An interstellar comet that passed through the Solar System last year may be up to 12 billion years old – far older than the Sun.

Scientists used the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope to examine Comet 3I/ATLAS after it visited our galaxy in late 2025.

As the comet moved away, heat from the Sun transformed its ancient ice into a glowing cloud of gas, allowing researchers to analyse its chemical composition in unprecedented detail.

The findings, published in the journal Nature on June 22, suggest the object originated in a distant planetary system during a period known as the Universe’s ‘cosmic noon’, when star formation across the galaxy was at its peak.

Researchers say the comet could have formed between 10 and 12 billion years ago, making it significantly older than the Sun, which is around 4.5 billion years old.

Comet 3I/ATLAS is only the third confirmed interstellar comet ever detected. Its name reflects both its status as the third known visitor from beyond the Solar System and the NASA-funded ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) telescope that first spotted it.

Using Webb’s Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec), scientists measured chemical signatures unlike those seen in any known Solar System comet.

Among the most striking discoveries was an exceptionally high concentration of deuterium, a heavier form of hydrogen. The levels were around 30 times greater than those found in comets originating within the Solar System.

The researchers say this points to the comet having formed in an extremely cold environment early in the Milky Way’s history. The material that eventually became part of 3I/ATLAS appears to have remained deeply frozen for billions of years. The telescope also detected only trace amounts of carbon-13 compared with the lighter carbon-12 isotope.

Because galaxies gradually become enriched with carbon-13 as successive generations of stars live and die, the low levels found in the comet provide further evidence of its ancient origins.

‘This was a unique opportunity to study an ancient object from the distant Galaxy, probably pre-dating our Sun and Solar System,’ said astro-chemist Martin Cordiner of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and lead author of the study. ‘On the one hand, we get direct insight into that distant time and place, and on the other, we learn something about how unusual our own Solar System may be.’

Astronomers from a range of disciplines collaborated to observe the comet during its brief journey through the Solar System. The team secured permission to interrupt Webb’s planned observing schedule in order to study the object. A separate study led by Cyrielle Opitom of the University of Edinburgh, using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope, also examined the comet’s chemical makeup, focusing on forms of carbon and nitrogen contained in cyanide.

Scientists believe such observations could help answer broader questions about the origins of life in the Universe.

‘For us as scientists, finding these rare isotopes is fascinating, but the bigger picture here is looking at the possibilities of prebiotic chemistry elsewhere in the galaxy,’ said Stefanie Milam of NASA Goddard, a co-author of the study.

‘So far, we know of only one place in the vast cosmos where chemical ingredients led to life – our Solar System, our Earth. Analysis of these interstellar objects is a major step towards learning how common, or uncommon, the conditions for the evolution of life are in the Universe.’

BBC Sport will continue to broadcast Wimbledon until 2033 after signing a new deal with the All England Club.

The agreement means the Grand Slam tournament will remain free to air for audiences in the UK across BBC television, radio and digital platforms.

Alex Kay-Jelski, Director of BBC Sport, said: “Wimbledon holds a truly special place in the hearts of audiences across the UK and this new agreement means we can continue our longstanding and deeply valued partnership with the All England Club well into the next decade.

“This is about celebrating one of the world’s greatest sporting events while continuing to evolve how we bring it to audiences.

“With new technology, fresh storytelling, new voices and innovative ways to connect with fans across television, radio, online and social media, we are excited to build the future of Wimbledon coverage together and bring audiences even closer to The Championships than ever before.”

Next year’s tournament will mark 100 years since the BBC first broadcast Wimbledon in 1927.

Under the new deal, audiences will continue to enjoy comprehensive live coverage of the Championships across BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds, and the BBC Sport website and app, as well as across BBC Sport’s extensive social channels.

The 2026 tournament gets under way on Monday with champions Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek defending their singles titles.

This year’s Wimbledon coverage will usher in a fresh new editorial and creative approach from BBC Sport, featuring new voices and personalities, deeper storytelling, enhanced analysis, and technology across TV, radio, online and social platforms – all designed to bring audiences closer to the Championships than ever before.

The announcement follows record-breaking digital audiences for Wimbledon on BBC platforms last summer.

In 2025, the tournament generated 69.3 million online requests across BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and app – the highest digital engagement for the Championships ever recorded.

That figure surpassed the previous record of 54.3 million set in 2023 and marked a significant increase on the 50.1 million online requests recorded in 2024.

Scotland boss Steve Clarke stormed away from his post-match interview after a damaging 3-0 defeat to Brazil at the 2026 World Cup, leaving Scotland’s qualification hopes hanging by a thread

Steve Clarke insisted it was far too premature to contemplate Scotland’s next steps following their damaging defeat to Brazil, with their World Cup prospects hanging by a thread.

The squad will now wait to discover their World Cup fate this weekend after the 3-0 loss to Brazil in Miami, with Clarke visibly distressed as he stormed away from his post-match interview.

The defeat leaves Scotland sitting third in the group during their first appearance at a major tournament in almost 30 years. Vinicius Junior netted twice, keeping up his record of scoring in every World Cup fixture so far, while Matheus Cunha added a third to seal the result.

It is now a painful waiting game, with the 1-0 victory over Haiti offering Scotland a slim opportunity of advancing to the round of 32 as one of the strongest third-placed sides. That, however, hinges entirely on how other nations fare.

The statistics had given them a reasonable chance of progressing even with a defeat by two goals or fewer, but conceding three or more has significantly reduced those prospects.

As things stand, Scotland have a -3 goal difference, leaving them vulnerable to being overtaken as other sides play out their remaining group fixtures over the coming days.

Clarke and his squad will not learn their fate until around Sunday, when Group J draws to a close.

Speaking on the pitch following the final whistle, he said: “We made it difficult for ourselves. That’s it. We gave them the goals. We gave them the game they wanted. Disappointing. We made it difficult for ourselves, that’s it. We gave them the goals, we gave them the game they wanted. Disappointing,” reports the Mirror.

When pressed on the agonising wait, Clarke responded: “I don’t even think about that,” before turning and walking away.

As a consequence, the BBC were left to cut back to Kelly Cates in their Salford studio. Clarke subsequently returned to give a full post-match interview, and has since stated that Scotland are ‘for sure’ heading home.

Captain Andy Robertson, who was substituted at half-time with a suspected injury, told the broadcaster: “We started the game well and were keeping the ball pushed up the pitch. They put us in a false sense of security and we thought we had more time on the ball. We then get punished, we’re 1-0 down and you have to try and fight back.

“But we knew we were up against a real quality team. We’re just off the pitch but the initial reaction is one of frustration because in certain moments, we let ourselves down. We couldn’t quite afford to do that. We’ve only got ourselves to blame. Time will tell. We need to take a day or two and see what’s happened. We didn’t want to put ourselves in a position where we watch every game and hope for favours and hope this team score and all that. We’ve put ourselves in a really difficult situation.

“If you ask me now, I don’t think it’s enough. I don’t think we’ve done enough. But time will tell, maybe I’ll be proved wrong and we’ll get another shot at it. I hope that’s the case. But the next couple of days is going to be horrible and long, but this is the situation we’ve put ourselves in so we have to deal with it.”

Meanwhile, midfielder John McGinn added: “Gutted obviously. To lose more goals at poor times against a team that can punish you with quality… We had a few chances to get a goal ourselves which would have been important at the end but we’ve just got to wait now. You can see the lads are gutted. We fell short on quality tonight but we gave it absolutely everything.

“The lads are empty now. If we’re to go through, we’ll have to see over the next few days. We’ve given ourselves a more difficult chance. It’s unlikely now, I would say, but we’ll see. In moments, Brazil hurt you. They allowed us to have the play and at this level if you make mistakes, you get punished. This is the top level. We probably got fortunate with the goal that got disallowed. We know we have to be better. We just need to wait and see now.”

McGinn continued: “It’s a bit raw at the minute but we appreciate the support of the fans. We know how difficult it is to be here and hopefully the journey’s not over. They’ve been absolutely outstanding and if we’re to go again, we’ll go again.”

In the other Group C fixture, Morocco claimed a 4-2 victory over Haiti to clinch second place. They finished level on seven points with Brazil, but the Selecao pipped them on goal difference.

The body of Jean Hanlon, from Dumfries, was found in the water in Crete’s Heraklion on March 13, 2009, four days after she disappeared during a night out.

The family of a mum found dead in a Greek harbour have hit more heartache in their 17-year fight for justice after her murder trial was postponed at the eleventh hour.

The body of Jean Hanlon, from Dumfries, was found in the water in Crete’s Heraklion on March 13, 2009, four days after she disappeared during a night out.

After a long fight for answers, a man known to Jean was finally set to stand trial today accused of murdering the 53-year-old.

But her three sons were left stunned by a “massive setback” in the case after travelling out to Crete together for the first time since the tragedy to watch the man accused of killing her face court.

Jean’s son Michael Porter said: “The accused has appealed for a postponement and it was approved on Tuesday. So after travelling all the way out here and building up for it, the trial it is not happening on Friday.

“Yet again we feel failed by the Greek system. The entitlement is all about the accused and there’s nothing for the victims. To do this two days before the trial is disgusting.”

He added: “It feels like another painful lack of respect for our mum and for everything we have fought for.”

Ms Hanlon moved to Crete in 2005, working in bars and restaurants in the coastal resort of Kato Gouves.

The mother-of-three’s death was initially reported as a drowning, but a second post mortem suggested she had injuries consistent with a struggle.

The examination found a catalogue of injuries including a broken neck, punctured lung and shattered rib.

Jean’s family have faced a series of setbacks in their battle for justice ever since.

The case was “archived” by local authorities in 2018 but in 2021, police confirmed a third probe into Jean’s case.

The case was passed to the Greek Department of Organised Crime, which concluded that a crime took place which led to Jean’s death.

A report from a private investigator was then passed on to prosecuting authorities last year, which finally led to a major breakthrough.

Haris Flaskounis’s investigation had focused on the contents of Jean’s diary, which she wrote in every day and led to him befriending the suspect in the case and securing vital information which led to the prosecution.

A 54-year-old man who is originally from Crete is understood to have been charged in January last year.

However, in August the case was thrown into doubt over claims of insufficient evidence from Greek officials. But the family’s legal team confirmed appeal judges at Heraklion Judicial Council had ruled that the man would stand trial for Jean’s murder.

Michael, 40, said the development had given the family hope after 17 years, saying : “We never thought we would get to this point.

“It is a victory but we’ve not won the war. We might get the closure we need, to finally let Mum rest.”

The accused was set to go on trial tomorrow at Lassithi Criminal Court, Neapoli.

But with just three days until the case was set to start, Michael learned of the devastating delay at a court hearing as his brothers David and Robert were preparing to board their flights.

The family understands the accused had just recently instructed a lawyer who required more time to prepare the case.

Michael said: “The courts should have alerted us to this. They must have known he’s no had a lawyer for all that time.

“We’ve had the expense of travelling out here and taken the time off work, which is just the superficial things, but it’s also the mental preparation it has taken.

“On Friday we will attend the court. We don’t accept the adjournment. Hopefully we will find out how long he will be allowed to postpone this. It’s a bit up in the air at the moment.

“It just shows how the victims are being treated yet again.”

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Almost every building standing in the North Yorkshire village today was built from what the monks left behind, and the houses sit directly on what was once the monastery’s inner court.

The village itself

Rievaulx, about 25 minutes east of Thirsk, is a hamlet of stone cottages enclosed by steep, heavily wooded hills in the valley of the River Rye.

The Cistercians – a Roman Catholic order of monks and nuns that originated in France – chose to settle in this spot in 1132 because it was remote and enclosed, suiting their rule of silence and separation from the world.

They then proceeded to transform it entirely: diverting the river to create flat ground, raising 72 buildings across 92 acres, and turning a narrow wooded valley into one of the great centres of medieval power in the north of England.

After the Dissolution, ironmasters built a blast furnace in the ruins and the abbey grounds became an industrial ironworking site for a century.

Then the stone was quarried and repurposed, and the village grew up around and on top of what remained.

The result is a settlement unlike almost anywhere else in Britain: a living community whose fabric is inseparable from the ruin it surrounds.

The abbey

Founded in March 1132 by twelve monks from Clairvaux Abbey in Burgundy, Rievaulx became the first Cistercian monastery in northern England and one of the most influential in Europe.

At its peak under Abbot Aelred in the 1160s it housed 140 monks and more than 500 lay brothers, founded 19 daughter abbeys, and grew enormously wealthy on wool exports reaching as far as Italy.

Aelred himself, born in Hexham in 1110 and raised at the court of King David I of Scotland, became abbot in 1147 and ran the community until his death in 1167. He was a theologian, diplomat and writer whose book On Spiritual Friendship remains in print today.

The west range of the monastery he knew, dating from 1135 to 1142, is the earliest surviving Cistercian building in Europe.

By the time Henry VIII dissolved it in December 1538, only 23 monks remained.

English Heritage manages the ruins and they are open daily from 10am to 5pm.

(Image: SUBMIT)

Rievaulx Terrace

On the ridge directly above the village, Rievaulx Terrace was created between 1749 and 1758 by Thomas Duncombe III as one of England’s earliest examples of Picturesque garden design.

The grass terrace follows a serpentine course along the escarpment, engineered to reveal 12 carefully framed views down to the abbey ruins in the valley below. A Palladian temple stands at each end.

Walking

A waymarked footpath connects Helmsley to Rievaulx through the wooded valley of the River Rye, taking around 50 minutes each way through some of the finest broadleaved woodland in the North York Moors.

Longer circular routes from the village take in the terrace, the moor above and ridgeline views across Ryedale.

Where to eat and drink

The on-site cafe at Rievaulx Abbey Cafe serves hot meals, sandwiches, homemade soup, cakes and scones, accessible without paying abbey admission.

Reviewers consistently single out the handmade cakes and the view of the ruins from the tearoom.

Mannion and Co in Helmsley, three miles south on the market square, is a well-regarded cafe and deli serving seasonal lunches and excellent coffee.

The Star Inn at Harome is a Michelin-starred resturant four miles from Rievaulx in the village of Harome.

Getting there

Rievaulx is in the North York Moors National Park, three kilometres north of Helmsley off the B1257.

The postcode for the abbey and village is YO62 5LB. There is parking on site at the abbey.

The Met Office extended its rare red extreme heat warning for parts of Wales wrning that temperatures could approach 40C during what has been described as a “severe weather event”.

The highest-level weather alert, originally due to expire at 9pm on Thursday, will now remain in force until 11pm. It covers Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea, Torfaen and the Vale of Glamorgan

The Met Office said: “During the heatwave expected to affect a large part of England and Wales this week, the highlighted area now looks increasingly likely to see a two to three day period where maximum temperatures in the shade exceed 37 Celsius, perhaps rising to 38 to 40 Celsius in some places.”

Forecasters warned the heat will be accompanied by high humidity and unusually warm nights, making it harder for people to recover from the extreme daytime temperatures.

Chief Reporter Mark McGivern believes the latest capitulation by the CMA offers the perfect justification for a UK legal ban on touting.

The Daily Record’s chief reporter Mark McGivern has written extensively about ticket touts – and the platforms that make millions from their dodgy profiteering. He believes the latest capitulation by the CMA offers the perfect justification for a UK legal ban on touting.

So, the UK’s consumer watchdog says it’s finally getting tough on ticket touts. Give me a break.

A £900,000 fine for “drip pricing” on the notorious StubHub UK site, as trumpeted by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) this week, is no more than a pittance.

It’s a drop in the ocean weighed against the tens of millions of pounds they’ve made on the back of handling rip-off sales for ticket touts- many of whom are crooks.

As a journalist who’s written umpteen articles on the wild profiteering of companies like StubHub and Viagogo over the years, via our Stub Out The Touts campaign, I can testify to the toothlessness of the (CMA).

It’s a frustration that’s shared by many in the music business and FanFair Alliance, a true consumer champion.

Action trumpeted by the CMA this week includes a refund of a tenner for around 51,000 customers who were given sneaky surcharges at the end of their buying process.

This will cost StubHub around £500,000 – a gentle slap on the wrist.

The miniscule level of penalty means the only winners in the action are StubHub, who will be rubbing their hands at getting away with it – again.

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And this, again, is another win for StubHub – getting off even lighter by admitting to something for which they could have little defence in court.

The fact of the matter is that the CMA has used exactly the same soft-soap strategy they did with Viagogo, over whom they obtained a court order that, almost comically, instructed them to stop routinely breaking UK consumer law.

In relation to the current example of scandalous price gouging, StubHub has said the issue of hidden fees was not a part of its business model, and that it had fixed the issue.

Yet it’s a matter of record that, in 2020, StubHub UK was caught breaking a raft of consumer laws – like exaggerating scarcity of tickets and failing to tell buyers that touted tickets would be invalid. Predictably, they got away with a warning.

The bigger Viagogo court order was breached so many times it made a mockery of the CMA’s role.

Demonstrable toothlessness of the CMA was probably a significant factor in persuading the UK government to launch a proper crackdown on rogue sites and touts – via a legal ban on profit from the resale of tickets.

Keir Starmer pledged to bring forward a truly game-changing law that would protect fans. But the inclusion of a legal ticket tout ban as a less emphatic “draft bill” in the King’s Speech was a hammer blow to anyone who has campaigned for this.

The main takeaway from the “draft” status announced in May was that the UK government had been nobbled by lobbyists for the big secondary sites – who peddle nonsense about how touts are good for consumers and for the economy.

When I appeared as a witness at Westminster’s probe into ticket abuse by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee in 2017, Viagogo failed to even take their seat.

The lawlessness allowed on their site – and the breaches of UK law – were so indefensible they never bothered to make an effort.

For my part, I told of the investigation of the Daily Record into “supertouts” like Scot Andrew Newman and a host of others who made a fortune off ripping off others, all done on sites that profited hugely from the enterprise.

I told MPs that any referendum on the issue of ticket touting would bring a landslide vote for a crackdown.

The same sentiment would surely ring true today and the outrage over ticket profiteering by FIFA at the World Cup only underlines this.

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With the Labour government currently caught up in its own current existential crisis, it may be that one draft bill among a comprehensive legislative programme will not be a number one priority for heir apparent Andy Burnham, who could be Prime Minister within weeks.

But if this party saviour is riding into power on a ticket of being a “man of the people” there are fewer easier ways of justifying that billing than being the hammer of the ticket touts.

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It is the last surviving Games in Lanarkshire, and celebrated its 64th year.

The sun shone on Glebe Park for the annual Lesmahagow Highland Games.

Chieftain Eric Watson opened the event and Tartan Queen Ruby Manson looked lovely alongside Princesses Kirstie Morris, Gracie Carr and Clansmen Denis Kilgour and Jack Blackwood.

As ever, the community turned out in force to support the popular event that celebrated its 64th year.

David Abercrombie, chairman of Lesmahagow Highland Games, said: “Lesmahagow Highland Games, into its 64th year, is the only surviving Games in the whole of Lanarkshire.

“We have a very strong local community bond, and the villagers turn out in their thousands to watch the spectacle of the Chieftain’s Procession, followed by free entry to the Games which featured pipe bands, Highland dancing, Scottish back-hold wrestling, cheer and pom, street dancing, heavyweight contest, funfair, inflatables, pony rides, mini-pet zoo, climbing wall, market street and much much more.

“This year we had visitors from New Zealand, United States, France, Germany and Australia. Bill Right, who left lesmahagow for Australia some 60 years ago, returned to play the pipes in Coalburn IOR band for the first time since the early 60s.

“Eric Watson was our Chieftain, and our 64th Tartan Queen was Ruby Manson, now soon to be a pupil at Lesmahagow High School. Her court was made up of Princesses Kirstie Morris, Gracie Carr and Clansmen Denis Kilgour and Jack Blackwood.

“Although we had torrential rain over the preceding days, the sun shone all day long on Saturday, and the park remained busy all day in the afternoon heat. Our Chieftain, Tartan Queen and her Court later went on to the Chieftain’s Ceilidh, where they all danced the night away til the wee sma’ hours.”

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Thursday will bring another day of hot weather across most of England and Wales as temperatures will once again rise to the low to mid 30s Celsius.

For parts of central southern England, the Midlands, east and north-east Wales, Thursday will be hotter than Wednesday.

Temperatures could be as high as 37 or 38C around central southern England, which would beat the new June record set on Wednesday in Gosport.

It will also be a warmer day for Scotland and Northern Ireland with temperatures up to 25 to 30C for many.

Though, further north in Scotland it will still be cooler – or indeed around average – with highs of around 15-20C.

Disruption is likely to continue on the transport network with train operators asking passengers to travel only if absolutely necessary.

The Met Office red extreme heat warning for the south Midlands, south-east Wales and southern England is valid until 23:59 GMT Thursday.

But amber extreme warnings – the second highest level – will still be in place for parts of England through until Saturday.

While sunny for most of the UK, later on Thursday we’ll see some heavy showers and thunderstorms developing in south-west England where there is a yellow warning from the Met Office from 18:00 to 23:59 GMT.

With gusty winds and intense rainfall, there could be some localised flash flooding.

Rail passengers travelling to and from Greater Manchester are being urged to consider only making essential journeys this week as extreme heat continues to disrupt services.

Train operators have warned that the high temperatures can both rail infrastructure and train performance, increasing the likelihood of faults, delays and short-notice cancellations.

⚠️ With continued high temperatures we are reminding people to check before they travel.

Extreme heat can affect both rail infrastructure and train performance. Higher temperatures increase the risk of faults and delays, which can make services less reliable.

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To reduce this… pic.twitter.com/2WgKypFMK0

— NORTHERN 🚆 (@northernassist) June 24, 2026

To minimise disruption, a reduced timetable has been introduced on several routes in and out of Manchester, with fewer services running so operators can focus on keeping trains that do run as reliable as possible. This timetable will continue into Friday.

We’ve introduced ticket easements for this week to help give you some flexibility.

If you have a Northern ticket dated Tuesday 23, Wednesday 24, Thursday 25 June or Friday 26 June:

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• You can travel on any of our trains earlier on the same day at no extra cost.
• Or you can…

— NORTHERN 🚆 (@northernassist) June 24, 2026

Passengers have been told to expect longer waiting times, busy trains and potential last-minute changes to services.

A statement issued to customers said: “Due to the continued extreme heat, we have significantly reduced the number of trains running on routes in and out of Manchester, and services remain in high demand.

“We strongly recommend customers consider whether their journey is necessary.”

Rail bosses are urging travellers to check their full journey before setting off and to allow extra time if they do need to travel.

The warning comes as temperatures across the region are expected to climb above 30C, placing additional strain on the rail network.

Operators explained that extreme heat can cause rails to expand and equipment to overheat, making services less reliable and increasing the risk of delays.

As a result, services have been scaled back on key routes to reduce pressure on the system and avoid more widespread disruption.

Passengers who do travel are being advised to take precautions, including carrying water and staying hydrated during journeys.

The statement added: “If you feel unwell, please do not board the train and speak to a member of staff for help.”

Travellers can check live service updates using the Northern app or via the National Rail website, where a full list of affected routes has also been published.

Despite the challenges, operators say they are working to keep people moving as efficiently as possible during the heatwave.

A spokesman added: “We’ve introduced ticket easements for this week to help give you some flexibility.

“If you have a Northern ticket dated Tuesday 23, Wednesday 24, Thursday 25 June or Friday 26 June.

” You can travel on any of our trains earlier on the same day at no extra cost or your can use your ticket on Friday, 26 June or Saturday, 27 June.”