Morning mail: Trump provokes EU in latest diplomatic barb
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Version 0 of 1. Good morning, this is Eleanor Ainge Roy bringing you the main stories and must-reads on Monday 16 July. Top stories Donald Trump has called the EU one of his greatest “foes” in another extraordinary diplomatic intervention just hours before sitting down to a high-stakes summit with Vladimir Putin. Asked to name his “biggest foe globally right now”, he started by naming the union, calling the body “very difficult” before ticking off traditional rivals Russia and China. Hours earlier, Theresa May revealed that Trump had suggested she “sue the EU”, rather than negotiate with the 27-country bloc. Trump arrived in Finland after trampling mud through his red-carpet welcome in the UK, where he left diplomatic protocol tattered. He told a TV interview the trip’s highlight had been tea with the Queen, whom he called a “fantastic woman”, but this time would not reveal details of their conversation. “Well, I can’t talk. You know, I’ve heard very strongly from a lot of people, you just don’t talk about conversations with the Queen, right?” France have beaten Croatia 4-2 in the highest-scoring World Cup final since 1966, an epic that was laced with drama, not least a second-half pitch invasion, apparently by members of Pussy Riot. An own goal and a controversial penalty awarded after the intervention of the video assistant referee set France on their way in the first half before goals from Paul Pogba and the teenage sensation Kylian Mbappé threatened a thrashing. But a terrible error from the French goalkeeper, Hugo Lloris, gave the Croats the more respectable score they deserved, in a fitting end to an excellent tournament. France’s win set off wild celebrations in Paris, while Croats had plenty of cause for pride in defeat. A family’s three-year wait to hear why their son died in a Sydney prison cell just weeks before he was due for release will come to an end today, with the start of a coronial inquiry. David Dungay Jr, a 26-year-old Dunghutti man, died after he refused to stop eating biscuits in his cell and guards rushed in and restrained him. Dungay was moved to another cell and held face down on the floor while he was injected with a sedative, Midazolam. He died a short time later. Since his death Dungay’s family have called for answers about his restraint and sedation. His death and their fight for justice is the subject of a new Guardian Australia podcast: Breathless. Midazolam has been linked to several deaths in custody in Australia. Elon Musk has launched an extraordinary attack on a British diver who helped rescue the boys trapped in a flooded cave in Thailand, baselessly calling him a “pedo” on Twitter. The Tesla chief executive offered to assist the rescue mission by providing a submarine. The request was turned down. Musk lashed out on Sunday, saying he would make a video proving that his mini-sub would have been successful and adding: “Sorry pedo guy, you really did ask for it.” The accusation was directed at Vern Unsworth, a British cave explorer who labelled Musk’s attempt to help the rescue effort a “PR stunt”. The WA Liberal Dean Smith says moderating the immigration intake would give Australia “time to breathe” and space to develop a population policy to allow proper planning while maintaining social cohesion. The prominent backbencher told the ABC Australia would reach a population of 25 million in the first week of August, though previous forecasts had predicted that mark would not be reached until 2027. A population that size was “a cause for celebration because a big country brings with it lots of benefits”, but the acceleration in population growth raised questions about whether service provision, infrastructure planning and job creation were keeping up. Sport Novak Djokovic has secured his fourth Wimbledon title after strolling past Kevin Anderson 6-2, 6-2, 7-6. The match was memorable only for the South African’s dogged but doomed fightback, as elbow trouble and his marathon semi-final struggle against John Isner caught up with him. St Kilda and Carlton faced off on Friday at Etihad Stadium, with tickets for what is supposed to be one of the highlights of the round going for just $13. The AFL must look at rolling fixturing from 2019 to prevent such dismal displays taking the best TV slots, writes Craig Little. Thinking time As Madonna’s 60th birthday approaches, her influence on popular culture continues unabated, and pop’s greatest survivor might just have another hit up her sleeve, writes Barbara Ellen. “It was never just about the music. Madonna embodied the devilish voice in your ear, saying: ‘Why not?’ A pop queen with a big dirty rock mouth, she was one of the first great influencers, daring at least a couple of generations of girls and young women (not to mention all her loyal gay fans) to be bolder, stronger and, crucially, a ton less humble and apologetic.” From today, Australians will have three months to opt out of a digital medical record that can hold on to information for up to 30 years after they die. My Health Record will be automatically set up for every Australian unless they opt out before 15 October. It will track allergies, medical conditions, previous or current medication, test results and anything else that is uploaded by your doctor – and share it between medical providers. Doctors say it will improve the quality of care but others are urging people to opt out owing to privacy and cybersecurity concerns. Naaman Zhou examines the pros and cons of My Health Record, and the controversy surrounding what has been described as an “uncontrolled, uncurated, data dump”. Greece is approaching the end of an odyssey. After eight drama-filled years, it is now a mere six weeks until the debt-burdened country exits its third and final international bailout program but, with no sign the debt will ever be paid off, many fear another crisis is just around the corner. Media roundup The Age reveals that Victorian police have been charged with bullying offences in an “unprecedented” move by the employment watchdog WorkSafe. The West Australian highlights the alleged murders of a mother and her two children in a Perth suburb, under the headline “House of horrors”. And the Mercury reports that GPs are urging the Tasmanian government to subsidise the $100 cost of meningococcal vaccines after a second person was admitted to hospital with the disease at the weekend, days after the death a 16-year-old Hobart girl. Coming up Scientists, engineers, marine park managers and tourism operators begin a three-day symposium in Cairns to discuss options for strengthening the Great Barrier Reef’s resilience. New findings on the protection of consumer data will be released in a joint presentation in Melbourne by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chairman, Rod Sims, the Australian human rights commissioner Ed Santow and the Consumer Policy Research Centre chief, Lauren Solomon. Supporting the Guardian We’d like to acknowledge our generous supporters who enable us to keep reporting on the critical stories. If you value what we do and would like to help, please make a contribution or become a supporter today. Thank you. 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