To suggest that England have yet to set this European Championship alight is something of an understatement. In classic fashion, the team laboured to an opening game win over Serbia before an especially turgid draw with Denmark. Yet, thanks to this expanded Euros format, they have already qualified for the round of 16.
No nation can win the tournament in the group stage (only get knocked out) and England have easily avoided that particular humiliation. Still, given the embarrassment of riches within the squad — the best player in La Liga, the top scorer in the Bundesliga and some of the most talented Premier League stars — England fans might expect a performance or two.
And so this is the moment. The pressure — as far as is possible in an international tournament — is off. The stage is set. The election campaign is taking something of a day off for the visit of the Japanese emperor. If the Three Lions can string some passes together, press in attack and generally look as if they have a plan, the England fans will return the favour. We still believe.
Long road to freedom
After more than a decade of legal battles, international intrigue and millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money, Julian Assange has left the UK. The WikiLeaks founder will return to Australia following a plea and sentencing, to take place on Wednesday in the US commonwealth of the Mariana Islands. To some, Assange was a fighter for freedom and the right to know. To many others, not least the US government, he was responsible for “one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the United States” which put American personnel at risk.
The WikiLeaks founder was also the subject of a 2010 arrest warrant by Sweden as part of a rape investigation. Assange denied the charges, and the inquiry was dropped due to the amount of time that had elapsed, with Assange seeking asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.
Notwithstanding the wide-ranging views on Assange, the case had clearly dragged on for years, with the Australian government lobbying for an end to the matter. The matter is now set to conclude. Assange will soon return home — with a substantial criminal record to his name.
No right to complain
Free speech marks the cornerstone of British democracy. But there are exceptions. Anyone complaining about a few days of warm weather and bright sunshine following six months of cold, scattered showers ought to be sent to jail without trial. Do not pass go, do not collect £200. Decision not subject to appeal.
