Juncker, after all, has many senior politicians to accommodate, and their approval by the European Parliament is no minor matter. And, though it was perhaps unsurprising that Cameron should be unenthusiastic about Juncker s candidacy, the vehemence of his opposition was extraordinary.

Finally, Clinton, speaking from Delhi, warned Pakistan not to allow its territory to be used as a launching pad by terrorist groups, asserting that al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri was hiding in the country. True to form, Pakistani officials were outraged at the charge, which they promptly refuted with roughly the same vehemence with which they once denied Osama Bin Laden s presence.