NewzIntel.com

    • Checkout Page
    • Contact Us
    • Default Redirect Page
    • Frontpage
    • Home-2
    • Home-3
    • Lost Password
    • Member Login
    • Member LogOut
    • Member TOS Page
    • My Account
    • NewzIntel Alert Control-Panel
    • NewzIntel Latest Reports
    • Post Views Counter
    • Privacy Policy
    • Public Individual Page
    • Register
    • Subscription Plan
    • Thank You Page

Blog

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Pledge to protect Armed Forces community as government delivers on manifesto commitment

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Pledge to protect Armed Forces community as government delivers on manifesto commitment

    Military personnel, their families and veterans are to have their unique circumstances legally protected by central government for the first time under new plans announced by the Prime Minister.

    • Transformative protections for military personnel, veterans and their families, including the bereaved, have been announced by the Prime Minister today.
    • Legislation will be brought forward to deliver manifesto promise to bring Armed Forces Covenant fully into law, placing the Armed Forces community at the heart of government decision-making.
    • Prime Minister visits RAF Valley to celebrate our Armed Forces Day.
    • Comes after a year of delivery for our Armed Forces and veterans, including “homes for heroes,” new funding for wraparound support and new Armed Forces Commissioner to advocate on behalf of the service community.

    Military personnel, their families and veterans are to have their unique circumstances legally protected by central government for the first time under new plans announced by the Prime Minister.

    As the nation marks Armed Forces Day, the Prime Minister visited RAF Valley in Wales where he met trainee pilots and their families to celebrate Armed Forces Week.

    It comes as the Government confirms plans for the first time that all government departments will have to legally consider the needs of the Armed Forces community when making new policy.

    More details of the legal duty will be set out in due course, but could include initiatives such as extending travel benefits to the families of veterans and the bereaved, or flexible working for partners of serving personnel who are required to move as part for their role in the Armed Forces. 

    This delivers on a manifesto promise and is part of the Government’s commitment to renew the nation’s contract with those who serve and following the Strategic Defence Review, which underscored the role our Armed Forces play in protecting our national security, which is the foundation of this Government’s Plan for Change.  

    This Government has committed to renewing its contract with the Armed Forces community, delivering two above inflation pay awards for service personnel and an extra £1.5bn investment this parliament to improve forces’ family housing through the Strategic Defence Review. 

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: 

    “Across the country and around the world, our service personnel and their families make the ultimate sacrifice to keep us safe and protect our freedom and our way of life. 

    “When I became Prime Minister, I made a promise to serve those who have served us. Through the new Armed Forces Covenant, we are delivering on that promise — ensuring our service personnel, veterans and their families are treated with the respect they deserve – that is our duty. 

    “Our Armed Forces Covenant will put our Armed Forces community at the very heart of government decision-making. Their courage, duty, and sacrifice are the foundation of our national values, and they deserve nothing less.”

    The new Armed Forces Covenant Legal Duty will ensure: 

    • Fair access to services: Ensures that serving personnel, veterans, and their families are not disadvantaged.
    • Priority support for those most in need: Provides additional help for those who have given the most, such as the injured or bereaved.
    • Legal duty on public bodies: Local authorities, NHS bodies, and schools must consider the needs of the Armed Forces community in their decision-making.
    • Annual reporting: The government is legally required to publish an annual report on Covenant delivery and progress. 

    Announcement follows the Prime Minister’s “homes for heroes” policy guaranteeing housing for all UK Armed Forces veterans, exempting them from local connection rules for social housing. 

    The Prime Minister also announced £3.5 million of funding for wraparound support services for veterans at risk of homelessness, including mental health, employment, and independent living support earlier this year. 

    Today’s announcement forms part of a wider commitment to renew the contract with those who have served the country are treated with respect and long-term security. 

    Under the new legislation all areas of government will for the first time have to have ‘due regard’ for the Armed Forces Covenant when policy and decision making; taking into account the unique circumstances and position of the Armed Forces community to prevent disadvantage.

    Currently this is only legally required in areas of housing, healthcare and education and only at local level, so, not applicable to central government. The Legal Duty Extension marks a huge step forward in increasing support for the Armed Forces community.

    This extension follows consultation with over 150 organisations and builds on recommendations from the House of Commons Defence Select Committee.

    Veterans and People Minister Alistair Carns MP said: 

    “Service life offers unique opportunities for personal growth and camaraderie, but it also demands exceptional sacrifices. Today, we’re taking bold action to ensure that those who serve our country receive the recognition and support they deserve by embedding these principles into law.

    “Whether you serve in the regular or reserve forces, you and your families stand to benefit from the Covenant Legal Duty Extension and its principles as part of our government’s commitment to renew the nation’s contract with those who serve.” 

    The Armed Forces Covenant is built on a simple but powerful principle: no one in the Armed Forces community should face disadvantage in accessing public or commercial services.

    Mark Atkinson, Director General, Royal British Legion:

    “The Royal British Legion has been calling for a stronger Armed Forces Covenant for over a decade. 

    “Those who have served in the Armed Forces often face unique challenges, for example moving frequently during service can make it hard for families to receive consistent support from public services or for spouses and partners to build careers. Expanding the Covenant Legal Duty will help public services better respond to these challenges by ensuring the needs of the Armed Forces community are taken into account when making decisions.

    “Currently the Covenant Legal Duty only applies to some areas of housing, education, and healthcare. We firmly welcome the decision to bring the Covenant fully into law to make sure all parts of government across the UK are working together and focused on providing the best possible support for those who are serving, have served, their families and the bereaved.

    “It will be vital that the impact of the Duty is measured effectively and those who deliver services must also be resourced with funding and training so that they can fully understand the purpose of the Armed Forces Covenant to ensure this change makes a meaningful difference to the lives of all those in the Armed Forces community.”

    The new legal duty announced today will extend this commitment across all government departments and devolved administrations. This transformative measure ensures that serving personnel, reservists, veterans, and their families are considered in every relevant policy decision—giving them a meaningful voice and delivering on the Government’s pledge to strengthen support for our Armed Forces communities. 

    This builds on existing successes in housing, education, and healthcare, such as dedicated NHS pathways for veterans and the Service Pupil Premium.

    Additional information

    The extension of the Legal Duty will encompass all UK Government Departments and Devolved Governments, and the following policy areas: 

    ·         Housing 

    ·         Education 

    ·         Healthcare 

    ·         Social care 

    ·         Childcare 

    ·         Employment and service in the armed forces 

    ·         Personal taxation 

    ·         Welfare benefits 

    ·         Criminal justice 

    ·         Immigration 

    ·         Citizenship 

    ·         Pensions 

    ·         Service-related compensation 

    ·         Transport

    • For more information about the Armed Forces Covenant and the legal duty extension, please visit www.armedforcescovenant.gov.uk.
    • It is our ambition to include these statutory changes in the next Armed Forces Bill, which is required every five years to continue to have an Armed Forces.

    Share this page

    The following links open in a new tab

    • Share on Facebook (opens in new tab)
    • Share on Twitter (opens in new tab)

    Updates to this page

    Published 28 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Aberdeen salutes Armed Forces with impressive parade

    Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen

    More than 1,000 serving military personnel, veterans and cadets were joined by massed pipes and drums and vintage military vehicles in Aberdeen’s Armed Forces Day parade today (Saturday 28 June).

    The 30-minute parade started at Albyn Place at 11am, before making its made its way along Union Street, Union Terrace, Schoolhill, Upperkirkgate, Broad Street, and finishing at the Castlegate. 

    On Broad Street, the Lord Provost of Aberdeen, Dr David Cameron, in his role as His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant was joined by representatives from the UK’s Armed Forces, to take the salute in front of the City’s official flagpole outside Marischal College, on Broad Street.

    The Lord-Lieutenant of Aberdeen, Dr David Cameron, said: “Today’s parade is a tribute to the courage, commitment, and sacrifice of our Armed Forces. It was heartening to see the parade route lined with residents and visitors alike, young and older, waving Aberdeen Armed Forces Day parade flags and showing their support.  This parade reminds us of the enduring bond between our community and those who serve.” 

    Major (Retd) Grenville Irvine-Fortescue, Chairman of The Gordon Highlanders Regimental Association, said: “Armed Forces Day is always special as it honours and recognises the service, dedication and sacrifice of our men and women from across all the Services. In this year of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War 2 that service and sacrifice is brought into even sharper focus. The veterans who march today are immensely proud to do so. They march in memory of those who have gone before. They march in support of our Armed Services of today, both Regular and Reserve Forces. They march out of respect for those servicemen and women who bare the mental and physical scars of their service and they march in deep gratitude to the families who have and continue to provide such amazing support.

    “We also acknowledge the Navy, Army and Air Cadet Forces, the commitment they make and the pride they take in being a part of the parade today.

    “For us here in Aberdeen we have the special honour of our last WW2 and D Day Gordon Highlander veteran, Jim Glennie BEM, Legion d’honneur, joining His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant, Dr David Cameron, to take the salute as the parade marches past.

    “On behalf of The Gordon Highlanders Association, I would like to thank the  Lord-Lieutenant, Aberdeen City Council and the people of Aberdeen City, the communities of Aberdeenshire and the wider North East, for their wonderful support to this Armed Forces Day and their commitment to continue to stand by the remarkable men and women of our Armed Services. That support is greatly appreciated and makes us all march a bit taller.”

    John McLeish, Chief Executive, The Gordon Highlanders Museum, said: “Once again, Aberdeen’s Armed Forces Day Parade has captured the hearts of people across the city and beyond.  We are delighted to have been able to support this year’s ‘design a flag’ competition and we look forward to welcoming the winners to The Gordon Highlanders Museum in the near future.”

    Members of the public who lined the parade route were given special Aberdeen Armed Forces Day flags to wave, which featured a special design by Marley Smith, a Primary Six Year pupil from the city’s Broomhill School.

    The Gordon Highlanders Museum supports the ‘design a flag’ competition by gifting the three age-group category winners, which includes the overall winner, with family passes to the museum. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man jailed for Leytonstone murder after detectives extradite him from Sweden

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A man who fled the UK in an attempt to evade justice has been jailed for murder.

    Sabajet Shuti – 31 (04.07.93) of Upney Lane, Barking was sentenced to life imprisonment to serve a minimum of 27 years following a hearing at Southwark Crown Court on 27 June.

    Shuti had been found guilty of murdering 27-year-old Lumturi Zeqja, along with possession of a knife and GBH relating to a second man at the conclusion of a trial at the same court on 14 April.

    Shuti’s brother, Emirlion Shuti – 30 (13.12.94) of Blake Avenue, Barking was found guilty of affray during the same trial. He received a 20-month sentence, suspended for two years.

    The court heard how Sabajet Shuti launched his fatal attack on the evening of 16 October 2022 in Church Lane, Leytonstone.

    Lumturi was standing outside a café with his friend when the Shuti brothers arrived at around 22:40hrs in two cars. The brothers went to a separate café but shortly after Emirlion Shuti returned to one of the cars and began to drive it erratically along the road, revving the engine and causing a disturbance.

    Lumturi’s friend approached Emirlion and told him to stop but instead of doing this, Emirlion got out of the car and spoke to his brother and others who were outside the neighbouring café. The situation quickly escalated after Emirlion Shuti threw a punch at Lumturi’s friend. During the ensuing altercation Sabajet Shuti produced a knife and stabbed Lumturi twice, and his friend once.

    Both Shuti brothers then fled the scene leaving Lumturi collapsed and dying on the pavement. The emergency services attended but despite their efforts they could not save him. His friend was taken to hospital for emergency surgery and thankfully survived the attack.

    Detectives began to piece together evidence and from accessing CCTV and mobile phone footage were able to identify who was responsible.

    The day after the murder, Sabajet Shuti made plans to leave the UK. He changed his appearance by shaving off his beard and then travelled to Folkestone before crossing the Channel into France. A warrant for his arrest was issued and around a year after the attack, on 3 October 2023 Sabajet Shuti was arrested in Sweden. He was extradited back to the UK to face the consequences of his actions.

    In the intervening period, detectives had arrested and charged Emirlion Shuti for his role in the attack.

    Detective Inspector Brett Hagen who led the investigation said: “Sabajet Shuti went to great lengths to try and evade justice, fleeing the country and regularly changing location in an attempt to avoid being arrested.

    “However, his efforts were in vain as while he was on the run, our team of tenacious detectives had built a file of evidence and, working in liaison with international law enforcement colleagues, the net closed in on him.

    “The level of violence Sabejet Shuti used was completely unnecessary – he went out that night armed with a knife so had clear intent of causing someone significant harm if the chance arose.

    “His actions cost Lumturi Zeqja his life and has caused untold pain to his family and friends. While nothing I can say can alleviate their suffering, I hope they can take some small measure of comfort in seeing the Shuti brothers held to account for their actions.”

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 29, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: STATEMENT: Official visit to Ghana by H.E. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of the Republic of India

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    Download logo

    The Presidency of the Republic of Ghana is pleased to announce that the Prime Minister of the Republic of India, His Excellency Narendra Modi, will undertake a two-day Official Visit to Ghana from Wednesday, 2nd July, to Thursday, 3rd July, 2025.

    The visit highlights the warm and longstanding friendly relations between Ghana and India, as well as the importance both nations place on strengthening their strategic partnership.

    The itinerary for the visit includes a bilateral meeting between President Mahama and Prime Minister Modi at the Presidency. The two leaders will engage in discussions aimed at deepening cooperation across various sectors, including trade, investment, agriculture, technology, education, healthcare, and energy. They will also exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.

    Key highlights of the visit will include the signing of several bilateral agreements to consolidate cooperation frameworks between Ghana and India, followed by a joint Press Conference addressed by President Mahama and Prime Minister Modi. President Mahama will also host a State Dinner in honour of Prime Minister Modi and his delegation.

    The visit by Prime Minister Modi is expected to strengthen bilateral ties, foster deeper economic cooperation, and solidify the bonds of friendship between the peoples of Ghana and India.

    – on behalf of The Presidency, Republic of Ghana.

    MIL OSI Africa –

    June 28, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Qatar Affirms Support for UN Counter-terrorism Coordination Compact

    Source: Government of Qatar

    New York, June 27, 2025

    The State of Qatar reaffirmed its support for the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact and its unwavering commitment to actively participating in relevant regional and international initiatives aimed at enhancing regional and global security and stability.

    This came in the State of Qatar’s statement delivered by HE the State of Qatar’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani during her participation in the opening of a meeting organized by the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism. The event, held at UN headquarters in New York, was on enhancing partnerships between regional organizations and the UN Counter-terrorism Coordination Compact to support the coordination of political interventions and capacity-building efforts.

    Her Excellency emphasized the importance of the meeting as a constructive platform for strengthening dialogue and coordination among the members of the UN Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact, contributing to more integrated and effective international efforts to combat terrorism.

    Her Excellency also highlighted the ongoing partnership between the State of Qatar and the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, commending the continuous efforts to enhance international cooperation and implement a shared vision for countering terrorism through coordinated and integrated action.

    For his part, Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism Vladimir Voronkov praised Qatar’s leading role in supporting UN counter-terrorism initiatives, especially those focused on preventing violent extremism by addressing its root causes, primarily through promoting education and supporting sustainable development.

    MIL OSI Africa –

    June 28, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Qatar Affirms Importance of Protecting Rights of Children in Education

    Source: Government of Qatar

    New York, June 27, 2025

    The State of Qatar emphasized the importance of promoting and protecting children’s right to education, especially in countries affected by conflict, highlighting its leading efforts in this field, which have received international recognition.

    This came in the State of Qatar’s statement delivered by HE Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani, during the UN Security Council’s open debate on effective strategies to end and prevent grave violations against children in armed conflict, held at UN headquarters in New York.

    Her Excellency referred to the State of Qatar’s key partnerships with the United Nations, which reflect the country’s commitment to supporting international efforts to protect children affected by armed conflicts. She pointed to the State of Qatar’s hosting and support of the Analysis and Outreach Hub of the Office of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, noting that the center continues to play a vital role in advancing child protection efforts in conflict areas.

    Her Excellency also noted that this year marks the 20th anniversary of Security Council Resolution 1612 (2005), which was a landmark step and solid framework for improving the protection of children affected by armed conflict. It led to the creation of a monitoring and reporting mechanism focused on children and armed conflict. She stressed that all commitments must now be translated into concrete actions.

    Her Excellency expressed the State of Qatar’s deep concern over the increasing number of grave violations against children, citing the UN Secretary-General’s report that said violence against children in armed conflict reached its highest level in 2024, and added that children have borne the brunt of relentless hostilities and indiscriminate attacks.

    Her Excellency also strongly condemned the grave violations of international humanitarian law committed by the Israeli occupation against children in the Gaza Strip, calling on the international community to urgently act to compel Israel to comply with international laws, end its brutal war on Gaza immediately, and address the resulting catastrophic humanitarian conditions.

    Her Excellency said that it was extremely alarming what the report documented regarding the scale of grave violations against children in the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly the widespread use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas, the sharp increase in violations in Gaza, and the escalation of violence in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

    Her Excellency emphasized that it is absolutely unacceptable for children to remain victims of grave violations in ongoing conflicts, and underscored the importance of ensuring their protection in such areas.

    In conclusion, Her Excellency expressed her appreciation for HE Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba, praising her tireless efforts and extensive expertise.

    MIL OSI Africa –

    June 28, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Qatar participates in the signing ceremony of the Peace Agreement between the Republic of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Washington

    Source: Government of Qatar

    Washington – June 27, 2025

    The State of Qatar participated in the signing ceremony of the Peace Agreement between the Republic of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which took place today in Washington, facilitated by the United States of America.

    His Excellency Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al-Khulaifi, Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, represented the State of Qatar at the signing ceremony.

    In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA) on this occasion, His Excellency the Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the State of Qatar’s welcome of the conclusion of this Agreement, as well as its commendation of the sincere will and genuine commitment demonstrated by both Parties to the approach of peaceful and diplomatic solutions.

    His Excellency also expressed Qatar’s pride in contributing positively to facilitating the achievement of this Agreement through hosting several negotiation sessions between the two parties, as a result of Doha’s hosting of the trilateral meeting between His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of the State of Qatar, His Excellency President Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, and His Excellency President Félix Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on March 18, 2025, which constituted a significant milestone for direct dialogue and confidence-building between the two sides.

    His Excellency commended the constructive role played by the United States of America in completing these efforts and reaching this significant Agreement, which is expected to enhance security and stability in the Great Lakes region.

    His Excellency the Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed that these efforts are in support of the African Union’s mediation and the outcomes of the Joint Summit of the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community, which was held in Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania, on February 8, 2025. In this regard, he expressed the State of Qatar’s full readiness to collaborate with all regional and international partners to achieve lasting peace that benefits the peoples of the region.

    MIL OSI Africa –

    June 28, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Receives Call from Sri Lankan Deputy FM

    Source: Government of Qatar

    Doha, June 28, 2025

    HE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi received today a phone call from HE Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Arun Hemachandra.

    The call dealt with discussing cooperation relations between the two countries and ways to support and enhance them, and discussed a number of topics of common interest.

    During the call, Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed his country’s solidarity with the State of Qatar following the attack launched by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps on Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base.

    MIL OSI Africa –

    June 28, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: How does Marburg virus spread between species? Young Ugandan scientist’s photos give important clues

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Alexander Richard Braczkowski, Research Fellow at the Centre for Planetary Health and Resilient Conservation Group, Griffith University

    In the shadows of Python Cave, Uganda, a leopard leaps from a guano mound – formed by bat excrement – and sinks its teeth into a bat. But this is no ordinary bat colony. The thousands of Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) found in this cave are known carriers of one of the world’s deadliest viruses: Marburg, a close cousin of Ebola.

    Over just four months, our cameras recorded 261 predator encounters: crowned eagles, Nile monitors, leopards, pythons and blue monkeys all caught feeding on, or scavenging from this virus-harbouring colony.

    And yet, this wasn’t the work of a global health agency or virology lab. The discovery came from a 25-year-old Ugandan undergraduate, Bosco Atukwatse, working with our small Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust Kyambura Lion Project team in Queen Elizabeth National Park. His only tools: a trail camera, curiosity and ecological instinct.

    I am a conservation scientist with over 17 years of experience in wildlife ecology, monitoring and human-wildlife conflict. I’m the co-founder of the Kyambura Lion Project, which made this discovery.

    For years, scientists studying how diseases spread from animals to humans have hypothesised that zoonotic diseases jump from a wildlife reservoir (like a bat) to an intermediate host (monkey) and potentially to us, humans.

    For past Marburg outbreaks in Uganda, two spillover pathways have been identified: the first, involves humans coming into contact with a fruit bat habitat (namely caves filled with bat guano). Indeed, fruit bats are thought to have infected two tourists at Python Cave in 2007 and 2008.

    The second pathway involves humans and animals eating the same fruit that bats have fed upon or made contact with. This second spillover pathway was identified by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientists in 2023. They tracked bats from the cave entering cultivated gardens to feed.

    But Atukwatse and the team of young Ugandan scientists (Yahaya Ssemakula, Johnson Muhereza, Orin Cornille and Winfred Nsabimana) have potentially found another pathway: predation by at least 14 species.

    Such rich visual evidence of a viral interface – bats, predators and people – is virtually non-existent in the literature. Many theoretical depictions of this process exist, and there are isolated incidents of a monkey predating on a bat or wildlife feeding on bat guano, but Atukwatse’s discovery of this many different predators repeatedly feeding on a known Marburg virus reservoir is a first.

    His discovery highlights two uncomfortable truths:

    • many potential zoonotic interfaces remain undocumented – often right under our noses

    • the people most likely to detect them first are those living closest to wild frontiers.

    But the bigger message is this: global health institutions need to stop overlooking local scientists and start funding field-based detection systems across Africa and Asia.

    If we want to detect the next outbreak early, we should be empowering more Atukwatses, not waiting for the next lab test.

    A hunch pays off

    In early February 2025, Atukwatse and our small team of local scientists was expanding our long-term African leopard and spotted hyena monitoring grid into a new part of Queen Elizabeth National Park – the Kyambura Wildlife Reserve and Maramagambo forest.

    Atukwatse had heard from nearby guides that a large bat cave lay close to the survey grid. That kind of site, he reasoned, could be perfect leopard territory: a place to hunt, rest or avoid the heat.

    This is ecological attentiveness at its best – the field biology equivalent of a commodities trader spotting volatility in a geopolitical flashpoint.

    Atukwatse had his radar on and acted on instinct, setting five camera traps at the cave’s entrance and along the surrounding animal trails. Just one week later, he got what he hoped for: three separate clips of a leopard hunting bats in broad daylight. He left the cameras in place in protective casing. He checked them every 7–10 days.

    But that was just the beginning.

    The scale of the discovery

    When I first looked at Atukwatse’s videos, our joint excitement was around the leopard footage. We knew they were adaptable and could even eat small rodents , but no one had ever recorded them eating bats in Africa.

    As more clips came in, we realised something bigger was unfolding. Blue monkeys were seen grabbing bats mid-roost. A crowned eagle and a Nile monitor fought over two bat carcasses. A fish eagle – typically a piscivore, which is a carnivorous species that primarily eats fish – was filmed clutching bats in its talons.



    Read more:
    African wild dogs: DNA tests of their faeces reveal surprises about what they eat

    Over 304 trap-nights, Atukwatse’s traps recorded 261 independent predator events from at least 14 different species.

    Then came the second shock: over 400 human visitors – many of them tourists – were filmed approaching the cave mouth without any protective gear. Some stood just metres from a known Marburg virus reservoir. Importantly, the Uganda Wildlife Authority has built a sanctioned viewing platform about 35 metres from the cave. However, tourists broke park rules and walked within two metres of the cave mouth.

    It was only after I visited the cave myself to take stills of the team that we put this all together. Atukwatse had just found the first visual evidence, at a large scale in nature, of at least 14 predators feeding on a known wildlife virus reservoir harbouring one of Earth’s deadliest viruses.

    This wasn’t the result of million-dollar pathogen surveillance. It wasn’t even the core aim of our leopard survey. This happened because a young Ugandan field scientist followed his ecological gut.

    Why does the discovery matter?

    For decades, disease ecologists have known that major outbreaks often originate in wildlife – swine flu, avian flu and even SARS-CoV-2 all trace back to animal hosts. But what’s often missing is direct observation of spillover interfaces – the exact moments when a virus jumps from a bat, goose, or other animal into new species like humans, livestock or other wildlife.

    Atukwatse’s discovery may be the first large-scale visual record of such an interface in nature: a roost of Egyptian fruit bats known to harbour a deadly virus, actively predated upon by at least 14 species, with hundreds of humans visiting the same cave mouth unprotected.

    This may be a Rosetta Stone moment for spillover ecology – shifting our understanding from hypothetical models to a real, observable interface.

    These kinds of spillover sites exist in other places in nature: in a Chinese wet market where a civet meets a meat processor, or in a Gabonese village where a bat is butchered for bushmeat. The difference? Most of them go undocumented. Atukwatse just filmed one.

    Alexander Richard Braczkowski is the scientific director of the Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust Kyambura Lion Project.

    – ref. How does Marburg virus spread between species? Young Ugandan scientist’s photos give important clues – https://theconversation.com/how-does-marburg-virus-spread-between-species-young-ugandan-scientists-photos-give-important-clues-259806

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    June 28, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: How does Marburg virus spread between species? Young Ugandan scientist’s photos give important clues

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Alexander Richard Braczkowski, Research Fellow at the Centre for Planetary Health and Resilient Conservation Group, Griffith University

    In the shadows of Python Cave, Uganda, a leopard leaps from a guano mound – formed by bat excrement – and sinks its teeth into a bat. But this is no ordinary bat colony. The thousands of Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) found in this cave are known carriers of one of the world’s deadliest viruses: Marburg, a close cousin of Ebola.

    Over just four months, our cameras recorded 261 predator encounters: crowned eagles, Nile monitors, leopards, pythons and blue monkeys all caught feeding on, or scavenging from this virus-harbouring colony.

    And yet, this wasn’t the work of a global health agency or virology lab. The discovery came from a 25-year-old Ugandan undergraduate, Bosco Atukwatse, working with our small Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust Kyambura Lion Project team in Queen Elizabeth National Park. His only tools: a trail camera, curiosity and ecological instinct.

    I am a conservation scientist with over 17 years of experience in wildlife ecology, monitoring and human-wildlife conflict. I’m the co-founder of the Kyambura Lion Project, which made this discovery.

    For years, scientists studying how diseases spread from animals to humans have hypothesised that zoonotic diseases jump from a wildlife reservoir (like a bat) to an intermediate host (monkey) and potentially to us, humans.

    For past Marburg outbreaks in Uganda, two spillover pathways have been identified: the first, involves humans coming into contact with a fruit bat habitat (namely caves filled with bat guano). Indeed, fruit bats are thought to have infected two tourists at Python Cave in 2007 and 2008.

    The second pathway involves humans and animals eating the same fruit that bats have fed upon or made contact with. This second spillover pathway was identified by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientists in 2023. They tracked bats from the cave entering cultivated gardens to feed.

    But Atukwatse and the team of young Ugandan scientists (Yahaya Ssemakula, Johnson Muhereza, Orin Cornille and Winfred Nsabimana) have potentially found another pathway: predation by at least 14 species.

    Such rich visual evidence of a viral interface – bats, predators and people – is virtually non-existent in the literature. Many theoretical depictions of this process exist, and there are isolated incidents of a monkey predating on a bat or wildlife feeding on bat guano, but Atukwatse’s discovery of this many different predators repeatedly feeding on a known Marburg virus reservoir is a first.

    His discovery highlights two uncomfortable truths:

    • many potential zoonotic interfaces remain undocumented – often right under our noses

    • the people most likely to detect them first are those living closest to wild frontiers.

    But the bigger message is this: global health institutions need to stop overlooking local scientists and start funding field-based detection systems across Africa and Asia.

    If we want to detect the next outbreak early, we should be empowering more Atukwatses, not waiting for the next lab test.

    A hunch pays off

    In early February 2025, Atukwatse and our small team of local scientists was expanding our long-term African leopard and spotted hyena monitoring grid into a new part of Queen Elizabeth National Park – the Kyambura Wildlife Reserve and Maramagambo forest.

    Atukwatse had heard from nearby guides that a large bat cave lay close to the survey grid. That kind of site, he reasoned, could be perfect leopard territory: a place to hunt, rest or avoid the heat.

    This is ecological attentiveness at its best – the field biology equivalent of a commodities trader spotting volatility in a geopolitical flashpoint.

    Atukwatse had his radar on and acted on instinct, setting five camera traps at the cave’s entrance and along the surrounding animal trails. Just one week later, he got what he hoped for: three separate clips of a leopard hunting bats in broad daylight. He left the cameras in place in protective casing. He checked them every 7–10 days.

    But that was just the beginning.

    The scale of the discovery

    When I first looked at Atukwatse’s videos, our joint excitement was around the leopard footage. We knew they were adaptable and could even eat small rodents , but no one had ever recorded them eating bats in Africa.

    As more clips came in, we realised something bigger was unfolding. Blue monkeys were seen grabbing bats mid-roost. A crowned eagle and a Nile monitor fought over two bat carcasses. A fish eagle – typically a piscivore, which is a carnivorous species that primarily eats fish – was filmed clutching bats in its talons.



    Read more:
    African wild dogs: DNA tests of their faeces reveal surprises about what they eat

    Over 304 trap-nights, Atukwatse’s traps recorded 261 independent predator events from at least 14 different species.

    Then came the second shock: over 400 human visitors – many of them tourists – were filmed approaching the cave mouth without any protective gear. Some stood just metres from a known Marburg virus reservoir. Importantly, the Uganda Wildlife Authority has built a sanctioned viewing platform about 35 metres from the cave. However, tourists broke park rules and walked within two metres of the cave mouth.

    It was only after I visited the cave myself to take stills of the team that we put this all together. Atukwatse had just found the first visual evidence, at a large scale in nature, of at least 14 predators feeding on a known wildlife virus reservoir harbouring one of Earth’s deadliest viruses.

    This wasn’t the result of million-dollar pathogen surveillance. It wasn’t even the core aim of our leopard survey. This happened because a young Ugandan field scientist followed his ecological gut.

    Why does the discovery matter?

    For decades, disease ecologists have known that major outbreaks often originate in wildlife – swine flu, avian flu and even SARS-CoV-2 all trace back to animal hosts. But what’s often missing is direct observation of spillover interfaces – the exact moments when a virus jumps from a bat, goose, or other animal into new species like humans, livestock or other wildlife.

    Atukwatse’s discovery may be the first large-scale visual record of such an interface in nature: a roost of Egyptian fruit bats known to harbour a deadly virus, actively predated upon by at least 14 species, with hundreds of humans visiting the same cave mouth unprotected.

    This may be a Rosetta Stone moment for spillover ecology – shifting our understanding from hypothetical models to a real, observable interface.

    These kinds of spillover sites exist in other places in nature: in a Chinese wet market where a civet meets a meat processor, or in a Gabonese village where a bat is butchered for bushmeat. The difference? Most of them go undocumented. Atukwatse just filmed one.

    Alexander Richard Braczkowski is the scientific director of the Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust Kyambura Lion Project.

    – ref. How does Marburg virus spread between species? Young Ugandan scientist’s photos give important clues – https://theconversation.com/how-does-marburg-virus-spread-between-species-young-ugandan-scientists-photos-give-important-clues-259806

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    June 28, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Video: Sudan: “Security conditions remain dire” – Briefing to the Security Council | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (video statements)

    Security Council briefing by Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee , Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs – Department of Peace Operations, on Sudan and South Sudan.

    UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa Martha Pobee said that the security conditions in Sudan remain dire.

    Briefing the Security Council today (27 Jun) Pobee said, “Security conditions remain dire, marked by shifting frontlines, increased and often indiscriminate aerial assaults by both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, and continuous attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals.”

    She continued, “The warring parties appear unrelenting in their resolve to pursue military objectives. The fighting shows no signs of abating. In recent weeks, the focus of the conflict has shifted once more to the Darfur and Kordofan regions. The Kordofans are increasingly emerging as an epicenter of fighting.”

    She highlighted, “We are particularly worried about the growing use of advanced weaponry, including long range drones. This has expanded hostilities into previously stable areas of the country. Aerial attacks in populated areas have already caused significant civilian casualties and mass displacement.”

    She concluded, “It is time to take concrete steps to end the senseless suffering of the Sudanese people. Too many lives have been lost, too much trauma has been inflicted, and the risk of regional conflagration is too great, to allow this conflict to fester any longer. I call on the wider international community to work together, for our multilateral partners to join hands, and for the Council to lead the way in resolving the conflict in Sudan.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-eGv-xlVng

    MIL OSI Video –

    June 28, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: How does Marburg virus spread between species? Young Ugandan scientist’s photos give important clues

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Alexander Richard Braczkowski, Research Fellow at the Centre for Planetary Health and Resilient Conservation Group, Griffith University

    In the shadows of Python Cave, Uganda, a leopard leaps from a guano mound – formed by bat excrement – and sinks its teeth into a bat. But this is no ordinary bat colony. The thousands of Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) found in this cave are known carriers of one of the world’s deadliest viruses: Marburg, a close cousin of Ebola.

    Over just four months, our cameras recorded 261 predator encounters: crowned eagles, Nile monitors, leopards, pythons and blue monkeys all caught feeding on, or scavenging from this virus-harbouring colony.

    And yet, this wasn’t the work of a global health agency or virology lab. The discovery came from a 25-year-old Ugandan undergraduate, Bosco Atukwatse, working with our small Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust Kyambura Lion Project team in Queen Elizabeth National Park. His only tools: a trail camera, curiosity and ecological instinct.

    I am a conservation scientist with over 17 years of experience in wildlife ecology, monitoring and human-wildlife conflict. I’m the co-founder of the Kyambura Lion Project, which made this discovery.

    For years, scientists studying how diseases spread from animals to humans have hypothesised that zoonotic diseases jump from a wildlife reservoir (like a bat) to an intermediate host (monkey) and potentially to us, humans.

    For past Marburg outbreaks in Uganda, two spillover pathways have been identified: the first, involves humans coming into contact with a fruit bat habitat (namely caves filled with bat guano). Indeed, fruit bats are thought to have infected two tourists at Python Cave in 2007 and 2008.

    The second pathway involves humans and animals eating the same fruit that bats have fed upon or made contact with. This second spillover pathway was identified by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientists in 2023. They tracked bats from the cave entering cultivated gardens to feed.

    But Atukwatse and the team of young Ugandan scientists (Yahaya Ssemakula, Johnson Muhereza, Orin Cornille and Winfred Nsabimana) have potentially found another pathway: predation by at least 14 species.

    Such rich visual evidence of a viral interface – bats, predators and people – is virtually non-existent in the literature. Many theoretical depictions of this process exist, and there are isolated incidents of a monkey predating on a bat or wildlife feeding on bat guano, but Atukwatse’s discovery of this many different predators repeatedly feeding on a known Marburg virus reservoir is a first.

    A leopard grabs a fruit bat at Uganda’s Python Cave. Bosco Atukwatse/Kyambura Lion Project

    His discovery highlights two uncomfortable truths:

    • many potential zoonotic interfaces remain undocumented – often right under our noses

    • the people most likely to detect them first are those living closest to wild frontiers.

    But the bigger message is this: global health institutions need to stop overlooking local scientists and start funding field-based detection systems across Africa and Asia.

    If we want to detect the next outbreak early, we should be empowering more Atukwatses, not waiting for the next lab test.

    A hunch pays off

    In early February 2025, Atukwatse and our small team of local scientists was expanding our long-term African leopard and spotted hyena monitoring grid into a new part of Queen Elizabeth National Park – the Kyambura Wildlife Reserve and Maramagambo forest.

    Atukwatse had heard from nearby guides that a large bat cave lay close to the survey grid. That kind of site, he reasoned, could be perfect leopard territory: a place to hunt, rest or avoid the heat.

    This is ecological attentiveness at its best – the field biology equivalent of a commodities trader spotting volatility in a geopolitical flashpoint.

    A blue monkey with bat in hand at Python Cave. Bosco Atukwatse/Kyambura Lion Project

    Atukwatse had his radar on and acted on instinct, setting five camera traps at the cave’s entrance and along the surrounding animal trails. Just one week later, he got what he hoped for: three separate clips of a leopard hunting bats in broad daylight. He left the cameras in place in protective casing. He checked them every 7–10 days.

    But that was just the beginning.

    The scale of the discovery

    When I first looked at Atukwatse’s videos, our joint excitement was around the leopard footage. We knew they were adaptable and could even eat small rodents , but no one had ever recorded them eating bats in Africa.

    As more clips came in, we realised something bigger was unfolding. Blue monkeys were seen grabbing bats mid-roost. A crowned eagle and a Nile monitor fought over two bat carcasses. A fish eagle – typically a piscivore, which is a carnivorous species that primarily eats fish – was filmed clutching bats in its talons.

    Read more: African wild dogs: DNA tests of their faeces reveal surprises about what they eat

    Over 304 trap-nights, Atukwatse’s traps recorded 261 independent predator events from at least 14 different species.

    Then came the second shock: over 400 human visitors – many of them tourists – were filmed approaching the cave mouth without any protective gear. Some stood just metres from a known Marburg virus reservoir. Importantly, the Uganda Wildlife Authority has built a sanctioned viewing platform about 35 metres from the cave. However, tourists broke park rules and walked within two metres of the cave mouth.

    Bosco Atukwatse.

    It was only after I visited the cave myself to take stills of the team that we put this all together. Atukwatse had just found the first visual evidence, at a large scale in nature, of at least 14 predators feeding on a known wildlife virus reservoir harbouring one of Earth’s deadliest viruses.

    This wasn’t the result of million-dollar pathogen surveillance. It wasn’t even the core aim of our leopard survey. This happened because a young Ugandan field scientist followed his ecological gut.

    Why does the discovery matter?

    For decades, disease ecologists have known that major outbreaks often originate in wildlife – swine flu, avian flu and even SARS-CoV-2 all trace back to animal hosts. But what’s often missing is direct observation of spillover interfaces – the exact moments when a virus jumps from a bat, goose, or other animal into new species like humans, livestock or other wildlife.

    Atukwatse’s discovery may be the first large-scale visual record of such an interface in nature: a roost of Egyptian fruit bats known to harbour a deadly virus, actively predated upon by at least 14 species, with hundreds of humans visiting the same cave mouth unprotected.

    This may be a Rosetta Stone moment for spillover ecology – shifting our understanding from hypothetical models to a real, observable interface.

    These kinds of spillover sites exist in other places in nature: in a Chinese wet market where a civet meets a meat processor, or in a Gabonese village where a bat is butchered for bushmeat. The difference? Most of them go undocumented. Atukwatse just filmed one.

    – How does Marburg virus spread between species? Young Ugandan scientist’s photos give important clues
    – https://theconversation.com/how-does-marburg-virus-spread-between-species-young-ugandan-scientists-photos-give-important-clues-259806

    MIL OSI Africa –

    June 28, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Seychelles: Courtesy Call by Ambassador Jardine and Rear Admiral Mattis on Minister Radegonde


    Download logo

    On Friday, 27 June 2025, H.E. Henry Jardine, United States Ambassador to Seychelles, and Rear Admiral Michael Mattis, Director of Strategic Effects at U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF), paid a courtesy call on Mr. Sylvestre Radegonde, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, at Maison Quéau de Quinssy.

    The meeting focused primarily on enhancing maritime and defence cooperation, particularly through the ongoing initiatives of NAVEUR–NAVAF. Discussions covered the challenges faced in patrolling Seychelles’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the potential for leveraging drone technology to assist in maritime surveillance efforts.

    Minister Radegonde commended NAVEUR–NAVAF for its leadership in promoting maritime security in the region and for its continued support in building the capacity of the Seychelles Defence Forces through joint exercises. Notably, he highlighted the successful 2025 edition of Cutlass Express, which was conducted earlier this year under the leadership of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).

    Minister Radegonde also expressed his appreciation for the United States’ participation in this year’s National Day Parade, underlining the strength of the bilateral relationship.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Republic of Seychelles.

    MIL OSI Africa –

    June 28, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Collaborative work between Seychelles and the European Union (EU) continues to bear fruit


    Download logo

    The Head of the European Union Delegation for the Seychelles, H.E. Ambassador Oskar Benedikt paid a courtesy call on the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Minister Sylvestre Radegonde, on Friday 27th June 2025, at Maison Quéau de Quinssy.

    During their meeting, they discussed the cooperation between the European Union and Seychelles, particularly the status of the Port Victoria Rehabilitation and Extension Project and the implementation of the ‘European Solidarity Action Plan with Seychelles’, a Technical Cooperation Facility between the EU and Seychelles signed in 2024. They also touched on the progress of the ongoing negotiation to deepen and broaden the interim Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and the Eastern and Southern Africa configuration (the latter comprises of Seychelles, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and Zimbabwe).

    They further discussed the EU’s list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes and the efforts being done by the Government to ensure that Seychelles be removed from the list. The upcoming presidential and legislative elections was also discussed by Minister Radegonde and Ambassador Benedikt.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Republic of Seychelles.

    MIL OSI Africa –

    June 28, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC): Despite efforts towards a political solution, violence still rages in the east


    Download logo

    As the Foreign Ministers of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) signed a draft peace agreement in Washington this Friday, tensions and violence continue to grip eastern DRC. 

    Since January, the region has seen a new escalation of violence as the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group launched an offensive in North and South Kivu provinces.

    While tensions persist in the DRC, both frontlines and negotiation positions are shifting, paving the way for peace, the Security Council heard this Friday.

    The path to lasting peace in the DRC requires “collective action,” said Bintou Keita, Head of the UN peacekeeping mission in the country, MONUSCO.

    “Priority must be given to dialogue over division, and national cohesion must be actively preserved,” she said.

    Yet, while diplomatic efforts focus on ways to address the current crisis, the situation in other regions within MONUSCO’s area of operations also demands urgent attention.

    Humanitarian situation

    With seven million people currently displaced across the country, 27.8 million people facing food insecurity and almost 1.4 million children in acute malnutrition, the humanitarian situation is dire. 

    The security crisis in the east of the country has worsened the humanitarian situation, yet due to funding cuts, MONUSCO does not have sufficient means to respond to it accordingly. 

    The suspension of funding from MONUSCO’s main donor, which covered 70 per cent of the humanitarian response in 2024, is “forcing humanitarian actors to focus solely on life-saving emergencies,” said Ms. Keita. 

    “We are at the end of July, and the humanitarian response plan is only 11 per cent funded,” she added. 

    Insecurity, sexual violence and abductions

    Violence in the east of the country continues to disproportionately affect women, boys, and girls, notably as rape and other forms of sexual violence are still being systematically used as weapons of war.

    Men and boys accused of links with opposing forces are at risk of abduction, while women and girls who have survived sexual violence face severely limited access to healthcare, as healthcare facilities are often targeted by attacks. 

    In 2025, over 290 schools were destroyed, with ongoing cycles of violence keeping 1.3 million children out of the education system in Ituri, in the east of the country.  

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.

    MIL OSI Africa –

    June 28, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Visit of Prime Minister to Ghana, Trinidad & Tobago, Argentina, Brazil, and Namibia (July 02 – 09)


    Download logo

    Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will undertake a visit to Ghana from July 02-03, 2025. This will be Prime Minister’s first ever bilateral visit to Ghana. This Prime Ministerial visit from India to Ghana is taking place after three decades. During the visit, Prime Minister will hold talks with the President of Ghana to review the strong bilateral partnership and discuss further avenues to enhance it through economic, energy, and defence collaboration, and development cooperation partnership. This visit will reaffirm the shared commitment of the two countries to deepen bilateral ties and strengthen India’s engagement with the ECOWAS [Economic Community of West African States] and the African Union.

    In the second leg of his visit, at the invitation of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, H.E. Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Prime Minister will pay an Official Visit to Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) from July 03 – 04, 2025. This will be his first visit to the country as Prime Minister and the first bilateral visit at the Prime Ministerial level to T&T since 1999. During the visit, Prime Minister will hold talks with the President of Trinidad & Tobago, H.E. Christine Carla Kangaloo, and Prime Minister H.E. Kamla Persad-Bissessar and discuss further strengthening of the India-Trinidad & Tobago relationship. Prime Minister is also expected to address a Joint Session of the Parliament of T&T. The visit of Prime Minister to T&T will impart fresh impetus to the deep-rooted and historical ties between the two countries.

    In the third leg of his visit, at the invitation of the President of Republic of Argentina, H.E. Mr. Javier Milei, Prime Minister will travel to Argentina on an Official Visit from July 04-05, 2025. Prime Minister is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with President Milei to review ongoing cooperation and discuss ways to further enhance India-Argentina partnership in key areas including defence, agriculture, mining, oil and gas, renewable energy, trade and investment, and people-to-people ties. The bilateral visit of Prime Minister will further deepen the multifaceted Strategic Partnership between India and Argentina.

    In the fourth leg of his visit, at the invitation of President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, H.E. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Prime Minister will travel to Brazil from July 5-8, 2025 to attend the 17th BRICS Summit 2025 followed by a State Visit. This will be Prime Minister’s fourth visit to Brazil. The 17th BRICS Leaders’ Summit will be held in Rio de Janeiro. During the Summit, Prime Minister will exchange views on key global issues including reform of global governance, peace and security, strengthening multilateralism, responsible use of artificial intelligence, climate action, global health, economic and financial matters. Prime Minister is also likely to hold several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Summit. For the State Visit to Brazil, Prime Minister will travel to Brasilia where he will hold bilateral discussions with President Lula on the broadening of the Strategic Partnership between the two countries in areas of mutual interest, including trade, defence, energy, space, technology, agriculture, health and people to people linkages.

    In the final leg of his visit, at the invitation of the President of the Republic of Namibia, H.E. Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Prime Minister will embark on a State Visit to Namibia on July 09, 2025. This will be the first visit of Prime Minister to Namibia, and the third ever Prime Ministerial visit from India to Namibia. During his visit, Prime Minister will hold bilateral talks with President Nandi-Ndaitwah. Prime Minister will also pay homage to the Founding Father and first President of Namibia, Late Dr. Sam Nujoma. He is also expected to deliver an address at the Parliament of Namibia. The visit of Prime Minister is a reiteration of India’s multi-faceted and deep-rooted historical ties with Namibia.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of External Affairs – Government of India.

    MIL OSI Africa –

    June 28, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: The King and Queen of Lesotho to Visit Japan


    Download logo

    H.M. Letsie III, King of the Kingdom of Lesotho and H.M. Queen Masenate Mohato Seeiso will pay a visit to Japan from June 29 to July 4.

    During their stay in Japan, Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress will participate the National Day Event of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, as official guest of the Government of Japan.

    The visit of Their Majesties the Emperor and the Empress is expected to further develop the bilateral relations between Japan and Lesotho.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

    MIL OSI Africa –

    June 28, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Paulina Brandberg participating in annual UN Commission on the Status of Women

    Source: Government of Sweden

    Minister for Gender Equality and Working Life Paulina Brandberg is taking part in the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) on 10–14 March. This year also marks 30 years since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and the main focus of the this year’s session will be to review and evaluate its implementation.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    June 28, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Paulina Brandberg participating in annual UN Commission on the Status of Women

    Source: Government of Sweden

    Minister for Gender Equality and Working Life Paulina Brandberg is taking part in the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) on 10–14 March. This year also marks 30 years since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and the main focus of the this year’s session will be to review and evaluate its implementation.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    June 28, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Sweden’s first national strategy to strengthen Jewish life and combat antisemitism

    Source: Government of Sweden

    The Swedish Government has adopted a national strategy to strengthen Jewish life and combat antisemitism. This strategy will provide a structure for national efforts in the period 2025–2034. The objective is to lay the foundations for more targeted and coordinated efforts and create better conditions for Jewish life in Sweden.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    June 28, 2025

  • PM Modi honors Acharya Shri Vidyanand Ji Maharaj’s centenary, celebrates India’s spiritual legacy and inclusive development

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Centenary Celebrations of Acharya Shri Vidyanand Ji Maharaj at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, emphasizing the significance of the occasion in India’s spiritual tradition. The event, organized by the Government of India in collaboration with Bhagwan Mahaveer Ahimsa Bharti Trust, marks the formal commencement of a year-long tribute to honor the revered Jain spiritual leader and social reformer on his 100th birth anniversary.

    In his address, PM Modi described the centenary as a momentous occasion, reflecting the immortal inspiration of Acharya Vidyanand Ji Muniraj. He noted that June 28 holds special significance, recalling that on this day in 1987, Acharya was conferred the title of ‘Acharya,’ marking the beginning of a sacred journey that connected Jain traditions with thought, discipline, and compassion. To commemorate the occasion, special coins and postage stamps were released. The Prime Minister also congratulated Acharya Shri Pragya Sagar Ji, under whose guidance millions follow the path laid by Acharya Vidyanand Ji, and humbly accepted the title of ‘Dharm Chakravarti’ conferred upon him, dedicating it to Mother India.

    Reflecting on Acharya Vidyanand Ji’s life, born on April 22, 1925, in Karnataka, PM Modi highlighted his profound contributions as a scholar, author of over 150 texts, and a visionary who connected millions with cultural and spiritual values. The Prime Minister described him as a unique blend of knowledge and bliss, whose simple yet profound teachings inspired generations. Acharya Vidyanand Ji’s expertise spanned languages like Kannada, Marathi, Sanskrit, and Prakrit, and his contributions to literature, classical music, and national service were exemplary. A freedom fighter and Digambar Muni, he embodied detachment while serving as a reservoir of knowledge and spiritual inspiration.

    PM Modi emphasized that India, as the world’s most ancient living civilization, owes its endurance to the timeless wisdom of sages and Acharyas like Vidyanand Ji. He praised the Acharya’s efforts in social and cultural reconstruction through initiatives like the Prakrit Bhavan and research institutions, which preserved Jain history and promoted inclusivity through seminal works like Jain Darshan and Anekantvad. His commitment to temple restoration, education for the underprivileged, and social welfare reflected a synthesis of self-realization and public good.

    The Prime Minister underscored India’s ethos of selfless service, rooted in Jain philosophy and exemplified by Acharya Vidyanand Ji’s life. He cited government initiatives like PM Awas Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission, Ayushman Bharat, and free food grain distribution as reflections of this ethos, aimed at uplifting the marginalized. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to inclusive progress, inspired by Acharya’s ideals, with the mantra of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Prayas.

    Highlighting the relevance of Jainism’s timeless principles, such as the five Mahavratas and Triratnas, PM Modi noted Acharya Vidyanand Ji’s efforts to make these teachings accessible through the Vachanamrit movement and devotional music. He also celebrated the government’s recent recognition of Prakrit as a classical language in October 2024 and the ongoing digitization of ancient manuscripts, including Jain scriptures. These efforts align with the broader mission to preserve India’s cultural heritage while promoting development, as seen in the 2024 celebrations of Bhagwan Mahavir’s 2,550th Nirvana Mahotsav.

    PM Modi recalled the nine resolutions shared during Navkar Mantra Diwas, urging citizens to conserve water, plant trees, maintain cleanliness, promote local products, explore India, adopt natural farming, embrace healthy lifestyles, engage in yoga and sports, and support the underprivileged. He expressed confidence that these resolutions, inspired by Acharya Vidyanand Ji’s teachings, would strengthen India’s journey toward a developed nation during the Amrit Kaal.

    Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekawat and revered saints were among the dignitaries present. The year-long centenary celebrations will feature cultural, literary, educational, and spiritual initiatives to spread Acharya Vidyanand Ji’s message of compassion, knowledge, and service.

    June 28, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Ukraine on the Peace Agreement Between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Rwanda

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    Download logo

    We welcome the signing of the peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Rwanda.

    This important achievement for Africa and international security has been made possible thanks to the decisive role of the United States and personally President Donald Trump, as well as a number of countries and international organizations.

    In particular, we commend the constructive efforts of the Presidents of Angola and Kenya, the African Union, the East African Community, the Southern African Development Community, and the United Nations.

    The State of Qatar has made a significant contribution to advancing the peace settlement, especially by ensuring complementarity and coherence among various mediation initiatives.

    Ukraine highly values the effective mediation by the United States. We congratulate U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and American diplomacy on this achievement. The active involvement of the American side in the negotiation process played a decisive role in reaching and signing the peace agreement.

    We hope for the responsible efforts of both parties in implementing the peace agreement and in ensuring lasting peace and security in the Great Lakes region. This will create favourable conditions for strengthening the economic potential and social stability of the states in the region, improving their investment attractiveness, and deepening economic ties with other countries.

    Ukraine reaffirms its commitment to comprehensively intensify mutually beneficial cooperation with the countries of the region, including a readiness to contribute meaningfully to achieving their socio-economic development goals.

    We are confident that the United States can play a similarly decisive role in achieving a just peace and ending Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. This peace agreement demonstrates that it is possible to stop the killing and restore peace even under challenging circumstances, when the international community acts resolutely and the parties participate in the peace process in good faith.

    We emphasize that the foundation of the peaceful settlement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Rwanda is based on the fundamental principles of the UN Charter, including the mutual obligation of states to respect each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty within internationally recognized borders, to refrain from the threat or use of force, to avoid interference in internal affairs, and to facilitate the return of refugees and internally displaced persons.

    It is precisely these universally recognized principles of international law that underpin Ukraine’s proposals for ending the war in Europe and restoring a comprehensive, just, and sustainable peace for Ukraine.

    – on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

    MIL OSI Africa –

    June 28, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Video: Opening Press Conference – 4th International Conference on Financing for Development FFD4 (Sevilla)

    Source: United Nations (video statements)

    Opening press encounter for the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development with the UN Secretary-General and Prime Minister of Spain.

    The President of the Government of Spain and the United Nations Secretary-General will hold a press conference on the opening day of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Sevilla, where world leaders, international financial institutions, civil society and private sector representatives are convening from 30 June to 3 July to commit to a renewed global framework to mobilize finance at scale and reform the rules of the system to put people’s needs at the center.

    Speakers:
    – Pedro Sánchez, President of the Government of Spain
    – António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General

    More info: https://financing.desa.un.org/FFD4

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ys39wa-00ew

    MIL OSI Video –

    June 28, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Southwest China’s Rongjiang County has been reissued the highest flood alert level.

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    GUIYANG, June 28 (Xinhua) — Severe flooding has once again hit Rongjiang County in southwest China’s Guizhou Province, prompting local authorities to once again issue the highest-level emergency response, which took effect at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

    According to hydrological forecasts, the water level in the Dulyu River will reach a maximum of 253.5 meters at around 17:00 on Saturday. This level, which corresponds to a peak flood flow of 8,360 cubic meters per second, exceeds the guaranteed water level of 251.5 meters.

    The local flood and drought control headquarters has decided to raise the flood emergency response level from level two to level one, the highest in the country’s four-tier weather warning system.

    Local authorities are organizing the evacuation of residents from the affected areas to safer places.

    Rongjiang County has been suffering from severe flooding due to incessant rainfall since June 24. As of Thursday afternoon, six people had died in the flooding. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 28, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Southwest China’s Rongjiang County has been reissued the highest flood alert level.

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    GUIYANG, June 28 (Xinhua) — Severe flooding has once again hit Rongjiang County in southwest China’s Guizhou Province, prompting local authorities to once again issue the highest-level emergency response, which took effect at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

    According to hydrological forecasts, the water level in the Dulyu River will reach a maximum of 253.5 meters at around 17:00 on Saturday. This level, which corresponds to a peak flood flow of 8,360 cubic meters per second, exceeds the guaranteed water level of 251.5 meters.

    The local flood and drought control headquarters has decided to raise the flood emergency response level from level two to level one, the highest in the country’s four-tier weather warning system.

    Local authorities are organizing the evacuation of residents from the affected areas to safer places.

    Rongjiang County has been suffering from severe flooding due to incessant rainfall since June 24. As of Thursday afternoon, six people had died in the flooding. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 28, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: UN chief welcomes peace deal between DRC and Rwanda

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    UNITED NATIONS, June 28 (Xinhua) — United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday welcomed the signing of a peace deal between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda.

    “This agreement is an important step towards de-escalation, peace and stability in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes region,” A. Guterres said in a statement.

    “I urge the parties to fully implement the commitments they made under the peace agreement and in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2773, including the cessation of hostilities and all other agreed measures,” said A. Guterres.

    He added that the UN remains fully committed to supporting the implementation of the agreement in close coordination with the African Union, as well as regional and international partners.

    A peace agreement between the DRC and Rwanda was signed in Washington on Friday with the mediation of the United States. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 28, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The government established scholarships named after A.N. Krylov

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Resolution of June 25, 2025 No. 950

    Document

    Resolution of June 25, 2025 No. 950

    Students with significant achievements in the field of shipbuilding will be able to receive scholarships named after the outstanding Russian scientist, academician-shipbuilder A.N.Krylov. The decree on the establishment of such scholarships was signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

    Starting from September 1, 2025, 10 full-time students (cadets) will receive a monthly stipend. The amount of the payment will be 15 thousand rubles for each scholarship recipient. The stipend will be assigned for 12 months.

    Scholarships will be awarded annually based on the results of a competitive selection by a commission to be created by the Ministry of Education and Science. Students in higher education programs will be able to apply for them. Candidates will be nominated by the academic councils of universities.

    Applicants for scholarships must study in the group of specialties and areas of training “Engineering and technology of shipbuilding and water transport”, have “excellent” and “good” grades based on the results of the midterm assessment, and also have results in research or scientific and practical activities in the field of shipbuilding.

    Alexey Nikolaevich Krylov (1863–1945) was an outstanding Russian and Soviet mathematician, mechanic and shipbuilding engineer, and an academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences. He was the founder of the Russian school of shipbuilding.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 28, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Marat Khusnullin: The facades of the UrFU campus in Yekaterinburg are being completed

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The facades of the buildings of the academic buildings of the world-class campus of the Ural Federal University (UrFU) in Yekaterinburg are being completed, Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin reported.

    “Today is Youth Day. We sincerely value our future specialists. Their ideas, energy and desire for knowledge are the foundation of Russia’s progress. It is important for us that students feel comfortable studying, developing and realizing their talents. Thus, on the instructions of the President, modern university campuses with advanced infrastructure are being created. They will become centers for study, science, creativity and student initiatives. There, students gain knowledge, engage in scientific activities, and participate in cultural events. By 2030, 25 such campuses should be put into operation in our country. Currently, the Single Customer in Construction PPC alone is implementing four projects – in Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Orel and Kaliningrad. Thus, in the Sverdlovsk Region, at the Ural Federal University, the installation of facades is being completed in three educational buildings,” said Marat Khusnullin.

    The total area of the three buildings – the specialized educational and scientific center for senior schoolchildren (SUNC UrFU), the Institute of Radio Electronics and Information Technology (IRIT-RTF UrFU) and the Institute of Economics and Management (InEU UrFU) – is 100 thousand square meters. The construction of the buildings is planned to be completed by the end of 2025.

    Each of them will be equipped with modern classrooms, laboratories, libraries, co-working spaces and canteens. More than 8 thousand students will be able to study in comfortable conditions on the territory of the new campus.

    “Ediny Zakazator” is building the second stage of the campus implementation. Interior finishing works and installation of engineering systems are currently underway in three buildings. The installation of elevators and lifts has also already been completed. The builders are carrying out a large volume of work according to the established schedule. Currently, the project is 70 percent complete,” noted Karen Oganesyan, General Director of PPK “Ediny Zakazator”.

    Modern infrastructure for young people plays a key role in attracting talented students from different regions. This creates conditions for the exchange of experience and ideas, which in turn contributes to the development of new technologies.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 28, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The government allocated over 5.6 billion rubles to support a number of regions

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Orders of June 27, 2025 No. 1693-r and No. 1696-r

    Documents

    Order of June 27, 2025 No. 1696-r

    Order of June 27, 2025 No. 1693-r

    More than 5.6 billion rubles will be allocated to ensure the balanced budgets of the Kemerovo Region, the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. The orders to this effect were signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

    Of the total amount, about 3 billion rubles are intended as subsidies for Crimea and Sevastopol. The funds will be used to continue implementing the activities of the state program “Socio-economic development of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol”. Thanks to this program, hundreds of important facilities have already been built, including utility networks, roads and railways, including the Tavrida highway and the bridge across the Kerch Strait. The Simferopol airport was also renovated, new kindergartens, schools, modern health complexes were opened, hospitals and clinics were built so that residents could undergo qualified examination and treatment. This year, funding for activities under the state program has already exceeded 112 billion rubles.

    About 2.7 billion rubles will be allocated from the Government’s reserve fund for additional financial support for the Kemerovo Region. This will help solve socially significant problems for residents of Kuzbass, including ensuring the costs of paying wages to public sector employees.

    The issues were discussed atGovernment meeting on June 26“We will continue to do everything necessary to create conditions for improving the quality of life of citizens throughout Russia,” Mikhail Mishustin emphasized.

    The President noted that all subjects of Russia have good potential for growth, it is important to help them to reveal, fill this potential and use it, to organize work in promising areas, the head of the Cabinet recalled.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 28, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Audience with members of the Delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate

    Source: The Holy See

    Audience with members of the Delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, 28.06.2025
    This morning, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience the members of the Delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, on the occasion of the feast of Saints Peter and Paul.
    The following is the address delivered by the Holy Father to those present at the meeting:

    Address of the Holy Father
    Your Eminences,Dear Brothers in Christ,
    I am especially happy to welcome, for the first time after my election as Bishop of Rome and successor of the Apostle Peter, this Delegation representing the sister Church of Constantinople as we celebrate the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Patrons of the Church of Rome. This traditional exchange of Delegations between the two Churches on the occasion of the respective feasts of their Patron Saints is a sign of the profound communion already existing between us, and a reflection of the fraternal bond that united the Apostles Peter and Andrew.
    After centuries of disagreements and misunderstanding, the resumption of genuine dialogue between the sister Churches of Rome and Constantinople was made possible through courageous and farsighted steps taken by Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras. Their venerable successors to the Sees of Rome and Constantinople have pursued with conviction the same path of reconciliation, thus further strengthening our close relations. Here I would like to mention the witness of sincere closeness to the Catholic Church given by the Ecumenical Patriarch, His All Holiness Bartholomew, by his personal participation in the funeral of the late Pope Francis, and again at the Mass inaugurating my Pontificate.
    As I think back with gratitude on the progress made thus far, I assure you of my desire to persevere in the effort to restore full visible communion between our Churches. The attainment of this goal can only come about, with God’s help, through a continued commitment to respectful listening and fraternal dialogue. For this reason, I am open to any suggestions that you may offer in this regard, always in consultation with my brother Bishops of the Catholic Church who, each in his own way, share with me the responsibility for the complete and visible unity of the Church (cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium, 23).
    Your Eminences, dear brothers in Christ, I thank you most heartily for your presence in Rome on this solemn occasion. I ask you kindly to convey my cordial greetings to Patriarch Bartholomew and the members of the Holy Synod, together with my gratitude for sending a Delegation again this year. May Saints Peter and Paul, Saint Andrew and the Holy Mother of God, who live eternally in the perfect communion of the saints, accompany and sustain us in our efforts in the service of the Gospel. Thank you!

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    June 28, 2025
←Previous Page
1 … 977 978 979 980 981 … 5,934
Next Page→
NewzIntel.com

NewzIntel.com

MIL Open Source Intelligence

  • Blog
  • About
  • FAQs
  • Authors
  • Events
  • Shop
  • Patterns
  • Themes

Twenty Twenty-Five

Designed with WordPress