5 things you need to know this morning: July 5, 2022

Start your day off right with five things you need to know this morning.

Five things you need to know

1. Man arrested after July 4 mass shooting

A 22-year-old man has been arrested after six people were killed in a mass shooting at an Independence Day parade in Illinois on Monday. Robert Crimo III was captured after a short chase, police said.

REVEALED: Highland Park massacre suspect Robert Crimo, 22, is rapper 'Awake' with 16,000 listeners on Spotify and $100k net worth, attended Trump rally dressed as Where's Waldo and dad ran for mayor and mom is Mormon domestic abuse suspect https://t.co/c10xrwvVRM

— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) July 5, 2022

2. Developers in China to allow food as downpayment

Some property developers in China have announced they will accept food as a downpayment for new homes. Buyers will be able to use the likes of peaches, watermelons and garlic instead of money as developers attempt to revive certain real estate markets in the world's most populous country.

My garlic for a home: China struggles to revive property sector https://t.co/xeSQ7XWSN1

— Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) July 5, 2022

3. Tennis star charged with assault during Wimbledon run

Wimbledon quarter-finalist Nick Kyrgios is set to appear in court in Australia next month after being accused of common assault. The tennis star's lawyer said the case is related to an incident that was "in the context of a domestic relationship."

Controversial Tennis Star Kyrgios Accused Of Domestic Assault Amid Wimbledon Run https://t.co/vUaHiFDXWy pic.twitter.com/Z6PXW8ZUWC

— Forbes (@Forbes) July 5, 2022

4. Students damage art masterpiece during publicity stunt

Two students claiming to be climate activists have damaged one of the world's most famous paintings during a publicity stunt. The vandals glued their hands to John Constable's Hay Wain, which is in London's National Gallery, before being arrested.

🖼️ Two climate change protesters glued themselves to the frame of a John Constable painting, The Hay Wain, and attached their own image of an "apocalyptic vision of the future".

Read more: https://t.co/U9rApRfSUv pic.twitter.com/nit2CMyU8b

— Sky News (@SkyNews) July 5, 2022

5. Detained US basketball star asks Biden for help

An American basketball star detained in Russia has written to President Joe Biden to plead for help. Brittney Griner has been held in Russia for four months on drug offences charges.

Brittney Griner has made an appeal to Joe Biden in a letter passed to the White House through her representatives saying she feared she might never return home and asking that he not “forget about me and the other American Detainees”https://t.co/LkzIpoTxDG

— TIME (@TIME) July 5, 2022

And lastly...

In happier news, scientists in Finland have said they may have solved the problem of unreliability associated with renewable energy. Their simple idea involves heating up a giant "sand battery," which retains a heat of 500ºC for several months and can be used to warm homes in winter.

World's first fully working "sand battery" which can store green power for months installed by Finnish researchers

https://t.co/NpiwWn2AOG

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) July 5, 2022