Leading article: Friends reunited
Latest in Leading Articles
Opinion blogs
Circular firing squad at a crossroads
Politico has identified seven dreadful clichés of campaigning in and commenting on the Republican pr...
Reminders of Iraq
I was sorry to learn from Paul Waugh of the death of Brian Jones, the former Defence Intelligence Se...
Mervyn King is more than keeping up on Gilt purchases
The Bank of England is taking more UK government bonds out of the market each month than the Debt Ma...
It is the time of year when convention dictates that families must come back together, sometimes with explosive consequences. So there is something wonderfully seasonal about the outcome of yesterday's draw for the knockout stages of the Champions League football tournament.
Talk about an awkward Premier League family reunion. The Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson makes a natural curmudgeonly grandfather figure. Inter Milan's Jose Mourinho plays the part of the arrogant son. Liverpool's Rafa Benitez is the unflappable, methodical mother. Then there's the black sheep (Real Madrid's Juande Ramos) and, finally, the much-loved and perennially clowning uncle (Juventus's Claudio Ranieri).
The difference is that this dysfunctional family will not be forced back together for Christmas, but in February. What a heartwarming treat for the rest of us to look forward to over the frosty weeks ahead.
- 1 Leading article: Iran risks playing into the hands of its enemies
- 2 Leading article: Superpowers in search of the next world order
- 3 Andreas Whittam Smith: The Greeks have spoken and the eurozone's fate is sealed
- 4 Mark Steel: If religion is 'marginal', I'm the Pope
- 5 Steve Richards: Binge-drinking can go the way of smoking
- 6 The Daily Cartoon
- 7 The dark side of Dubai
- 1 Ninety gaffes in ninety years
- 2 Spotify: 1 million plays, £108 return
- 3 Apple admits it has a human rights problem
- 4 Rangers future could be bright says administrator
- 5 Rothschild loses libel case, and reveals secret world of money and politics
- 6 MP faces charges over Nazi stag night
- 7 Six Grammys, five years off: Adele puts love before career
- 8 No secularism please, we're British
- 9 Mark Steel: If religion is 'marginal', I'm the Pope
- 10 Lightning kills an entire football team
Free trial of new Independent iPad app
Get your daily dose of the best of British journalism, sponsored by American Airlines
Win a three-week coastal jaunt
Spend three weeks exploring every nook and cranny of gorgeous Atlantic Canada.
Amazing restaurant offers
Three glasses of free champagne and a special menu at 46 top London restaurants.
Latest Independent competitions
Win anything from gadgets to five-star holidays on our competitions and offers page.
Commercial thought leaders
Watch the best in the business world give their insights into the world of business.
Career Services
Day In a Page
How an abortion divided America
Did they all live happily ever after? That's up to you...




Comments