In a small randomized trial in the United Kingdom, adults who added a serving of 100% fruit juice or a smoothie to a healthier diet reported lower depression scores after four weeks.

The post Daily Glass of Fruit Juice May Lift Your Mood: Study appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.

Liberty Global appointed Stephen van Rooyen (pictured) to take charge of its newly formed telecoms company Ziggo Group, which will combine VodafoneZiggo in the Netherlands with Telenet in Belgium.

Liberty Global stated van Rooyen, who is the current CEO of VodafoneZiggo, will take control of the joint entity on 1 September, ahead of planned listing of the company in Amsterdam in 2027.

The executive was credited by Liberty Global for leading “a turnaround at VodafoneZiggo over the past 18 months”, leaning on extensive European telecoms and media leadership experience.

He previously spent more than 17 years at Sky, serving as CEO of Sky UK & Ireland and CCO of Sky Group.

As part of preparations for the new entity, Liberty Global also named Jany Fruytier from its Swiss operator Sunrise as CFO. Fruytier has held the equivalent position at Sunrise since 2020, playing a key role in the growth and listing of listing of the business.

Liberty Global struck a deal to buy the 50% stake in VodafoneZiggo it did not own from Vodafone Group earlier this year.

It then declared it would set up Ziggo Group, which would own 100% of VodafoneZiggo and Telenet. As part of the buyout transaction, Vodafone took a 10% stake in Ziggo Group.

The joint entity will have 13 million customers, generating €6.6 billion in revenue.

Expertise and experience
Alongside his responsibilities at Ziggo Group, van Rooyen will retain his role at VodafoneZiggo.

Mike Fries, Liberty Global chairman and CEO said van Rooyen’s experience and Fruytier’s expertise gives it the right platform to deliver on the planned listing.

“Together, they will lead two highly complementary businesses, and we see significant opportunities in what these two strong brands can achieve together,” he said.

The post Liberty Global names chief to lead Ziggo Group appeared first on Mobile World Live.

SoftBank Group committed to an investment of up to €75 billion to bolster AI data centre infrastructure in France, with the first phase of the project set to deliver 3.1GW of capacity.

SoftBank announced the investment at the 2026 Choose France summit, hosted by President Emmanuel Macron, marking the Japanese company’s largest AI infrastructure investments in Europe.

It has committed an initial €45 billion investment in the Hauts-de-France region, providing 3.1GW of capacity to data centres in Dunkirk, Bosquel and Bouchain. SoftBank will also develop additional sites, “reinforcing the country’s role as a leading European hub for next-generation digital infrastructure”.

For the Dunkirk deployment, SoftBank partnered with Schneider Electric to accelerate its buildout, while developing a large-scale industrial production cluster.

The cluster at the Port of Dunkirk will be a “key industrial pillar” for the company’s AI infrastructure programme in France, including the build out of two facilities. One will be operated by SoftBank to manufacture enclosures, while the other will be operated by Schneider Electric to integrate data centre power modules.

The duo explained the partnership will combine SoftBank’s robotics and automation capabilities with Schneider’s industrial expertise and local supply chain network to support the deployment of next-generation AI data centres at scale.

The industrial cluster is also designed to support Dunkirk’s ambition to become a leading hub for robotics, advanced manufacturing and industrial innovation.

Masayoshi Son, chairman and CEO of SoftBank, said AI is entering a new era and countries that build infrastructure for this transformation “will shape the future of technology, industry and society”.

“SoftBank is proud to make this major commitment to France. With its industrial capabilities, talent base and national ambition, France is uniquely positioned to become a leading AI infrastructure hub in Europe.”

The company said it will also work with SB Energy and other strategic partners to deliver the projects.

The post SoftBank to splash up to €75B on France AI capacity appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Earth Oddities • Strange Weather Phenomena • Global Dust Transport • Go back to Strange Sounds A massive Saharan dust plume has drifted across parts of Europe, hazing alpine views and coloring sunsets across the continent. But the most surprising part of the story is how the dust gets into the sky in the first […]

The post Saharan Dust Cloud Over Europe: How Desert Thunderstorms Launch Millions of Tons of Dust Into the Atmosphere appeared first on Strange Sounds.

Experts say AI firm’s engagement with Vatican risks creating ‘feelgood’ discourse that lacks critical examination

Why did Anthropic’s founder sit beside the pope during a warning about AI?

In the first major written teaching of his papacy, Pope Leo XIV took artificial intelligence to task. The pontiff delineated the technology’s most concerning threats to humanity: replacing workers, accelerating war and exploiting the environment. At a ceremony honoring the holy teaching the day of its release at the Vatican, the pope was flanked by an unusual guest speaker: Anthropic co-founder Chris Olah, one of the people behind the AI boom so worrying Leo.

Guardian investigation shows how US presidency blurs line between policy and enrichment of American ruling family and those around it

On a graffitied Sarajevo backstreet, a path leads past an overgrown patch of garden to a white door. Beyond is the registered office of a company that is on the brink of winning contracts worth more than $1bn.

AAFS Infrastructure and Energy is close to securing a concession to build and operate a pipeline across the Balkans to allow fossil gas shipped from the US to replace supplies that come from Russia. “This could be the most important infrastructure project ever in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” says one of the country’s top officials, who, like others, asks to remain anonymous to discuss sensitive negotiations.

Mobile World Live brings you our top three picks of the week as the European Commission (EC) earmarked a large proportion of mobile satellite spectrum for homegrown players, Telenor unveiled a restructured operating model and SpaceX secured a $2.3 billion US military deal.

EC proposes local players get bulk of MSS spectrum

What happened: EC EVP Henna Virkkunen set out the regulator’s proposal to allocate the 2GHz mobile satellite services spectrum band across the European Union, with a large slice potentially being allocated to local players.

Why it matters: Under the plan, one third of the band would be reserved for government and critical communications with the rest allocated to commercial D2D and IoT services. Non-EU companies would only be able to apply for half of the allocation for commercial services and none of the public sector portion.

Virkkunen said the watchdog aims to “boost Europe’s competitiveness”, “strengthen Europe’s security” and embrace “new technological possibilities”, adding the plan reflects “the current changing geopolitical context”.

She rejected suggestions the move disproportionately targets US companies, stating the process is “very transparent and fair”. Yet, BNP Paribas Equity Research senior analyst Sam McHugh told Reuters the plan could leave US players including SpaceX in a “structurally inferior” position. He added it is “a small positive for European telecom operators” because it further reduces the odds of SpaceX competing head-to-head with them.

Telenor pursues top-line gains with restructure

What happened: Telenor unveiled a group-wide restructure, replacing its Nordics, Asia, Amp and Infrastructure business units with a model focused on individual countries.

Why it matters: The plan aims to move decision making closer to customers and local markets. The operator stated the shift aligns with its long-term goals of pursuing top-line growth, greater efficiency and operational improvement. Under the new set-up, the chiefs of Telenor’s Nordics businesses will join group management, removing the current regional layer.

Telenor described the restructure as “simplified and sharpened”, adding it would “substantially reduce administrative costs” and accelerate long-term growth by improving cash flow and capital return in the coming years.

SpaceX bags $2.3B US military comms deal

What happened: The US Space Force (USSF) awarded SpaceX a $2.3 billion contract to build the backbone for a Space Data Network (SDN), a satellite communications system designed to connect military platforms and sensors.

Why it matters: USSF stated the SDN backbone will use low Earth orbit satellites to provide global connectivity for armed forces, acting as “an integrated network” delivering “robust, resilient, high-capacity and low-latency data transport”.

USSF acting portfolio acquisition executive for space-based sensing and targeting Colonel Ryan Frazier said the system would use “the best of commercial innovation” and provide “a strong foundation for the SDN mission” by acting as “a core communications layer” for USSF systems, delivering continuous, secure connectivity.

The deal comes at a pivotal moment for Elon Musk’s satellite venture, which recently submitted a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing detailing plans to launch a long-awaited IPO as early as next month.

The post The Friday File: MSS spectrum; Telenor; SpaceX appeared first on Mobile World Live.

WARSAW, Poland — The Italian-Dutch company Revolv Space has announced that French in-orbit services provider Infinite Orbits has selected its Solar Array Drive Assemblies (SADAs), the devices used to manage […]

The post Revolv Space enters in-orbit servicing market with Infinite Orbits deal appeared first on SpaceNews.

AMSTERDAM — A senior German military official said Europe needs a coordinated approach to military space operations and proposed the creation of a European Space Component Command hosted by Germany […]

The post Germany pushes European military space command initiative appeared first on SpaceNews.

Datacentres used 22% of country’s electricity last year, pushing up household bills, study suggests

Energy demand by datacentres in Ireland has added hundreds of euros to household electricity bills in a pattern that could be replicated across Europe, according to a report.

Ireland’s growing number of datacentres last year used 22% of the country’s electricity, more than all urban homes combined, according to the Central Statistics Office. The equivalent figure in the US and UK is 6%.

Datacentres used 22% of country’s electricity last year, pushing up household bills, study suggests

Energy demand by datacentres in Ireland has added hundreds of euros to household electricity bills in a pattern that could be replicated across Europe, according to a report.

Ireland’s growing number of datacentres last year used 22% of the country’s electricity, more than all urban homes combined, according to the Central Statistics Office. The equivalent figure in the US and UK is 6%.

At most major European space summits, the sovereignty debate has long been overshadowed by talk of launchers, constellations and the symbolism of a national presence. On the sidelines, however, the […]

The post Europe’s biggest space opportunity comes after launch appeared first on SpaceNews.

AMSTERDAM – European industry representatives and legal experts are worried that the EU Space Act is too slow, too rigid and too bureaucratic. Speaking at SmallSat Europe, panelists said they […]

The post European space industry warns EU Space Act could slow competitiveness appeared first on SpaceNews.

SpinLaunch CEO Massimiliano “Massi” Ladovaz paints an ambitious picture of a rapidly shifting space industry driven as much by geopolitics and sovereignty as by engineering innovation. Ladovaz argued that SpinLaunch’s […]

The post As geopolitics reshape space, SpinLaunch sees an opening appeared first on SpaceNews.

European Commission (EC) EVP Henna Virkkunen unveiled a proposal for the allocation of the 2GHz spectrum band for mobile satellite services, with the lion’s share set to be reserved for companies based in the European Union (EU).

Under the plan, the EC would allocate a third of the spectrum for government and critical communications use, with the remainder available for commercial applications including direct-to-device smartphone connectivity and IoT applications.

Virkkunen stated the segment used for critical communications and government agencies would be awarded to an operator within the EU which would be tasked with ensuring integration with IRIS2 infrastructure.

Half of the proportion available for commercial use would be reserved for providers based in the EU and the remainder open to bids from companies based anywhere.  

She noted earmarking allocations to local operators would “encourage the diversification of suppliers and incentivise” entry into the market.

The EC is planning an EU-level selection process for assignment of the spectrum to ensure regulatory consistency across the bloc and allow operators to provide cross-border services.

Licences currently active for the band were allocated on an EU-wide basis.

Critical
Virkkunen said the 2GHz band is foundational to providing “satellite and terrestrial connectivity directly to our mobile devices, ensuring that all areas in the EU, and namely those where terrestrial networks are unavailable, are equipped with voice and internet connectivity”.

Noting “large networks of low Earth orbit satellites are becoming the space version” or mobile towers, she added they also pave the way for 6G.

“In short, this band is absolutely vital for our citizens, businesses and governments alike,” she added, arguing the EC’s proposal would aid in aims to boost Europe’s competitiveness and security, along with embracing “new technological possibilities”.

Although opening the way for big name US operators including Starlink and Amazon Leo to grab allocations, the move to reserve a large proportion for EU-based entities fits with a recent push around technology sovereignty and attempts to bolster local companies.

The post EC proposes local players get bulk of MSS spectrum appeared first on Mobile World Live.

NanoAvionics, founded in 2014, was known for producing individual satellites and small constellations until April 2025, when the company won a 122.5-million-euro contract ($142 million) to build the initial 280 […]

The post Kongsberg NanoAvionics sets sights on building and supporting sovereign constellations appeared first on SpaceNews.

UK operator Virgin Media O2 is set to switch on O2 Satellite for iPhones tomorrow (28 May), widening access to the direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity service it launched earlier this year.

Subscribers to the offering with compatible devices gain access to satellite connectivity when no mobile coverage is available. It enables messaging and data across a range of apps, including Messages, Apple Maps, WhatsApp, Messenger, X and location services.

VMO2 noted adding iPhone support would provide the means for millions of users in rural, coastal and remote parts of the UK to connect where traditional mobile coverage can be limited or unavailable.

It added availability of satellite connectivity could boost network resilience by helping customers stay connected during outages or natural disasters.

Compatible models are the iPhone 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 ranges as well as the iPhone Air. O2 Satellite is available as a £3 per month add-on for most contract customers, though is included at no extra cost for those on its Ultimate Plan.

Chris Bournes, commercial director at VMO2, said “expanding the service to iPhone users is a major step forward in making this new, groundbreaking technology accessible to more customers”.

VMO2 launched its O2 Satellite service in February 2026 using Starlink infrastructure in what it positioned as the first D2D satellite mobile data service to go live in Europe. The operator noted the technology has lifted its UK landmass coverage to 95%.

The post VMO2 expands satellite service to iPhones appeared first on Mobile World Live.

AMSTERDAM – A former senior Ukrainian defense official called on SpaceX to tighten controls on Starlink terminals that she said are reaching Russian forces through third-party countries or intermediaries. Kateryna […]

The post Former Ukraine official calls for stricter restrictions on Russian use of Starlink appeared first on SpaceNews.