Morning Mail: Russell Brand jailed; Bowen’s electrification push; and protecting Victoria’s endangered ‘forest fairies’

Morning everyone. When figures showed that about two-thirds of sexual assault complaints made to police in Queensland were being withdrawn, researchers set out to find out why. Their shocking findings into police procedures and complacency are revealed today in our top story.

A new scheme holds out hope for the endangered Leadbeater’s possum, and Melbourne’s Chinese community describes their shock at the murder of Feng Jianming. Russell Brand has been sentenced to more than 10 years in jail for rape and, when the chips are down, embattled Nvidia boss Jensen Huang finds some powerful friends.

Australia

• Exclusive | Conservationists hope a bespoke sanctuary will help the handful of Leadbeater’s possums left in Victorian forests to thrive and repopulate, Petra Stock reveals.

• ‘Settle down’ | Queensland police put sexual assault investigations “on the backburner” because detectives were overworked and under pressure to prioritise cases linked to political issues such as youth crime, a major study has found

• Exclusive | A magistrate has criticised “exceedingly heavy-handed” ACT police officers who shot an Aboriginal woman with an intellectual disability with a Taser during a routine arrest.

• Green cuts? | There is speculation that the treasurer might cut green subsidies for households as he seeks to reduce the budget deficit. But, as our economics editor points out, the case for cutting defence or fossil fuel help is stronger.

• Inflation ‘cancer’ | A global fossil fuel price crisis is “spreading inflation like a cancer” around the planet, the UN’s chief climate negotiator told the opening plenary of Cop climate talks in Turkey, at which Chris Bowen issued a plea to the world to tackle climate change.

World

• Huang rally | Donald Trump, Elon Musk and prominent finance moguls have rallied behind embattled Nvidia boss Jensen Huang as the head of the world’s most valuable chip company faces an investigation over a relationship with an alleged Chinese spy. Check out our explainers about Huang here, and the alleged spy, Alice Huang, here.

• ‘Arrogant’ Brand | Russell Brand has been sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison for raping a fan and sexually assaulting three other women, with the judge saying he had an “arrogant disregard of any woman’s right to say no”. The verdict came after the court heard statements from his victims. After the sentencing police said he was being investigated over two further rape allegations.

• Russia’s toll | More than 400,000 Russians have been killed fighting in Ukraine since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion nearly five years ago, according to leaked data from the country’s state statistics agency, Rosstat.

• Fridge wars | France has said Iran’s Revolutionary Guards were behind “unprecedented” cyber-attacks on supermarket fridges in the country last month, vowing European sanctions against Tehran.

• Health | Doctors have made a potentially significant breakthrough in the hunt for a treatment for stiff person syndrome, the autoimmune condition that affects the singer Céline Dion.

Full Story

‘Very slowly, then all at once’: how David Jones collapsed

Once the crown jewel of Australian retail, David Jones has collapsed into administration, leaving thousands of workers and unpaid suppliers in limbo. How did the 188-year-old business that tried to be everywhere end up losing its identity entirely? Our business editor, Jonathan Barrett, joins Reged Ahmad to unpack what went wrong at David Jones.

In-depth

The alleged murder of food delivery rider Feng Jianming has shocked Melbourne’s gig workers, Chinese community and international students, leading some to say they do not feel safe in the city. With the state election just weeks away, it has also sharpened the focus on the key battleground of crime.

Not the news

Caitlin Cassidy explains why learning to recommend the perfect book for a child whose parents were divorcing, or for a man mourning his wife, made working at Readings bookshop in Melbourne the job that changed her.

Sport

• Surfing | After becoming the youngest-ever world junior champion and now competing in the World Surfing Games in Peru this week, 13-year-old prodigy Leihani Zoric says her goal “is to go to the LA Olympics and win gold”.

• Cricket | David Warner has broken his eight-year silence on the sandpaper plot and says Usman Khawaja’s new account of the affair – which claims everyone in the team knew about it – is “100% accurate”.

• Football | Manchester United are deciding whether Michael Carrick should be sacked as head coach after being given recent games to turn results around.

One Nation is threatening to seize its first ever Victorian lower-house seat, according to polling shared in the Herald Sun, while the Courier Mail says federal minister Murray Watt is going on a three-day tour of electorates threatened by the One Nation surge. A group of mothers in South Australia’s mid north have told the Advertiser they fear that changes to maternity services could leave them travelling further for care. The Wall of Tears installation Shoalhaven council refused to show will go on display at Port Kembla, the Illawarra Mercury reports.

What’s happening today

• Sydney | Tanya Plibersek to receive inaugural state of the nation report on disability employment.

• Canberra | Michael Crosby, administrator of the CFMEU, speaks at the National Press Club about how to fix the construction industry.

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Brain teaser

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