DEN HAAG (ANP) - De Staat hoeft Corné H., die is veroordeeld voor een gijzeling in Ede in 2024 en onlangs medewerkers in de gevangenis in Vught gijzelde, geen voorrang te geven op een plek in een tbs-kliniek. Dit heeft de rechter vrijdag geoordeeld in een zaak die door de advocaten van H. was aangespannen. H. staat op een wachtlijst.

Ze wil eigenlijk niet dat haar ex Ronny bij haar in de auto stapt en op de Bosdreef in Rotterdam gaat het mis: er komt een wapen tevoorschijn. Hij bedreigt haar, zegt ze. Ronny heeft een hele andere lezing: “Zij richtte het wapen op mij.”

Als de VS Iran aanvallen, heeft de Islamitische Revolutionaire Garde een cruciale rol bij de verdediging van het regime. Dit militair-economisch conglomeraat van naar schatting meer dan 190.000 leden heeft ideologische en materiële redenen om dat te doen.

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The Moon passed directly between the Sun and Earth on 17 February 2026, creating an annular solar eclipse. Because the Moon was at a more distant point along its elliptical orbit around Earth, it didn't entirely cover the Sun and left a ‘ring of fire’.

The European Space Agency's (ESA) Proba-2 satellite captured this ring from its viewpoint in space. Flying around Earth, the spacecraft witnessed the same solar eclipse no less than four times, including this perfect ring of fire at 11:31 Universal Time. The images were taken by the spacecraft's SWAP extreme ultraviolet imager, at a wavelength of 17.4 nanometres. Read the Proba-2 Science Center blog post about the eclipse here.

On Earth, this rare treat was only visible from Antarctica. A partial solar eclipse could be seen from the southern tip of Chile and Argentina, as well as southern Africa.

Upcoming solar eclipses will be visible from more populated regions. ESA is looking forward to three ‘European eclipses’ in the next two years: a total solar eclipse on 12 August 2026 (totality visible from Greenland, Iceland, Spain); a total solar eclipse on 2 August 2027 (southern tip of Spain, northern Africa & the Middle East); and an annular eclipse on 26 January 2028 (South America, Portugal, Spain).

Remember: never look directly at the Sun, even when partially eclipsed, without proper eye protection such as special solar eclipse glasses, or you risk permanent eye damage.

Credits: ESA/Royal Observatory of Belgium

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ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, currently on the International Space Station for the εpsilon mission, exercises on the CEVIS bike just a few days after her launch on 13 February 2026.

Keeping astronauts healthy during long-duration missions is a crucial challenge as their muscles, bones and cardiovascular systems weaken in the microgravity environment. The most effective countermeasure against the absence of gravity is a daily two-hour exercise routine; this ensures they stay strong and fit to accomplish their mission, both in orbit and once they return to gravity.

The Danish Aaerospace Company (DAC) made CEVIS, which stands for Cycle Ergometer with Vibration Isolation and Stabilization System; it has been in use on the Space Station since 2009. A new exercise device, commissioned by ESA and also developed by DAC, will arrive at the Space Station in April 2026: the European Enhanced Exploration Exercise Device or E4D, a compact and versatile next-generation in-flight exercise system.

Sophie launched to the International Space Station as part of Crew-12 for a long-duration mission lasting up to nine months. She will carry out a wide range of tasks, including European-led scientific experiments and medical research, support Earth observation efforts and contribute to operations and maintenance on the Station.

Follow Sophie’s mission on the εpsilon page and on her social media platforms, such as X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn.

Credits: ESA/NASA

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Two powerful instruments of the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope joined forces to create this scenic galaxy view for today’s Picture of the Month. This spiral galaxy is named NGC 5134, and it’s located 65 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo.

Though 65 million light-years may seem like a huge distance — the light that Webb collected to create this image has been journeying to us from NGC 5134 since soon after Tyrannosaurus rex went extinct — NGC 5134 is fairly close by as far as galaxies go. Because of the galaxy’s relative proximity, Webb can spot incredible details in its tightly wound spiral arms.

Webb’s Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) collects the mid-infrared light emitted by the warm dust that speckles NGC 5134’s interstellar clouds, tracing clumps and strands of dusty gas. Some of the dust is composed of complex organic molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which feature interconnected rings of carbon atoms and provide a way for astronomers to study the chemistry happening in interstellar clouds. Webb’s Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam) records shorter-wavelength near-infrared light, mostly from the stars and star clusters that dot the galaxy’s spiral arms.

Together, the MIRI and NIRCam data paint a portrait of a galaxy in constant ebb and flow. The gas clouds that billow along NGC 5134’s spiral arms are the sites of star formation, and each star that forms chips away at the galaxy’s supply of star-forming gas. When stars die, they recycle some of that gas back into the galaxy. Massive stars more than about eight times the mass of the Sun do so spectacularly, in cataclysmic supernova explosions that spread stellar material across hundreds of light-years.

Stars like the Sun give back some of their material as well, though more gently; these stars will balloon into bubbling red giants before shrugging off their atmospheres and sending them into space. Whether expelled by explosive supernovae or gentle red giants, this gas can then be incorporated into new stars.

This give and take between gas and stars is the focus of the observing programme (#3707) for which these images were taken. This programme aims to study 55 galaxies in the nearby Universe that are actively forming new stars and have been studied across a broad range of wavelengths. The new Webb data contribute a rich understanding of individual star clusters and star-forming clouds and have already been used to study the life cycle of tiny dust grains, the shape and properties of star-forming clouds, the links between interstellar gas and dust, and the process by which newly formed stars reshape their surrounding environment.

By using Webb to study the infrared light nearby galaxies like NGC 5134 whose stars and gas can be seen in detail, astronomers can apply their knowledge to galaxies too distant to be observed so closely — like those that are scattered in the background of this image, barely more than points of light.

[Image Description: A spiral galaxy, seen tilted diagonally. It has a blue-white, glowing spot at its core. Its oval-shaped disc glows faintly blue throughout with light from its many stars. The disc is filled with waves and strands of bright red dust that swirl around the core. At places there are holes torn in the dust, while elsewhere it forms dense clumps that glow orange. Several tiny, distant galaxies appear across the background.]

Credits: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Leroy; CC BY 4.0

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Western France has been experiencing 35 consecutive days of heavy rain, the longest rainy streak since records began in 1959, according to the national weather service Meteo-France.

The Bordeaux region was among the worst hit by the torrential rainfall, with water levels rising in various rivers and causing widespread flooding.

This multi-temporal radar image uses information from two separate acquisitions captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission on 6 and 18 February 2026 to show in red the extent of the flooding across the region.

In response to the devastating floods, the Copernicus Emergency Management Service has been activated to produce detailed maps of the affected areas.

With its ability to penetrate cloud cover and frequent revisit times, Copernicus Sentinel-1 is ideal for flood monitoring, enabling the assessment of flood extent and its impact on people and the environment.

Credits: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2026), processed by ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

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The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over south-central Morocco, near the city of Ouarzazate.

This image captures the region of the Anti-Atlas Mountains, partially visible to the south, which run parallel to and south of the central range of North Africa’s High Atlas mountains. Here the landscape is mostly dry and barren, as these mountains lie within the Saharan climate zone.

This false-colour image has been processed using Sentinel-2’s near-infrared channel. This band combination is most commonly used to assess vegetation density and health, as plants reflect near-infrared and green light while absorbing red. Since plants reflect more near-infrared than green, densely vegetated land appears bright red.

Red vegetated areas are clearly visible along the banks of the rivers that flow through the surrounding semi-arid terrain. Rivers in the region are mostly seasonal, typically only carrying significant amounts of water during the winter and spring. Captured in January 2026, during the wet season, this image even clearly shows smaller tributaries, along with vegetation and agricultural plots.

North of the larger red area, lies the urban fabric of Ouarzazate, the provincial capital, situated in the valley of the Ouarzazate River, also known as Assif n'Tidili. Owing to its desert landscapes and historical architecture, the Berber-speaking city is a popular filming location. Productions such as Lawrence of Arabia (1962), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), The Mummy (1999), Gladiator (2000) and part of the TV series Game of Thrones were shot here.

Just a few kilometres east of the city lies El Mansour Eddahbi Reservoir, visible in black. The lake has an average depth of 30 m and is divided into two sections: a smaller western part fed by the Ouarzazate River and several smaller streams, and a much larger eastern section fed by the Draa – Morocco’s longest river – seen in the lower right flowing southeast from the reservoir.

The large feature about 10 km north of the city is the Ouarzazate solar power station, also called Noor (Arabic for light) Power Station. Completed in four phases and covering over 3000 hectares, it is the world's largest concentrated solar power facility. Such plants use mirrors to focus sunlight onto receivers, generating heat that can be stored and converted into electricity even when the sun is not shining.

Credits: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2026), processed by ESA; CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

Charles Leclerc posted the fastest time as pre-season testing continued at the Bahrain International Circuit on Friday, slotting ahead of Kimi Antonelli and Oscar Piastri in the morning session.

Taking inspiration from Chile’s traditional borgoña, this red-wine cocktail makes for a great aperitif

A Chilean twist on a wine cocktail: elegant, vibrant and built on the balance between the depth of pinot noir and the bright sweetness of cherries. It takes inspiration from Chile’s traditional borgoña, a drink where red wine meets fruit (usually strawberries), but layers in cherry liqueur and soda for a modern, effervescent edge. I sometimes add a few drops of fresh lime juice to sharpen the sweetness and make the fruit flavours really pop. It’s refreshing yet sophisticated, and a great aperitif.

Nico Einersen, head chef, Mareida, London W1

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