• Meghan 'set alarm bells ringing' at the Palace from the start. As their star wanes, there are two mistakes from those days she and Harry must fix, writes RICHARD EDEN In recent months, Harry and Meghan have given the impression they are keen to mend fences with the Royal Family. Yet still the Sussexes seem determined to risk conflict.

• Dear Melania Trump, please speak at the RNC convention, pleads KENNEDY. After deranged Democrats wished death on your husband, there's only one voice that America needs to hear now Swapping out the six-inch stilettos for a feather-soft quill, Melania addressed her 'fellow Americans' in an open letter that painted a rarely considered picture of Donald J. Trump as a generous family man.

• Today we caught a glimpse of the true heart of Labour - illiberal and bullying: STEPHEN GLOVER Any doubts that Sir Keir Starmer's Labour Party are the masters now should have been dispelled by today's King's Speech.

• QUENTIN LETTS: Poor Charles had to read 13 minutes of clichés and jargon about 'missions' Sir Keir claimed 'the era of politics as performance is over' but the state opening was its usual parade of costumed cameos and political vanities.

• DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Is Sir Keir Starmer's speech selling us snake oil? DAILY MAIL COMMENT: The Prime Minister has declared that Labour is proudly pro-business. Yet his legislative agenda, outlined by King Charles yesterday, suggests the opposite.

• Our Octopus smart meter went dumb, now our bills are rising: CRANE ON THE CASE I already complained to the Energy Ombudsman and Octopus promised to send a meter reader every three months, but that hasn't happened.

• Inflation's holding steady - now we need an August rate cut, says MAGGIE PAGANO It's the second month in a row that the Bank of England's inflation target has been met and follows the downward trend of the last few months.

• EPHRAIM HARDCASTLE: Did Prince William and Kate Middleton give too much away when Princess Anne returned to work after her horse-related accident? Were the Prince and Princess of Wales a little too keen when the Princess Royal returned to work? They tweeted: 'Super trooper! So great to see you back so soon!'

• CRAIG BROWN: Ahem! Is that the Coughing Major in the salad aisle? My celebrity encounters part two CRAIG BROWN: In the early 2000s, in Waitrose in Marlborough, I spotted Charles Ingram, better known as the Coughing Major, forlornly looking at the ready-made salads. I felt sorry for him.

• DEAR JANE: I shared my family's unique dinner tradition with my best friends - they were DISGUSTED and accused me of 'cruelty' In her latest agony aunt column, best-selling author Jane Green gives advice to a woman who has been shamed by her friends after sharing her family's favorite dinner tradition with them.

• Physically unfit, under-qualified agents with a diversity-obsessed boss chosen by Dr Jill Biden! After Secret Service botched the Trump shooting, ANDREW NEIL exposes terrifying insider details of why they failed It was a grey, drizzly Monday on March 30, 1981, when President Reagan emerged from the Washington Hilton hotel, heading back to his presidential limousine parked a few yards away.

• PVO: Kevin Rudd's cringe two-word response to Tenacious D's joke about Trump being shot shows he's in full suck-up mode to The Donald This year's presidential showdown between Donald Trump and incumbent Joe Biden is anything but normal.

• SARAH VINE: Axe the two-child benefit cap? No, if you can't afford to look after your kids, don't have them in the first place Having children is becoming a luxury. The only people who can afford to have big families these days are either very wealthy or happy to milk the welfare state for every last penny.

• The FA must target the best in class to replace Gareth Southgate - regardless of whether they're English, writes SIMON JORDAN INSIGHT BY SIMON JORDAN: One of the biggest crimes in life is that of wasted potential and I feel England have missed yet another opportunity this summer.

• Most popular Steve Webb columns on the state pension: The 14 hot topics, from what couples can inherit, to deferring payouts and buying top-ups Steve receives more questions about the state pension than anything else, and we've compiled his columns on the most frequently raised topics here.

• The cowardice of Gary Lineker, Jude Bellingham belligerence… and Cole Palmer's baked beans: OLIVER HOLT shares his memories of Euro 2024 OLIVER HOLT: England were left empty-handed on Sunday night as goals from Nico Williams and Mikel Oyarzabal saw La Roja claim a record-fourth European Championship.

• NADINE DORRIES: Two of my children were born at Lucy Letby's hospital. Here's why I have grave doubts about her guilt... There can be no grief more harrowing than that of a parent who has lost a child. In that moment, light turns to dark; life will never be the same again.

• If I have arthritis, do I have to stop working? Ask the GP DR MARTIN SCURR I've had arthritic pain in my left thumb for five years - and now have a similar pain in my right thumb and along the outside of my wrist. Would steroid injections help?

• BEL MOONEY: The world is so dark... what can I do to lighten my mood? Dear Bel, How can I avoid feeling fearful about the future? Why am I so full of gloom, when the election is over and we have no choice but to accept the result? Why this feeling of helpless despair?

• Yes, defeat hurts… but there are reasons to be cheerful. Honest! IAN LADYMAN puts things in perspective for England fans after Euro 2024 final heartbreak IAN LADYMAN: If England's defeat reminded us that old and familiar problems still exist at the heart of our game, it would be wrong to think that all hope is lost.

• All of America has just taken a bullet - but we WILL survive: MAUREEN CALLAHAN's visceral reaction to the attempted assassination of Trump - and her fear that this election will only get worse The attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump horrifies. It's an assault on everything America stands for, an attack on democracy itself.

• All of America has just taken a bullet - but we WILL survive: MAUREEN CALLAHAN's visceral reaction to the attempted assassination of Trump - and her fear that this election will only get worse The attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump horrifies. It's an assault on everything America stands for, an attack on democracy itself.

• The colour of courage: Kate Middleton looks perfect in purple at Wimbledon as Centre Court rises in moving show of support, writes LIZ JONES Making only her second public appearance since her cancer diagnosis, the Princess of Wales received a standing ovation as she took her seat at Wimbledon for the men's singles final.

• DOMINIC LAWSON: The 78-year-old Donald Trump shows that age is not Joe Biden's problem: the issue is much worse than that DOMINIC LAWSON: The current White House occupant shocked viewers with his confusion, passages of gibberish and, at times, a glassy-eyed, slack-jawed appearance suggestive of senility.

• Lopsided England were just not brave enough to triumph... Spain have been superior and are deserved champions, writes CHRIS SUTTON CHRIS SUTTON: I don't think anybody could argue that Spain did not deserve that victory. They had the better of the opportunities, they were the dominant and most outstanding team in the tournament.

• For 13 exquisite minutes, Three Lions fans dared to dream that England could win the Euros but now the long trudge back to Blighty begins, writes ROBERT HARDMAN ROBERT HARDMAN: For a moment it seemed that England's last-minute merchants might just pull off another great escape, but Spain fired in a goal which dictated there would be no happy ending.

• JANE FRYER: Hope drilled into our hearts tonight for an England win in the Euros final but we should have known better JANE FRYER: We dreamt of victory and open top buses and national holidays and Sir Gareth of Southgate, but instead we became the first team to lose back-to-back Euros finals.

• ALEXANDRA SHULMAN: Lady Vic's greatest fashion test... impressing her teenage daughter Will Lady Starmer wear Samantha Cameron's fashion brand Cefinn? After all, no one knows more about the wardrobe demands of a Downing Street wife.

• JAN MOIR: He unleashed a mini-quake of shoulder-shaking sobs ...then clung to his wife, oblivious to the clamour erupting all around them JAN MOIR: Judge Mary Sommer announced that the involuntary manslaughter case against Alec Baldwin was dismissed because the prosecution had suppressed evidence.

• DAN HODGES: The Tories are delusional if they think Starmer will falter quickly - and that voters will beg them to return In the wake of their cataclysmic Election defeat, a significant number of Tory MPs have become inflicted by what can best be described as George The Third Syndrome.

• The £20,000 bond that is no better than an IOU from a man in the pub: TONY HETHERINGTON I forwarded a certificate to Cauta Capital for redemption of a £20,000 bond which I bought in 2018. Interest was also due, but I have received nothing.

• PETER HITCHENS: Our jails are full because we are far too soppy - not because we are too tough I do wonder what Sir Keir Starmer's majority would have been if he'd said one of his first acts would be to release thousands of convicted prisoners.

• SARAH VINE: Spare us this orgy of Westminster Narcissists! One of the very few downsides of my job is that, much as I would dearly love to, I can't switch off social media.

• ALISON BOSHOFF: When in Rome! Harry Styles gets over his heartache of split from long-term love at home he bought near Valentino designer pal in the Italian capital Pop icon Harry Styles has been getting over his heartbreak after his split from long-term girlfriend, actress Taylor Russell, by living in Rome close to his friend, Valentino designer Alessandro Michele.

• Harry Kane faces awkward questions over his Euro 2024 final involvement... here's how Gareth Southgate answers them, writes RIATH AL-SAMARRAI RIATH AL-SAMARRAI: You will know the names of those it might delight the most. But we can list them here. They all have something in common, other than being part of Spain's squad.

• What if Lucy Letby is innocent? Her case must be reopened as growing doubts about her conviction are raised by medical experts and criminologists, argues PETER HITCHENS If Lucy Letby is guilty, then there is a strong case for executing her. Her supposed crimes are so cruel and grievous. It is hard to see any argument against the death penalty, if she is guilty.

• England's time is now and there can be no excuses about a development process after their defeat by New Zealand, writes SIR CLIVE WOODWARD SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: I'm afraid it's a bit of a copy and paste job from last weekend. The reality is England should have won both matches against an All Blacks team that was there for the taking.

• I don't like long farewells but here's why our greatest-ever bowler James Anderson needed to be rewarded with two and a bit days like this at Lord's, writes NASSER HUSSAIN NASSER HUSSAIN: What struck me Friday was not only the respect and love from the England fans in a full ground, but the depth of it in that dressing room. I was lucky to be there at the start and the end.

• AMANDA PLATELL: Return the award Harry - and hang your head in shame How unnecessary of Prince Harry to evoke Diana when he controversially accepted the Pat Tillman Award - named after an American war hero who died in Afghanistan.

• ANDREW PIERCE: The scores of Brexit-hating Labour MPs hellbent on pushing Keir Starmer to rejoin the EU - with Neil Kinnock at their head ANDREW PIERCE: The hugely influential Labour Movement for Europe (LME) not only supports re-joining the EU but also backs the return of free movement of people and a common defence policy.

• The most important half-time of England's tournament: IAN LADYMAN on the moment that changed the Euros... where Gareth Southgate went against his better judgement IAN LADYMAN: Few teams get to the crest of a glorious wave without getting wet along the way. Gareth Southgate's England are no exception. Their journey to Berlin has had a few turning points.

• The USMNT is in turmoil ahead of a home World Cup - after Jurgen Klopp said no, here's why US Soccer must go for Mauricio Pochettino or Gareth Southgate... there's no turning back TIM HOWARD: The clock is ticking. We are 24 months out from a home World Cup and the USMNT is in a dire state. They only get one crack at this. They must get it right.

• It's the biggest decision of Gareth Southgate's life... and I'm afraid he needs to drop Harry Kane, writes GRAEME SOUNESS GRAEME SOUNESS: If he gets it right, it is a decision that will make Gareth a national hero and, on current evidence, I'd say you have to leave Harry out.

• Keir Starmer's wife was 'dreading' the attention she'd get if he was elected. So why is this 'vibrant, sassy' woman - who once had political dreams of her own - now happy to play the part of PM's plus one? Writes JANET STREET-PORTER JANET STREET-PORTER: If Vic Starmer still wanted to be involved in politics, she would not have switched careers when she was so well-qualified and opted to work for the NHS.

• Defiant Gareth Southgate has made Gary Lineker and his fellow rabble-rousers look foolish, writes OLIVER HOLT OLIVER HOLT: It felt like a kind of bedlam in the tunnel area at the Westfalenstadion on Wednesday night.after England's dramatic semi-final victory.

• TOM UTLEY: The photo that taught me life's most valuable lesson: Try to be cool and you'll end up looking ridiculous TOM UTLEY: It's a lesson that most of us learn as the years roll by: if we want to pass the test of time, we should dare to be uncool - and avoid anything that smacks of a trend.

• RICHARD LITTLEJOHN: With Ken's audience booming and Fiona's tanking… did the BBC ditch the wrong Bruce? You know you're getting old when you find yourself listening to Radio 2 and you think it's Radio 1. That was the joke 50 years ago when DJs were transferred from 'Ray-de-O One!' to pipe-and-slippers Radio 2.

• Tracey Cox reveals why your friends are having much less sex than you think British expert Tracey Cox reveals perceptions of sexual frequency are skewed- saying your friends are having much less sex than you think. The sex 2.5 times a week statistic was never correct

• Mail Sport expert MARTIN KEOWN reveals how England duo Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden can exploit Virgil van Dijk in Euro 2024 semi-final against Netherlands MARTIN KEOWN: England should 100 per cent use the same 3-4-2-1 system against the Netherlands. It was no coincidence that Bukayo Saka had his best game against the Swiss.

• How Gareth Southgate grew up in a world of alpha males and egos and a racist football culture... long before he became England's man who thinks and doesn't shout, writes IAN HERBERT IAN HERBERT: On one of the quieter nights at these Euros, I picked up the book of short stories which had been up and down the German railway network with me, by then unread.

• How your work pension can turn £100 into £225: SIMON LAMBERT If I told you that if you gave me £100, I would turn it into £225 immediately would that sound like a good deal?

• RUTH SUNDERLAND: Constant churn of ministers must end The ever-changing dramatis personae, seen under the Tories and the coalition, makes relationships with business harder.

• JEFF PRESTRIDGE: Act to keep Keir Starmer's hands off your cash By the shrewd use of tax-friendly Isas and pensions, reader Eddie Browne has side-stepped some restrictions imposed on tax-efficient wealth creation. Follow his lead!

• SAUCY SECRETS: My boyfriend's dad is trying to seduce me with creepy texts and I don't know how to handle it Jana Hocking shares her best Saucy Secrets - and trademark sassy advice.

• BORIS JOHNSON: Starmer's majority is built on sand - it's a mile wide and an inch deep. Here's my ten-point guide to bashing Labour and getting back into power We have allowed Keir Starmer, a glottaly challenged North London lawyer, to lead Labour to one of their biggest victories ever - bigger even than Labour's post-war victory in 1945.

• I bought a designer 1990s Fendi bag from a charity shop for £200 on a hunch it's worth far more - am I right? DAN HATFIELD replies I bought a designer bag from a second hand shop for £200. I thought it was quite expensive but loved it - and had a hunch it might be worth far more.

• I've done up a wreck of a house and doubled its value - how can I cut my tax on profits? I had to pay cash of £105k as you could not get a mortgage for the property in that state. I have gone there every day for over four years doing all the work

• AMANDA PLATELL: It took a real hero's mum to call Harry out for abandoning his family and his country The mother of an American war hero who died fighting in Afghanistan is appalled that Prince Harry is to receive an honour in her son's name.

• DR ELLIE CANNON: I've been on HRT for 21 years, so why am I still having hot flushes? After developing menopausal symptoms aged 49, I was put on HRT patches and stayed on them until I turned 65. My hot flushes have worsened. What could be causing it?

• MAIL ON SUNDAY COMMENT: The battle's not over yet...so don't let the pollsters manipulate you into voting for years of hard Labour MAIL ON SUNDAY COMMENT: First of all, please do not forget that the election has not yet taken place. There is everything still to play for.

• I got so much stick after Graham Taylor stuck me on the left wing for England that I retired, reveals BRYAN ROBSON… and Fergie was delighted! BRYAN ROBSON: It usually starts with the phone call from your mum and dad telling you 'the country's not happy' then you hear the tone of questions.

• I dug up a 650-year-old silver coin in my garden - and it taught me something about cash today Recently I found some buried treasure in the form of a mysterious silver coin - although the most valuable thing about it turned out to be its history.

• How to spot YOUR home is at risk of subsidence and fix it without breaking the bank: Our property experts' guide to tackling the problem before it knocks a fifth of the value off your house Fixing subsidence can cost £40,000 or more if you have to bolster the foundations of your home with concrete. Follow our panel of experts' advice and you can tackle it without breaking the bank.

• William's had the 'year from hell', friends say. Now they tell RICHARD KAY how he's supporting Kate and the King through cancer - and say he's 'turned the page' on Harry All over the world ­yesterday, a birthday photograph of Prince ­William and his ­children was being studied with affection, fascination and, yes, relief.

• 35 scientifically-backed tricks to live longer and give your brain a boost, by DR MICHAEL MOSLEY: The final part of our tribute series to columnist the world loved Dr Michael Mosley's greatest skill - and his lasting legacy - was his ability to distil complex scientific concepts into simple, actionable advice that everyone can understand.

• ANDREW PIERCE: Conservative champagne shindig in South-West London's exclusive Hurlingham Club 'will be a gift to Labour' ANDREW PIERCE: Two former Tory chairmen are warning the party is making a mistake by pressing ahead with its summer gala at the exclusive Hurlingham Club.

• LIZ JONES: I've become a Camilla fan... because she reminds me of Diana The transformation of Queen Camilla has been both subtle and slow. How Camilla withstood the comparisons all those years ago, the ridicule when Diana died I will never know.

• I've invested in 19 businesses... create the perfect pitch by dodging these 10 common mistakes No matter how great your business idea is, many people still fail at pitching their idea correctly, especially when talking to investors.

• I want to recycle old car tyres and sell them on - can I make money? DAVE FISHWICK replies I want to set up a tyre recycling business but I'm worried that I could lose my life savings setting it up. Is it worth the risk? Dave Fishwick replies.

• I loved coming out of retirement to play for Lancs over-70s, admits DAVID 'BUMBLE' LLOYD, I just wish I'd remembered my box! DAVID LLOYD: They say it is like riding a bike, but even after some pre-match throw-downs, it felt like mine was still chained up until I got one down the leg side.

• I'm a consumer champion and have won £1.2m back for readers: Here's how to complain... and WIN Since 2022, I've had the privilege of helping our readers fight for financial justice in Crane on the Case, which is now on its 100th column. These are my six tips for getting YOUR problems sorted.

• REBECCA ENGLISH: As the Royal cousins touchingly support William, why Harry and Meghan are the reason they'll now never have a chance of a bigger role Standing side-by-side at a Buckingham Palace garden party yesterday, Prince William and his cousins added a welcome pop of youthful glamour not seen in the institution for a little while.

• MATT BARLOW'S SEASON REVIEW: Harry Styles shared mints with Luton hard-man Mick Harford and the Premier League created something more sophisticated than a breakaway Super League as football continues to defy logic MATT BARLOW: Sir Jim found his way to Old Trafford with the help of his Ineos compass and Jurgen Klopp bid farewell to English football and one of the great modern coaching rivalries.

• ALEXANDRA SHULMAN: What that royal photograph DOESN'T show us about the reality of motherhood... The photograph of four royal mothers shows an idealised version of maternity. All in white, the late Queen, Princesses Margaret and Alexandra and the Duchess of Kent, cradle their babies.

• Nectar customers still losing thousands of points to scammers - why hasn't it been fixed? ANGHARAD CARRICK As with our debit and credit cards, we expect some level of security when we hand over our details to supermarkets. Sadly, some Sainsbury's customers can't say the same.

• Meet England's next rugby star: The Harlequins baby-faced assassin is destined for the top with his senior international introduction likely to come this summer WORLD OF RUGBY: Fin Baxter may look back on Saturday afternoon as the time when his life changed forever. The Harlequins prop conquered a monster and announced himself as England's next prop star.

• NEWCASTLE NOTEBOOK: Toon's injury crisis hits their non-playing staff as goalkeeping coach suffers serious knee problem... while Magpies' pursuit of Bournemouth free agent Lloyd Kelly is not so simple CRAIG HOPE: Newcastle's injury crisis has now extended to their backroom staff, with goalkeeping coach Shwan Jalal suffering a serious knee injury during the club's recent trip to Dubai

• MARK CLATTENBURG: VAR is scared to make fast calls... both decisions at West Ham were correct but judgement was needed far earlier MARK CLATTENBURG: Five minutes is a long time in football. If you are looking at it for a minute, two minutes, and you haven't made a decision, we need to move on.

• No player should refuse a call from their country, writes JEFF POWELL. Gareth Southgate must cut Ben White loose after the Arsenal defender rejected England JEFF POWELL: A poll has found that almost 40 per cent of men under the age of 28 would refuse to join up if the nation issued a call to arms. It is fair to presume Ben White would be among the refuseniks.

• MAN CITY NOTEBOOK: Treble winners are keeping tabs on West Ham's Lucas Paqueta, as the club look to clamp down on ticket touts... PLUS, Ricky Hatton's heartwarming podcast cameo JACK GAUGHAN: The embrace between Pep Guardiola and Lucas Paqueta before City's victory at West Ham earlier in the season made clear that the potential for a future move still existed.

• JOE MARLER takes you inside the raucous England dressing room after stunning win over Ireland... but which celebrity fan was impressed by Dan Cole's dulcet tones? JOE MARLER: There's nowhere quite like the dressing room at times like that. You're with a group of guys you see at the best and the worst of times and it's a really unique bond.

• STUART BROAD: I can't see any fast bowler beating Jimmy Anderson's haul of 700 Test match wickets My mum Carole was there in person, though, sitting next to Jimmy's dad Michael in the stands and she sent me selfies of the two of them, doing superstitious cricket stuff.

• SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: Late England heroics can be lift-off for the Steve Borthwick era... it was their best performance of the Six Nations by a country mile and is a massive step in the right direction SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: What is fascinating to me is that although England beat Ireland, I still think they can play even better. What a great position that is for the team to be in.

• JONATHAN McEVOY: Christian Horner and the curious case of Geri's arrival: Alleged texts. Netflix cameras everywhere. This will be the most photographed event in F1 history. And the most brazen JONATHAN MCEVOY FROM INSIDE THE PADDOCK, BAHRAIN: Across the most surreal days and long nights of the weirdest grand prix I have attended, there was a poisonous atmosphere.

• RUTH SUNDERLAND: I only found out I had osteoporosis when I broke a bone... it shouldn't be like that RUTH SUNDERLAND: I found out I had osteoporosis after an accident while training for a half-marathon. It was a blessing in very painful disguise.

• TOP SPIN ON THE TEST: Joe Root becomes ninth player in Test history to score at least ten hundreds against a single opponent... as the England star shines with unbeaten 106 in India LAWRENCE BOOTH: Joe Root hit an unbeaten 106 as England reached 302 for seven against India on the first day of their fourth Test on the subcontinent. Root had struggled for form ahead of the Test.

• My favourite shirt with Peter Crouch: I was lucky to wear some fantastic shirts during my career - England at the World Cup, Liverpool in the FA Cup final... but Portsmouth's all black beauty was the best I was lucky to wear some fantastic shirts during my career - an England one at a World Cup, a Liverpool one in an FA Cup final, an all-white classic for Tottenham.

• TRANSFER CONFIDENTIAL: Man City plot raid on Premier League rival for star winger, agents clamour to sign Manchester United starlet in a bid to secure him a loan move... while PSG monitor £100m Bruno Guimaraes SIMON JONES: A number of agents have been making their pitch to Manchester United prospect Dan Gore with the promise of finding him a club on loan.

• 'My husband and son died on the Titanic submarine. When I think of them now, they're asleep in the ocean': Christine Dawood relives the agony of losing half her family as world held its breath - and her despair over tragedy that should NEVER have happened EXCLUSIVE: Last June, one hour and 45 minutes into the dive in the North Atlantic to view the wreck of the Titanic, the Titan lost communication with its support ship, the Polar Prince.

• Jessica Simpson's daughter Maxwell, 11, hilariously pokes fun at her mom's infamous Chicken of the Sea mishap: 'Who would get confused by that?' Jessica Simpson daughter Maxwell hilariously poked fun at one of her mother's most embarrassing moments on reality television, when she confused tuna and chicken.

• A.N. WILSON: Absurd word inflation is invading Britain from America. And silly titles are used to disguise completely unnecessary jobs. Let the waste manager go back to being a dustman A.N. WILSON: Monty Don, the TV gardener over whom the nation's female population swoon, has expressed his annoyance at being called a 'horticulturalist'.

• PAUL NEWMAN: No-nonsense Steve Harmison has fast become one of the best pundits in cricket... his criticism of Ben Stokes and England's lack of preparation for next month's India tour speaks volumes PAUL NEWMAN: One of England's greatest fast bowlers had no qualms in taking his friend and former Durham team-mate Ben Stokes to task over what he sees as woefully poor preparation.

• MATCH POINT: A Wimbledon final for the ages, late night chaos and tennis' answer to Max Verstappen... Mail Sport reviews the highs and lows of a frustrating season MIKE DICKSON: We have to call this as a dead heat between the ATP Finals and the Davis Cup final eight. The best fortnight of the year was not a Grand Slam but the final events of the men's season.

• State pension top-ups are in dire need of an overhaul by DWP and HMRC, says TANYA JEFFERIES Long delays and money seemingly getting lost in the system have made buying top-ups a torturous process. A new online service will be welcome - but only if it actually works.

• The kind of man that Englishmen dreamed that their sons might become: Bobby Charlton was a typically English hero, writes PATRICK COLLINS PATRICK COLLINS: They used to say that if an Englishman were to find himself in a foreign city where no English was spoken, he could guarantee a welcome with just two words...

• PETER SCUDAMORE: The Grand National has constantly evolved - and these changes will make the iconic race SAFER PETER SCUDAMORE, EIGHT-TIME CHAMPION JUMP JOCKEY: Tightening up the numbers reduces the likelihood of horses running whose presence in the line-up is questionable.

• HENRY DEEDES: Even on holiday in the heavenly Greek island of Kefalonia there's no escaping mobile morons HENRY DEEDES: The Greek island of Kefalonia is the stuff of postcards, or a thousand gloating Instagram posts.

• MEGHAN MCCAIN: Throw your reprobate, gun-slinging son under the bus, Mr. President - or kiss goodbye to the White House MCCAIN: So that's your choice, Joe. You can pardon Hunter, exit stage left and kiss your 2024 dreams goodbye. Or, you can leave Hunter swinging in the wind.

• DOMINIC SANDBROOK: There's never been a historical figure like Napoleon. He'd have hit it off with Putin, was as tyrannical as Hitler and his egomania would have made Kim Jong Un proud... Now, a new Ridley Scott blockbuster tells his life story DOMINIC SANDBROOK: Napoleon wasn't merely the greatest military commander of his age. He was one of the most compelling individuals in all world history.

• Desert Crown's racing career is in the balance after suffering injury in final preparations for the Juddmonte International DOMINIC KING: The talented but fragile colt was being prepared for a showdown with the outstanding three-year-old Paddington and brilliant Royal Ascot winner Mostahdaf.

• STEPH HOUGHTON: Spain were so clever and completely suffocated England in the final... I know the girls will be devastated but now it's time to capitalise on their success in the WSL STEPH HOUGHTON: Spain had obviously watched England closely and carried out their game plan. They are technically accomplished, have some great players and Aitana Bonmati ran the show.

• PETE JENSON: Real who? Spain go crazy for the women's team, with the World Cup finalists knocking Real Madrid and Barcelona off the front pages of the sports papers PETE JENSON IN MADRID: Spain's women's team knocked Real Madrid and Barcelona off the front pages of all major sports papers after they reached their first World Cup final. Sunday will be no different.

• NICK HARRIS: TNT Sports made its first showing at the Emirates on Saturday with an eclectic range of talking points - as the broadcaster was forced to fill an additional 30 minutes due to a delay to kick-off NICK HARRIS: Ferdinand cited a short delay at a West Ham match way back, due to a floodlight failure, then riffed for minutes on how important timing is to nutrition.

• Should I use a tax-free pension lump sum to pay down my mortgage before I retire? Should I cash in my 25% tax free lump sum from direct contribution pension, in order to reduce the amount of interest I would have to pay on the mortgage?

• JOHN HUMPHRYS: What I told Huw over lunch about what it takes to be a trusted face of the BBC JOHN HUMPHRYS: At the heart of it, of course, has been Huw Edwards: A man held in such huge esteem that the only question was how soon he would be awarded a knighthood.

• DAN WOOTTON: Leftie lawyers were always going to make it impossible to stop the boats, as the disgracefully inhumane court decision to scupper the Rwanda Scheme proves. Rishi Sunak must now campaign to take the UK out of ECHR  Our government has lost control of our borders, which are now open to a flood of illegal immigrants, any of whom could be rapists, murderers and terrorists, writes DAN WOOTTON.

• RACHEL RICKARD STRAUS: A film about a payday lender? I Wonga what you were thinking Wonga has commissioned a 30-minute film, which it says will challenge public perceptions about the lender and its customers. We went along.

• I'm still stand-in... look who's making Elton John glam again: Actor Taron Egerton, 28, transforms into the Rocket Man for new biopic  Baz Bamigboye gives an exclusive insight into the new Rocketman film starring the likes of Taron Egerton (pictured as Elton John) and Bodyguard star Richard Madden.

• TOM PARKER BOWLES: Why you simply must pour yourself a glass of creamy, rich, voluptuous... raw milk  TOM PARKER BOWLES: No pasteurisation, homogenisation or standardisation, meaning it contains the complement of vitamins, minerals and natural digestive enzymes.

• MICAH RICHARDS: When it was all over I couldn't stop thinking about Jack Grealish... he's been through a lot in the past two years but Man City have been truly rewarded for the £100m signing MICAH RICHARDS: When the final whistle went and history had been written, one person came into my mind: Jack.

• A couple more in love than ever: Prince William glances at Kate with a look of love and admiration as the couple enter Westminster Abbey with their children It was a look of love and admiration captured in the blink of an eye. As Prince William entered Westminster Abbey, he glanced over at his wife as if to say he was the luckiest man in the world.

• Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is heartbreaking and a bit sexy - if you can suspend disbelief  DEBORAH ROSS: Queen Charlotte is an origins story, but what you most need to know at this point is: while the first series of Bridgerton was great and very sexy.

• TRANSFER CONFIDENTIAL COLUMN: Man United want THIRTEEN players OUT - but could be snubbed by Evan Ferguson - Liverpool eye Alex Scott, plus Chelsea and Palace's 18-year-old striker target Simon Jones will be giving you insight, news and the latest chat from across the globe on all the deals taking shape ahead of this summer's transfer window.

• CRAIG BROWN: Our critic has always loved The Kinks. But he despairs at this joyless history and its po-faced analysis of pop classics like You Really Got Me and Waterloo Sunset Doyle follows an ever-increasing line of academics who attempt to sanctify pop music with stuffiness. In so doing, they extinguish its fire in a great whoosh of homogenous jargon

• What to pack when going on holiday - frequent traveller RICHARD BROWNING shares his checklist Richard Browning, who recently visited his 54th country and once worked at Heathrow, where dream holidays ended in tatters because people forgot their passports, shares his packing tips

• The Met's descent into the abyss began with Labour's favourite copper - a man who was woke before woke was even invented, writes STEPHEN WRIGHT STEPHEN WRIGHT: Ian Blair's promotion in 2005 to Commissioner was controversial. Dubbed 'New Labour's favourite policeman', he put politics into policing like never before.

• When exactly SHOULD you tip? Etiquette expert WILLIAM HANSON reveals the do's and don'ts (and has some advice for hotel porters, too) 'Tipping is a gesture that shows gratitude for a service provided,' writes Hanson, adding: 'Some people have very strong feelings about the subject, of course.'

• MARTIN SAMUEL: Qatar 2022 rolled over us and we had to lie back and take it. A Saudi World Cup in 2030? Football just needs to say NO to the hideous Gianni Infantino and his FIFA henchmen MARTIN SAMUEL - CHIEF SPORTS WRITER: Make-up men didn't seem to attract the attention of security guards the way make-up ladies did. Their bags were not searched as thoroughly.

• Have you been haunted by the midlife night stalker? LORRAINE CANDY shares her terrifying experience of inexplicable insomnia that left her feeling scared out of her wits LORRAINE CANDY: For the past few weeks, I have had trouble sleeping. This is unusual because I am an Olympic sleeper. For me, lights out is like getting a general anaesthetic.

• How many patients would be harmed if every single NHS diversity tsar were given their marching orders, asks ISABEL OAKESHOTT. The answer: not one ISABEL OAKESHOTT: As frontline services disintegrate, the standard of care, including for those suffering life-or-death cardiac arrests and strokes, is fast becoming a national disgrace.

• WORLD CUP SECRET SCOUT: Bayern stars Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala and Premier League pair Moises Caicedo and Brenden Aaronson are among 10 emerging players to keep an eye on in Qatar The competition will provide an opportunity for stars young and old to announce themselves on the global stage - so here's our SECRET SCOUT'S list of 10 emerging players to keep an eye on...

• A Tory government outbidding Labour on tax rises isn't sensible economics - it's just political posturing, writes director general of the Institute of Economic Affairs MARK LITTLEWOOD  MARK LITTLEWOOD: When Liz Truss's short-lived administration announced its intention to abolish the 45p top rate of tax in September, Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner made a vow.

• LEE BOYCE: It's a turbulent, frantic and worrying time for our finances, but we'll always be here to fight for you What an immense privilege to be taking over as Money Mail editor, with my first issue today. I've been writing about personal finance for years. .

• Soapwatch with JACI STEPHEN: Sun, sand and a final farewell JACI STEPHEN: In Emmerdale, a conversation with Aaron gives Faith an idea and she decides upon a family day out, while Eastenders shows a passionate kiss.

• DEREK LAWRENSON: Cameron Smith is still brilliant… but hardly anyone cares any more If a tree falls in the forest with nobody to hear it, does it make a sound? By similar logic, if Cameron Smith rolls in a putt to win on the LIV Tour, does anyone beyond his orbit really care?

• What a bitter irony that Gorbachev - the man who saved the West from nuclear Armageddon - paved the way for Putin, writes top Cold War historian MAX HASTINGS MAX HASTINGS: Gorbachev, who died aged 91 on Tuesday, will be borne to his grave vilified by almost all those whom he aspired to lead into a new world.

• JOHNNY NELSON: Someone should have stepped in to stop Anthony Joshua's post-fight meltdown, but is it any surprise he cracked following defeat against Oleksandr Usyk? JOHNNY NELSON: Someone from Anthony Joshua's camp should have stopped his post-fight public meltdown as the fact he cracked was no real surprise.

• Why I'd like to wring the neck of the 'See it. Say it. Sorted' announcer: PHILIP NORMAN takes aim at the verbose robot presences in our lives PHILIP NORMAN: Must we learn to live on equal terms with our satnavs and Bluetooth, or - knowing us - will they become a persecuted sub-species like the robots in Blade Runner?

• Three Degrees' Sheila pens her life story... watch out Charles! Soul star to tell all about her friendship with the Prince  Soul star Sheila Ferguson charmed Prince Charles in the Seventies and the Three Degrees singer is is to tell all about her enduring friendship with the heir to the throne in her new autobiography.

• Liz Jones' Diary: In which my laundry lets me down  Don't you hate it when you have finished arguing with someone and you forgot to bring up the most salient point?

• You can't always bring old fossils back to life - and here's the proof... Jurassic World: Dominion lacks any sense of jeopardy or emotional heart Just over a fortnight ago, Tom Cruise showed exactly how you breathe new cinematic life into a much-loved old classic. Alas, Jurassic World: Dominion is no Top Gun: Maverick.

• The satirical Tony! The Tony Blair Rock Opera at Park Theatre is a raucous New Labour spoof that's not afraid of a cheap laugh This is a raucous spoof musical at the expense of New Labour and the embarrassing era of Cool Britannia.

• Beatlemania? No, it's Billiemania! Billie Eilish sends fans wild as part-boss, part-life coach and all round pop star at Manchester's AO Arena Since lockdown, most crowds have been mad for it, but Billie Eilish's fans take the biscuit.

• Just magical: From spellbinding choreography to enchanting sets and splendid singing, Orfeo at Garsington Opera is a special evening indeed Monteverdi's Orfeo is perhaps the first-ever opera. It has a lot to answer for, hasn't it? Certainly it's the earliest opera to be regularly performed.

• Horoscopes: Forget your long-term worry, Gemini With a New Moon in your sign and a stunning Mars-Jupiter link, Gemini, you'll forget a long-term worry this week. Instead, you'll focus on what really matters.

• James Milner tells JAMIE REDKNAPP about the time Jurgen Klopp did a Liverpool team talk in Cristiano Ronaldo's boxers, his boring tag and why he'll be first up to take a penalty against Real Madrid JAMIE REDKNAPP INTERVIEWS JAMES MILNER: No prizes for guessing who will step up first should the Champions League final go to a penalty shootout.

• So can the lyrics of Amy Winehouse REALLY be compared with Sir Walter Raleigh's poems? Solider, explorer, poet, he was the epitome of England's most glorious era. Junkie, self-harmer, wife of a man in prison, she's the iconic pop star of our time.

• GRACE ON THE CASE: I lost £40k after falling for an online scam and need the funds as I have terminal cancer - is there any way of getting it back? I am 67 and living with terminal liver cancer. I have fallen victim to a scam into which I have put £40,000 of my £47,500 savings account. Is there anyway to get the funds back?

• MYRA BUTTERWORTH: Why I've been unable to sell my leasehold flat - and why you may struggle to offload yours for the same toxic ground rent reason Have you checked to see if you have a toxic ground rent clause in the lease on your flat, which has left many other leaseholders unable to sell their flats?

• ESTHER RANTZEN: Lockdown showed us loneliness is a blight on society we must fight all year round - not just at Christmas  ESTHER RANTZEN: Today there will be many of the more vulnerable among us who feel similarly cut off from the rest of the world.

• Heroin addict babies, leeches, dodgy spivs? Come on, nurse - it's meant to be Christmas!  JIM SHELLEY: Call The Midwife's Christmas Day special was so surreal and nightmarish it must have left the viewing millions choking on their mince pies.

• PIERS MORGAN: By blaming his boozing on his loyal protective ex-wife, Ben Affleck has revealed himself to be a narcissistic deadbeat douchebag who loves himself more than any of the Jennifers in his life In a self-indulgent orgy of deeply personal revelation from the man who supposedly hates media attention, Affleck effectively blamed his ex-wife for his alcoholism.

• Elizabeth Day: I've finally learned to quit The older I get, the more I believe that knowing when to quit is an under-appreciated life skill.

• Goodbye - and thanks for putting up with my humongous ego!  According to a new poll in The Sun, ten per cent of the British public hope to find me in their Christmas stocking, compared to 11 per cent who want One Direction star Harry Styles.

• I've seen the ruined lives behind the cocaine habits of the dinner party set who love to brag about their ethical values, writes HARRIET SERGEANT  HARRIET SERGEANT: It's illegal, of course, but safely cocooned in their cosy middle-class bubble, otherwise law-abiding citizens see no harm in their illicit dabble in the dark side.

• Tempted to join the Great Resignation? Three in four Britons consider quitting... but some jobs experts say stay put for better pay, conditions and flexibility Employers are panicking about staffing levels, meaning those who are happy to stay put are in a great position to negotiate better benefits. We show you how.

• GORDON STRACHAN: Steve Clarke will be proud of how Scotland played against England but they now need to back that up with a big performance... score a goal and they have a real chance of making the next stage GORDON STRACHAN: One of the challenges for any manager is how to back up a big performance with another one. That is what Steve Clarke faces on Tuesday when Scotland play Croatia.

• From risk-free cryptocurrency purchases to a made-up stock market for football players… GEORGE NIXON asks who is responsible for the ridiculous financial adverts we see every day? Now I've re-emerged blinking into the sunlight after the country's third lockdown, it's time for the resumption of one of my favourite forms of newsgathering: looking at adverts on the tube.

• How football's meanest defences have put Man City and Chelsea on the cusp of glory: English giants have shipped just FOUR goals each and kept EIGHT clean sheets in 12 Champions League games... and they have unlikely centre back pairings to thank! THE NUMBERS GAME - JONATHAN SPENCER: The wait is almost over as Manchester City and Chelsea get ready to battle it out for Europe's most prestigious prize.

• FANTASY FOOTBALL EXPERT: Harry Kane is back in the goals and LOVES a North London derby... and look to Jamie Vardy as a differential captain against struggling Sheffield United FANTASY FOOTBALL EXPERT: Jamie Vardy has three goals in four games against the Blades and it represents, along with Middlesbrough, one of his most lucrative goals-per-game match-ups.

• SARAH VINE: How ironic that when anti-racist warrior Harry called his Pakistani colleague the 'P'-word, he said it was 'without malice'  SARAH VINE: As the dust from that neutron bomb of an interview begins to settle, and the full extent of the fallout becomes clear, it seems Megxit has become even more divisive than Brexit.

• ASK ZELDA: Our relationships expert Zelda West-Meads answers your questions I want my children to forgive me    

• VERNON KAY: Peyton Manning can break Brett Favre's touchdown record against the San Francisco 49ers... but I would still rather have Tom Brady as my quarterback Vernon Kay looks ahead to San Francisco’s trip to Mile High on Sunday night and their meeting with Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos.

• RACHEL JOHNSON: Don't ditch Vernon for something so silly as sexting, Tess - or we'll all have to get divorced!  I’m not condoning or excusing what Kay did. It was an act of emotional betrayal and a humiliation of his wife. And it could have gone even further. But I understand it, writes RACHEL JOHNSON.

• CITY DIARY: Is Carney timing his Bank of England departure because he wants to become the next IMF boss? Mark Carney's decision to remain as Bank of England governor until 2020 comes 'despite various personal pressures,' according to Chancellor Philip Hammond.

• 'How the hell have you checked if you took two seconds': Mikel Arteta reveals his furious reaction after VAR failed to take a second look at Kyle Walker's high challenge on Arsenal defender Gabriel in Man City defeat Arteta was incensed at full-time after VAR appeared to opt against reviewing Kyle Walker's high challenge on Gabriel in the penalty box during the first-half of their defeat against Manchester City.

• MARTIN SAMUEL: Manchester United and Liverpool's every waking thought is how they can shut aspiring teams out... now we have the proof MARTIN SAMUEL DEBATES PROJECT BIG PICTURE: There really is so much to choose from in Project Big Picture, after all - but let's dive straight in with the mastermind at the heart of it.

• Tom Parker Bowles & Olly Smith Tom travels west to visit a waterside eaterie serving the freshest local catch. Drinks: Olly's glorious Grenaches

• GARY NEVILLE: Aaron Wan-Bissaka should ignore Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kyle Walker comparisons... he should focus on becoming a brilliant Manchester United defender who keeps clean sheets GARY NEVILLE INSIGHT: Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kyle Walker are two brilliant attacking full-backs. But there is more than one way to win a match and Wan-Bissaka should focus on defence.

• The new iPhone is a pleasant surprise but not quite a revelation  If you've been hanging on to an ancient, half-dead handset with the obligatory smashed screen, waiting for the 'right' iPhone to upgrade to, this £729 handset is a decent choice

• The seven worst interview mistakes candidates make - including having a phone on, arriving late and bad-mouthing previous employers  The experts from Australian recruitment company Seek have outlined the seven worst mistakes to avoid making during job interviews - including arriving late and appearing untidy.

• I use my battered old van to recruit players for Barnet and Brentford would have been promoted to the Premier League if they'd delayed the Mark Warburton announcement Martin 'Mad Dog' Allen returns with his latest column for Sportsmail. The Barnet manager talks about player recruitment at the club and Brentford's mistake in letting Mark Warburton go.

• James Tarkowski was RIGHT to refuse to play for Brentford against Burnley... why should he try and take points off a team he wants to join and win promotion with? ADRIAN DURHAM: Brentford defender James Tarkowski got it absolutely correct when he opted not to take to the field for Friday night’s defeat by Burnley in the Championship.

• 'I want to avoid falling victim to the gender pension gap': In this Money Diaries, we speak to a 33-year-old on £36k who wants to plan for her future In our latest Money Diaries, we speak to a 33 year-old woman from the South West, who is a teacher with significant savings - but still wants to be more financially prepared for the future.

• Health: My golden rules for staying healthy  Sadly, this is my last column as I feel that I should be spending more time doing my bit for the NHS in these exceptional times

• GEOFFREY LEVY: From this awful nightmare there is one glimmer of hope - maybe we can get a cleaner, healthier planet… GEOFFREY LEVY - The Covid-19 lockdowns, now affecting almost half the world's population, have produced one beneficiary from the deadly, disruptive disease: the planet itself.

• Is softly, softly Sweden heading for catastrophe? Alone in Europe, its schools, bars and restaurants are open as usual... in a maverick response to coronavirus. But now deaths are set to soar - and ministers are facing fury, writes PAUL CONNOLLY  PAUL CONNOLLY: Swedes really don't like to stand out. They much prefer to blend in. They even have their own word for it: 'Jantelagen'.

• Though the Aubrey Beardsley exhibition at Tate Britain is richly enjoyable, it's best enjoyed in a comfortable chair with the catalogue Amazingly, this is the first exhibition of Aubrey Beardsley's work at the Tate since 1923.

• THE NUMBERS GAME: Manchester United may have tried to land more big-name strikers in January but Odion Ighalo is averaging more goals than Edinson Cavani and creating chances more regularly than Erling Haaland The dramatic drop in Manchester United's pulling power became clear in January when, after weeks of searching for a new striker, Odion Ighalo was the best they could do.

• Turner Prize winner Grayson Perry delivers excoriating attack on Corbyn's 'rigid, dogmatic' Labour Party, saying it has 'a list of 20 things and if you only agree with 19 then you're a fascist'  The Turner winning ceramicist Grayson Perry delivered an acute and sharp-eyed diagnosis of Labour's failings after he was invited to guest-edit BBC Radio Four's Today programme.

• Will women voters forgive Boris Johnson's serial flings? MELISSA KITE argues the Tory leader might be more electable if he had stayed with his ex-wife Marina Wheeler instead of enjoying romance with Carrie Symonds  MELISSA KITE: Part of the reason is Carrie Symonds. I fear there is something female voters don't like about seeing a man well into his 50s with a girlfriend almost half his age in Downing Street.

• Will Donald Trump unleash hell on Iran? Oil prices soaring, threats of 'full-on war' from the Ayatollahs, and the US saying it's 'locked and loaded' - are we on the brink of war in the Gulf? The events in the obscure Saudi oil town of Abqaiq rocked world oil prices and dramatically raised the stakes in the ongoing tensions between the US and Iran.

• BLACK DOG: As he prepares to break his silence on Brexit with his memoirs David Cameron gets his just desserts - from Farage bankroller Arron Banks  BLACK DOG: As he prepares to emerge from his shepherd's hut and break his silence on Brexit with the publication of his delayed memoirs, David Cameron can expect some flak.

• BEAUTY CLINIC: One big green leap for hair care Each month, I'm trying to make one sustainable, clean, green shift to my beauty regime. Switching to a shampoo bar seemed an easy option. Wrong! My very thick hair absorbs any product like a sponge

• Roy Keane would pick fights with his Manchester United team-mates for dawdling on the ball… Paul Pogba lost possession 602 times last season but can become a great provider for rapid Daniel James, Marcus Rashford and Co THE NUMBERS GAME - KIERAN GILL: Those who shared a pitch with Keane tell tales of how the United midfielder would scream blue murder whenever a team-mate took more than two touches.

• Ash Barty has all the tools to win and Novak Djokovic's returns demoralise opponents: Brad Gilbert's verdict on the contenders at Wimbledon 2019  The 2019 Wimbledon Championships get underway on Monday. Sportsmail 's Brad Gilbert gives his view on the top contenders in both the men's and women's tournaments.

• Amazon in prime spot at Queen's after parking their tanks on BBC's lawn... while guest Callum Hudson-Odoi was out of the wedding picture SPORTS AGENDA - EDITED BY LAURA WILLIAMSON: Amazon have parked their tanks on the BBC's lawn at Queen's by paying close to £100,000 to secure the bigger, better studio.

• BEAUTY BUZZ: Pink for the modern woman  Now L'Oréal Paris has asked five of its gorgeous faces to create a pink lipstick to celebrate the beauty of modern women.

• Fairways to heaven! A golf tour in Northern Ireland is a chance to see the country in all its glory On July 14 the attention of the golfing world turns to Northern Ireland as the country hosts the Open. On a four-day trip Peter McKay found the people charming and the courses a spectacular challenge.

• Fury at Lord's over leaked revamp plan after shambolic release of MCC report CHARLES SALE - SPORTS AGENDA: Two decades of turmoil over the renovation of Lord’s has reached another low point with the shambolic delivery of the MCC report.

• Deontay Wilder, Dillian Whyte and Tyson Fury: if you think you can beat Anthony Joshua, come and get him EDDIE HEARN: I have had a lot of people asking for an update on Joshua and as ever a lot of work has been going on behind the scenes. We have made offers to the major heavyweight contenders.

• Stressed Claudia Schiffer hires Madge's fitness guru to get in shape as husband denies split rumours When the supermodel was photographed looking a shadow of her former self recently, she took drastic action

• Goes like a rocket! (just a shame the looks don’t thrill) First off, though, let’s get the downside out of the way. Dear VW, why oh why didn’t you make your latest GTi incarnation more exciting to look at?

• When Jimmy Anderson is past me he will never be beaten... he has passion and drive to push on and get better GLENN McGRATH: Jimmy Anderson deserves everything he gets and even though he is an Englishman I will be delighted for him when he goes past my record for wickets taken.

• HEALTH: Dear readers Sadly, this is my last column in YOU after more years than I care to count. For family reasons, I am stepping down to have a break. But it’s not goodbye

• Referee Nestor Pitana was spot on with VAR World Cup final penalty... Ivan Perisic handled the ball deliberately GRAHAM POLL - MY VERDICT: Croatia, masters of the dark arts, were initially undone by a dive which fooled Nestor Pitana, the Argentinian referee.

• How England can take the next step: Luka Modric showed a need to tweak Gareth Southgate's back three GLENN HODDLE: It has been wonderful to enjoy England again at a major tournament. And to see them playing out from the back restoring our faith in the fact that English teams can do so.

• Pele came from another planet... in France star Kylian Mbappe I see the same genius  TERRY VENABLES: He will wear the jersey of France on Sunday but he plays for all of us - like the very greatest of sportsmen, a Pele or an Ali, there can be no boundaries.

• How England won me back: I’d given up but I’ve learned to love again  JAMES CONEY – FINANCE EDITOR: It was against Croatia in 2007 – one year after losing 2-0 against them – in the pouring rain at Wembley, that my faith in England disappeared altogether.

• What a tournament it has been so far... Kylian Mbappe has proven a breath of fresh air while we have seen both sides of Neymar's game in Russia SLAVISA JOKANOVIC: Neymar has shown the good and less positive sides to his game. There is pressure on his shoulders every day. It's something he wanted and something he has to deal with.

• I've still got World Cup regrets, England's players can't let this opportunity go to waste MICHAEL OWEN: I look back on my time with England with so many regrets. Many of my team-mates do as well. Primarily that centres around the system we played.

• Money Morals: Should I 'bribe’ my kids to do their chores with extra pocket money? A third of parents now give their kids extra pocket money for good behaviour, doing well in school or completing their chores - is this bribery or a good way to teach the importance of earning money?

• A SHOT IN TIME: Leyton Orient's Peter Kitchen was smoking hot MICHAEL WALKER: Few thought Orient would go on a major Cup run in 1978. Kitchen was a 26-year-old who, by the semi-final, was 'the northerner who has become the Cockney pride and joy'.

• The ball-tampering saga has ruined what could have been one of the great modern Test series... you go onto the field to win, but not at all costs JONNY BAIRSTOW: It’s the big talking point of the whole cricketing world so let’s get it out there straightaway. What is happening with the Australian team is truly extraordinary.

• It won't get easier for Pep Guardiola's top dogs as teams will adopt similar tactics to Huddersfield's ALAN PARDEW: This is what Manchester City can expect now. They’ve set their mark. But what I also saw in their performance away to a tigerish Huddersfield is that they can come from behind.

• Anthony Joshua proves he has his feet firmly on the ground in engrossing BBC documentary 'The Fight Of My Life' as he relives Wladimir Klitschko victory with blow-by-blow account MARK WEBSTER - EDGE OF THE BOX: Much like he did on the night he beat Wladimir Klitschko, Anthony Joshua does not disappoint in BBC One documentary 'The Fight Of My Life'.

• Ian McKellen reigns supreme in Jonathan Munby's clear, thoughtful, terrifically well-paced revival of King Lear in Chichester It’s often said that by the time you are old enough to play Shakespeare’s King Lear, you’re past it. Recently, Sir Antony Sher needed a cart to carry the body of his daughter. Not Sir Ian McKellen.

• KATIE HOPKINS: My wedding dress and why Brexit isn’t the only unfair divorce blighting Britain I divorced my first husband, who married me despite this dress in which I am told I look like a transsexual body builder, and we did it with some efficiency, writes KATIE HOPKINS.

• Austerity was a blunt mistake and Brexit can’t cure these self-made ills, says SIMON WATKINS History is on my mind because this will be my final column as City Editor of The Mail on Sunday and I am reflecting on my years at this paper reporting on financial affairs.

• The blue triumph and humbling of the SNP: CHRIS DEERIN says Sturgeon must up her game or be out on her ear as Davidson's triumph means 'Tory' is no longer a dirty word in Scotland Where Theresa May fell short, the seemingly unstoppable Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, delivered in spades.

• Zinedine Zidane retaining the Champions League with Real Madrid will see him match up to Brian Clough and Bob Paisley JAMIE CARRAGHER: Zinedine Zidane was a genius as a player, one of the greatest we have ever seen, but so far his career in the dugout has passed without significant acclaim.

• Investec Derby tips: Classy Cliffs of Moher to fly at Epsom as colt looks to hand Aidan O'Brien a sixth winner SAM TURNER: Cliffs of Moher (Epsom, 4.30) is named in honour of one of Ireland's most picturesque natural wonders and the equine version could be poised to deliver a performance of beauty.

• The Prediction Challenge: Sportsmail's experts go head to head on this weekend's Premier League matches... Martin Keown vs Jack Gaughan  The Prediction Challenge: Martin Keown vs Jack Gaughan 

• My time in the Indian Premier League is coming to an end... it's been frustrating at times but certainly an experience that I won't forget TYMAL MILLS: I am doing my best to feature in our last game away at Delhi on Sunday so I can at very least contribute to the team one last time before I head home.

• As a racy magazine for midlife women hits the news-stands, its editor ROWAN PELLING says... Yes! 60 is the new sexy  When I first became a so-called ‘sexpert’, I was 28. Back then, I was editor of a journal called The Erotic Review. Two decades later, I can see I was painfully young to claim much expertise about sex.

• Stuart Broad is the complete Test bowler... we can both be grumpy, but we both desperately want to win JAMES ANDERSON: I will miss not playing with Stuart this week because we have developed a good relationship on and off the field as England team-mates.

• Jessica Ennis-Hill became a track giant and is comfortably among all-time five greatest British female athletes DALEY THOMPSON: Ennis-Hill would be among the five greatest British female athletes of all time and, had she not suffered a few injuries over the years, she could have been one of our best athletes in history.

• CHRIS MEARS: Olympic gold is only just sinking in with LA escape following the post-Rio whirlwind CHRIS MEARS: I'd done so many interviews that I hadn't had a chance to think about what it really meant. After getting back from Rio, I did press and media for 48 hours then flew straight out to LA.

• France were weighed down by burden of expectation after Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo limped out of Euro 2016 final BOJAN KRKIC: France had started the Euro 2016 final well but they became disorientated when Ronaldo went off. That can happen when the opposition loses their best player.

• Dimitri Payet is staying at West Ham even if the big clubs come in... and I hope to see him fire France to glory at Euro 2016 SLAVEN BILIC: With his success, speculation about Payet's future will follow. I have even seen one report suggesting I don’t want him to do well in case it leads to him leaving West Ham.

• Martin Keown's big match analysis Euro 2016: England vs Iceland and Italy vs Spain Euro 2016's underwhelming group-stage is over and we're well underway with the knockout ties, which have so far proved a little more lively. Here, MARTIN KEOWN gives his take.

• Monchi is the master behind the scenes as Sevilla go for yet more glory  GRAHAM HUNTER – EUROVIEW: Sevilla’s sporting director is the only link between monstrously successful, European-dominant football factory and the humble second division club in Spain.

• JAMES SLACK: If this was a 'good night', then the Left's in a very dark place  Jeremy Corbyn’s (pictured) own rather desperate analysis of the election results was that Labour ‘hung on’. This is just about true, writes JAMES SLACK.

• LIAM RIDGEWELL: Walking onto the pitch with Kaka was a real privilege but I'm not sure he understood me Portland Timbers defender Liam Ridgewell writes his second column for Sportsmail with the 2015 Major League Soccer season well under way in the United States.

• MICHAEL BISPING: Anderson Silva was very condescending at the open workout, but he’ll soon find out I’m not messing around next week We had our open workouts in Los Angeles last week when I came face to face with Anderson Silva. I was walking by and said hello and wished him luck for London but he was very condescending.

• Lynsey Hipgrave right to confront abusers after BT Sport presenter received shocking sexist abuse on Twitter NEIL ASHTON: Perhaps the most worrying aspect of Lynsey Hipgrave’s brush with Twitter this week is that she should have regrets about highlighting the sexist abuse on her timeline.

• SAM BURGESS: I couldn't do anything right. I was fighting a losing battle playing rugby union in England... my heart just isn't in it EXCLUSIVE: My decision to leave Bath and move back to Australia was for personal reasons, but it was also because I wanted to spend the rest of my career playing the game that’s in my heart.

• Brendon McCullum: Steve Smith will live to regret Ben Stokes dismissal... he missed chance to strike blow for spirit of cricket  BRENDON MCCULLUM: It’s probably too early in Steve Smith’s captaincy career to appreciate this but one day he’ll look back at the Ben Stokes dismissal at Lord's on Saturday.

• SAM DUNN: Leasehold is a lucrative way to stop people owning their home outright - it's time for a crackdown There simply isn’t enough protection in place for leaseholders, despite the sterling work of the Leasehold Advisory Service.

• JAMES FORSYTH: It's Dave's summer barbecue - with Labour on the grill  The Opposition are in the middle of the most disastrous leadership contest . Tories can barely contain their glee that the shock new frontrunner is Jeremy Corbyn, writes JAMES FORSYTH.

• PAULO COELHO: The wisdom of the old An old blackbird found a piece of bread and flew off with it. When they saw this, the younger birds pursued him in order to attack. Confronted by imminent battle, the blackbird dropped the piece.

• Paul Nicholls: If I had a bag of carrots I would save the last for Kauto Star  I have trained some wonderful horses but Kauto Star was extra special – probably the most important horse in my life. He was also a mate.

• Manchester United set to make £30m bid for Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema after Gareth Bale declares he's staying in Spain  ROB SHEPHERD'S FOOTBALL GRAPEVINE: Rafa Benitez would want to keep Karim Benzema in his squad but it seems the club are ready to cash in on the Frenchman to bolster their transfer funds.

• Ticking off his bucket list is AP McCoy's next hurdle...but it won't include a ringside seat to Mayweather versus Pacquiao MARCUS TOWNEND: It was a simple slip of the tongue, instantly corrected minutes after his last ever ride at Sandown on Saturday. It was also the moment he realised he was an ex-jockey.

• Stoke are playing better football under Mark Hughes and are being ignored, they deserve more credit and exposure for their results MICHAEL DUBERRY: Stoke were hated under Tony Pulis, but having improved in all areas under mark Hughes they are being overlooked

• SEBASTIEN BASSONG: It was hard falling out of favour at Norwich but I've found my touch again at Watford... and Cameroon's World Cup was an 'embarrassment' In his second appearance in the Footballers’ Football Column, Sebastien Bassong talks about last season at Norwich, Cameroon’s terrible World Cup and his hopes for the future.

• GEORGE NORTH: I can't wait to face the New Zealand haka... if players can't handle it, they're in the wrong sport The Northampton wing and Sportsmail columnist gives his views on Wales' showdown with 'the world's best team' New Zealand at the Millenium Stadium on Saturday.

• NICO ROSBERG COLUMN: I need some help from Lewis Hamilton in Abu Dhabi to win the F1 title… and I am going to push him as hard as I can Lewis Hamilton has been making some mistakes recently, he spun in Brazil for instance, so maybe there is a chance that he will help me out and that is what I am looking for.

• I’ll stand against Salmond in the Scottish Parliament over NHS 'lies' says Gordon Brown The former PM said: ‘If he continues to peddle this deception then I will want to join Johann Lamont in fighting him and securing the return of a Labour Government as quickly as possible.’

• STEVEN GERRARD: Wayne Rooney's passion and talent make him perfect to lead England  Wayne Rooney is a natural leader. Aside from being a top player, Wayne is passionate about representing his country and won’t be fazed by the responsibility.

• Can this trick really give you an extra £1,600-a-year of pension? Workers on brink of retirement could boost pots by putting off state pension Spending your whole pension pot in the space of a few years while deferring your state pension could help people squeeze an extra £1,600-a-year out of your retirement pot.

• Everton striker Chris Long could force his way into Roberto Martinez's plans as Spaniard gives youth a chance Roberto Martinez has been left scratching his head by Everton's pre-season form but one shining ray of light has been the emergence of 19-year-old striker Chris Long. 

• Sleep, the final frontier: Astronauts suffer serious insomnia while in space - and it could be putting their lives in danger The Harvard study found that around 75 per cent of astronauts resorted to sleeping pills during spaceflight, raising concerns about the effect the drugs may be having on their performance.

• The pretty perfection of Palm Springs: Charlize, Sinatra and the timeless sophistication of California's desert classic It is the corner of California that has long lured the stars - from aces of the tennis court to cinematic greats. Glenys Roberts finds a car and goes east to Palm Springs.

• Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho says he's finished his summer spending as he vows to let the youngsters have their chance After signing Cesc Fabregas, Diego Costa and Felipe Luis Jose Mourinho says there will be no more additions this summer as he insists he will give his U-21 stars a chance to get into the team and develop.

• Gus Poyet confident of signing Fabio Borini for £14million, with Sunderland boss willing to fly Liverpool forward back from America Sunderland manager Gus Poyet is still confident he will land Fabio Borini in a £14million deal, despite the striker boarding the flight to Liverpool's tour to the States.

• James Rodriguez's volley, Arturo Vidal's crazy hair and Danny Murphy's jumper... it's time for Rio Ferdinand's World Cup awards! James Rodriguez's superb volley, Arturo Vidal's crazy hair and Danny Murphy's jumper have been just a few of the stand-out moments of the 2014 World Cup, but what else?

• Germany 1-0 France PLAYER RATINGS: Veterans Bastian Schweinsteiger and Philipp Lahm prove solid as Joachim Low's men earn place in World Cup semi-final Germany saw off France in a dramatic World Cup quarter-final to book their place in the final four.

• Susie Wolff 'massively disappointed' after lasting only four laps on full F1 debut Susie Wolff has expressed her disappointment at completing only four laps on her full Formula One debut.

• Ministers reject food banks' 20million meals figure: Charities in row with Government after it emerges half of meals are handed out to good causes such as lunch clubs Sources close to Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith have disputed the charities’ figures, which claim 500,000 children are not receiving an acceptable diet.

• Rise up against the tyranny of the safety Nazis: Persecuted people of Britain! You've had your lives ruined by petty, nonsensical 'safety' rules. Now a brilliant new book explodes the myths TRACEY BROWN AND MICHAEL HANLON looks at the way in which the seemingly unanswerable interests of ‘safety and security’ are being used and abused.

• Richard Schaefer leaves Golden Boy promotions after 14 years as CEO MARTIN DOMIN: Richard Schaefer has announced his decision to leave the world’s biggest boxing promotional company, Golden Boy.

• Mimi Spencer's fabulous 5:2 beach diet: Super-simple fridge gazpacho As fine a summer soup as you could imagine. It matters that the tomatoes are ripe and flavourful. It matters that you eat this fresh from the fridge. After that, nothing else matters at all.

• Ben Kay's big moments from the game: Care's stunning start blew Wales away, Gatland's men couldn't catch up Danny Care showed confidence and cheek to get the first try, catching Wales off guard when back pedalling in defence. His buzz is infectious. Long may it last.

• Abandon ship! Moyes and his men are sinking without trace so don't let them take you down too... and prepare for 'aerial playmaker' Carroll's return FANTASY FRIDAY: Welcome to Sportsmail's weekly Fantasy Football column which will try to help you get the edge on your friends, family and Jamie Redknapp.

• FOOTBALL 9-5: Follow all the news with Sportsmail's live rolling service Latest Football News and Transfers with Sportsmail - 27 Jan 2014

• Australia 7-0 England: Morgan scores a century but Cook's tourists STILL can't win as Aussies sniff 13-0 tour annihilation - England are absolutely... USELESS! Your striker fluffs a sitter, your defender shanks a clearance, your winger misses a try or your hot tip falls at the first fence.... All together now: 'USELESS!' Our man delivers the verdict with real feeling. Today's it's the England cricket team's turn - AGAIN - to be handed the dubious honour...

• The transition was painful, but Lambert finally has Villa bursting with energy... will they keep progressing or stagnate? It is almost 18 months now since Paul Lambert swept into Villa Park with a vision of a very different future. So, where are we? How is "The Project"? Asked to buy into a new-look club by owner Randy Lerner, the Scot set about his task with zeal.

• SAM TOMKINS COLUMN: I'm desperate to add the World Cup to my Grand Final and Challenge Cup triumphs... and I can't wait to beat Australia in the opener at Cardiff There are only a few days to go before we take on Australia at the Millennium Stadium. I’m incredibly excited by the prospect of walking out in front of a big crowd and singing the national anthem.

• How can the high priestess of abortion support the barbarity of terminating a baby just because she's a girl? KATHY GYNGELL: How can the so-called feminist 'sisterhood' defend the destruction of female foetuses being aborted because of their gender?

• Why doesn't Stephen Fry call for a ban on Russian music, theatre and all performing arts? ADRIAN HILTON: 'An absolute ban on the Russian Winter Olympics of 2014 on Sochi is simply essential,' says Stephen Fry in an impassioned letter to the Prime Minister and the International Olympic Committee.

• The teacher who changed my life: In this moving tribute to his old English master, who's just died, CLIVE ASLET says his one regret is he never thanked him A fortnight ago I heard that the English master who taught me at school, the great Frank Miles, had died, aged 92. I say great — he was great to us, the ones for whom reading came to matter so much as a result of his highly individual influence.

• DES KELLY: Well, nothing lasts forever... it's been a blast! Sportsmail's brilliant columnist bows out after almost a decade at the top It's time to bid you a fond farewell. This is my final column for Sportsmail. It has been an absolute privilege and an honour to be allowed to sound off on this page without compromise.

• Jane Clarke on braces: Blend in well for easy eating Every Tuesday, Britain's leading nutritionist explains how to eat your way to health. This week Jane tackles braces and malted brown bread.

• Andy Townsend: It's a nerve-wracking experience being behind to a minnow, but that's where you see real character I know exactly how those Aston Villa boys will be feeling as they line up in the tunnel before tonight’s game. Nervous, excited... it might have been almost two decades ago, but the situation I faced in 1994 was uncannily similar. And the feelings of the players won’t have changed.

• Obama jokes Jack Lew's loopy signature could 'debase our currency' as he makes him official pick for Treasury Secretary ‘Jack assures me that he is going to work to make at least one letter legible in order not to debase our currency should he be confirmed as secretary of the Treasury,’ Obama said, naming Lew as the man he wants to succeed Timothy Geithner.

• On the 20th anniversary of the first mobile phone text message... How texting made history but ruined our language- and plenty of marriages! DAVID THOMAS: The average Briton now sends around 50 texts a week and is more likely to text friends and family than talk to them. Here are some of the most outrageous, newsworthy, moving and shocking texts from the past two decades.

• Wake up, America! Justice must be done for Trayvon Martin LINDSAY JOHNS: Every American should be incensed and repulsed by the shocking case of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed teenager slain by a neighbourhood watchman.

• The tragedy of children condemned with drug addict parents ANNA SMITH: We cannot begin to imagine the final hours of little Declan Hainey. How many more have to die before the policy is changed not to give drug addict parents their children?

• EXCLUSIVE: After being criticised in these pages by Martin Samuel, the QPR manager responds in his own words... 'I'm angry, the whole club's angry, so now WE MUST WIN MARK HUGHES: Make no mistake, Saturday's game with Southampton is massive for both sides and a potential launch pad for us in the Premier League.

• The Liberal Democrats, with or without Dr Cable at the helm, would steer us onto the rocks DR ROBERT LEFEVER: Dr Cable should resign from his Cabinet post, standing for the leadership and then returning to the position that he occupied before

• Damian Green is dragging the dysfunctional student visa system into the daylight. About time too. JANICE ATKINSON-SMALL: Listening to the BBC's grilling of Damian Green, one would think HE was the one here on an illegal visa.

• Keeping debt problems secret won't cure them. We need to strip away the shame around financial struggles DOMINIQUE JACKSON: The longer people struggle on alone with unmanageable debt, the more unmanageable it is bound to become

• The Paralympics celebrate the strength of disabled people - as do all the protests that accompany them SONIA POULTON: Let us remember that away from the splendour of the Olympic Stadium, our disabled people have been treated as anything but heroes.

• Dumas: 'Without euro exit, Germany will soon be in big trouble' M E SYNON: A new analysis by the totally excellent economist Charles Dumas of Lombard Street Research suggests Germany should not, perhaps cannot, afford the euro.

• THE INSIDER: Carroll holds up Liverpool bid for Llorente as Sunderland eye loan move for Rose Simon Jones is Sportsmail's man on the inside of all the major transfer moves this summer. Don't miss your daily Insider instalment here for Thursday, August 30.

• Paul Ryan's rousing speech in Tampa has cemented Medicare as the big issue splitting voters DIANA FURCHTGOTT-ROTH: Ryan's attack on President Obama and his defence of Republican principles has the Democrats wishing that Hurricane Isaac had hit Tampa instead of New Orleans.

• Is there life on Planet Clegg? Yes, but it cannot add up NICK WOOD: The so-called Deputy Prime Minister has today come out with another bucket of moonshine. Only a few months after signing off a cut in top rate income tax, he now wants a new wealth tax, intended to get the rich to cough up billions.

• America's middle class is shrinking. So who is to blame? BRIAN DARLING: Some partisans will try to blame President George W. Bush. Some others will try to blame Obama. Yet the answer is much more complicated than putting the blame on one party, or one president.

• Patients missing appointments - maybe they never needed them? JULIA MANNING: The figures for the number of people not turning up for NHS appointments were revealed over the bank holiday weekend – one in ten people don’t attend an appointment.

• Brace yourselves: Argentina's president Cristina Kirchner is on the political attack DAVID HARDING: As her popularity falls even lower, Argentinian president Cristina Kirchner is looking to exploit anti-British feeling. This may not be her proudest moment...

• Don't look now Dave and Damian - but your crew is mutinying NIGEL JONES: The Titanic is an apt metaphor for where the Tories are heading under Captain Cameron's leadership. His maiden voyage, the Coalition, is steering straight for the iceberg.

• Romney/Ryan turn back the magical thinking of Obama JAMES LUCIER: Romney/Ryan have taken the line of common sense, the line of reality-based thinking, as opposed to magical thinking. This is a line which says, "I am, therefore I think."

• Why won't the BBC come clean over its bias against Israel - a moral country that deserves our support? ALEX SINGLETON: Almost the entire Left-wing establishment in this country, including the BBC, has an warped and profoundly wrong view of the Middle East.

• Greece moves closer to the Eurozone’s exit door RUTH LEA: Over the next few years the Eurozone could shrink to a “core” of rich nations or it could break up altogether. The dream of European unity would then lie in tatters.

• The Syrian uprising is an opportunity for the Israeli Air Force ALLAN MALLINSON: With the Assad regime imploding, Syria's air defences could be seriously degraded, and Southern Syria may well now be the IAF’s most feasible route into Iran via Iraq.

• Am I the only person who thinks Pussy Riot should have been jailed? MARK DOOLEY: Imagine that rather than invade a Christian church, Pussy Riot decided to perform their 'punk prayer' in a mosque. Do you think Western politicians would be queuing up to support them then?

• The Government must keep fighting the Big Brother state - starting with a review of the last decade's surveillance orgy MATTHEW ELLIOTT: The Coalition parties made surveillance a key issue before the election. Now they are running out of time to finish the reforming work they have started - and protect our privacy.

• The Tories need renewal not reshuffle SIMON RICHARDS: With the Coalition floundering, there's no doubt that a reshuffle is long overdue, but, of course, the heads which ought to roll will emerge unscathed from the rearrangement.

• Many a man needs killing and many a lie needs to be exposed, but killers and tale-bearers do not necessarily deserve respect THOMAS FLEMING: So far as I am concerned Julian Assange should be prosecuted for treason: he was not only disloyal to his country but he violated the rules of the game.

• Over the next few years, George Osborne might not be Mr Popular, but he may be Mr Right MITCH FEIERSTEIN: In February 2010, twenty economists published a letter in the Sunday Times calling on George Osborne to begin spending cuts a year earlier than planned.

• The Cabinet needs a reshuffle: It's time for the PM to stand up to Ken Clarke CHRIS MONCRIEFF: If the Prime Minister wants to reshuffle his Cabinet, he should do it his way and not allow himself to be influenced by stubborn colleagues, however venerable and illustrious.

• Lord Morris’s Disability Act stands as an exceptional example of political compassion and humanity ABHIJIT PANDYA: One of the first duties of man, beyond himself and his family, is to the welfare and improvement of common humanity. Lord Morris’ legislation was one of the finest examples of this.

• Tony Nicklinson is paying a high but necessary price for a civilised society that protects its most vulnerable GEORGE PITCHER: Yesterday's High Court judgment is first and foremost a terrible blow for Tony Nicklinson, who is paralysed from the neck down after a stroke and can communicate only by blinking.

• Whatever your views on gay marriage, the debate should be dignified and sensitive Last night RUPERT MYERS saw the Catholic journalist Milo Yiannopoulos argue bravely and honestly for a number of things, including against gay marriage.

• Cameron ditches House of Lords reform, and it's going to play havoc with the Coalition KIRSTY WALKER: At a time when the country is gripped with Olympic fever, few ordinary people will be interested in the latest developments on House of Lords reform and boundary commission changes.

• America must make the choice between between crony capitalism and genuine competition IAIN MURRAY: The class that is holding America back is its regime of 'crony capitalists'. These do not make money from risking their capital, but through the leveraging of state power to their advantage.

• Wrong questions, Mr Hammond. You are asking the wrong questions WILLIAM FORBES: Mr Hammond is reported as saying that he "would rather fire soldiers than go to war with poor equipment" – but that is not the choice.

• People will happily borrow to pay for the trappings of the modern wedding, but all you really need is a pledge of love FRANCESCA PREECE: Getting married is not about paying for a lavish ceremony. Maybe McCartney was right all along... Can’t Buy Me Love, everybody tells me so.

• Soon all sex offenders leaving jail will have to take a lie-detector test. How long until someone cries 'human rights'? STEPHEN LEVINSON: The Government believes the law is bomb-proof, but unless great care is taken it could wind up facing claims of privacy infringement.

• Clinton McKenzie: A pay day, but no pride for Britain as Haye's downfall is complete In 2010, David Haye was heralded as the ‘Lord of the Ring’ by Sky Sports. It seemed he was the answer to all the ills of British boxing. So how has it come to this?

• The state makes for a bad parent. The number of children it brings up should be kept to a minimum HARRY PHIBBS: As children leaving care are more likely to end up in prison than university the Government has rightly confirmed its determination to reduce the number of children in care.

• This summer of patriotic fervour suggests a change in the tone of British culture PETER WHITTLE: With the Jubilee celebrations behind us and the Olympics round the corner, what is this summer of celebration telling us about the state of British patriotism?

• Ireland has now passed the point where it can honestly be deemed an independent country A sober-minded observer of Irish history is unable to watch Ireland’s elective slouch into Euro-mediocrity without profound dismay. Ireland’s ‘Yes’ to the fiscal compact is its ‘No’ to the more strenuous but more honourable path of recovering the responsibilities of self-government.

• In my days as Tory party chairman, donor-gate could never have happened The most worrying thing about the sorry tale of Peter Cruddas is that it is yet another example of a failure by the Conservative leadership to think things through, or to have any regard for the way in which things were managed in the past.

• Ignore reports that say otherwise, Mitt Romney is winning big after Super Tuesday CHARLIE WOLF: Where has this perception - myth even come from? The perception that Mitt Romney hasn't sealed the deal. Yes, he may have won the all important Ohio Primary by just 1 percentage point, but a win is a win.

• Who says we get happier with age? I'm grumpier than ever - and proud of it! Grumbling should never be well-mannered or under control. It should be full-blooded. It should be rampant, writes MICHAEL WINNER.

• JOHN KETTLEY: It may have been one of the mildest Novembers on record - but now prepare for snow By November 24 last year most of the country was already frozen over, with widespread severe frosts, deep snowfall and travel chaos.

• MARKET WATCH: The student fees hike is bursting a rental bubble The great university bubble is deflating fast as one in ten A-level students say higher tuition fees next year have put them off the whole idea.