Fabio Crispim

The Perseid meteor shower is expected to peak overnight on August 12–13, shortly after the 2026 solar eclipse. It should be visible across the UK, with the best viewing window between midnight and 5 a.m. from a dark location with a clear horizon and minimal light pollution. The shower is caused by debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle entering Earth’s atmosphere, producing shooting stars and occasional fireballs. UK viewers will see only a partial eclipse because the path of totality passes through areas including northern Spain and Greenland; safe eclipse glasses are required for viewing the Sun.

The UK Food Standards Agency has issued a do-not-eat warning for three Greencore-manufactured pasta salads sold by Asda and Morrisons because they may contain Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled products are Asda Cheese and Tomato Pasta Salad, Asda Nacho Cheese Pasta Salad, and Morrisons Chicken and Bacon Pasta, with specified use-by dates and product codes. Customers should return them to the relevant supermarket for a full refund without needing a receipt. Listeria can cause flu-like illness and, in severe cases, meningitis or death, with older people, pregnant women, newborns and immunocompromised individuals at greatest risk.

A Faire survey of 2,000 UK shoppers found that a carefully designed store atmosphere could encourage people to spend more and stay longer. Vanilla was the most appealing scent, followed by fresh linen and clean cotton, while pop, R&B and 1990s and 2000s music were the most effective genres for encouraging browsing. Shoppers valued clean, tidy stores, easy navigation, good lighting and non-pushy staff, while loud music, clutter, strong smells and aggressive sales tactics were major deterrents. Retail expert Stephen Spencer said sensory cues can increase shoppers’ emotional comfort and perception of value. The findings come amid widespread high-street decline, with retailers, charities and restaurant chains announcing store closures and job cuts across the UK.

London’s BT Tower is being transformed into a luxury hotel after its purchase by US hotel operator MCR for £275 million. Plans include hotel rooms within the tower’s Stick and surrounding buildings, a publicly accessible swimming pool, a 360-degree revolving observation deck, event space, retail and hospitality units, an exhibition on the tower’s history, and a new public square. BT is expected to hand over the site in late 2029, with construction planned to begin soon afterward and the hotel targeted to open in 2033.

Brighton & Hove Pride 2026 begins with a parade from Hove Lawns at 11am, proceeding along King’s Road, West Street, North Street and London Road before ending at Preston Park for the Pride on the Park concert. The two-day festival features more than 150 LGBTQ+ performers and allies, including Raye, Jessie J, Diana Ross, Holly Johnson, Paris Hilton and RuPaul, alongside dance stages, a family area and a Pride Street Party on Marine Parade. Organisers expect very large crowds and advise visitors to use public transport, with extra services from Govia Thameslink Railway, shuttle buses and a rainbow queue system at Brighton station. Preston Park and London Road stations will be closed, while road closures and limited parking are expected. Forecast temperatures are 23°C on Saturday and 26°C on Sunday.

The July 2026 buck moon, named after male deer that regrow their antlers, reaches peak fullness at 3:36pm UK time but will be below the horizon then. Clear conditions should allow people in England to see it rising during the evening and overnight. The article also explains alternative names for July’s full moon, lists the remaining full moons of 2026, and highlights the Perseid meteor shower and an August partial solar eclipse visible from the UK.

Charing Cross and Waterloo East stations in London will close for 22 days from July 26 to August 16 while Southeastern Railway and Network Rail carry out a £20 million upgrade. The work includes installing 1,800 metres of track, replacing switches and crossings, improving drainage and platform surfaces, repairing the 175-year-old Hungerford Bridge, and upgrading the pedestrian link to Waterloo station. Additional weekend closures are planned for August 22–23 and October 10–11. Southeastern services will be diverted to Victoria, Cannon Street, Blackfriars and London Bridge, with amended timings, cancellations and altered first and last trains. Passengers may use tickets on specified alternative Underground, bus, Thameslink and Southern services at no extra cost. Network Rail says the concentrated closure will cause less disruption than dozens of weekend closures and is scheduled during the summer when passenger numbers are lower.

The British Heart Foundation is closing 87 shops as part of a plan to shut 150 branches by 2028 after a review found many were no longer financially viable due to rising costs and changing customer behaviour. Senior leaders acknowledged the difficulty of the decision but stressed the need to protect the long‑term sustainability of the charity’s retail operations. The closures come amid a broader wave of UK retail and restaurant shutdowns involving several major chains.

Morrisons plans to close around 100 of its convenience stores over the coming months, targeting loss-making former McColl’s outlets acquired in 2022. The company has confirmed several affected or already closed branches in areas including Hull, Guisborough, Loftus, Middlesbrough, Redcar, Driffield, York, Woodley and Bracknell, although the full list has not been released. Closures could also affect Post Office branches operating inside some stores. Morrisons says cost increases and persistent weak performance contributed to the decision, which it describes as necessary to focus on stronger locations and new franchise openings.

London Pride 2026 will take place on Saturday, July 4, with a parade beginning at Hyde Park Corner at noon and ending at Whitehall around 6pm. The route will pass through Piccadilly, Piccadilly Circus, Haymarket and Trafalgar Square, while numerous central London roads will be closed. Six stages across locations including Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, Dean Street, Soho Square, Golden Square and Victoria Embankment Gardens will host performances and community spaces, with MNEK headlining alongside Beth Ditto, Asifa Lahore and others. Afterparties are planned at venues across London, and attendees are advised to use public transport and book tickets in advance.

June’s full moon, known as the strawberry moon, will rise in the UK in the late evening and reach peak illumination at around 12:57 a.m. It is also a micromoon, so it may appear slightly smaller and dimmer than usual, particularly in poor weather. The name comes from the June strawberry harvest in Native American culture; other names include the European rose moon and the hot moon. Further full moons are expected each month through December, including the buck moon on July 29 and the harvest moon on September 26.

Lloyds Banking Group will close 44 Lloyds Bank branches, 51 Halifax branches and four Bank of Scotland branches across the UK during the remainder of 2026, with additional closures planned in the first half of 2027. The article lists each affected branch and its scheduled closure date. Lloyds says the closures reflect customers’ shift toward mobile apps, websites and telephone banking. The company plans a further 13 Lloyds branches and six Halifax branches to close in 2027, while no additional Bank of Scotland closures have been announced.

Victoria Starmer, a former solicitor who works in NHS occupational health, has been married to Keir Starmer since 2007. The couple have two children whose identities they protect, and they live at 10 Downing Street while retaining a home in Kentish Town. The piece also outlines Starmer’s upbringing in Surrey, his parents’ working-class background, his career as Director of Public Prosecutions and the deaths of his mother and brother Nick. It notes the unresolved speculation over whether his father owned the toolmaking factory where he worked, while emphasizing Starmer’s efforts to present himself as an ordinary working-class politician.

Quiz Clothing is closing its final 20 UK stores as part of a phased shutdown following the company’s entry into administration with debts exceeding £40 million. The branches, including locations in Cardiff, Derby, Hull, Leicester, Stirling and Trafford, are holding final clearance sales before closing. Administrator Interpath thanked Quiz employees for maintaining operations during the five-month closure process.

One London, a proposed £1 billion, 74-storey skyscraper at the former St Helen’s Tower site in the City of London, has received full planning permission. Designed by Eric Parry Architects and developed by Aroland Holdings, the tower will match The Shard’s 1,015.75-foot height and include offices, Europe’s highest publicly accessible viewing gallery, a high-altitude bar, educational spaces operated with the London Museum, and a free elevated public garden. Construction is expected to begin in 2028, with completion planned for 2033.