It was a moment that had all the hallmarks of Andy Burnham’s sense of humour. Last October, I was interviewing the then Mayor of Greater Manchester, on a stage in London’s West End.Ostensibly, the interview was about ‘Head North’ - his joint book with Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, on how to rewire the country. But speculation had once again reached fever-pitch that morning that Burnham was about to make a move for the Labour’s leadership.We were there to talk about the book, not political gossip, but…

The Ghanaian witch doctor's curse seemingly worked when Harry Kane missed the best chance of the match to seal England three points against Ghana in their second game at the World Cup.The Three Lions beat Croatia 4-2 with the Bayern Munich star netting twice, and Thomas Tuchel’s side arrived at Tuesday’s clash as the overwhelming favourites after Ghana made tough work of beating Panama deep into added time in their opening game.However, England were limited to just four shots on target despite dominating the ball against…

The Met Office has issued a red weather warning for extreme heat covering an area stretching from London to Swansea and Somerset to Birmingham from 9am today to 9pm on Thursday06:25, 24 Jun 2026Updated 06:55, 24 Jun 2026View 2 ImagesIt is VERY hot(Image: Manchester Evening News)Hundreds of schools are set to fully or partially shut in the coming days due to the extreme heat, it has been confirmed. Temperatures are predicted to reach record-breaking highs in the mid to high 30s.A 'heat-dome' descending over western Europe…

Interest has exploded in Thomas Tuchel’s team since their thrilling 4-2 victory over Croatia in the opening game - widely regarded as the match of the tournament so far07:09, 24 Jun 2026Updated 07:09, 24 Jun 2026View 2 ImagesTerrible game, pints neededSweltering Brits supped 27 million pints during England’s boring World Cup draw with Ghana - giving the nation’s pubs their biggest midweek sales explosion in two years.Up to 19 million supporters tuned in to watch the Three Lions’ second group match last night. Interest has…