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One of the most spectacular solar eclipses the UK has seen for decades is taking place on Wednesday 12 August . From around 18:00 BST , the Moon will begin moving across the face of the Sun, creating a partial solar eclipse across the UK. At its peak, around 90% of the Sun will be covered from London . In Cornwall , as much as 95% of the Sun could be obscured. Depending on where you are in the UK, it will peak between 19:02 and 19:16 BST. Image caption: This shows the path of totality where the Sun will be completely obscured by the Moon. Either side of the path will see a partial solar eclipse. The UK is stuck in the middle of two different weather systems. High pressure lies across much of continental Europe with low pressure and weather fronts out towards the north of the Atlantic. This means contrasting fortunes. High pressure is expected to bring generally dry and settled conditions across much of the UK, with a hot and sunny day forecast for most. That means clear skies shou...

South West Water said the restrictions would be in place from Saturday morning ByZhara Simpson A hosepipe ban will cover most of south-west England following prolonged dry weather, a utility firm says. South West Water said due to significantly below average rainfall and high demand on supplies, all customers in Devon, Cornwall, parts of Dorset and Somerset and the Isles of Scilly should not use hosepipes for certain activities. These included watering gardens, washing cars, patios and boats or filling up swimming and paddling pools. It said the temporary restrictions would be in place from 00:01 BST on Saturday, but urged customers to follow the measures immediately to help protect supplies. The company said water could still be used as normal for drinking, flushing toilets, washing and cooking. In July, South West Water introduced a hosepipe ban in parts of Devon along with Lyme Regis in Dorset. 'Protect our rivers' Sam Bottomley, the firm's water services director, said...

In this day and age, it’s imperative to think carefully before giving up a guaranteed income for life Baroness Altmann is a member of the House of Lords and was pensions minister from May 2015 until July 2016 Credit: Chris McAndrew / UK Parliament A defined benefit (DB) pension has long been the holy grail of retirement. With guaranteed payouts for life, often rising each year with inflation, they can remove that major worry of retirement: running out of money. However, one of the few downsides of people living longer nowadays is the rapid rise in the cost of these pensions. They’ve all but disappeared from the private sector, and even though public sector workers still receive them, they’re less generous than they were. But almost a decade ago, I did something I would never advise today: I cashed in three DB pensions. When you’re considering such a move, you’re given a cash equivalent transfer value (CETV). This is the amount your scheme will pay into your defined contribution (DC) p...

DWP benefits may be paid earlier for some claimants this month due to the August bank holiday (Image: Getty Images) Claimants of Universal Credit, State Pensions, Child Benefit, PIP and other benefits may be affected by changes due to the August bank holidays later in the month. August 31, 2026, is a bank holiday where payments from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) won't be made. If you are due to receive a DWP benefit payment that day, you may find you receive it early - usually on Friday, August 28. If your payment is due on a different day, it will arrive in your account as normal, and the amount you are due to be paid will remain the same. When a payment date falls on a weekend or a bank holiday, the Department for Work and Pensions says the claimant is generally paid on the working day before, but this can vary. These are the benefits that may be affected by the bank holiday weekend:  Attendance Allowance Carer’s Allowance Child Benefit Disability Living Allowance Em...

Levy could raise £19bn to help pay for Andy Burnham’s support for those struggling with bills, say campaigners Campaigners have renewed calls for a windfall tax on UK banks that could raise £19bn towards Andy Burnham’s cost of living agenda, after HSBC raked in $10.1bn (£7.5bn) worth of profits in the second quarter of the year. Bosses at HSBC reported on Tuesday that profits rose 60% year on year in the three months to the end of June, helped by fees from wealth management and insurance business, as well as higher interest rates, which allow the bank to charge more for loans and mortgages. The HSBC chief executive, Georges Elhedery, said he would consider increasing banker bonuses on the back of the strong results and planned to restart a share buy-back programme that had been on pause since last year. It brings collective profits for the four largest banks – HSBC, NatWest, Barclays and Lloyds – to £29.2bn over the first six months of the year, putting lenders back in the crosshairs ...

Mitchell Labiak , Business reporter and Emma Simpson , Business correspondent Sainsbury's has agreed to sell Argos for £120m after a long process of trying to offload it as the supermarket chain aims to focus on its main food business. Sainsbury's said it would be "business as usual" for Argos customers, staff, and suppliers. Shoppers will see no change as Argos will still operate in Sainsbury's shops, sell Habitat products, and offer Nectar points. The buyer, Swift Partners, is a company that has been created to buy the brand and includes former Co-operative Group boss Richard Pennycook. There are 667 Argos shops across the UK, with 201 operating as standalone stores and 466 operating within Sainsbury's. It also has more than 450 collection points. Founded in 1973, Argos opened shops where customers browsed its catalogues and placed their orders, with products being delivered to tills from warehouses connected to the stores. The Argos catalogue, once descri...