Scientists discover real dawn behind Van Gogh’s Starry Night

Researchers believe they might have pinpointed the exact night sky depicted in Vincent van Gogh’s painting .

The revelation is challenging the dating of the artwork, long considered one of the world’s most famous.

In a study published in the journal , researchers said the celestial bodies depicted match the sky the Dutch artist may have seen on about 22 July 1889.

That is about a month later than the usual date given for the work. At that time, Van Gogh was living at an asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, where he had admitted himself after a series of mental health crises.

Hyades star cluster clue

• The June date rests on a letter Van Gogh wrote to his brother on about 18 June, describing “a new study of a starry sky” and on a mental breakdown in July, thought to have left him unable to paint for weeks.
• Moving the date to July means the moon, Venus and a star cluster called the Hyades that are shown could have been seen by Van Gogh from his window at the asylum.

A real or imagined sky?

We had to measure the degree of resemblance between the star patterns in the painting and the real sky.

The team used astronomy software to recreate the dawn sky for every day in June and July 1889. Only three dates qualified, and 22 July was the closest match.

Inconclusive results

• However, the researchers acknowledged the results were not conclusive, and suggested that Van Gogh may have combined the skies of several days.

The English seaside towns
at risk of Russian sabotage

Among the gorse bushes, close to the beaches where surfers catch their morning waves, lies a series of undersea cables critical to British daily life and on Vladimir Putin’s target list for sabotage.

Russia wages ‘grey-zone’ war

Running directly into Cornwall’s picturesque coastline, these cables are on the front line to protect Britain’s communications infrastructure, and any breakages – or destruction – risk crippling key services like hospitals, banks and mobile telecoms.

These cables are resilient, but fears of sabotage have heightened as Russia wages its “grey-zone” war against Britain.

The Royal Navy’s chief, General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, warned earlier this year that Russia could attack the UK’s underwater cables during day one of any conflict with Nato.

This week, reported that Russia has been deploying fishing trawlers to spy on key sea cables around the British Isles.

Russia eyes UK coastlines

They will definitely be interested in the cables landing in Cornwall or Suffolk.

Beyond cables, Russia is probably also looking to exploit “weak spots much further ashore,” said Katja Bego, author of Deep Connections: The Hidden Battles to Control Subsea Cables.

The biggest threat of sabotage may lie at remote spots along Britain’s coastline.

The seaside spots ‘especially vulnerable’ to sabotage

A parliamentary report published last September warned that the landing stations where the cables reach shore may be “the most vulnerable part of the system”.

While military cables are secret, civilian cables and the landing stations housing them are not concealed.

• In its September report, the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy said security risks were intensified by the fact that many landing stations house multiple cables, with the sleepy Cornish town of Bude housing nine alone.
• Lowestoft in Suffolk is also an area of concern, with five cables running into it, according to the report.
• Blackpool in Lancashire, Highbridge in Somerset and the coastal stretch near Ramsgate and Broadstairs in Kent also host multiple cables.

The actors tipped to become the next James Bond

The search for the next James Bond may finally be coming to a close, with a handful of actors reportedly preparing for a screen test this weekend.

Let’s take a look at who is tipped to play the next 007.

It is unclear who the other actors joining Turner and Lowden will be.

Lights, camera, action!

The tests are understood to include three elements: stunts, camera presence and dialogue.

Reports vary that between three and five actors are finalists for the role, which was left open by Daniel Craig after 2021’s . It has been more than 20 years since the last full screen test for Bond, before Craig first stepped into the role in 2006’s Casino Royale.

• Speculation over the new Bond has intensified since film-maker Denis Villeneuve was revealed as director in 2025.
• The film is still reportedly positioned for a 2028 release.
• It will be the first Bond from Amazon MGM Studios, which bought the franchise rights as part of an $8.45bn (£6.9bn) deal in 2022.

Fans to wait a little longer

We’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right.

Amazon MGM Studios paid more than $1bn last year to wrest “creative control” from the Broccoli family, who remain co-owners of the franchise.

The studio neither confirmed nor denied reports of a London screening, and said: “We don’t plan to comment on specific details during the casting process.”

A terror investigation is under way after one person was killed and four others injured in a drive-by shooting in a Paris suburb.

What do we know so far?

• Gunshots were fired in the Yvelines ​district and a suspect was arrested near the town of Trappes.
• The motive is currently unclear but the anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office said it was investigating.
• Mayor of Trappes Ali Rabeh said a man ⁠had fired shots ⁠from his car and “appeared to be firing at random and seemed ‌intent on carrying out a massacre”.
• Rabeh said a 12-year-old ‌girl was also among the injured, but this has not been confirmed by police.

The story so far in pictures

Five key takeaways from the Mercury Prize 2026

Raye has won the 2026 Mercury Prize for her second album This Music May Contain Hope, featuring the global hit song “Where Is My Husband?”

The pop record, on which Hanz Zimmer was a collaborator, beat the likes of Sir Paul McCartney, Olivia Dean and Ex-Little Mix star Jade to scoop the £25,000 prize.

First pop album to win

It is the first pop record to win the prize – which has recognised the best British or Irish album of the last 12 months since 1994.

Speaking to the BBC afterwards, Raye said she’d “poured everything I had” into the record – which was delayed by almost a year after all of her songwriting books and demos were stolen.

Straying from the norm

• Of the last 35 winners, 20 have been debut albums – from artists including Arctic Monkeys, Suede and Franz Ferdinand.
• Many people have mistakenly assumed the Mercury Price is dedicated to first albums – but this year’s shortlist included only two: Dove Ellis’s , and Jade’s .

A blow to record company execs

Raye’s win acts as a symbolic blow to mainstream music executives.

In 2021, the singer publicly cut ties with her former record label after accusing them of withholding her debut album for years.

Across 17 tracks and 73 minutes, Raye’s record tells a cinematic story about the end of a relationship where she emerges stronger and more resilient.

This year’s awards appeared to celebrate that gritty, long-form format over bubbly singles or TikTok-trending tracks.

Florence + The Machine now joint highest nominee with no wins

Florence + The Machine are now the Mercury’s joint highest nominee without winning, tying with Radiohead on five unconverted nominations.

Paul McCartney also missed out, alongside Britpop band Suede, rapper Dave, Knats, and debut star Dove Ellis.

Crystal Palace urged to retire bald eagle mascot – what we know

An animal rights group is urging Crystal Palace to retire their live bald eagle mascot with immediate effect.

The group, Peta, has argued that a “bright stadium filled with boisterous fans is no place for animals”.

What you need to know

• Peta asked the Premier League club to stop using the eagle, named Phoenix, in pre-match displays at Selhurst Park and to never use live animal mascots again.
• The London team, known as the Eagles since 1973, introduced a live eagle to matchdays in 2010.
• Kayla, who died in 2020, performed the role for 10 years and her replacement, Phoenix, made her debut against West Ham in 2024.

• Peta says birds can become “frightened, disoriented and panicked” in stadium environments, putting themselves and fans at risk.
• Using them for entertainment means the animals cannot engage with their natural instincts, leading to “stress”, Peta added.

The organisation has “detailed records” of incidents involving live mascots being injured in these kinds of environments.

The UK is braced for “damaging” winds and heavy downpours with two named storms expected to wreak disruption on Friday and over the weekend.

Storm Austen, the first named storm of the season, could bring gusts of up to 80mph to parts of south-west England, with 60-70mph winds expected widely in the region.

Where will be worst-hit?

The Met Office has issued an amber warning for wind, covering , and the Isles of Scilly, coming into effect from 1am and remaining in place until 10am.

• Strong winds will be combined with spells of heavy rain, though gusts will gradually ease over Friday.
• The forecaster said Storm Austen is “likely to bring some disruption and possible damaging winds” and warned of disruption on the roads.
• Flying debris is “likely”, and the storm will “probably” bring some damage to buildings.
• In coastal areas, large waves could pose a danger to life.

The story so far in pictures

The expert view

This is the first stormy weather in the south of the UK this season and we expect some disruption as it moves through. With trees in leaf, it is likely fallen branches and trees could obstruct roads and railways so take extra care on the Friday morning commute.

Neil Armstrong, Chief met office forecaster

The autumn jobs gardeners are getting wrong – and the easy fixes

Digging over the soil

Standard advice has been to dig soil every autumn. But according to organic gardener Charles Dowding, soil should be disturbed as little as possible.

Clearing dead leaves

Raking fallen leaves can be counterproductive. Leaves on flower beds are a useful source of organic matter.

Bird feeding

While new studies suggest bird feeders can spread disease.

Save birdseed for colder months

A disease called trichomonosis can spread to greenfinches and chaffinches via birdfeeders. Greenfinch numbers have dropped by 60 per cent in the UK since the 1990s, mainly due to this disease.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) said this year people should only offer birdseed and peanuts from November to April, when the cold kills off the parasite.

Leave the mess

Once flower beds have died back, it is tempting to neaten things up. But seed heads are a food source for birds, while leaves can become shelters for insects that are fodder for robins, wrens and goldcrests.

No crocks in pots

Standard advice is to put a layer of coarse material at the bottom of every pot to improve drainage. But this can actually saturate the compost even more – which we don’t want.