Omdat het grootste koraalrif ter wereld ‘veerkrachtig’ is gebleken, is het door Unesco niet als ‘bedreigd’ beoordeeld. Maar dat is het wel, zeggen wetenschappers, die bovendien een ‘super-El Niño’ aan zien komen. „Het wordt verschrikkelijk, het Great Barrier Reef kan zulke hittegolven niet aan.”

De documentaire ‘Paul McCartney en de vermiste bas’ volgt de zoektocht naar de iconische gestolen basgitaar van Paul McCartney. Maar op de achtergrond zie je iets veel interessanters: hoe roem omslaat in heiligdom.

De regering Trump heeft de academische vrijheid zodanig ingeperkt dat astrofysicus Kelly Holley-Bockelmann zich niet thuisvoelde in eigen land. Ze is een van de 29 Amerikaanse academici die zich met hulp van het Tulp Fonds in Nederland vestigen.

Opvallend aan de nieuwe HBO-serie van Larry David, bekend van ‘Seinfeld’ en ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’, is de medewerking van oud-president Barack Obama, die de reeks ook produceert.

The Association of Tour Operators of Russia said Slovakia’s suspension of summertime visa processing is unlikely to cause major problems given that the country is not a popular travel destination among Russian tourists.

After serving as last year’s poster child for retail cyber misery, Marks & Spencer has become one of the first companies to sign up to the UK government's new Cyber Resilience Pledge. The retailer is among 60 organizations that have signed up to the voluntary scheme, launched by technology secretary Liz Kendall on Tuesday. Signatories commit to treating cybersecurity as a board-level responsibility, signing up to the National Cyber Security Centre's Early Warning service, and encouraging suppliers to achieve Cyber Essentials certification or an equivalent baseline. "Today, some of Britain's biggest businesses are taking action to strengthen their cyber defenses and setting a powerful example for others to follow," Kendall said. "By signing this Pledge, they are showing that cyber resilience is no longer just an IT issue - it is a business imperative." She warned that cyberattacks can disrupt services, expose customer data, and damage the bottom line, adding that AI is making attacks "more sophisticated and easier to launch." M&S's appearance is hardly surprising. After falling victim to one of the UK's highest-profile cyber incidents last year, opting out would have raised more eyebrows than opting in. More interesting are some of the names missing from the government's roll call. Not every member of last year's cyber casualty club made the guest list. Co-op and Harrods are absent from the government's roll call, as is Jaguar Land Rover, which spent weeks recovering from a cyberattack before later receiving a £1.5 billion government-backed lifeline to help shield its supply chain from the fallout. The pledge is entirely voluntary, so their absence doesn't necessarily say anything about their security posture, but if ministers are presenting the initiative as a badge of good cyber citizenship, it's fair to ask why they chose not to wear it. Then there's Capita. The outsourcing giant has also signed the pledge, despite developing an impressive archive in The Reg of cybersecurity mishaps over the past few years. Last year, it was fined by the ICO over its 2023 ransomware attack that exposed more than 6 million records, and earlier this year, it disclosed that a pension portal had exposed personal information belonging to civil servants. Either nobody believes in continuous improvement more than Capita, or the government's definition of cyber resilience is reassuringly forgiving. Microsoft also features prominently among the launch partners, with UK chief executive Darren Hardman praising the initiative as a way to strengthen cyber resilience. Security professionals may quietly note that Microsoft's software also keeps them exceptionally busy for at least one Tuesday every month. Beyond the more eyebrow-raising additions, the list reads like a roll call of corporate Britain. Aviva, Fujitsu, London Stock Exchange Group, Mastercard, Morrisons, Pearson, QinetiQ, SSE, United Utilities, and Vodafone all signed up, alongside a sizeable contingent of consultancies and cybersecurity firms. There's no enforcement mechanism behind the pledge, only the optics of signing up. That makes the omissions almost as interesting as the names that made the cut. ®

MPs are warning the UK has no "coherent strategy" for creating sovereign capabilities across a range of technologies, including AI, space, and quantum computing. A report published Tuesday by the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee says the UK is in a global race for sovereign tech capabilities, with AI emerging as a "central arena" for competition and collaboration. A recent move by the US government to restrict some of Anthropic's AI models "should be a powerful reminder that the UK may not be able to count on even its allies for access to vital technology," the committee states. In June, the US effectively ordered Anthropic to suspend access to its Mythos 5 and Fable 5 models for foreign nationals under an export control directive. The restrictions were later lifted. Nonetheless, the committee's report warns that those restrictions highlighted the risk of relying on allies for access to technologies that are critical to economic growth and national security. The UK must protect its tech sovereignty and set out realistic ambitions for sovereign capabilities in key sectors like AI, quantum, and space. Committee chair Dame Chi Onwurah said: "As geopolitics is turned upside down and the world becomes increasingly competitive, we must be able to leverage our world-class science and research to advance our diplomatic and economic goals. Without a clear plan, the government will be unable to achieve this. "This failure risks undermining the UK's tech sovereignty. There is a global race for sovereignty in technologies like AI, whether the government recognizes it or not, and leverage may not be sufficient to achieve this. The government needs a realistic plan to achieve sovereign capabilities in critical areas or risk having its access cut off at the whim of its partners." While the report says the government must set out an approach to tech sovereignty, it does not recommend the UK builds its own foundation models for generative AI. "As AI and other technologies develop fast and in unpredictable directions – and play an increasingly central role in national security – it is essential to ensure that the UK cannot be cut off from key technologies at the whim of a foreign government," the report says. "This could mean diversifying partnerships to ensure multiple points of access where possible, and thinking creatively about sources of leverage outside a specific tech stack, or outside tech altogether." It calls on the government to set out how it intends to protect sovereignty in AI, particularly in the face of fast-changing geopolitical and technological developments. It should work with industry and academia to define sovereign capability, and analyze tech supply chains to identify critical components, dependencies, and areas of comparative UK strength. Earlier this year, the EU set out plans for digital sovereignty in an effort to address weaknesses in AI, cloud, and semiconductors. Its plan includes provisions to use public procurement to promote investment in sovereign capabilities. ®

ANKARA (ANP/BLOOMBERG) - Het Duitse defensieconcern Rheinmetall heeft op de NAVO-top in het Turkse Ankara een principeovereenkomst getekend met de Amerikaanse branchegenoot Lockheed Martin voor de gezamenlijke productie van ATACMS-raketten in Duitsland. ATACMS zijn ballistische langeafstandsraketten voor gronddoelwitten.

De productie moet plaatsvinden bij de fabriek van Rheinmetall in Unterlüss in de deelstaat Nedersaksen. Daar wordt momenteel gebouwd aan een fabriek voor de productie van raketmotoren die bijna klaar is. De productie van die motoren zou begin 2027 moeten beginnen, samen met de productie van componenten voor de raket.

Volgens de bedrijven is de overeenkomst een volgende stap bij de productie, integratie en distributie van ATACMS-raketten binnen de NAVO-landen en Europese bondgenoten. Het wordt de eerste fabriek voor ATACMS buiten de Verenigde Staten.

DEN HAAG (ANP) - Staatsinvesteerder Invest International steekt 875.000 euro in de Nederlandse kweekvleesproducent Mosa Meat. Het foodtechbedrijf wil dat onder meer gebruiken om toegang te krijgen tot strategische markten en voor het inrichten van de productieketens.

"Mosa Meat heeft de technologie inmiddels bewezen. De uitdaging is nu niet langer of het kan, maar hoe het bedrijf toegang krijgt tot internationale markten, regelgeving doorloopt, consumenten bereikt en productie opschaalt", stelt Jeroen Plag van Invest International. Het Maastrichtse Mosa Meat kweekte in 2013 voor het eerst een rundvleeshamburger in een lab uit dierlijke cellen. Die burger kostte destijds zo'n 250.000 euro om te maken.

De kweekvleesmaker richt zich met het geld op landen buiten de Europese Unie. Voor verkoop binnen de EU is een lange goedkeuringsprocedure vereist. In bijvoorbeeld Singapore is al meer ervaring met regelgeving rond kweekvlees en kan commerciële introductie sneller plaatsvinden, stelt Invest International.

KYIV (ANP) - De vrouw die wordt gezocht voor een recente aanslag in Monaco is dood aangetroffen bij de Oekraïense hoofdstad Kyiv. Dat zeggen bronnen bij de opsporingsdiensten tegen de Oekraïense nieuwssite Ukrainska Pravda.

Het lichaam van de doodgeschoten Anastasiia Berezovska zou maandagavond laat zijn gevonden. De autoriteiten hebben volgens de nieuwssite twee verdachten opgepakt, onder wie een officier van de militaire inlichtingendienst.

Tegen de Oekraïense vrouw was via Interpol een opsporingsverzoek gedaan nadat een bom was afgegaan in de Zuid-Europese ministaat. Die zogenoemde Red Notice stond dinsdagochtend nog online.

Jermolajev

Bij de aanslag raakte eind juni onder meer de oligarch Vadym Jermolajev ernstig gewond. Hij wordt gezien als het doelwit. De dader zou Monaco te voet zijn ontvlucht en naderhand met een auto verder zijn gereisd.

Over het motief voor de aanslag bestaat nog onduidelijkheid, maar Jermolajev is in Oekraïne een omstreden figuur en kreeg er in 2023 sancties opgelegd.

DEN HAAG (ANP) - Nederland gaat samen met Duitsland Stinger-luchtdoelraketten produceren, maakte defensieminister Dilan Yeşilgöz dinsdag bekend vanuit de NAVO-top in Ankara. Ze meldde daarbij niet om welke bedragen en aantallen het gaat. De aankondiging is onderdeel van een pakket defensieovereenkomsten die de VVD-bewindsvrouw ondertekende, waarvan een deel al bekend was.

De Stinger is een draagbare raket die kan worden afgevuurd door een militair en vervolgens automatisch een doelwit als een vliegtuig kan volgen. Het wapen is regelmatig onderdeel van westerse steunpakketten aan Oekraïne. De luchtafweerraketten zijn nog altijd belangrijk in de oorlog met Rusland.

De minister vindt het belangrijk dat Europese landen meer gaan samenwerken nu de defensie-investeringen omhoog gaan. "Door de krachten te bundelen voorkomen we versnippering, vergroten we onze productiecapaciteit met bondgenoten en zorgen we ervoor dat onze bedrijven sneller kunnen opschalen."

Amraam-raketten

Yeşilgöz sluit zich ook aan bij een Amerikaanse coalitie en een Noorse om gezamenlijk bepaalde typen munitie in te kopen. Bovendien ondertekent Nederland een overeenkomst om te onderzoeken of Amraam-raketten gezamenlijk kunnen worden geproduceerd. Dit zijn geavanceerde luchtverdedigingswapens die F-35-straaljagers bijvoorbeeld gebruiken om zichzelf te verdedigen. Ook maakt Nederland plannen met vier andere landen om gezamenlijk onderscheppingsraketten van het Patriot-luchtverdedigingssysteem te onderhouden.

Maandagavond maakte de minister al bekend dat ze voor meer dan 3 miljard euro aan defensiecontracten en plannen daartoe zou aankondigen op de NAVO-top. Zo gaat Yeşilgöz samen met België de luchtverdediging versterken en gaat Nederland samen met het Verenigd Koninkrijk landingsschepen bouwen.

ANKARA (ANP) - NAVO-landen gaan de komende vijf jaar 40 miljard dollar (35 miljard euro) investeren in de ontwikkeling van droneafweer, kondigde secretaris-generaal Mark Rutte aan tijdens de top in Ankara. Volgens hem gebeurt het steeds vaker dat drones ongeoorloofd boven NAVO-lidstaten vliegen en is het daarom nodig het gebied beter te beveiligen.

"We bouwen robuuste verdedigingssystemen tegen drones om drones te detecteren, te identificeren en onschadelijk te maken", zei Rutte bij de aankondiging. En omdat er ook genoeg mensen nodig zijn om drones te besturen, moeten voor het eind van 2027 vijf keer zoveel piloten worden opgeleid.

Rutte zei ook dat de NAVO veel leert van de oorlog in Oekraïne. "Drones hebben de aard van de moderne oorlogvoering zoals we die kennen veranderd. Ze zijn een doorslaggevende factor op het slagveld."

Vooral NAVO-landen aan de oostflank zoals Roemenië en de Baltische staten spotten vrij regelmatig drones in hun luchtruim. Die zijn vaak uit koers geraakt onderweg naar Rusland of Oekraïne.

It turns out my vaping habit is dangerous in more ways than one. But it could make me very popular in a survival scenario

Sitting outside a bar at the weekend, I noticed something coming out of my bag that looked and also smelled a lot like a naked flame. Ordinarily, I’d have thought it was my vape, but it couldn’t have been, since that was in my mouth. So I put it down to a mirage created by the clement weather, and thought no more of it until someone much smarter than me said: “Your bag’s on fire.”

It was my remarkable good fortune to be sitting opposite a friend who is a chemistry teacher, and explained what had happened through a laborious sequence of rhetorical questions. What is a spare vape battery made of? What are keys made of? What happens to a lithium battery when you connect something metal to each end? What is the result of closing a circuit inside a handbag? Not only had I set my bag alight; I’d melted my keyring, which for complicated reasons held a plastic portrait of both my nieces circa 2017, and it was yet more bad luck that I was also sitting opposite my sister, who, in fairness, reacted surprisingly well to the sight of her molten children.

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Two optimistic drinkers bumble around with a lovelorn student in tow in a depressing yet funny, faintly baffling tragicomedy

Francesco Sossai’s new film is not one that recognises the spoilsport clinical concept of “alcoholism”. Rather, it is the cynically amused and lenient witness to drunkenness, bleariness, sadness and intermittent nausea; to the tragicomic optimism of ageing boozers, ruined romantics with a superhuman ability to keep imbibing throughout the day, always wanting just one last drink, and then one last drink after that in the hope that elusive happiness will finally arrive. Either that, or they hope that liquor will accelerate the arrival of some wisdom that can never arrive. Pointedly, the film begins and ends with the same deadpan gag when someone, on the point of permanent farewell, shouts a crucial piece of life advice that is bewilderingly inaudible.

It is a road movie, a buddy movie and a faintly baffling shaggy-dog tale; a coming-of-age story that embraces infantilism and not coming of age; a bittersweet comedy without the sweet. It is intensely depressing yet funny at the same time. Doriano (Pierpaolo Capovilla) and Carlobianchi (Sergio Romano) are two middle-aged wasters who are always amiably drunk, living hand-to-mouth, evidently on the fringes of petty crime and living in the luxurious car they bought with their share of a scam set up some time ago by their buddy Genio (Andrea Pennacchi). This involved Genio stealing designer glasses and sunglasses made at the factory that employed him and, with Doriano and Carlobianchi, selling them on at knockdown prices.

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Joy is unbounded and when it dies down perhaps the guilty will be held to account for cheating and facilitation: perhaps they won’t. Still, enjoy the moment

Oh dear. Such a shame to see the US lose at football after their insanely embarrassing president cheated for them. Still, it really brought the world together. The last time this many people cheered on a Belgian resistance, it was 1914 and the Germans had just crossed the Meuse. As you’ll be aware, the USA were dumped out of their own World Cup on Monday night by a wholly superior Belgium, after Donald Trump boasted that he’d personally intervened in three phone calls with Fifa president Gianni Infantino to get the red card shown to USA striker Folarin Balogun rescinded. Yes, the US cheats at football. Pass it on.

You’ve heard a lot about shithousery during this tournament. We have even, excruciatingly, seen a few American commentators attempt to use the word in conversation. Guys, please, just – no. It’s not for you. You have ’erbs, “a couple things”, and “a ways to go”. But let’s call the events of the past few days by the name they deserve in all the languages of the world: Whitehousery.

Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist

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Reform UK leader confronts journalist after question about gifts from friend and convicted fraudster

• UK politics live – latest updates

Nigel Farage has said Sky News bosses face “serious consequences” in an outburst triggered by questions over fresh revelations about his finances.

The Reform UK leader has faced renewed scrutiny after the Sunday Times revealed he had received funding from his longtime ally, the convicted fraudster George Cottrell.

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Our cartoonist looks at the big stories from the World Cup as England reach the last eight but the US slump out

• Buy David’s cartoons | Some of his favourite works

• And his latest book, Chaos in the Box: get it now

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• Howe rebuilding side after Tonali and Gordon exits

• Widely hyped as Amsterdam club’s next De Jong

Newcastle are close to completing the signing of Sean Steur from Ajax for around £23m. The two-footed central midfielder is only 18 but has been widely hyped as the Amsterdam club’s brightest emerging midfield talent since Frenkie de Jong.

While De Jong has graduated to Barcelona, Steur, who can operate as a No 6 or a No 8, seems almost certainly Tyneside bound. At St James’ Park he is likely to start next season competing with Lewis Miley to fill Sandro Tonali’s old central midfield role and will be given time to adjust to the Premier League’s physicality.

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GitHub is offering a limited run of 1,000 CD-ROM copies of public repositories as a pro-physical-media jab at Sony's plan to stop producing PlayStation game discs in 2028. Tom's Hardware reports: The coding and collaboration platform, owned by Microsoft, states that "In light of recent developments in physical media, GitHub is proud to announce that you can now obtain your public repo on CD-ROM." Moreover, it appeals to the human side of computing, adding the emotive line "Keep it. Lend it to friends. Pass it on to your children." It isn't April 1st, so thankfully this is no joke. However, if you check out the above-linked GitHub Your Code, On a CD offer page, it quickly becomes clear this is a very limited in time/scope stunt.

"Order a burned CD of your own public GitHub repo. Yes, a real physical disc you can hold in your hands, no download required," begins the spiel. But this is a very limited run of 1,000 discs, with applications required between July 2 and July 6 (inclusive). Limit one per person, with availability varying between country/region.

"Your code is physically yours, forever. Until you lose it, let's be real," says GitHub. At best, these CDs will be framed and put on a wall, some becoming collector's items or eBay money spinners (discs like 0001 or 0888 would be good ones, if they are numbered). Also, many will be lost or eventually/accidentally discarded, as GitHub seems to know. So this 'protest' is arguably 1,000 doses of expensively shipped e-waste.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Jim Harris: Artist. has added a photo to the pool:

www.saatchiart.com/jimharris