Good morning. A Guardian Australia investigation reveals that government funding since the landmark Gonski education review has gone to the schools “least in need”, according to advocates. From 2012 to 2021, per student funding to independent and Catholic schools rose by 34% and 31% respectively, while funding to public schools increased by just 17%. Meanwhile overseas, most of the northern hemisphere is bracing for another day of record heat.
And it’s been a big night for sports fans. Djokovic suffered a rare centre court defeat in Wimbledon as Spanish 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz claimed the trophy, while Australia’s women’s cricket team have retained the Ashes in a tense three-run win in Southampton.
Voice vote | The no campaign in the referendum on an Indigenous voice to parliament is targeting migrant communities and parts of Sydney that voted strongly against marriage equality in the 2017 postal ballot, no vote advocate Warren Mundine said.
Exclusive | Government funding to private schools has increased almost twice as much as funding to public schools in the decade since the landmark Gonski review recommended changes designed to fund Australian schools according to need.
Queensland stabbing | A British backpacker was hospitalised after being stabbed by a teenager at a beach resort in Noosa, Queensland, according to news reports.
Knife crime | Meanwhile in NSW, high-profile stabbings have led the new Labor government to get tough on knives. But with knife crime at a 20-year low, statistics tell a different story.
Defence strategy | Australia’s recent defence decisions have made it a bigger target for China and require a new evaluation of the risks versus the benefits, a leading analyst says.
World
Extreme heat | Southern Europe is bracing for a second heat storm in a week, with Italy, Greece and Spain – along with Morocco and other Mediterranean countries – told temperatures could soar above the record 48.8C registered in Sicily in August 2021. Millions of Americans are also under heat warnings.
Jane Birkin | The British-born singer and actor Jane Birkin died at her home in Paris aged 76. The singer of “Je t’aime … moi non plus” was adored in her adopted country, France.
Oil companies | Top scientists agree that the planet will get even hotter unless fossil fuels are phased out, but leading energy companies are intent on pushing the world in the opposite direction – expanding fossil fuel production and insisting that there is no alternative.
South Korea | Rescuers in South Korea are battling to reach people trapped in a flooded tunnel, while at least 37 people have died after heavy rains caused flooding and landslides.
Gator attack | A 79-year-old man has “a lot of skin ripped off” but is alive after being bitten by a 2m-long alligator in Florida.
Full Story
PwC and the problem with political donations
Guardian Australia reporter Henry Belot explains what the PwC tax scandal reveals about the “cosy relationship” between the government and the big four consulting firms – which includes millions of dollars in political donations. As part of PwC’s attempts to rebuild its reputation, the firm has announced it will cease donations to political parties, but some parliamentarians say that measure doesn’t go far enough.
In-depth
It was a brave, if perhaps scientifically obvious, experiment – conveying messages about the unfolding climate crisis through the regular local TV weather forecasts, seen by viewers in the conservative heartland of Iowa. Here’s how it culminated in the meteorologist involved receiving death threats and exiting the state.
Not the news
“Everything we thought about Renaissance makeup – that it was all poisonous – is not true,” says Jill Burke, a professor of art history at the University of Edinburgh. “The recipes have a much higher level of knowledge and skill than we previously understood.”
Burke, working with a physicist, has uncovered Elizabethan cosmetic tips from breadcrumbs to beauty sleep – including a hair removal method using cat poo, and a recipe that calls for three litres of human blood.
The world of sport
Wimbledon thriller | Carlos Alcaraz beat Novak Djokovic to win the Wimbledon title in a final for the ages. The Spaniard’s 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 result saw Djokovic endure his first Centre Court defeat in more than 10 years. Our live blog recounts every serve.
Women’s Ashes | Australia retained the urn as England fell three runs short in the second one-day cricket international.
Matildas | In a Fifa World Cup warm-up – and before a record crowd – the Australian women’s football team threw down the gauntlet by beating a France team ranked five places above them. Joey Lynch asks: Could they really win the World Cup?
Tour de France | The defending champion, Jonas Vingegaard, survived a challenge from Tadej Pogacar in stage 15 to retain Tour de France lead.
AFL | They backed him, then sacked him. But, Jonathan Horn asks, could the Gold Coast Suns have kept faith in coach Stuart Dew?
Media roundup
Jewish students say Melbourne’s public schools aren’t safe, according to the Age. The Canberra Times unpacks a report on the Australian Public Service Commission, which says the agency must step up and assert its leadership and influence over the federal bureaucracy. And the Daily Telegraph carries a story saying that bikies are asking police to raid their homes in order to have their colours taken without recriminations from their clubs.
What’s happening today
Consulting services | Guardian Australia will cover a federal parliamentary committee hearing into the government’s use of consultancy services.
Bruce Lehrmann | A case management hearing is scheduled in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation cases against Network Ten and ABC. He earlier settled a case with News Corp.
Veteran suicides | Public hearings for the royal commission into defence and veteran suicide are due to begin in Adelaide.
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Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day – with plenty more on the Guardian’s Puzzles app for iOS and Android. Until tomorrow.
