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Millions of people were plunged into darkness during the day on Monday as the total solar eclipse made its way across the United States and eastern Canada, after starting in Mexico.

The highly-anticipated eclipse saw the Earth, the sun and the moon perfectly aligned, resulting in ‘totality’ – the moment when the face of the sun is completely blocked by the moon.

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People react to total eclipse

The Mexican beach town of Mazatlan was the first place to witness the cosmic event at around 11.15am local time (7.15pm UK time), and cheers broke out on the promenade as it began.

As it happened: Millions plunged into darkness
Best videos and images from eclipse

People use special protective glasses to observe a total solar eclipse in Mazatlan, Mexico April 8, 2024. Pic:Reuters/Henry Romero
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People using protective glasses to watch the eclipse in Mazatlan, Mexico. Pic: Reuters/Henry Romero

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The moon covering the sun during tonight’s total eclipse

Map showing when the eclipse will happen across the United States
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Map showing when the eclipse happened across the United States (in UK time)

Hundreds of people wearing eclipse glasses had gathered in a beachside park and passed time by listening to a youth orchestra playing Star Wars songs as images of Princess Leia were projected on to a big screen.

Those viewing the phenomenon could see the sun’s outer atmosphere, called the corona, shining bright around the edge of the moon as it was blocked.

For onlookers, the total eclipse lasted up to four minutes and 28 seconds. As the sun was covered by the moon, darkness descended and there was also a noticeable temperature drop.

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People watch a total solar eclipse as the sky goes dark in Mazatlan, Mexico, Monday, April 8, 2024. Pic: AP Photo/Fernando Llano
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Darkness falling over Mazatlan, Mexico. Pic: AP Photo/Fernando Llano

The eclipse moved through multiple US states and major cities – including Dallas, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Buffalo and New York – before making its way to eastern Canada.

It took just one hour and 40 minutes for the eclipse to race along its 4,000 mile course and an early afternoon chill swept across Texas as it began its journey across the United States.

Crowds refuse to let bad weather dampen the mood

The eclipse was slightly obscured by clouds in some areas, but crowds didn’t let the weather ruin the experience.

Reacting to the moment of totality in Dallas, one onlooker told Sky News: “It’s amazing, you can see the stars around it. It’s incredible.”

The moon moves in front of the sun during a total eclipse at Eagle Pass Student Activities Center, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Eagle Pass, Texas. (Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle via AP)
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Clouds partially covered the eclipse in Eagle Pass, Texas. Pic: Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle via AP

The solar eclipse in Texas.
Pic: AP
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The solar eclipse in Texas.Pic: AP

Clouds cover the sky prior to a total solar eclipse, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
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Clouds in Arlington, Texas. Pic: AP Photo/Julio Cortez

In Georgetown, Texas, the skies cleared just in time to give spectators a clear view.

“We are really lucky,” said Susan Robertson. “Even with the clouds it is kind of nice because when it clears up it is like ‘wow’.”

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The eclipse was first visible in Mexico

Pic Reuters
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The eclipse travelled across the United States and was visible in cities such as Dallas. Pic: Reuters

The weather was kinder in Vermont, New England, where one dedicated eclipse watcher told US correspondent Mark Stone “you couldn’t ask for nicer skies”.

John, who was witnessing his eighth eclipse, said: “I was planning to go to Texas a week ago but changed my mind.

“For me, personally, this [eclipse] is better [than the others]. I wasn’t trying to photograph it, I was just enjoying the moment.”

Today’s event is something of an anomaly as total eclipses are only meant to happen once every 375 years in any one place in the world – yet people in Illinois are seeing one for the second time in seven years.

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The moon blots out the sun, during a total solar eclipse, as seen from Carbondale, Illinois, U.S. April 8, 2024. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
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The lucky residents of Carbondale were also in a prime position for the 2017 eclipse. Pic: Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein


The city of Carbondale saw a total solar eclipse in August 2017 and was today in the path of totality yet again.

New York also got in on the action as a partial eclipse was visible from the city’s streets.

People watch the eclipse in Times Square 
Pic: Reuters
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People watch the eclipse in Times Square. Pic: Reuters

People watch the partial solar eclipse as they gather on the observation deck of Edge at Hudson Yards in New York.
Pic: Reuters
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Huge crowds on the observation deck of Edge at Hudson Yards, New York. Pic: Reuters

Clouds ruin the view in UK and Ireland

Stargazers had hoped that the partial eclipse would be visible from cities including Dublin, Belfast, Liverpool and Edinburgh – but social media users sadly said bad weather got in the way.

The shadow passed over the homes of 32 million people in the US – and plenty more travelled to see it, with Texas alone preparing for up to one million visitors.

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Some US towns and counties declared state of emergencies in a bid to get ahead of the influx of stargazers, and residents and tourists alike were told to stock up on food and water before the big day amid shortage fears.

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Stock markets slump for second day running after Trump announces tariffs – in worst day for indexes since COVID

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Stock markets slump for second day running after Trump announces tariffs - in worst day for indexes since COVID

Worldwide stock markets have plummeted for the second day running as the fallout from Donald Trump’s global tariffs continues.

While European and Asian markets suffered notable falls, American indexes were the worst hit, with Wall Street closing to a sea of red on Friday following Thursday’s rout – the worst day in US markets since the COVID-19 pandemic.

As it happened: Worst week’s trading in five years

All three of the US’s major indexes were down by more than 5% at market close; The Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted 5.5%, the S&P 500 was 5.97% lower, and the Nasdaq Composite slipped 5.82%.

The Nasdaq was also 22% below its record-high set in December, which indicates a bear market.

Read more: What’s a bear market?

Ever since the US president announced the tariffs on Wednesday evening, analysts estimate that around $4.9trn (£3.8trn) has been wiped off the value of the global stock market.

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Mr Trump has remained unapologetic as the markets struggle, posting in all-caps on Truth Social before the markets closed that “only the weak will fail”.

The UK’s leading stock market, the FTSE 100, also suffered its worst daily drop in more than five years, closing 4.95% down, a level not seen since March 2020.

And the Japanese exchange Nikkei 225 dropped by 2.75% at end of trading, down 20% from its recent peak in July last year.

Pic: Reuters
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US indexes had the worst day of trading since the COVID-19 pandemic. Pic: Reuters

Trump holds trade deal talks – reports

It comes as a source told CNN that Mr Trump has been in discussions with Vietnamese, Indian and Israeli representatives to negotiate bespoke trade deals that could alleviate proposed tariffs on those countries before a deadline next week.

The source told the US broadcaster the talks were being held in advance of the reciprocal levies going into effect next week.

Vietnam faced one of the highest reciprocal tariffs announced by the US president this week, with 46% rates on imports. Israeli imports face a 17% rate, and Indian goods will be subject to 26% tariffs.

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Do Trump’s tariffs add up?

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Markets gave Trump a clear no-confidence vote
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China – hit with 34% tariffs on imported goods – has also announced it will issue its own levy of the same rate on US imports.

Mr Trump said China “played it wrong” and “panicked – the one thing they cannot afford to do” in another all-caps Truth Social post earlier on Friday.

Later, on Air Force One, the US president told reporters that “the beauty” of the tariffs is that they allow for negotiations, referencing talks with Chinese company ByteDance on the sale of social media app TikTok.

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Tariffs: Xi hits back at Trump

He said: “We have a situation with TikTok where China will probably say, ‘We’ll approve a deal, but will you do something on the tariffs?’

“The tariffs give us great power to negotiate. They always have.”

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Financial markets were always going to respond to Trump tariffs but they’re also battling with another problem

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Financial markets were always going to respond to Trump tariffs but they're also battling with another problem

Global financial markets gave a clear vote of no-confidence in President Trump’s economic policy.

The damage it will do is obvious: costs for companies will rise, hitting their earnings.

The consequences will ripple throughout the global economy, with economists now raising their expectations for a recession, not only in the US, but across the world.

Tariffs latest: FTSE 100 suffers biggest daily drop since COVID

Financial investors had been gradually re-calibrating their expectations of Donald Trump over the past few months.

Hopes that his actions may not match his rhetoric were dashed on Wednesday as he imposed sweeping tariffs on the US’ trading partners, ratcheting up protectionism to a level not seen in more than a century.

Markets were always going to respond to that but they are also battling with another problem: the lack of certainty when it comes to Trump.

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He is a capricious figure and we can only guess his next move. Will he row back? How far is he willing to negotiate and offer concessions?

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There were no winners from Trump’s tariff gameshow
Trade war sparks ‘$2.2trn’ global market sell-off

These are massive unknowns, which are piled on to uncertainty about how countries will respond.

China has already retaliated and Europe has indicated it will go further.

That will compound the problems for the global economy and undoubtedly send shivers through the markets.

Much is yet to be determined, but if there’s one thing markets hate, it’s uncertainty.

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Court confirms sacking of South Korean president who declared martial law

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Court confirms sacking of South Korean president who declared martial law

South Korea’s constitutional court has confirmed the dismissal of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached in December after declaring martial law.

His decision to send troops onto the streets led to the country’s worst political crisis in decades.

The court ruled to uphold the impeachment saying the conservative leader “violated his duty as commander-in-chief by mobilising troops” when he declared martial law.

The president was also said to have taken actions “beyond the powers provided in the constitution”.

Demonstrators who stayed overnight near the constitutional court wait for the start of a rally calling for the president to step down. Pic: AP
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Demonstrators stayed overnight near the constitutional court. Pic: AP

Supporters and opponents of the president gathered in their thousands in central Seoul as they awaited the ruling.

The 64-year-old shocked MPs, the public and international allies in early December when he declared martial law, meaning all existing laws regarding civilians were suspended in place of military law.

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The Constitutional Court is under heavy police security guard ahead of the announcement of the impeachment trial. Pic: AP
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The court was under heavy police security guard ahead of the announcement. Pic: AP

After suddenly declaring martial law, Mr Yoon sent hundreds of soldiers and police officers to the National Assembly.

He has argued that he sought to maintain order, but some senior military and police officers sent there have told hearings and investigators that Mr Yoon ordered them to drag out politicians to prevent an assembly vote on his decree.

His presidential powers were suspended when the opposition-dominated assembly voted to impeach him on 14 December, accusing him of rebellion.

The unanimous verdict to uphold parliament’s impeachment and remove Mr Yoon from office required the support of at least six of the court’s eight justices.

South Korea must hold a national election within two months to find a new leader.

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, is the early favourite to become the country’s next president, according to surveys.

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