Het weer op deze zaterdag ziet er goed uit met perioden met zon en blijft het overal droog. De temperaturen stijgen naar ongeveer 8 graden en staat er een matige wind uit het zuidoosten.
Wie in Rotterdam zorg nodig heeft, herkent het gevoel: eerst wachten op een afspraak, daarna wachten op onderzoek en soms ook nog wachten op een operatie. Zijn de wachttijden in Rotterdam uitzonderlijk lang of valt het mee? En belangrijker nog: hoeveel mensen wachten eigenlijk tegelijk op zorg?
Australian Open reigning champion beats world No 85 by 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
Italian makes most of suspension in play in win at Melbourne Park
The grim expression across Jannik Sinner’s face as he limped gingerly to the bathroom said enough. As play was briefly suspended in the overbearing Australian heat, the two-time defending champion was suffering from full-body cramps and at serious risk of also enduring one of the great Australian Open upsets in recent memory.
Sinner, the second seed, survived thanks to the combined force of his supreme mental toughness and a significant amount of luck, holding off a spirited challenge from Eliot Spizzirri to reach the fourth round at Melbourne Park with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win.
Continue reading...Buffeted by political storms and excluded from continental federations, Greenland find their chances are limited but a tournament in Croatia is a priceless opportunity
Greenland’s futsal players string out in a line before angling their bodies to the left, facing the flag on the far wall. Nobody averts his gaze as the strains of their national anthem fill the hall. The red-and-white-halved banner, with its reverse-coloured semi‑circles, hangs comfortably among those of this week’s rivals. Scotland on the right, Morocco to the left; further along, there are even representations of Uefa and Fifa.
The moment always feels special. Their long-serving coach, Rene Olsen, has been imagining it for several days. His team also know these occasions, all too rare, are to be seized. “It gives me goosebumps,” Patrick Frederiksen, one of their stars, will say later. “It’s when you realise that it is time.”
Continue reading...For workers sending money to support their relatives, payments are both a burden and badge of pride
From Senegal to Somalia and Egypt to South Africa, credit alert notifications from fintech apps such as Western Union or WorldRemit often set the mood for the rest of the day, week or even month.
Transfers from workers within the continent and the diaspora to their relatives are often referred to as the “black tax”, whereby one person’s salary and relative success can become the safety net for a whole extended family.
Continue reading...I see the manure sellers as part of some lost and deeply English tradition, which is why I prefer my wife to deal with them
I am in the kitchen watching the dog and the cat fight when the tortoise suddenly appears. Or to put it another way: I watched the dog and the cat fight for a while, until it became tiresome; the next time I looked up – possibly 15 minutes later – the tortoise was also there. That’s what I mean by suddenly. In real terms, the tortoise doesn’t do anything suddenly.
“Where have you been?” I say, even though I know the answer. I haven’t seen the tortoise in six weeks, but I’m certain he’s been butted up against the left rear leg of the sofa for that whole period.
Continue reading...Toby, a data analyst, meets Liam, a civil servant. Both are 29
What were you hoping for?
I wanted to go in with no expectations.
An extraordinary mosaic of wildlife has made Britain’s urban jungle its home
London is the only place in the UK where you can find scorpions, snakes, turtles, seals, peacocks, falcons all in one city – and not London zoo. Step outside and you will encounter a patchwork of writhing, buzzing, bubbling urban microclimates.
Sam Davenport, the director of nature recovery at the London Wildlife Trust, emphasises the sheer variation in habitats that you find in UK cities, which creates an amazing “mosaic” of wildlife.
Continue reading...Brooklyn’s Instagram bombshell tested decades of image control, revealing how fame, PR and power collide behind the scenes
On a personal level, it’s all extremely sad. A once close family ripped apart by feuding and bitterness. A much-loved son blocking all contact with his parents and siblings.
From another perspective, however, for those who have followed the movements of David and Victoria Beckham in their 30 years in the (carefully curated) spotlight, the public falling out this week of Britain’s alternative royal family has been a car crash from which it is hard to look away.
Continue reading...Soft leeks and crisped tempeh drizzled in a sticky, spicy sweet soy sauce and liberally sprinkled with salted peanuts
Tempeh is a gift to all home cooks from Indonesia. Made from fermented compressed soy beans, it’s an intelligent ingredient equivalent to meat in terms of protein, subtle and nutty in flavour and chewy in texture. Happily, it is also now widely available in most large UK supermarkets. Here, the tempeh is cooked in a typical Indonesian way – that is, fried until crisp, then coated in a sticky, spicy sweet soy sauce and liberally sprinkled with salted peanuts. In fact, the only anomaly is the leeks, making this dish mostly Indonesian but via a field in Lincolnshire.
Continue reading...Martin Rowson has been drawing for the Guardian since the 1980s; Ella Baron since 2022. In paint and pixels, each is tasked with capturing the chaos and absurdity of our political moment
Photographs and video by David Levene
Martin Rowson and Ella Baron are both regular contributors to the Guardian’s daily political cartoon. Martin has been with the Guardian for decades; Ella has been contributing since 2022. This week, we challenged the pair to draw on the same subject (Trump and a world in turmoil), on the same day, to see what each – with their different styles, tools and perspectives – would come up with. Martin landed on a Shakespearean scene, with a warped “King Leer” flanked by snickering world leaders. Ella proposed him squatting in a dystopian nest, surrounded by his spoils. Below, each reflects on their process, the challenges and joys of political cartoons, and what they have learned from one another.
Continue reading...Why do some people age better than others? Five extraordinary individuals – who scientists are studying – share their tips
Lajuana Weathers is determined to be the healthiest version of herself. She starts each day with a celery juice, is always trying to increase her step count, and meditates daily. Weathers is also 89 years old. And she has no plans to slow down. “I wake up in the morning and feel blessed that I have another chance at a day of life,” says the grandmother of six, and great‑grandmother of six more, who lives in Illinois in an independent living facility for seniors. “I look at my life as a holistic entity, and in that life is my physical, social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. I have to take care of all of those. That’s what I like about the ageing process. All the clutter of raising children is out and I can concentrate on the wellness of me.”
Weathers is a superager. This isn’t a self-proclaimed label, but one backed up by science – she is part of the SuperAging Research Initiative at the University of Chicago. To qualify for the study, you have to be over 80 years old and have memory performance that’s at least as good as the average 50- to 60-year-old. There are about 400 superagers enrolled across North America.
Continue reading...
SC-Wang(TY) has added a photo to the pool:
Fukutoku Shrine Nihonbashi
Fukutoku Shrine's main festival ``Kurasho Soul Life'', which is the presiding Shinmei of five grains, ``Furen'', which started in the Edo period, is a special easy-to-understand gift for the people who seek awards
Een grote voedselveiligheidscrisis heeft zich de afgelopen weken internationaal ontwikkeld. In zeker zestig landen is preventief babyvoeding uit de handel gehaald nadat de giftige stof cereulide werd aangetroffen in producten die deels in Nederland zijn geproduceerd.
De Franse overheid meldde dat de eerste besmette babymelk werd ontdekt in een Nederlandse fabriek van multinational Nestlé. Het Franse ministerie van Volksgezondheid verklaarde dat "in december producent Nestlé controles uitvoerde en toen werd de giftige stof cereulide aangetroffen in nog niet verkochte babymelk in een fabriek in Nederland". De Nederlandse Voedsel- en Warenautoriteit (NVWA) bevestigde dat in twee producten van Nestlé cereulide is aangetroffen en waarschuwde ouders expliciet om deze zuigelingenvoeding niet aan hun kind te geven.
In Nederland zijn inmiddels vier meldingen binnengekomen van baby's die ziek zijn geworden na het drinken van de besmette flesvoeding. De symptomen variëren van braken en diarree tot futloosheid bij de zuigelingen.
De situatie is bijzonder ernstig in Frankrijk, waar justitie onderzoek heeft ingesteld naar de dood van twee baby's die mogelijk verband houdt met de consumptie van de besmette babyvoeding. De aanklager in Angers benadrukte dat "het onderzoek zich primair richt op de babymelk".
Uit onderzoek is inmiddels gebleken dat de besmetting niet in de melk zelf zat, maar in een grondstof: arachidonzuur-olie (ARA-olie) uit China. Deze stof wordt veelvuldig gebruikt in babyvoeding vanwege de essentiële omega-6 vetzuren. Cereulide wordt geproduceerd door bepaalde stammen van de bacterie Bacillus cereus en kan bij baby's leiden tot ernstige voedselvergiftiging.
V oedselwaakhond Foodwatch heeft kritiek geuit op de trage reactie en eist volledige openbaarheid over het moment waarop de besmetting werd vastgesteld. Naast Nestlé hebben inmiddels ook babyvoedingsfabrikanten Lactalis en Danone producten teruggeroepen.
Het nieuwe jaar brengt een frisse wind door de schoenenkast. Mode-experts zijn het eens: comfort en verfijning gaan in 2026 hand in hand. Wie dacht dat stijl altijd gepaard gaat met ongemak, krijgt dit jaar ongelijk.
De grootste verrassing komt uit de sporthoek. Celebrity stylist Anna Lavo omschrijft de nieuwe favoriet als "de definitie van moeiteloze verfijning". Ze doelt op de backless loafer, de instapper zonder hiel die overal opduikt. Dit model combineert klassieke elegantie met modern gemak en past perfect bij de huidige dresscodemix van relaxed maar doordacht.
Ook ballet sneakers maken furore. Deze hybride tussen balletschoen en sportschoen verenigt het sierlijke van een platte schoen met de ondersteuning van een sneaker. Personal stylist Dianne Boyer voorspelt dat het lage profiel de benen optisch verlengt en naadloos aansluit bij de verfijnde looks van 2026.
Western laarzen blijven populair, maar dan wel in een ingetogen uitvoering met zachte kleuren zoals zand en chocoladebruin. Die laatste tint wordt sowieso hét kleurstatement van het jaar, van enkellaarzen tot kniehoge modellen.
Wat verdwijnt? Grelle witte sneakers moeten plaatsmaken voor rijkere kleuren en texturen zoals suède. Ook chunky platforms en dikke "dad sneakers" zijn definitief achterhaald. Het nieuwe ideaal streeft naar gebalanceerde proporties waarbij de schoen het outfit ondersteunt in plaats van domineert.
De boodschap is helder: 2026 draait om schoenen die je hele dag kunt dragen zonder aan stijl in te boeten.
Amerikanen voelen zich gemiddeld maar de helft van de maand echt gezond: uit een nieuw onderzoek onder 2.000 volwassenen blijkt dat zij zich slechts 16 dagen per maand volledig gezond voelen. De rest van de tijd modderen ze voort met vermoeidheid, pijntjes of een verkoudheid die niet ernstig genoeg is om thuis te blijven, maar wel om zich continu “net niet oké” te voelen.
Die zogenoemde ‘wellness‑kloof’ wordt in de winter extra zichtbaar. De steekproef, uitgevoerd door Talker Research in opdracht van farmagigant Bayer, laat zien dat Amerikanen in de winter alleen al gemiddeld vijf “unwell days” hebben, dagen waarop ze zich duidelijk niet fit voelen maar meestal toch doorwerken. Opvallend is dat bijna de helft (46 procent) schuldgevoel heeft als ze rust nemen terwijl ze niet officieel ziek zijn, terwijl het gemiddeld vier dagen duurt voordat de eerste symptomen weer verdwijnen.
Dat strookt met een bredere trend: terwijl Gallup meldt dat fysieke gezondheid en gezonde leefgewoonten sinds de pandemie verslechteren, blijft de prestatiedruk hoog. Uit het winteronderzoek zegt 1 op de 3 Amerikanen dat ze überhaupt niet genoeg vrije dagen hebben om van dit soort “halve ziekten” te herstellen. Het gevolg: mensen slepen zich naar kantoor of werken thuis door, wat herstel vertraagt en op termijn juist meer verzuim en zorgkosten oplevert.
Artsen waarschuwen ondertussen dat goede dagelijkse gewoonten – slaap, voeding, beweging – net zo belangrijk zijn als het vermijden van virussen. Maar 59 procent geeft toe dat hun gezonde routines meteen instorten zodra ze een winterkwaaltje te pakken hebben. De les uit deze cijfers is ongemakkelijk eenvoudig: zolang rust als zwakte wordt gezien, blijven Amerikanen officieel “gezond”, maar voelen ze zich de helft van de tijd nauwelijks beter dan ziek.
zenboy has added a photo to the pool:
The Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park is a 14,300 hectare park approximately 25km north of Coober Pedy. The park has spectacular coloured hills, flat topped mesas and gibber covered plains (locally referred to as "moon plain").
dscreativ has added a photo to the pool:
My sister and I sprinkled dads ashes on this tree at Lake Bonney in May last year. I snuck back up there in October with my friend Benny to shoot this long exposure with the Milky Way in the background, then had 2 copies printed and framed and gave my sis one at Christmas. We grew up holidaying at Lake Bonney when we were kids and then dad retired up there in the late 90's. The stars at Lake Bonney are some of the best I have ever seen and the sunsets are often intense colours across the entire sky. I know dad would approve of this resting place for him, front row seats to heavenly skies. Miss you dad, I know you would love this one!
Big thanks to Benny Morris for giving me a hand shooting this one!
Nikon D850 - AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED
Bruce66423 shares a report from the Guardian: New filtration technology developed by Rice University may absorb some Pfas "forever chemicals" at 100 times the rate than previously possible, which could dramatically improve pollution control and speed remediations. Researchers also say they have also found a way to destroy Pfas, though both technologies face a steep challenge in being deployed on an industrial scale. A new peer-reviewed paper details a layered double hydroxide (LDH) material made from copper and aluminum that absorbs long-chain Pfas up to 100 times faster than commonly used filtration systems.
[...] [Michael Wong, director of Rice's Water Institute, a Pfas research center] said Rice's non-thermal process works by soaking up and concentrating Pfas at high levels, which makes it possible to destroy them without high temperatures. The LDH material Rice developed is a variation of similar materials previously used, but researchers replaced some aluminum atoms with copper atoms. The LDH material is positively charged and the long-chain Pfas are negatively charged, which causes the material to attract and absorb the chemicals, Wong said. [...]
Pfas are virtually indestructible because their carbon atoms are bonded with fluoride, but Rice found that the bonds could be broken if the chemicals in the material were heated to 400-500C -- a relatively low temperature. The fluoride gets trapped in the LDH material and is bonded to calcium. The leftover calcium-fluoride material is safe and can be disposed of in a landfill, Wong said. The process works with some long-chain Pfas that are among the most common water pollutants, and it also absorbed some smaller Pfas that are commonplace.
Wong said he is confident the material can be used to absorb a broad array of Pfas, especially if they are negatively charged. Most new Pfas elimination systems fail to work at an industrial scale. Wong said the new material has an advantage because its absorption rate is so strong, it can be used repeatedly and it is in a "drop in material," meaning it can be used with existing filtration infrastructure. That eliminates one of the major cost barriers.
[...] [Michael Wong, director of Rice's Water Institute, a Pfas research center] said Rice's non-thermal process works by soaking up and concentrating Pfas at high levels, which makes it possible to destroy them without high temperatures. The LDH material Rice developed is a variation of similar materials previously used, but researchers replaced some aluminum atoms with copper atoms. The LDH material is positively charged and the long-chain Pfas are negatively charged, which causes the material to attract and absorb the chemicals, Wong said. [...]
Pfas are virtually indestructible because their carbon atoms are bonded with fluoride, but Rice found that the bonds could be broken if the chemicals in the material were heated to 400-500C -- a relatively low temperature. The fluoride gets trapped in the LDH material and is bonded to calcium. The leftover calcium-fluoride material is safe and can be disposed of in a landfill, Wong said. The process works with some long-chain Pfas that are among the most common water pollutants, and it also absorbed some smaller Pfas that are commonplace.
Wong said he is confident the material can be used to absorb a broad array of Pfas, especially if they are negatively charged. Most new Pfas elimination systems fail to work at an industrial scale. Wong said the new material has an advantage because its absorption rate is so strong, it can be used repeatedly and it is in a "drop in material," meaning it can be used with existing filtration infrastructure. That eliminates one of the major cost barriers.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.