An anonymous reader quotes a report from ZDNet: According to a Bloomberg report, attributed to China's Ministry of State Security, the country has ordered some government agencies to drop Windows 10 China Government Edition for Chinese-made Linux distributions. Why not Windows 11? Because China, like many other non-US governments, no longer trusts American companies with their software and services. This approach is all about digital sovereignty. In addition, even before the recent trend of governments outside America moving away from Windows, Beijing has started a long-running push to replace foreign technology in sensitive systems with domestic, open-source alternatives.

[...] The Chinese government did not specify which Linux versions would replace Windows 10. However, the stock prices of Chinese Linux suppliers, Kylin Software and Tongxin Software Technology (commonly known as UnionTech), immediately jumped. These companies' respective operating systems, Kylin OS (no relation to Ubuntu Kylin) and UnionTech OS (UOS), were already positioned as domestic desktop and server replacements for Windows in government, state-owned enterprise, and critical-infrastructure environments. [...] Huawei's HarmonyOS 2, which began as an Android variant but is now a proprietary mobile and Internet of Things (IoT) operating system, is also being developed into a PC platform. HarmonyOS 2 won't be deployed anytime soon. Kylin and UOS are the only mature desktops that are ready for institutional desktop deployments.

[...] ... this transition won't be easy. For agencies now moving off the government Windows build, the issue will be more demanding than simply swapping one desktop interface for another. Migration requires application testing, peripheral and driver validation, identity system integration, document-format compatibility, staff retraining and, in many cases, replacement or adaptation of Windows-dependent line-of-business software. The report provides no details on exactly how this transformation will occur. But the speed of the shift suggests that these issues are already being addressed in China's centralized managed desktop stack.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Award-Winning AI Literature. This emerging and controversial genre consists of several sub-genres: Confirmed AI use: 4 stories. AI was allowed from the start: 12 stories. Organizers said AI was used: 2 stories. Suspected or disputed: 6 stories. Nominations and shortlists withdrawn: 3 stories. Near-misses and eligibility cases: 3 stories. The genre faces a new tech development, the imminent introduction of AI-generated textwhich is a good thing.

As a side-note on the state of the art in AI-assisted writing: A Japanese novelist shares details of using Claude to help create a full-scale fantasy novel. When asked if it was creatively satisfying, he answered that "More than before, honestly. I realized something about myself: I'm a designer, not a typist. The part of writing I actually love is architecture — building the plot structure, figuring out why a character would make a specific choice, designing the emotional arc across 20 chapters. The part I don't love is typing 8,000 characters to express what I already see clearly in my head. With this workflow, I spend almost all my time on the part I love, and almost none on the part I don't." The novel is here (needs translation from Japanese).

Weer voor Rotterdam 🌦️ - 22-08-2026 07:16 CEST

In één oogopslag:
• 14.7°C · Lichte motregen 🌦️ | Min 14.5°C / Max 19.5°C | Kans op neerslag 41%

Verwachting voor vandaag:
• Min 14.5°C, Max 19.5°C (Matige regen) 🌧️, Neerslag 3.0 mm, Kans op neerslag 41%, 🧭 1020.4 hPa ↗️ +3.7 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 16.2 km/u (4.5 m/s), richting: ↘ 332°

Uurlijkse voorspelling voor de komende 12 uur:

• 08:00: 15.6°C (Lichte motregen) 🌦️, Neerslag 0.2 mm, Kans op neerslag 73%, 🧭 1016.7 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 3.6 km/u (1.0 m/s), richting: ↙ 57°
• 09:00: 16.7°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 76%, 🧭 1017.5 hPa ↗️ +0.8 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 7.6 km/u (2.1 m/s), richting: → 284°
• 10:00: 16.6°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 76%, 🧭 1018.2 hPa ↗️ +0.7 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 10.8 km/u (3.0 m/s), richting: ↓ 16°
• 11:00: 16.7°C (Gedeeltelijk bewolkt) ⛅, Kans op neerslag 78%, 🧭 1018.8 hPa ↗️ +0.6 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 6.1 km/u (1.7 m/s), richting: ↙ 47°
• 12:00: 18.7°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 86%, 🧭 1019.7 hPa ↗️ +0.9 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 6.8 km/u (1.9 m/s), richting: ↓ 338°
• 13:00: 19.0°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 96%, 🧭 1019.8 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 16.2 km/u (4.5 m/s), richting: ↘ 333°
• 14:00: 19.5°C (Gedeeltelijk bewolkt) ⛅, Kans op neerslag 94%, 🧭 1019.9 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 15.8 km/u (4.4 m/s), richting: ↓ 338°
• 15:00: 19.5°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 71%, 🧭 1020.3 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 15.1 km/u (4.2 m/s), richting: ↘ 337°
• 16:00: 19.2°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 38%, 🧭 1020.7 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 15.8 km/u (4.4 m/s), richting: ↘ 331°
• 17:00: 18.7°C (Gedeeltelijk bewolkt) ⛅, Kans op neerslag 12%, 🧭 1021.1 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 14.4 km/u (4.0 m/s), richting: ↘ 329°
• 18:00: 19.0°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 2%, 🧭 1021.4 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 15.1 km/u (4.2 m/s), richting: ↘ 334°
• 19:00: 18.6°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 1%, 🧭 1021.6 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/1h, Windsnelheid: 13.7 km/u (3.8 m/s), richting: ↘ 335°

Voorspelling voor de komende dagen:

• zondag 23 augustus: Min 15.6°C, Max 20.5°C (Lichte motregen) 🌦️, Neerslag 0.1 mm, Kans op neerslag 2%, 🧭 1024.4 hPa ↗️ +4.0 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 16.6 km/u (4.6 m/s), richting: ↘ 330°
• maandag 24 augustus: Min 14.1°C, Max 20.5°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, 🧭 1021.8 hPa ↘️ -2.6 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 14.9 km/u (4.1 m/s), richting: ← 78°
• dinsdag 25 augustus: Min 12.6°C, Max 20.7°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 7%, 🧭 1013.8 hPa ↘️ -8.0 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 14.4 km/u (4.0 m/s), richting: ← 79°
• woensdag 26 augustus: Min 15.9°C, Max 25.4°C (Bewolkt) ☁️, Kans op neerslag 25%, 🧭 1013.9 hPa ➡️ 0.0 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 9.4 km/u (2.6 m/s), richting: ↖ 114°
• donderdag 27 augustus: Min 17.6°C, Max 26.7°C (Lichte buien) 🌧️, Neerslag 8.1 mm, Kans op neerslag 37%, 🧭 1010.6 hPa ↘️ -3.3 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 15.5 km/u (4.3 m/s), richting: ↖ 122°
• vrijdag 28 augustus: Min 15.9°C, Max 21.2°C (Zware motregen) 🌦️, Neerslag 8.3 mm, Kans op neerslag 60%, 🧭 1006.9 hPa ↘️ -3.7 hPa/24h, Windsnelheid: 18.8 km/u (5.2 m/s), richting: ↑ 189°

Details:
• 🌡️ Huidige temperatuur (om 07:15): 14.7°C (Lichte motregen)
• 🤚 Gevoelstemperatuur: 15.7°C (+1.0°C)
• 💨 Windsnelheid: 9.4 km/u (2.6 m/s), richting: ↙ 26°
• 🌬️ Windstoten: 20.2 km/h (5.6 m/s)
• 💧 Luchtvochtigheid: 80%
• 🧭 Luchtdruk: 1016.7 hPa ↗️ +1.5 hPa/3h
• 👁️ Zichtbaarheid: 14.7 km
• ☀️ UV-index: 0.2
• 🌅 Zonsopgang: 06:38 · 🌇 Zonsondergang: 20:51

Luchtkwaliteit:
• AQI: 23 🟢 (Goed)
• PM2.5: 4.0 μg/m³
• PM10: 6.6 μg/m³

Gegevens geleverd door Open-Meteo

#Rotterdam #Meteo #MeteoBot #MeteoNetherlands #OpenMeteo #FediMeteo

mikeleonardvisualarts has added a photo to the pool:

mikeleonardvisualarts posted a photo:

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

date stamped on slide December 1977

Canada heeft de onderhandelingen met de Verenigde Staten over de importtarieven opgeschort. Volgens premier Mark Carney is onvoldoende vooruitgang geboekt om de Canadese belangen te dienen.

Een vertegenwoordiger van de regering-Trump zegt dat het enige doel van de VS is banen en toeleveringsketens veilig te stellen en de productie terug te halen naar de VS.

De Verenigde Staten hanteren vanaf zaterdag een invoerbelasting van 50 procent voor Canadese producten als wijn, hockeysticks en cement. Premier Carney belooft dat Canada de Amerikaanse tarieven "dollar voor dollar" zal beantwoorden.

Dertig jaar lang was het de gewoonste zaak van de wereld: wie als buitenlander een villa in Thailand wilde, richtte een Thais bedrijfje op met Thaise aandeelhouders op papier. Makelaars adviseerden het, advocaten regelden het, het kadaster schreef het in. Nu heet diezelfde route vastgoedfraude, staan er tweehonderd agenten in de wijk en zijn ook Nederlanders opgepakt.

Tweehonderd agenten in de villawijk

Op 10 augustus deed de Thaise politie in Hua Hin een inval op vijftien adressen in een luxe wijk met vrijstaande huizen en poolvilla's. Er lagen 45 arrestatiebevelen tegen buitenlanders klaar, 39 Thaise aandeelhouders werden opgeroepen voor verhoor. Dertien buitenlanders werden aangehouden, onder wie één Nederlander. Bij een vergelijkbare actie op Koh Samui, enkele dagen later, zat opnieuw een Nederlander tussen de veertien arrestanten.

Het gaat om 33 bedrijven die samen 39 percelen en woningen zouden beheren, met een geschatte waarde van 300 miljoen baht: ruwweg 8 miljoen euro. Administratie en computers zijn meegenomen om geldstromen na te trekken.

Hoe de constructie werkt

Buitenlanders mogen in Thailand geen grond bezitten. De uitweg was een Thaise vennootschap waarin Thaise aandeelhouders op papier 51 procent hebben, terwijl de buitenlandse koper betaalt en de feitelijke zeggenschap houdt. Om te voorkomen dat die aandeelhouders ooit iets opeisen, tekenden ze vooraf ongedateerde ontslagbrieven.

Precies dat maakt het strafbaar: de constructie is alleen legaal als de Thaise aandeelhouder daadwerkelijk zelf investeert en meedeelt in de winst. Bij de invallen verklaarden Thaise aandeelhouders dat ze nooit iets hadden betaald en geen rol in het bedrijf hadden.

Niemand in die keten beschouwde dit als iets crimineel

Van gedoogd naar vervolgd

De harde aanpak is onderdeel van een landelijke campagne onder premier Anutin Charnvirakul, die inmiddels bij fase zeven is. Begonnen op Koh Phangan, daarna Phuket, Krabi, Chonburi, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin en Koh Samui. In de eerste vijf fasen zijn 233 percelen en gebouwen onderzocht met een waarde van bijna 2,54 miljard baht.

Een Nederlandse socioloog die dertig jaar in Thailand woont, noemt het onterecht om de aangehouden bewoners nu ineens criminelen te noemen. Volgens hem gaat het om mensen die worden getroffen door veel strengere handhaving van bestaande regels. Alleen: de makelaars, advocaten en ambtenaren die de route jarenlang aanraadden, blijven tot nu toe buiten schot.

Verkopen kan niet meer

Voor wie zo'n huis heeft, is dat een pijnlijke combinatie. Verkopen lukt nauwelijks, want kopers blijven weg zolang de politie invallen doet. Getroffen eigenaren krijgen naar verluidt 180 dagen om zelf te verkopen; lukt dat niet, dan valt de grond toe aan de Thaise staat. Zonder vergoeding voor het geld dat de buitenlander er destijds in stopte. Daarbovenop kan een boete, celstraf of uitzetting volgen.

Er is eigenlijk geen uitweg meer voor ons

Het advies dat rondgaat in de expatgemeenschap is nuchter: schakel een goede advocaat in en probeer de eigendomsstructuur alsnog binnen de regels te brengen. Slimmer willen zijn dan de Thaise autoriteiten loopt slecht af.

Voor wie nog vastgoedplannen heeft in Thailand: alleen een appartement op eigen naam of een geregistreerd huurrecht op de grond is echt veilig. Een bedrijf dat niets anders doet dan een villa vasthouden, is dat niet.

Feiten op een rij

• Inval Hua Hin: 10 augustus 2026, vijftien locaties, ruim 200 agenten
• 13 arrestaties in Hua Hin, 14 op Koh Samui, in beide gevallen één Nederlander
• 33 verdachte bedrijven, 39 percelen, circa 300 miljoen baht
• Straf: tot drie jaar cel en/of 100.000 tot 1 miljoen baht boete
• Ruim 5.900 Nederlanders staan geregistreerd als inwoner van Thailand

Meer weten?

• AD: Paniek onder Nederlanders in Thailand na politie-invallen
• Thailandblog: groot onderzoek naar buitenlandse stromanconstructies op Koh Samui
• Estade: de regels voor grond- en woningbezit in Thailand

As fitness-conscious consumers turn away from processed foods, the industry is scrambling for new ideas, including nutrient-rich lollies and protein-packed tubs. Will they take the fun out of this summer treat?

Last month I stood in the biggest ice-cream factory in Britain and watched a 5-metre Viennetta mint-flavoured ice-cream cake get made. The factory – which is owned by the Magnum Ice Cream Company and produces nine different brands of ice-cream – is based in an enormous building in Gloucester, where the air is thick with the scent of custard. I walked past the Twister and Solero sections on my way in, through clouds of tangy fruit, before arriving at the Viennetta assembly line, where everything smelled minty fresh. A Viennetta is built on a conveyor belt by a fully automated system, and watching it take shape was oddly hypnotic. Every few inches a nozzle attached to the belt squirted out a frilly layer of mint ice-cream, then another nozzle smoothed a flat layer of vanilla on top of that, then came a squirt of chocolate sauce, and it was back to frilly mint again. On and on it went, layer upon layer, popping out finished Viennettas at the end of the line at a rate of 200 cakes every 60 seconds.

A slop bucket full of Viennetta overrun stood at the side of the conveyer belt and I fought a strong urge to squelch my fingers into it. Later, the factory operations manager allowed me to push my whole hand into the slop bucket up to the wrist and then lick my hand at a sink, before washing it and resuming the tour.

Continue reading...

Rich, velvety nuts are offset by zippy, seasonal berries in a cake for all occasions

Most cakes I can take or leave, but I never regret a slice of almond cake. The density! The chewy crumb! The way it romances butter and other flavours! The ultimate almond cake, in the Sodha house, at least, is Claudia Roden’s orange and almond cake, which is made religiously for special occasions (of which there are many from December to March), but I wanted a more seasonal cake for a good friend’s August birthday. Blackberries are perfect (not least because we’re drowning in them right now), because they provide an excellent, zippy contrast to the almond’s velvety nature.

Continue reading...

The weather is unrelentingly glorious, the views are amazing, but I cling to the freelancer’s habit of never quite admitting I’m on holiday

In the summer of 1995, I went on a family holiday to Portugal. On the first day I got a call from a UK magazine, asking if I would be interested in interviewing Meg Ryan, in three days’ time. I looked out to the pool, where my wife and my mother-in-law were pushing my infant son across the water in an inflatable ring.

“Sure,” I said. I broke the news, packed my things, flew to London and, the next day, to LA.

Continue reading...

Susan, 74, a retired careers adviser, meets Pete, 72, a retired Methodist minister

What were you hoping for?
A relaxed, friendly lunch with good and fun conversation.

Continue reading...

Social media platforms face public ire after fatal crash involving teenagers filming themselves driving on wrong side

Videos often begin with the camera panning across a glowing dashboard as a gloved hand starts the ignition. The camera turns to show figures with masked faces in the rear seat, who are also filming, and swivels back to show the windscreen. Beyond it, a dark cityscape.

The engine throbs, headlights puncture the night and the journey begins, first down a suburban road, then a motorway. The speedometer shows acceleration, the needle juddering as the car gathers velocity.

Continue reading...

Continue reading...

UK anthology inspired by question: ‘Where are our black and Asian nature writers?’ has boosted interest in genre

A new movement of eco poets from black and brown communities in the UK is challenging the canon of nature poetry against the backdrop of the climate and biodiversity crisis.

Mona Arshi, who co-edited the first UK collection of eco poetry from African, Asian and Caribbean diaspora voices, was inspired to put the anthology together after asking in a social media post that went viral: “Where are all our black and Asian nature writers?”

It’s time to write about daffodils
again.

Continue reading...

The Sussexes are returning to the UK with significantly reduced media deals in an industry where fame alone can no longer guarantee success

Having settled in California in the aftermath of their dramatic decoupling from the royal family in 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced a partnership that appeared to set a clear destination for their new lives outside the House of Windsor.

With every global media stable clamouring for their signature, the couple revealed a deal with Netflix reportedly worth $100m. The ambitions were lofty and broad, including scripted and unscripted projects, shows for all ages and documentaries.

Continue reading...

It’s clear here in Silicon Valley that AI is advancing faster than humans’ ability to control it. That means even sober prophecies seem optimistic

Here in Silicon Valley, the experts think that within the next couple of years we’ll see an extraordinary takeoff for artificial intelligence. “Welcome to the foothills of the singularity,” as a Stanford University friend greeted me. More prosaically, the imminent breakthrough is described as “recursive self-improvement” – the point at which AI itself trains each successive model of AI, resulting in an exponential development to something which, in many significant respects, is more intelligent than us humans.

As Robert Wright puts it in his book The God Test: “Never before has the near-term future … held such a wide array of not-implausible paths for humankind that would be so wildly transformative.” But will this be heaven or hell? Heaven, says Elon Musk, who predicts “an age of amazing abundance” – although he also sees a 10-20% chance of killer robots murdering us all. Hell is more likely according to Geoffrey Hinton, one of the intellectual founding fathers of AI. “My intuition is, we’re toast,” he told an interviewer in 2023. And talking to Sebastian Mallaby, author of The Infinity Machine, a book about the quest for superintelligence, Hinton estimates p(doom) – the probability of human extinction – at 50%, “because I haven’t got a clue how to estimate the real number”. “As soon as evolution [of AI] kicks in, we’re fucked,” he adds cheerfully. But whether it’s God or Godzilla, artificial superintelligence is just around the corner.

Timothy Garton Ash is a Guardian columnist

Continue reading...

Mark Carney accuses Washington of ‘unfair’ last-minute changes to deal, as US and Canada fail to reach agreement after three-day extension of talks

Canadian prime minister Mark Carney has promised to match US tariffs “dollar for dollar”, after the two sides failed to agree a trade deal by the deadline of midnight on Friday.

Canadian officials had worked hard in good faith but “last-minute changes in the US proposed terms were unfair, uneconomic, and called into question the reliability of any deal”, Carney said in a statement.

Continue reading...