Your morning Briefing: NATO chaos after Trump tirade

Welcome to your morning digest of the top stories of the day.

Hello readers and welcome to your two-minute digest of what’s making news today.

(L-R) US President Donald Trump, Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May, US First Lady Melania Trump and Philip May stand on the steps in the Great Court to watch the bands of the Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards perform a ceremonial welcome as they arrive for a black-tie dinner with business leaders at Blenheim Palace, west of London, on July 12, 2018, on the first day of President Trump's visit to the UK. The four-day trip, which will include talks with Prime Minister Theresa May, tea with Queen Elizabeth II and a private weekend in Scotland, is set to be greeted by a leftist-organised mass protest in London on Friday. / AFP PHOTO / POOL AND AFP PHOTO / Niklas HALLE'N

NATO panic

Donald Trump created “utter panic’’ among NATO allies — who have agreed to pay more, and on a quicker timeline — after he warned the US could withdraw from the ­organisation in January if other wealthy countries did not ­immediately increase their spending on defence to 2 per cent of gross domestic product. Mr Trump also began a protest-laden trip to Britain overnight by questioning whether Prime Minister Theresa May will deliver on UK voters’ intentions when they decided to quit the European Union.

“What they are doing is spending at a much faster clip up to the 2 per cent level. Now we are being treated fairly.’’

Donald Trump

-

Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton in Question Time in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture Kym Smith

Migration down

The annual permanent migration intake has fallen by more than 10 per cent to less than 163,000, marking the lowest level for more than a decade on the back of a crackdown on fraudulent claims and a sharp rise in visa refusals under the government’s new integrity measures.Tougher vetting rules imposed by Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton have cut 21,000 from the annual intake, returning it to levels last seen in 2007.

-

TEACHERS PET..12/7/18: Joe and Sandra Cimino at their home in Warriewood, Sydney. Joe has recalled the concreting he has done at Chris and Lyn Dawson's old house at 2 Gilwinga Drive. It is suspected that Lyn's body may be buried in the "soft soil" that was covered by subsequent concreting renovations at the Dawson home. John Feder/The Australian.

‘Like cheesecake’

A concreter who did extensive work on the Sydney home where Lyn Dawson vanished has come forward for the first time, revealing his concerns about disturbed ground where he believes her body could be buried. Joe Cimino has kept diaries detailing his family company’s digging and concreting at the Dawsons’ former home 30 years ago. Listen to more in the latest episode of podcast sensation The Teacher’s Pet, out today.

“And I can remember this clear as today that the shovel was just going into dirt like I was cutting a cheesecake, it was so soft.”

Joe Cimino

-

Rod Clement Margin Call cartoon for 13-07-2018. Version: Business Cartoon (1280x720 - Aspect ratio preserved, Canvas added)COPYRIGHT: The Australian's artists each have different copyright agreements in place regarding re-use of their work in other publications.Please seek advice from the artists themselves or the Managing Editor of The Australian regarding re-use.

Gallic shrug

Margin Call may well have found the only Frenchman on the planet not excited about this weekend’s World Cup final. And he’s running an ASX top 20 company. Rio Tinto’s French chief executive Jean-Sebastien Jacques told us yesterday that the prospect of Sunday night’s ­decider between France and Croatia left him cold.

“I’m not really into football. If it was a rugby game I’d be in a different position.”

Jean-Sebastien Jacques

-

US player Serena Williams reacts against Germany's Julia Goerges during their women's singles semi-final match on the tenth day of the 2018 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 12, 2018. Williams won the match 6-2, 6-4. / AFP PHOTO / Oli SCARFF / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE

‘It’s crazy’

Serena Williams said “it’s crazy” that she has managed to reach a 10th Wimbledon final, 10 months after a series of lifesaving surgeries which followed the birth of her daughter and that she still has “traumatic thoughts” over her own mortality. The 36-year-old American eased past Germany’s Julia Goerges 6-2, 6-4 and will face another German, Angelique Kerber, in Saturday’s final, her 30th Grand Slam championship match.

“It’s crazy. I don’t even know how to feel because I literally didn’t think I’d do this well in my fourth tournament back.”

Serena Williams

-

Kudelka’s view

Jon Kudelka Letters cartoon for 13-07-2018. Version: Letters Cartoon (1280x720 - Aspect ratio preserved, Canvas added)COPYRIGHT: The Australian's artists each have different copyright agreements in place regarding re-use of their work in other publications.Please seek advice from the artists themselves or the Managing Editor of The Australian regarding re-use.