Top story: ‘Democracy is at stake’
Hello – Warren Murray here to read you in.
There are warnings that Donald Trump could taint American justice for decades after veteran judge Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement from the US supreme court.
Democrats and progressives say it opens the way for the president to appoint an arch-rightwinger who could unravel access to abortion, advancements for LGBT people and voting rights.
Kennedy had been a crucial swing vote on the panel of the top court for more than a decade. Democrats have vowed to block any new nomination until after November’s midterm elections – the Republicans did the same to Barack Obama when he tried to appoint a judge before the 2016 presidential poll following the death of Antonin Scalia in February of that year.
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PM insists talks on track – Theresa May will insist the government is making progress on Brexit when she updates EU leaders over dinner in Brussels tonight. Leaders are likely to ratchet up the pressure on Britain to make a choice about the future relationship it wants with the EU. The PM travels to Brussels after a week of public cabinet disunity, including over whether Airbus was right to warn of the risks of a no-deal Brexit. Whitehall sources say May is increasingly leaning towards a Norway-style approach that would involve accepting single-market membership, at least for goods, while Brexiters want a much looser deal.
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Joe Jackson’s legacy – “Fearsome”, “cruel” and “estranged from his family” are some of the ways that epitaphs to Joe Jackson are being qualified this morning. The father of Michael Jackson has died aged 89 from cancer. “He may not unequivocally be the most tyrannical and monstrous father in pop history”, writes Alexis Petridis. But he “has a shot at the title” for the catalogue of physical and mental abuse that the talented Jackson siblings endured on the road to a success that their father never achieved himself. Watch footage from 1983 of Michael breaking out the moonwalk for the first time and “it seems almost insulting to the level of talent on display to suggest that it required physical and psychological abuse to bring it out”. Joe Jackson died in a hospital in Las Vegas, having reportedly kept his family at bay during his decline.
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Deportation bonus culture – The Home Office paid out over £21m to people wrongfully held in immigration detention while its staff chased bonuses for meeting targets to remove people from Britain. Figures reveal that more than 850 people detained between 2012 and 2017 were living in the UK legally. In 2016-17, 23% of people working in immigration enforcement received an end-of-year bonus for good work, some of which is related to removals. Confusion over whether removals targets were in place led to Amber Rudd’s resignation as home secretary. The most senior Home Office official, Philip Rutnam, has indicated to the home affairs committee of MPs that deportation target figures will no longer be pursued.
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Toxic greaseballs from space – Space is full of dirty, toxic grease that could cloud the windows of interplanetary craft, astronomers have revealed. The solar wind sweeps our own stellar environs clean of the gunge, which is part of the exhaust plume from what are known as carbon stars. Scientists are trying to work out how much is floating around in space that might be available to create life. You will also need windscreen wipers if passing through the more pleasant-sounding atmosphere of Saturn’s moon Enceladus (I nearly type “enchilada” just there). Plumes of ocean spray rise up from the icy surface, according to data from the Cassini space probe, bringing with them traces of organic molecules that could be signs of life or the potential for it.
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Unicorn farts – We’ve had another glimpse at Elon Musk’s ugly side after his Tesla company ripped off a farting unicorn. Colorado potter Tom Edwards started making his unicorn mugs in 2010 and was initially thrilled to find out Musk was a fan, until realising the image was being used without his permission in Tesla promotional material.
“He can sue for money if he wants, but that’s kinda lame,” Musk told Edwards’s daughter in an exchange on Twitter. Edwards has lawyers on the case: “He [Musk] is really really interesting. But he isn’t above copyright law.”
World Cup
Our live blog is under way and there is plenty to talk about. The curse of the defending champions struck again with Germany becoming the fourth winner of the last five tournaments to crash out during the group stages. Backlash has been swift and predictably furious among both fans and the German media, with leading newspaper Bild contrasting the nation’s shock exit with the elation experienced four years ago with its 7-1 decimation of then hosts Brazil. Former national team player and Guardian columnist Thomas Hitzlsperger struggled to process a result that in his own words left him “completely empty”.
It was jubilation for Mexican fans, however, who earned an unexpected reprieve following their side’s disappointing 3-0 capitulation to Sweden. They will now progress as Group F runners-up at the expense of Germany. Elsewhere, fellow tournament favourites Brazil navigated a tricky fixture against Serbia thanks to goals from Paulinho and Thiago Silva, while Switzerland drew with a resurgent Costa Rica to set up a knockout round encounter with Sweden.
All eyes turn to tonight’s Group G and H final fixtures, as England and Belgium jockey for second spot, and the chance to avoid a potential quarter-final showdown with Brazil, but Gareth Southgate is adamant his side will play to win. He also expressed himself “hugely fortunate” to be in charge, fearing he’d spurned his chance when he turned down the job two years ago.
Lunchtime read: Ukip goes further right
That Ukip these days needs the likes of “Sargon of Akkad”, “Count Dankula” and an editor from InfoWars to prop up its numbers could seem a reassuring confirmation of the party’s irrelevance after Brexit. “All three,” writes Nesrine Malik, “have built their reputations and social media following primarily by spreading conspiracy theories.”
“Unable to woo back its old voters with the carrot of Brexit, Ukip’s last manifesto focused on trying to mop up the most hardcore anti-immigration sentiment by more clearly spelling out an anti-Muslim agenda. How much the party accepts these far-right individuals will be a good indication of what Ukip is prepared to do to stay relevant – and also how much its new members’ support can be leveraged. These individuals could either be a kiss of death for Ukip … or a shot in the arm.”
Sport
Andy Murray is still to confirm whether he’ll return at Wimbledon, but the Scot did not disgrace himself as he built fitness in a 6-4, 6-4 loss to Kyle Edmund. On the eve of the Austrian Grand Prix, local team Red Bull Racing remain hopeful a new engine may entice Daniel Ricciardo to remain with them, amid ongoing speculation the Australian could join a rival next season.
England’s cricket team has produced the same standard of excellence that saw it sweep the five-match ODI series against Australia in a one-off ODI, with Jos Buttler once again leading the way. And gymnast Aly Raisman has spoken of the “exhausting and traumatizing” after-effects of abuse at the hands of disgraced former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar. Nassar was sentenced to up to 300 years in prison for his crimes.
Business
Asian markets have been mixed, with White House statements on trade leaving investors divided on whether the administration is interested in soothing tensions with China. Sterling has been buying $1.311 and €1.133 overnight.
The papers
“May insists Brexit talks still on track ahead of key EU summit” is the Guardian splash. The Telegraph (“Britain heading for ‘worst’ Brexit deal”) and the Express (“Fury at Blair bid to wreck Brexit”) also have Brexit on their fronts. The latter also wins the prize for the best front page take on Germany’s defeat at the World Cup, with “Don’t mention the score”.
The Sun leads with the defeat of Germany, with its headline laid out like a dictionary definition: “Schadenfreude: Pleasure derived from another person’s misfortune” over a photo of the devastated German World Cup side. “The death of free banking”, says the Mail on a story about how big banks make a profit from almost all customer accounts. The Times has, “China in driving seat to control HS2 trains”, the FT leads with “John Lewis profits collapse as retail woe moves up high street” and the Mirror features the Moorlands fire, with the headline “Fire fight”.
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