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Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin at their joint news conference. Photograph: Valery Sharifulin/TASS

Tuesday briefing: 'Treasonous' Trump kowtows to Putin

This article is more than 5 years old
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin at their joint news conference. Photograph: Valery Sharifulin/TASS

Two presidents brush aside claims of Russian election meddling … fury as Brexiteers get their way on Chequers plan … and the curse of perfectionism

Top story: ‘Most serious mistake of his presidency’

Hello, I’m Warren Murray on a Tuesday when there’s a wealth of strong stories to tell you about.

Donald Trump has outraged both Republicans and Democrats by saying that he trusts Vladimir Putin over his own intelligence agencies’ assessment about Russia’s interference in the US election.

“They said they think it’s Russia; I have President Putin, he just said it’s not Russia,” Trump told reporters after their meeting in Helsinki, Finland. “I will say this: I don’t see any reason why it would be. I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today.” Putin duly declared in a Fox interview that the meddling claims were “utterly ridiculous”.

Key moments from the Trump-Putin press conference - video

John Brennan, CIA director under Obama, said Trump’s conduct was “nothing short of treasonous” and more than amounted to “high crimes and misdemeanors” – the benchmark for impeachment. “Not only were Trump’s comments imbecilic, he is wholly in the pocket of Putin.”

There were other familiar critics including the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, and Republican dissidents including John McCain – but most telling were rebuttals from the likes of Newt Gingrich, a former House speaker and confidant of the president: “It is the most serious mistake of his presidency and must be corrected – immediately.” Paul Ryan, the current speaker, said there was “no question” that Russia interfered in the 2016 election, adding: “The president must appreciate that Russia is not our ally.” Luke Harding reviews a bewildering press conference where Trump failed to stand up for US interests and did nothing to banish the impression that he is beholden to Russia “and in some intangible way even controlled by it”.


Chequered result – Brexiteers have succeeded in watering down Theresa May’s customs bill in the Commons. Last night, No 10 accepted amendments from the European Research Group (ERG) faction including ruling out collecting VAT or duties on behalf of the European Union unless it does the same for the UK, and ruling out joining the EU’s VAT regime.

Anti-Brexit Tory MP Anna Soubry asks: who runs the country? – video

The capitulation angered remainers including the Conservative Anna Soubry, who said the government was “frightened of somewhere in the region of 40 members of parliament – the hard, no-deal Brexiteers, who should have been seen off a long time ago and should be seen off”. Soubry attacked colleagues with “a gold-plated pension and inherited wealth” for pursuing a Brexit that would cost ordinary people their jobs. “Who is in charge … is it the prime minister or is it the member for North East Somerset [Jacob Rees-Mogg]?”

Pro-EU Tories voted against the two ERG amendments but they narrowly passed by 305 votes to 302, with the PM gaining the support of three Labour MPs: Frank Field, Kate Hoey and Graham Stringer. There will be more Brexit debate today and the government will try to send the Commons into summer recess early in what is being seen as an attempt by May to avoid facing a confidence vote.


Holster your hoses – Watering restrictions are to be brought in for north-west England after the UK’s longest heatwave in more than 40 years. Soaring summer temperatures have seen water companies across England urging customers to be careful about their usage, but United Utilities is the first to announce a hosepipe ban. Unless sustained rainfall arrives to top up reservoirs, the “temporary use ban” will apply from 5 August to customers in Merseyside, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Cumbria, with the exception of Carlisle and north-east Cumbria’s Eden District. Reservoir levels have plummeted in the unusually hot conditions and are 17% lower than the same period last year, according to United. In Northern Ireland a hosepipe ban has been in effect since 29 June.


Lava ‘bomb’ – Twelve people were injured when a lump of molten rock crashed through the roof of a boat carrying tourists viewing lava from Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano flowing into the sea. A woman in her 20s suffered a broken thigh while others had burns, scrapes and unspecified injuries. The boat was about 230 metres from the steaming spectacle – inside an exclusion zone where only experienced operators are allowed. Officials were interviewing injured passengers at hospital.


Cancer expert resigns over bullying – A celebrated researcher and CBE recipient has resigned from the Institute for Cancer Research after being accused of serial bullying and harassment. Professor Nazneen Rahman was the high-profile head of genetics and epidemiology at the world-renowned ICR where 45 people claimed to have experienced or witnessed behaviour that caused co-workers psychological harm and career damage, “some of it very serious”. The ICR said Rahman resigned after being presented with the findings of an investigation by independent lawyers. Rahman said there were no disciplinary findings against her: “The decision to resign was mine and mine alone.” One of the complainants told the Guardian: “In academia people who are brilliant can find it difficult to work with people who are not and that’s a way of justifying bad behaviour.”


Tardis hurdle overcome – Jodie Whittaker, the next Doctor Who, says she hopes her casting will inspire young girls. “Girls will no longer just think, ‘Oh, I could be a companion’. Being the first female Doctor and showing children that their heroes in shows don’t always look the same is a huge honour for me.”

Jodie Whittaker as Doctor Who with co-stars Tosin Cole, Bradley Walsh and Mandip Gill. Photograph: Sophie Mutevelian/PA

Whittaker, 36, will make her debut as the Doctor, replacing Peter Capaldi, when the series returns in the autumn. Its new “showrunner”, Chris Chibnall, said: “We’ve got a new Doctor, all-new characters, all-new monsters, all-new stories. It’s going to be exciting, emotional and the most enormous fun.”

Lunchtime read: So perfect it hurts my brain

The pursuit of perfection, taken to extremes, can lead to OCD and depression – and the number of students reporting the problem has jumped by 33% since 1989. Tom Nicol, a PhD student, was recounting his sleep problems to a counsellor when she told him: “You have perfectionism.” His reply: “I’m not good enough to have perfectionism”, which he now knows is “one of the most perfectionist things you can say”.

‘You neglect absolutely everything. You become absorbed by your own brain.’ Illustration: Harriet Lee Merrion/Guardian

Kirsty Schafer, 23, who is studying for a degree, would find herself exiting the library with barely 100 words to show for hours of work. The problem is that the words are not perfect. “My brain feels like it’s been punched and punched and nothing comes out.” She is not alone – studies have found a 33% increase since 1989 in students feeling they must display perfection to secure approval. Expert Thomas Curran of the University of Bath, fears a “hidden epidemic of perfectionism”, which is a personality trait rather than a mental health diagnosis but overlaps with a plethora of disorders from eating to obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, body dysmorphia and depression. “I suggest facing it, in any way you can, and trying to understand it,” says the recovering Nicol. “Running away doesn’t help.”

Sport

After thrilling matches, marvellous midfielders, the rebirth of England and the VAR controversy, Barney Ronay writes that the Russian tournament has re-energised the men’s World Cup.

Bradley Wiggins has argued that Team Sky will have a “real problem on their hands” if Geraint Thomas, as expected, takes the race leader’s yellow jersey in Tuesday’s first Tour de France Alpine stage. Fresh from his Wimbledon resurgence, Novak Djokovic has been happier with the state of his game and his mind since reuniting with his former coach Marian Vajda, writes Kevin Mitchell. In golfing news Rory McIlroy is taking inspiration from Djokovic’s win as he looks to reclaim the Claret Jug he won at Royal Liverpool four years ago. And Usain Bolt may be set for a shock switch to football, with the eight-time Olympic gold medallist rumoured to be set to take up a deal to join Australia’s A-League.

Business

Asian markets have fallen after most US indexes closed lower on Monday as investors bought banks but sold most other types of stocks, including healthcare and technology companies. The Trump administration has brought cases against China, the EU, Canada, Mexico and Turkey at the WTO for retaliating against steel and aluminium tariffs. China has filed its own WTO challenge to Trump’s tariff proposals.

Sterling has been trading at $1.324 and €1.130 overnight.

The papers

We have a separate story today covering reaction in some of the world’s papers to Donald Trump’s surrender to the Russians.

The Putin-Trump meeting, Brexit and an imminent hosepipe ban across the north-west of England are the main items on front pages today. “‘Nothing short of treasonous’. Trump accused over Putin talks” is the Guardian’s headline. The FT runs with “Trump defends Putin over US election meddling accusations” and the Mirror brands Trump “Putin’s Poodle”.

Guardian front page, Tuesday 17 July 2018.

The Telegraph leads on Brexit, with “Chequers deal is dead, say rebels”. The i also has the PM’s Brexit-related woes on its front page: “May gives MPs early summer holiday to save her job”. The Times leads with “May’s Brexit plan in turmoil”. The Express goes with “Hosepipe ban for millions”, while the Mail’s splash is “Hosepipe ban hits millions”. The Sun’s splash headline is “Dim blue line” with a story of alleged police incompetence over a mobile phone theft.

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