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Astronomers detect an atmosphere around a mini Pluto

Published

1 hour ago

10 May 2026

Astronomers detect an atmosphere around a mini Pluto

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A new study suggests that a tiny, icy world beyond Pluto harbors a thin, delicate atmosphere that may have been created by volcanic eruptions or a comet strike.

Just 300 miles (500 kilometers) or so across, this mini Pluto is thought to be the solar system’s smallest object yet with a clearly detected global atmosphere bound by gravity, said lead researcher Ko Arimatsu of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.

“This is an amazing development, but it sorely needs independent verification. The implications are profound if verified,” said Southwest Research Institute’s Alan Stern, the lead scientist behind NASA’s New Horizons mission to Pluto and beyond. He was not involved in the study.

The finding offers fresh insight into our solar system’s farthest, coldest objects in a region known as the Kuiper Belt. Researchers used three telescopes in Japan to observe the object in 2024 as it passed in front of a background star, briefly dimming the starlight.

“It changes our view of small worlds in the solar system, not only beyond Neptune,” Arimatsu said in an email. Finding an atmosphere around such a small object was “genuinely surprising,” he added, and challenges “the conventional view that atmospheres are limited to large planets, dwarf planets and some large moons.”

This so-called minor planet — formally known as (612533) 2002 XV93 — is considered a plutino, circling the sun twice in the time it takes Neptune to complete three solar orbits. At the time of the study, it was more than 3.4 billion miles (5.5 billion kilometers) away, farther than even Pluto, the only other object in the Kuiper Belt with an observed atmosphere.

This cosmic iceball’s atmosphere is believed to be 5 million to 10 million times thinner than Earth’s protective atmosphere, according to the the study appearing Monday in the journal Nature Astronomy.

It’s 50 to 100 times thinner than even Pluto’s tenuous atmosphere. The likeliest atmospheric chemicals are methane, nitrogen or carbon monoxide, any of which could reproduce the observed dimming as the object passed before the star, according to Arimatsu.

Further observations, especially by NASA’s Webb Space Telescope, could verify the makeup of the atmosphere, according to Arimatsu.

“That is why future monitoring is so important,” he said. “If the atmosphere fades over the next several years, that would support an impact origin. If it persists, or varies seasonally, that would point more toward ongoing internal gas supply” from ice volcanoes.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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Supreme Court restores telehealth access to abortion pill mifepristone

Published

11 minutes ago

10 May 2026

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Supreme Court restores telehealth access to abortion pill mifepristone

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday restored broad access to the abortion pill mifepristone, blocking a lower-court ruling that had threatened to upend one of the main ways abortions are provided across the nation.

The order signed by Justice Samuel Alito temporarily allows women seeking abortions to obtain the pill at pharmacies or through the mail, without an in-person visit to a doctor.

Those practices had been permitted for several years until a federal appeals court imposed new restrictions last week.

The latest order will remain in effect for another week while both sides respond and the high court considers the issue more fully.

Most abortions use pills rather than procedures

The majority of abortions in the U.S. are obtained through medications. Some Democratic-led states have laws that seek to give legal protection to those who prescribe the drugs via telehealth to patients in states with bans.

Those prescriptions have blunted the impact of abortion bans that most Republican-led states have sought to enforce since the 2022 Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade. One recent report suggested that in the 13 states where abortion is banned at all stages of pregnancy, more women obtained abortions with pills prescribed by telehealth last year than by traveling to other states.

Louisiana sued to roll back the Food and Drug Administration’s rules on how mifepristone can be prescribed, asserting that the policy undermines the ban there. The case also questioned the safety of the drug, which was approved 25 years ago and has repeatedly been deemed safe and effective by FDA scientists.

That lawsuit is the furthest along of several efforts by abortion opponents to curtail access to mifepristone.

Restrictions would not end telehealth abortions

Mifepristone is usually taken with a second drug, misoprostol, for abortions. According to the FDA label on mifepristone, the combination completes medical abortion 97.4% of the time.

Misoprostol can also be used alone for terminating pregnancies, with some studies putting its effectiveness at around 80% or higher.

In countries where mifepristone is banned or unavailable, misoprostol is frequently used alone.

Unlike mifepristone, misoprostol has never been formally approved by the FDA for abortion. The drug is most commonly used to treat stomach ulcers, but it has been adapted by doctors for use in medication abortions. Because the FDA never cleared the drug for ending pregnancies, it has faced far less scrutiny from anti-abortion groups.

Several groups that prescribe abortion pills by telehealth made the switch over the weekend to misoprostol only, a regimen that can cause longer-lasting side effects.

Dr. Angel Foster, founder of The Massachusetts Abortion Access Project, said her organization was prepared to send misoprostol only on Monday afternoon but was able to switch back to the two-drug combination.

“Regardless of what happens with this regulatory issue, we and other groups will continue to provide high-quality abortion care to patients in all 50 states,” she said.

Rapid rulings have created confusion

Foster said her organization spent the weekend guiding different groups of patients: those who were sent mifepristone but had not received it yet; those who had been approved for the drugs but had not paid or been sent them; and those who reached out with initial requests.

For now, she said, they are asking patients to approve being sent pills with or without mifepristone — in case of another change.

Monday’s ruling offers more time to figure out a course of action in case mifepristone prescriptions are curtailed again.

“We have a little bit more time to navigate this new landscape with the stay,” said Julie Burkhart, the founder of Wellspring Health Access, a Wyoming abortion clinic that provides roughly 100 abortions a year through pills prescribed by telehealth.

Elizabeth Ling, associate director of legal services at If/When/How, which provides legal guidance for people considering abortion, said that wherever the legal battle goes next, there’s one thing women need to understand: “The outcome is not going to make it a crime for people to access care.”

None of the state laws currently include any punishment for women who obtain abortions.

The court fight continues

Anti-abortion groups vowed to continue the legal battle.

Monday’s ruling “is a temporary procedural step that leaves unresolved the very real concerns about the safety of these drugs and the decision under the Biden administration’s FDA to recklessly remove longstanding safeguards,” Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life, said in a statement.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, who filed the lawsuit against the FDA along with a woman who says her boyfriend coerced her into taking abortion pills to end a pregnancy, criticized drug companies for their role in the case.

“Big abortion pharma claims they need an emergency stay because they will lose massive amounts of money if they can’t kill more babies quickly and efficiently by mail without medical oversight,” Murrill said in a statement. “The administrative stay is temporary, and I am confident life and the law will win in the end.”

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Mulvihill reported from Haddonfield, New Jersey. Associated Press Writer Matthew Perrone contributed to this article.

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A previous version of this story had a typo in a quote from Dr. Angel Foster.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court.

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TikTok, temples and techno: Meet the new freemasons

Published

20 minutes ago

10 May 2026

NewsAdmin

TikTok, temples and techno: Meet the new freemasons

The single pearl earring, nose ring and knitted cream polo scream millennial barista more than member of the world’s oldest secret society. Beneath the vaulted art deco ceilings of the Metropolitan Grand Lodge, however, London’s Freemasons are welcoming an image update. Along with maintaining the traditions formalised in the capital in 1717, its Gen Z and millennial brethren are popping up on the Freemasons’ TikTok account, trading grand dinners for nights out at Nando’s, and featuring in homespun grime videos.

That includes Luke Nutkins, the well-dressed 36-year-old who works in streaming at the BBC. Does its current push to attract younger members mean Freemasonry has finally become cool? “Cool is generous,” he mulls. “I don’t think it’s trendy. [But] it has a coolness about it.”

The exact origins of Freemasonry are unclear, but the theory goes that it was modelled on the customs of medieval stonemasons, who built Britain’s castles and cathedrals and would employ unique words and gestures (like handshakes) to recognise one another when working far from home.

A society of kings and trailblazers

There are 170,000 members of the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) belonging to 7,000 lodges spanning the country; notable brethren have included Sir Winston Churchill and Rudyard Kipling, Ernest Shackleton, Buzz Aldrin, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and royals from King George VI to Prince Philip. The vast majority of lodges are male-only, but two admit women.

Today, symbolism still abounds. Brethren are to embark on a journey through three ranks that will see them transform from rough ashlar, a coarse stone, to a perfect ashlar; they wear lambskin aprons in a nod to their stonemason forebears, black suits to demonstrate that every brother is equal, and white gloves to represent “purity” (I see one tourist purchase a pair in the upstairs gift shop; the aproned rubber duckies go untouched). While Freemasonry was once a byword for the white middle classes and replete with “toffs”, per Nutkins, now, some centre around more modern pursuits, with groups dedicated to Formula One or rugby, rum and cigars.

Electronic music being laid over videos of dancing brethren on TikTok (where they have more than 43,000 followers) and producing their own grime music (lyrics: “faith, hope, charity; man walk the walk”) have also helped to give Freemasonry a refresh. Yet the long-held accusations — that they are a shadowy network secretly pulling the strings behind major institutions — persist. Is it a secret society? “I don’t think so,” says Nutkins. “Do I think it’s a society of secrets? Yes.” When I put the question to Yves Davis, a 22-year-old digital marketing student, he answers with an identical turn of phrase.

Davis became a brother when he was 18, making him the third generation of his family to join the UGLE (he is wearing his late grandfather’s Masonic ring when we meet). Others have come to Freemasonry through more eclectic means, like the 27-year-old from Turkey whose interest was piqued by Dan Brown books; and a 25-year-old for whom the idea got legs at a house party.

“I feel like I’m part of something”

Joe Southwood, 26

Mayfair restaurant manager Joe Southwood, 26, was pottering by the UGLE’s Holborn HQ a couple of years ago when he “happened to pop in, not really knowing what it was, and ended up on a tour accidentally.” That was enough to get him to apply via the unsponsored route (most would-be brothers are vouched for by an existing member), and “I just fell in love with it.”

For Southwood, dressed in a natty spotted shirt and surprisingly chipper at spending his day off — one of the hottest in April for 80 years — in a signal-less side room in Holborn, the community the brotherhood provides has been a lifeline. “I don’t have a girlfriend; I don’t have any friends outside of work — I live quite a solitary existence,” he says. “Through this I’ve been introduced to, and met, so many fantastic people… I feel like I’m part of something.”

The Connaught Club, next door, has been hosting Freemason meetings for under-35s since 2007 — a hub for young men who, like Southwood, find themselves seeking connection. Over the past decade, the number of under-35s reporting that they have either one or no close friends has risen from seven to 22 per cent; the UK also has the highest rates of lonely young adults in Europe. Where men his age might once have gathered at church, lodges are “like a little parish,” Southwood thinks, “where instead of a vicar you have a Worshipful Master”.

Coming out as a Freemason

What actually goes on in these meetings, which typically happen four or five times a year per lodge (brethren can be members of multiple lodges) is more opaque. One ceremony is said to involve being blindfolded and put into a coffin-like box; Nutkins describes them as “like a play; there’s words to learn, there’s a hierarchy you have to respect; there’s funny handshakes and symbols and stuff” (his girlfriend describes its trappings as “a bit silly”). When I ask Davis what his initiation entailed, he says that divulging the details would be “a bit like spoilers… [keeping quiet] is more to surprise people for this really amazing story.”

Inevitably, this hush-hush approach continues to fuel what the men describe as “myths” surrounding Freemasonry — though none will identify the specific claims they find egregious. I can hazard a guess at some of the accusations on which they are none too keen: that it is a cult, or offshoot of mythical secret sect the Illuminati; that members seek one another out via secret handshakes and offer members favourable treatment in the corridors of power. In December, the Metropolitan Police ordered that staff declare if they are Freemasons due to it being a “hierarchical” group that “requires members to support and protect each other”, with more than 300 admitting to an affiliation.

The young men I meet at the Goose and Gridiron, named after the alehouse where the idea for Freemasonry was first discussed (now a café selling uninspiring sandwiches) include a Gen Z brother who doesn’t want to disclose his last name; another exits when I ask to record our chat. “I have found that not everyone likes to be outed, which was a difficult conversation I’ve had with Masons in the past,” says Nutkins, who has been a member for 15 years. “I don’t think it’s a shameful secret.”

For Lee Townsend, a brother of 14 years’ standing, his star turn in the recent grime TikTok was “like my coming out video”. Now 49, he had told few people outside of his family about his affiliation with the group — despite being a highly active member of multiple lodges. “There’s a lot of stigma and taboo around it,” he thinks. But “for an organisation that’s added so much value to me as a person and the way I operate and move, why should I hide it under a bushel? So here it is.”

Townsend is yet to be called up for a sequel to his music video — but he can scratch the itch at lodge meetings, where he seeks to “perform the socks off” centuries-old scripture. “It just really is a motivating and encouraging thing to know that kings, presidents and prime ministers have learned those same words,” says Townsend, who works for a social enterprise.

The spectre of members past looms large at UGLE HQ, where a cavernous marble lobby is framed by stained glass windows up the stairways reading “Audi, Vide, Tace” (part of a longer phrase meaning to “hear, see and hold your tongue”). The first floor houses a library and museum including an enormous gilded blue throne made for King George IV in 1791; there too are oil paintings and portraits.

While flirting with modernity appears to be the goal, not all brethren are sold

I am unable to see the shiny gold Grand Temple for myself as there is a shoot going on (it is a popular filming destination, having appeared on the likes of Spooks, Poirot and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy), though the 56-year-old PR officer-cum-TikTok-manager asks, “Is that Eddie Sheeran?” as a lookalike passes us on his way to set.

While flirting with modernity appears to be the goal — at least, on social media — not all brethren are sold. “We don’t need to do the TikTok thing; we don’t need to be on Instagram,” Nutkins thinks. “If we were to suddenly turn around and have everyone dressed in cool clothes, big baggy trousers and hoodies and doing TikToks, it would just feel a bit disingenuous.”

Instead, he wants to trumpet the organisation’s charity work; and the value of young and old mixing in ways they otherwise never would. The coolest brother in his lodge, he says, is a “gnarled” 97-year-old organist who drinks triple whiskies, “looks a bit like Yoda” and has previously carried Nutkins home after a night out.

It is these connections, and the financial and emotional support provided by the UGLE, that have got him through the darkest of times, he adds — including the death of his sister, his cousin’s suicide and a work discrimination case. “It wouldn’t be hyperbole to say I would not be on this Earth right now were it not for them,” according to Nutkins. “It’s really saved me.”

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Renowned horror attraction finds new location that aims to make it ‘bigger and better’

Published

27 minutes ago

10 May 2026

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The immersive scare maze event attracted people from all across the country

A popular horror attraction that was cancelled earlier this year is set to return at a new Cambridgeshire location. ‘Horror Mania’, previously Horror at Hinchingbrooke House is set to send chills down spines on the grounds of Skylark Garden Centre, in Wimblington.

The immersive scare maze event grew to become one of the UK’s most recognised Halloween events. It attracted people from all across the country.

The event was set inside the grounds and building of Hinchingbrooke House, which is part of Hinchingbrooke School. However, it was announced that the spook-tastic event would not be returning this year after “after careful consideration” by the school, due to “lasting damage” it caused on the school grounds.

Robert Gough, director of the event, said that there was always a worry that the event would not come back following the cancellation and it “would take the right venue” for them to continue – which he believes they have found at Skylark. Robert added: “Skylark reached out to us among other places but we found that the space and the area that they had met the needs that we need for the scare attraction.”

The director said that himself, alongside the team, are especially excited because it has “revitalised the creativity and created a new challenge”. Robert explained that there’s “more potential” at the new venue due to Hinchingbrooke School’s restriction to half term only. Whereas now, Horror Mania could potentially run longer in the future and allow the event to become “bigger and better”.

The venue offers woodland, large spaces and parking. Although the event no longer has Hinchingbrooke House as a backdrop, the team will be replacing it with more outdoor scare areas for even more spooky scenes.

Robert has said that the reaction has been “overwhelmingly positive” and the ticket sales are going fast. The new location will offer thrill-seekers an hour of terror and jumps with their favourite frights expected to make a return. Known for chainsaw freaks, creepy clowns and demonic monsters, the new event will feature more than 100 actors.

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Fermanagh v Longford Live stream and TV information, throw-in time, betting odds and all you need to know ahead of today’s Tailteann Cup clash

Published

33 minutes ago

10 May 2026

NewsAdmin

Fermanagh take on Longford in the opening round of the Tailteann Cup at Brewster Park, Enniskillen, with throw-in at 3pm

Fermanagh and Longford go head-to-head today in the opening round of the Tailteann Cup.

Last year, Longford failed to progress beyond the group stage, while Fermanagh reached the semi-finals before being knocked out by Kildare, who ultimately lifted the trophy.

Their most recent encounter came in last year’s group stage, with Fermanagh running out convincing winners over Longford by 2-19 to 0-7.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of today’s clash:

Where is the game being played?, reports the Irish Mirror

Brewster Park, Enniskillen

What time is throw-in?

The game is set to begin at 3pm on Sunday, May 10.

Can I watch the game on TV?

The game is not currently being played on free-to-air TV, or other streaming services.

Betting odds

Fermanagh 1/6

Draw 12/1

Longford 9/2

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British military says ship caught fire after being hit off coast of Qatar

Published

40 minutes ago

10 May 2026

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British military says ship caught fire after being hit off coast of Qatar

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The British military said a ship caught fire Sunday after being hit by an unknown projectile off the coast of Qatar.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said the attack caused a small fire on the bulk carrier, which was extinguished.

The attack happened 23 nautical miles (43 kilometers) northeast of Qatar’s capital, Doha, the UKMTO said.

There were no reported casualties, it said.

It was the latest attack on vessels in the Persian Gulf since a shaky ceasefire stopped fighting between the United States and Iran.

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First look inside brand new Bishop Auckland bus station

Published

54 minutes ago

10 May 2026

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The £11.8 million project is complete and will begin operating on Sunday (May 10).

The newly completed Bishop Auckland Bus Station. 8.5.2026. Photograph: Stuart Boulton/The Northern Echo. (Image: Stuart Boulton)

The bus station will feature new and improved passenger information with live updates; CCTV; toilet facilities, including accessible toilets, a changing places unit and a parent and child facility; and a retail kiosk

Alongside the bus station, there will also be a new 124-space car park, with accessible spaces for wheelchairs and Blue Badge holders and parking for motorcycles.

The area surrounding the bus station has also been landscaped, with paved areas, drainage systems, and street lighting installed. There will also be electric vehicle charging points and bicycle parking.

The new facility is located on the site of the former bus station, which was demolished to make way for the redevelopment in 2023. Work started on the site in February 2024 and was developed using £11.8 million from the Government’s Future High Streets Fund.

Once the bus station has opened, work will start to remove the temporary bus stops on Newgate Street, Tenters Street and Saddler Street.

Tim McGuinness, cabinet member for rural, farming and transport, said: “This has been an ambitious project to ensure the people of Bishop Auckland have a safe, modern, and efficient transport hub to help them access opportunities within County Durham and the wider region.”

The bus station was constructed by Esh Construction and designed by Jacobs on behalf of Durham County Council.

Steven Garrigan, divisional director at Esh Construction, said: “Esh is proud to have delivered a modern, fully accessible transport hub that will play an important role in supporting Bishop Auckland’s regeneration and strengthening local connectivity.

“Working closely with Durham County Council, this project reflects our commitment to delivering high-quality infrastructure that serves communities across the region, while also creating meaningful social value and opportunities locally.”

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Neil Haigh and Stewart Wright show at York Theatre Royal

Published

60 minutes ago

10 May 2026

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Neil Haigh and Stewart Wright show at York Theatre Royal

Neil Haigh’s Comedy Masterclass Ruined by Stewart Wright arrives at The Old Paint Shop at York Theatre Royal on June 17, looking to provide an immersive and unpredictable night of laughter.

The 90-minute show begins as a structured comedy workshop led by Neil Haigh, before being hilariously hijacked by Stewart Wright in what quickly unravels into fully improvised mayhem.

Mr Wright said: “This show is about embracing the unexpected; every night is completely different, and that’s what makes it so exciting.

“We’re inviting the audience into the chaos and creativity with us, and there’s something really special about discovering where it goes together.”

Described as a blend of character comedy, improvisation, and spontaneous storytelling, each performance is entirely shaped by audience interaction.

Created by long-time collaborators Haigh and Wright, the show has already drawn praise for its originality and energy, with some likening its fast-paced style to Whose Line Is It Anyway?

Haigh is known for his work with the acclaimed improvised theatre company Cartoon De Salvo, while Wright has built a 30-year career as a comic actor.

The show is recommended for audiences aged 15 and over.

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Darren Deady Foundation and GMP officer take part in charity match

Published

1 hour ago

10 May 2026

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Darren Deady Foundation and GMP officer take part in charity match

The match was played at Daisy Hill Football Club between representatives of veterans’ charity The Darren Deady Foundation and members of Greater Manchester Police.

Founded by his mother Julie, brother Daniel, and close friends, the foundation operates in honour of former Kingsman Darren Deady, who tragically lost his life in 2010 while serving in Afghanistan.

Representatives of the Royal British Legion (Image: Westhoughton Town Council)

Former Westhoughton Mayor Gillian Wroe said: “A heartfelt thanks go to the Darren Deady Foundation for inviting me, and my Mayoress Cllr Deirdre McGeown, to this wonderful community event.

“Before the match kick off the teams were joined on the pitch by Darren Deady’s mum Julie Hall and members of the DD Association, Westhoughton Royal British Legion, cadets, marching band, the mini police, the Mayoress and me, Phil Brickell MP and Cllr John McHugh.

“The event was well attended with families and groups taking advantage of the dry weather to visit the stalls, enjoy the inflatables, listen to the music, get something to eat and drink and of course watch the football!

Marching band at the event (Image: Westhoughton Town Council)

“I hope that all the hard work that went into organising the day has raised a lot of money for the charity.”

This was Cllr Wroe’s final engagement as Westhoughton mayor before she handed the chain over to Cllr Sarita Chohan on May 5 – it was also her hundredth engagement in total.

GMP won a narrow victory in the event, outscoring the Darren Deady reps 3-2.

The Darren Deady foundation provides essential support for veterans in the area, including support services, advice, short-term accommodation provision, and education.

Army vehicle at the event (Image: Westhoughton Town Council)

The group also promotes social inclusion amongst veterans and HM forces reservists to help them reintegrate into civilian life and avoid social exclusion.

Other services include food bank assistance, debt relief, and help on filling out forms, all in honour of Darren.

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Police appeal to find missing 16-year-old girl last seen in Radcliffe

Published

1 hour ago

10 May 2026

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Police appeal to find missing 16-year-old girl last seen in Radcliffe

Niamh, aged 16, was last seen at around 10pm on Friday, May 8, on Shetland Way in Radcliffe.

Officers say they are becoming increasingly concerned about her wellbeing and are urging anyone with information to come forward.

She is described as a white female of medium build, approximately 5ft 5in tall, with long brown hair featuring blonde tips.

When last seen, she was wearing black leggings and New Balance trainers.

Her other clothing is unknown.

Greater Manchester Police has issued an urgent appeal as efforts continue to locate her and ensure she is safe and well.

Anyone who has seen Niamh or has information about her whereabouts is asked to contact police on 0161 856 2476 or via 101, quoting log number 633 of May 9, 2026.

In an emergency, always dial 999.

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Chris Packham calls for Government to ban ‘sociopathic’ trail hunting

Published

1 hour ago

10 May 2026

NewsAdmin

Chris Packham calls for Government to ban ‘sociopathic’ trail hunting

Egan, who starred in the 80s sitcom Ever Decreasing Circles and is an active campaigner for animal rights, told the Press Association: “I think it is so important that the Government listen to the British public, 80% of us are against fox hunting, trail hunting, trophy hunting.

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