslide win in the UK election a reason for hope?
Reged Ahmad and Helen Sullivan speak to Nour Haydar on what was surprising about the British election and the main challenges facing Keir Starmer (pictured).
In-depth
Fatima Payman’s resignation from Labor last week over disagreement about policy on Palestinian statehood has awoken a possibility that the party could face a serious challenge in inner-city seats from independents backed by Muslim groups and voters. We examine who the groups might be, which MPs they might target, and what it means for Australian politics if religious issues become more central.
Not the news
A recent show by Missy Higgins in Sydney was a euphoric event for Joseph Earp who writes about how the singer’s 20-year-old album the Sound of White was “an entry point into queer art” for an entire generation. Although the first half was dedicated to her new material and the second to the Sound of White, “all operated at a nearly overwhelming emotional register, trembling back and forth between heartbreak and operatic excitement”.
The world of sport
Tennis | Two years after blowing a two-set lead and two match points when on the brink of reaching the Wimbledon quarter-finals, Alex de Minaur (pictured) held his nerve as a repeat threatened against Arthur Fils and went on to win 6-2 6-4 4-6 6-3.
Cricket | The 41-year-old Jimmy Anderson – he turns 42 on 30 July – will make his 188th and final Test appearance against West Indies at Lord’s tomorrow even though he says he “could still do a job” for England.
Formula One | Lewis Hamilton believes his “fairytale” win in the British Grand Prix on Sunday means he can take more victories this season and end his time with Mercedes on a high.
Media roundup
The NT News has extensive reporting on the “80-person brawl” in Alice Springs on Saturday that forced a snap curfew. A man who rescued a child from a burning house has told the Sydney Morning Herald how he broke the front door down to haul her free. Victorian premier Jacinta Allan has shot down hopes a rail link to Melbourne airport could be ready by 2030, the Herald Sun claims. More rate rises are “unwarranted” because migrant jobs growth is falling, according to an economist cited by the Financial Review.
What’s happening today
Canberra | Attorney general Mark Dreyfus to speak on the release of anti-money laundering and terrorism financing with Austrac chief Brendan Thomas.
Diplomacy | Defence minister Richard Marles to attend the Nato summit in Washington DC.
New South Wales | Inquest into the death of Dwayne Johnstone who was shot dead after trying to escape custody at Lismore hospital.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
