Dr Anya Gopfert, consultant in health protection at UKHSA, said: “We know that even moderate heat can lead to serious health problems, especially for older people and those with certain health conditions, so it’s important that everyone takes simple precautions while enjoying the warm weather over the coming days.

Manchester United want to continue their midfield overhaul with a move for France star Manu Kone, having now welcomed both Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos, as well as goalkeeper Karl Darlow. However, they have pulled out of a deal involving Ederson, who has been offered a new contract at Atalanta. Chelsea are still pushing hard to land Pep Chavarria and Maxence Lacroix, with Alvaro Carreras also potentially on Xabi Alonso’s radar.

Sarah Platt’s (Tina O’Brien) luck finally runs out next week in Coronation Street, when she’s formally arrested and charged with the murder of Theo Silverton (James Cartwright).

Despite the best attempts of Gary Windass (Mikey North) and Kit Green (Jacob Roberts), the police finally nail the culprit and life will never be the same for anybody. As Kit pleads with her to drop Gary in it, Maria Connor (Samia Longchambon) doubts her marriage to Gary can survive. Will the arrest destroy the lives of everyone involved?

With Sarah’s arrest, she reveals to Kit that Jodie Ramsey (Olivia Frances-Brown) was the one that attacked her, leaving David and Shona Platt (Jack P Shepherd and Julia Goulding) utterly rocked. Are they about to discover the twisted sister’s true colours?

After an altercation with Brody Michaelis (Ryan Mulvey), Dylan Wilson (Liam McCheyne) heads to the hospital bedside of Betsy Swain (Sydney Martin), having come to a conclusion about the events that led them both here, but what is it?

Elsewhere, Christina Boyd (Amy Robbins) continues to struggle, Todd Grimshaw (Gareth Pierce) and Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) plan an escape, Sam Blakeman (Jude Riordan) returns home and Ollie (Raphael Akuwudike) lands a new job.

With the World Cup in the rear view and Corrie back in it’s rightful slot, let’s deep dive into next weeks episodes, shall we?

Monday, July 20

Kit desperately tries to glean information from DI McLaughlin (Michelle Tate), but she’s cagey and is clearly suspicious of Kit’s motives, though his determination that Gary is about to be arrested rattles Sarah as she worries about the wedding outfit she handed to forensics.

When Fiz Dobbs (Jennie McAlpine) tells Maria that Kit is certain the police will arrest Gary imminently, she begins to reel with sheer panic.

Kit couldn’t be more wrong, though, as the Platt family record a birthday video message for Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls), the police arrive immediately after and arrest Sarah for Theo’s murder. Kit takes a call from her later and tries his hardest to comfort her.

Tuesday, July 21

Brody and Dylan come to blows, with Brody spitting that were he Betsy, he’d press charges against Dylan. Later, Ryan Connor’s (Ryan Prescott) stern words force Dylan to face up to his part in what happened to Betsy.

While Sarah swears her innocence to the police, Lisa Connor-Swain (Vicky Myers) makes it clear to Kit that he’s under suspicion for trying to cover up her crime, confirming that they’ll be charging Sarah with murder and that he needs to stop trying to protect her, or he’ll lose his career.

Meanwhile, Gary tries to calm Maria’s anxieties that the police will come for Gary next, while a parcel delivery lets Todd know that Christina hasn’t managed to control her spending, forcing him to cover for her in front of George Shuttleworth (Tony Maudsley).

Wednesday, July 22

Dylan visits Betsy and accepts responsibility for what happened to her before making himself scarce when a police officer arrives to take a statement from her.

Maria clocks Sally Metcalfe’s (Sally Dynevor) screensaver in the salon, which clearly shows that Gary was on the street on the night of Theo’s murder, despite his assertations that he was in the builder’s yard all night. Having Sally send her the picture, she heads home and confronts Gary over what she’s discovered. Later, as they enjoy a family meal, Kit tears chunks from Gary over Sarah’s predicament.

Elsewhere, Todd finally confesses to Summer that he knows Sarah killed Theo, but reaffirms that he didn’t when she was being questioned and the time she spent behind bars, before confiding in her about Christina’s continued spending, Kit tries to persuade Sarah to implicate Gary and Lauren Bolton (Cait Fitton) masks her hurt when Ollie reveals he’s been offered a job in Brighton.

Thursday, July 23

While Todd confirms to James Bailey (Jason Callender) that he’s planning to give away Theo’s life insurance money, Christina tells a skint George that she expects Todd to give him a portion of the cash. Later, Todd and Summer reveal that they’ve booked flights to Thailand to visit Jason and Eileen Grimshaw (Ryan Thomas and Sue Cleaver)

Maria warns Gary that, following what’s happened, he’s forced her to retract her statement that provided him with a false alibi. Gary pleads with her for another chance, reaffirming that he loves her and not Sarah.

Also, Kit struggles to manage Harry Platt (Joshua Leavy) and is heartened when Adam Barlow (Sam Robertson) steps in to help, Betsy is deeply embarrassed when Lauren has to help her use the toilet and when Ollie misses the Brighton job, Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson) makes him the head chef of Speed Daal.

Friday, July 24

After a roasting from Maria, Sarah determines to admit to Lisa what happened with Theo, before that, though, she reveals to Kit that Jodie was her attacker. Shona and David are absolutely rocked when they learn of Sarah’s accusation against Jodie and upon learning of her trinket box, they search the house. Lily (Grace Ashcroft-Gardner) waits until nightfall and heads downstairs to find her games console, but discovers the box instead.

Sam returns home, Leanne, Nick Tilsley (Ben Price) and Toyah Battersby (Georgia Taylor) worry about the impact Sarah’s arrest will have on him. When Leanne reveals she has a new boyfriend, Sam is initially shaken, but agrees to meet Idris Nazir (Junade Khan) later on.

Despite Steve McDonald’s (Simon Gregson) warnings, Cassie Plummer (Claire Sweeney) continues to scheme to get ride of Ross Wilkes (Ian Burfield) with an app that allows people to write reviews about ex boyfriends, hoping to show Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall) his true colours, David and Maria butt heads when she skives work to spend the day with Gary and Ben Driscoll (Aaron McCusker) is narked to learn that Ollie is now working for the competition.

MORE: There is something that could exonerate Sarah on Coronation Street- and it would change everything

MORE: Betsy utterly broken in Coronation Street as the reality of her new life hits hard

MORE: Sarah exit ‘confirmed’ after 23 years as she is jailed for murder in Coronation Street

If your vacuum cleaner is looking rather sad, seeming to have lost suction and leaving dust and debris in its wake, hold off before replacing it immediately. In my work as a professional cleaner, I have found that it probably just needs a good clean.

I’ve cleaned hundreds of vacuums in my time. While it’s something that may seem complicated, following a few simple tricks can return your vacuum cleaner to work with minimal effort and mess. You won’t have to wait days for its filter to dry either.

Below is my video guide on how to clean a vacuum cleaner, or keep reading for more information. If this still doesn’t work and you do want to invest in a new machine, along with a panel of Telegraph readers, I’ve found the best cordless vacuums to consider. My favourites are linked to at the bottom of this article. 

Jude Bellingham has been the best player at the World Cup so far, says former England striker Wayne Rooney.

Real Madrid midfielder Bellingham has scored six goals in six games for England, leaving him only two behind France’s Kylian Mbappe and Argentina’s Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot standings.

Erling Haaland, whose Norway side were eliminated by England in the quarter-finals, is on seven while Three Lions captain Harry Kane is level with Bellingham.

England play Messi’s Argentina on Wednesday in the second semi-final (20:00 BST). The match is live on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and app, and BBC Radio 5 Live.

“In terms of best in the world I think you’re looking at someone like Mbappe or Haaland,” Rooney said on The Wayne Rooney Show.

“Bellingham hasn’t quite hit those levels at Real Madrid this season, but he’s been the best player in the tournament for me.”

Bellingham, 23, has become a big-game player for England – with nine goals and three assists in World Cups and European Championships.

His Real Madrid team-mate Mbappe – with 12 – is the only European player to have scored more than nine goals in a major tournament before the age of 24.

Bellingham has averaged a goal or assist every 138 minutes at major tournaments for England, compared to one every 284 minutes in other international matches.

He scored in the group wins over Croatia and Panama at this World Cup, then twice against both Mexico and Norway in the knockout stage.

“With Jude, it’s all about energy, passion, desire, drive and that’s how he’s getting his rewards,” said Rooney.

“That’s very rare to have that. A lot of these top players rely on the ability and the technique to get their moments. Jude has desire and hunger and it’s so refreshing to see a player playing the toughest game but also doing it.

“That’s what fans want, especially the England fans. They want to see players running and working for the team and for the badge.

“He reminds me of me in terms of one minute you’re thinking, ‘this lad’s a genius’, and the next minute you’re thinking, ‘don’t go into that tackle, don’t get sent off’.

“It’s exactly how I was. But he’s obviously backing it up in the biggest tournament. There were doubters before but he’s put all that to bed.”

By SAM GREENHILL, THE CHIEF REPORTER and ROBERT HARDMAN

Published: 00:01 BST, 15 July 2026 | Updated: 06:40 BST, 15 July 2026

Amid the scandalous wastage of the PPE saga, there was one glittering exception: the Mail Force charity’s landmark mission supplying millions of pieces of protective equipment to the NHS free of charge.

Driven by the Daily Mail’s astonishingly generous readers and philanthropists, Mail Force raised £12million during the Covid crisis – and every single penny helped the NHS, care homes and charities through some of their darkest moments.

While businesses were pitching for lucrative access to what the Hallett report yesterday branded a ‘frenetic’ and ‘chaotic’ procurement process, Mail Force was sourcing reliable and verifiable PPE and giving it straight to those who needed it.

And unlike some suppliers, there were no profits taken or ‘VIP’ access routes for favoured firms.

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And so it was that the Mail Force charity – set up by Lord Rothermere, the Chairman of the Daily Mail’s parent company – led the most successful public appeal in newspaper history.

It had been bleak in that spring of 2020: nurses with bin liners as uniforms; terrified pensioners trapped in germ-filled care homes. 

Yet by the end of 2020, Mail Force had acquired more than 42million pieces of PPE and handed them to the NHS, the care sector and charities great and small – without costing taxpayers a penny.

The protective equipment went through rigorous testing to ensure it met the UK’s very high standards. At the NHS’s central PPE hub in Daventry, our donations were held up sometimes for many days while the Government’s technicians meticulously examined everything from the thickness of gowns, measured down to the micron level, to their durability under intensive testing.

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Mail Force made vital deliveries of face masks and other PPE equipment to care homes, hospitals and charities across the UK  

Care home staff at the Orchard Trust take a delivery of Mail Force masks and coveralls

The Mail Force charity teamed up with the ISSA Group to bring millions of high quality PPE products to nurses, care workers and charities that desperately needed them

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 It was not always plain sailing, and Mail Force had to send back one batch of masks for a refund. Overall, out of 42,304,000 pieces of PPE, 99.7 per cent passed muster.

Mail Force established a rigorous diligence process to ensure all certification was in place from reputable suppliers.

Throughout the endeavour, Mail Force talked to the highest echelons of the NHS and established clear guidelines.

In many cases, Mail Force’s PPE exceeded the requirements. Superior Type IIR fluid-resistant masks were sourced in their millions from our excellent Lancashire-based partners, the ISSA Group.

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When Griffin Mill, a former carpet factory, switched to producing hospital aprons, Mail Force bought the first run of 1.5million, and they were such good aprons – so said the NHS staff who tried them – that we ordered nearly 20million.

Mail Force went on to raise millions more for crucial testing equipment and, latterly, to ensure that underprivileged schoolchildren had the laptops they badly needed in order to attend class remotely during the pandemic.

In total, Mail Force raised £25million, all of it logged in the public accounts submitted to the Charity Commission. With no staff, no overheads and no profit, the money from our readers went directly to where it was needed most.

Different airlines have different rules, an aviation expert says

Lithium battery incidents on UK aircraft involving fire, smoke or extreme heat have reached record levels, according to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The regulator says there were 206 incidents last year, a rise of 67% compared with 2024. It also recorded 643 devices that were found to be packed incorrectly, underlining how often passengers still get the rules wrong.

Vapes and power banks are among the biggest concerns because they contain lithium-ion batteries, which can overheat and cause fires if damaged, activated accidentally or stored improperly. Airlines apply broadly similar safety principles — but the exact limits can vary from carrier to carrier.

Markus Lindblad, Head of External & Legal Affairs at Northerner, said: “Different airlines enforce their own restrictions regarding the maximum number of devices a passenger is allowed to carry. Vapes are considered electronic devices for packing regulations purposes, so it’s important to check the rules for each airline.”

What Jet2, easyJet and Ryanair say about vapes

Ryanair

Vapes must be kept in hand luggage. The airline’s limits allow up to 15 electronic devices and up to 20 lithium batteries, with each battery not exceeding 100Wh.

Jet2

Passengers can travel with e-cigarettes and other personal vaporisers as long as the battery stays installed, the battery capacity is no more than 160Wh, and the device is protected against accidental activation or short-circuiting.

easyJet E-cigarettes and vaping devices must be carried in the cabin and switched off. The airline allows up to two spare batteries in carry-on luggage.

Power banks: where to pack them

Power banks are typically allowed, but they must be kept in hand luggage, not checked baggage, due to the lithium-ion fire risk.

Some airlines also cap the size permitted. The CAA has previously advised that passengers may be asked to store power banks in the seat pocket instead of the overhead locker so they can be monitored more easily.

One rule that applies across the board

Passengers are not allowed to charge electronic cigarettes or power banks during the flight. Airlines prohibit in-flight charging because batteries can overheat while charging, increasing the risk of smoke or fire.

World Cup fans who head to social media sites like X in search of fresh insight into the tournament are instead greeted by an endless stream of memes featuring two of this year’s stand-out characters: Argentina captain Lionel Messi and Gianni Infantino, the Swiss president of FIFA. 

In one, Infantino pushes a baby faced Messi around in a pram. In others, he tenderly holds his hand or cradles him in his arms. 

Elsewhere, he wears an Argentina shirt or, stripped to the waist, dances a celebratory waltz with the striker in the Argentine dressing room. 

The implication could hardly be clearer: FIFA, the scandal-plagued governing body of world football, wants the team playing England in today’s semi-final in Atlanta to win the trophy for what will be the fourth time. 

Some will say that FIFA and its president have only themselves to blame for such damning suspicions. 

After all, having cravenly presented President Donald Trump with a new award called the FIFA Peace Prize last December, FIFA then reversed a red card which would have banned the US team’s star goal-scorer, Folarin Balogun, from playing in a crucial game in this tournament – after Infantino was phoned by the President. 

For many fans, that has fuelled the belief that nothing is beyond FIFA – including flouting its supposed neutrality to tilt the tournament in favour of the team that best serves its commercial and political interests. 

An Argentina fan holds Messi cardboard face masks in a crowd of Argentines ahead of their World Cup fixture against Switzerland

Despite protests from FIFA officials that allegations of bias could endanger referees, totting up the ways Argentina has supposedly benefited has become one of the most popular parlour games of the 2026 World Cup. 

It’s even spawned a new word – ‘VARgentina’ – which alludes to the seemingly uncanny way so many decisions by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system have fallen in Argentina’s favour.

Why favour Argentina?

Claims FIFA is biased towards Argentina are nothing new. Similar accusations surfaced at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar where Lionel Messi finally lifted the trophy after his team defeated France in a dramatic final. 

At the time, conspiracy theorists argued Messi, already the biggest star in world football, had somehow reached the twilight of his career without winning the World Cup. At 35, they said, Qatar was his last chance to do it.

 Latin America is one of foot ball’s most valuable markets and the notoriously venal FIFA – so ran the theory – stood to profit far more commercially from an Argentina win than from a second consecutive victory for France. And if Messi – a huge global brand – could score, so much the better for an organisation that has a long and well-documented history of corruption and self-enrichment. 

A new theory has emerged during this year’s tournament: that another Argentina triumph would also suit Trump. In March, Trump welcomed Messi and his club, Inter Miami, to the White House following their victory in America’s top domestic cup competition, revealing his son, Barron, is an admirer of the striker.  

It has been mooted that Trump, who is due to present the World Cup trophy alongside Infantino, would much rather hand it to Messi, who never talks publicly about politics, than to someone like French captain Kylian Mbappe, who has spoken out about France’s Far Right and might, some speculate, decide to make a Trump-flavoured statement if they win. 

Two Argentina fans wear T-shirts printed with the country’s footballing legends Diego Maradona and Messi at the World Cup

Trump holds up a red card during a meeting with Infantino in the Oval Office at the White House

Messi start

Messi managed to stir up controversy in Argentina’s very first game in this tournament, against Algeria. In the 30th minute, he tackled opposing captain Aissa Mandi. Messi caught Mandi on his right calf and achilles tendon with his studs up. 

As Mandi writhed in agony, the Polish referee awarded a free-kick but produced no card. Some refereeing experts argued that, had he been sent to the pitch-side monitor for a second look, Messi could have been sent off. 

Instead, he remained on the pitch to complete a hat-trick, leading Argentina to a victory. The Algerian FA later filed a complaint with FIFA over the incident and two other refereeing decisions in the game. 

In their next match, against Austria, Argentina also got off lightly when midfielder Alexis Mac Allister brought down Austrian Xaver Schlager from behind. The referee didn’t penalise the blatant foul, nor did VAR review it. Argentina went on to win 2-0, with Messi scoring both goals, becoming the all-time top scorer in World Cup history. 

More controversy came in the next round versus Cape Verde when Messi tried to take a free kick when the opposing goalie was still organising his defensive wall.

The referee, Drew Fischer, also came under fire after forcing Cape Verde to wait to take a corner until an injured Argentine defender, Nicolas Tagliafico, had returned to the pitch following medical treatment. 

Riddle of the sphinx 

Few refereeing decisions have provoked more outrage during this World Cup than the one that denied Egypt a second goal in their round-of-16 clash against, yes, Argentina. With Egypt leading 1-0, VAR intervened to check for a foul (that amounted to one player stepping on another’s foot well before the ball reached the penalty area) which had been missed by on-field officials. 

The game ended in a 3-2 Argentine victory and prompted fury from the Egyptians, who not only questioned the foul but insisted they should have been awarded a penalty before Argentina’s third and winning goal. 

‘There seems to have been pressure on the Argentinian side on the referee that has brought about this outcome,’ said Egypt coach Hossam Hassan. ‘Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champions in the competition? Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running?’ 

Swiss missed

There was another row over a pro-Argentina VAR intervention when the team advanced to the semi-final by beating Switzerland in extra time.

It involved VAR intervening to overturn a yellow card the Portuguese referee had given Argentine player Leandro Paredes for tripping Swiss Breel Embolo. 

Few disagreed with the VAR’s judgment that Embolo had gone to ground too easily. But the yellow card for Embolo meant that, because he had already incurred an earlier one, he was sent off, leaving Switzerland with 10 men. 

The punishment was in keeping with FIFA rules, which had been changed just before the competition, but critics questioned whether it was applied too harshly in such a pivotal match. 

Suspicious hat-trick 

For conspiracy theorists, these curious decisions are nothing new. They point out that each of Argentina’s three previous World Cup triumphs has been accompanied by accusations of foul play. 

The first came in 1978, when Argentina hosted the tournament under the country’s military dictatorship. Needing to beat Brazil’s goal difference to reach the final, Argentina thrashed Peru 6-0. 

Oddly, the general commanding Argentina’s ruling junta visited the Peru dressing room (accompanied by former US Secretary of State and football fan Henry Kissinger) before the game. 

Unproven allegations later emerged that a deal was made whereby Argentina shipped 35,000 tons of grain and weapons to Peru, as well as releasing $50 million of frozen Peruvian assets, in return for a Peruvian defeat.

Argentina’s second World Cup victory in 1986 was, of course, overshadowed by Diego Maradona’s blatant hand-assisted goal – ignored by officials – in the quarter-final against England. 

Its third triumph in 2022 came after Argentina was awarded a record five penalties in seven matches. During a match against the Netherlands, Messi avoided a booking after blocking a pass with his hand. Argentina’s Leandro Paredes also committed a reckless foul and then deliberately kicked the ball at people on the sideline – yet only earned a single yellow card. 

Ill omens? 

There are other, smaller details, that some believe have also worked in Argentina’s favour. Argentina have enjoyed a relatively easy route to the semi-finals, never playing a team ranked higher than 19th. 

They also avoided some of the more physically demanding venues, while England had to endure the altitude of Mexico City. 

Cynics further note that the referee for today’s England-Argentina epic face-off is a Moroccan-American, Ismail Elfath, who has earned a reputation as a ‘good-luck charm’ for Messi, having never officiated at a match in which his team has lost. But there’s a first time for everything – and the England players will hope no one will be crying for them after their epic battle with the heirs of Diego Maradona and his ‘hand of God’. 

But there’s a first time for everything – and the England players will hope no one will be crying for them after their epic battle with the heirs of Diego Maradona and his ‘hand of God’. 

Plans for more than 24,000 homes near Huntingdon and St Ives have been branded a ‘new town without the infrastructure’

Huntingdonshire residents have warned ‘half’ of sewage works could be overwhelmed by plans for thousands of new homes. Huntingdonshire District Council’s Draft Local Plan for 2026 could see more than 24,000 homes built in the area around Huntingdon and St Ives.

Residents and parish councillors fear this could overwhelm infrastructure such as roads and doctors and over 30 parish councils and organisations have joined together to start the ‘Pause the Plan’ campaign.

Chris Stening, vice chair of the North Huntingdon and St Ives Cumulative Impact Group, said: “We were told, ‘don’t worry it will all work out’ – but we didn’t feel that was good enough.”

The 52-year-old told last Thursday’s meeting that the homes would create a “new town without investment in the infrastructure”.

He said: “As a parent – not a grandparent yet – I feel it falls on us all to leave a local plan that will leave Huntingdonshire a place we can be proud of, and that we want our children and grandchildren to grow up in.”

Lord Andrew Lansley, former health minister and leader of the house of commons, spoke of his experience with Cambourne while he was MP for South Cambridgeshire.

He said: “It has a relatively large amount of green and blue space – because they were intended to be spaces between villages.”

He said that having a plan in place means a new settlement can be “delivered more effectively” and that they have “learned from Cambourne.”

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Lord Lansley said: “Cambourne was never anticipated to have a significant public transport connection – that was a big mistake. It should be resolved when we get the East-West Railway. Infrastructure first is supposed to be what new towns are about.”

Paul Boothman, chair of the group, said the new homes will need an extra nine million litres of water every day. He also said that 14 water recycling centres, otherwise known as sewage works, would “be over capacity without significant investment” adding this is “literally half of them”.

The 66-year-old said: “We want a local plan but we’re in tilted balance – for over 18 months now, we’ve been in tilted balance, without in theory being able to say no to developers. Do we want any plan, or do we want a good plan?”

He said that Huntingdon is currently made up of 10,000 homes – less than half those that could be built nearby.

He said: “There’s questions about a democratic deficiency here – we as a public need to be involved in everything that happens with the local plan, it can’t be something planned without our involvement. When the plan was launched it was done in a very short space of time, it was done before Christmas and were we getting ahead of ourselves with a big growth agenda?

“I don’t get the sense that at that moment in time most of the community feel they are together on this journey – it feels one way.

Chris said: “We really want to work together constructively with everyone in this room and everyone in Huntingdonshire. Nobody wants to stop development but we want to make sure all the infrastructure is considered as part of this process.”

Paul said: “At the moment I don’t think people are going on the same journey – we’re all going in different directions.”

HDC will discuss the local plan and the readiness of local infrastructure at Wednesday’s (July 15) council meeting.

A spokesperson for HDC said: “We are progressing the Local Plan in line with current government legislation, which requires submission of the Proposed Submission Plan to the Planning Inspectorate, alongside all public comments, by 31 December 2026.

“An independent Planning Inspector will then undertake a thorough examination of the draft plan and supporting evidence, including public hearings, to consider all representations and recommend any necessary changes. We are aware of the concerns raised by the ‘Pause the Plan’ group and have reflected these in updates to our timetable.

“The next phase of public consultation will now begin in September 2026, providing additional time to consider the initial outcomes of local government reorganisation proposals and to finalise supporting evidence.

“This includes ongoing work with partners such as the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority on key transport infrastructure, including the A141 and St Ives improvements scheme alongside working with infrastructure providers for matters such as health, water, and education.

“Starting consultation in September also avoids the main summer holiday period while ensuring we can still meet the national deadline. Failing to do so would require restarting the Local Plan under new legislation, delaying the delivery of an up-to-date plan for Huntingdonshire’s communities.

“All evidence to support the Local Plan update is publicly available on our website Local Plan Update – Huntingdonshire.gov.uk, including evidence relating to infrastructure delivery.”

Fears of World Cup favouritism towards Argentina have been heightened after FIFA confirmed Lionel Messi’s favourite referee will officiate England‘s highly-anticipated semi-final with the reigning champions.

Messi’s side have been far from their best heading into Wednesday’s mouthwatering clash with the Three Lions, having scraped past Egypt and Switzerland in controversial fashion in the last-16 and quarter-finals respectively.

The manner of those victories – in which Egypt had a goal controversially disallowed and the Swiss saw striker Breel Embolo sent off – resulted in huge backlash and speculation that FIFA are conspiring to help Messi and Argentina win the tournament – an accusation the governing body strenuously deny. 

And on Tuesday it was confirmed that Ismail Elfath will be the man in the middle – in what will be the most high-profile occasion of his career as a referee – at Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday as England bid to reach their first World Cup final since 1966, while Argentina look to reach back-to-back showpieces.

The Moroccan-born American, who will be assisted by compatriots Corey Parker and Kyle Atkins, will take charge of his fourth game at this year’s World Cup – and his first refereeing either England or Argentina this summer. The fourth official will be Italian Maurizio Mariani.

Elfath was the fourth official in Qatar when Argentina beat France to win the 2022 World Cup and his encounters with Messi have increased since the forward signed for MLS outfit Inter Miami in July 2023.

A month after signing for Inter Miami, Messi helped his new team win the Leagues Cup final over Nashville SC – an encounter that was refereed by Elfath.

Messi scored the opening goal with an emphatic strike into the top corner from outside the box before Nashville levelled. The match later went to penalties with Miami prevailing 10-9, with Messi scoring their first in the shootout.

The 44-year-old has refereed Lionel Messi four times at club level – all four resulting in wins – heightening fears for England ahead of the semi-final

In fact, since coming to America, Messi has been officiated four times by Elfath – winning on all of those occasions. As well as the aforementioned Leagues Cup final, Messi has scored four times across the other three MLS games.

And England players be warned as Elfath’s MLS record this season indicates he doesn’t mind getting his notebook out. In 10 matches he officiated in, before the season paused for the World Cup, he had dished out 41 yellow cards, sent off three players and awarded three penalties.

That approach has been matched at this World Cup so far where he has issued eight yellow cards and one red card across three matches – Netherlands 2-2 Japan, Spain 1-0 Uruguay and Norway 2-1 Brazil.

The Spain-Uruguay game with controversy too as the 44-year-old was targeted by the Spanish media afterwards for his performance. He was accused of not being firm enough with the Uruguayans – as the match became spiky. Deep into second-half stoppage-time Uruguay midfielder Agustin Canobbio was sent off late on for high challenge on Pau Cubarsi.

However, the biggest gripe from the Spanish media came as a result of Nicolas De La Cruz’s challenge on Nico Williams that left him injured. Williams described it as ‘one of the worst days of my life’ post-match but played the final minutes of their quarter-final win over Portugal.

Elfath’s most recent match too had a controversial moment when he initially dismissed Brazil’s appeals for a penalty after Norway defender Kristoffer Ajer fouled Matheus Cunha. However, VAR intervened and Elfath overturned his decision before Bruno Guimaraes saw his spot-kick saved.

Messi and Argentina have faced scrutiny throughout this World Cup so far with allegations of refereeing bias in their favour. The latest incident came on Saturday when Switzerland defender Manuel Akanji claimed everything was ‘against us’ after their 3-1 quarter-final exit in extra-time.

Switzerland’s players and manager were incensed after Embolo became the first player to be sent off as a result of a new rule for mistaken identity.

Elfath was the fourth official during the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France 

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Messi approaches ref Joao Pinheiro in Argentina’s World Cup quarter-final win vs Switzerland

Switzerland’s players protest after Breel Embolo was shown a red card late in the game

With the quarter-final level on 72 minutes, Embolo was shown a second yellow card after a video assistant referee review which led to him being adjudged to have dived – rather than being fouled by Argentina’s Leandro Paredes. A new rule introduced for this World Cup states that if a player is booked or sent off – but the foul was actually committed by the opposition – the decision can be changed.

Reflecting post-match, Akanji fumed: ‘Every little thing was called against us’ and ‘I’ve never experienced such a one-sided game.’ Manager Murat Yakin called the refereeing ‘incomprehensible’.

Last week, FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina hit out at those questioning the integrity of the World Cup officials, insisting that they cannot be influenced by anyone following Egypt’s complaints after their last-16 defeat by Argentina.

The reigning champions battled back from 2-0 after 78 minutes to win 3-2 in Atlanta, with Egypt manager Hossam Hassan later accusing FIFA of rigging the World Cup in favour of Argentina’s talisman Messi.

Hassan’s protestations were magnified also by footage showing him angrily waiting to confront Argentina inside the tunnel after the full-time whistle too.

Addressing criticisms towards the officiating, Collina rubbished the allegations towards his staff and pinpointed the wider ramifications it has on the accused individuals.

Asked by FIFA.com how he has viewed the World Cup so far, the FIFA Chief Refereeing Officer said: ‘Let’s start by saying that we have now played 50 per cent more matches than at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and there are still eight more huge games to be played.

‘Overall, we are happy. However, with such a high number of matches played in a relatively short period of time, it is normal that some things do not go as expected. When that happens, they are ready to work even harder to ensure they are fully prepared for the next match.

‘Of course, constructive discussion about decisions will always be part of football, but unfounded allegations have no place in our sport. Nobody can question the integrity of the FIFA World Cup match officials. When this happens, it may provoke reactions that lead to threats against them and their families. This is not right.

‘Equally, nobody can claim that FIFA Refereeing can be influenced by anyone, not even by the FIFA President [Gianni Infantino]. He has always shown his full support for FIFA Team One while trusting us to work with complete independence. Match officials make honest decisions and, just like players and coaches, they always try to do their best.’

FIFA Chief Refereeing Officer Pierluigi Collina has defended the under-fire World Cup officials

Egypt manager Hossam Hassan furiously accused FIFA of rigging the World Cup after his side were knocked out by Argentina in the last 16

Egypt goalkeeper coach Saafan El-Sagheer was sent off after the bench reacted furiously to Enzo Fernandez’s winning goal for Argentina, as they fumed at multiple decisions against them

Collina’s viewpoint differed strongly with Hassan’s who was fuming at the outcome of the match.

After Enzo Fernandez’s stoppage-time winner, chaos ensued with Egypt’s furious staff remonstrating with referee Francois Letexier, leading to goalkeeper coach Saafan El-Sagheer being shown a red card and Hassan being dragged away from a confrontation with the official.

The Pharaohs were furious that the referee – and also VAR – had not awarded Egypt a penalty moments before Argentina’s winner, as Mohamed Salah was brought down inside the box after having his foot clipped by Julian Alvarez.

Earlier in the second half, Egypt themselves had a goal disallowed by VAR due to a foul in the build-up. Throughout the game, a string of decisions went in favour of Argentina, who have now progressed to the quarter-finals as they bid to retain their crown in North America.

After the match, Hassan could not contain his outrage and furiously accused world football’s governing body FIFA of rigging the tournament so that all-time great Messi could remain in the competition for ‘marketing reasons’.

‘We were better, but football is unfair,’ the heartbroken coach said in his post-match interview.

‘It could be a matter of marketing, they could want to make a World Cup with the champion of the last World Cup, they want Messi to exist (in the tournament).

‘I thank my players very much. To all the Egyptians, the Arabs, the Africans, you can work hard, it’s what you have to do, but sometimes there are other factors that make you struggle.

‘I wish we could be happier with the loss, but with a severe loss like today I say to them (my players) be upset. We wish we could be happier. Thank God for everything but football is different from what happens in the stadium when we are playing against the world champions.

‘There is support from all directions for the world champions. Support and marketing.’

He added later: ‘Why isn’t there any fairness in sport? In football? I do not want to try to put it nicely here with beautiful wording. We have been treated unfairly today. We have suffered injustice.’

Hassan went on to claim that the result was influenced by ‘internal’ and ‘external’ factors and that Egypt had objected to the selection of Letexier as referee.

Ziko added fuel to the fire after the game by describing Letexier as an ‘unjust’ referee.

Mostafa Ziko, who netted Egypt’s second goal, congratulated Argentina on already winning the World Cup, claiming that the holders have been shown favouritism by ‘unjust’ referees

‘Referee, not fair,’ he said in tears during his post-match interview. ‘Unjust, unjust referee. An unjust person. An injustice that is so clear.

‘He’s wasting the effort of an entire nation. Since the beginning of the game, we were leaving the game winning 2-0 against Argentina. But the cup has already been given.’

‘I apologise to (the Egypt fans). We wanted to make them happy today. We didn’t know how to do that. But, by God, it’s not in our hands; it’s in the hands of the referee. The cup has already been decided.

‘Congratulations to Argentina on the World Cup. Congratulations. You don’t need anything else.’

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