By FRANCINE WOLFISZ, NEWS REPORTER

Published: 23:09 BST, 31 July 2026 | Updated: 11:01 BST, 1 August 2026

Labour‘s Bev Craig has beaten off Reform UK with a two-thirds majority to become Greater Manchester’s first female mayor.

Voters headed to the polls on Thursday to choose who would replace Andy Burnham as their new regional mayor.

Ms Craig stormed to victory with 309,525 votes (66.3 per cent) against Reform UK’s Sian Astley, who secured 157,178 votes (33.7 per cent) following a second round count. 

Moments after she was announced as the new mayor, Ms Craig said she was ‘honoured, humbled and ready to serve the three million people that live across this fantastic city region’. 

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She said: ‘I will be a greater mayor for everyone. We have to move away from divisive politics that try to pit neighbour against neighbour, and we’ll work together.’

Ms Craig added that she wanted to ‘build’ a city where ‘everyone feels welcome and everyone has a chance to succeed’.

The biggest by-election in UK history – of more than two million voters – was triggered when Mr Burnham resigned from the mayoralty earlier this year so that he could oust Keir Starmer as prime minister.

Prior to her election, Ms Craig served as a deputy mayor in Greater Manchester with a portfolio covering the economy, business and ‘inclusive growth’.

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She became leader of Manchester City Council in December 2021, succeeding the long-serving Sir Richard Leese in the post.

Originally from Northern Ireland, the 41-year-old moved to Greater Manchester aged 18. She is noted for being the city’s first female council leader and its first LGBT leader.

Labour’s Bev Craig has beaten off Reform UK with a two-thirds majority to become Greater Manchester’s new mayor

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Ms Craig closed her eyes in delight as her name was declared at the mayoral election

Reform UK’s candidate Sian Astley looked apprehensive ahead of the winner being declared

Ms Craig stood next to Green Party candidate Geraldine Coggins as the votes were read out

Join the discussion

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How will having Greater Manchester’s first female and LGBT mayor change the city’s future?

The cost of the contest is expected to run into the millions of pounds, with the 2024 mayoral election in Greater Manchester – won by Mr Burnham – costing the taxpayer £4.7million.

That contest saw Mr Burnham re-elected with 63 per cent of the vote under the ‘first past the post’ system, in which the candidate with the most votes is declared the winner.

He also received the most votes in each of Greater Manchester’s 10 local authority areas.

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For Thursday’s by-election, voting changed back to the ‘supplementary vote’ (SV) system used in the mayoral elections in 2017 and 2021.

Following the first count, there was no candidate who won more than 50 per cent of the first-choice votes, resulting in a second round. 

In 2021, the last time Manchester was contested under the SV system, Mr Burnham won in the first round with 67 per cent of first preference votes.

This is breaking news, more follows.

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UEFA have called for shamed FIFA president Gianni Infantino to go after he scrapped the ‘shabby, back-room deal’ to sell stakes in the World Cup.

Pressure is mounting on the under-fire boss after his controversial plan to sell a £3.1 billion stake in football’s most coveted tournament to a group of private investors led by Josh Kushner – an extended relation of US President Donald Trump – collapsed on Friday night.

The scheme, which received wholesale opposition from football nations around the world, has seen scrutiny on Infantino’s presidency intensify.

UEFA, European football’s governing body, led the charge against Infantino’s plot and, in a lengthy statement released on Saturday morning, declared they had lost trust in his leadership.

UEFA said: ‘UEFA welcomes FIFA’s decision to withdraw its plan to sell a stake in its competitions – including the World Cup – into private hands.

‘The proposal was unanimously rejected by UEFA’s national associations and by many other federations and confederations of all sizes around the world, whose job it is to protect football.

‘UEFA thanks all the fans, leagues, clubs, players, individuals, associations and confederations that opposed the scheme, alongside the many Prime Ministers, Heads of State and commentators who have demonstrated to the FIFA President that football is not for sale.

Gianni Infantino waves goodbye to his unilateral plans for private investment in FIFA with his presidency in jeopardy 

Carlos Cordeiro (left) quit as an advisor to Gianni Infantino (centre) on Friday

‘We cannot keep going on like this with secret schemes on fast-track timescales, cooked up by faceless individuals and of dubious benefit to the game. We must identify those responsible and hold them to account,’ the UEFA statement continued.

‘It is right that, in the coming days and weeks, UEFA will work with its associations and in close cooperation with other confederations to reflect on how this happened and devise a plan to make sure that it cannot occur again. That review should be thorough and fundamental. No option should be off the table. The current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA’s confidence but also that of many other members of the football family.

‘When Gianni Infantino asked for the trust and the votes of FIFA’s Member Associations to elect him as their President in 2016, he said, “Of course we have to be transparent. I have been this in the last 15 years of my life in UEFA. You will have to play a part every day in the life of FIFA”, before telling the assembled stakeholders, “The money of FIFA is your money. It’s not the money of the FIFA President. It’s your money. You are the national associations and the money of FIFA has to serve for the development of football and not for anything else”.

‘On both these promises, he has failed to deliver. ‘The shabby, back-room, opaque deal he hatched and tried to force through was anything but transparent.

‘And with reserves standing at over $5bn, he has also failed to use associations’ money for the benefit of the game.

‘UEFA will begin work immediately with partners and stakeholders all over the world and right across the game to propose a new way of distributing resources through the existing FIFA Forward programme.

‘We must start to use some of that money that is sat idle in FIFA’s bank account to deliver the kick-start that the grassroots and the wider game need in each of the 211 countries of FIFA. But we don’t need to sell off the family silver to pay for it.

‘This is a victory for the whole game. But it must not be the end of the story. The proposal has gone. The task of rebuilding trust in FIFA has only just begun.’

In the early hours of Saturday morning, Infantino abandoned his proposals to inject private equity into the operational and commercial aspects of FIFA tournaments.

His humiliating backtrack came thanks to the heroics of UEFA, CONCACAF, the AFC and two members of the FIFA hierarchy, who all took a stand against his divisive plans 

The AFC, Asia’s governing body, were the third and final confederation to reject Gianni Infantino’s proposal. Their resistance made it clear he did not have the support to proceed, as opposing nations rose to a staggering 135 – 64 per cent of the FIFA membership.

The commendation followed CONCACAF’s rejection on Thursday and came after UEFA announced a boycott of FIFA competitions. New Zealand Football also objected to the plans, despite the OFC delaying a continent-wide response.

Infantino said: ‘The FIFA Forward Enterprise project was intended to provide a basis for further strengthening our FIFA Member Associations and our sport worldwide, especially in those countries where support is most needed.

‘And more so, as we said from the outset, to do this only if a majority of the FIFA Member Associations were in support and always subject to a consultation process with them, the FIFA Council, the Confederations and wider stakeholders.

‘Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place.

‘Our purpose has always been – and will always be – to unite and improve. As a result, this proposal will not proceed.

‘Moving forward, my intent is to bring all interested parties back together in the coming days and weeks in the spirit of shared interest in our game, and with the objective to continue growing football everywhere, and particularly in those countries that mostly need our support.’

The statement marked an embarrassing U-turn, less than 24 hours after he attempted to clarify his plans – blaming the media for misconstruing them.

One international football insider told Daily Mail Sport: ‘UEFA’s response is at the nuclear button end of the spectrum, which is impressive. We thought Infantino would survive the Trump refereeing intervention – but he has overreached this time.’

The proposal reached a terminal stage when Carlos Cordeiro, senior advisor to Gianni Infantino, announced his resignation from FIFA – becoming the first internal dissident.

Six hours later, FIFA’s chief operating officer Kevin Lamour turned against the president – risking his job by criticising the plans and calling on nations to dethrone Infantino. Lamour admitted FIFA Forward Enterprise was the brainchild of ‘one person’ as he landed a critical blow to the FIFA president.

Infantino had hoped to create a new enterprise with significant investment from Joshua Kushner – brother of Jared, Donald Trump’s son-in-law. Meanwhile, investment bank J.P. Morgan were advising on potential investors.

Democratic senator Ron Wyden, who leads an investigation into Jared Kushner, said on Friday: ‘Soccer fans around the world are rightfully outraged by this scheme from Infantino and Joshua Kushner to turn the World Cup into just another commodity for private equity to buy up.

‘It seems clear from the global backlash that this corrupt plan is unlikely to succeed, but it is just one of dozens of shady deals by Trump’s family and close associates to get rich from the presidency.’

A significant number of FIFA members raised concerns from the initial leak of the plan, questioning how such thorough ideas could be developed unilaterally without prior consultation.

Despite FIFA maintaining throughout that there would be a proper consultation period, there were major questions about how that could be achieved when potential investors were already lined up.

UEFA accused FIFA of trying to bribe members with a £30million ($40m) incentive to approve Infantino’s plan, with a September 19 deadline to respond to the offer.

Alongside UEFA’s protest, sources told the Daily Mail Sport that CONCACAF nations believe he is losing or has already lost their confidence.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham believes Infantino’s position is untenable and he is not alone.

Speaking to reporters in Sheffield on Friday, Burnham said: ‘This was an outrageous suggestion. The idea that it could even be brought forward shows that, in my view, [he] is the wrong man to lead the organisation.’

With the controversy surrounding Infantino, member nations could still trigger a vote of no confidence. The threshold to initiate the process is 46 FIFA member associations.

UEFA nations maintain that all options remain on the table as they attempt to oust Infantino, who is seeking a fourth term in next year’s elections.

Sepp Blatter, Infantino’s predecessor, took to social media to renew his attacks on his successor by writing on Friday evening: ‘FIFA is not a private equity fund. It is an association with statutes, regulations, and a fiduciary responsibility to protect the global game.

‘If you sell football’s crown jewels to private investors, you also sell part of the game – especially its soul. Money matters, but it must never become everything.’

Spurs have made a more extension summer schedule thus far, and are unbeaten in three friendly fixtures, having beat MK Dons, Auckland FC and Sydney FC over the past fortnight. Highly-rated young midfielder Luca Williams-Barnett will be hoping for more minutes, but both James Maddison and Mateus Fernandes has been ruled out through injury. Follow the game LIVE below with our dedicated match blog, featuring expert insight and analysis.

Uefa says it has lost confidence in Gianni Infantino’s Fifa leadership as the fallout from the scrapped controversial investment plan intensifies.

On Saturday, Infantino said Fifa would no longer proceed with the proposal to sell stakes in the governing body’s competitions to private investors.

Uefa – which governs European football – had earlier voted to boycott World Cups if the plans went ahead, and other governing bodies also voiced their opposition.

In a lengthy statement on Saturday, Uefa said it welcomed the decision to withdraw the plan, describing it as “a victory for the whole game”.

It also accused Infantino of failing to deliver on promises, quoting a speech he gave when campaigning to become Fifa president in 2016.

“The current Fifa leadership has not only lost Uefa’s confidence but also that of many other members of the football family,” the statement read.

“When Gianni Infantino asked for the trust and the votes of Fifa’s member associations to elect him as their president in 2016, he said: ‘Of course we have to be transparent.’

“He told the assembled stakeholders: ‘The money of Fifa is your money. It’s not the money of the Fifa president. You are the national associations and the money of Fifa has to serve for the development of football and not for anything else.’

“On both these promises, he has failed to deliver. The shabby, back room, opaque deal he hatched and tried to force through were anything but transparent.”

Freely viewers now have more options to explore as the new channels have gone live on the platform.

The streaming service, which delivers live TV over broadband without the need for an aerial or satellite dish, has added its biggest single batch of channels since Warner Bros. Discovery brought its free-to-air portfolio across at the start of the year.

New content includes a mix of true crime, police shows, medical documentaries, made-for-TV thrillers, and a dedicated channel for children.

What is Freely?

Freely is operated by Everyone TV, the same organisation behind Freeview and Freesat.

It brings together channels from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, and others in a single guide, with built-in seven-day catch-up.

According to Everyone TV, the platform reached two million monthly active users in July.

This figure doubled from around one million in December and 500,000 in September.

Freely launched in April 2024 and was initially only available on smart TVs from brands such as Hisense, Panasonic, Toshiba, and Sharp.

In November 2025, the first standalone Freely box was released, expanding access to more households.

Freely adds 11 new channels to TV guide

Here are the 11 new channels added:

• 5Cops – Channel 69
• 5Police Interceptors – Channel 70
• 5Movies – Channel 77
• 5A&E – Channel 84
• 5Crime – Channel 85
• 5Medical – Channel 107
• 5Yorkshire Vet – Channel 108
• 5Bargain-Loving Brits – Channel 118
• 5Trucking Hell – Channel 119
• 5History – Channel 128
• Milkshake! – Channel 360

5Movies, 5Medical, 5Yorkshire Vet, 5History and Milkshake! are exclusive to Freely at launch, with them unavailable on Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media and others.

However, all 11 channels are available on 5 Streaming, the broadcaster’s own service.

There have been 11 new channels added to the Freely guide in the new update (Image: Getty Images)

The channels were already available on Freely devices through the 5 app; however, they are now in the Freely EPG (electronic programme guide).

Virgin and Samsung TVs get new free channels

The addition of the new Freely channels is not the only new ones UK TVs have received in recent months.

Virgin TV recently launched two brand-new 24/7 channels, 8 out of 10 Cats (150) and Pointless (251).

Both are available to stream to all Virgin TV360 and Stream customers, directly from their set-top box.

Millions of Samsung smart TVs have also received a free upgrade recently.

The new offerings are part of Samsung TV Plus, a free streaming service integrated into Samsung smart TVs and selected Galaxy devices.

Wrestling enthusiasts can now enjoy Wrestling Legends TV, a channel dedicated to WWE programming and behind-the-scenes content, accessible on channel 4613.

Eurovision Sport was launched on channel 4611, providing Olympic sports coverage, highlights, and documentaries at no extra cost.

Additionally, fans of Korean dramas can tune into new channels from Series K on channels 4254 and 4259, offering a variety of box sets and shows.

Recommended reading:

Football supporters were not left out, as a Bundesliga channel is currently showing live matches and highlights on channel 4003 during a promotional period.

Samsung’s free streaming service is available on all Samsung Smart TVs from 2016 onwards and Samsung Galaxy Devices: Mobile & Tablet – Android 11.0 or higher.

You can watch free TV without a Samsung account, but creating one unlocks extra features.

What is your favourite TV channel to watch? Let us know in the comments.

A young mother-of-two died after collapsing due to a rare cyst on the brain after repeatedly being sent home from hospital with migraine medication, an inquest has heard.

Laura House, 29, attended Great Western Hospital (GWH) in Swindon three times in as many days in July 2024 with worsening symptoms including debilitating headaches, blurred vision and vomiting.

Her husband Chris said in a statement that she was told her to go home and sit in a ‘dark room’ despite ‘grunting’ incoherently and talking to medical staff ‘like a toddler’.

The 36-year-old said that by the time they arrived at the hospital on the third occasion on July 9, his wife was so weak he had to carry her across the car park.

‘She had vomited each time at the hospital. This time she vomited three times…She was walking like a frail old lady, not a 29-year-old woman,’ the scaffolder recalled.

He said the previously fit pharmacy dispenser struggled to hold herself up and was slipping out of her chair as they waited more than an hour to be seen in the emergency department.

Mr House said he was surprised when medical notes showed that junior doctor Nilesh Singh, who had assessed her that evening, deemed her to be ‘conscious, oriented and not confused’.

‘I am not sure how the doctor could have reached that conclusion. As he was talking to Laura she was unable to properly respond.

Doctors told an inquest into her death in Swindon that the hospital was struggling with a backlog after a power outage earlier that day causing ‘chaos’ in the emergency department 

Ms House deteriorated and died on July 11 leaving behind her husband Chris and their two young children

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‘She was struggling to string a sentence together. I remember that she was grunting….It was like talking to a toddler or small child,’ his statement read.

The father added that he had asked if a blood test or scan would be carried out, but says he was told that she had a ‘simple migraine and there was nothing else that could be done’ .

‘I recall becoming increasingly frustrated during the assessment as the doctor began saying all the same things that had been said in all the other assessments: that it was a simple migraine and she needed to be in a dark room,’ he added.

‘I remember him suggesting, at one point, that we try find a small, dark space like a cupboard for Laura to sit in to see if this would help her symptoms.’

Dr Singh, who told the hearing the hospital was struggling with a backlog after a power outage earlier that day, claimed the ‘noise and chaos’ in the department were making Ms House more uncomfortable.

‘After the examination and discussion, we decided it would be better for her to get home,’ he added, saying he found ‘no acute neurological symptoms’ in his assessment.

However, the doctor admitted: ‘In normal circumstances, I would have considered a CT scan if it was easily available and would have been done at the same time.

‘If everything would have been empty, I would have considered it,’ he added.

It was the third time she had been assessed at the hospital after first attending the urgent care centre on July 7 and again on the morning of July 9. 

Each time she was sent home without a scan or further investigation, the inquest heard.

Having returned to her home in Cricklade, her husband says her condition deteriorated the following day and she appeared to drift in and out of consciousness.

He said shortly after 3pm she began ‘dribbling and spitting as she was breathing’ and then became blue and an ambulance was called as Mr House performed CPR on his wife.

She was rushed to Southmead Hospital for emergency surgery but died the following day on July 11 from global hypoxic brain injury caused by a rare colloid cyst.

Mr House was left with the devastating task of telling their children aged just two and six at the time that their mother had passed.

Dr Lisa Daniel, a senior doctor in charge during her third visit, said that she had not been aware that Ms House had presented at the hospital twice before.

She said, in a statement read to the hearing in Salisbury, that had she been alerted to this, a CT scan would have been considered.

Peter Dobinson, a consultant at the GWH NHS Foundation Trust who reviewed an internal investigation into the death added: ‘A CT scan…may show evidence of raised intracranial pressure.

‘I can’t say definitively that it would’ve picked it up. There’s a good chance that it would’ve, but that is speculative.’

In the time since Ms House’s death, the Trust has implemented Jess’s Law which urges medics to re-evaluate patients who attend three times with the same symptoms. 

The family’s legal team at Stewarts urged HM Area Coroner for Wiltshire and Swindon, Mr Ian Singleton, to deliver a narrative verdict with a finding of neglect.

While lawyers for Great Western Hospitals NHS Trust said a ‘natural causes’ verdict would be suitable as the inquest has not heard any evidence as to potential outcomes of earlier intervention.

The inquest was adjourned for a verdict to be delivered at a later date.

⁠Russia ⁠pounded Kyiv with ballistic missiles this morning, killing at least nine people and wounding 28 others, including four children.

The Ukrainian Air Force raised the alarm over the missiles at around 1.30am local time.

Kyiv military officials asked civilians to duck into their nearest shelter only a minute later, with Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko reporting ‘explosions’.

Images posted by photographer Yan Dobronosov show wounded people lying on the streets, with cars gutted by the explosions and fires.

‘Some residents of Kyiv did not even have time to reach the shelter,’ Dobronosov said.

One of the blasts caused a fire in a six-story building in the Solomyanskyi district, Volodymyr Zelensky said on the social media network X.

‘There were many fires in the city – seven districts were affected. And, as usual, the Russians hit ordinary residential buildings,’ he added.

‘Eighteen houses, a school, the Lithuanian embassy and infrastructure facilities were damaged.’

Two people died in the Solomianskyi blaze that also injured eight, including two children.

People were also trapped in a burning building in Shevchenko and debris flattened non-residential buildings in Holosiivske and Darnytske.

Some five years since Russia’s war against Ukraine began, Zelensky warned the country’s air defence system is dwindling.

And Moscow knows this, the president added, with Russia launching dozens of aerial assaults this summer.

Zelensky said that as the country has only a few Patriot interceptors – the only kind that can deal with Kremlin-built missiles – it is ‘encouraging Russia to launch attacks that take human lives’.

‘It is critical that partners hear that these capabilities are needed not somewhere in stockpiles for hypothetical scenarios, but here and now, to contain and stop the Russian war in Ukraine.’

‘Every package of ballistic missile interceptors saves the lives of our people. And every night without them results in more casualties. I thank everyone who is working to strengthen our defences.’

This is the second major attack on Kyiv this week after missiles killed nine people, including six members of one family, on ​Thursday.

During the attack, a Russian cruise missile also entered the airspace of Nato member Poland.

Polish officials described it as an ‘unidentified object’ that caused a 9-metre-wide crater in a field in the country’s southeast.

Only the US can make Patriot interceptor missiles, so Ukraine has asked Washington to grant it a licence to make its own.

US President Donald Trump, who vowed to end the Russia-Ukraine war ‘on day one’ of his re-election, said talks for this are still ‘ongoing’ on Friday.

Washington, he cautioned, had to be ‘very careful about letting somebody build them’.

He added: ‘ We’re talking about it, but it’s a hard thing to give away that kind of technology. And I don’t think this would ever happen, but, you know, there’s people that you give that technology, they can someday turn on you.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

MORE: Putin’s ‘doomsday radio’ crackles into life after Russian missile hits Poland

MORE: Donald Trump dealt major blow in $10,000,000,000 BBC lawsuit

MORE: ‘Russian missile’ leaves 33ft crater in Nato territory after hitting Polish field

Actor Ralph Fiennes is among the anxious homeowners waiting to see if their homes have been destroyed in the Suffolk wildfires. 

The National Trust launched a public appeal on Friday to try and raise emergency funds after the wildfire caused ‘total devastation’ and left the landscape ‘unrecognisable’. 

The fire started on Dunwich Heath, near Leiston, on Wednesday evening, when temperatures in England soared to 35C in some parts. 

The blaze, which took hold near to Britain’s biggest nuclear power station Sizewell B, spread to the size of 371 acres – equivalent to 210 football pitches. Experts believe the heath could take 25 years to recover. 

Mr Fiennes, 63, who was born in Ipswich, owns a country home in Suffolk close to the blaze on Dunwich Heath. 

The British actor’s property remained inside an exclusion zone on Friday, with access roads shut off by police road blocks. 

Hundreds of people who live there have been evacuated and do not know if their homes have been damaged by the wildfire. 

The flames came as close as one field away from Mr Fiennes’ property at one point, with a source saying that his home was ‘one of the closest to the fire’. 

Firefighters remain at the scene on Saturday and told people to continue to avoid the area 

Ralph Fiennes, 63, was born in Ipswich and owns a country house near to the heath 

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The Harry Potter star is being given updates by the fire brigade, who are still at the heath battling the wildfire in reduced numbers for the fourth day. 

The source told the Sun: ‘We don’t know if Ralph was at the house on Wednesday as he has a place in London, but it must have been an anxious time for him. 

‘He’s lived here for years and we see him out jogging from time to time.’ 

The National Trust announced a public appeal last night to restore the reserve, launching an emergency fundraising drive to help recover the damage. 

National Trust director-general Hilary McGrady described the loss of the important habitat, which was home to rare species, as ‘heartbreaking’. 

The charity said the heath was a significant area for wildlife including nightjars, skylarks and the rare Dartford warbler, as well as adders, lizards and slow worms, and butterflies including the rare silver-studded blue. 

The lowland heath habitat is one of the UK’s rarest and an estimated 92 per cent of it has been lost in England over the last 120 years, it added.

In a statement on Friday, Ms McGrady said: ‘We are looking at total devastation of a beloved and important landscape.

The National Trust launched an emergency fundraising appeal on Friday night after the fire left the landscape ‘devastated’ 

Fire engines seen near the front line in the fight against the Dunwich wildfire on Wednesday 

The fire was declared a ‘major incident’ earlier this week due to its size and intensity 

‘We’ve lost precious habitats, wildlife, trees, and a place where people have made memories over generations. It’s heartbreaking.

‘But together we can and will restore Dunwich and, crucially, make it more resilient and better adapted for the climate we’re facing now, and the climate we’ll be facing in future.

‘We’re working hard to tackle climate change and prepare for more of it, but there’s more hard work to be done.

‘We can’t do it alone. We’re a charity that relies on public support in so many ways. If you can donate, however much, please don’t hesitate.

‘Your money will go directly to the restoration of Dunwich, to regrow habitats and homes for wildlife, build more resilience into the landscape, and return this iconic place to the nation.’ 

Firefighters were able to reduce the number of appliances tackling the blaze in Suffolk to fourteen on Saturday. It was reduced further to eight for overnight operations after ‘positive firefighting action…and the creation of further firebreaks’ on Friday. 

In an update on Saturday morning, Suffolk Fire and Rescue said: ‘With the weekend here, we continue to ask members of the public to avoid the area and keep roads clear for emergency vehicles. Local roads and footpaths remain closed.’ 

In southwestern France, wildfires have been raging for over a fortnight 

Thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes in the region. Pictured: flames spread on the hills behind a home in Montfort-sur-Argens on Friday

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Aerial footage of the scene shows the once grassy, coastal area known for its carpet of purple heather reduced to a charred, barren landscape, which is still smouldering. 

Crews continued to battle the blaze on Friday, and evacuated residents and holidaymakers were given a short window of opportunity to collect essential belongings under police escort. 

Firefighters across the country have been tackling similar but smaller fires. 

More than 20 fire services have been responding to fires amid hot and dry conditions which have left half of England and all of Wales in drought. 

Crews in Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Cheshire, London, North Wales, Yorkshire, Co Durham and Darlington, Berkshire, Leicestershire, Bedfordshire, Greater Manchester, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Humberside, Dorset and Wiltshire, Devon and Somerset, Nottinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Kent, Merseyside, West Sussex, Surrey, and Norfolk have all reported dealing with fires in the open. 

On Tuesday, the National Fire Chiefs Council said more than 200 wildfires had been reported in England and Wales in less than two weeks, and wildfire risk remained ‘elevated’. 

In Europe, wildfires in France, Italy and Spain are still raging and have forced a mass exodus of locals out of their homes. 

Wildfires tore through southwestern France this week and became so intense that they triggered a rare fire-generated thunderstorm – a phenomenon never before recorded in the country. 

Experts said it was another sign that Europe is entering a new era of extreme wildfires. 

While wildfires have long been a part of Europe’s landscape, rising temperatures are making them larger, more unpredictable, and harder to control. 

At the start of this week, the D106 highway, a 41-mile route which links the Cap Ferret peninsula with the city of Bordeaux in south-western France, was the epicentre of the unprecedented wildfire. 

The blaze ravaged an area four times the size of Paris and forced more than 260,000 people to be evacuated from their homes. 

More than 240 properties were completely destroyed – many thought to be holiday homes owned by millionaire Parisiennes and celebrity second homes. 

George Clooney and his wife Amal were among those evacuated from their luxury French estate after a fast-moving wildfire raced towards their home.  

The Hollywood actor, 65, and human rights lawyer Amal, 48, fled their sprawling property near Brignoles as flames swept through the area on Wednesday evening.

The couple, who have nine-year-old twins, said they feared for the future of their home as France continues to battle some of the worst wildfires in its history.

In a letter to the mayor of Brignoles, Clooney wrote: ‘At this point we have no idea whether our beautiful home makes it through this terrible moment.’

‘Amal and I are committed to making sure that whatever happens to our village, we are part of this community and we’ll be part of making it whole,’ he added.

The mayor of Brignoles, Didier Bremond, said the Clooneys were not ordered to leave but chose to evacuate as a precaution.

The wildfire burning near Brignoles, in south-eastern France, scorched 321 acres and forced more than 600 residents to flee their homes, local officials said.  

Not sure if you heard, but Spain won the World Cup.

Too soon?

As if we hadn’t seen enough fancy footwork on the field, Spain’s talents also extend to the bar. Yup, they’ve gone and invented a coffee-based drink that’s fast becoming the new espresso martini.

But do we need the Spanish version of our beloved coffee cocktail? It turns out, we most certainly do.

What’s the Spanish Version?

It’s called the carajillo, (pronounced caah-raah-hee-yo), and it’s a two-ingredient cocktail you can whip up in seconds; made from equal parts Licor 43 and chilled (or hot, or warm) espresso, shaken over ice and garnished with a ribbon of orange zest.

More accurately, it’s Spain’s answer to the Irish Coffee, Norwegian Karsk or the Italian Caffe Corretto (I love the idea of a corrected coffee).

It’s simple, yet potent. In fact, it’s the simplicity (and potency, probably) that Joe Harper, head of food & beverage operations at The Zetter hotel, believes is the drink’s superpower.

‘The carajillo is definitely a lot easier to put together than a good espresso martini,’ Joe tells Metro. ‘So I can totally understand the appeal.’

The PG version is that the name comes from the Spanish word ‘coraje’, meaning courage. Legend has it that Spanish soldiers stationed in Cuba would lace their coffee with spirits to give themselves liquid bravery before battle.

The less wholesome theory is that the drink originated in Andalucia, where morning drinking was the norm. It could be a diminutive of the curse word, ‘Carajo!’, which means ‘s***’ or ‘f*** it’. It wouldn’t have been out of place to hear half-cut Andalusians shouting, ‘a carajillo!’ over their morning coffee. Allegedly…

Either way, through Spanish trade and migration, the boozy coffee digestif made its way over to Mexico. Nowadays, other than tequila and mezcal, the carajillo is now one of Mexico’s most widely-ordered drinks, especially as a post-meal digestif. Incidentally, the Spanish word for that is ‘sobremesa’, or ‘over the table’.

The younger generation has even taken to ordering the carajillo on a night-out, as a pick-me-up. You could also say that it’s the new and vastly improved vodka redbull.

How’s it different to the espresso martini?

First of all, the carajillo is served in a tumbler, not a martini glass. So, it immediately looks cooler; not unlike a frothy old fashioned. And because Licor 43 is named after the botanicals it contains, including vanilla, orange peel and cocoa, it’s delicately spiced, rich and vanilla-forward.

When paired with espresso, the result is something light and delicately sweet with notes of orange, vanilla and chocolate.

Where can you order a carajillo in London?

Currently, your best bets are tapas venues, including Camino and Las Iguanas.

At the posher end, there’s Viajante87 in Notting Hill, who use cooled espresso and 15ml cold brew coffee liqueur (Mr Black) as well as Licor 43.

Santo Remedio also does a carajillo; theirs even comes with a sugar rim and a dinky (for London) £10 price tag.

If you’re not in the capital, don’t panic, as you should expect to see the drink taking over bar menus across the UK soon, as Joe predicts it’s going to have its own viral moment.

‘I can totally see it appealing for the same reasons as the espresso martini. When that’s the case, a takeover is always possible.’

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