Skygazers have been met with empty shelves after rushing to buy protective eyewear in time for tomorrow’s solar eclipse – amid warnings they could go blind without them.

Several high street stores have sold out while online shoppers are being told they may not receive the glasses until the end of the week.

Up to 96 per cent of the sun is set to be obscured during the stunning display – which will begin shortly after 6pm – as the moon drifts in front of it.

Another eclipse as deep will not be visible from the UK until 2050.

And astronomers wanting to see a total eclipse from Britain will need to wait until September 23, 2090.

Sky watchers have now been scrambling to get hold of a pair of solar eclipse glasses after several retailers listed the product as ‘out of stock’.

One person said on X: ‘Has anyone seen any shops selling solar eclipse glasses? Archie’s wanting them and Amazon have none for delivery until Friday.’

Another added: ‘Incredibly short notice but has anyone got any spare solar eclipse glasses? Ideally a pair or three but any would do?’

The UK will miss out on the path of totality, but up to 96 per cent of the sun will be obscured during the eclipse 

But a third person commented: ‘There’s no sun in the UK.’

The Royal Observatory Greenwich said it was aware of a shortage of glasses.

A spokesman added: ‘We have sold out of solar eclipse glasses, both online and in our shops, due to an unprecedented volume of orders.’

British retailer Robert Dyas had been offering Bresser eclipse glasses for £2.99 but there was an ‘out of stock’ message on its website.

Neil Sanders, founder of Go Stargazing and the UK coordinator of Astronomers Without Borders said there was no shortage – rather, people had not planned ahead.

He told The Guardian: ‘I’m getting loads of calls, text messages, emails with people asking “Do you have some glasses?”. Everyone’s suddenly realising we need glasses for Wednesday.’

Another distributor said: ‘We have good stocks, our issue is everybody has left it until the last minute to order and we only have so many people we can put into packing at a time.’

The solar eclipse will begin shortly after 6pm, but the exact timing will vary based on location.

An eclipse happens when the moon aligns perfectly between Earth and the sun, so that it blocks out the light from our perspective. Pictured: A partial solar eclipse in Germany, 2003

If you want to see the eclipse safely, be sure to use proper eclipse glasses that will protect you from the harmful brightness of the sun. Pictured: The crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission wearing eclipse glasses to view an eclipse from space

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Maximum coverage will occur roughly an hour later, plunging the UK into premature twilight, before the eclipse comes to an end just after 8pm.

First contact – the moment the moon’s shadow will first appear on the sun – will kick off at 18:06 in Glasgow and Edinburgh, 18:13 in Manchester and Liverpool, 18:15 in Birmingham, 18:17 in London, Bristol and Cardiff, and finally at 18:18 in Cornwall.

Viewers, taking the appropriate safety precautions, will see a small ‘bite’ disappear from the sun’s right-hand corner before slowly spreading to cover most of the disc.

At the point of greatest coverage, observers will see only a tiny inverted crescent of fire hanging in the sky.

Dr Megan Argo, an astrophysicist from the University of Lancaster, told the Daily Mail: ‘From the UK we’ll see a deep partial eclipse rather than a total eclipse, with just over 90 per cent of the Sun covered in many locations.

‘Even though the sky won’t go completely dark, it’s still an unusual and memorable sight, and it’s set to be one of the best partial eclipses visible from the UK for many years.’

Exactly how much of the sun vanishes will depend on location within the UK, with areas towards the Southwest seeing a deeper eclipse.

The best place in the UK to see the eclipse will be Bishop Rock in the Isles of Scilly, where 96.5 per cent of the sun will be obscured.

Meanwhile, viewers in Land’s End and Lizard Point on the mainland will see over 95 per cent of the sun obscured.

That drops to just over 90 per cent for viewers up in Inverness, while London, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh will all see roughly 91 per cent.

However, even in the very far north of the Shetland Isles, the eclipse will still be deep enough for 88 per cent of the sun to vanish from view.

The eclipse can also be viewed indirectly using any household item with small round holes, such as a colander or small piece of paper, to project an image of it on to a flat surface. 

Octopus Energy, the UK’s biggest energy supplier has encouraged customers to use less electricity during tomorrow’s phenomenon – because solar generation will plummet.

The company urged its 8million customers not to use washing machines, ovens, dishwashers and other plug-in devices between 6pm and 8pm.

It warned customers the eclipse will ‘briefly knock out a chunk of Britain’s solar power’ and possibly require more fossil fuel power generation.

The National Energy System Operator (Neso), which runs the UK grid, said the eclipse could cut solar supply by up to 1.3 gigawatts tomorrow – enough to power at least 500,000 homes.

Extra gas power stations may therefore have to be fired up, but Octopus said this need will be reduced if enough households delay using electricity for a short time.

The firm said it would monitor those who use less electricity than usual during that two-hour window and give them one hour of free daytime electricity this Sunday at a time to be confirmed.

Bosses said solar power generated a record 14.4 per cent of Britain’s electricity last month, meaning two hours without sunshine will ‘leave a gap that has to be filled’.

Spectators have been advised to ensure their eclipse glasses are legitimate and they have the safety certification ‘ISO 12312-2′ or ‘ISO 12312-2:2015’ printed somewhere and that they carry the CE or UKCA mark.

By DAVID CHURCHILL

Published: 13:17 BST, 11 August 2026 | Updated: 13:54 BST, 11 August 2026

Firefighters are currently at the scene

Large plumes of smoke have filled the air as firefighters tackle a large fire in Cambridgeshire. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue were called to a building fire on Marston Road, Eynesbury at around 10.52am today (Tuesday, August 11).

A video captured by Lee Curtis shows lots of smoke filling the air, with visible flames seen in the distance. Fire crews are currently at the scene.

A fire spokesperson said: “Please close your windows and doors if you are affected by the smoke and stay away from the area.”

Cambridgeshire Police is also at the scene alongside fire and rescue. A spokesperson said: “Police are currently on scene assisting with a fire at the recycling centre in Marston Road, Eynesbury. Fire are advising all local residents to keep windows and doors shut due to the smoke.”

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GS Contractors Ltd, operating in an enclosed Pauline Street yard, will construct the 12-metre by 12-metre metal storage and workshop building.

The company, known for industrial cleaning and site maintenance services, lodged their planning application in March this year.

Receiving the decision from Wigan Council on July 31, the proposal was described as a secure storage solution for safeguarding their pricey machinery and vehicles, which have been persistent targets for vandalism and theft, the application states.

The Hindley Green site, accessed from Leigh Road via Pauline Street and safeguarded by existing gates and security fencing, currently accommodates several small structures and stored vehicles.

Council officers found the proposal to be in line with the Places for Everyone Joint Development Plan as it was deemed to have no significant environmental, amenity, or highway safety impact.

Authorities found no evidence that this development would increase the number of vehicle movements to the site.

The new building’s placement at the eastern end of the site within existing boundaries ruled out the need for any changes to vehicular access arrangements.

There were no traffic incidents noted at the Leigh Road and Pauline Street junction in the past five years.

The commercial development’s drainage system was also a feature of the council’s decision.

Being in Flood Zone 1, identified with the lowest probability for flooding, full details of the method of discharging surface water must be submitted for approval prior to commencement of work on site.

The site has been submitted with a Coal Mining Risk Assessment; the Coal Authority raised no objection subject to a condition.

The council has, however, mandated a pre-occupancy statement by a competent person attesting to the site’s stability and safety.

This proposed expansion falls in the North Leigh Safeguarded Land and adheres to the Wigan Local Plan Core Strategy, the council confirmed.

GS Contractors Ltd is yet to commence construction, with planning permission valid for three years from the date of issuing.

The building will be positioned within the current yard boundaries.

For more notices affecting YOUR area, visit our Public Notice Portal: https://publicnoticeportal.uk/leigh-journal

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick and Marcus Rashford have started working together with his stance on that relationship emerging

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is said to be ‘excited’ at the prospect of playing under Michael Carrick. The 28-year-old joined back up with the United squad following the World Cup for their pre-season tour of Dublin despite his future remaining uncertain.

Rashford had hoped to join Barcelona permanently following a successful loan but they opted against activating the buy-option included in his temporary deal. The La Liga giants have since signed Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi but are set to sell Ferran Torres to Paris Saint-Germain.

That transfer could re-open the door for Barca to sign Rashford but in the meantime, he will be working under Carrick, who featured in his United debut back in February 2016. According to The Athletic, Rashford is said to be excited at working under the manager and former midfielder.

He is unlikely to feature prominently against either Leeds United and AC Milan having just started his pre-season, but could certainly play a role in their final two friendlies before their competitive campaign starts against Hull City next Saturday.

United will be hoping to sign more players before then, with the Manchester Evening News’ sister-title football.london reporting they have been offered the chance to sign Myles Lewis-Skelly from Arsenal.

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The Gunners want to sign a new left-winger while United are looking at a midfielder and left-back. As such, a swap deal for those two players could be perfect with ex-Arsenal defender Lee Dixon claiming it would be a good move.

He told BestBettingSites: “Would I swap them (Myles Lewis Skelly and Marcus Rashford)? You know what, I probably would. And that’s nothing against Myles Lewis-Skelly; it’s about giving him the freedom to go and expand his game elsewhere.

“With Marcus Rashford, he’s a player who needs an arm around his shoulder, and Arteta would be great for him. Give him that love, give him the freedom to play on that left side, and yeah, I’d like to see him in an Arsenal shirt.

“I have my reservations about whether he’s consistently a top-class player, but based on what Arsenal have in the squad now, he’d be a good addition.”

A swap deal appears incredibly unlikely but there is no guarantee Rashford stays at Old Trafford, with The Mirror claiming he is still keen on finding an escape route.

Talks are set to take place over his future this week and the England international will likely need to go abroad again if he is to leave with it understood his preference is to find a new club and revive his career.

Brian Low was fatally shot by his former colleague David Campbell in February 2024.

The family of murder victim Brian Low have spoken of their anger at the fact police initially missed that he had been shot.

In a new BBC documentary on the case, Mr Low’s brother Douglas said he was “so angry and so sad” when he heard in court that police did not immediately recognise the shotgun injuries.

Ex-gamekeeper David Campbell, 77, shot his former colleague Mr Low, 65, on February 16, 2024, on a country track near Aberfeldy. Campbell had disabled CCTV cameras at his home in Aberfeldy in an attempt to conceal his whereabouts.

He was found guilty following a three-week trial at the High Court in Glasgow earlier this year. Campbell was sentenced to serve a minimum of 19 years behind bars before he later appealed against his conviction which was refused.

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The jury heard police initially treated Mr Low’s death as non-suspicious and only began treating it as murder five days later. This was despite the fact Mr Low, who was killed while walking his dog, had around 30 injuries from shotgun pellets.

The BBC documentary, titled The Murder Trial: Death Of A Dog Walker, heard from prosecutors involved in the case who believed Campbell carried out the murder due to a long-held grudge against Mr Low. This is thought to have stemmed from the time when they worked at the Edradynate Estate in Perthshire together.

Members of Mr Low’s family spoke in the documentary about their experience of attending the trial, where they saw graphic images of the shotgun wounds on his body.

Douglas Low said: “I was so angry and so sad at the same time. How could this happen?”

He said the images were “so horrific I barely kept my breakfast down”. He added: “I can’t imagine why someone would say that’s a medical event.”

Brian Low’s niece Jacqui Low said: “It just seems incredible that they didn’t see the marks on his face, the shot.”

A detective constable who had arrived at the scene of Mr Low’s murder initially assessed that cuts on the victim’s hands and face were “consistent with him having fallen”. Campbell’s defence lawyer challenged the detective, saying it had been a “glaring mistake”.

Pam Curran, who was Mr Low’s partner of 22 years, also spoke on the documentary. She said: “Everyone who met Brian liked him – I don’t think he had a bad bone in his body.”

She said she had been “shocked” to discover he had been shot. Ms Curran told the documentary Campbell appeared to have fallen out with Mr Low due to the fact they had both worked at the Edradynate Estate seven years prior to the murder.

She said Campbell had been investigated over wildlife crime at the estate and was angered by something he believed Mr Low had told police.

Detective Chief Superintendent Lorna Ferguson acknowledged the investigation into Mr Low’s death “fell short of what Police Scotland and the public rightly expects”. She said she had “personally” apologised to Mr Low’s family for the failings.

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Taron Egerton has given a rare insight into his family life as he shed light on his irreparable feelings towards his father. 

The Kingsman: The Secret Service star, 36, appeared on the Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard podcast where he discussed his estranged father David. 

David, a Liverpudlian bed-and-breakfast owner and musician, split from Taron’s social worker mother Christine when Taron was two, leading to the star being moved with his mother from his birthplace of Merseyside to Anglesey in Wales. 

Despite admitting he was ‘reluctant’ to discuss the issue, he confessed: ‘So there was a point where I pushed the ejector seat and haven’t seen him since.’

He stated that their relationship ‘doesn’t work’: ‘I’m reluctant to talk in too much detail about him because he’s, you know, living his own life and doing his own thing and I’ll always love him. 

‘I just don’t think we work very well in terms of our relationship.’

He revealed he no longer speaks to his father but did not elaborate on their fallout

The Kingsman: The Secret Service star, 36, appeared on the Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard podcast where he discussed his estranged father David

While his relationship with David is in tatters, he admitted in the interview that he saw his Kingsman co-star Colin Firth as a ‘fatherly figure’. 

The duo starred together in the British spy franchise, in 2014’s Kingsman: The Secret Service and 2017’s Kingsman: The Golden Circle with Taron playing Gary “Eggsy” Unwin, while Colin played his mentor Harry Hart. 

He admitted that while filming the movies, leading director Matthew Vaughn threatened to axe him from the movie due to his hard-partying in the wake of his first ever break-up. 

He said: ‘I broke up with my first girlfriend and I was like really aggressively partying to deal with it and was coming in, in like a bad way…

‘And, you know, I remember there were a couple of days on Kingsman where Matt was like, you’re going home. I can’t film you today.’

Taron admitted that it was Colin who helped him in a ‘fatherly’ fashion. He said: ‘Colin was amazing. He was never anything other than kind of gentle and fatherly and understanding… He was always, he was always lovely to me…

David, a Liverpudlian bed-and-breakfast owner and musician, split from Taron’s social worker mother Christine when Taron was two, leading to the star being moved with his mother from his birthplace of Merseyside to Anglesey in Wales (picture from 2019)

 While his relationship with David is in tatters, he admitted in the interview that he saw his Kingsman co-star Colin Firth as a ‘fatherly figure’ (pictured in 2015) 

‘And when he saw the movie, I always remember what he texted me. He said, you are note perfect. And it was so, he was so generous, kind man.’

The success of Kingsman, however, led to body struggles for the star as he got in shape for the movie – yet fell off the wagon afterwards. 

He said: ‘I was in incredible shape for that movie. And it was the most, I felt, I think for the first time in my life, I felt really beautiful. Yeah…

‘And it was completely intoxicating. And I was like, “Oh my God, I am ripped”. I’ve got this jaw. I mean, the hair was starting to go, but I had enough and I, um, and I felt invincible… 

‘And when we finished the movie, I just went bang the other way and I gained so much weight. And that, that was really, really has been a feature of my adult life…

‘Um, it’s in my thirties, I’ve, I’ve kind of got a handle on it, but in my twenties, I never really felt like, you know, I never really felt like the movie, I never felt like, well, now I can go out and enjoy this, you know, because I didn’t feel camera-ready ever.’

Gisele Bundchen shared a rare photo of her husband Joaquim Valente and their baby boy in matching jiu-jitsu uniforms over the weekend. 

The 46-year-old supermodel took to Instagram to celebrate Brazil‘s Father’s Day by posting an adorable snapshot of her husband and their 18-month-old son in matching attire.

She shared the photo on her Instagram Story with holiday greetings in Portuguese, writing: ‘Feliz dia dos pais! Te amamos!’

Valente and his son were lying down on mats for a jiu-jitsu lesson, and the toddler, whose name the couple has not yet publicly revealed, was atop his father’s chest in the candid snapshot. 

Bundchen captured and shared the tender moment of father and son smiling at each other in that moment. 

Just a couple of days earlier, she shared a look into family life with Valente and posted a photo of her baby joining her for a workout on a yacht.

The father-son duo were lying down on mats for a jiu-jitsu lesson, and the toddler, whose name the couple have not yet publicly revealed, was atop his father’s chest in the candid snapshot 

Bundchen welcomed her third child, her first with Valente, in early 2025.

In December 2025, Bundchen and Valente privately tied the knot after nearly two years of dating. 

Bundchen is also mother to son Benjamin, 16, and daughter Vivian, 13, from her past marriage to former quarterback Tom Brady.

Bundchen and Valente’s wedding ceremony came three years after Bundchen’s publicized split from Brady, 49.

In most of her recent social media posts, the catwalk legend has been sharing a look into raising a young child for the third time.

In the caption of her Instagram post on Saturday, she reflected on the ‘responsibility’ of motherhood. 

‘It’s so sweet to see how little they are when they start watching and emulating what we do. They’re learning from us even when we don’t realize it,’ she began. 

Bundchen and the jiu-jitsu instructor welcomed their son, whose name they have yet to publicly reveal, in early 2025; pictured in July 

In December 2025, Bundchen and Valente privately tied the knot after nearly two years of dating

Bundchen and Valente first crossed paths in December 2021 when both she and her children started training at Valente’s jiu-jitsu academy

Their romance was later confirmed in 2024 following her split from Brady and before she welcomed her third child with Valente

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Bundchen is also mother to son Benjamin, 16, and daughter Vivian, 13, from her past marriage to former quarterback Tom Brady

The former couple were married from, and during that time, she was also stepmother to Brady’s 19-year-old son Jack, whom the NFL star shares with his ex Bridget Moynahan

‘Moments like this remind me that my actions matter more than what I say, because so much of who they’re becoming is shaped by the example they see every day.’

‘What a gift and a beautiful responsibility it is to be a mom,’ Bundchen concluded.

Bundchen and Valente first crossed paths in December 2021 when both she and her children started training at Valente’s jiu-jitsu academy. 

Their romance was later confirmed in 2024, and Bundchen briefly touched on the topic during an interview with The New York Times. 

‘This is the first time I am seeing someone that was a friend of mine first. It’s very different. It is very honest, and it’s very transparent.’ 

Bundchen has also flashed her gold wedding band on public outings, including when she attended a Garnier event in Miami in March. 

In June, the star also took to Instagram to share a Father’s Day tribute to Valente, but notably left Brady out of the social media shout-out.

‘Happy Father’s day @joaquimvalente. Thank you for leading by example, and for the values you embody, love, humility, integrity, discipline, kindness and consistency,’ she wrote.

‘You are an incredible role model. We are all so grateful for you, and we love you so much.’

And dad, thank you for your unconditional love, wisdom, and support through every stage of my life. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there,’ she concluded.

The British star is looking to win a third consecutive European title in Birmingham this week

Keely Hodgkinson booked her place in the semi-finals of the women’s 800m at the European Athletics Championships on Tuesday, with the British star left stunned by the standard of her heat.

The 24-year-old is looking for a third consecutive European title in Birmingham and got off to an ideal start as she began her defence with a routine victory in Tuesday’s opening heat. Finishing ahead of Italy’s Eloisa Coiro and Germany’s Smilla Kolbe, Hodgkinson crossed the line in a time of 1.57.28.

Speaking after the race, she said she felt “comfortable” out on the track after taking the first step towards another European crown, but admitted to being taken aback by the standard of the opening heat.

“Relieved isn’t the word I would use at all,” she said. “I’ve worked so hard and the shape has been there all year, it’s just been an unfortunate couple of ends that have led to me being a little bit off.

“But, who cares? The championship is a fresh start, that felt very good, very comfortable. It was a little windy. The standard has gone up – 1.57, in the heats!

“They were pushing me on the shoulder and I was like ‘Guys?!’. But it’s good, it brings out the best in me and I was just excited to get through this round.”

Hodgkinson’s comments came after her interview was briefly crashed by Coiro, who couldn’t resist telling BBC viewers her true feelings on the British star.

As she prepared to answer the opening question, Hodgkinson was interrupted by the Italian runner, who grabbed her and told interviewer Sarah Mulkerrins: “She is such an inspiration.

“Such a cool girl,” she continued. “Such an inspiration, on and off the track, really.”

Coiro then turned to Hodgkinson and said: “You’re the champion for me,” with the Atherton-born runner giggling at her rival’s remarks.

“Aw, bless her,” she explained. “We grew up competing against each other, so it’s nice. She just got a PB as well there.”

Hodgkinson will take to the track again on Thursday afternoon, as the semi-finals get underway.

As the dominant force of women’s 800m in recent years, she hopes to then be part of the line-up for the final on Friday night.

However, she faces competition for her third consecutive European title, with Switzerland’s Audrey Werro seen as her biggest rival for the crown.

Two-time 400m hurdles world champion Femke Broeders-Bol adds further competition, having switched to 800m this season.

The second day of a trial into the alleged murder of a “devoted” father-of-11 is set to begin. Ibrahim Yassin, 64, was pronounced dead after police were called to his home in Cardiff on February 18, 2024.

Mujeeb Hassani, 40, was subsequently arrested. Hassani, of Cliff Court, Butetown, previously entered not guilty pleas to murder and manslaughter. His trial started on Monday, August 10 at Cardiff Crown Court with the prosecution’s case.

Opening his case, Mr John Hipkin KC said that Hassani left his home armed with a knife at around 7am after attending morning prayers at the Butetown Islamic Centre. The jury was told that CCTV footage from the Butetown Islamic Centre on the morning of February 18, 2024, showed that the two men were spotted at the Islamic Centre for morning prayers. Never miss a Cardiff story by signing up to our daily newsletter here.

However, no obvious interaction could be seen between them. Read everything that happened on day one of the trial here.

Later than morning Mr Yassin was stabbed at home in Belmont Walk, Cardiff. The attack on Mr Yassin saw stab wounds to virtually all parts of his body, including neck wounds which were severe.

The defendant is alleged to have run off and was captured on CCTV running down Bute Street. The prosecution told the court that he was shown with a knife in his hand wrapped in a pink towel. Hassani attempted to get in a vehicle driven by Anette Watkins who had her grandson in the car.

“Fortunately he could not open the door as the child lock was in operation,” Mr Hipkin said.

It was heard how Hassani then approached a coach driver to ask for help with his injury, before he was arrested on nearby James Street.

During proceedings, the jury heard from Mr Hipkin that Hassani had been detained under the mental health act prior to the incident but was released on February 15, 2024 despite concerns from consultant psychiatrist Dr Matthew Hoskins, who told a mental health tribunal at the time that the defendant posed a risk to himself and others and had ‘poor compliance’ with taking medication.

At the time of his death Mr Yassin was a caretaker at the South Wales Islamic Centre in Butetown and was a popular and well-regarded man among the Somali community in Cardiff.

In a family statement released through police, Mr Yassin’s family described him as a “cherished father, deeply adored by his children”.

They added: “He was not only a guiding light in their lives, offering unwavering love, guidance, and support through every triumph and trial they faced together. Mr Yassin was known as a generous and compassionate pillar of the community, always ready to lend a hand and spread love wherever he went.”

Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke advised that the trial might extend into next week. Hassani appeared via video link from Ashworth High Secure Hospital in Liverpool.

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