The solar eclipse reached its maximum point across the UK on Wednesday evening, with huge crowds gathering to witness the rare astronomical event.
Most of the UK saw more than 90 per cent of the Sun covered by the Moon in the fullest solar eclipse in the country since 1999.
The UK came to a halt as millions were thrust into an eerie shadowy darkness just after 7pm as the partial eclipse reached its peak.
The HRT linked to reduced dementia risk
Women who take a particular hormone therapy in later life may be less likely to develop physical signs of Alzheimer’s disease in the brain, a new study has found.
What you need to know
Study results
- Those taking oestrogen-only hormone replacement therapy (HRT) had reduced odds of being diagnosed with dementia, researchers found.
- These women were also less likely to have memory problems or “functional decline”, the Stanford University study found.
- But the findings “cannot necessarily be applied” to all women considering HRT because this kind of therapy is usually only prescribed to women who have had a hysterectomy.
Caution over study
- Dr Tom Blackmore at Alzheimer’s Research UK said the study was “interesting” – but he said it only shows “an association and cannot tell us whether hormone therapy itself reduced dementia risk”.
- He said the study was “not a reason for women to start or stop HRT”.
5 min read
UK’s busiest shopping street to get facial recognition cameras
Live facial recognition cameras will be used on the newly-pedestrianised Oxford Street, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has indicated.
What you need to know
Khan indicated Oxford Street will be included in plans for permanent live facial recognition technology (LFR).
Watchlist checked
The tech scanning the faces of people passing and comparing them with a watchlist of wanted suspects.
Permanent cameras
The cameras would likely be attached to lampposts rather than a police van, as has been the case up until now.
Why the authorities like LFR
Reasons for the cameras:
- Scotland Yard wants to use “revolutionary” cameras in the West End and Soho to help tackle some of the highest crime rates in London.
- Khan said police were working closely with Oxford Street Development Corporation about using LFR in a “sensible way”.
- The Met used fixed cameras during a six-month pilot in Croydon between October 2025 and May 2026 which saw 173 people arrested.
Big Brother watching?
Human rights group Liberty pointed out that the LFR cameras record the faces of everyone “regardless of whether they are suspected of wrongdoing”. Recent Liberty polling suggested that 48% of people oppose the tech.
Big Brother Watch said using the “Orwellian” tech to turn Oxford Street into “a permanent digital police line-up” would be a mistake.
Why 4.5m people are set to pay tax on savings this year
A growing number of savers are facing a tax bill on their interest this year, as higher rates collide with frozen income tax thresholds.
What you need to know
Tax on savings
HMRC figures show that 4.51 million people are forecast to owe income tax on savings income in 2026/27.
Huge rise for HMRC
It’s almost four times the 1.22 million paying tax on savings recorded by HMRC in 2022/23.
Pensioners exposed
Pensioners are particularly exposed, with 2.1 million aged 65 and over set to be hit.
Why do more owe tax?
- Savings rates rose sharply as the Bank of England increased interest rates from 2022 onwards.
- At the same time, tax thresholds – the amount you can earn before paying each rate of tax – have been frozen since 2022.
- This is known as fiscal drag: more people are pushed across tax thresholds even though the thresholds haven’t increased.
4 min read
What can you do?
Using an ISA is the simplest way to limit the amount of tax paid on interest, according to experts. Another option is premium bonds, which allow you to invest up to £50,000 and pay no tax on what you receive.
2 min read
How you can limit tax on savings
Two big forces at work mean more people owe tax on savings interest – higher savings rates and frozen tax allowances. But there are ways to limit the tax bill.
Saturday Night Live UK season 2 return date revealed
The British version of the US live comedy sketch show is returning in autumn after a successful first season, Sky has revealed.
What you need to know
Return date
Sky has revealed the first episode of season 2 will be broadcast on Saturday, 12 September.
More in 2027
There will be six brand-new episodes, with additional shows also planned for early 2027.
The UK incarnation of the US show received good reviews when it launched in March.
UK cast members return
All 11 members of the inaugural cast are returning this season. They are: Hammed Animashaun, Ayoade Bamgboye, Larry Dean, Celeste Dring, George Fouracres, Ania Magliano, Annabel Marlow, Al Nash, Jack Shep, Emma Sidi and Paddy Young. creator Lorne Michaels previously said he was “incredibly proud” of the British team.
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How to get tickets
Fans will also be able to apply to be part of the live studio audience, with a ticket ballot going live from 10am on Friday 14 August.
The show will once again welcome a different celebrity host and musical guest for every episode. The first series featured veteran Tina Fey, star Riz Ahmed, comedian Jack Whitehall and ’s Hannah Waddingham.
Why EVs are about to become more expensive
Consumers could see an end to the big discounts on electric vehicles (EVs) as Labour looks to water down its net-zero targets, car industry experts have warned.
What you need to know
The Government is looking to water down the legal targets under the zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate.
Under current laws, 80 per cent of new cars sold in the UK must be electric by 2030.
Watering down?
Ministers are set to launch a consultation on loosening the target to 50 to 70 per cent.
Why EVs could get more expensive
End of discounts?
- Watering down targets is likely to reduce “particularly aggressive EV discounts”, warned auto experts.
- But they said ongoing market competition would ensure customers still get good deals.
- The National Franchised Dealers Association said it could create a “healthier market” in the long term.
Are ZEV mandate fears overblown?
EV advocates say carmakers’ concerns are overblown. Tanya Sinclair of Electric Vehicles UK said watering down targets could create an “uncertain market” which could deter consumers. The Department for Transport said it is still “committed” to phasing out new petrol and diesel cars, but said it would “review the mandate to support British industry”.
3 min read
GO DEEPER ON THIS TOPIC
Why EVs face price hike
Labour ministers are preparing to water down net-zero, ZEV mandate targets. It comes after intense lobbying from car manufacturers who argue the mandate is proving too difficult to meet.
The rare temperature barrier that could be broken on Thursday
Parts of the UK could see an unprecedented sixth heatwave this week, as the Met Office says the country is on course for its hottest summer on record.
What you need to know
36°C is forecast in some areas on Thursday – but the crucial barrier of 37°C could be broken again.
Breached again?
It would be the ninth time we’ve seen temperatures over 37°C, said the Met Office.
Exceptional temp
Three of those times have come this year, said meteorologist Alex Burkhill, calling 37°C “exceptionally high”.
Record-breaking summer
Provisional Met Office statistics show that the UK’s mean temperature for this summer so far is 16.48°C. This is 1.88°C higher than the 1991 – 2020 average. A record of 16.1°C was set only last year.
The Norfolk village of Lingwood recorded 37.7°C on 26 June, making it the hottest June temperature ever recorded in the UK.
Stark warning for future
Experts have warned that the heatwaves – bringing on drought, wildfires and heat-related deaths – should push the Government into improving climate change resilience.
Emma Howard Boyd, chair of the Heat Risk Commission, said heatwaves are “public health risks, driving up household bills, disrupting schools, farms and transport”.
3 min read
Here is a collection of some of the best pictures from the night, in the UK and around the world:
Crowds of spectators gathered at high points all over the country, including at Greenwich and Parliament Hill in London, as well as Calton Hill in Edinburgh and Falmouth in Cornwall.
For many young people, it was their first chance to see such a full eclipse, while for others it brought back memories of August 1999.
In Parliament Hill, Nicole Mwananshiku, 26 told The i Paper: “I think it’s amazing that everyone’s come together on top of a hill and something we can all enjoy for free in London.
“The last one happened just at the same time when I was born so it’s quite cool that it’s 27 years on.”
On Wednesday, frenzied shoppers were desperate to get their hands on a pair of eclipse-safe glasses. Huge queues mounted around the block at the few shops which had stock left.
Shop fronts were plastered with signs to indicate they were sold out of the specs, while spectators roamed viewing points looking for any spare pair available.
Smashing sporting events
The eclipse coincided with a number of sporting events, with swathes of stadium crowds seen turning their attention from the pitch to the sky.
At Edgbaston in Birmingham The Hundred match was overshadowed by spectators putting on their shaded eclipse glasses.
And at the City Ground in Nottingham, Forest fans paired their bright red shirts with fiery shades to view the rare astronomical event.
Matches ground to a halt as the eclipse cast a deep shadow over proceedings.
Meanwhile, at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, spectators took to the solar eclipse viewing with as much gusto as they had the track events earlier in the day.
Many members of the crowd were seen sporting eclipse glasses, with sunshine reaching inside the stadium into the evening.
The eclipse wasn’t all that the British fans had to cheer for – Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith also won a gold medal in the 400m dash with a time of 44.17 seconds.
Interesting headgear choices
What with the glasses shortages, some people had to find innovative solutions to try and view the eclipse safely.
One couple of stewards at Croke Park in Dublin dug out some welders masks from somewhere, throwing back to one of the popular viewing methods back in 1999.
Others had the eclipse-safe glasses on alongside other jazzy headgear, most fittingly themed around the astronomical and celestial.
In Iceland, the conditions were not so clear – not ideal for viewing the eclipse.
People did still turn out for the event, though, with one spectator, Margaret Nelson, donning a striking mirrored mask.
It did not appear to have many safety features, but given the cloud cover this was unlikely to have been an issue.
Spectacular total eclipse in Spain
Some spectacular pictures were taken in Spain, which saw a rare total solar eclipse, so merely the Sun’s corona was left visible on the fringes of the dark Moon.
It got even darker there than it did in the UK, despite burning golden sunshine just minutes before the eclipse began.
Many tourists had flooded to ideal viewpoints in Spain to best view the eclipse, with demand for hotel rooms along the path of totality soaring in recent weeks.
He said of the moment of totality: “A cheer went up, then everyone in the streets started to clap. For a few fleeting seconds, the Sun disappeared totally behind the Moon.
“Before that, we had been watching behind solar eclipse glasses and counting down as the image of the Sun slowly disappeared.
“Wow it was worth the wait and the hype.”
Elsewhere in the world
Spain was not the only place to see a total solar eclipse on Wednesday evening. Greenland was actually the first place where the Sun reached on its path of totality, while Iceland also saw a total eclipse (albeit a cloudier one).
Passengers aboard the Ambition cruise ship off the coast of Greenland were treated to bright clear skies and what looked like a chilly afternoon for a fabulous view of the eclipse.
Meanwhile, many parts of Europe saw a partial solar eclipse similar to that in the UK.
The eclipse made a staggered tour of European landmarks, including Prague Castle and the Eiffel Tower, delighting crowds of tourists and locals alike around the continent.
Crowds were seen in Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Italy and more to enjoy the once-in-a-generation astronomical event.
