Britons travelling to Greece have been told to sign up for emergency alerts as the country is gripped by “extreme heat” and wildfires. The UK Foreign Office has updated its travel advice for the popular tourist destination, with Britons warned of travel disruption as temperatures soar. It comes after thousands were evacuated from at least six seaside communities near Athens after their homes were threatened by wildfires. Much of Greece has been baking in near 40C conditions as a heatwave grips the continent, with temperatures in the southeast European country forecast to climb further later this week and into the weekend. “Extreme temperatures are currently affecting many areas of Greece,” the guidance says. “You can register on the Greek government’s Emergency Communication Service to receive emergency alerts.” Travellers are also advised to monitor local and international weather updates from the Greek Meteorological Service or European Meteorological Services, check conditions with their travel provider and follow the advice of local authorities at all times. There is also a chance that the extreme weather conditions could disrupt travel, the Foreign Office added. Officials in Greece issued the six evacuation orders on Monday morning as strong gusts of up to 70kph (45mph) whipped the wildfire closer to resort towns. The army, police special forces and volunteer rescuers freed retirees from their homes, rescued horses from a stable, and helped monks flee a monastery threatened by the flames. Last night water-dropping planes and helicopters tackled the flames near Lagonisi, some 40 km (25 miles) southeast of the capital. The second large wildfire broke out in a wooded area near the resort town of Loutraki, some 90km (55 miles) west of Athens, where a children’s summer camp and rehabilitation center for seniors were evacuated, local officials said. Fire Service spokesman Yiannis Artopios said the strong and changeable winds and mountainous terrain in which both fires broke out were slowing the firefighting effort. "The conditions are changing constantly and this has to be matched by our response. We have ordered multiple evacuations," he said. The evacuees gathered along the coastline or were put up in schools and hotels, while coast guard vessels were dispatched to smoke-heavy beachfronts to assist if needed. On a visit to Brusssels, Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis described the risk posed by wildfires this month as "extremely difficult" to deal with. "We have always had wildfires and we always will have them. But with the effects of the climate crisis, we are experiencing fires with increasing intensity," Mr Mitsotakis said, speaking on the margins of talks between leaders from the European Union and Latin American and Carribean countries. Greater Athens and much of southern Greece were on the second highest level of alert for wildfires Monday and Tuesday following a four-day heat wave that eased over the weekend. More heatwave temperatures are expected later in the week. Residents and visitors in areas affected by the two fires received cell phone alerts from the Civil Protection Ministry. Loutraki Mayor Giorgos Gionis said municipal workers were also assisting seniors in the evacuations, adding that the operation had been impeded by cell phone reception outages. Local officials confirmed that homes had been destroyed and badly damaged in both fires. Southern and parts of eastern Europe are currently in the grip of a sweltering heatwave that meteorologists forecast will continue well into this week. Other popular holiday destinations including Italy, Spain and Turkey are also experiencing intense heat. Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes in the La Palma area of the Spanish Canary Islands over the weekend as a wildfire tore through 4,500 hectares of land as firefighters struggled to tackle the blaze. Forecasters in Italy say that Sardinia looks set to become the “epicentre” of the heatwave this week and could see temperatures of 48C (118.4F), just shy of the record 48.8C (119.8F) recorded in Sicily in August 2021. This week’s heatwave has been named Charon after the ferryman who delivered souls into the underworld in Greek mythology. Last week’s was named Cerberus - the name of a mythical creature in ancient Greek folklore. Cerberus, a three-headed dog, was believed to guard the gates to the underworld. Scientists say climate change is making extreme weather events like the current heatwaves in Europe more common. Read More Which holiday destinations will be hottest this week and how can you stay safe as temperatures soar? Europe heatwave: Is it safe to travel to Italy, Spain, Greece and Croatia? Extreme 40C heatwaves will frequently occur in UK without emissions cut, Met Office says Independent Traveller guide to best hotels and short breaks Best hotels in New York: Where to stay in Manhattan, Brooklyn and more Cheap hotels in Paris 2022: Where to stay for value for money

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An extract from Sir Elton John’s memoir has gone viral again after his closing set at Glastonbury festival on Sunday (June 25). The passage was shared on Twitter by user Carl Woodward who added the caption: “I often think about Elton John’s memoir.” The extract from John's 2019 autobiography Me says: “I don't need a psychiatrist to tell me that material possessions aren't a replacement for love or personal happiness. I've spent enough miserable, lonely nights in houses filled with beautiful things to have worked that out for myself a long time ago. “And I really don't recommend going shopping in the depressing aftermath of a three-day cocaine binge, unless you want to wake up the next day confronted by bags and bags filled with absolute crap you don't actually remember buying. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter “Or, in my case, you wake up the next morning to a phone call informing you that you've bought a tram. Not a model tram. An actual tram. “A Melbourne W2 class drop-centre combination tram, that the voice at the end of the phone is now informing you has to be shipped from Australia to Britain, where it can only be delivered to your house by hanging it from two Chinook helicopters.” It has prompted an outpouring of affection for the pop star on social media. One person replied: “Brilliant book! Like being at the pub with him whilst he tells anecdote after anecdote.” Another person added: “I loved his memoir. One of the best things I've read in ages.” One other commenter said: “The Legend has such style!” The best bit? He still has the tram, according to a tweet by the original poster. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

British actor Tom Holland, best known for his role of Spider-Man in the MCU, is facing homophobic backlash after a scene from his Apple TV+ series, The Crowded Room, went viral. The scene from Episode 8 “Reunion” depicts Holland receiving anal sex from another man that he meets up with in a gay nightclub bathroom. As the scene gained attention on Twitter, many viewers decided to air their homophobia on social media: Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Many said they either Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield were now their favourite Spider-Man actors, however fans were quick to point out that both actors have portrayed gay characters in the past, and both are supporters of the LGBTQ+ community. Holland has made efforts to diversify his acting credits and move away from his superhero character, and The Crowded Room is no exception to this. Holland also acted in graphically violent scenes in The Devil All The Time in 2020. Speaking of his experience filming The Crowded Room, Holland stated that it had been a “tough” and “emotional” experience, and as a result he would be taking a hiatus from acting. Despite the Apple TV+ series only have a critics score of 30 per cent of Rotten Tomatoes, the audience score is drastically different with a positive 90 per cent. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has sent a silent message to those who thought he threw too many interceptions leading up to the 2023 season.