Author: INDEPENDENT

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for freeSign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Much like Euro 2020, it ended with Kylian Mbappe in front of goal, with the kind of chance he would usually take. Three years ago, it was a penalty, saved by Yann Sommer. In Euro 2024, it was a shot, in Mbappe’s favoured inside-left channel, following the kind of electric surge he has mustered too rarely this tournament. But he cleared the crossbar and, a few minutes later, Spain were in the final.France’s tournament has revolved around…

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the worldSign up to our free Morning Headlines emailTaoiseach Simon Harris has pledged to help an Irish woman who was banned from leaving the United Arab Emirates after allegedly attempting suicide.Tori Towey, 28, an Emirates Airlines crew from Boyle in County Roscommon, is facing criminal charges in the Gulf country for trying to take her own life and alcohol abuse, according to reports.Ms Towey allegedly attempted self harm after suffering severe bruising during a violent attack by her husband at her home in Dubai, Mary Lou McDonald, the…

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for freeSign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Of all the players around Europe to chastise, to suggest hasn’t had a positive impact on teammates and to berate for not playing well enough, Virgil van Dijk will feel like a baffling choice to regular viewers of the Premier League.As an individual star and then as captain, the Dutch defender has raised Liverpool to regular trophy winners, been the most accomplished centre-back in the game and won everything going since moving to Anfield, as well as…

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsWatch as Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin went on trial today (9 July) over the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie Rust.It’s been almost three years since a rehearsal of a shooting scene in the western film ended tragically, when a prop gun Baldwin was holding went off, killing Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.Baldwin, 66, has insisted that he didn’t pull the trigger on the firearm and didn’t know…

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for freeSign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Arsenal signed Chile forward Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona for an undisclosed fee, on this day in 2014.The then 25-year-old arrived at the Emirates Stadium from Camp Nou for a reported £35million after agreeing a five-year deal.The Gunners saw off stiff competition to land Sanchez, who had also been a target for Premier League rivals Liverpool and Italian champions Juventus.Sanchez said: “I’m so happy to be joining a club which has a great manager (Arsene Wenger), a fantastic…

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailKeir Starmer has indicated that he hopes the Nato summit in Washington will “Trump proof” aid to Ukraine to help it hold off Russia.Speaking to journalists on his flight over to the summit in the USA, the new prime minister insisted that the defence and security of Britain and its allies will be his first priority.But he again declined to give a timetable for when his “iron clad commitment” to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent will come into…

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for freeSign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Gareth Southgate says England’s players are ready to make history, having overcome external noise, the weight of expectation and a fear of failure to reach another European Championship semi-final.After topping their group in unconvincing fashion, the Euro 2020 runners-up needed a stunning Jude Bellingham strike to save their blushes against Slovakia before beating Switzerland on penalties.England are now preparing for a third semi-final in four major tournaments, with the Netherlands standing between them and a second successive…

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsThe Australian government named a special envoy Tuesday to confront a rise in antisemitism across the country since the Israel-Hamas war began.A similar envoy will soon be appointed to challenge Islamophobia in Australia and both will promote social cohesion, prime minister Anthony Albanese told reporters at the Sydney Jewish Museum.Mr Albanese’s own Sydney office has been targeted with pro-Palestinian graffiti as rival activists clash over the Israeli-Hamas war in Australian cities and university campuses.Mr Albanese…

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for freeSign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Harry Kane has declared he is “getting better and sharper”, saying he has become accustomed to “question marks over my fitness or my form” throughout his career ahead of England’s Euro 2024 semi-final against the Netherlands. England’s campaign has seen constant discussion over the captain’s physical condition, with another early substitution against Switzerland leading to calls that Ivan Toney comes in for Wednesday’s semi-final in Dortmund. Kane came into the tournament after picking up a back injury…

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inboxGet our free Inside Washington emailDemocratic US Senator Michael Bennet has admitted that Joe Biden could lose to Donald Trump in a November election “landslide.”Bennet, who represents Colorado, told CNN that reports he told other Democrats from the upper chamber at a caucus lunch on Tuesday that 81-year-old Biden is facing defeat were correct.And he predicted that a win by Trump, 78, could see Republicans retain control of the House and take control of the Senate.“Donald Trump is on track I think to…