Om ook ’s nachts gebruik te kunnen maken van zonlicht, wil Reflect Orbital 50.000 satellieten met spiegels in een baan rond de aarde krijgen. Voor de lancering van het eerste prototype hebben ze nu toestemming gekregen.

Trump wil minder Amerikaanse inbreng in de NAVO op een moment dat de zorgen over agressie van de Russische president Poetin alleen maar toenemen. Op die dubbele dreiging is maar een antwoord mogelijk: meer Europa.

Asielzoekers die door de grote drukte niet meer worden toegelaten tot het azc in Ter Apel, hoeven niet meer buiten te wachten. De overheid verklaart de directe omgeving van het azc tot ‘veiligheidsrisicogebied’, waar preventief gefouilleerd kan worden.

Nog op zoek naar een inspiratie voor je stedentrip? NRC vroeg tips aan locals voor bestemmingen die binnen een dag met de trein te bereiken zijn.

FOTO: Een spekkoper uit het verhaal

Zul je AL-TIJD zien. Wordt iedereen en z'n rijbewijsloze moeder Ursula jarenlang aangespoord over te stappen op een laadbak omdat dat goedkoper, écht goedkoper zou worden, blijkt dat helemaal niet goedkoper, écht goedkoper te zijn geworden. De ANWB deed onderzoek naar de prijzen van diesel, benzine en laden (tanken in Nederland blijkt het duurst jeej!) en zag dat rijden op diesel en benzine in de meeste landen goedkoper is dan elektrisch rijden. En dat terwijl diesel en benzine dus al totaal niet meer te betalen zijn door het kabinet-Jetten en de ayatollahtol (goed, en de Trumppoetpech). Bovendien kost tanken ook nog eens veel minder tijd, en ook tijd is geld dus tel uit die winst. Die elektrowagens zijn dan misschien stuk voor stuk pareltjes van pracht maar wij gebruiken voor onze bedrijfsreisjes gewoon lekker de GeenStijl-dieselbus. Je komt er de roze stad Amsterdam niet mee in, maar wij gaan wat reisjes betreft toch veel liever naar Klein Amsterdam (Benidorm).

Meer hoeft u niet te weten

Jeetjemineetje, u raadt nooit waar het een totale bende is. Juist, bij het COA-aanmeldcentrum in Ter Apel, waar alles wat VLUCHT VOOR OORLOG EN GEWELD ons land binnenstroomt. Dat wisten we natuurlijk al lang en dat wist bijvoorbeeld ook het Rode Kruis, voor wie de agressieve sfeer (afkomstig van: 'een groepje mannen') zo akelig werd dat ze de benen namen. Zelfs de poeslieve reporters van de NOS werd het aardig heet onder de voeten dus dan kun je spreken van een aanzienlijk probleem. Het land aanmeldcentrum is druk voller dan vol en alles wat niet naar binnen kan zorgt buiten voor totale mayhem, dus neemt het kabinet nu een extra maatregel in de vorm van een veiligheidsrisicogebied. Asielzoekers worden voor het aanmeldcentrum preventief gefouilleerd en vervolgens worden ze teruggestuurd naar een ander pand gebracht om hun aanmelding af te wachten. Als ze binnen eenmaal overlast veroorzaken moeten ze permanent buiten blijven. Poeh poeh. Probleem opgelost verplaatst!

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or: why should CHICAGO POPE have all the fun

Scientists have detected a sugar in interstellar space, suggesting the galaxy may be liberally sprinkled with some of life's chemical ingredients. A new study shows that a sugar molecule containing four carbon atoms, called erythrulose, has been found near the center of the Milky Way, the first confirmed detection of a monosaccharide in the interstellar medium. Living organisms use sugars as energy sources, structural components, and constituents of genetic material. While scientists have previously found ribose and glucose in meteorite and asteroid samples, indicating they also exist in space, monosaccharide forms of sugar in deep space had remained elusive – if we're not counting glycolaldehyde, which is often loosely described as the simplest sugar, or a sugar precursor. Astrobiology researcher Izaskun Jiménez-Serra and her colleagues found the sugar in large clouds of gas and dust near the center of our galaxy using ultrasensitive spectral surveys performed by Spain's Yebes 40-meter and IRAM 30-meter radio telescopes. The researchers identified the sugar compound by matching 12 sets of signals in the survey data with erythrulose's laboratory-measured spectral signature. "Erythrulose appears to be at least eight times more abundant than analogous three-carbon sugars, which remain undetected in our ultrasensitive observations," says the paper, published in Nature Astronomy this week. Quantum chemical and astrochemical models indicate that erythrulose forms efficiently on interstellar dust grains from simpler two-carbon molecules, the study found. The researchers say the findings suggest that erythrulose can be made from simpler molecules on dust grains in space, eventually becoming part of more complex chemical systems. "The discovery of interstellar erythrulose suggests that the interstellar medium could be a viable source of sugar feedstock for the prebiotic synthesis of the first nucleic acids, not only on the primitive Earth but also elsewhere in the Universe," the paper states. While the discovery of sugars in deep space may be tantalizing for any budding explorers of the galaxy, there's no need to travel that far to find erythrulose. It occurs naturally on Earth, including in raspberries. ®

Philips is replacing Hue Bridge Pro devices after a software update left several units bricked with no way for users to restore them. Rumblings began in forums in June after a seemingly innocuous update left users, quite literally, in the dark. After a few weeks attempting to resolve the issues, Philips has thrown in the towel and said it will replace affected devices. A spokesperson told The Register, "We have identified a firmware issue affecting a limited number of Philips Hue Bridge Pro devices under a very specific software update scenario. Our data shows that fewer than 100 devices have been impacted." As for the problem itself, "The issue can occur when a Bridge Pro with automatic software updates disabled has remained on an older software version for an extended period, and a software update is then manually installed under a specific set of conditions. "In affected cases, the Bridge Pro can become inoperable and display a red LED, resulting in a loss of connectivity with the Philips Hue app and connected devices." The spokesperson told us that affected users should contact the company's customer support: "All Bridge Pro devices confirmed to have been impacted by this specific issue will be replaced free of charge, regardless of warranty status." Which is great, except that if you have to set up a network of lights and devices again from scratch, that's a substantial amount of work. Backing up a configuration isn't an option at the moment. The Hue Bridge Pro is a hub for the Philips Hue lighting system. It can support more than 150 lights and over 50 accessories. According to Philips, "Equipped with a new chip capable of running complex algorithms and AI-powered features, it's faster and stronger than ever." Except, it appears, when Philips emits an update that bricks some of them. The incident highlights the risks associated with smart homes and their devices. Support could be abruptly pulled, the device's origin might not be what you expect, or, as in the case of the Philips Hue Bridge Pro, a firmware update could leave a device hopelessly bricked. Philips should be commended for its replacement plan, particularly when a device is out of warranty, although questions remain about its validation and qualification procedures. As for the device itself, Philips released an update on Monday to address the issue (where devices haven't been bricked) and urged users to enable automatic updates to receive the firmware update as it rolls out. ®

The UK and EU are demanding urgent action from critical infrastructure organizations after formally attributing the December 2025 cyberattack on Poland's power grid to Russia's Federal Security Service. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) described the attack, carried out by the FSB's Centre 16 division, as "another example of the Russian state's irresponsible attempts to sow chaos across Europe." Milosz Motyka, Poland's energy minister, confirmed the attack on the country's power grid in January. He said experts suspected that whoever was behind it attempted to disrupt communication between renewable hardware and power distribution operators. The attack was ultimately unsuccessful, but suspicion quickly fell on Russia. Attackers tried to deploy the destructive DynoWiper malware, a move typically associated with Russian state-backed operations. Mandiant previously tied the 2023 blackouts in Ukraine to Sandworm's deployment of CaddyWiper malware, while the NCSC and its allies fingered the same military intelligence unit for the 2022 WhisperGate wiper attacks at the start of Russia's invasion. As The Register reported at the time, the FCDO said the attack in Poland could have left half a million Poles without power in midwinter – a cyberattack with potentially lethal consequences. We asked the NCSC to provide more information about what evidence allowed it to attribute the Poland energy attack to Russia's FSB, but it declined to comment on operational matters. Time to act The UK NCSC co-authored a technical advisory, published Monday, which highlights the latest developments in Russia's tradecraft, urging those most at risk to apply the recommended mitigations. It said organizations in the following sectors are most at risk from Centre 16 cyberattacks: communications, defense industrial base, energy, financial services, government services and facilities (especially organizations at the state and local level), and healthcare and public health. The headline mitigation recommended by the intelligence agencies is to disable SNMPv1 and SNMPv2, opting instead for SNMPv3 with authPriv, which comes with strong authentication and data encryption, and to disable Cisco Smart Install on all devices. Centre 16's common tactics involve scanning for devices that respond with SNMPv1/2. These support default or easily guessed community strings, which are commonly abused to gain access to network devices such as routers – a technique the NCSC and others issued separate warnings about in April. Attackers can abuse SNMP access to obtain device configuration data and transfer it to a server under their control, which can later facilitate persistent access. Although SNMP scanning is the principal tactic described, the advisory also covers the exploitation of Cisco devices, including those with Smart Install enabled. Defenders examining the document will notice overlapping tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) between Centre 16 and other Russia-aligned threat groups, the intelligence partners wrote. Jonathon Ellison, director of national resilience at the NCSC, said: "The NCSC, alongside our international partners, have repeatedly exposed the advanced tools and coordinated campaigns of Russian cyber actors who persistently seek to exploit any vulnerability they encounter. "Today's joint advisory provides decisive, actionable directions from the global security community that network defenders should implement to protect against Russian Intelligence operations and secure the UK's critical infrastructure. "I'd strongly encourage all organisations, especially those entrusted with UK critical networks, to adopt these recommended measures immediately, thereby reducing the risk of compromise." Fresh sanctions The UK and EU have each added an array of Russian individuals and entities to their sanctions lists, including GRU officials, cybercriminals, and hacktivists. Members of pro-Kremlin outlet Rybar also makes an appearance, owing to its false narratives about Ukraine and alleged interference with European elections. The most high-profile designations concern Vyacheslav Stafeyev, Ivan Senin, and Ivan Kasyanenko – three GRU leaders accused of orchestrating cyber and hybrid operations. They also allegedly worked with cybercriminals and a company called IMPULS with a view to recruit cybersecurity specialists from universities and academies across Russia. UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: "These sanctions strike at the core of the cybercriminal networks propping up the Russian state's aggression, and the UK and EU are sending a clear message that Russia cannot hide behind its use of these proxy groups.  "From directing criminals to targeting businesses, and striking Poland's energy grid in the depths of winter, the Russian state is sinking to new lows in its attempts to undermine European security. "Together with our partners, Britain will continue to call out this behaviour, bolster our resilience and respond to the hybrid threat posed by the Russian state. This will not deter us from supporting Ukraine." Sanctions were also imposed against three individuals accused of being operators of Lumma Stealer, one of the major infostealer malware strains that play a significant role in the cybercrime economy. National Crime Agency data suggests that in the UK alone, at least 2,100 victims were identified as infected over six months. The UK confirmed that the Russian state has used Lumma Stealer to gather stolen credentials and launch cyberespionage operations against global targets. The 24 sanctions unveiled on Monday add to the 3,400-plus individuals and entities that have been designated for their roles in supporting Russia's war efforts. Don't forget those cameras The coordinated international warnings and sanctions come days after Dutch authorities issued their own alert about Russian espionage units targeting internet-connected cameras to gather intelligence about military logistics routes. Its separate advisory warned that at least one Russian intelligence unit carries out operations targeting the Netherlands and other NATO members, using IP camera footage to track military logistics routes and the transport of materiel, and to map infrastructure such as bridges and roads. Dutch intelligence services added that Russia uses image recognition software to detect military vehicles, transport routes, shipments to Ukraine, and locations of Ukrainian soldiers. The advisory went on to say that Dutch intelligence suggests Russia's use of compromised IP cameras and their imagery has systematically increased recently and become a normal part of its tradecraft. It said abusing default passwords was the most common way in which Russian spies were gaining access to the cameras, although the most recent security updates were rarely applied, opening up vulnerabilities to exploit when using guessable passwords doesn't work. ®