A study of 14 women with menstrual-related episodic migraine and 15 matched healthy controls combined diffusion-weighted imaging and resting-state fMRI with spectral graph analysis to examine how anatomical communication paths shape brain function. Direct one-step pathways did not differ significantly between groups, while indirect structural walks of four and five steps produced significantly higher structure–function mapping accuracy in patients; these effects survived false-discovery correction and were supported by bootstrap analyses. Patient-specific connectivity alterations were concentrated in Default Mode Network subsystems, particularly DefaultA and DefaultB. The findings suggest that menstrual migraine involves scale-specific changes in mesoscale structure–function integration, although the small, female-only sample, lack of pathway directionality, tractography limitations, and in-sample reconstruction design constrain generalizability.

Rain and hail damaged around 35% of cherry production in Fundão, with some producers losing as much as 80%. The estimated losses amount to approximately €7 million, against total annual agricultural production in the municipality worth more than €20 million. Mayor Miguel Gavinhos has asked the Ministry of Agriculture and the government to provide compensation while maintaining plans to promote Cereja do Fundão through the end of the harvest season in mid-July. The region’s protected-geographical-indication cherries account for about 65% of Portugal’s total production.

The UK government plans tougher online safety rules for platforms, including applying existing content requirements to AI chatbots and strengthening requirements to preserve platform data when a child user dies. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the changes are intended to ensure that no platform receives a free pass. The government also intends to use powers to implement new digital laws more quickly as technology evolves.

The UK’s data regulator is assessing a possible government data breach linked to an October cyberattack, raising renewed concerns about the country’s data protection practices following several major leaks earlier in the year, including one that may have endangered thousands of Afghans. The Information Commissioner’s Office has been notified by the involved government department and is reviewing the details provided.

UK lawmakers plan a parliamentary inquiry into the addictive design of online platforms regulated under the Online Safety Act, with a focus on potential impacts on children’s development. The initiative follows debate around a petition to repeal the law, during which gaps in the regulatory framework — especially concerning AI chatbots — were highlighted. The inquiry is expected to begin early next year.

A petition urging the repeal of the UK Online Safety Act is set for debate in Parliament, adding pressure to a regulatory framework already facing delays after Ofcom confirmed postponements to key duties. Lawmakers are also questioning whether the act adequately addresses risks associated with AI chatbots, while developments in Australia’s social‑media ban for under‑16s prompt consideration of similar measures in Britain.

LastPass strengthened its security practices after an investigation by the UK privacy regulator, which fined the company £1.2 million for a 2022 data breach affecting up to 1.6 million UK users. Regulators concluded that inadequate security measures allowed hackers to access the company’s database through two separate methods.

Lawmakers questioned the UK’s approach to regulating police use of facial-recognition technology after new testing revealed higher false positives for Black women and uneven accuracy across demographic groups. The Information Commissioner’s Office expressed concern at learning only recently about historical bias and requested urgent clarification from the government. The findings coincided with the launch of a consultation on a new legal framework for biometrics, increasing scrutiny of the government’s regulatory plans and the Cognitec-supplied system used across UK police forces.

Internal records from 2021 to 2024 show the UK Information Commissioner's Office warning that broader cybersecurity enforcement responsibilities would strain its legal and operational capacity. The concerns emerge as the government advances the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, which seeks to expand the regulator’s powers across additional sectors and critical national infrastructure.

Meta Platforms asserted that it is proactively combating online scams as Ofcom postponed enforcing new Online Safety Act obligations related to fraudulent advertising until mid-2026. Meta executive Philip Milton disputed claims that the company benefits from scam ads, while Revolut called on technology firms to collaborate more closely to tackle online fraud.