Football and face masks have topped news lists this week, as England secured a spot in the Euro finals while scientists warned that Boris Johnson risks scoring an own goal by lifting Covid restrictions too early.
Gareth Southgate’s team are the first England side to reach the last round of a major men’s tournament since 1966, after claiming a 2-1 victory over Denmark at Wembley on Wednesday. Amid growing hopes that this time it really could be “coming home”, fans nationwide have been praying that the Three Lions will end Italy’s 32-match unbeaten streak in Sunday’s final.
As football fever grips the nation, the prime minister has been getting a verbal kicking after confirming that Covid-19 restrictions will be ditched in England from 19 July. Defending the decision, Johnson said his government wants to “move away from legal restrictions” and allow people “to make their own informed decisions about how to manage the virus”.
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But while senior cabinet ministers have broadcast their intentions to ditch their face masks immediately on so-called Freedom Day, debate continues about whether the coverings should still be worn in some public spaces, as experts call for the lifting to be delayed until more people have been vaccinated.
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The EU is facing a backlash from right-wing parties from across the bloc who have teamed up to challenge what they describe as efforts by Brussels to “strip nations of the right to exercise their legitimate sovereign powers”.
Over in the US, Donald Trump may have worsened his legal woes by appearing to admit to the central thrust of tax charges brought against his company, The Trump Organization, by New York prosecutors.
In Myanmar, more civilians were killed by the military as clashes with armed, anti-coup militias escalate - prompting fears that the country may be on the precipice of a “full-blow civil war”.
There was further bloodshed in the Caribbean, where a high-profile political assassination has prompted worldwide shock. The Netherlands was also left reeling by the shooting of award-winning crime journalist Peter R. de Vries, who was gunned down on a street in central Amsterdam on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Lebanon has appealed with international aid as the country’s financial crisis continues to deepen, with the caretaker prime minister warning of an impending “social explosion”.
