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Octopus Energy tells customers to avoid using electricity during the eclipse as solar power generation plummets

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Spectators at Edinburgh's Royal Observatory view the last total solar eclipse in August 1999

The UK’s biggest energy supplier is encouraging Brits to use less electricity during the solar eclipse tomorrow, because solar power generation will plummet.

Octopus Energy urged its eight million customers to delay using their washing machines, ovens, dishwashers and other plug-in devices between 6pm and 8pm.

Tomorrow’s hotly-anticipated eclipse will see solar generation plunge at a crucial time of day when electricity demand rises as millions of people come home from work.

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

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Spain, a country which gets more than half of its electricity from wind and solar, was plunged into blackouts in April 2025. Critics initially blamed a sudden plunge in solar power generation, but experts later put it down to so-called ‘voltage control issues’.

The National Energy System Operator, which runs the UK grid, said the eclipse could cut supply by up to 1.3 gigawatts tomorrow – enough to power about 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 London-based company is therefore asking people to use less energy to avoid putting extra pressure on the grid at that point and increasing carbon emissions.

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As an incentive, Octopus said those who use less electricity than usual during the two-hour window would get one hour of free daytime electricity this Sunday.

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’.

The moon will obscure more than 90 per cent of the sun between 6.17pm and 8.06pm tomorrow, the most it has been blocked above the UK since the 1999 total eclipse. 

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Spectators at Edinburgh’s Royal Observatory view the last total solar eclipse in August 1999

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Octopus said it will monitor usage during the ‘Eclipse Session’ from customers’ smart meters tomorrow, and will then email successful participants on Saturday with the exact time – which will be at some point ‘in the late-morning, early-afternoon’.

Its chief customer officer Rebecca Dibb-Simkin said: ‘Many of us will be looking up at the sky on Wednesday evening to experience this once-in-a-generation event. But as the sun disappears, so will some of Britain’s solar generation, just as demand peaks.

‘By shifting everyday tasks like the washing machine or dishwasher until later, households can help reduce the need for gas power stations – and earn rewards for doing their bit.’

The company added that solar power generated a record 14.4 per cent of Britain’s electricity last month, meaning a ‘couple of hours without sunshine can leave a gap that has to be filled’.

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Customers can also enter an Octopus photo competition showing what they did during the eclipse instead of being inside at home, with the chance to win free solar panels and installation or £12,000 in cash instead.

Neso said it has been planning for the solar eclipse for more than a year, ‘helping keep the electricity system balanced while the nation looks to the skies’.

Meanwhile the Met Office revealed Devon, Cornwall and the westernmost parts of Pembrokeshire in Wales are set to see the eclipse at its fullest, with a range of 94 per cent to 96 per cent of the sun obscured by the moon.

Plymouth in particular is forecast to see the moon cover 94.66 per cent of the sun at 7.16pm.

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The rest of Wales, Northern Ireland, parts of the West Midlands and the South West, and the westernmost parts of Scotland can expect to see 92 per cent to 94 per cent solar coverage.

The Daily Mail's front page on August 12, 1999 following the last total solar eclipse

The Daily Mail’s front page on August 12, 1999 following the last total solar eclipse 

Another total solar eclipse visible from the UK in 1927 – pictured in Stoneyhurst, Lancashire

In Cardiff, the moon is forecast to obscure 93.24 per cent of the sun at 7.13pm while in Belfast it will cover 93.09 per cent of the sun at 7.08pm.

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Skygazers in the rest of the UK will likely see the moon obscure 90 per cent to 92 per cent of the sun – with 91.79 per cent expected in Birmingham at 7.12pm, 91.41 per cent in London at 7.13pm, 90.74 per cent in Inverness at 7.03pm, 90.71 per cent in Edinburgh at 7.06pm and 90.22 per cent in Newcastle at 7.07pm.

Those most keen to catch a sight of the fullest possible solar eclipse should avoid the easternmost parts of the UK, where only 88 per cent to 90 per cent of solar coverage is expected.

These include the coasts of Norfolk, Yorkshire and Aberdeenshire, as well as the Orkney and Shetland Islands.

When will the eclipse be visible in the UK?

When to see the solar eclipse  
Location Eclipse starts  Maximum eclipse  Eclipse ends  
Edinburgh 18:08 19:05 20:00 
Glasgow 18:08 19:05  20:06 
Dublin  18:12  19:10  20:04 
Manchester  18:13  19:10 20:04 
Liverpool  18:13 19:10  20:04 
Birmingham  18:15 19:11  20:04 
Bristol  18:17 19:12  20:06 
London   18:17 19:12  20:06 
Cardiff  18:17 19:12  20:06 
Truro  18:18 19:16  20:10 

 

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Eye doctors urged people to avoid looking directly at the sun, with even brief exposure causing lasting vision damage.

Experts have warned that only special solar eclipse glasses that are ISO 12312-2 certified for the safest eye protection should be used to view the eclipse. But they have all but sold out online, or carry hefty delivery fees to arrive in time.

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The Royal Greenwich Observatory told the public that regular sunglasses are not a safe enough method to view the cosmic phenomenon.

So-called eclipse glasses that do not carry the safety standards, or ordinary sunglasses, no matter how dark, should never be worn to view an eclipse, as they reduce glare, making it feel more comfortable to look at the sun for longer, but still allow harmful solar radiation to reach the retina.

Following the 1999 eclipse, the Royal College of Ophthalmologists reported around 70 cases of people experiencing vision problems after watching the eclipse. Around 40 per cent had looked at it for less than a minute.

The next time the moon obscures as much of the sun will be in 2081 and the next total solar eclipse in the UK will be in 2090.

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Reykjavik in Iceland and Spanish cities A Coruna, Oviedo, Zaragoza, Bilbao and Valencia will see a total eclipse tomorrow, in which the moon fully obscures the sun.

In an added bonus for stargazers, the annual Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak tomorrow night. The shower is produced as Earth ploughs through a stream of dust left behind by Comet Swift–Tuttle.

Each tiny grain strikes Earth’s atmosphere at about 60km per second (37 miles per second), burning up in a brief flash that takes the appearance of a shooting star.

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Tuesday’s primaries will give Democrats a big idea on how much the far left has taken hold of the party

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Tuesday’s primaries will give Democrats a big idea on how much the far left has taken hold of the party

Michigan’s primary is over, but another pair of tests loom for the progressive left.

On Tuesday, voters in two midwestern states will decide a pair of races that have become the latest battlegrounds of the Democratic Party’s ongoing civil war. In Wisconsin, progressive candidate Francesca Hong is leading in all available polling in the Democratic primary for governor.

In Minnesota, a much tighter race is depicted in polling between Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Rep. Angie Craig in another highly-watched Senate race, which comes just a week after the victory of progressive populist Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan.

Craig, like El-Sayed’s opponent Haley Stevens, is backed by centrist Democratic Party leadership figures such as Hakeem Jeffries, Nancy Pelosi and Elissa Slotkin. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer hasn’t publicly put a thumb on the scale, and Democratic senators are urging him and the party’s campaign arm to stay out of it — largely due to their toxic brand. Flanagan, backed by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren as well as the retiring incumbent, Tina Smith, narrowly trailed Craig in a recent SurveyUSA poll that showed nearly one in five voters still undecided.

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Hong, a true political outsider, lacks the kind of national support as Flanagan but is backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, the far-left group which continues to grow bolder with the successive primary victories of left-leaning candidates this cycle. Members of the group formed part of the volunteer army that helped El-Sayed push past a mountain of outside PAC spending to victory in the Michigan primary, though El-Sayed himself is not a member. As a former chef, Hong has leaned on her working class background as she runs an insurgent campaign defying the party’s elites.

A victory in one or both races tomorrow will be another rallying cry for the left.

Francesca Hong is poised for a dominating victory in the Wisconsin Democratic primary for governor on Tuesday, according to most polling
Francesca Hong is poised for a dominating victory in the Wisconsin Democratic primary for governor on Tuesday, according to most polling (Getty)

Hong’s momentum is due in large part to her early, energetic campaign style and breakout messaging that established her as a frontrunner early and fractured her opposition.

Her opponents and the party’s centrist wing remained divided, unwilling to fully coalesce behind her closest rival, Mandela Barnes, for months. Barnes then withdrew, leaving Milwaukee County executive David Crowley on deck to jump in and try to stop Hong’s momentum.

Should she win a commanding victory Tuesday, many on the left will quickly wipe the bad taste from their mouth that lingered after El-Sayed’s margin of victory in Michigan was far, far closer than expected.

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If Craig also loses, it will be a sign of not just the organization of the far left, which remains a powerful theme of the 2026 cycle. It will also signal a deep anger that seems to exist among the Democratic Party’s electorate nationwide, not just in far-left neighborhoods of New York City where party leaders initially hoped to contain the DSA and the anti-establishment fury.

The 2024 defeat of Kamala Harris left many Democrats nationwide feeling angry and hopeless, and furious at a party elite that denied voters a primary, then selected a nominee after it was clear that the president, Joe Biden, could no longer run.

In Minnesota, Rep. Angie Craig has the backing of House Democratic leaders while Chuck Schumer has publicly stayed out of the race
In Minnesota, Rep. Angie Craig has the backing of House Democratic leaders while Chuck Schumer has publicly stayed out of the race (Getty)
Peggy Flanagan trailed Craig by a thin margin in a recent poll, but could pull off an upset victory for the left flank on Tuesday
Peggy Flanagan trailed Craig by a thin margin in a recent poll, but could pull off an upset victory for the left flank on Tuesday (Getty)

Percieved inaction in 2025 only poured gasoline on that fire as repeated calls for Democrats to withhold votes on key legislation and prevent the Trump administration from operating in a business-as-usual atmosphere seemed to fall on deaf ears at times, even as Elon Musk’s DOGE staffers began taking a hammer to the federal government.

On the other hand, a victory by Craig would be a significant message to party leadership, too. The congresswoman is one of her party’s true moderates, having voted for the Laken Riley Act last year and being known for working across the aisle with Republicans on other issues. She, like Stevens in Michigan, has also been supported by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in the past — though the race differs significantly from Michigan in that the pro-Israel lobby has not spent tens of millions of dollars to protect one candidate.

Flanagan, while not aligned with DSA, is much closer in attitude to the far-left group: “Whatever word you want to use, [ICE] can’t exist like this anymore,” she told the New York Times of her own views of immigration enforcement. “We have to rip ICE apart and start over.”

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Should Craig manage to pull it off a win on Tuesday, her victory would symbolize the enduring appetite of Democratic voters for a stricter law enforcement attitude, even as most find the mass deportation strategy deplorable and opposed the “surge” of enforcement in Minneapolis that ended with federal agents withdrawing partially after the deaths of two protesters in confrontations with ICE and immigration enforcement authorities.

Democrats could wake up Wednesday morning to the creation of a powerful midwestern bloc of progressive candidates having sprung up before their eyes. Counting El-Sayed and Will Lawrence in Michigan (who won his primary despite AIPAC-related groups highlighting his old criticism of Black political leaders), four victories by progressives in high-profile races within two weeks will leave many in the Beltway feeling anxious about the scope of the transformation the party is currently undergoing.

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Man, 29, arrested in police raid over racist traffic-cone attack in Glasgow

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A man is escorted into the back of a blue, white and yellow Police Scotland van by two plain-clothes police officers on a residential street. Cars are parked nearby.

Ch Supt Emma Croft, the divisional commander for Glasgow, is overseeing the police investigation into the recent disorder.

“Members of the public might consider that it’s one arrest following something that happened two weeks ago,” she said.

“But please be assured that the methodical nature of the inquiry takes time and we’d rather have a clear case for prosecution.”

She told BBC Scotland News that officers had trawled through a “significant amount of footage” which identified people they wanted to speak to.

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She said the nature of the other alleged offences was “similar” to the traffic-cone attack, adding: “Unfortunately a lot of it had a racial tendency to it which is obviously of great concern to us.”

Ch Supt Croft said that since June, police had arrested 56 people across Scotland for being involved in “incidents in and around protest that have amounted to criminality”.

She warned that more arrests were expected.

“I think we’re all feeling pretty disgruntled with the levels of division within our communities,” she said.

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“So it’s absolutely key the public see the level of priority and commitment we’re putting to these types of inquiries.

“Only when we can get these individuals rooted out and identified to the court will our public feel like they are at rest with all of this.”

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Chilling CCTV shows rapist taxi driver returning to scene of brutal attack multiple times

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Daily Record

In the footage, Abdul Nabizada can be seen returning to the secluded area in Joppa, Edinburgh, in his taxi.

Private hire taxi driver who raped teenage passenger jailed

Chilling CCTV footage caught a rapist taxi driver returning to the secluded spot where he brutally attacked a teenage girl.

Abdul Nabizada, 36, raped his 19-year-old victim in Edinburgh on November 13, 2021. Instead of taking the girl home after a night out, Nabizada seized her phone and drove her to a remote area in Joppa where he raped her.

He was caged for seven years following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh on Tuesday, August 11.

CCTV footage, released by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, showed Nabizada returning to the site multiple times after he carried out the depraved attack.

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In the footage, his taxi is seen returning to the area five times. At one point, he parked the vehicle stationary while he checked out the car park on Queens Bay Crescent.

The trial heard how the teenage victim entered his taxi after it appeared to be the vehicle she had booked. The girl managed to escape the vehicle and Nabizada’s clutches before she contacted friends, who found her distressed and frightened a short time later.

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The conviction followed an extensive Police Scotland investigation. Officers had to identify the offender despite there being no legitimate booking record linking the victim to Nabizada. Investigators gathered and analysed evidence from multiple sources, including CCTV footage, mobile phone data and witness testimony. This helped establish the movements of both the victim and the offender, helping to build the case presented at trial.

Forensic analysis also found Nabizada’s DNA on the victim’s clothing, providing further evidence to support the Crown case. Nabizada tried to deny his guilt and defence lawyer David Taylor told the court how he came to Scotland after working for the US, Danish and UK militaries – primarily as an interpreter – in his homeland of Afghanistan.

The court was told he currently has indefinite leave to remain in the UK, and had applied for British citizenship. Mr Taylor said Nabizada is now concerned about the possibility of deportation in light of his conviction.

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As well as the jail term, Nabizada’s name was added to the sex offenders register indefinitely. A non-harassment order was also granted.

Faye Cook, Procurator Fiscal for High Court Sexual Offences, said: “This conviction is the result of the victim’s courage in coming forward and the determined work of police officers to uncover what happened that night. Officers had to piece together evidence from a range of sources to identify the offender and build the case that was presented in court.

“The victim should have been able to trust that her journey home would be safe. Instead, she was seriously sexually assaulted by a taxi driver who took advantage of her vulnerability and abused his position resulting in a deeply traumatic experience.

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“While stranger offending is rare, Scotland’s prosecutors treat every report of sexual abuse with the utmost seriousness, recognising the profound and lasting impact these crimes have on victims and communities. I hope this conviction provides reassurance that reports will be thoroughly investigated and that COPFS will work with policing partners to ensure offenders are held accountable.”

Detective Inspector Kirsty Mcarthur said: “This was a shocking attack on a woman in the city, and Nabizada will now face the consequences of his despicable actions.

“We remain committed to tackling sexual crimes and bringing those responsible to justice. I’d encourage anyone who has been a victim of such crimes to come forward and report it to us.

“We’ll thoroughly investigate and have specially trained officers and partner agencies to support you throughout to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.”

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What time is the solar eclipse and when is the next?

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What time is the solar eclipse and when is the next?

On Wednesday (August 12), up to 96% of the Sun will be obscured by the Moon.

It will offer the best eclipse in the UK since 1999, when an eclipse was visible in parts of Devon and Cornwall.

A solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, blocking some or all of the Sun’s light.

What time will the solar eclipse be in the UK?

What time the solar eclipse will peak will depend on where you are in the UK, but it will be somewhere between 7.02pm and 7.16pm.

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Here are the estimated eclipse times for areas across the UK, according to the RMG:

  • Edinburgh and Glasgow – begin at 6.08pm, peak at 7.05pm, end at 8pm
  • Manchester and Liverpool – begin at 6.13pm, peak at 7.10pm,  end at 8.03-04pm
  • Norwich and Birmingham – begin at 6.15pm, peak at 7.11pm, end at 8.04pm 
  • London, Bristol and Cardiff – begin at 6.17pm, peak at 7.12pm, end at 8.06pm
  • Truro, Cornwall – begin at 6.18pm, peak at 7.16pm, end at 8.10pm

At its peak, enough of the Sun will be covered to make a noticeable difference in the temperature and light levels.

However, unlike with a total eclipse, the sky will not become dark – it will feel more like a cloudy day or close to dusk or dawn.

When is the next solar eclipse in the UK?

Many will be watching the rare event this week, as another total solar eclipse will not be visible from the UK again until 2090.

The closest approach before then will be on September 3, 2081, when up to 99% of the Sun will be covered, with southern areas once again expected to have the best view.

There will be other notable partial eclipses in the coming decades:

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  • 2030 – 50% coverage
  • 2053 – 40% coverage
  • 2066 – 60% coverage
  • 2075 – 70% coverage
  • 2082 – 70% coverage
  • 2088 – 40% coverage

Despite this, people in the UK can enjoy a lunar eclipse in the coming weeks.

Solar eclipses are always paired with lunar eclipses, occurring two weeks before or after each other as part of a regular celestial cycle, the Royal Museums Greenwich explains.

On Friday, August 28, a deep partial lunar eclipse will be visible from the UK, though under less convenient timing.

A family enjoying the 2018 lunar eclipseA lunar eclipse will follow in the coming weeks (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The eclipse will start at 3.33am, reaching its peak at 5.12am.

Around 90% of the Moon will fall within the Earth’s umbra, or darkest shadow.

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At maximum eclipse, the Moon will appear red as it is illuminated by sunlight filtered and scattered through the Earth’s atmosphere—a phenomenon often called a “blood moon.”

How to safely watch the solar eclipse

To watch the solar eclipse, you can use certified solar eclipse glasses, through a solar telescope, or by watching an official live stream.

You can also make a pinhole projector, which can be done at home.

You can buy certified solar eclipse glasses in the UK from reputable astronomy retailers, specialised online distributors, or general online marketplaces such as Amazon UK.

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However, many retailers are seeing shortages in stock as people across the country rush to secure them ahead of the event on Wednesday evening.


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People have been warned not to look at the eclipse without glasses, as they block out the Sun’s harmful rays.

Regular sunglasses are not safe to use, as they don’t have adequate UV protection to protect your eyesight.

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Adequate glasses should have safety certification ‘ISO 12312-2′ or ‘ISO 12312-2:2015’ printed somewhere on them.

How will you be watching the solar eclipse this week? Let us know in the comments.

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Miracle beneath the rubble: Moment six-month-old baby is rescued along with her mother following Colombian earthquake

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This is the moment a six-month-old baby was rescued alongside her mother from the rubble of a collapsed building following a Colombian earthquake

This is the moment a six-month-old baby was rescued alongside her mother from the rubble of a collapsed building following a Colombian earthquake

The 7.4-magnitude earthquake tore through Colombia’s coffee-growing heartland early on Monday, killing at least 164 people. 

The quake reduced multi-story buildings to rubble in cities such as Pereira and Cali, and cracked apart one of the towers of a historic cathedral in the city of Manizales.

Extraordinary footage shows the baby being pulled from the wreckage of a building by a crowd of people. They promptly helped to extract the mother from the debris, who emerged covered in blood.

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Around 1,600 buildings have so far been reported as damaged or collapsed. Soldiers, rescue personnel and families picked through the rubble, removing and passing large pieces of concrete by hand down lines of volunteers. 

In one clip taken in an airport, petrified people were seen in the terminal trying to get to cover as the ceiling collapses around them. 

The whole building rattled around them, shaking off bits of the ceiling with every tremor. 

Another clip showed people screaming in fear as they ran away from a disintegrating building. 

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The façade of the round building quickly began splitting after a deep crack developed. Whole parts of the building fell down, narrowly avoiding fleeing people.  

This is the moment a six-month-old baby was rescued alongside her mother from the rubble of a collapsed building following a Colombian earthquake

Extraordinary footage shows the baby being pulled from the wreckage of a building by a crowd of people. They promptly helped to extract the mother from the debris, who emerged covered in blood

Extraordinary footage shows the baby being pulled from the wreckage of a building by a crowd of people. They promptly helped to extract the mother from the debris, who emerged covered in blood

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The 7.4-magnitude earthquake tore through Colombia's coffee-growing heartland early on Monday, killing at least 164 people

The 7.4-magnitude earthquake tore through Colombia’s coffee-growing heartland early on Monday, killing at least 164 people

And in one particularly shocking video, a church’s spire was seen falling off and crumbling into rubble in front of a terrified crowd of onlookers.

Families were held back from the scene by local police as a cloud of dust filled the air.

Rescue efforts are currently underway across Colombia as emergency workers dug through collapsed buildings and flattened homes, amid expectations that the death toll from the country’s most powerful earthquake in decades could rise.

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Emergency teams aided by police, soldiers and volunteers worked through the night with excavators and, at times, their bare hands, hunting for survivors beneath debris. 

In Cali, home to about 2.2 million people, at least 85 people were killed. Dozens of buildings were left leaning precariously or destroyed outright, forcing residents into the streets.

Several of the top floors of one of the city’s hospitals – some dedicated to paediatric care – collapsed upon themselves, leaving some patients trapped and forcing some 600 others to be tended to on a street strewn with rubble. 

Carmen Yasmin Garcia, 43, a Cali resident volunteering with rescue teams, said on Monday afternoon that her group had freed seven people from a collapsed building, but four others and a dog remained trapped.

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‘A moment ago there was scratching but now we can’t hear anything, we still have faith that the dog is alive and we can get these people out,’ Garcia said. 

The quake reduced multi-story buildings to rubble in cities across the country

The quake reduced multi-story buildings to rubble in cities across the country 

Rescue efforts are currently underway across Colombia

Rescue efforts are currently underway across Colombia

Residents and rescue workers carry out search, rescue and evacuation operations after a powerful earthquake struck Colombia

Residents and rescue workers carry out search, rescue and evacuation operations after a powerful earthquake struck Colombia

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Sculptures are surrounded by debris at a partially collapsed church at Palermo neighborhood after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Colombia on August 10, 2026 in Tamesis, Colombia

Sculptures are surrounded by debris at a partially collapsed church at Palermo neighborhood after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Colombia on August 10, 2026 in Tamesis, Colombia

In Pereira, capital of the hard-hit state of Risaralda, authorities reported 66 dead

In Pereira, capital of the hard-hit state of Risaralda, authorities reported 66 dead

‘We need people with sticks and spades, the more people lending a hand the better.

Dana Carolina Zamora posted an image of her missing 60-year-old uncle, Miguel Ángel Zamora, cradling his dog. The farmer was living in a rural area of El Cairo, not far from the epicenter of the quake in San Jose Del Palmar.

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Local authorities said 80% of El Cairo, a town of about 7,000 people, was damaged. Zamora said she worried because her uncle lived in a traditional but fragile house made of sticks and mud.

‘We are afraid. We hope that is not the case, that he is all right and that it is only a communication failure. But we haven’t heard anything from him,’ Zamora said.

In Pereira, capital of the hard-hit state of Risaralda, authorities reported 66 dead.

The city also bore some of the most visible destruction, with entire residential blocks reduced to piles of concrete and twisted steel. 

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Another 13 people died in Choco, the rural province closest to the quake’s epicentre. 

Choco is one of the poorest and most neglected regions of Colombia, often beset by warring armed groups. 

Volunteers help with debris removal at a collapsed building in downtown Pereira after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Colombia on August 10, 2026

Volunteers help with debris removal at a collapsed building in downtown Pereira after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Colombia on August 10, 2026

People wearing face masks walk through dust and debris following a powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake in Pereira, Colombia, on August 10, 2026

People wearing face masks walk through dust and debris following a powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake in Pereira, Colombia, on August 10, 2026

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People remove a refrigerator from a damaged home in Pereira on August 10, 2026

People remove a refrigerator from a damaged home in Pereira on August 10, 2026 

Much of Choco is accessible only by boat, through the jungle or by airplane. Little was known about the extent of the damage there.

De la Espriella travelled to Choco’s capital, Quibdo, on Monday night to assess the damage and announced he had mobilized ‘the entire military and police apparatus’ to respond, deploying engineers, rescue workers and search dogs. He announced rental subsidies for those whose homes were damaged while they undergo repairs.

‘Choco will never again be the ‘land of the forgotten,” he said. 

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President Abelardo De La Espriella, who assumed power just days ago, said 35 people died in Cali alone, while 188 were missing. 

He said 1,000 members of the security forces would be deployed to the city by dawn, following reports of looting. Cali, as well as Pereira, implemented curfews on Monday night.

‘Our intention is to cooperate in any way necessary. Here, there are no distinctions or ideological divisions when it comes to defending our people or showing solidarity,’ De La Espriella told journalists on Monday evening.  

The earthquake presents the first major test for de la Espriella, who was sworn in as Colombia’s leader on Friday. De la Espriella is a divisive figure because of his pledge of an all-out crackdown on criminal groups.

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The disaster has drawn comparisons to a deadly 1999 earthquake that devastated the same coffee-growing region, killing more than 1,000 people, as well as to catastrophic quakes that killed more than 6,300 in neighbouring Venezuela in June.

Residents and rescue workers carry out search, rescue and evacuation operations after a powerful earthquake struck Colombia on August 10, 2026

Residents and rescue workers carry out search, rescue and evacuation operations after a powerful earthquake struck Colombia on August 10, 2026

A man rests near the site of earthquake damage following a powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake in Pereira, Colombia, on August 10, 2026

A man rests near the site of earthquake damage following a powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake in Pereira, Colombia, on August 10, 2026

People gather in the streets after a powerful earthquake struck Colombia on August 10, 2026

People gather in the streets after a powerful earthquake struck Colombia on August 10, 2026

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The EU said this morning that it would provide funding and help to support rescue operations in Colombia. 

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on X: ‘The EU has mobilised Copernicus, our satellite service, to support rescue and relief operations. We are providing funding to support the response, including through the Red Cross.

‘We have also activated the EU’s crisis consular assistance mechanism to support EU citizens caught in the disaster.’

The US State Department, meanwhile, announced it would provide $15.5million (£11.5million) for emergency shelter, food and other aid. Governments across Latin America also lined up to help. 

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Woman, 20, whose ‘crippling’ pain was dismissed by doctors after holiday is left fighting for life

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Manchester Evening News

Lottie Perks went on a family holiday to Brazil – but within days she was struck down with what seemed like a stomach bug

A mum says medical professionals ‘dismissed’ her concerns as ‘overly anxious’ behaviour before her daughter’s supposed holiday tummy bug proved to be a ruptured appendix – and life-threatening sepsis.

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Now 20-year-old Lottie Perks had recently started university and had been looking forward to a much-needed family getaway. However, just days into the trip, she started suffering ‘crippling’ stomach pain and vomiting.

Yet 24 hours afterwards, she had recovered and the family resumed enjoying their holiday in Brazil. After returning home, though, it became obvious Lottie, from London, still wasn’t right.

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“She began shaking uncontrollably and I noticed her lips, hands and feet were freezing cold,” her mum, Laura, said.

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“Her feet were white and her lips were blue. And her temperature was weirdly very low. Her face and limbs were swollen and flushed. I had been trying to trust the doctors before this and convince myself they were right.

“But, at this point, it was clear something was very wrong. I was terrified. And then, she collapsed in my arms as her eyes rolled back in her head. Her blood pressure plummeted and her heart rate raced dangerously high. I thought this was the end.”

‘They said they’d done all they could’

Laura had experienced a bout of sickness after returning from the trip in April 2025, too. And so, the family simply assumed Lottie had contracted the same bug.

But just hours after coming home, the stomach pain and vomiting started up again, coupled with bleeding and diarrhoea. They went to A&E, concerned, but nothing was found to be wrong.

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Laura said: “She was very pale, weak and physically could not stop vomiting even though there was nothing left in her.

“Lottie was placed on an IV drip for three hours while being observed, but was ultimately discharged with a gastro bug, as her blood tests showed normal levels of inflammation. That night, and the next day, she didn’t improve and became much weaker.

“I called the hospital and asked if it could be appendicitis, but they said everything was fine.”

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Still worried, Laura rushed her daughter back to hospital and begged for her to be seen again. Doctors allegedly claimed she was simply dehydrated and that they needed to leave the hospital – until an unusual rash was spotted.

After further checks, Lottie’s legs had started to turn a mottled purple and her body was severely swollen. A CT scan was ordered and it was found that her appendix had burst, causing sepsis.

Laura said: “I knew something was clearly wrong and before they took me seriously, I felt powerless. She had emergency surgery, but it was too late, the sepsis had spread. When she collapsed in my arms, that was her going into septic shock.

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“And the start of her organs ceasing to work. I thought she’d be OK after the operation But the look on the surgeon’s face afterwards told me otherwise. When they explained about the sepsis and septic shock, and said they’d done all they could do, I felt powerless.”

Doctors rushed to give Lottie antibiotics, as there was a one hour window before her organs would start to fail completely. As nothing else could be done, it was a waiting game for a week. Luckily, the teen recovered and was slowly taken off medication, as well as machines, keeping her alive.

And, despite her life being on the line, she managed to return to university and pass her first year with flying colours. Now, she still suffers with bouts of sickness, stomach pain, dizziness, fatigue and difficulty keeping warm.

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‘Sepsis can become fatal so quickly’

The emotional toll is felt by not just Lottie, but her mum, too. To help raise awareness, the pair are working with Sepsis Trust to warn others of the signs to look out for.

And, to never dismiss whether worrying symptoms could be sepsis.

Laura added: “Sepsis doesn’t need a cut, injury or an appendix bursting. It can be from something as simple as a virus. The symptoms are so subtle and confusing; but can become fatal so quickly.

“Having that one question in your mind when advocating for a loved one could save their life. We both suffer from nightmares following the experience. It’s difficult to look at photos from that time.

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“And it’s hard not to associate the trip with what happened. We’ve always enjoyed relatively adventurous holidays and discovering further away places. But this has definitely put on the radar the possibility of a medical emergency while we’re away.

“And so, as a family, we haven’t been away too far since. We’re trying not to let the worry and her vulnerability take over too much from enjoying life.

“It’s forever changed us, but we’re so incredibly lucky to have caught it just about in time. I was treated like an overly anxious mother – but that’s what saved my daughter’s life.”

Lottie added: “Initially, I was very scared. I tried to stay calm and thought it was probably a gastro bug or food poisoning.

“It quickly turned into frustration because I was in so much pain and it was clearly where my appendix was. There was a lot of fear; I was terrified. Genuinely feeling like you’re dying and can’t explain or get anyone to understand was [infuriating].

“I still don’t think I really understood what was happening while I was in the ICU. I remember being frustrated that I couldn’t go up to the normal ward. But this was obviously because my organs weren’t fully functioning on their own still.

“Another part of the recovery that was quite frustrating was the loss of all my muscle. I remember just doing one lap of the ICU when I was well enough and being completely exhausted and my legs feeling so tired.

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“Going from being someone quite active, and having to come to terms with this new situation, was quite a shock. Looking back on it now, I just feel incredibly lucky and almost proud of my body for managing to push me through it.

“But that gratitude and appreciation also comes with a huge frustration that it could’ve been avoided or acted upon sooner. And I wouldn’t have had to have been in that position in the first place.

“But it taught me a lot and I’m obviously very grateful for all the doctors and nurses that helped me. I have learned to advocate for myself better and to speak out when something isn’t right.

“I also felt frustrated as just being young and female meant that so many things masked it – from doctors thinking I could be pregnant, toxic shock syndrome, period cramps. I wanted to explain that as women, we know what’s normal for us, and this clearly wasn’t normal.

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“I understand that various possibilities needed to be ruled out; but I wish someone had considered rapidly progressing sepsis as one of those a little sooner.

“That said, I am well aware that I am one of the very lucky ones. I’ve been shocked to read all of the ways it could have ended differently.”

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Molly-Mae Hague vows ‘this will be my last child’ and says she’s in ‘absolute survival mode’ as she details son Midas’ heartbreaking feeding issues

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Molly-Mae Hague has vowed her son Midas, 10 weeks, will 'be her last'

Molly-Mae Hague has vowed her son Midas, 10 weeks, will ‘be her last’. 

The influencer, 27, is already mother to daughter Bambi, three, with partner Tommy Fury – however, in her latest YouTube vlog, she insisted she will stop at two children due to the fact she is ‘in survival mode’ with a toddler and newborn. 

In the video, which was released on Monday, she revealed that Midas is struggling with feeding issues, leaving him ‘screaming’ in intense pain. 

Speaking on camera to her 2.09 million YouTube subscribers, she said: ‘I just, to be honest, I just feel so bad for mine just because this reflux thing is actually becoming like a massive issue for me – I’ve never, ever heard a baby scream like that.’

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Reflux occurs when stomach contents flow back up into the food pipe, causing a baby to spit up milk during or shortly after a feed. 

Molly-Mae Hague has vowed her son Midas, 10 weeks, will ‘be her last’

In the video, which was released on Monday, she revealed that Midas is struggling with feeding issues, leaving him 'screaming' in intense pain

In the video, which was released on Monday, she revealed that Midas is struggling with feeding issues, leaving him ‘screaming’ in intense pain

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Molly-Mae has been candid about her struggles with motherhood, frequently shedding light on Bambi’s behaviour. 

Since welcoming Midas in early June, she admits her baby days will be over as she is juggling her relationship while parenting a toddler and newborn. 

She said: ‘Like, peace and love and prosperity and all of that, but it’s just a lot, like, obviously, and I’m, like, I feel like I’m showing a lot of, like, oh, you know, I’m coping, I’m good, but also…

‘I’m having moments where I’m thinking 100 per cent, like, I’m so blessed and so lucky, but this will be my last child.’

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Molly-Mae went on: ‘One for the books is to remember like that having a 10-week-old and a three-and-a-half-year-old, like is something that a lot of mums are doing and they have more children. I am so aware of that, but it is a little bit savage…

‘Obviously, it would be so not realistic of me to not talk about the highs and the lows, and yeah, I need you guys to understand that.’

On her battles to feed Midas, she lamented his struggles with reflux. 

She said: ‘I’ve never, ever heard a baby scream like that. And it like literally makes me want to cry. Like he’s crying, I want to cry…

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The influencer, 27, is already mother to daughter Bambi, three, with partner Tommy Fury – however, in her latest YouTube vlog, she insisted she will stop at two children due to the fact she is 'in survival mode' with a toddler and newborn

The influencer, 27, is already mother to daughter Bambi, three, with partner Tommy Fury – however, in her latest YouTube vlog, she insisted she will stop at two children due to the fact she is ‘in survival mode’ with a toddler and newborn

She discussed the situation in the video

She discussed the situation in the video 

‘And it’s so just a lot like having a baby when it’s hard enough as it is, and then add like feeding digestive issues on top of that. And it’s just, it is a lot, but anyway.’

She admitted that the attempts at balancing the two kids meant she and Tommy are forced to spend their time apart until bed time.

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She said: ‘I’m trying to get him in a routine, I’m trying to do the best thing for him, but equally, like, that’s not the best thing for Bambi…

‘[But] that means that we’re all tied to the house, unless we literally just do separate things with the kids, which is what we’re doing…

‘This is what I mean about just like, separate, being separate all the time, doing separate things with the kids, because it’s just, it’s not fair, I’m trying to get him in a routine, and this is where I’m like so torn.’ 

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Three sports groups using movement to tackle isolation

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Three sports groups using movement to tackle isolation
3. GoodGym

GoodGym turns exercise into practical community action. Its members run, walk or cycle to help local projects and isolated older people, whether that means clearing a garden, sorting donations at a food bank or helping someone with a task they can no longer manage alone.

“GoodGym was founded on a simple idea that we could use being active to help people and strengthen communities, Ed Field, head of operations, said. “What we’ve seen is that the benefits go both ways and that the people participating feel healthier, more connected and more purposeful through helping others.”

Each session combines movement with usefulness, giving people a reason to get active and to keep showing up, while turning exercise into something that reaches beyond the person doing it.

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Image: Laura Lewis
Main image: Ella Richardson

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Firefighters to remain on scene of nature reserve fire for ‘days to come’

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Cambridgeshire Live

This is the second fire at the nature reserve within two weeks

Firefighters are expected to remain at the scene of a nature reserve fire for “days to come”. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue were called to a fire at the Holme Fen Nature Reserve on Saturday (August 8) at around 10.24am.

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Firefighters have been continuing to tackle the fire over the last few days. Crews remain at the scene today (Tuesday, August 11).

A fire spokesperson said: “Firefighters have been at the scene overnight continuing to tackle the fire. Crews will remain on the scene throughout the day, and for days to come.”

This is the second fire within two weeks that firefighters have dealt with at Holme Fen. The cause of the first fire was deliberate.

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The cause of the second fire hasn’t yet been determined.

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Trump hidden in catering truck in secret plane swap over Iran threat, reports say

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A catering truck parked alongside the old Air Force One jet prior to departure from Ankara

Donald Trump secretly swapped planes as he left a Nato summit in Turkey last month in response to a possible Iranian threat, US media report.

The US president boarded Air Force One in view of television cameras before being smuggled onto an elevated airport catering truck and transported to a military aircraft, without journalists and some White House staff on board knowing, the Washington Post said.

Officials told the BBC’s US partner CBS News that the US had detected a credible Iranian threat to fire a missile at the plane. The White House has not confirmed the secret switch.

Trump had earlier said he was Iran’s “number one target” during the summit in Ankara.

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The clandestine manoeuvre came a day after the US renewed military strikes on Iran following a breakdown of negotiations between Washington and Tehran to end the war.

Trump had arrived in Turkey aboard a newer Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar, but announced that he would leave on the old Air Force One “for old time’s sake”.

On 8 July, footage showed him boarding the presidential jet at Ankara airport. But according to the Washington Post, he was then secretly taken to a smaller C-32A military aircraft – a modified Boeing 757 often used by the vice president – via a catering truck which had been elevated to plane level on the opposite side to where he had boarded.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth boarded the C-32A separately using external stairs in an effort to make the flight appear normal, according to the newspaper.

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Journalists and some White House staff boarded Air Force One and were reportedly told to close their window shades. They were unaware the president was no longer on board.

Trump then flew to the UK en route to the US, where he reboarded the old Air Force One and was seen descending from the aircraft after it landed at RAF Mildenhall. It is unclear how he moved from the C-32A back to the legacy jet.

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