Sir Keir Starmer has done what common sense demanded and allowed pubs to stay open for England’s World Cup showdown with Mexico. The 1am kick-off at the Azteca is hardly friendly to fans, landlords or any fan hoping to look remotely human at work on Monday. But this is the World Cup, and England in the knockouts is a national event, not something to be rationed by licensing technicalities.
Pubs as Community Hubs
Pubs are where football lives. They are where nerves are shared, pints are nursed, strangers become mates, and every Harry Kane touch briefly feels like a matter of national security. Allowing venues to stay open until 5am has provided fans a safe, shared place to watch a huge match, including extra time and penalties if England insist on putting us through the usual torture.
Staff and neighbours must be respected, but the principle is right. Let the pubs open, let the country gather, and let England do the rest.
Justice at Last for Rape Victims
When two boys who raped teenage girls walked free with community orders, questions were rightly asked as public anger grew. The sentence did not fit the crime. The victims deserved better. The courts needed to think again. Now, the Court of Appeal has ruled that the original sentences were unduly lenient and that the trial judge failed to grasp the gravity of what those girls endured. Four years' detention has now been handed down. It is not perfect. They will not serve the full term. But for two young women who have waited long enough for the law to take their pain seriously, this review matters. Justice was late. It should never have taken this long.
Crazy in Love
Climbing the Empire State Building was foolish, dangerous and bound to end in handcuffs. Yet amid the recklessness was something oddly hopeful: a proposal, a peace banner and a reminder that love still makes people do extraordinary things. Next time, though, perhaps try a restaurant with a nice view.
