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  • MIL-Evening Report: Astronomers thought the Milky Way was doomed to crash into Andromeda. Now they’re not so sure

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruby Wright, Forrest Fellow in Astrophysics, The University of Western Australia

    Luc Viatour / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA

    For years, astronomers have predicted a dramatic fate for our galaxy: a head-on collision with Andromeda, our nearest large galactic neighbour. This merger – expected in about 5 billion years – has become a staple of astronomy documentaries, textbooks and popular science writing.

    But in our new study published in Nature Astronomy, led by Till Sawala from the University of Helsinki, we find the Milky Way’s future might not be as certain previously assumed.

    By carefully accounting for uncertainties in existing measurements, and including the gravitational influence of other nearby galaxies, we found there is only about a 50% chance the Milky Way and Andromeda will merge in the next 10 billion years.

    Why did we think a collision was inevitable?

    The idea that the Milky Way and Andromeda are on a collision course goes back more than a century. Astronomers discovered Andromeda is moving toward us by measuring its radial velocity – its motion along our line of sight – using a slight change in the colour of its light called the Doppler shift.

    But galaxies also drift sideways across the sky, a movement known as proper motion or transverse velocity. This sideways motion is incredibly difficult to detect, especially for galaxies millions of light years away.

    Earlier studies often assumed Andromeda’s transverse motion was small, making a future head-on collision seem almost certain.

    What’s different in this study?

    Our study did not have any new data. Instead, we took a fresh look at existing observations from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Gaia mission.

    Unlike earlier studies, our work incorporates the uncertainty in these measurements, rather than assuming their most likely values.

    We simulated thousands of possible trajectories for the Milky Way and Andromeda trajectories, slightly varying the assumed initial conditions – things such as the speed and position of the two galaxies – each time.

    When we started from the same assumptions the earlier studies made, we recovered the same results. However, we were also able to explore a larger range or possibilities.

    We also included two additional galaxies that influence the future paths of the Milky Way and Andromeda: the Large Magellanic Cloud, a massive satellite galaxy currently falling into the Milky Way, and M33, also known as the Triangulum Galaxy, which orbits Andromeda.

    The new study took into account the gravitational effect of the Triangulum Galaxy, which orbits Andromeda.
    ESO, CC BY

    These companion galaxies exert gravitational tugs that change the motions of their hosts.

    M33 nudges Andromeda slightly toward the Milky Way, increasing the chance of a merger. Meanwhile, the Large Magellanic Cloud shifts the Milky Way’s motion away from Andromeda, reducing the likelihood of a collision.

    Taking all of this into account, we found that in about half of the simulated scenarios, the Milky Way and Andromeda do not merge at all within the next 10 billion years.

    What happens if they do – or don’t – collide?

    Even if a merger does happen, it’s unlikely to be catastrophic for Earth. Stars in galaxies are separated by enormous distances, so direct collisions are rare.

    But over time, the galaxies would coalesce under gravity, forming a single, larger galaxy – probably an elliptical one, rather than the spirals we see today.

    If the galaxies don’t merge, they may settle into a long, slow orbit around each other – close companions that never quite collide. It’s a gentler outcome, but it still reshapes our understanding of the Milky Way’s distant future.

    Other galaxies show examples of three future scenarios for the Milky Way and Andromeda: galaxies passing in the night, a close encounter, a full collision and merger.
    NASA / ESA

    What comes next?

    The biggest remaining uncertainty is the transverse velocity of Andromeda. Even small changes in this sideways motion can make the difference between a merger and a near miss. Future measurements will help refine this value and bring us closer to a clearer answer.

    We don’t yet have a definitive answer about our own galaxy’s future. But exploring these possibilities shows just how much we’re still learning about the universe – even close to home.

    Ruby Wright receives funding from the Forrest Research Foundation.

    Alexander Rawlings receives funding from the University of Helsinki Research Foundation and the European Research Council.

    – ref. Astronomers thought the Milky Way was doomed to crash into Andromeda. Now they’re not so sure – https://theconversation.com/astronomers-thought-the-milky-way-was-doomed-to-crash-into-andromeda-now-theyre-not-so-sure-257825

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Speaks About Trump’s Attack on Green Jobs at Energy Action Network (EAN) and EAN Climate Workforce Coalition Forum

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    WINOOSKI, VT – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, joined a forum hosted by the Energy Action Network (EAN) and the EAN Climate Workforce Coalition on how Congressional policy and budget decisions may impact Vermont’s energy transformation and climate action initiatives, including Vermont’s climate workforce. 
    “President Trump has put Big Oil first, and his attacks on green jobs prove it. He and his administration are walking back our global climate goals, gutting tax credits that help folks make energy efficiency home upgrades, and slashing green jobs and climate research. Vermonters have made their opposition to Trump’s actions clear—I’ve heard from hundreds of folks across our state who are deeply concerned about how Republicans’ budget will raise costs for families, businesses, and farmers,” said Senator Welch. “I’ll continue to join Senate Democrats in standing up to these attacks and fighting for a clean energy future.” 
    Republicans’ reconciliation bill will repeal clean energy programs established through the historic Inflation Reduction Act and raise energy costs for American households and businesses. It will eliminate jobs in manufacturing, clean technologies, and budding industries, and has already sown economic uncertainty throughout the energy sector. 
    The legislation advanced by the U.S. House of Representatives would effectively repeal many of the clean energy investments in the Inflation Reduction Act while expanding fossil fuel production and subsidies. Specifically, the bill: 

    Rescinds unspent funding for clean energy grant programs in the Inflation Reduction Act;  
    Eliminates or effectively eliminates most clean energy tax credits including: 

    Electric Vehicles Tax Credit for new and used vehicles;  
    Energy Efficiency Home Improvement Tax Credit; 
    Clean Electricity Investment and Production Tax Credits; 
    Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit; and 

    Mandates oil and gas leases on public lands and allows Big Oil companies to pay the government to fast-track environmental reviews. 

    All told, Republicans’ plans will have drastic consequences for the economy. Studies predict that repealing the Inflation Reduction Act will eliminate 790,000 jobs, increase energy costs for American consumers by $32 billion between 2025-35, and shrink the U.S. economy by $190 billion in 2035. President Trump’s policies have already killed $14 billion in clean energy investments and 10,000 new energy jobs since he took office. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Construction Manager Sentenced to Prison for Multimillion-Dollar Embezzlement and Tax Evasion

    Source: US FBI

    Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that JOSE GARCIA was sentenced to 27 months in prison for committing two lengthy fraud crimes—a $4.5 million embezzlement crime and a $2.1 million tax evasion crime.  In the embezzlement scheme, GARCIA had a lucrative no-show job with a technology company from 2012 to 2019.  GARCIA did no work for the technology company, but GARCIA’s co-conspirator, a technology executive, approved millions in payments to GARCIA and GARCIA’s shell entities.  In the tax evasion scheme, GARCIA neither filed tax returns nor paid income taxes from 2011 through 2019.  GARCIA previously pled guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and tax evasion before U.S. District Judge Dale E. Ho, who imposed today’s sentence.  Three other members of the embezzlement conspiracy have also pled guilty to date.

    “Jose Garcia engaged in a lengthy embezzlement scheme that involved a no-show job, fraudulent billings, and largescale cash kickbacks,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Garcia then doubled-down and sought to conceal his embezzlement activities by committing another crime – tax evasion.  In all, Garcia stole millions at the expense of hard-working, tax-paying Americans.  He then used the proceeds of his frauds to fund a lavish lifestyle.  For these brazen crimes, Garcia has been sentenced to prison.”

    According to the allegations contained in the Indictment, the Superseding Information to which GARCIA pled guilty, and statements made in public filings and in public court proceedings:

    The Embezzlement Scheme

    From approximately May 2010 through February 2019, GARCIA’s co-defendant, Mark Angarola, spearheaded a large fraud scheme to unlawfully enrich himself and his co-conspirators (the “Conspirators”) by submitting and causing to be submitted fraudulent invoices and expenses to an information technology (“IT”) services company (the “Contractor”), at which Angarola was employed in a senior position. In total, the embezzlement scheme caused a loss of more than $7 million.  GARCIA received the majority of the scheme’s fraud proceeds: $4,554,950.

    Angarola was a New York-based Global Account General Manager at the Contractor.  He was responsible for managing the Contractor’s relationship with a particular client, which was a subsidiary of a global financial institution (the “Client”).  The Contractor had a service contract with the Client, pursuant to which the Contractor provided IT support services to the Client at locations across the U.S.  The Contractor subcontracted certain of this work to a technology solutions company (the “Subcontractor”).  Pursuant to the agreement between the Contractor and the Subcontractor (the “Subcontract”), the Subcontractor provided certain IT support services directly to the Client in the place of the Contractor.  Angarola was responsible for oversight of the Subcontractor’s performance on the Subcontract, which included approving payment to the Subcontractor on invoices submitted for work purportedly performed and expenses purportedly incurred in the Subcontractor’s performance on the Subcontract.

    Angarola abused his position to fraudulently enrich himself, his family, and his friends.  For instance, he arranged for the Subcontractor to hire certain of his family members, friends, and subordinates, despite the fact that these individuals lacked apparent qualifications to perform deskside IT work.  He arranged for the Subcontractor to hire, among others, his wife (a homemaker); his former college roommate (a police sergeant); and his close friends, including GARCIA (a construction manager) and GARCIA’s wife (a schoolteacher).  Thereafter, various Conspirators falsely reported to the Subcontractor that they had performed work under the Subcontract and incurred business expenses.  The Subcontractor submitted invoices to the Contractor for the hours purportedly worked and business expenses purportedly incurred by several of the Conspirators, and Angarola, in turn, caused the Contractor to pay the Subcontractor on these fraudulent invoices.  The purported business expenses incurred by several Conspirators, and ultimately paid for by the Contractor at the direction of Angarola, included restaurant meals, hotel stays, transportation fees, a cruise, and gentlemen’s clubs.  In fact, the expenses were personal expenses and were not reimbursable under the Contractor’s policy.

    GARCIA was a central beneficiary of the embezzlement scheme and received the majority of the fraud proceeds.  These fraud proceeds were paid in part to GARCIA personally, and in part to his shell entities.  GARCIA did no work whatsoever for the Contractor or Subcontractor, but invoiced the Subcontractor, month after month, requesting payment for purported “Management Fees.” For instance, at different points in the scheme, GARCIA requested monthly payment of $36,000, $45,000, $51,000, or $60,000.  Angarola approved these payments to GARCIA on behalf of his employer, the Contractor. In return, GARCIA paid Angarola cash kickbacks exceeding $1 million.  GARCIA participated in the embezzlement scheme despite having fulltime, gainful employment elsewhere as a consultant and project manager in the construction industry.

    Financial records reveal that GARCIA spent fraud proceeds on, among other things, private school tuition, rent, luxury travel, luxury items, gym memberships, and sports memorabilia.  For instance, GARCIA paid for stays at luxury hotels such as the Ritz Carlton (in four different cities), the Waldorf Astoria, and the Plaza.  And GARCIA spent more than $50,000 on luxury items, including expensive purchases at Cartier, Hermes, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, Burberry, Bianca Jewelers, a glass blower in Venice, and a violin shop specializing in Stradivarius models.

    Tax Evasion

    From 2011 through 2019, GARCIA also committed tax evasion, resulting in a tax loss to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) of approximately $2,116,605.  For this nine-year period, GARCIA neither filed tax returns nor paid income taxes. As such, GARCIA failed to report to the IRS the income he derived from the embezzlement scheme as well as the income he derived from other business interests and sources.   GARCIA used shell entities to conceal his receipt of income, including by creating such entities, diverting income to such entities, and using entity bank accounts to pay for his personal expenses.

    *                *                *

    In addition to his prison term, GARCIA, 53, of New York, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.  GARCIA was also ordered to forfeit $4,554,950 and pay restitution in the amount of $7,007,055.

    Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office; the IRS-Criminal Investigation, New York Field Office; and the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, Northeast Regional Office.

    This matter is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit, along with the Justice Department’s Tax Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Neff, Timothy V. Capozzi, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jorge Almonte of the Tax Division are in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Internet-enabled orgasms: How teledildonics are changing the way we have sex

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Madison E. Williams, PhD Student, Experimental Psychology, University of New Brunswick

    Sex toys are no longer limited to the analogue dildos and masturbators of the past. Today, they have become increasingly sophisticated.
     (Shutterstock)

    Sex toys are fairly common in people’s sex lives, and broadly accessible both online and in brick-and-mortar stores. In the United States, more than 40 per cent of heterosexual women and men have incorporated vibrators into the bedroom.

    More than three-quarters of Canadians have used a sex toy with a partner at least once, including vibrators, anal toys and penile masturbators. Reported rates also vary widely across western countries — for instance, 16 per cent of Australians say they’ve used sex toys while up to 52 per cent of people in Germany say they have.

    However, sex toys are no longer limited to the analogue dildos and masturbators of the past. Today, they have become increasingly sophisticated.

    Internet-connected toys, known as teledildonics, are novel devices designed to enhance sexual experiences by mimicking elements of real human intimacy — such as genital touch, body warmth, synchronized movements or orgasmic sensations — without a partner being physically present.

    They can be synced with online pornography, integrated with virtual reality or even controlled remotely by a partner, allowing for intimacy at a distance.

    One question remains as this burgeoning technology becomes integrated in individuals’ lives: Can teledildonics promote sexual well-being?

    Why people use sex toys

    Research reveals that using sex toys, whether on their own or with a partner, is linked with greater sexual satisfaction. One study also found that using a vaginal vibrator helped women experience stronger arousal, better lubrication and reach orgasm more easily.

    People use sex toys for all sorts of reasons. In one Canadian study, the most popular reason people used sex toys was to spice up their sex life with a sexual partner.

    Other commonly reported motivations included wanting to boost sexual arousal during masturbation and partnered sex, and to reach orgasm more easily. For a smaller proportion, sex toys also served to help them relax or release tension.

    What about teledildonics?

    In one survey, nine per cent of U.S. adults reported they’ve used teledildonics, with more men (15 per cent) reporting usage than women (five per cent) and gender-diverse individuals (13 per cent).

    Although more and more people are turning to teledildonic devices, we still know relatively little about why they use them or how they relate to well-being — especially compared to the growing body of research on traditional, non-connected sex toys.

    Our research team at the Université du Québec à Montréal surveyed 617 men between the ages of 19 and 75 years old. They were customers of the teledildonics company, Kiiroo, which specializes in interactive, app-connected sex toys, particularly for men, such as masturbatory sleeves and strokers. Kiiroo’s marketing team helped recruit participants for the survey.

    This industry collaboration allowed us to explore, for the first time, who uses these devices, why they use them, and how certain usage patterns like using it alone or with a partner may support greater sexual well-being.

    More than three-quarters of Canadians have used a sex toy with a partner at least once, including vibrators, anal toys and penile masturbators.
    (Interactive Life Forms/Wikimedia), CC BY-SA

    Most of our participants resided in North America (74 per cent) and Europe (22 per cent), while a minority were in Australia, Asia and Central America (three per cent combined). They primarily identified as white (75 per cent), Asian (17 per cent), Latin American (10 per cent) and Black (four per cent).

    In our study, nearly all the men used their teledildonic devices alone, but 21 per cent of them also reported incorporating them into partnered sex.

    We found that people who use teledildonics with a partner tend to own a greater number of these devices compared to those who use them solely for solo play.

    Partnered use was also associated with a higher number of previous sexual partners, which may suggest that greater sexual experience increases one’s comfort in sharing sex toy use with a partner.

    Finally, partnered use was associated with greater sexual well-being in men. Those who used their toys with a partner reported having greater sexual desire, more ease in reaching orgasm with a partner and increased confidence as a sexual partner.

    In other words, men who use their teledildonics with a partner may experience greater sexual well-being than men who only use their devices alone.

    Research reveals that using sex toys, whether on their own or with a partner, is linked with greater sexual satisfaction.
    (Shutterstock)

    Why do men use teledildonics?

    Our study was the first to uncover the motivations behind men’s teledildonic sex toy use.

    For 57 per cent of the men in our study, teledildonics were used primarily to relax or relieve tension. Just over half also reported using teledildonics to fantasize about sexual activities that are not possible in real life and to increase sexual arousal during masturbation.

    More than one third of participants (38 per cent) shared that their teledildonics usage was specifically motivated by the ability to connect their toys with other technologies (like virtual reality headsets or online pornography).

    Other motivations for using teledildonics appear to mirror many of those that drive traditional sex toy use, notably relaxation and tension relief and to increase arousal.

    What’s next for teledildonics?

    Taken together, these findings offer promising evidence that using teledildonics, particularly with a partner, can have sexual benefits. They also invite us to reflect on how such technologies could improve the sex lives of people facing challenges such as sexual dysfunction, physical disabilities or a lack of access to sexual partners — although further research is needed to understand how teledildonics can meet their specific needs.

    In addition, this growing industry raises important questions around data security, ethics and digital consent, including how to address concerns about the devices being hacked or remotely controlled without permission.

    Ensuring that these technologies are developed with privacy and safety in mind is essential to maximizing their impact as tools that support sexual well-being in a rapidly changing sexual landscape.

    As teledildonics and other sex technologies become more sophisticated, they will continue to transform the future of sex, intimacy and well-being.

    Madison E. Williams consults for Kiiroo.

    David Lafortune received funding from Kiiroo to conduct this study.

    Éliane Dussault consults for Kiiroo.

    – ref. Internet-enabled orgasms: How teledildonics are changing the way we have sex – https://theconversation.com/internet-enabled-orgasms-how-teledildonics-are-changing-the-way-we-have-sex-252856

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Capital City Bank Group Announces Leadership Transition

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TALLAHASSEE, Fla., June 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The board of directors of Capital City Bank Group (NASDAQ: CCBG) announced today that Bethany Corum has been named president of Capital City Bank, effective as of July 1, 2025. This historic appointment takes place during the Bank’s landmark 130th anniversary year and marks a significant milestone as Corum becomes the first female president in the history of the Bank. She assumes this role with extensive experience and a deep commitment to championing the mission and continued success of Capital City Bank.

    At the same time, Tom Barron, who has dedicated 51 years to Capital City Bank, including the last 30 as president, has been appointed president of Capital City Bank Group and chairman of the Capital City Bank Board of Directors, effective as of July 1, 2025. In this new capacity, he will continue to be engaged in the management of the Bank and guide the Company’s growth.

    Additionally, William G. Smith Jr. will continue as Capital City Bank Group chairman and CEO, overseeing corporate strategy and governance while guiding the long-term financial performance of the Company.

    These changes reflect a strategic effort to diversify the executive ranks and bolster management as the Company enters its next phase of growth.

    Corum has served as chief operating officer since 2015, with the primary responsibilities of overseeing the commercial lending, retail market management, wealth management, information technology, loan and deposit operations, facilities management and information security departments, as well as the disaster recovery, human resources and talent development functions. After establishing her financial industry roots as an executive with the Florida Bankers Association, Corum came to Capital City Bank in 2006 and served a decade as chief people officer and president of Capital City Services Company before being promoted to chief operating officer.

    “For almost two decades, I have had the privilege of witnessing Beth’s exceptional leadership and commitment to the success of our Company,” said Capital City Bank Group Chairman, President and CEO William G. Smith Jr. “She has consistently driven growth, innovation and operational efficiency while managing a vast array of our business functions. Her strategic vision and dedication to fostering a positive workplace culture have earned us recognition year after year among the best employers in the nation. I firmly believe in Beth’s ability to guide us through the next phase of our journey with continued excellence.”

    Barron has played an integral role in helping guide the Company through industry shifts and an evolving banking landscape. Barron was among the original architects of Capital City Bank Group, which was formed as a multi-bank holding company in 1984, and a principal player in subsequently consolidating the seven-member family of brands under the single name of Capital City Bank in 1995.

    “Working shoulder-to-shoulder with Tom for the last 50 years has been one of the greatest honors of my career,” said Smith. “His 51 years of service have not only helped to shape our Company legacy but also set a high standard for leadership in our industry, making him a clear choice for these vital roles. His exceptional expertise, strategic vision and consistent acumen have guided us through transformative times. I am confident that his deep knowledge of our past and insightful perspective on our future will continue to lead us to new heights.”

    Corum earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee at Martin and her master’s degree from Florida State University. She is a dedicated community advocate and currently serves as treasurer of Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare board of directors, chairman of the United Way of the Big Bend and chair-elect of the Community Foundation of North Florida. She has formerly served as chair of the Children’s Home Society of North Florida, trustee for the Florida Bankers Educational Foundation and as past chair of the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, Corum is a Leadership Tallahassee and Leadership Florida graduate. 

    Barron holds an MBA from Florida State University and served as president of the Community Bankers of Florida in 1989. He currently serves on the boards of Capital Health Plan and Tall Timbers. A former chair of the Southeastern Community Blood Center, Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce, United Way of the Big Bend, Seminole Boosters and Hollins University, Barron has demonstrated community leadership and advocacy throughout his career.

    About Capital City Bank Group, Inc.
    Capital City Bank Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: CCBG) is one of the largest publicly traded financial holding companies headquartered in Florida and has approximately $4.5 billion in assets. We provide a full range of banking services, including traditional deposit and credit services, mortgage banking, asset management, trust, merchant services, bankcards, securities brokerage services and financial advisory services, including the sale of life insurance, risk management and asset protection services. Our bank subsidiary, Capital City Bank, was founded in 1895 and now has 62 banking offices and 105 ATMs/ITMs in Florida, Georgia and Alabama. For more information about Capital City Bank Group, Inc., www.ccbg.com. 

    For Information Contact:
    Brooke Hallock
    Hallock.Brooke@ccbg.com
    850.402.8525

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6e7d733b-3458-481b-a2cc-a12b2c43f7dd

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3c1f5a36-ff85-4e5d-9320-63493e95dd97

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/df11cf9b-ef6e-4de1-ad9e-630a5d824fbc

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Apocalypse When? Hubble Casts Doubt on Certainty of Galactic Collision

    Source: NASA

    As far back as 1912, astronomers realized that the Andromeda galaxy — then thought to be only a nebula — was headed our way. A century later, astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope were able to measure the sideways motion of Andromeda and found it was so negligible that an eventual head-on collision with the Milky Way seemed almost certain.
    A smashup between our own galaxy and Andromeda would trigger a firestorm of star birth, supernovae, and maybe toss our Sun into a different orbit. Simulations had suggested it was as inevitable as, in the words of Benjamin Franklin, “death and taxes.”
    But now a new study using data from Hubble and the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Gaia space telescope says “not so fast.” Researchers combining observations from the two space observatories re-examined the long-held prediction of a Milky Way – Andromeda collision, and found it is far less inevitable than astronomers had previously suspected. 
    “We have the most comprehensive study of this problem today that actually folds in all the observational uncertainties,” said Till Sawala, astronomer at the University of Helsinki in Finland and lead author of the study, which appears today in the journal Nature Astronomy.
    His team includes researchers at Durham University, United Kingdom; the University of Toulouse, France; and the University of Western Australia. They found that there is approximately a 50-50 chance of the two galaxies colliding within the next 10 billion years. They based this conclusion on computer simulations using the latest observational data.

    These galaxy images illustrate three possible encounter scenarios between our Milky Way and the neighboring Andromeda galaxy. Top left: Galaxies M81 and M82. Top right: NGC 6786, a pair of interacting galaxies. Bottom: NGC 520, two merging galaxies.
    Science: NASA, ESA, STScI, DSS, Till Sawala (University of Helsinki); Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)

    Sawala emphasized that predicting the long-term future of galaxy interactions is highly uncertain, but the new findings challenge the previous consensus and suggest the fate of the Milky Way remains an open question.
    “Even using the latest and most precise observational data available, the future of the Local Group of several dozen galaxies is uncertain. Intriguingly, we find an almost equal probability for the widely publicized merger scenario, or, conversely, an alternative one where the Milky Way and Andromeda survive unscathed,” said Sawala.
    The collision of the two galaxies had seemed much more likely in 2012, when astronomers Roeland van der Marel and Tony Sohn of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland published a detailed analysis of Hubble observations over a five-to-seven-year period, indicating a direct impact in no more than 5 billion years. 
    “It’s somewhat ironic that, despite the addition of more precise Hubble data taken in recent years, we are now less certain about the outcome of a potential collision. That’s because of the more complex analysis and because we consider a more complete system. But the only way to get to a new prediction about the eventual fate of the Milky Way will be with even better data,” said Sawala.
    100,000 Crash-Dummy Simulations
    Astronomers considered 22 different variables that could affect the potential collision between our galaxy and our neighbor, and ran 100,000 simulations called Monte Carlo simulations stretching to 10 billion years into the future. 
    “Because there are so many variables that each have their errors, that accumulates to rather large uncertainty about the outcome, leading to the conclusion that the chance of a direct collision is only 50% within the next 10 billion years,” said Sawala.
    “The Milky Way and Andromeda alone would remain in the same plane as they orbit each other, but this doesn’t mean they need to crash. They could still go past each other,” said Sawala. 
    Researchers also considered the effects of the orbits of Andromeda’s large satellite galaxy, M33, and a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way called the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC).  
    “The extra mass of Andromeda’s satellite galaxy M33 pulls the Milky Way a little bit more towards it. However, we also show that the LMC pulls the Milky Way off the orbital plane and away from Andromeda. It doesn’t mean that the LMC will save us from that merger, but it makes it a bit less likely,” said Sawala. 

    [embedded content]

    In about half of the simulations, the two main galaxies fly past each other separated by around half a million light-years or less (five times the Milky Way’s diameter). They move outward but then come back and eventually merge in the far future. The gradual decay of the orbit is caused by a process called dynamical friction between the vast dark-matter halos that surround each galaxy at the beginning.
    In most of the other cases, the galaxies don’t even come close enough for dynamical friction to work effectively. In this case, the two galaxies can continue their orbital waltz for a very long time.
    The new result also still leaves a small chance of around 2% for a head-on collision between the galaxies in only 4 to 5 billion years. Considering that the warming Sun makes Earth uninhabitable in roughly 1 billion years, and the Sun itself will likely burn out in 5 billion years, a collision with Andromeda is the least of our cosmic worries. 
    The Hubble Space Telescope has been operating for over three decades and continues to make ground-breaking discoveries that shape our fundamental understanding of the universe. Hubble is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope and mission operations. Lockheed Martin Space, based in Denver, also supports mission operations at Goddard. The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, conducts Hubble science operations for NASA.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Alderman Stephen Moutray honoured to hold the high office of Lord Mayor

    Source: Northern Ireland City of Armagh

    Alderman Stephen Moutray has officially taken up office as the new Lord Mayor following the Annual Meeting of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council on Monday 2 June.

    The married father-of-three was co-opted onto council in December 2018 and was subsequently re-elected to represent the Lurgan District Electoral Area in 2019 and in 2023.

    A member of the DUP since 1979, his long and distinguished career in local politics made him a strong candidate among his party colleagues to hold the highest civic office within council.

    Having held leadership positions on key council committees in recent years, his wealth of experience will be an asset as he assumes the responsibilities of Lord Mayor.

    These include Chair of the Economic Development and Regeneration Committee from 2019 to 2020 and later Vice-Chair from 2021 to 2022. He also chaired the Governance, Resources and Strategy Committee from 2022 to 2023.

    He previously served as a councillor on Craigavon Borough Council from 2001 to 2013 and held the office of Mayor from 2010 to 2011.

    While serving as an MLA for Upper Bann from 2003 to 2016, he played a key role in economic development, environmental policies, community engagement, and was actively involved in shaping initiatives that impacted the region.

    Taking over from SF Councillor Sarah Duffy, the new Lord Mayor said:

    “It is a huge honour and privilege to serve as the First Citizen for the borough. I am so proud to take on this important ambassadorial role and I am really looking forward to the year ahead meeting with businesses, residents and communities and welcoming visiting dignitaries from home and abroad.

    “My top priority is to grow the local economy and do all I can to create a more prosperous business environment while also reinforcing the borough’s reputation as a great place to work, live, and invest.

    “Working for my family’s food retail business, I know the local business community is facing significant challenges. I am keen to engage with businesspeople across the borough, with a view to understanding the issues important to them and how the council can further support them.

    “I am focused on delivering initiatives that enhance the borough’s economic and social landscape.

    “We are fortunate to have a well-connected network of community and voluntary groups that play a vital role in providing essential services and supporting the most vulnerable in our community. They are the backbone of our community, and I want to ensure they are recognised and celebrated for the invaluable work they do.

    “I also plan to take time to get to know council staff working in all departments and based at different locations across the borough. I am keen to thank them for their hard work and dedication to providing essential services to the whole community.”

    He also thanked his DUP party colleagues for entrusting him with his senior civic role and his family for their unstinting support during what will be an extremely busy year ahead.

    During his term, the Lord Mayor has pledged to raise funds for the Southern Area Hospice Services and Epilepsy Action Northern Ireland. He has a personal connection to both charities, having observed the positive impact that their respective specialist palliative care and support services have had on close family members.

    Outside of work commitments, he enjoys a range of activities such as travelling, walking, and spending quality time with his family and five grandchildren who bring him so much joy.

    APNI Councillor Jessica Johnston has also been elected Deputy Lord Mayor for the incoming year, taking over from UUP Councillor Kyle Savage.

    The 25-year-old from Donaghcloney is the youngest elected representative to hold this senior position on the council. Councillor Johnston was co-opted onto council in May 2022 to represent the Lagan River Area and was subsequently re-elected in 2023.

    Her appointment is a historic moment for her party as she is the first member to hold this prestigious civic role. The Alliance Party first had representation on the council after gaining three seats at the 2019 local elections.

    The new Deputy Lord Mayor currently works as a researcher for the Deputy Leader of the Alliance Party, Eóin Tennyson MLA.

    Speaking about her appointment, the new Deputy Lord Mayor said:

    “I am immensely proud to step into this honorary role at such an early stage in my political career and thrilled to be representing people in the place I call home.

    “My greatest aspiration is to use this unique platform to make a lasting impact on the local community.

    “As a strong advocate for youth engagement in politics, I hope to encourage young people from all backgrounds to get involved in shaping policies that directly impact their lives.

    “With fitness a big part of my lifestyle, I am passionate about increasing people’s access to local leisure facilities and promoting the benefits of sport and exercise for both physical and mental health.

    “During my term in office, I hope to raise awareness about the Macmillan Move More programme and the vital work it does locally, with council support, to encourage people living with cancer to become more physically active.

    “I am also keen to support local cancer charities as my family, like many others, has been impacted by this disease.”

    After graduating from Queen’s University Belfast in 2021 and working in the local hospitality industry during her studies, she previously worked in a graduate role at the University’s Widening Participation Unit. She is a member of the Donacloney Primary School Board of Governors and the Lurgan College Board of Governors.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar Announces 2025 Service Academy Appointments

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar’s (FL-27)

    span>Miami, FL – Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar (FL-27) proudly announced the appointment of four outstanding students from Florida’s 27th Congressional District to the United States Service Academies. These exceptional young men and women were nominated by the Congresswoman and accepted by their respective academies for the Class of 2029.

    “It is an incredible honor to nominate such talented and patriotic young leaders to our nation’s prestigious service academies,” said Rep. Salazar. “I was deeply impressed by their passion to serve our country and defend America’s values around the world. I have no doubt they will represent South Florida with pride, strength, and excellence—and make our community proud.”

    The appointed students are: 

    • Lucia Castillo-Rios – U.S. Naval Academy

    Palmetto Bay | Our Lady of Lourdes Academy

    • Austin Nelson – U.S. Air Force Academy

    Palmetto Bay | Cutler Bay Senior High

    Miami | Palmetto Senior High School

    • Natan Rowand – U.S. Military Academy at West Point

    Cutler Bay | Westminster Christian School

    These appointments reflect the students’ academic achievements, leadership skills, and commitment to serving our country. Each service academy offers a rigorous education and military training, preparing cadets and midshipmen to become the next generation of officers in the United States Armed Forces.

    Background

    Our nation’s service academies represent the gold standard of excellence, leadership, and integrity for America’s armed forces, making acceptance into these institutions an extraordinary honor and achievement. The honor of attending a U.S. service academy comes with a solemn obligation: graduates must serve at least five years in the U.S. military. Each year, the nomination process is highly competitive. Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar interviews many exceptional applicants from across the district, evaluating academic performance, leadership, character, and dedication to service.

    Each congressional office may nominate up to fifteen individuals per academy vacancy. 

    To request a nomination from Congresswoman Salazar, you can start by visiting Rep. Salazar’s website or by emailing FL27.ACADEMY@MAIL.HOUSE.GOV.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WA launches police use-of-force database

    Source: Washington State News

    SEATTLE — The Attorney General’s Office announced today the launch of the Washington State Data Exchange for Public Safety (WADEPS), which is ready to collect use-of-force data from the state’s law enforcement agencies in an effort to improve transparency, trust and evidence-based policymaking.

    The exchange is a publicly available, cloud-based platform to help the public see and analyze police use-of-force data. The database, established with robust bipartisan support from the Legislature in 2021, was developed through significant collaboration with law enforcement, community leaders, and criminal justice researchers.

    State law requires law enforcement agencies in the state to report incidents involving specific types of force, such as when an officer uses a firearm, Taser, pepper spray, canine, or strikes a person with a weapon or their body. Agencies must report information about the officer and person involved in these use-of-force incidents, such as their age, gender, race and ethnicity.

    Law enforcement agencies have through September 2 to begin reporting data. Going forward, agencies must submit use-of-force data monthly. Information about the outcome of an investigation of an incident will be updated within 30 days of when the investigation is complete. WADEPS does not collect personally identifiable information about community members who interact with police.

    “A single location with clear, standardized and contextual information will help the public better understand the use of force in Washington,” Attorney General Nick Brown said in a letter sent to law enforcement agencies today. “Law enforcement and policymakers will have common tools to better analyze force and make informed decisions about policing policies and practices.”

    WADEPS is operated by Washington State University under a grant agreement with the Attorney General’s Office. A key feature of the system is its ability to put use of force in context. The public will be able to examine whether rates of force differ across different types of incidents, such as police response to an assault, traffic incident, or mental health 911 call.

    “The launch of the Washington State Data Exchange for Public Safety marks a critical step forward in ensuring transparency, accountability, and data-driven decision-making in our justice system,” said Sen. T’wina Nobles, D-Tacoma, sponsor of the original legislation. “This collaborative effort between law enforcement, community leaders, and researchers will help build trust and improve public safety outcomes for all Washingtonians. I’m so proud to have championed this work and look forward to seeing its impact.”

    State Sen. John Lovick, D-Mill Creek, sponsored the bill’s companion legislation in the House prior to being appointed to the Senate in 2022.

    “When we understand the cause of an issue, we can fix it,” Lovick said. “This new data exchange represents Washington state’s commitment to trust, transparency, and accountability. When to use force is one of the most difficult decisions a peace officer must face and we must all work together to ensure that people are safe, and feel safe, in our communities.”

    Several law enforcement agencies were early participants in the program. Fife Police Chief Pete Fisher said his department was excited about “WADEPS’ mission to enhance transparency, accountability and real-time analysis of police use of force incidents.”

    “Use of force and force outcomes are extremely complex, impacted and influenced by myriad variables that vary significantly between jurisdictions — such as differences in location (e.g., city versus county), crime rates, and numerous other factors. These frequently changing factors make meaningful analysis extremely difficult,” Fisher said. “I have a great deal of confidence that WADEPS can be a mechanism to help police and community members better understand police use of force. If employed properly, it will provide the insight needed to allow police to tailor policy, training, and response for better outcomes. At the same time, it offers a way to demonstrate to stakeholders and the public that the vast majority of police use of force encounters are lawful and reasonable.”

    -30-

    Washington’s Attorney General serves the people and the state of Washington. As the state’s largest law firm, the Attorney General’s Office provides legal representation to every state agency, board, and commission in Washington. Additionally, the Office serves the people directly by enforcing consumer protection, civil rights, and environmental protection laws. The Office also prosecutes elder abuse, Medicaid fraud, and handles sexually violent predator cases in 38 of Washington’s 39 counties. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.

    Media Contact:

    Email: press@atg.wa.gov

    Phone: (360) 753-2727

    General contacts: Click here

    Media Resource Guide & Attorney General’s Office FAQ

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ensuring New Yorkers Keep Cool during Extreme Heat

    Source: US State of New York

    n Global Heat Action Day, Governor Kathy Hochul highlighted new and enhanced resources available to protect New York communities from extreme heat this summer. Measures will help New Yorkers access affordable cooling at home and at cooling centers, provide additional support for cool and resilient buildings, help keep kids cool at schools, and offer new tools and expanded funding for communities to prepare for and adapt to extreme heat and mitigate urban heat islands. The New York State Department of Health also launched its interactive New York State Heat Risk and Illness Dashboard that will allow the public and county health care officials to determine the forecasted level of heat-related health risks in their areas and raise awareness about the dangers of heat exposure.

    “Scorching summer temperatures and increasing extreme weather events threaten the lives and well-being of New Yorkers across the state,” Governor Hochul said. “That’s why I’m directing State agencies to take action and ensure all New Yorkers can afford and access relief from the full spectrum of heat risks.”

    Heat waves and other extreme heat events are likely to happen again this summer and New York State agencies are working to implement initiatives recommended by the State’s Extreme Heat Action Plan to help New Yorkers prepare for heat’s negative health and environmental impacts. A range of new and enhanced resources are available for individuals, local governments, and community-based organizations, including:

    • New support for cooling at home: With the new Essential Plan Cooling program, NY State of Health will provide eligible Essential Plan members a free air conditioner to help keep their homes cool. This will complement assistance available in 2025 through the HEAP Cooling program which served more than 23,000 households in 2024.
    • Better access to cooling centers: New resources are available to help connect New Yorkers with safe spaces for cooling. The New York State Department of Health (DOH) and Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) will continue to coordinate with local health departments and emergency managers to update the Cooling Center Finder throughout summer 2025. DOH offers new resources to provide information about best practices for setting up cooling centers and how these locations could serve as clean air centers. Round 8 of the Climate Smart Communities grant program is now open, making $22 million available to fund GHG mitigation and climate adaptation projects, including establishing cooling centers.
    • Additional support for cool buildings: Funding available through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) supports weatherization and clean and efficient heating and cooling that can improve extreme heat resilience at homes, community anchor institutions, schools, and more. The Office of General Services’ new “Decarbonization and Climate Resiliency Design Guide” was released for new and majorly renovated State building projects to assess and reduce climate risk (including extreme heat and Urban Heat Islands) through proactive design.
    • New investments in cool schools: The Education Law newly requires public school districts and BOCES to develop an extreme heat policy, which establishes certain temperature thresholds. NYSERDA offers additional funding to install clean cooling and heating at schools, for example through funding as part of the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act.
    • Enhanced tools and funding for cool communities: Preliminary extreme heat exposure maps and DOH’s Heat Vulnerability Index help communities understand exposure and vulnerabilities. Programs such as Climate Smart Communities fund communities in planning, designing, and implementation solutions. New and expanded funding supports nature-based solutions such as urban forests, urban farms, and community gardens to cool neighborhoods and mitigate heat islands. Governor Hochul’s New York Statewide Investment in More Swimming (NY SWIMS) initiative expanded outdoor swimming through the Connect Kids to Swimming Instruction Transportation grant program and advanced capital projects for swimming facilities in underserved communities through the NY SWIMS Round One competitive grant program.

    Implementation of the Extreme Heat Action Plan

    New York State also marks significant progress on the first year of implementation of the Extreme Heat Action Plan (EHAP) with the first readiness update now available. In June 2024, Governor Hochul, the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), and the EHAP Work Group released the plan with nearly 50 actions by State agencies to address extreme heat impacts across four tracks (local planning and capacity building, community preparedness and workers’ safety, resilient buildings and access to cooling, and advancing ecosystem-based adaptations). DEC is coordinating the implementation of the plan in partnership with NYSERDA and the members of the Work Group, including the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) and the State Department of Health (DOH).

    During the first year implementing the plan, State agencies made significant progress in developing new resources that help communities address impacts of extreme heat. The full update on implementation progress is available here.

    Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, “Extreme heat driven by our changing climate is contributing to serious public health consequences and threats to New Yorkers, particularly New Yorkers in communities of color and communities historically overburdened by pollution. DEC and our agency partners released the Extreme Heat Action Plan last year under Governor Hochul’s directive and applaud the significant programs and efforts underway to protect lives and advance efforts to ensure our communities are better prepared to respond to severe weather.”

    New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “On Global Heat Action Day, New York State is strengthening its commitment to providing access to reliable, efficient, and affordable cooling solutions in communities across the state. The resources announced today show tremendous progress in implementing the Extreme Heat Action Plan, assuring all New Yorkers – including the most vulnerable – that relief will be available during the hottest months of the year.”

    Staying Safe During Extreme Heat

    The dangers of extreme heat can affect everyone, regardless of age, physical shape, or existing health conditions. The body works extra hard to maintain a normal temperature during extreme heat and, without taking proper measures, this can lead to heat-related illness or even death.

    Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, “Extreme heat can be deadly, so it’s important that New Yorkers take it seriously. Governor Hochul has made addressing extreme heat a priority as multiple days of high temperatures are becoming more common here in New York. Our state agencies have worked together to make resources available for communities and residents, including free air conditioners to help those eligible keep their homes cool and a comprehensive online tool to assist individuals looking for cooling centers. I urge everyone to prepare now for the extreme temperatures coming our way this summer.”

    State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “As extreme heat becomes more frequent and severe due to climate change, it’s critical that we equip New Yorkers with the tools and resources they need to stay safe and healthy. These new initiatives will not only expand access to cooling centers and protect vulnerable populations, but also help build healthier, more resilient communities. We’re proud to work alongside Governor Hochul and our state partners to ensure that every New Yorker, especially those most at risk, can find relief from extreme heat.”

    Information about what the public can do during hot weather and how to locate cooling centers can be found on DOH’s Extreme Heat website.

    The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) can also provide an air conditioning unit to income-eligible households that include someone with a documented medical condition exacerbated by extreme heat, or households with young children or older adults. Applications will continue to be accepted until funding runs out. For more information, visit the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance website or contact your local office for the aging at 1-800-342-9871.

    Groups most at risk are:

    • People who work outdoors or indoors without air conditioning
    • Adults aged 60 years and older
    • Infants, children, and those who are pregnant
    • People with chronic health conditions
    • Those with physical and cognitive disabilities
    • Those with no access to air conditioning
    • Individuals who live alone or are unhoused
    • Athletes
    • Pets and service animals
    • People living in cities because asphalt and concrete store heat longer and release heat more slowly at night. This produces higher nighttime temperatures and is known as the “urban heat island effect.”

    Another important heat safety tip is to never leave children or pets unsupervised in hot cars. There is a real and severe danger when leaving children or pets unsupervised in a car even when temperatures don’t “feel” hot. At 60 degrees outside, after just one hour a closed car can get as hot as 105 degrees.

    Supporting Local Extreme Heat Action

    New York State continues to make investments in programs to help mitigate extreme heat and other climate impacts. Currently, $22 million is available through the Climate Smart Communities grant program to fund climate change mitigation and adaptation projects, including for projects that help communities plan for and adapt to extreme heat. The deadline for applications is July 31, 2025. More information is available on DEC’s website.

    New York State’s Climate Agenda

    New York State’s climate agenda calls for an affordable and just transition to a clean energy economy that creates family-sustaining jobs, promotes economic growth through green investments, and directs a minimum of 35 percent of the benefits to disadvantaged communities. New York is advancing a suite of efforts to achieve an emissions-free economy by 2050, including in the energy, buildings, transportation, and waste sectors.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Food in Schools project surveys underway

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    The Highland Council’s ‘Food in Schools’ project is a key component of the Council’s Delivery Plan and the Redesign Board Chaired by the Convener of the Council – Councillor Bill Lobban has today (Monday 2 June 2025) launched a range of surveys to better understand the various components of food provision in school settings.

    The surveys will be issued by Head Teachers, on behalf of the Food in Schools project team, to current pupils (P1-S6), parents and carers, teachers and non-teaching staff (e.g. Pupil Support Assistants). The Council’s school catering staff and Councillors are also being invited to complete surveys to enable the project team to gather feedback and data for review by the Redesign Board.

    Convener of the Council and Chair of Redesign Board, Cllr Bill Lobban said: “Food in Schools is a wide ranging project that cuts across several Council policy areas and services such as waste and recycling as well as school catering. The Redesign Board is fully supportive of the Food in Schools project which is a key part of the Council’s Delivery Plan, and we look forward to reviewing the findings and data from the surveys.”

    The Council currently serves 18,000 lunches per day in 173 primary schools and 29 secondary schools and is moving gradually to an annual menu.  From 2026 we will update our menus every 12 months after the Easter Break. 

    Education Committee Chair, Cllr John Finlayson added: “The Council is striving towards improving Food in Schools to help support pupils’ health and wellbeing but to also improve the take up of the food offering provided in schools and to reduce food waste. We continue to consult with pupils and staff to improve the food choices and recipes available.

    “Food waste in our schools is a key area where we could see greater efficiencies as well as environmental benefits. I encourage our young people and families to support the ‘Food in Schools’ project by completing the surveys that will help shape positive changes.”

    Stakeholders will be invited to take part in tailored surveys over the next two weeks, the results of which will be reported to a future meeting of the Redesign Board. Following an initial workshop with the Redesign Board, the focus of these surveys is take-up of school meals, including free school meals, our current operating model and learning from leading practice, and reducing the cost of food by reducing the amount of food waste. After the survey results have been analysed, further work will be undertaken to review the scope of the project and the range of inter-connected policy areas which support this important service for our young people.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Integration of digital creativity and video game development into secondary education curricula in the EU – E-002063/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002063/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Andi Cristea (S&D)

    Romania has recently approved a new high school curriculum entitled ‘Video Game Development’, as an integrated optional subject in upper secondary education (high school), under the ‘Curriculum at the School’s Decision’ framework.

    This curriculum fosters digital skills, creativity and project-based learning by combining programming, digital art, design, storytelling and teamwork. The video game sector is a fast-growing part of the European digital economy and a key domain for innovation and youth engagement.

    In view of this development and in line with the EU’s Digital Education Action Plan and Creative Europe programme:

    • 1.In what ways does the Commission encourage Member States to incorporate digital creative industries, such as video game development, into their secondary education curricula or facilitate this, given that education policy remains a national competency?
    • 2.Would the Commission be willing to develop or promote a set of European guidelines or a best-practice framework to support Member States interested in integrating video game development and digital storytelling into their education systems, considering that education is primarily a national responsibility?

    Submitted: 22.5.2025

    Last updated: 2 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER STATEMENT ON COMPLETION OF ALSTOM’S $75 MILLION, 250+ JOB EXPANSION AT HORNELL CAR BODY SHELL PRODUCTION FACILITY; SENATOR SECURED $3.4 MILLION IN FED FUNDING TO BRING EXPANSION TO LIFE &…

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today released the following statement on the completion of Alstom’s Plant 4, a new $75 million, 250+ job expansion at its Hornell campus, to house a new state-of -art, car body shell production facility to support production of 200 new multi-level commuter cars for the Chicago Metra Commuter Rail System, and enhance the company’s competitiveness for future projects in Hornell. In 2021, Schumer helped secure $3.4 million in critical federal funding to make the construction of Alstom’s Plant 4 a reality. 

    “It’s full steam ahead for Plant 4, Alstom’s new Hornell cutting-edge manufacturing facility! I was proud to secure $3.4 million in federal funding to put Alstom on the fast track to expand and house this new manufacturing facility. The opening of Plant 4 today is a win-win-win for American manufacturing leadership, the Southern Tier economy, and Alstom’s powerhouse union workforce, getting even stronger with 250 new good-paying jobs,” said Senator Schumer. “Today, Alstom solidifies the Southern Tier and New York State as the beating heart for its North American operations. I’ve long fought to support Alstom’s growth in Steuben County and will continue to fight to ensure Hornell has the resources it needs to be one of the nation’s main hubs for rolling stock manufacturing.”

    In 2021, after his direct advocacy, Schumer announced a $3.4 million federal grant from the Economic Development Administration to the Hornell IDA to make improvements to the Shawmut Park site to pave the way for Alstom’s facility expansion. Schumer explained that the project allowed Alstom to build one of the only U.S.-based manufactured rail car shell operations, onshoring manufacturing from overseas and bolstering the rolling stock domestic supply chain. Schumer also helped support Alstom’s successful bid to make passenger rail cars for the Chicago Metra Commuter Rail System at its Hornell facility. 

    Schumer, a long-standing fighter for Alstom, its workers, and the City of Hornell, has worked tirelessly to support growth at its Steuben County facility, a site that for more than 170 years has been manufacturing and servicing high-quality trains in Hornell. Through his efforts, the workforce has doubled, and the facility has expanded, cementing Alstom and Hornell’s future as a leader in rail car manufacturing in North America.  He led the charge, urging USDOT to green light Amtrak’s efforts to buy brand new Next Generation High-Speed trains, a necessary step to keep Alstom’s Acela contracting opportunity on track, paving the way for them to compete and win the prestigious contract to build a replacement fleet of Acela high speed trains, adding an estimated 400 jobs at Alstom in Hornell and helping attract over 50 other supplier companies.

    Most recently, he successfully delivered nearly $16 million to the Steuben County IDA, who in partnership with Alstom, Norfolk Southern Railway, and Binghamton University’s New Energy New York (NENY) consortium, will develop next generation battery technology for more energy-efficient trains.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to unpublished conference abstract suggesting eating rate has sustained effects on energy intake from Ultra-Processed Diets

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A conference abstract presented at NUTRITION 2025 looks at eating rate and its effects on energy intake from Ultra-Processed Diets. 

    Dr Amanda Avery, Associate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Nottingham, said:

    “This very well considered study explores whether eating rate can make a difference to the amount of food we eat. Previous research has suggested that a 20% difference in eating rate leads to a 9-15% difference in food intake.

    “In this study, the abstract being showcased at the American Nutrition conference,  the researchers used two different diets using commercially prepared ultra processed foods (UPFs). One diet used UPFs with textures that meant that eating rate was slower whilst the second diet used UPFs with textures leading to faster eating rates.

    “Healthy young adults, both males and females with healthy body weights were invited to take part in the study where they were then randomised to be in one ‘block’ or the second block for assignment to the diet. They were not aware which diet they were consuming when – they had one diet for two weeks, then had a two week ‘rest’ and then had the second diet for two weeks. This means that we can compare the results between individuals besides between the two groups.

    “The participants were offered as much food as they wanted when on either of the two diets. Incredibly, but perhaps not surprisingly, the findings on energy intake were consistent – all participants consumed less energy from food when on the two week UPF – slow eating rate diet. The average energy intake was 369kcal/day less when people were following the slow eating rate diet.

    “Whilst there were no significant differences in body weight, this is not surprising given that the study was only being conducted for a two-week period and because participants were switched from one diet to another. However if a person was choosing a diet which led to an extra 350+kcal being consumed each day, then one could expect to see associated increases in body weight over time. 

    “As mentioned, the study was well conducted with many reasons as to why participants may not be able to take part in the study. The researchers were keen to exclude anyone who had strict control over their food intake and also those people who were intentionally trying to reduce their body weight – thus other factors that may have contributed to the findings were limited in the study design.

    “In terms of what this study adds – the study really reinforces the importance of people sitting down and taking time to enjoy their food. Eating foods quickly and ‘on the hoof’ may lead to extra energy intake which may long-term lead to weight gain. Ideally, we should be choosing foods with more texture, such as ultra-processed foods with more texture, but also balanced with vegetables, whole fruits, wholegrain cereals, beans, legumes, lean meat, fish, so that we have to chew the food. As this study has found, food with very little texture, such as certain UPFs, may lead to excess energy intake which over time may increase the risk of obesity, as demonstrated by other studies that have compared the intake of ultra processed with more minimally processed foods.”

     

    Professor Julian Hamilton-Shield, Professor in Diabetes and Metabolic Endocrinology, University of Bristol, said:

    “This study reinforces previous epidemiological, experimental and clinical trial data demonstrating that any manoeuvre to slow eating rate consistently, in this current study by meal texture, reduces an individual’s total calorie intake. Whilst it can be difficult to sustain a reduced eating speed, altering food texture that slows eating speed seems an attractive additional tool for population-based, weight management strategies.”  

    The abstract ‘Eating Rate has Sustained Effects on Energy Intake from Ultra-Processed Diets: A Two-Week Ad Libitum Dietary Randomized Controlled Trial’ by Ciarán G. Forde et al. was presented at the NUTRITION 2025 conference, and the embargo lifted at 19:00 UK time Monday 2 June 2025.

    Declared interests

    Professor Julian Hamilton-Shield: I have conducted experimental and trial studies on slowing eating speed by different methodology, finding results for calorie intake in agreement with the study being described

    Dr Amanda Avery: besides my academic position, I also hold a very part-time position as Consultant dietitian in Nutrition, Research & Health Policy at Slimming World.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What are Canada’s governing Liberals going to do about AI?

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Jake Pitre, PhD Candidate in Film & Moving Image Studies, Concordia University

    Fresh off his election victory, Prime Minister Mark Carney has been focused on standing up to Donald Trump’s claims on Canada as the 51st state and American tariffs. But while that political drama unfolds, one topic that seems to have quietly slipped under the radar is the rise of artificial intelligence.

    Despite its transformative impact on everything from jobs to national security, AI received surprisingly little attention during the campaign and in the first weeks following Carney’s victory. The consequences of that lack of attention are already starting to show, as emissions and electricity costs continue unabated without a clear vision of where AI fits in.



    Read more:
    Anxious over AI? One way to cope is by building your uniquely human skills

    Although Carney has appointed former journalist Evan Solomon as Canada’s first-ever AI minister, it’s not yet clear what action the Liberal government plans to take on AI.

    The Liberals’ “Canada Strong” plan outlining the prime minister’s proposals is scarce on details. Still, it provides some clues on how the Liberals see AI and what they believe it offers to the Canadian economy — and also what they seem to have misunderstood.

    Economy of the future?

    First, the plan includes some robust initiatives for improving Canada’s digital infrastructure, which lags behind other leading countries, especially in terms of rural broadband and reliable cell service.

    To accomplish these goals, the Liberals say they’ll incentivize investment by “introducing flow-through shares to our Canadian startup ecosystem…to raise money faster” for AI and other technologies.

    In other words, they will reuse the model of mining and oil companies whereby investors can claim a tax deduction for the same amount as their investment. A major question is whether Canada’s investment ecosystem has enough big players willing to take these risks.

    The plan gets less promising as it comes to the implementation of AI within “the economy of tomorrow.”

    The Liberals say they plan to build more data centres, improve computing capacity and create digital supply chain solutions “to improve efficiency and reduce costs for Canadians.”

    All that that sounds OK — so far. But how will they do this?

    Connecting AI with Armed Forces

    The Liberals plan to establish the Bureau of Research, Engineering and Advanced Leadership in Science (BOREALIS), linking AI development directly to the Canadian Armed Forces and the Communications Security Establishment Canada, which provides the federal government with information technology security and foreign signals intelligence.

    This approach to AI is focused on what it offers to Canada’s defence, whether by manufacturing semiconductors or improving intelligence gathering, so that it can rely less on the U.S. Similarly, Canadian defence tech firms will access funding to help reduce dependence on American suppliers and networks.

    The Liberals are pledging sovereignty and autonomy for Canada’s defence and security, all enabled by “the construction and development of AI infrastructure.”

    What goes unsaid is the intense power needs of data centres, and the consequences for emissions and climate action of “building the next generation of data centres” in Canada.

    Climate concerns

    New data centres cannot be built without also constructing more renewable energy infrastructure, and none of this addresses emissions or climate change.

    If the centres crop up in big numbers as planned, Canadians could also see their electricity costs go up or become less reliable.

    That’s because finding space within the existing grid is not as easy as it may sound when AI data centres require over 100 megawatts (MW) of electricity demand versus five to 10 MW for a regular centre.

    With the rapidly evolving market for AI-based data centres, Canadian policymakers need to provide clear guidance to utilities in terms of their current decisions on competing industrial-scale demands. As the Canadian Climate Institute points out: “Anything less risks higher rates, increased emissions, missed economic opportunities — or all of the above.”

    So far, the Liberal plan fails to address any of these concerns.

    A Canadian department of efficiency?

    What else does the “economy of tomorrow” hold?

    Apparently, it means more efficient government. According to the Liberal plan, AI “is how government improves service delivery, it is how government keeps up with the speed of business, and it is how government maximizes efficiency and reduces cost.”

    Despite otherwise clashing with the Trump administration, this language is reminiscent of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has also centred its use of AI.



    Read more:
    DOGE’s AI surveillance risks silencing whistleblowers and weakening democracy

    The Liberals will open an Office of Digital Transformation, which aims to get rid of red tape and “reduce barriers for businesses to operate in Canada.”

    They don’t seem to really know what this would actually look like, however. They say: “This could mean using AI to address government service backlogs and improve service delivery times, so that Canadians get better services, faster.”

    Their fiscal plan points out that this frame of thinking applies to every single expenditure: “We will look at every new dollar being spent through the lens of how AI and technology can improve service and reduce costs.”

    The economy will also benefit, the government argues, from AI commercialization, with $46 million pegged over the next four years to connect AI researchers with businesses.

    This would work alongside a tax credit for small and medium-sized businesses to “leverage AI to boost their bottom lines, create jobs, and support existing employees.”

    But a new report by Orgvue, the organizational design and planning software platform, shows that over half of businesses that rushed to impose AI just ended up making their employees redundant without clear gains in productivity.

    Creating a tax credit for smaller companies to introduce AI seems like a recipe for repeating the same mistake.

    Protect Canadians with good AI policy

    Much of the Liberal plan seems to involve taking risks. There’s a shortsightedness on this rapidly advancing technology that requires significant guardrails.

    The government seem to view AI as a solutions machine, buying into the hype around it without taking the time to understand it.

    As policy is properly hashed out in the weeks and months to come, the Liberals’ feet will have to be held to the fire on the issue of AI. Canadians must benefit from its limited uses and be protected from its abuses.

    Jake Pitre does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. What are Canada’s governing Liberals going to do about AI? – https://theconversation.com/what-are-canadas-governing-liberals-going-to-do-about-ai-257537

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: President Donald J. Trump Appoints Joseph H. Thompson Acting United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MINNEAPOLIS – Joseph H. Thompson, who has served as a federal prosecutor for sixteen years, has been appointed by President Donald J. Trump to serve as the Acting United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota.

    “I am honored and humbled to be asked to lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota,” said Mr. Thompson. “I look forward to continuing our office’s work combatting violent crime, the scourge of fentanyl and other deadly drugs, and the shocking and unacceptable levels of fraud in our state government programs.”

    Mr. Thompson has served as a federal prosecutor for more than sixteen years, first in the Northern District of Illinois and since 2014 in the District of Minnesota. In that time, Mr. Thompson has  investigated and prosecuted hundreds of cases, many of which involve matters of national and international significance. Most recently, Mr. Thompson has served as the Chief of the Fraud & Public Corruption section. In this role, Mr. Thompson has overseen an unprecedented effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office to prosecute fraud against state and federal government programs, including as the lead prosecutor in the Feeding Our Future investigation, which has been recognized by the Department of Justice as the largest Covid-19 fraud in the United States.

    From 2023 to 2024, Mr. Thompson served on the Special Counsel team investigating the mishandling of classified documents found at the Penn-Biden Center in Washington, DC, and the personal residence of President Joseph R. Biden in Wilmington, Delaware.

    Mr. Thompson previously served as a federal prosecutor in Chicago from 2009 to 2014, where he prosecuted street gangs, drug cartels, corrupt politicians, and domestic terrorists.

    Mr. Thompson has tried more than twenty jury trials in every major area of federal prosecution. Mr. Thompson has briefed and argued more than a dozen cases before the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.   

    Mr. Thompson has received numerous awards and accolades for his work as a federal prosecutor, including the 2024 Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service for his work as the lead prosecutor on one of the largest elder fraud cases in the country.

    For more than a decade, Mr. Thompson taught law school, including an advanced criminal law course at the University of Minnesota Law school. Mr. Thompson has also taught trial advocacy to new AUSAs from around the country at the Department of Justice’s National Advocacy Center in South Carolina.

    Prior to becoming a federal prosecutor, Mr. Thompson worked in private practice in Chicago. He also served as a law clerk for the Honorable Rebecca R. Pallmeyer in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and for the Supreme Court of the Republic of Palau.

    Mr. Thompson was born and raised in Minnesota. He earned a bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from Gustavus Adolphus College, and his law degree, with distinction, from Stanford Law School. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: JOHN P. HEEKIN SWORN IN AS U. S. ATTORNEY FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – John P. “Jack” Heekin took the oath of office this morning from Chief District Judge Mark E. Walker to become the 42nd U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.  Mr. Heekin was appointed by Attorney General Pam Bondi as the interim United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida on May 6, 2025, and was nominated to that office by President Donald Trump that same day. Mr. Heekin succeeds Michelle Spaven, who was named Acting U.S. Attorney in early February of 2025.

    U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I am deeply honored to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, and look forward to working alongside our outstanding prosecutors, support staff, and law enforcement partners to keep our communities safe. Together, we will fulfill the commitment to public safety advanced by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi, and we will make the Northern District of Florida the safest place in America to live, work, and raise a family.”

    As U.S. Attorney, Mr. Heekin is the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in the Northern District of Florida, which includes Florida’s 23 panhandle counties, from Escambia in the west to Alachua in the east.  The district has offices in Pensacola, Tallahassee, and Gainesville.  The office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the district, including crimes related to terrorism, public corruption, child exploitation, human trafficking, financial fraud, health care fraud, firearms, and narcotics.  The office also defends the United States in civil cases and collects debts owed to the United States.

    U.S. Attorney Heekin recently served as the Deputy Chief of Staff and General Counsel to U.S. Senator Rick Scott (FL) in Washington, D.C., covering a legislative policy portfolio related to the federal judiciary, immigration, law enforcement & criminal justice, and constitutional issues, and advising the Senator on judicial and executive nominations.

    Prior to that, USA Heekin served in the administration of Governor Rick Scott as his Chief Deputy General Counsel, and later as Deputy Chief of Staff, overseeing the Governor’s criminal justice agencies, including the Florida Department of Corrections, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, and the Commission on Offender Review.  He also served as the Governor’s Executive Clemency Advisor and oversaw the execution of death warrants for Florida’s death row inmates.  He acted as Chief Counsel to the Governor’s Financial Emergency Board for Opa-locka and served as the General Counsel to the Governor and Florida Cabinet sitting as the Administration Commission and the Florida Land and Water Adjudicatory Commission.  He began his legal career as an Assistant State Attorney prosecuting criminal offenses for the 15th Judicial Circuit of Florida in Palm Beach County.

    He earned a Bachelor’s degree from Bucknell University, and his Juris Doctor with a certificate in Comparative and International Law from the Columbus School of Law, Catholic University of America, where he graduated cum laude.  While in law school, he authored two published works: “Leashing the Internet Watchdog: Legislative Restraints on Electronic Surveillance in the U.S. and U.K.,” published in The American Intelligence Journal (Vol. 28, No. 1 (Fall 2010)), and “ADHD and the New Americans with Disabilities Act: Expanded Legal Recognition for Cognitive Disorders,” published in The William & Mary Policy Review (Vol. II, No. 1 (Fall 2010)).

    He is a member of the Florida Bar, the District of Columbia Bar, the U.S. Supreme Court Bar, the Federalist Society, and the Republican National Lawyers Association.

    U.S. Attorney Heekin recognized Ms. Spaven for her exemplary service to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida and North Florida communities.  Ms. Spaven will continue her career with the U.S. Attorney’s Office as First Assistant U.S. Attorney.

    His primary office will be in Tallahassee.

    The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.  For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Celebrating Survivorship: Triumph Over Breast Cancer

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    It was a quiet winter afternoon, January 4, 2024, one Kim Thacker remembers with remarkable clarity. Sitting in an armchair in her living room, she had left work early, feeling more tired than usual. At 3 p.m., her phone rang. It was her radiologist.

    “I was expecting a call at some point,” Thacker recalls, “but nothing prepares you for hearing the word cancer.”

    She had undergone a series of breast biopsies the previous week, but the official diagnosis, invasive lobular carcinoma, hit like a wave she could hardly absorb. “It took months to process it,” she says. “In many ways, I’m still processing it.”

    Kim Thacker is positive starting her first chemotheraphy treatment.

    Within days of that life-changing call, Thacker and her husband sat face-to-face with her care team at UConn Health. They walked through every detail of her diagnosis, translating the language of her scans into something human, something understandable. That clarity, she says, was essential.

    “My only symptom was fatigue,” Thacker shares. “I had no lumps, nothing visible or palpable. It turns out that’s typical for my cancer type, which grows in strands rather than forming a mass. If I hadn’t gone in for my routine mammogram, it might have gone undetected for a long time.

    At just 42 years old, this was only Thacker’s second mammogram. That screening likely saved her life.

    From the very beginning, Thacker felt she was in good hands at UConn Health’s Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center. Her team included breast surgeon Dr. Rene Relos, radiologist Dr. Robert Dowsett, clinical psychologist, Dr. Judith Cooney, and oncologist Dr. Yueming Chang, along with a dedicated group of nurses and technicians who would walk alongside her every step.

    “The care I’ve received at UConn Health has been incredible,” she says. “Even though they see dozens of patients each day, they always make me feel like I’m the most important one in the room.”

    Kim and infusion nurse Shaily De La Cruz Delgado on her last day of treatment.

    That sense of personal attention was a lifeline, especially during chemotherapy. Kim remembers one nurse in particular with gratitude and affection, infusion nurse, Shaily De La Cruz Delgado.

    “I will never forget Shaily, my chemo nurse. Her kindness and positivity carried me through some of the hardest days.”

    “Working with Kim was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had,” says De La Cruz Delgado. “Her sensitivity and positive demeaner made her experience a positive one. I enjoyed our conversations about her life outside of the infusion room and how eager she was to get back to her normal life as a wife, mom and teacher.”

    Thacker’s treatment was intensive: a bilateral complete mastectomy, followed by chemotherapy, radiation, and now ongoing care that includes regular injections and a daily medication regimen. Today, her bloodwork shows no signs of cancer.

    She considers herself to be in the early “survivor” stage, grateful, cautious, and grounded in a new perspective.

    “Life has changed in every way,” she says. “My priorities have shifted. I try to live each day with deep joy in my heart and not worry so much about the future. Life is unpredictable for all of us.”

    “Kim did an incredible job navigating the challenges of an unexpected and life-changing cancer diagnosis,” says Cooney. “Through individual and group health psychology sessions, she learned effective strategies to manage physical, emotional, and cognitive distress—such as relaxation techniques, reframing negative thoughts, exercise, spirituality, support, and mindfulness.”

    Following treatment, Thacker not only returned to work but reconnected more deeply with her family and the activities that reflect her values. Her dedication led to more than just coping; she discovered strength, resilience, and gratitude, transforming her experience into one of personal growth.

    “By shifting her focus from anxiety to meaning, Kim deepened her relationships, with her husband, children, and the supportive communities around her, including their church, workplace, and extended family across the country,” says. Cooney.

    For those just beginning their cancer journey, Thacker offers her heart and hard-won wisdom.

    “There will be very hard days,” she says. “But they won’t last forever. Joy will return, deeper, richer than before, because your perspective will have changed. You are not alone.”

    She’s also found space for humor, even in the strangest moments.

    “People say the oddest things when they’re trying to be supportive,” she laughs. “Someone once told me, ‘I understand how hard breast cancer is, because my grandma died from it.’ At the time, it stung. Now, I try to see it for what it is, an awkward attempt at connection. And honestly some of it is just funny now.”

    Today, Thacker is focused on healing, not just her body, but her life. She continues to receive care at UConn Health, surrounded by a team that empowers her every step of the way. “I am so thankful for my care team,” she says

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: England’s water crisis needs more than just new reservoirs – here’s what will help

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Hannah Cloke, Professor of Hydrology, University of Reading

    The UK government wants to build more reservoirs like this one (Ladybower reservoir) in the Peak District Jon_Clark/Shutterstock

    England is facing a water crisis. The UK government has just announced plans to fast-track two massive reservoir projects in Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire, warning that without them, we could run out of drinking water by the mid-2030s. But as a hydrologist who studies Britain’s often erratic weather patterns, I believe these reservoirs alone won’t solve our water problems.

    No major reservoirs have been completed in England since 1992. But the rising population, housing developments and the construction of data centres which use large amounts of water as a coolant are putting intense pressure on our water supplies.

    Meanwhile, climate change is bringing hotter, drier summers that increase the risk of drought, as a warmer atmosphere soaks up more water and moves it around in increasingly extreme patterns. This year’s arid spring has already pushed north-west England into official drought status.

    The government’s solution is to build nine new reservoirs by 2050, potentially providing 670 million litres of extra water daily. The two fast-tracked projects in Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire are pencilled for completion in 2036 and 2040 respectively. On paper, this sounds like a sensible response to a growing crisis.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    But here’s the problem: we’re thinking about water all wrong. We need a complete overhaul of the way we use water. We need to plug leaks, cut down on waste and use water more than once in our homes and buildings before sloshing it down the drain. We need to catch more water wherever it falls – not just in the river basins that are linked to big reservoirs.

    Water companies lose billions of litres daily through leaky pipes. Some estimates suggest that around 20% of treated water never reaches taps because it seeps out of ageing infrastructure. Meanwhile, we’re planning to pump water across huge distances from new reservoirs to supply areas that could be managing their local water resources far more efficiently.

    It would be better to make more difficult decisions around the regulation of new buildings, as well as retrofitting older homes and businesses, to cut waste and recycle water where it is used. This isn’t just about taking shorter showers or turning off taps as you brush your teeth – although these things do help.

    We need systematic changes: building standards that require water recycling systems, tighter management of water-hungry developments in already dry areas and serious investment in our crumbling water infrastructure.



    Read more:
    Recycling sewage is a sensible way to improve water security – but would you swallow it?

    The reservoirs planned for Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire will take more than a decade to complete and will cost billions of pounds. In the UK, little research has been done to compare the costs of major infrastructure against a mass roll out of household-level water saving techniques.

    Such schemes are rare in Europe. But evidence from historically water-scarce regions, such as parts of Australia, have shown that widely-adopted community and domestic water storage and recycling is cost effective. In the past, the approach in the UK and most European countries has followed a traditional model that often dates to Victorian times, or before.

    These civic water supply and drainage systems were built to address public health crises and cut water-borne diseases across urban areas.

    But an unprecedented climate calls for unprecedented solutions. These could include the widespread roll out of sustainable drainage solutions that mimic nature and capture rainwater where it falls, on roofs or ditches filled with plants, rather than letting it rush straight down the drains into the rivers.

    Green roofs need to be part of the solution.
    Virrage Images/Shutterstock

    Britain’s weather has always been variable, but it’s now extremely variable. We’ve experienced this seesaw pattern of drought followed by flooding, as seen in the contrast between dry and wet months seen over the past year.

    This all-or-nothing rainfall pattern makes it even more important to capture and store water locally when we have it, rather than relying on large, centralised infrastructure that may be in the wrong place when extreme weather strikes.

    The government’s decision to override local planning objections for these reservoir projects highlights another issue. Communities may be asked to sacrifice their land and landscapes for water infrastructure that primarily serves distant urban areas. This approach feels increasingly outdated when we could manage water more sustainably at the local level.

    None of this means we don’t need new reservoirs. More water storage needs to be part of the solution. But while big reservoir projects may be politically attractive as they are visible examples of government action, they shouldn’t be our only solution, or even our primary one.

    The climate crisis demands that we think differently about water. A warmer world shifts water from region to region more easily, causing problems by its presence or its absence. In the UK, we will increasingly have to treat water as a precious resource, to be more carefully managed wherever we find it.

    Hannah Cloke advises the Environment Agency, the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts, the Copernicus Emergency Management Service, local and national governments and humanitarian agencies on the forecasting and warning of natural hazards. She is a member of the UKRI Natural Environment Research Council and a fellow of the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts. Her research is funded by the UKRI Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council, the UKRI Natural Environment Research Council and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

    – ref. England’s water crisis needs more than just new reservoirs – here’s what will help – https://theconversation.com/englands-water-crisis-needs-more-than-just-new-reservoirs-heres-what-will-help-257922

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How medieval lessons for managing floods could help those facing them in northern Italy today

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Marco Panato, Leverhulme Early Career Fellow, Department of History, University of Nottingham

    Saint Fredianus diverts the Serchio River by Filippo Lippi, 1438
     Wikiart

    Northern Italy has been hit by a series of devastating floods in recent years. In March 2025 and the previous autumn, heavy rainfall hammered the region, swamping fields, farms and towns. More than 3,000 had to leave their homes in Emilia-Romagna, between Bologna and Ravenna.

    The downpours caused widespread floods, landslides, and infrastructure damage. This has been a repeated event since 2023 when the area saw what has been called the worst flood in a century.

    While climate change is a major factor behind the likelihood of these disasters, human neglect has worsened the risk. Decades of poor maintenance of drainage canals and ageing riverbanks – some of which are medieval, like those in Bologna – have made the Po valley particularly vulnerable.

    As the meteorologist James Parrish has explained, when dried-out soil suddenly receives half a year’s rainfall in two days, even modern flood defences cannot cope, especially in a landscape prone to waterlogging.

    According to the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research and the data collected in 2021 by the National Institute of Statistics, in Emilia-Romagna alone, over 2.5 million live in areas of high or medium flood-risk.

    Yet if today’s floods feel apocalyptic, history tells us that living with floods is nothing new in these territories. Medieval communities faced similar challenges and how they lived with water may offer lessons for today.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    Since the earliest times, people in the Po valley developed what the historian Petra van Dam calls an amphibious culture: a way of life that continuously adjusted to the threats and benefits posed by rivers. From the Terramare and Etruscan cultures in the second and first millennium BC (but even earlier) to the middle ages and in some cases even now, communities did not just fight floods; they integrated them into their daily lives and economies.

    After the fall of the Roman state, Italy entered a period of intense political, socio-economic, climatic and environmental change. As archaeological and historical research shows, settlements from this period often clustered near waterways despite their risks.

    Every year, rivers overflowed destroying crops or buildings. Evidence of these events comes from contemporary narratives, such as the life of Saint Fredianus, and in the flood layers buried in the soil. Traces are even found in cave minerals in the Apuan Alps.

    Why live so close to something so destructive? Because rivers also brought huge benefits like fertile land, irrigation, mills, fish, woodlands and trade.

    Communities adapted in practical ways. They grew crops suited to wet soils, grazed animals in seasonal marshes, and even breached riverbanks on purpose to let in muddy water that deposited rich sediment for farming. To stay dry, they also built houses on natural or artificial high grounds above floodwaters.

    These strategies show a deep resilience in medieval societies, something to keep in mind also in the current situation.

    A shared responsibility

    In early medieval Italy, people dug canals and drained wetlands not just to farm new land, but also to manage flooding and redirect rivers. These projects were often led by monasteries, landowners, and farmers, who worked together out of necessity.

    Research research from the Maremma wetlands in Tuscany shows how communities and rulers cooperated to maintain dikes, drainage channels, and salt pans (where seawater was left to dry and leave behind salt). Local know-how and labour mattered as much as political coordination and investment.

    Today, people often expect the state to manage floods. But public response is not always quick or fair. For instance, in Traversara, a village severely hit by floods, locals were furious towards proposed mandatory insurance policies, feeling abandoned by authorities.

    Modern flood defence relies heavily on centralised systems, satellite monitoring and major infrastructure projects. These tools are crucial, but not enough.

    Historical lessons suggest that effective flood resilience must also incorporate local (historical) knowledge and community participation. Some solutions include restoring spaces for rivers to overflow safely and continuous targeted maintenance of canals and levees.

    Strengthening and adapting Italy’s consorzi di donifica – local organisations responsible for drainage and water management – could revive a model of shared governance that proved successful for centuries.

    As recently suggested in the response strategies to the 2023 floods, responsive resilience takes teamwork. National, regional, and local actors must coordinate. In this case, adopting an “amphibious” mentality – one that views rivers not just as threats but as central, living elements of the landscape – could help reshape flood policy.

    Combining historical understanding with modern science and community empowerment can guide better ways to live with water. Medieval societies, through trial and adaptation, managed to coexist with their rivers. Relearning from them today could help build more sustainable futures in flood-prone regions – not only in Italy, but across the globe.

    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    Marco Panato does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. How medieval lessons for managing floods could help those facing them in northern Italy today – https://theconversation.com/how-medieval-lessons-for-managing-floods-could-help-those-facing-them-in-northern-italy-today-257062

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Mexico’s cartels use violence against women as a means of social control

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Adriana Marin, Lecturer in International Relations, Coventry University

    Mexico’s drug cartels are often described as powerful rivals to the state, with their influence measured in weapons, money and murdered officials. But this framing misses a fundamental truth. Organised crime in Mexico is also a system of gendered governance – one that disciplines, controls and sometimes eliminates women to consolidate power.

    The term “narco-femicide” captures this brutal dynamic. Narco-femicide refers not simply to the killing of women, but to the strategic use of gendered violence by criminal organisations to enforce social norms, maintain control and assert dominance in the absence – or even with the complicity – of the state.

    According to a study by Lantia Intelligence, a Mexico-based data intelligence firm, organised crime was responsible for 60% of femicides in Mexico in 2020. That year, 1,891 women were violently murdered by drug cartels – an increase of nearly 40% compared to 2018.

    These murders are not private tragedies, nor are they collateral damage. They are political acts, central to how criminal sovereignty in Mexico is exercised and reproduced.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    Mexico has one of the highest rates of femicide in Latin America. According to Amnesty International, approximately ten women were murdered there every day throughout 2020. In cities such as the border town of Ciudad Juárez, which was once labelled the “femicide capital of the world”, these deaths are marked by sexual violence, mutilation and public display.

    The causes of femicide in Mexico do vary. But a significant proportion of these murders occur in regions such as Jalisco, Guerrero and Chihuahua, where there is a strong cartel presence. The correlation is no coincidence.

    As the Atlantic Council, an international affairs thinktank, observed in 2024: “in areas [of Mexico] controlled by drug cartels, violence against women intensifies”. It added that families often won’t report abuse or rape “out of fear of retribution”.

    The same article said that cartels turn attacks on women into “a tool of intimidation and a display of dominance”, warning the community not to defy them. The impunity of cartel violence, and examples of brutal public punishment, enforce an unwritten code that women must “know their place”.

    Femicide in cartel-run areas follows a distinct pattern. Women are punished for being too visible, independent or defiant of the patriarchal order imposed by criminal groups. The victims include journalists, business owners and others who pose no military threat but represent a challenge to social control by in some way defying the cartels.

    A member of Mexico’s national guard at the site of a cartel shooting in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, on February 16.
    Roberto Ricci Arballo / Shutterstock

    One prominent example is Marisol Macías, a journalist who was killed in 2011 in the border city of Nuevo Laredo after denouncing local gangs on the internet. She was decapitated and a handwritten sign was left beside her body saying she was killed in retaliation for her social media posts.

    More recently, in July 2024, Minerva Pérez Castro, the president of an advocacy group for Mexico’s fishing industry, was shot dead hours after making public comments about the presence of illegal fishing in the state of Baja California. Organised crime groups have long participated in illegal fishing in northern Mexico.

    Even when women are involved in organised crime, their roles remain precarious. They are valued only insofar as they serve the cartels’ interests, and are easily disposed of if they become liabilities.

    A 2016 report by Amnesty International found that gangs routinely recruit vulnerable young women to do “the lowest and most dangerous tasks”, such as smuggling drugs or acting as lookout, precisely because they are “considered expendable if arrested”.

    Where is the state?

    What makes narco-femicide in Mexico so devastating is not just the violence itself, but the vacuum when it comes to accountability – or worse – the actual collusion of the state. In many regions of Mexico, law enforcement is unwilling or unable to investigate femicides.

    Disappearances go unrecorded and families face indifference or hostility when demanding answers. In fact, according to Amnesty International, more than 90% of femicides in Mexico go unpunished. This impunity is a structural failure.

    The boundary between criminal and state power is blurred in regions where there is a strong cartel presence. Police, politicians and criminal groups often operate in overlapping networks, leaving little space for genuine accountability.

    Meanwhile, Mexico’s security strategy has been heavily shaped by the US-funded Mérida Initiative. Signed in 2007, the initiative deepened security assistance from the US to Mexico to fight organised crime.

    The Mérida Initiative officially ended in 2021, but Mexico’s strategy remains focused on military operations against crime groups and the arrest of cartel kingpins. This has diverted attention from much-needed reforms in local policing and justice, perpetuating impunity and weakening trust in institutions.

    By failing to protect women, the state effectively legitimises the cartels’ patriarchal rule. As a result, many Mexican women are living under a shadow legal system enforced by cartel violence, one where stepping outside the lines can carry deadly consequences.

    Women march in Mexico City in 2022 in protest against soaring levels of gender-based violence.
    artcgix / Shutterstock

    Narco-femicide demands a response that moves beyond militarised crackdowns and technocratic reforms. Mexico needs policies that prioritise community-based justice, survivor-led advocacy and gender-sensitive policing. The experiences of women and frontline defenders need to be central in both research and public the debate.

    The problem also needs to be named for what it is. Narco-femicide is not a private horror or a cultural anomaly. It is political violence that is perpetrated systematically and strategically.

    If organised crime governs through the control and erasure of women, then any meaningful resistance must begin by making that violence visible. Cartels and the state must both be held accountable, and these deaths must not be treated as inevitable.

    Adriana Marin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Mexico’s cartels use violence against women as a means of social control – https://theconversation.com/mexicos-cartels-use-violence-against-women-as-a-means-of-social-control-257915

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Does the key to uniting against divisive politics lie in our personal lives?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Peter Beresford, Professor of Citizen Participation, University of East Anglia

    Shutterstock/Top Vector Studio

    Modern Britain is plagued by a sense of disempowerment and political exclusion – a feeling that is, somewhat ironically, shared between groups of people who otherwise feel divided from one another.

    This division has opened the door to a frightening rightwing populism that seeks to set “us” against “them”. And so far, the response from traditional political parties seems to amount to little more than trying to mimic rightwing rhetoric.

    It’s possible that the solution to this drive towards division is simply hiding in plain sight. The term “populist politics” merely means “a political approach that strives to appeal to people who feel their concerns are disregarded”.

    It’s unfortunate but not inevitable that voters are being offered merely the illusion of being listened to rather than real action to address their concerns. People don’t actually want more promises. They want a real say – whether they live in a neglected town in northern England or face personal barriers and discrimination.

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    But here’s where the biggest contradiction lies. While formal politics has been moving hard right, our personal politics have been headed determinedly in the opposite direction.

    We have seen a powerful pressure towards the equalisation of roles and relationships in society, across gender, sexuality, ethnicity, age and disability. And these trends stretch far deeper than any narrow preoccupation with the equality, diversity and inclusion agendas that are attacked as “woke” and “elitist”.

    The new social movements that have been the force for such personal, social, cultural and environmental change have also had another underlying agenda – people pressing for a real say in state and other organisations and structures that affect their lives. The growing demand has been for more participation and fewer traditional top-down, paternalistic approaches.

    This has been conspicuous in areas like the NHS and care where patients and service users are demanding more information and explanations and staff are being trained to expect this and respond positively.

    Thus, the rallying call of the women’s movement, “the personal is political”. And here perhaps lies the way forward – shifting the ground from phoney populism to real participation. Can we build on the quiet transformation that’s been taking place in our personal lives and relationships to rebuild our formal politics – highlighting that “the political is personal” too?

    The minority politics we now have which privileges a few over the many is unlikely ever to end until the rest of us can unite as many (albeit overlapping) minorities on equal terms. The present tendency to sort our differences and relative oppression into a hierarchy will merely serve the interest of the ultimate minority – rich and powerful organisations and individuals.

    Joining forces

    The only convincing way to challenge rightwing populism is to give all the groups now set against each other a real say in change. Crucially, it means building equal and inclusive alliances between our different groups and movements – real grassroots work – emulating and learning from the progress we have undoubtedly made in our personal politics.

    It means highlighting what we have in common as much as our differences. None of us has one single monolithic identity – we have multiple overlapping identities which offer insights and understanding into other experiences.

    We’re not so different as populists would have us believe – and we don’t have to hate ourselves or others for being tagged as such. You may be divorced or in a blended family. You almost certainly have experienced your own money worries or faced mental health issues personally or with a loved one. Such intersectionality enters all our personal lives, even if we aren’t familiar with the term.

    Some of the most disempowered groups have key contributions to offer here. Disabled people, including mental health service users, people with learning difficulties and long-term conditions actually have some of the most helpful learning to offer more broadly because of the scale of routine exclusions they face.

    They remind us of the importance of challenging barriers in our environment, such as inaccessible buildings, or communication barriers imposed by ignoring the access needs of deaf, blind and other groups.

    Like the black civil rights movement before them, disabled people have majored in sharing their experiences to build their personal confidence and assertiveness as a basis for empowerment.

    Of course, all this is easier to say than do, it takes time. That’s why in terms of formal political calendars, it’s a strategy we can’t afford to delay. The general election clock is ticking and already Reform is eyeing up next year’s Welsh elections.

    It means building from the bottom, not yielding to top-down rhetoric, and learning from the massive amount of experience we already have from our different movements and activism. As the black lesbian feminist Audre Lorde wrote: “We will not rebuild the master’s house using the master’s tools.” We have to the have confidence instead to join forces to use our own.

    Peter Beresford receives funding from the National Institute for Health Reseearch Applied Research Collaboration East of England as a part-time academic at the University of East Anglia and some of the work in this book was made possible through reseearch undertaken as part of this post

    – ref. Does the key to uniting against divisive politics lie in our personal lives? – https://theconversation.com/does-the-key-to-uniting-against-divisive-politics-lie-in-our-personal-lives-257696

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Is a quantum-cryptography apocalypse imminent?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Keith Martin, Professor, Information Security Group, Royal Holloway University of London

    Be afraid, be very … FOTOKITA

    Will quantum computers crack cryptographic codes and cause a global security disaster? You might certainly get that impression from a lot of news coverage, the latest of which reports new estimates that it might be 20 times easier to crack such codes than previously thought.

    Cryptography underpins the security of almost everything in cyberspace, from wifi to banking to digital currencies such as bitcoin. Whereas it was previously estimated that it would take a quantum computer with 20 million qubits (quantum bits) eight hours to crack the popular RSA algorithm (named after its inventors, Rivest–Shamir–Adleman), the new estimate reckons this could be done with 1 million qubits.

    By weakening cryptography, quantum computing would present a serious threat to our everyday cybersecurity. So is a quantum-cryptography apocalypse imminent?

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    Quantum computers exist today but are highly limited in their capabilities. There is no single concept of a quantum computer, with several different design approaches being taken to their development.

    There are major technological barriers to be overcome before any of those approaches become useful, but a great deal of money is being spent, so we can expect significant technological improvements in the coming years.

    For the most commonly deployed cryptographic tools, quantum computing will have little impact. Symmetric cryptography, which encrypts the bulk of our data today (and does not include the RSA algorithm), can easily be strengthened to protect against quantum computers.

    Quantum computing might have more significant impact on public-key cryptography, which is used to set up secure connections online. For example this is used to support online shopping or secure messaging, traditionally using the RSA algorithm, though increasingly an alternative called elliptic curve Diffie-Hellman.

    Public key cryptography is also used to create digital signatures such as those used in bitcoin transactions, and uses yet another type of cryptography called the elliptic curve digital signature algorithm.

    If a sufficiently powerful and reliable quantum computer ever exists, processes that are currently only theoretical might become capable of breaking those public-key cryptographic tools. RSA algorithms are potentially more vulnerable because of the type of mathematics they use, though the alternatives could be vulnerable too.

    Such theoretical processes themselves will inevitably improve over time, as the paper about RSA algorithms is the latest to demonstrate.

    What we don’t know

    What remains extremely uncertain is both the destination and timelines of quantum computing development. We don’t really know what quantum computers will ever be capable of doing in practice.

    Expert opinion is highly divided on when we can expect serious quantum computing to emerge. A minority seem to believe a breakthrough is imminent. But an equally significant minority think it will never happen. Most experts believe it a future possibility, but prognoses range from between ten and 20 years to well beyond that.

    And will such quantum computers be cryptographically relevant? Essentially, nobody knows. Like most of the concerns about quantum computers in this area, the RSA paper is about an attack that may or may not work, and requires a machine that might never be built (the most powerful quantum computers currently have just over 1,000 qubits, and they’re still very error prone).

    From a cryptographic perspective, however, such quantum computing uncertainty is arguably immaterial. Security involves worst-case thinking and future proofing. So it is wisest to assume that a cryptographically relevant quantum computer might one day exist. Even if one is 20 years away, this is relevant because some data that we encrypt today might still require protection 20 years from now.

    Experience also shows that in complex systems such as financial networks, upgrading cryptography can take a long time to complete. We therefore need to act now.

    What we should do

    The good news is that most of the hard thinking has already been done. In 2016, the US National Institute for Standards and Technology (Nist) launched an international competition to design new post-quantum cryptographic tools that are believed to be secure against quantum computers.

    In 2024, Nist published an initial set of standards that included a post-quantum key exchange mechanism and several post-quantum digital signature schemes. To become secure against a future quantum computer, digital systems need to replace current public-key cryptography with new post-quantum mechanisms. They also need to ensure that existing symmetric cryptography is supported by sufficiently long symmetric keys (many existing systems already are).

    The US NIST published post-quantum cryptographic standards in 2024.
    PeopleImages.com – Yuri A

    Yet my core message is don’t panic. Now is the time to evaluate the risks and decide on future courses of action. The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre has suggested one such timeline, primarily for large organisations and those supporting critical infrastructure such as industrial control systems.

    This envisages 2028 as a deadline for completing a cryptographic inventory and establishing a post-quantum migration plan, with upgrade processes to be completed by 2035. This decade-long timeline suggests that NCSC experts don’t see a quantum cryptography apocalypse coming anytime soon.

    For the rest of us, we simply wait. In due course, if deemed necessary, the likes of our web browsers, wifi, mobile phones and messaging apps will gradually become post-quantum secure either through security upgrades (never forget to install them) or steady replacement of technology.

    We will undoubtedly read more stories about breakthroughs in quantum computing and upcoming cryptography apocalypses as big technology companies compete for the headlines. Cryptographically relevant quantum computing might well arrive one day, most likely far into the future. If and when it does, we’ll surely be ready.

    Keith Martin receives funding from EPSRC.

    – ref. Is a quantum-cryptography apocalypse imminent? – https://theconversation.com/is-a-quantum-cryptography-apocalypse-imminent-257993

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Heart attacks, fainting and falls: the perils of pooping

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Michelle Spear, Professor of Anatomy, University of Bristol

    Ivan Moreno sl/Shutterstock.com

    The humble toilet seems like the least likely setting for drama. Yet throughout history, it has claimed kings, toppled celebrities and served as the scene of untimely deaths ranging from the tragic to the downright bizarre. What is it about the smallest room that makes it, occasionally, the most dangerous?

    At the heart of this peril lies the Valsalva manoeuvre – the act of forcibly exhaling against a closed airway while straining, such as during defecation. This puts pressure on your chest, which reduces blood flow back to the heart. For most people, it’s harmless. But for those with heart problems, this strain can lead to “defecation syncope” (fainting), irregular heart rhythms and even sudden death.

    The vagus nerve is a key player here. It helps control your heart rate, and when it becomes overstimulated – through intense straining or pressure in the rectum – it can cause bradycardia (a dangerously slow heartbeat), low blood pressure and loss of consciousness. This makes defecation a surprisingly high-stakes event for those with underlying heart conditions.

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    Two of history’s most frequently cited examples of toilet-related deaths – Elvis Presley and King George II – offer sobering case studies in the hidden dangers of defecation.

    Presley, aged just 42, was found collapsed on the bathroom floor of Graceland on August 16, 1977. Though fans speculated about drug overdose – and it’s worth noting that the full report is withheld until 2027 – the post-mortem narrative reveals a more complex and tragic medical picture.

    Presley had suffered from chronic constipation, possibly exacerbated by a high-fat, low-fibre diet, prolonged opiate use and a “megacolon” – a pathologically enlarged colon. On the morning of his death, he was reportedly straining forcefully. The Valsalva manoeuvre may have triggered a fatal arrhythmia in a heart already compromised by years of prescription drug abuse and poor health.

    A more aristocratic death occurred in 1760 when King George II of Great Britain died suddenly after visiting his privy. His physician, Dr Frank Nicholls, performed a rare royal autopsy and found that the king had suffered a ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysm – a ballooning of the body’s main artery.

    The event probably occurred as George stood up from the toilet, at a moment when blood pressure fluctuated dramatically. Historians and physicians now believe that the effort of defecation or the sudden change in posture may have been the trigger.

    The king’s heart was also notably diseased, with significant calcification of the aortic valve, further compounding the risks posed by even minor circulatory strain.

    Deaths by drowning (and worse)

    While fainting on the toilet poses risks today, historical toilet use came with even deadlier consequences, particularly for those using privies and cesspits before the advent of modern plumbing.

    In the 18th and 19th centuries, many households relied on outdoor privies built over deep pits designed to collect human waste. These structures were often unstable, poorly maintained and perilously constructed.

    Falling into a cesspit wasn’t just revolting, it could be deadly. People who lost their footing, especially in the dark or while drunk, sometimes drowned in the filth or were overcome by toxic gases like methane and hydrogen sulphide, which are released as waste breaks down.

    Newspapers and coroners’ reports from the time reveal a grim pattern: people – especially children and the elderly – regularly died after falling into night soil pits. In his 1851 classic London Labour and the London Poor, Henry Mayhew vividly describes the deadly risks faced by night soil men, including suffocation by toxic cesspit gases.

    These grim accidents helped drive 19th-century public health reforms and campaigns for better sewage infrastructure, eventually paving the way for the modern sewers we rely on today.

    But the danger hasn’t disappeared. In some parts of the world, pit latrines are still common, and toilet-related falls and drownings still occur, particularly where facilities are poorly built or inadequately maintained.

    The dangers of sitting too long

    Modern habits add new risks. Bringing your smartphone to the toilet often means longer sitting times. This increases pressure on the rectal venous plexus (the network of veins around the rectum), raising the risk of haemorrhoids and anal fissures.

    The “toilet scroll” also poses microbial dangers. Studies have found that phones used in the bathroom can carry harmful germs from the toilet to your hands – and eventually, your mouth. They can harbour E coli and other pathogens long after you’ve finished washing your hands.

    There’s also the issue of toilet posture. The western-style sitting toilet, unlike the squatting toilets common in parts of Asia and Africa, places the rectum at an angle that makes defecation more effortful and hence more likely to provoke straining. This is why some people use footstools or “toilet squat platforms” to adjust their position and reduce the risk of complications.

    Whether it’s sudden cardiac death, fainting and falls or microbial exposure, the toilet is not always the sanctuary we imagine. It’s a space where anatomy, privacy and risk intersect – often unnoticed until something goes terribly wrong.

    So the next time nature calls, think twice before settling in with your phone. Sit smart, don’t strain and remember: even in the smallest room, your body could be handling some surprisingly high-stakes business.

    Michelle Spear does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Heart attacks, fainting and falls: the perils of pooping – https://theconversation.com/heart-attacks-fainting-and-falls-the-perils-of-pooping-256934

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What birds can teach us about repurposing waste

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By David Farrier, Professor of Literature and the Environment, University of Edinburgh

    Some birds use deterrent spikes to make their nests. Chemari/Shutterstock

    Modern cities are evolution engines. Urban snails in the Netherlands and lizards in Los Angeles have developed lighter shells and larger scales to cope with the heat island effect, where temperatures can be several degrees above the surrounding area.

    Artificial light makes an artificial dawn, shifting the time when birds sing, and has prompted urban bridge-dwelling spiders to develop an attraction to light, whereas ermine moths are losing theirs altogether. A mutation in the so-called “daredevil gene”, also found in downhill skiers and snowboarders, is making urban swans bolder and more tolerant of humans.

    Our urban environments are pushing many species to reimagine their bodies and behaviours to suit municipal living; but some are also reimagining our cities. There’s lots to learn from how nature adapts to city life.

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    Anti-bird spikes are a hostile architecture for wildlife, designed to keep messy nature away from buildings. Yet, crows and magpies in Rotterdam, Antwerp and Glasgow strip the spikes away and use them to make their nests.

    It’s difficult to imagine finding ease in a nest that has all the comfort of a tangled ball of wire, but the birds occupy them contentedly, improvising shelter from materials intended to exclude.

    Evolutionary biologists call this process “exaptation”. For example, feathers originally evolved to keep bird-like dinosaurs like Archaeopteryx warm. These feathers were adaptations to colder temperatures and only later repurposed, or exapted, to allow flight.

    Exaptation places repurposing at the heart of evolution; what if we were to design our homes on the same basis?

    Repurposing waste

    The Waste House is a two-storey model home in Brighton, made almost entirely from household and construction waste. When I visited the Waste House while researching my book, Nature’s Genius: Evolution’s Lessons for a Changing Planet, I loved the sense of possibility found in a staircase made of compressed paper or carpet tiles lapped like slates round its outside walls.

    But what lingered most vividly were the little windows built into the inside walls, showing what materials they’d used as insulation: old duvets and bicycle inner tubes, and in one window a library of DVDs. One of these was a copy of Groundhog Day – a film where the same day repeats on an endless loop.

    Built in 2013–14 behind the University of Brighton’s faculty of arts building, Waste House is made from construciton and household waste.
    Hassocks5489/Wikimedia, CC BY-NC-ND

    We’re similarly stuck in a rigid pattern of extraction, consumption and waste that plays again and again, day after day. But rather than a loop, this pattern is stubbornly linear, with hundreds of millions of tonnes of usable materials flowing into the dead end of landfill every year.

    The problem is that so much of what we make is designed with a single use or purpose in mind. We tend not to think about what a material or an object could become at the end of its life. But exaptation teaches us to stop seeing things as they are, and instead imagine their potential to be something new.

    In Edinburgh, Pianodrome is a performance space that’s assembled entirely from old pianos. Audiences climb staircases made of soundboards, clutching bannisters that were piano lids and rest their heads against seatbacks conjured from reclaimed keyboards. Destined for landfill, these instruments have instead found a new life as space for people to gather and perform.

    But like all exapted features, their new life hasn’t erased the old. Pianodrome’s makers left the strings of the old piano harps in place, buried in the heart of the structure. Just as feathers still keep flighted birds warm, and spikes that kept birds from buildings help crows and magpies to protect their nests from predators, whenever a performance takes place inside it, pianodrome resonates like one giant instrument.

    An exaptive approach could help birth a circular economy, taking us out of this damaging loop of extraction and consumption, and finding value in what we currently discard. Leaving materials to waste imposes a barrier, a limit on what could be. But the birds who build their nests from anti-bird spikes teach us that what was once a barrier can become a shelter.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    David Farrier does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. What birds can teach us about repurposing waste – https://theconversation.com/what-birds-can-teach-us-about-repurposing-waste-256519

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ukraine drone strikes on Russian airbase reveal any country is vulnerable to the same kind of attack

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Michael A. Lewis, Professor of Operations and Supply Management, University of Bath

    Melnikov Dmitriy / Shutterstock

    Ukrainians are celebrating the success of one of the most audacious coups of the war against Russia – a coordinated drone strike on June 1 on five airbases deep inside Russian territory. Known as Operation Spiderweb, it was the result of 18 months of planning and involved the smuggling of drones into Russia, synchronised launch timings and improvised control centres hidden inside freight vehicles.

    Ukrainian sources claim more than 40 Russian aircraft were damaged or destroyed. Commercial satellite imagery confirms significant fire damage, cratered runways, and blast patterns across multiple sites, although the full extent of losses remains disputed.

    The targets were strategic bomber aircraft and surveillance planes, including Tu-95s and A-50 airborne early warning systems. The drones were launched from inside Russia and navigated at treetop level using line-of-sight piloting and GPS pre-programming.

    Each was controlled from a mobile ground station parked within striking distance of the target. It is reported that a total of 117 drones were deployed across five locations. While many were likely intercepted, or fell short, enough reached their targets to signal a dramatic breach in Russia’s rear-area defence.

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    The drone platforms themselves were familiar. These were adapted first-person-view (FPV) multirotor drones. These are ones where the operator gets a first-person perspective from the drone’s onboard camera.

    These are already used in huge numbers along the front lines in Ukraine by both sides. But Operation Spiderweb extended their impact through logistical infiltration and timing.

    Nations treat their airspace as sovereign, a controlled environment: mapped, regulated and watched over. Air defence systems are built on the assumption that threats come from above and from beyond national borders. Detection and response also reflect that logic. It is focused on mid and high-altitude surveillance and approach paths from beyond national borders.

    But Operation Spiderweb exposed what happens when states are attacked from below and from within. In low-level airspace, visibility drops, responsibility fragments, and detection tools lose their edge. Drones arrive unannounced, response times lag, coordination breaks.

    Spiderweb worked not because of what each drone could do individually, but because of how the operation was designed. It was secret and carefully planned of course, but also mobile, flexible and loosely coordinated.

    The cost of each drone was low but the overall effect was high. This isn’t just asymmetric warfare, it’s a different kind of offensive capability – and any defence needs to adapt accordingly.

    On Ukraine’s front lines, where drone threats are constant, both sides have adapted by deploying layers of detection tools, short range air defences and jamming systems. In turn, drone operators have turned to alternatives. One option is drones that use spools of shielded fibre optic cable. The cable is attached to the drone at one end and to the controller held by the operator at the other. Another option involves drones with preloaded flight paths to avoid detection.

    Fibre links, when used for control or coordination, emit no radio signal and so bypass radio frequency (RF) -based surveillance entirely. There is nothing to intercept or jam. Preloaded paths remove the need for live communication altogether. Once launched, the drone follows a pre-programmed route without broadcasting its position or receiving commands.

    As a result, airspace is never assumed to be secure but is instead understood to be actively contested and requiring continuous management. By contrast, Operation Spiderweb targeted rear area airbases where more limited adaptive systems existed. The drones flew low, through unmonitored gaps, exploiting assumptions about what kind of threat was faced and from where.

    Tu-95 bombers were among the planes destroyed.
    Almaz Mustafin

    Spiderweb is not the first long-range drone operation of this war, nor the first to exploit gaps in Russian defences. What Spiderweb confirms is that the gaps in airspace can be used by any party with enough planning and the right technology. They can be exploited not just by states and not just in war. The technology is not rare and the tactics are not complicated. What Ukraine did was to combine them in a way that existing systems could not prevent the attack or maybe even see it coming.

    This is far from a uniquely Russian vulnerability – it is the defining governance challenge of drones in low level airspace. Civil and military airspace management relies on the idea that flight paths are knowable and can be secured. In our work on UK drone regulation, we have described low level airspace as acting like a common pool resource.

    This means that airspace is widely accessible. It is also difficult to keep out drones with unpredictable flightpaths. Under this vision of airspace, it can only be meaningfully governed by more agile and distributed decision making. Operation Spiderweb confirms that military airspace behaves in a similar way. Centralised systems to govern airspace can struggle to cope with what happens at the scale of the Ukrainian attacks – and the cost of failure can be strategic.

    Improving low-level airspace governance will require better technologies, better detection and faster responses. New sensor technologies such as passive radio frequency detectors, thermal imaging, and acoustic (sound-based) arrays can help close current visibility gaps, especially when combined. But detection alone is not enough. Interceptors including capture drones (drones that hunt and disable other drones), nets to ensnare drones, and directed energy weapons such as high powered lasers are being developed and trialled. However, most of these are limited by range, cost, or legal constraints.

    Nevertheless, airspace is being reshaped by new forms of access, use and improvisation. Institutions built around centralised ideas of control; air corridors, zones, and licensing are being outpaced. Security responses are struggling to adapt to the fact that airspace with drones is different. It is no longer passively governed by altitude and authority. It must be actively and differently managed.

    Operation Spiderweb didn’t just reveal how Ukraine could strike deep into Russian territory. It showed how little margin for error there is in a world where cheap systems can be used quietly and precisely. That is not just a military challenge. It is a problem where airspace management depends less on central control and more on distributed coordination, shared monitoring and responsive intervention. The absence of these conditions is what Spiderweb exploited.

    Michael A. Lewis receives funding from the ESRC, AHRC and EPSRC

    – ref. Ukraine drone strikes on Russian airbase reveal any country is vulnerable to the same kind of attack – https://theconversation.com/ukraine-drone-strikes-on-russian-airbase-reveal-any-country-is-vulnerable-to-the-same-kind-of-attack-258005

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • NCERT intensifies crackdown on pirated textbook racket, seizes over 5 lakh copies nationwide

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), in collaboration with police authorities, has escalated its efforts to combat the illegal manufacture, distribution, and sale of pirated NCERT textbooks, a serious offense under the Copyright Act, 1957. Over the past 14 months, NCERT has seized more than 5 lakh pirated textbooks, along with printing paper and machinery valued at over ₹20 crore, while filing 29 FIRs against printers, warehouse owners, and retailers engaged in the illicit trade.

    In a recent operation, NCERT, working with the Uttar Pradesh Police, conducted a raid on a warehouse in Muzaffarnagar, confiscating over 1.5 lakh pirated NCERT textbooks worth more than ₹2 crore. The raid also resulted in the seizure of one truck, two cars loaded with pirated books, and numerous printing plates, with eight individuals arrested on the spot. In a follow-up action, authorities raided a printing press in Samalkha, Haryana, seizing additional pirated textbooks, printing plates, and machinery. Investigations are ongoing to uncover the masterminds behind this piracy racket.

    Pirated textbooks not only cause significant revenue losses to NCERT and the government but also pose health risks to students due to the use of substandard paper and ink. To address this issue, NCERT has enhanced the quality of paper and printing for its textbooks, ensured timely printing and sufficient market availability, and made textbooks accessible on major e-commerce platforms at the maximum retail price without delivery charges. Additionally, NCERT has taken action against a paper mill in Kashipur producing illegal NCERT watermarked paper. To further strengthen its anti-piracy measures, NCERT has introduced a technology-based solution developed by IIT Kanpur, piloted on 10 lakh copies of one textbook title, with plans to expand this to all titles in the next academic year, replacing the outdated watermarked paper system that pirates have easily replicated.

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justin R. Simmons Appointed as Interim U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN ANTONIO – Attorney General Pamela Bondi has appointed Justin R. Simmons as Interim United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 546, which provides that “the Attorney General may appoint a United States Attorney for the district in which the office of United States Attorney is vacant.” This appointment took effect on May 30, 2025.

    “I want to thank President Trump and Attorney General Bondi for placing their trust in me to lead the incredible AUSAs and support staff we have working here in the Western District,” said Simmons. “I am humbled and honored to serve in this role.”

    Simmons joined the Western District of Texas as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in December 2020 and has prosecuted a wide variety of cases, including cases involving trans-national criminal organizations, human trafficking, gun crimes, white-collar crimes, and immigration offenses.

    Simmons also served as the SAR Coordinator for the district, a role in which he was tasked with leading a group of federal, state and local law enforcement agents and officers in reviewing and evaluating SARs filed by various financial institutions. Simmons also served as the Elder Justice Coordinator, giving presentations to various groups in the San Antonio area regarding the many criminal schemes perpetrated on the elderly. Additionally, he served on the leadership team for the South Texas Officers and Prosecutors Human Trafficking Task Force, giving various presentations to law enforcement personnel regarding financial investigations in the human trafficking context.

    “The Western District of Texas has for many years been on the front lines of the fight against the narco-terrorists that have enriched themselves to the detriment of the United States,” said Simmons. “In keeping with the President’s priorities, we will continue to push back against their efforts by aggressively enforcing the laws of the United States. We will also continue to root out and bring to light those who would enrich themselves by perpetrating fraud on the government or individual citizens. Additionally, our civil litigators will continue with their important work representing the interests of the United States in our federal courts. Hand in hand with our law enforcement partners, we will do our part to make the Western District a place where the American people cannot just survive but thrive. I look forward to leading in this effort.”

    Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s office, Simmons was a commercial litigator at the law firm of Scheef & Stone in Frisco, Texas, and, before that, he was an Assistant District Attorney in Collin County, Texas.

    Simmons received his bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from Samford University in 2004, and his Juris Doctorate from Texas A&M in 2016.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Deputy Chair of the NATO Military Committee Engages Indo-Pacific Partners at Shangri-La Dialogue 2025

    Source: NATO

    Lieutenant General Andrew M. Rohling, Deputy Chair of the NATO Military Committee, participated in the 2025 IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, highlighting NATO’s commitment to building stronger dialogue and cooperation with partners in the Indo-Pacific. His presence at the conference reflected the Alliance’s growing attention to global dynamics that influence Euro-Atlantic security.

    On the sidelines of the event, LTG Rohling and Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy Ambassador Boris Ruge- also present at the conference- held several bilateral meetings with political and military stakeholders from the Indo-Pacific. These exchanges focused on areas of shared interest such as maritime security, cyber defence, and strategic resilience, reinforcing NATO’s commitment to supporting international stability and a rules-based order through enhanced cooperation with like-minded nations. LTG Rohling also engaged with defence industry representatives, discussing approaches to enhancing private and public sector cooperation.

    Key themes at the 2025 Shangri-La Dialogue included regional stability, maritime cooperation, and the importance of maintaining open channels of communication. Participants exchanged views on evolving global security environment and the role of multilateral engagement in reducing tensions. Broader discussions also touched on lessons learned from ongoing conflicts, the need to strengthen resilience against cyber and hybrid threats, and the value of practical cooperation in addressing shared challenges.

    The Shangri-La Dialogue, organized annually by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), convenes defense ministers, military leaders, and security experts from around the world to address pressing regional and global security challenges. NATO’s engagement in this forum underscores its recognition that today’s security environment is increasingly interconnected—and that strategic dialogue beyond the Euro-Atlantic area is essential to fostering global peace and stability.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Xbox celebrates Pride: Games foster connection, support and chosen family

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Xbox celebrates Pride: Games foster connection, support and chosen family

    So, we’re celebrating our heroes, players, and stories with heartfelt touches, creative moments, and a space to be exactly who you are. You belong here, and we’re proud to compete by your side.

    Overwatch 2 – An always-on and ever-evolving free-to-play, team-based action game set in an optimistic future, where every match is the ultimate 5v5 battlefield brawl featuring new heroes and maps, different ways to play, and unique cosmetics! Lead the charge, ambush your enemies, or aid your
    allies as one of Overwatch’s 40 distinct heroes. Team up with friends, take them into battle across 25+ futuristic maps inspired by real-world locations, and master multiple unique game modes.

    Play Overwatch 2 Today

    Thirsty Suitors  – From Outerloop Games, Thirsty Suitors is a stylish, story-driven adventure that unfolds through turn-based battles, skateboarding, and cooking. Help Jala confront her mistakes, make up with her exes, reconcile cultural differences, and become the person she was meant to be. Easy, right?
     
    Play Thirsty Suitors Today

    Dragon Age: The Veilguard – Enter the world of Thedas, a vibrant land of rugged wilderness, treacherous labyrinths, and glittering cities – steeped in conflict and secret magics. Now, a pair of corrupt ancient gods have broken free from centuries of darkness and are hellbent on destroying the world. Thedas needs someone they can count on. Rise as Rook, Dragon Age’s newest hero. Be who you want to be and play how you want to play as you fight to stop the gods from blighting the world. But you can’t do this alone – the odds are stacked against you. Lead a team of seven companions, each with their own rich story to discover and shape, and together you will become The Veilguard.

    Play Dragon Age: The Veilguard Today

    Spirit Swap: LoFi Beats to Match-3 To – Samar is a young witch working the spirit-swapping night shift in the eastern outskirts of Demashq. A recent spike in spirits crossing over from another dimension breaks the chill atmosphere of their night shift, so with her trusty FamiliarZ by her side, she sets off into the city to find out what’s happened. With a popular band scheduled to kick off their big comeback tour in Demashq, Samar needs to work quickly before the city is overrun with stans and spirits alike!
     
    Play Spirit Swap: LoFi Beats to Match-3 To Today

    Psychroma – A psychological horror side-scroller set in a haunted cyberpunk house. Collect cards and explore the memories stored on them to piece together your past. But the deeper you go, the more you expose yourself to the brightest heat, the warmest color… Discover the hidden corridors and uncover the sordid past of a house out of time and place within a futuristic cyberpunk city. Collect the memory cards of three main characters, An underground cultist, an ambitious philanthropist, and a drifter.

    Play Psychroma Today

    Xbox Gear Shop

    The Xbox Gear Shop is celebrating Pride 2025 by bringing back our most popular designs for a limited time! These classic designs were made by and with the LGBTQIA+ community, and will be available through Pride month only, and only in the Xbox Gear Shop!

    Blizzard Gear Shop

    Celebrate Pride month with the new Blizzard 2025 Pride Collection exclusively on the Blizzard Gear Store!

    Led by the Blizzard LGBT+ Employee Network, this year’s Pride Collection features all-new logo designs for each of our games, available on t-shirts, long sleeve shirts, and hoodies—all benefitting* GLAAD from June 2 through June 30, 2025.

    *From June 2, 2025, to June 30, 2025, Blizzard Entertainment will donate 100% of the amount Blizzard receives from Blizzard’s e-commerce store operator from the sale of each of the products from the 2025 Blizzard Pride Collection to GLAAD. This represents approximately 25% of the purchase price (less any chargebacks, refunds, and Value Added Taxes (VAT), or similar taxes paid.)

    Gaming with Impact

    Rewards members in the United States can earn and donate points to organizations supporting LGBTQIA+ communities with Xbox. The organizations below will be available on the Rewards hub:

    • GLAAD: Founded in 1985, GLAAD – the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization – works with television, film, video games, Spanish-language media, journalists, and social media to tell stories and consult on LGBTQ media representation. GLAAD tackles tough issues and provokes dialogue that leads to cultural change through increased media accountability, public campaigns, corporate engagement initiatives, and advocacy programs that help to ensure 100% inclusion and acceptance of the LGBTQ community. (US)
    • Outright International: Outright International is dedicated to working with partners around the globe to strengthen the capacity of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ) human rights movement, document and amplify human rights violations against LGBTIQ people, and advocate for inclusion and equality. (US)

    Xbox players 18 and older can earn Rewards points in various ways, such as playing games, completing Game Pass Quests (terms apply), and purchasing games and other eligible items at the Microsoft Store (exclusions apply). Start earning for impact today and redeem your points for great rewards. Donate your points on the Rewards hub or on the Rewards redeem page.

    Wallpapers and Dynamic Backgrounds

    The Xbox Pride Month design is available today as an Xbox wallpaper and dynamic background on console – follow these steps to apply the dynamic background:

    • Press the Xbox button on your controller to open the guide.
    • Select Profile & system > Settings > General > Personalization > My background > Dynamic backgrounds.

    You can choose between Games, Xbox, or Abstract dynamic backgrounds. Choose the background art that you want with the A button.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –