Solar eclipse glasses have sold out across Wales ahead of today’s near-total solar eclipse, but there are still safe ways to watch the celestial spectacle beginning at around 6pm on August 12

Solar eclipse glasses have become completely unavailable across Wales, and it seems virtually impossible to secure delivery by this evening even through major online retailers. Nevertheless, those hoping to witness the first near-total solar eclipse in the UK since 1999 can still do so safely using several alternative methods.

The astronomical phenomenon is expected to commence at approximately 6pm today (August 12), reaching its maximum shortly after 7pm before concluding at around 8pm. Precise timings will vary depending on your location across the country.

Stocks of specialist eyewear have been depleted ahead of the event, with convenience stores, national parks and the Royal Observatory Greenwich all running out. The observatory alone has shifted roughly 15,000 pairs over the past month.

Experts have cautioned people against being lured by “knock-off” alternatives or resorting to ordinary sunglasses. Eclipse glasses must comply with the ISO 12312-2 safety standard, with uncertified versions potentially exposing eyes to damaging solar radiation, reports the Express.

What damage can directly looking at the solar eclipse cause?

Mohamed Elalfy, consultant ophthalmologist and president of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, said: “The safest way to enjoy the eclipse is to observe it indirectly, such as by watching a live broadcast.

“Looking directly at the Sun during a solar eclipse can cause damage to the retina, potentially damaging the cells responsible for sharp central vision. Crucially, the retina has no pain receptors, so people will not feel the damage as it happens.”

NASA cautions against viewing the eclipse through cameras, telescopes or binoculars while simply wearing eclipse glasses. Tech news outlet BGR has additionally warned that directing a smartphone camera straight at the Sun risks damaging the device, as the powerful rays can become concentrated within the camera lens.

The risks were thrown into sharp focus following the UK’s 1999 total solar eclipse, when the Royal College of Ophthalmologists recorded approximately 70 cases of individuals reporting vision difficulties afterwards. Notably, around 40% had observed the eclipse for under a minute.

Symptoms may take several hours to manifest and include “blurred vision, a central blind or dark spot, distorted vision, reduced colour perception and increased sensitivity to light”.

Mr Elalfy added: “While some people recover over weeks or months, others can be left with permanent visual impairment.”

New Specsavers research found that 10% of Britons have previously viewed a solar eclipse without any eye protection, while 19% incorrectly believed it was safe to watch one through a camera or smartphone screen.

How can you safely watch the eclipse without glasses?

One of the most straightforward alternatives requires nothing more than an ordinary kitchen colander. Rather than gazing directly towards the Sun, observers can use its perforations to cast images of the eclipse onto the ground or another flat surface.

Imo Bell, a planetarium astronomer at the Royal Observatory, explained: “You can project the image of the eclipse using a household item like a colander which has lots of holes in – point the colander towards the Sun with your back facing it, and in the shadow of the colander you’ll be able to see the eclipse in the holes, which is really cool.”

A pinhole projector presents another alternative and can be fashioned using a single piece of card, while a more sophisticated version can be assembled from a cardboard box.

Even trees can offer a means to witness the spectacle. UK Health Security Agency guidance states that gaps between leaves can cast images of the Sun in much the same manner as the perforations in a colander.

Observers should position themselves with their backs to the tree and watch the eclipse materialise in the shadows formed through the gaps.

Can you watch the solar eclipse through a telescope or camera?

Kyla Black, Boots Opticians director of optical practice, said: “Budding astronomers who will be looking through cameras, binoculars or telescopes at the eclipse must make sure they have approved solar filters attached.

“If you’re not sure your telescope does, then contact the maker of the product to ensure you know you’ll be safe.”

Local astronomy centres might also be organising viewing sessions with properly filtered telescopes, offering an alternative for those who have been unable to secure eclipse glasses in time.

Governments have always had to strike a balance between actions that are unpopular but thought to be necessary, and laws and policies that win them support from the public. In the UK, the new prime minister Andy Burnham has set out to grab the news agenda with a string of genuinely popular announcements.

Back in the middle ages, unpopular governments did not need to worry about the ballot box – but they did often face popular uprisings. The most famous of these was the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt in England – a serious of riots across the country against the corruption of government and local landlords. This is the most studied revolt of the middle ages, but there were many other uprisings across medieval Europe.

But one country where these uprisings were uncommon was Scotland. In my book, Protest, Resistance and Popular Politics in Late Medieval Scotland, I investigated why this might have been the case. One reason was the relative alertness of the Scottish state when it came to passing laws that eased the consequences of war, famine and plague for the people.

This is not to say that Scotland was anything close to a democracy, nor that Scottish kings pursued only those policies that would make them popular.

In the 15th century for example, both football and golf were banned in Scotland to ensure that people practised archery instead. The law was intended to ensure that the kingdom could be well defended against invasion. Yet, the banning of popular pastimes would not have gone down well, and the fact that these laws were passed four times that century suggests that they were repeatedly ignored.

Responding to the people’s struggles

But a parliament held in 1318, during the reign of Robert the Bruce, shows how medieval kings could use laws to address social tensions. The parliament was held at the end of the Great European famine and after Scotland had experienced around three decades of bloody conflict with England in the first Scottish war of independence. It also followed a failed Scottish invasion of Ireland, in which the king’s brother, Edward Bruce, was killed.

As such, the king was not popular – and people may even have been questioning his right to rule. After all, Robert had seized the crown by force in 1306. Therefore, it was decreed that those who sowed discord between the king and his subjects by spreading “tales or rumours” would be arrested.

Yet despite clamping down on everyday speech in such an authoritarian way, the king was also keen to appeal to his poorest subjects. Bruce commanded that justice should be done as much to “paupers as to wealthy people”.

Several acts addressed the worsening socio-economic conditions of the time. One stated that soldiers who committed “murder, rape or theft” were to be tried by the justiciar, whose courts were the most important in Scotland, with only parliament being more powerful. Another forced lords who were joining the king’s army to ensure they brought enough food for their men, or pay them market rates for provisions.

Plague and famine hit Scotland, and much of Europe, throughout the 14th and 15th centuries. In 1439, a combination of disease along with poor harvests led to a devastating famine in the country. The cost of staples such as corn and oats appear to have spiked in that decade.

This would have been fresh in the memory of the young king, James II, in 1450 when an act sought to prevent merchants buying up essentials in order to ramp up prices. For those trying to profit from others’ misfortune in this way, their goods could be forfeited to the crown. This was soon after James reached adulthood and was able to run the kingdom by himself – the act meant he was seen to be tackling hardship by supporting ordinary people against profiteering.

There were also instances when kings passed laws to benefit farmers. The most famous of these laws mandated the hunting of wolves and were passed in 1428 and 1458. Each baron was to lead a wolf hunt at the time when cubs were born.

The intention was to hunt the animals to extinction because they attacked livestock and were viewed as a danger. It seems the wolves held out though – it’s thought they remained in Scotland until the late 17th century. But with wolves widely viewed as a menace, if nothing else these laws showed the people that kings could recognise a commonly held problem that affected the lives of their subjects.

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Although they did not have to answer to the people in elections, medieval kings needed to court public opinion because, fundamentally, it made their lives easier. Protest and unrest could cause upheavals that kings wanted to avoid.

In Scotland, kings passed laws that had something of a “populist” appeal. They tried, though did not always succeed, to ensure that nobles behaved themselves and worked for the common good. Pressure of war, plagues, famine and economic hardship – if not addressed – could fester and escalate into large-scale uprisings. Some astute lawmaking, even if those laws were mostly statements of aspiration, combined with a bit of luck, might mean that medieval Scottish kings avoided mass rioting.

E.On UK chief executive Chris Norbury has urged the Government to take energy policy costs off business electricity bills, arguing the move could encourage firms to invest and help drive the switch to cleaner energy.

The intervention comes as companies grapple with rising costs and uncertainty over future energy bills.

Mr Norbury said businesses of all sizes were “concerned” about the impact of higher energy costs and warned that additional policy charges could hold back investment.

E.On believes moving costs such as renewable energy levies into general taxation, or funding them through a dedicated energy transition fund, could ease the pressure on firms.

The energy giant said the move could also help unlock billions of pounds of investment in low-carbon technology.

And that’s it the end of the week. I’m signing off socials. May your weekend be long, your queues be short, and your forgotten subscriptions cancel themselves.

See you monday

— Martin Lewis (@MartinSLewis) May 15, 2026

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Andy Burnham vows to ‘pull every single lever’

This comes as Andy Burnham has vowed to “pull every single lever” to help struggling households.

The Prime Minister is promising a series of “everyday fixes” to ease the pressure on household finances, with tougher rules on subscription traps and deceptive discounts among his first measures.

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Mr Burnham said: “Westminster has got used to telling people that everyday hassles like this are just part of life.

“I don’t think that’s right, especially when the cost of living continues to weigh heavily on so many people’s lives.

“I’m determined to pull every single lever we can to provide people with some room to breathe on the cost of living.”

Meghan Markle suffered what looked like an awkward exchange with Prince Harry‘s longtime friend David Foster at the musician’s charity event in Canada last Friday.

In the viral clip, Foster appeared to completely ignore Markle as she eagerly extended her arm out to greet him on the red carpet before he swiftly walked past her to pose to the left of his much-younger wife Katharine McPhee for a group photo.

The Duchess of Sussex, 45, played the moment off expertly by quickly tucking her floating arm behind her back before leaning into her tuxedo-clad husband, 41, for a group photo with Foster, 76, and McPhee, 42.

However, all is not what it seemed as sources close to Foster have now exclusively revealed to the Daily Mail the truth behind the perceived ‘snub.’

Foster ‘wanted Harry and Meghan,’ the exclusive insider insisted, adding that the composer ‘genuinely just didn’t see’ the As Ever founder on the red carpet.

‘He’s always been a big fan of Diana and he’d never snub either of them,’ the source explained, referring to Harry’s late mother Princess Diana.

‘It was a genuine moment where he didn’t see them and nobody really thought much of it. It’s nothing.’ 

A second insider added that Foster was ‘so excited to see Harry and Meghan’ as he is ‘longtime friends’ of the couple, who also reside in Southern California’s affluent town of Montecito. 

Foster’s snubbing of Markle was a complete accident, the source claimed, noting that he was likely distracted by his hosting duties.

‘As host of the evening, David had a lot going on at the moment. David was doing interviews in that moment too.’

The insider then revealed that Foster had ‘already said hi [to Meghan and Harry] before’ the now-viral red carpet moment.

‘They had already said hi before that photo moment. There were lots of hugs and David introduced Harry & Meghan to his other family there.’ 

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for both Markle and Foster for comment but has yet to hear back.

The now-viral moment between Markle and Foster was also dissected by body language expert Judi James for the Daily Mail.

In the viral clip, Foster appeared to completely ignore Markle as she eagerly extended her arm out to greet him on the red carpet before he swiftly walked past her to pose to the left of his much-younger wife Katharine McPhee for a group photo

The Duchess of Sussex, 45, played the moment off expertly by quickly tucking her floating arm behind her back before leaning into her tuxedo-clad husband, 41, for a group photo with Foster, 76, and McPhee, 42

According to James, Markle was in ‘pose-alert’ as Foster and McPhee arrived on the red carpet.

‘Smiling at David Foster, she graciously extends an arm with hand palm-up to sweep them onto the red carpet and into the pose beside her, beckoning and gesturing to announce that they should step in front of her as they do so,’ James shared.

‘When Foster appears to walk past without replying to Meghan’s smile of greeting, she lowers her head and busies herself arranging her dress as an act of distraction. 

‘Meghan looks happy and slightly relieved when everyone has locked into her line-up and she returns to her professional mode – although Harry rather impolitely disrupts the arrangement by leaning back to chat to the man known as his “surrogate father” behind the wives’ backs.’

At this, the Duchess ‘performed an act of realignment by pulling Harry closer and laughing for no apparent reason apart from to perhaps negate any suggestion of rebellion and a lack of manners on his behalf’.

Friday night marked the 40th anniversary of the David Foster Foundation, which the 16-time Grammy winner hosted in his hometown of Victoria, British Columbia. 

He founded the organization in 1986 to provide financial support for Canadian families with children who need life-saving organ transplants and raise awareness of organ donation in Canada and the US. 

Meghan and Harry were the clear guests of honor as they were notably seated next to Foster and wife McPhee inside the event’s venue. 

However, all is not what it seemed as sources close to Foster have now exclusively revealed to the Daily Mail the truth behind the perceived ‘snub’

Foster ‘wanted Harry and Meghan,’ the exclusive insider insisted, adding that the composer ‘genuinely just didn’t see’ the As Ever founder on the red carpet

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The red-haired royal wore a black tuxedo and bow tie while his wife was dressed in a black maxi one-shouldered gown by Canadian designer Greta Constantine.

The Suits actress dazzled in an elegant black one-shoulder gown and accessorized with Princess Diana‘s diamond and sapphire earrings.

She also owns the late Princess of Wales‘s butterfly earrings and matching cuff bracelet as well as a diamond tennis bracelet, a Cartier Tank Louis and Diana’s ‘divorce ring’, an emerald-cut aquamarine surrounded by diamonds gifted to her by close friend Lucia Flecha de Lima in 1996.

Markle has previously worn Diana’s earrings at public events and chose to sweep her hair into an updo to show off the stones on the red carpet at the charity gala.

Meghan and Harry have long been friends with Foster and McPhee, who are considered an A-list musician couple.

They were even previously pictured on a double date with Foster and McPhee.

In 2019, Foster arranged for the Duke and Duchess to stay at a close friend’s mansion on Vancouver Island.

He told the Daily Mail at the time: ‘I felt honored that I was able to help Meghan there because I’m a Canadian, and we’re a Commonwealth country – we’re the Crown’s.

‘It’s important to us, so I grew up with that kind of sentiment. I was really happy to be able to help them to find a respite just to take a little time off.’

McPhee went to school with the LA-born Duchess and told Access Hollywood in 2020 that her husband and the Duke had a ‘really, really beautiful relationship’

The mansion, a secluded waterfront estate in North Saanich, British Columbia, was owned by Mr Foster’s close friend, whose identity he refused to give away.

McPhee went to school with the LA-born Duchess and told Access Hollywood in 2020 that her husband and the Duke had a ‘really, really beautiful relationship’.

‘They’re so cute. They’re like father and son,’ she gushed. ‘We just stay in touch with them [the Sussexes].

‘But mostly, Meghan and I knew each other from childhood, but really Harry and my husband are friends. It’s really nice.’

Booking a hotel for the day isn’t a novel idea, but platforms like Dayuse, which allows users to book rooms by the hour, are enjoying renewed relevance. Most of the London properties on there are cookie-cutter chains and/or vaguely sleazy, but there are some winners, including Treehouse London, the soaring hotel at the end of Regent Street. There are also the London outposts of the ever-reliable Hoxton hotels (in Holborn, Southwark, Shoreditch and Shepherd’s Bush).

Andy Burnham should tell Donald Trump not to pardon convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, an Epstein survivor and a lawyer for his victims have said.

Lara Blume McGee, who says she was groomed by Maxwell aged 20, has urged the new Prime Minister to ‘make it clear’ Epstein’s former girlfriend should stay behind bars.

Lawyer Spencer Kuvin, who has represented nine Epstein victims, said Burnham ‘has a voice’ over a feared pardon of Maxwell, who is a British citizen.

Trump has not ruled out granting clemency to the former socialite, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison on child sex trafficking charges in 2022.

Many survivors are outraged at Trump’s new US attorney general Todd Blanche, who was responsible for moving Maxwell to a minimum-security prison shortly after meeting her last year.

One of those who railed against Blanche’s confirmation last week was McGee, who was just 20 when she met Maxwell at New York Fashion Week in 2000.

She claims Maxwell used the prospect of modelling connections to lure her into Epstein’s orbit before he abused her.

McGee told Metro: ‘A pardon for Maxwell would not only be a travesty of justice but a devastating message to survivors everywhere. We cannot allow this. We will not allow this.’

As well as being British, Maxwell’s victims were also groomed and abused at her residence in London, according to the US Department for Justice.

Asked what her message would be to the UK’s new Prime Minister, McGee said: ‘Prime Minister Burnham, stand with us.

‘Use your influence to ensure that the UK is a beacon of justice, not a sanctuary for those who exploit and abuse.

‘Make it clear to President Trump and the world that pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell would be a grave injustice that Britain will not tolerate.’

Burnham has agreed to meet Epstein’s victims but is not considering holding a public inquiry into the paedophile’s UK activities, Downing Street confirmed this month.

Kuvin, who has represented Epstein victims since 2006, called on the PM to support an independent statutory inquiry into Epstein and ‘say publicly if credible evidence exists that anyone’ participated in the financier’s crimes.

The attorney added that survivors are ‘extremely concerned’ by talk Maxwell could be pardoned after her lawyers said she would only co-operate with investigations into Epstein’s crimes if granted clemency.

Kuvin told Metro: ‘Victims should never be placed in the position of wondering whether the person convicted of helping facilitate their abuse might be freed because she has information that powerful people want.

‘That would send a terrible message to trafficking survivors everywhere.’

Asked whether Burnham could persuade Trump not to pardon Maxwell, the lawyer said ‘Britain absolutely has a voice’.

He added: ‘I would encourage Prime Minister Burnham and his government to communicate directly to President Trump that clemency for Maxwell would have consequences far beyond American politics.’

Kuvin continued: ‘The Prime Minister could say publicly and privately that Britain believes Maxwell should serve the sentence imposed upon her.’

The lawyer said there are still questions British institutions have to answer about how Epstein was ‘able to operate for so long in plain sight, while surrounded by some of the most powerful people in the world’.

The Senate unanimously passed a resolution last month declaring it’s opposition to any presidential pardon for Maxwell, who has repeatedly denied all wrongdoing.

Senator Jacky Rosen, a Democrat of Nevada, said at the time: ‘It’s frankly horrifying that Trump would entertain the idea of clemency for even a second for a convicted sex trafficker.’

A Government spokesperson said: ‘Our thoughts are firmly with the victims of Jeffrey Epstein, who have suffered devastating trauma, and it is right that Ghislaine Maxwell has been handed out a 20-year prison sentence for her role.

 ‘The Prime Minister is committed to meeting with victims. We are looking at all options to support them.’

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Drivers are facing long delays on the M60 and M62 this morning following two incidents.

A crash near Simister Island is causing queues on the anticlockwise carriageway.

Traffic is stretching back past junction 19 of the M62 westbound, at Heywood.

The M60 is partially blocked between Simister Island and Prestwich.

Meanwhile, drivers are also facing delays in two areas of the M60 clockwise.

There are queues approaching Simister Island following the crash on the other side, while the road has also been partially blocked near junction 15.

Rory McIlroy has reversed his stance

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Rory McIlroy has had a change of heart regarding the FedEx Cup by entering the opening leg of this year’s Playoffs. The world number two faced criticism 12 months ago for missing the first FedEx Cup event, as it had no bearing on his ranking position and provided an opportunity to rest before the Ryder Cup.

The FedEx Cup Playoffs is the culmination of the PGA Tour season. Throughout the regular campaign, players accumulate points based on their tournament performances.

When the regular season wraps up in August, the highest point earners qualify for a three-tournament playoff series that crowns the overall season champion.

The opening Playoff event, the St Jude Championship, features a field of 70 competitors. For the second event, the BMW Championship, this is reduced to 50.

Then, for the Tour Championship season finale, the field comprises the top 30 players on the list, reports the Mirror.

McIlroy heads into this year’s Playoffs sitting in 12th position, with his place in the Tour Championship essentially guaranteed even if he opts out of the first two events. As recently as last month’s Open Championship, McIlroy indicated he was willing to skip the initial Playoffs events and challenged the format in a direct message to PGA Tour officials.

Prior to last year’s Playoffs, the Starting Strokes format, which favoured players higher up the standings, was scrapped. It had seen the leader begin on 10 under par, while players ranked 26th to 30th on the list started on level par.

McIlroy stated at The Open: “I guess I’m just at a stage that I have other things that I prioritise. The PGA Tour is in a lot of flux at the minute, with a lot of their schedule and structure and everything like that.

“So, I think the change where it doesn’t matter where you are in the top 30 going into the Tour Championship, it’s like I just need to be in the top 30 going in there to have a chance to win a FedEx Cup.

“So why would I care about the first two? I sort of came to that decision last year, and I’m just sort of doing the same thing.”

Despite his earlier stance, McIlroy has had a change of heart and entered the St Jude Championship. He will be competing alongside the likes of Scottie Scheffler, who topped the regular-season leaderboard and pocketed a £7.4million bonus in the process.

This marks the first occasion since 2021 that McIlroy will enter the opening leg of the Playoffs outside the top 10 in the standings, though it would be premature to discount the Masters champion’s chances.

In a development likely to appeal to McIlroy, the PGA Tour is set to introduce a two-tier structure from 2028. A revamped Tour Championship will be held at a “rotation of prestigious courses, many of which the PGA Tour would play for the first time,” according to the Tour.

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