NewzIntel.com

Category: European Union

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Lochaber to come alive for Royal National Mòd as 2025 fringe programme launched

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    Lochaber will come alive with the sights and sounds of Gaelic song, cèilidh music, bagpipes and processions as the Royal National Mòd rolls into the Highlands from 10 – 18 October 2025.

    Attendees of the world’s largest celebration of Gaelic language and culture are in for a bustling nine days, as events showcasing everything from music, poetry and dances, to exhibitions, book launches, and the region’s best food and drink, are unveiled.

    With the Scottish Languages Bill, which gives Gaelic official status as a language, passing unanimously in the Scottish Parliament this month, the prosperity of the indigenous tongue continues to grow.

    Organised by An Comunn Gàidhealach and hosted in a different Scottish town each year, the Royal National Mòd provides an essential platform for using, improving and showcasing Gaelic for thousands of speakers, learners and supporters.

    Fort William and the surrounding areas will welcome the 133-year-old event for the ninth time in 2025, with thousands expected to descend on the town – called An Gearasdan, meaning The Garrison, in Gaelic.

    The Mòd is expected to generate a significant economic boost for the region in the process.

    Lochaber Mòd 2025 will open with a torchlight parade through the streets of Fort William, before the event’s flagship venue for the week, the Nevis Centre, hosts the event’s Opening Concert.

    Lochaber talent in the form of Dàimh (meaning connection, pronounced ‘dive’) will provide a fitting start to the week, wowing audiences with their electrifying musical interplay. Support will come from young Skye-based collective Ceilear, who formed as part of Dàimh piper Angus MacKenzie’s Culture Collective project, Eilean a’ Cheòl.

    The breadth and depth of local talent will also be on display for Ar Cànan ’s Ar Ceòl on Saturday 11 October as local pipe bands, Ardnamurchan High School trad group, Jane Douglas School of Dance, Lochaber Gaelic Choir, local youth choirs and many others, come together to celebrate the music and language of the region.

    The event’s Marquee Stage will host daily entertainment including a cèilidh singing challenge which will see members of the public get up to perform a rendition of their favourite song.

    A secret judging panel, featuring well-known singers, will be hidden among the crowd for the fun, informal event called Gabh Òran, meaning ‘sing us a song’.

    Street cèilidhs at Cameron Square will fill the town centre with dancing throughout the week, while Fort William pubs will be buzzing with a schedule of pop-up late night music sessions.

    Some of the region’s finest solo pipers including Angus Nicolson, Moira Robertson and Laura Robertson will showcase Scotland’s national instrument at its best at a Piping Recital on Monday 13 October, while celebrated Scottish musicians Màiri Morrison and Alasdair Roberts will perform their latest album, Remembered in Exile: Songs and Ballads from Nova Scotia on Tuesday 14 October.

    Sruth – an event established to provide an informal space for young Gaelic speakers and learners to interact with prominent figures in the Gaelic community – takes on a new life at this year’s event as An Comunn Gàidhealach partner with BBC Alba and The L.A.B Scotland outreach project.

    Youngsters will have the opportunity to learn what goes on behind the scenes in TV, trying their hand at presenting and camera operating, while using their Gaelic.

    Shinty, football and other sports will also feature on the programme, alongside a wealth of come-and-try activities for youngsters, family cèilidhs and more.

    The local region’s reputation for outstanding food and drink will also come to the fore with a Taste of Lochaber exhibition and a special Whisky Tasting Night.

    The week will wrap up in style with a Closing Dance on Friday 17 October, hosted by all-star cèilidh band, followed by the spectacular traditional Massed Choirs event on Saturday 18 October, which sees hundreds of choir members from across Scotland take part in a parade and giant group performance on the streets of Fort William.

    The event’s famous competitions, which span from solo singing, clàrsach and art to choral singing, accordion and Battle of the Bands, will form the backbone of the event.

    With around 200 competition categories and more than 270 medals and trophies up for grabs across the week, individuals and groups of all ages and from all corners of Scotland and beyond, will travel to the prestigious event for the chance to compete for glory.

    James Graham, Chief Executive Officer of An Comunn Gàidhealach, said: “With growing numbers of young speakers and learners and this latest show of parliamentary support for the language, we firmly believe that Gaelic is on an upward trajectory.

    “The Royal National Mòd plays an essential role in representing and championing all facets of Gaelic culture and demonstrates the beauty, power and connection to be found in the language. It is a joy to return to the Highlands this year and bring the camaraderie and celebration of the Mòd to Lochaber, a region rich in Gaelic history and with a deep appreciation for the language.”

    Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said: “The growing success of the Royal National Mòd demonstrates how promoting Gaelic enriches communities and goes hand-in-hand with economic prosperity. 

    “Last year’s National Mòd generated an estimated £3.6 million for the economy, which was the highest figure in five years. 

    “To support Gaelic’s growth, our Scottish Languages Bill will strengthen the rights of parents to ask for a Gaelic school to be established in their area and introduce targets on the number of people speaking Gaelic. 

    “We are also working to drive growth in Gaelic communities so that more people who speak the language continue to live in those areas.”

    Highland Council Leader Raymond Bremner said: “Gaelic has a huge role to play in the social, cultural and economic health of the Highlands – that’s a message that will shine through when the Royal National Mòd returns to Lochaber in October.

    “Organisers have put together a terrific programme of events – there will be something for everyone and I have no doubt that this year’s National Mòd will deliver many memorable moments. It will also create lasting friendships and help to bring significant economic benefits for the region.

    “I know myself how important the National Mòd is for using and improving our Gaelic and what the events mean to the host area.

    “Highland Council sees Gaelic language and culture as one of our most prized economic assets. This is demonstrated by our commitment to the language in schools – as this year we mark 40 years of Gaelic medium education in the region – and in our communities.

    “We’re delighted the National Mòd is returning to the Highlands for what promises to be a superb celebration in Lochaber.”

    Ealasaid MacDonald, Ceannard (CEO), Bòrd na Gàidhlig, said: “Once again, the Royal National Mòd is showcasing our language and culture through competition, events and gatherings, with a wonderful programme providing lots of opportunities to use and enjoy Gaelic.

    “It is well known that Lochaber is a great host for the Mòd and we are all looking forward to visiting in October.”

    This year’s Royal National Mòd in Lochaber is supported by EventScotland, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Highland Council, EventScotland, The Scottish Government, Caledonian MacBrayne, BBC ALBA, Creative Scotland and SQA.

    The Royal National Mòd returns to Lochaber in 2025, from 10 – 18 October. Tickets for flagship events are on sale now, visit https://buytickets.at/ancomunn.

    Ends

    News release issued by An Comunn Gàidhealach

    Bidh tachartasan am pailteas ann an Loch Abar aig Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail 2025 is prògram an iomaill air bhog

    Cluinnear ceòl Gàidhlig, seinn na pìoba, is bidh cèilidhean is caismeachd ann an Loch Abar nuair a thilleas Am Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail dhan Ghàidhealtachd 10 – 18 Dàmhair 2025.

    Tha naoi làithean trang air toiseach air na fheadhainn a bhios aig an fhèis ceòl is cultar na Gàidhlig as motha air an t-saoghail. Bidh tachartasan ann le ceòl, bàrdachd, dannsaichean, taisbeanaidhean, leabhraichean ùra agus am biadh agus deoch as fheàrr sa sgìre.

    Chaidh Bile nan Cànanan Albannaich aontachadh gu h-aona guthach ann am Pàrlamaid na h-Alba o chionn ghoirid, is mar sin tha ìomhaigh na cànain a’ fàs fhathast.

    Tha Am Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail air eagrachadh leis A’ Chomunn Ghàidhealach is bidh e ann am baile Albannaich eadar-dhealaichte gach bliadhna. Tha e na sàr chruinneachadh do luchd-labhairt, luchd-ionnsachaidh is luchd-taic na Gàidhlig.

    Ann an 2025 cuiridh An Gearasdan agus an sgìre mun cuairt air fàilte an tachartas a tha 133 bliadhna a dh’aois airson an naoidheamh uair. Tha dùil gun cruthaich Am Mòd buannachd mòr eaconamach don sgìre aig a’ cheart àm.

    Fosglaidh Mòd Loch Abar 2025 le caismeachd lòchrain tro shràidean A’ Ghearasdain, mus bi Cuirm Fhosglaidh aig Ionad Nibheis, a bhios na phrìomh ionad Mòid air feadh na seachdain. Bidh tàlant Loch Abar air an deagh riochdachadh le Dàimh, a chuireas an t-seachdain air a casan, agus an fhacal dàimh fhèin na shamhla air an ceangal eadar buill a’ chòmhlan agus an luchd-èisteachd. Còmhla riutha air àrd-ùrlar bidh còmhlan Ceilear. Nochd iad an toiseach mar phàirt den phròiseact Culture Collective aig Aonghas MacCoinnich: Eilean a’ Cheòl.

    Bidh farsaingeachd tàlant na sgìre ri fhaicinn cuideachd aig Ar Cànan ’s Ar Ceòl Disathairne 11 Dàmhair. ’S e cuirm-chiùil air leth a bhios ann, le ceòl bho chòmhlain-phìoba, còmhlan traidiseanta Àrd-sgoil Àird nam Murchan, Jane Douglas School of Dance, còisirean òigridh na sgìre agus tòrr a bharrachd.

    Aig Àrd-ùrlar an Teanta cluinnear ceòl gach latha, agus Dùbhlain Seinn Cèilidh , Gabh Òran, far am faighear cothrom òran a ghabhail. Bidh pannal breitheamhan dìomhair falaichte anns an luchd-èisteachd.

    Aig Ceàrnag Camshroin gach latha bidh Cèilidh Shràid ann air feadh na seachdain, is bidh taighean-seinnse A’ Ghearasdain trang le clàr-ama seiseanan ciùil air an oidhche.

    Bidh cuid de na pìobairean as fheàrr sa sgìre, Aonghas MacNeacail is Moira Robasdan nam measg, a taisbeanadh ionnsramaid nàiseanta na h-Alba aig Ceadal Pìobaireachd Diluain 13 Dàmhair. Cuideachd Dimàirt 14 Dàmhair bidh cuirm-chiùil le Màiri Nic’IlleMhoire & Alasdair Roberts: Remembered in Exile, Òrain Alba Nuaidh.

    Chaidh Sruth a chur air bhonn gus àite a thoirt do luchd-labhairt òga is luchd-ionnsachaidh na Gàidhlig coinneachadh ri Gàidheil ainmeil. Thèid ath-bheothachadh am bliadhna mar phàirt pròiseact L.A.B. aig BBC ALBA. Gheibh òigridh cothrom sgilean camara ionnsachadh is eòlas a chur air na bhios a’ dol aig cùl ghnòthaichean ann an telebhisean, is an sgilean Gàidhlig a chleachdadh aig a’ cheart àm.

    Chìthear spòrs cuideachd anns a’ phrògram, iomain, ball-coise agus cur-seachadan sam faod òigridh a dhol an sàs, cèilidhean teaghlaich is eile.

    Ionnsachaidh daoine mu dheidhinn deagh bhiadh agus dheoch na sgìre aig taisbeanadh Taste of Lochabar agus tachartas sònraichte Blasad Uisge-beatha.

    Thèid an t-seachdain a thoirt gu ceann le Cuirm-dhùnaidh Dihaoine 17 Dàmhair aig am bi còmhlan làn rionnagan, air thoiseach air na Co-chòisirean Disathairne 18 Dàmhair, aig am bi na ceudan buill còisire o air feadh na h-Alba a’ caismeachd is a’ seinn air sràidean A’ Ghearasdain.

    Bidh farpaisean ainmeil A’ Mhòid – leithid seinn aon-neach, clàrsach, còisirean, bogsa-ciùil is Cogadh nan Còmhlan – aig teas-meadhan an tachartais. Le barrachd na 200 farpais agus 270 bonn is cuas rim buannachadh air feadh na seachdain, bidh feadhainn o gach ceàrnaidh de dh’Alba agus an t-saoghail a’ dèanamh air a’ Mhòd gus am bi cothrom aca buannachadh.

    Thuirt Seumas Greumach, Àrd-oifigear a’ Chomuinn Ghàidhealaich: “Le fàs àireamhan luchd-labhairt òga agus taic às ùr sa phàrlamaid dhan chànan, tha dùil againn gu bheil a’ Ghàidhlig air deagh shlighe. Tha àite riatanach aig A’ Mhòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail ann a bhith riochdachadh agus brosnachadh cultar na Gàidhlig agus e a’ samhlachadh am bòidheachd is na ceangalan anns a’ chànan. ’S e tlachd a th’ ann tilleadh dhan Ghàidhealtachd am bliadhna agus Loch Abar cho cudromach ann an eachdraidh na Gàidhlig le coimhearsnachd a tha bàidheil dhan chànan.”

    Thuirt an Leas-Phrìomh Mhinistear Ceit Fhoirbeis: “Leis a’ Mhòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail a’ sìor-fhàs nas soirbheachaile, tha dearbhadh ann gun tèid coimhearsnachdan a bheartachadh tro bhrosnachadh na Gàidhlig, ’s e ceangailte gu dlùth ri soirbheachadh eaconamach.
    “Thathar a’ tomhas gun tug am Mòd Nàiseanta an-uiridh £3.6 millean a-steach dhan eaconamaidh. B’ e sin am figear as àirde ann an còig bliadhna.
    “Gus taic a chumail ri fàs na Gàidhlig, bidh Bile nan Cànan Albannach againn a’ neartachadh còraichean nam pàrantan a bhith ag iarraidh gun tèid sgoil Ghàidhlig a stèidheachadh anns na sgìrean aca, agus bheir e a-steach targaidean a thaobh àireamh nan daoine a tha a’ bruidhinn na Gàidhlig.
    “Tha sinn cuideachd ag obair gus leasachaidhean a bhrosnachadh ann an coimhearsnachdan Gàidhlig, airson ’s gum bi barrachd dhaoine aig a bheil an cànan fhathast a’ fuireach anns na sgìrean sin.”

    Thuirt Ceannard Chomhairle na Gàidhealtachd, an Comhairliche Raymond Bremner: “Tha a’ Ghàidhlig air leth cudromach dhan slàinte sòisealta, cultarail agus eaconamach ann an sgìre na Gàidhealtachd. Bidh sin gu math follaiseach nuair a thilleas Am Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail a Loch Abar san Dàmhair.

    “Chaidh deagh phrògram ullachadh leis an luchd-eagrachaidh – bidh rudan ann a fhreagras air a h-uile duine is tha mi cinnteach gun tachair tòrr rudan air an cuimhnich daoine aig Mòd Nàiseanta na bliadhna. Cruthaichidh e cuideachd càirdeasan ùra agus buannachdan eaconamach mòra don sgìre.

    “Tha fhios agam fhìn cho cudromach ’s a tha Mòd Nàiseanta do chleachdadh na Gàidhlig agus cho math sa bhios na tachartasan don sgìre.

    “Aithnichidh Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd cho cudromach ’s a tha cànan is cultar na Gàidhlig do ar eaconamaidh. Chithear dearbhadh air a’ sin nar sgoiltean Gàidhlig – tha sinn am bliadhna a’ comharrachadh 40 bliadhna foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig sa sgìre – agus nar coimhearsnachdan.

    “Tha sinn air ar dòigh gu bheil A’ Mhòd Nàiseanta a tilleadh dhan Ghàidhealtachd a bhios na fhìor dheagh fhèis ann an Loch Abar.”

    Thuirt Ealasaid Dhòmhnallach, Ceannard Bhòrd na Gàidhlig: “Bidh am Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail a’ taisbeanadh ar cànan is ar cultar tro cho-fharpaisean, tachartasan agus cruinneachaidhean a-rithist am-bliadhna, le prògram mìorbhaileach a bheir seachad tòrr chothroman airson a’ Ghàidhlig a chleachdadh agus a chomharrachadh. Gun teagamh, ’s e àite math a th’ ann an Loch Abar airson am Mòd a chumail agus tha sinn uile a’ coimhead air adhart ri bhith a’ tadhal ann san Dàmhair.”

    Tha Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail am-bliadhna ann an Loch Abar a’ faighinn taic bho EventScotland, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd, Riaghaltas na h-Alba, Caledonian Mac a’ Bhriuthainn, BBC ALBA, Alba Chruthachail agus SQA.

    Tillidh Am Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail a Loch Abar 10 – 18 Dàmhair 2025. Tha tiogaidean prìomh thachartasan rim faighinn aig: https://buytickets.at/ancomunn.

     

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Ratcliffe: “Children’s safety must come before policy – lower the speed limit at Markethill High”

    Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland

    TUV Councillor Keith Ratcliffe has called on the Department for Infrastructure to urgently reconsider its refusal to reduce the speed limit on the Mowhan Road in Markethill, directly outside Markethill High School.
    In a letter to Roads Service, Cllr Ratcliffe highlighted persistent concerns raised by local parents, school staff, and residents about the dangers posed by fast-moving traffic on the stretch of road used daily by pupils. He also renewed calls for a pedestrian crossing at Markethill Primary School.
    “The fact that a serious injury collision hasn’t happened yet should not be used as justification for inaction. We should not wait for a tragedy to occur before acting. This is a heavily trafficked road outside a secondary school — it should be a basic priority to lower the speed limit and protect young pedestrians.”
    Cllr Ratcliffe has urged Roads Service to carry out a fresh, site-specific assessment of the Mowhan Road, taking into account the volume of traffic, pedestrian movement, and the vulnerability of school-aged children.
    “I understand the Department must follow certain criteria, but there must be flexibility where common sense and public concern demand it. A community that sees pupils crossing a busy road every day at speed expects leadership and action — not just policy compliance”.
    The TUV representative also raised the ongoing lack of a pedestrian crossing at Markethill Primary School, stating:
    “I continue to receive complaints about the absence of a safe crossing point for pupils at the primary school. In both these cases — the Mowhan Road speed limit and the lack of a crossing — the Department must put the lives of children first.”
    Cllr Ratcliffe concluded by calling on the Department to respond with urgency and show a willingness to work with the community to deliver safer roads in Markethill.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Deputy Secretary-General’s Remarks at the Closing of the Civil Society Forum [as prepared for delivery]

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    H.E. KP Sharma Oli, Prime Minister of Nepal;
    H.E. Ms. Maria Jesus Montero, Vice President of Spain;
    Excellencies,
    Dear friends,

    It is an honour to join you this afternoon.
    I want to offer three messages as we close this important forum.
    First, a message of deep gratitude.
    Thank you for your tireless engagement in this process.
    You have shown up, spoken out, and stood firm in your demands for a financing system that serves people and planet.
    You have reminded us that development is not just a matter of capital flows and balance sheets. It is about justice and accountability to those too often excluded from the decisions that shape their lives.
    As civil society you have kept ambition high and complacency in check. You have pushed this process to be more inclusive, more honest, and more grounded in reality. The Civil Society Declaration presented is testament to that fact.
    Your voice is indispensable. Because financing for development will only succeed if it is truly just. Truly equitable. Truly people-centered.
    In the last two years, the UN has held a series of multi-stakeholder engagements and discussions on a new agenda on financing for development. 
    The Sevilla Commitment represents the synthesis of bold thinking and practical action.  It can be the framework we need to set out on a different course, one that creates the most good for the most people.
    Second, a message of solidarity.
    We are navigating a turbulent global landscape: mounting debt, declining trust, widening inequality, and an international financial system that too often works for the few, not the many.
    But in the face of these challenges, you have not given in to cynicism. Neither have we.
    Together, we remain committed to the promise of the UN Charter, to raise living standards, find solutions to our common challenges and build a more peaceful and prosperous future for all.
    This commitment is vitally important in a world of ballooning debt, weakened economies, a threatened environment, and leaders’ diminished capacity to secure their countries’ development. 
    In five years, we will reach the end of the SDGs, yet we are still decades away from achieving their promise: sustainable development for all. Our work is growing more urgent. Our collective action, and our ability to stand together, is as important today as it has ever been.
    As the international order shifts, FFD4 demonstrates that we can still unite as a global community to deliver for people and the planet. To reform the international financial architecture and make it more effective, fair, and inclusive.
    And make no mistake: civil society must remain at the heart of this work.
    Third, and finally, is a message of hope.
    Hope not as wishful thinking, but as a stubborn, disciplined refusal to accept the status quo.
    We are five years from the finish line for the Sustainable Development Goals. Yet for many, the promise of 2015 still feels a lifetime away.
    That must change.
    We know what is needed, we have the tools, we have the frameworks.
    What we need now is the political will, the courage, and the partnerships to deliver.
    And as we’ve seen today, from your declaration and your vision, that hope is not misplaced.
    So let us carry forward the clarity and conviction of this forum into the negotiations ahead — and beyond them.
    Let us keep working, urgently, relentlessly, to build a world that honours the promise of the SDGs:
    A world of fairness, opportunity and shared prosperity.
    A world that leaves no one behind.
    Thank you.
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Is it possible for Türkiye to participate in the SAFE tool when it is threatening Greece? – E-002202/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002202/2025/rev.1
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Georgios Aftias (PPE)

    The SAFE regulation was recently approved, despite strong reservations from the European Parliament. Türkiye, as a non-EU country, occasionally makes threats against a member state of the European Union, such as Greece.

    The Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has raised the issue of lifting the casus belli. The threat of war from Türkiye is ever-present, despite the fact that Greece, as is its right, applies international law and the law of the sea. The Minister for National Defence of Greece, Nikos Dendias, pointed out that ‘in order for Europe to exist, it must be based on common principles and a common understanding of the threat to the standard of life, otherwise it undermines itself’. Greek journalists record Turkish threats daily. Nikos Chatzinikolaou[1], one of the leading journalists in my country, recalled Article 42(7) TFEU for immediate assistance by other states if a Member State is attacked by another.

    Given the above:

    • 1.How is it possible for Türkiye to participate in the financing of defence programmes for common defence, when it systematically threatens the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Greece?
    • 2.Will you request the immediate termination of any partnership with Türkiye if it does not remove the direct threats against Greece, an EU Member State, in accordance with Article 16(4) of the SAFE Regulation?
    • 3.What measures will you take if Türkiye launches new threats?

    Submitted: 2.6.2025

    • [1] https://www.real.gr/ta-scholia-tou-nikou-chatzinikolaou/
    Last updated: 1 July 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – The dynamics of wealth transfer and taxation of inheritances in the European Union – E-002551/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002551/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Arash Saeidi (The Left)

    In 2022 and 2024, the Joint Research Centre published two studies on inheritance tax and wealth transfer (JRC128480 and JRC138223). They estimate that the annual volume of inheritances in Austria will double by 2050 to reach EUR 41 billion, and that only about 0.2 % of heirs will receive more than EUR 1 million. In the five countries studied, taxation of wealth transfers remains very limited (less than 1 % of overall tax revenues), mainly due to tax exemptions for heirs who are direct relatives or for high-wealth transfers. In Austria, even a modest tax, with an exemption threshold of EUR 1 million, could generate up to EUR 1.8 billion per year, without affecting the overwhelmingly vast majority of wealth transfers.

    European data shows that 50 % to 60 % of the wealth in the Union is inherited. Intergenerational accumulation of wealth exacerbates inequalities and undermines equal opportunity. The EU has no comprehensive, up-to-date assessment of the scale, dynamics and socio-economic consequences of inheritance at EU level.

    • 1.Does the Commission intend to apply the inheritance taxation simulation model (INTAXMOD), based on data from the Household Finance and Consumption Survey, to all Member States?
    • 2.Does the Commission intend to carry out a comprehensive study on the impact of wealth transfers on wealth inequality, intergenerational mobility and access to housing?

    Submitted: 25.6.2025

    Last updated: 1 July 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – The Commission’s position on an EU-funded propaganda campaign that is manifestly unfair to fathers – P-002649/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Priority question for written answer  P-002649/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Branko Grims (PPE)

    In Slovenia, the Women’s Counselling Association (Association for Nonviolent Communication) has for some time been running a campaign featuring posters showing violence committed by fathers against children, which has generated a highly negative response. Roadside posters show pictures of a child with a birthmark on one side of his face, which is described as the ‘mother’s mark’. Also on the child’s face is the trace of a blow, which is referred to as the ‘father’s mark’. This clearly insinuating, manipulative and grossly misrepresentative campaign is unfair to all fathers who have never been violent towards their children. At the same time, it conceals and grossly distorts the reality, as statistics show that it is by no means only men who are violent in the home.

    At the bottom of the poster the Commission is listed as one of the sponsors of the campaign. I would therefore like to ask the Commission:

    • 1.On the basis of what criteria does it fund NGOs using taxpayers’ money to carry out such insidious, one-sidedly manipulative and manifestly unfair propaganda campaigns against fathers, and why?
    • 2.How would it comment on such posters, and on the biased insinuation that this violence against children is committed by fathers?

    Submitted: 1.7.2025

    Last updated: 1 July 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Deteriorating working conditions and labour rights violations – P-002609/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Priority question for written answer  P-002609/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Marlena Maląg (ECR)

    This year’s Global Rights Index report published by the International Trade Union Confederation reveals an alarming trend of deteriorating working conditions and violations of trade union rights. Europe has not seen such bad results since 2014, yet there was time until November 2024 to implement Directive (EU) 2022/2041 on adequate minimum wages, which should improve the situation in this area. The report unfortunately also includes Poland, which is mentioned alongside countries such as Senegal and Lesotho in the context of action taken against trade unions at PKP Cargo. Meanwhile, in recent days the management of PKP Cargo have announced further group redundancies – 4 000 people have already been made redundant, and a further 2 000 are set to go in 2025-2026. In addition, the trade unionists say the company is planning to sell or scrap 10 000 wagons, including those designed to transport military equipment, which is of economic and strategic importance.

    • 1.Does the Commission recognise the problem of labour rights violations at PKP Cargo?
    • 2.Has Poland applied for support under the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund in connection with the further waves of redundancies at PKP Cargo?
    • 3.Is the sale or scrapping of rolling stock suitable for transporting military equipment in line with the EU’s strategy to strengthen its competitiveness, autonomy and defence capabilities?

    Submitted: 27.6.2025

    Last updated: 1 July 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: At a Glance – 2023 and 2024 Commission reports on North Macedonia – 01-07-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    North Macedonia gained independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991. The country applied for EU membership in March 2004 and was granted EU candidate status in December 2005. As part of the June 2018 Prespa Agreement, the country changed its name to Republic of North Macedonia (‘North Macedonia’ in short), in exchange for Greece ending its veto on the country’s EU and NATO accessions. The first intergovernmental conference on 19 July 2022 marked the beginning of accession negotiations. The newly elected president took office in May 2024 and, in June, a new government was formed; led by the chair of the right-wing VMRO–DPMNE party, Hristijan Mickoski, it continues accession negotiations and, at a slower pace than previous governments, the reform agenda. The European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) adopted its report on the European Commission’s 2023 and 2024 reports on North Macedonia on 24 June 2025. A debate and vote on the report are due to be held during the July plenary session.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: At a Glance – Bulgaria to adopt the euro on 1 January 2026 – 01-07-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    On 1 January 2026, Bulgaria will become the 21st EU Member State to have joined the euro area and adopted the euro. Assessments by both the European Commission and the European Central Bank have concluded that Bulgaria meets the requirements for accession to the euro area. On 25 June, Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) adopted its report on the adoption by Bulgaria of the euro as planned. Parliament is due to vote on its opinion on Bulgaria’s euro-area membership during the July plenary session.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Country Threat Assessment – E-002552/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002552/2025
    to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
    Rule 144
    Alexander Sell (ESN)

    The European External Action Service provides a categorisation of the threat status of all states. The country threat assessment (CTA) categorises the threat status of countries as ‘low’, ‘moderate’, ‘significant’, ‘high’, and ‘critical’.

    • 1.What specific data, and from which organisations, does the European External Action Service use to produce the CTA?
    • 2.What assessment categories are there and how are the individual countries assigned to a category?
    • 3.Since when and on what basis has the threat status of Germany been classified as ‘significant’ and what was the previous classification?

    Submitted: 25.6.2025

    Last updated: 1 July 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Briefing – The Danish Parliament and EU affairs – 01-07-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Denmark is a constitutional monarchy with a representative parliamentary system. According to the Constitutional Act (section 3), the monarch and the Parliament jointly constitute the legislative authority, the monarch exercises executive authority, and the courts of justice represent the judicial authority. The monarch, however, mainly has a ceremonial role and appoints the Prime Minister and cabinet ministers, who are responsible for governing the country. The government is formed through the system of ‘negative parliamentarism’, meaning that the government must not be opposed by a majority in the Parliament. The government and its ministers are accountable to the Parliament. General elections must be held at least every four years, while the Prime Minister can dissolve the Parliament and call for new elections. Powers are separated, but a close link exists between the Parliament and the government due to parliamentarism, with political parties playing a key role. Most of the ministers are usually members of parliament, even if this is not a requirement. The Folketing is the unicameral Parliament of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is composed of 179 members elected by general and direct ballot for a period of four years: 135 members are elected through party-list proportional representation in ten constituencies; 40 seats are allocated to ensure proportionality at national level; and, as part of the Danish Realm, Greenland and the Faroe Islands each elect two members.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Briefing – Priority dossiers under the Danish EU Council Presidency – 01-07-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Denmark assumed the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union on 1 July and will hold the office until 31 December 2025. It took over from Poland and will hand the baton to Cyprus, the three countries forming a presidency trio.

    Source : © European Union, 2025 – EP

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Eje Transversal Ferroviario (‘Crosslink Railway Corridor’) – E-002496/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002496/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Jaume Asens Llodrà (Verts/ALE)

    The Eje Transversal Ferroviario (‘Crosslink Railway Corridor’), or ETF, is a strategic piece of infrastructure to connect Lleida with Girona and France via the interior of Catalonia, with branches to the ports of Tarragona and Barcelona. Designed for passenger and freight transport, it would ease congestion on the Catalan coast, which is currently saturated by mixed traffic on the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) Mediterranean Corridor. The ETF would allow freight trains to be diverted from densely populated areas to a more efficient route compatible with local mobility. It would contribute to territorial rebalancing by giving a boost to inland districts and reducing the concentration in Barcelona.

    The project has had an approved plan since 2010, with estimated investment of EUR 7 000 million and phased development. The Catalan Parliament agreed to start a preliminary study. A number of institutional and social actors are calling for the project to be taken forward in the drive for more sustainable transport.

    In light of the above:

    • 1.Would the Commission welcome it if the ETF made it possible to separate passenger and freight transport and promote the shift from road to rail, in line with the objectives of the EU’s 2020 sustainable and smart mobility strategy as part of the European Green Deal?
    • 2.Could the ETF be eligible for EU funding through the Connecting Europe Facility (Mediterranean Corridor framework)?

    Submitted: 23.6.2025

    Last updated: 1 July 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Suspension of EU funds to Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger – E-002504/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002504/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Paolo Inselvini (ECR), Sergio Berlato (ECR), Giovanni Crosetto (ECR), Alberico Gambino (ECR), Mariateresa Vivaldini (ECR), Alessandro Ciriani (ECR), Chiara Gemma (ECR)

    The Commission has suspended aid provided under the NDICI-Global Europe instrument (Regulation (EU) 2021/947) and has not presented revisions of the multiannual indicative programmes (MIPs) for Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, citing interruptions to the constitutional order as the basis for the decision.

    These funds were crucial for stability in the region and the objectives set out in the EU’s Sahel strategy. The Commission has adopted a completely different approach for other countries in similar situations, such as Chad, Gabon and Guinea.

    Italy has kept the cooperation channels open and the bilateral mission to Niger (MISIN) operational, unlike the EU. The EU’s absence risks undermining the protection of key areas for combating terrorism, migration and illicit trafficking, leaving room for hostile powers.

    In light of the above, can the Commission please answer the following questions:

    • 1.What legal and democratic assessment criteria form the basis for such different approaches to similar situations, and how will African criticisms of double standards be addressed?
    • 2.How will the growing influence of hostile foreign powers be countered in a key region for European strategic interests?
    • 3.Under what conditions would the Commission be willing to reinstate the MIPs?

    Submitted: 23.6.2025

    Last updated: 1 July 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Ongoing job insecurity of part-time volunteer firefighters in Italy – state of play of procedure INFR(2014)4231 and structural staff shortages – E-002505/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002505/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Giuseppe Antoci (The Left)

    In Italy, thousands of workers known as ‘part-time volunteer firefighters’ have worked for years in precarious conditions, on repeated temporary contracts and with no structural protection.

    The Commission opened an infringement procedure in that regard against Italy[1] for breach of Directive 1999/70/EC, which is still open[2]. Although the Italian authorities said that from 1 January 2025 those precarious posts would no longer be allowed, as they were being replaced by permanent staff, it does not appear thus far that this plan has been fully implemented.

    What is more, Decree-Law No 131 of 2024 provided only for partial compensation for precarious workers in the public administration, but did not include a clear stabilisation path for part-time firefighters.

    At the same time, Italy faces a serious shortage of permanent firefighters[3]. The high average age[4], the absence of regular competitions and the reduction of training activities compound this state of affairs.

    In the light of the above:

    • 1.Can the Commission provide an update on the current state of play of the infringement procedure?
    • 2.Does it think that the measures Italy has announced are sufficient to put an end to the abuse of fixed-term contracts in practice and comply with Directive 1999/70/EC?

    Submitted: 23.6.2025

    • [1] INFR(2014)4231.
    • [2] In March 2025, it confirmed that the situation was still being assessed and monitored.
    • [3] In regions such as Emilia-Romagna and Sicily, shortages are as high as 40 %. Nationally, shortages are estimated at 4 000 operational units and 2 500 administrative units.
    • [4] Their average age is 47.
    Last updated: 1 July 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – The Commission’s role in ensuring legal certainty, consistency and balance between security and investment in Member States’ FDI screening – E-002558/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002558/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Anders Vistisen (PfE)

    • 1.Is the Commission aware that Member States like Denmark are having major problems in implementing the FDI Regulation in practice?
    • 2.How does the Commission define what constitutes a hostile state or investor where FDI is concerned?
    • 3.How does the Commission balance security concerns with the need for foreign investment and legal certainty for businesses?

    Submitted: 25.6.2025

    Last updated: 1 July 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Misuse of foundations for tax and asset-optimisation purposes – E-002550/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002550/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Arash Saeidi (The Left)

    Despite the warnings made in a 2008 Commission-ordered study on the feasibility of a European Foundation Statute (ETD/2007/IM/F2/80), no harmonised framework has been put in place to prevent certain foundations being misused for tax purposes.

    In several Member States, foundations can be used as a tax-exempt way to transfer assets, without there being any real scrutiny of how they serve the public interest. For example, the Netherlands had over 60 000 foundations in 2016, many of which had no clearly identifiable philanthropic mission, compared to only 660 public-benefit foundations in France in 2021. Some jurisdictions allow foundations to be set up without precise requirements for their non-profit purpose, transparency or governance, which makes tax avoidance easier.

    • 1.Does the Commission have any data on, or analyses of, the use of foundations in some Member States to circumvent inheritance tax or to hold family assets without effective public scrutiny?
    • 2.Does the Commission have any plans to fund an EU-wide comparative study on tax-exemption criteria and mechanisms for supervising foundations in Member States, particularly in order to assess the degree to which they are being misused?
    • 3.Does the Commission consider that, without a binding EU definition of ‘public-benefit purpose’, a potential European Foundation Statute could become an instrument of harmful tax competition or a means of circumventing national laws on wealth taxation?

    Submitted: 25.6.2025

    Last updated: 1 July 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Compliance of Slovenia’s Hospitality Act (ZGos-1) with European law and notification to the Commission – E-001802/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Commission has contacted the Slovenian authorities about the Hospitality Act to seek clarifications on whether the draft law includes obligations for online service providers which would constitute technical regulations subject to the notification procedure established by the Single Market Transparency Directive[1] (EU) 2015/1535 (SMTD).

    In its communication, the Commission reminded the Slovenian authorities that should the above-mentioned draft provide for any technical regulations as defined in Article 1 of SMTD, these technical regulations have to be notified to the Commission according to Article 5(1) of that directive.

    According to the case-law of the Court of Justice of the EU (Case C-194/94, ‘CIA Security International’), the failure to fulfil the notification obligation under Directive (EU) 2015/1535 constitutes a substantial procedural defect in the adoption of the technical regulation concerned, which implies that any interested individual could challenge the legality of the technical regulation before a national court and ask for its inapplicability.

    Article 15 of the Services Directive[2] lists several requirements, like quantitative or territorial restrictions, that Member States must notify to the Commission before or after their adoption.

    At the time of issuing this reply, no notification under the Services Directive has been received. The Commission will examine the compliance of the Slovenian measures at issue with the Services Directive, notably when they are notified by the Slovenian authorities, and take the appropriate measures.

    • [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=legissum%3A310304_1.
    • [2] Directive 2006/123/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 on services in the internal market.
    Last updated: 1 July 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Students’ course choices are forced rather than desired – E-002497/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002497/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Marie Toussaint (Verts/ALE)

    On 4 June 2025, France announced that it was making educational guidance a national priority. This reflects a growing awareness in several Member States: that students’ course choices, especially at the end of lower secondary, are based on social factors rather being an informed decision.

    In several European education systems, the guidance process ends up limiting opportunities of access, going against the principles of lifelong guidance defined in the Council Resolution of 21 November 2008, which promotes a person-centred, ongoing and inclusive approach.

    Careers guidance should give everyone a better understanding of their skills, talents, interests and aspirations, based on the principles of self-identity and social justice.

    • 1.What specific action does the Commission intend to take to support the development of policies for guidance that is focused on students choosing their preferred course rather than being forced into an undesired option?
    • 2.Does the Commission intend to promote a common quality framework for guidance services that ensures they have trained professionals to provide the services, have suitable pedagogical tools at their disposal and offer students a personalised follow-up?
    • 3.Under the European Semester framework, does the Commission intend to explicitly encourage Member States to close the gap in access to educational pathways by developing guidance mechanisms?

    Submitted: 23.6.2025

    Last updated: 1 July 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Nigerian National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in $8-Million Federal Emergency Assistance Benefits Fraud Scheme

    Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

    Greenbelt, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Newton Ofioritse Jemide, 47, a Nigerian national extradited from France, to 41 months in federal prison for his role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain federal benefits. Jemide will also serve three years of supervised release, pay $520,431.83 of restitution, and a forfeiture money judgment was entered against him in the amount of $311,036.64. Jemide executed his part of the criminal scheme from Nigeria where he resided when he committed the offense.

    Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the plea with Joseph V. Cuffari, Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS); Acting Special Agent in Charge Colleen Lawlor, Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of Inspector General – Philadelphia Field Division; and Special Agent in Charge William McCool, U.S. Secret Service – Washington Field Office.

    As a result of the conspiracy, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided emergency benefits and compensation for damages to victims affected by declared national emergency disasters, such as hurricanes and wildfires. Among other benefits, an individual in an affected area was immediately eligible for Critical Needs Assistance (CNA) to purchase life-saving or life-sustaining materials.  Victims could decide how to receive assistance payments, including deposits on pre-paid debit cards.

    According to his guilty plea, in 2016 and 2017, Jemide and others from Nigeria directed co-conspirators living in the United States to purchase hundreds of Green Dot Debit Cards. Co-conspirators living in Nigeria then registered the cards with Green Dot using stolen personal information from identity theft victims around the United States.  Jemide and his co-conspirators used an encrypted messaging application and other means to communicate.

    In 2017, following Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria — and the California wildfires — Jemide and other co-conspirators from Nigeria used stolen personal information to apply online for FEMA and CNA benefits.  FEMA dispersed $500 per claim on the Green Dot Debit Cards that the co-conspirators purchased for a total of at least $8 million.

    In addition to filing false disaster-assistance claims with FEMA, Jemide and co-conspirators also submitted false online claims for Social Security benefits, IRS tax refunds, and other government benefits using stolen identities of multiple individuals, including names, addresses, Social Security Numbers (SSN), and other personal identifiers.

    As a result of fraudulent submissions, FEMA and other federal agencies deposited benefits onto the Green Dot Debit Cards.  The funds were deposited on the debit cards using multiple stolen identities, including identities different from the identities used to register the cards. Jemide and select co-conspirators informed other co-conspirators when the fraudulent funds became available on the debit cards and gave them information to cash out the funds from the cards in exchange for a commission.  Additionally, the co-conspirators took steps to conceal their identities by enlisting others to make purchases and withdrawals; utilizing multiple store and bank locations and methods of withdrawal; and making money orders payable to other individuals and/or corporate entities.

    U.S. Attorney Hayes commended DHS OIG, SSA OIG, and the USSS for their work in the investigation and thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Marshals Service for their valuable assistance in securing the extradition of Jemide to the United States.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Wright and Darren Gardner who are prosecuting the federal case.

    For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Prospectus Approved for Listing of DNO’s USD 600 Million Bonds on Oslo Stock Exchange

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Oslo, 1 July 2025 – DNO ASA, the Norwegian oil and gas operator, today announced that the Financial Supervisory Authority of Norway on 1 July 2025 approved the prospectus prepared in connection with the listing on the Oslo Stock Exchange of the Company’s 8.5 percent USD 600 million senior unsecured callable bonds issued on 27 March 2025 with maturity in March 2030 (ISIN: NO0013511113). Trading in the bonds is expected to commence shortly.

    The prospectus dated 1 July 2025 is available on the Company’s website www.dno.no.

    –

    For further information, please contact:
    Media: media@dno.no
    Investors: investor.relations@dno.no

    –

    DNO ASA is a Norwegian oil and gas operator active in the Middle East, the North Sea and West Africa. Founded in 1971 and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange, the Company holds stakes in onshore and offshore licenses at various stages of exploration, development and production in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, Norway, the United Kingdom, Côte d’Ivoire and Yemen. More information is available at www.dno.no.

    This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

    –

    This release does not constitute any offer or solicitation to sell or purchase any securities. 

    The release may not be released, published or distributed in the United States of America or any other jurisdiction where release, publication or distribution would be prohibited or require any registration or filing acts or similar.

    The MIL Network –

  • Hardeep Singh Puri highlights India’s economic milestones and reforms at ICAI Foundation Day

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, on Tuesday outlined India’s remarkable economic transformation over the past eleven years, crediting bold policy reforms, robust governance, and far-reaching social welfare measures for propelling the country from the world’s eleventh largest economy in 2014 to the fourth largest today.

    Addressing the 77th Foundation Day of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Puri noted that India’s GDP has more than doubled, from USD 2.1 trillion in 2014 to USD 4.3 trillion in 2025. He said India has recently surpassed Japan and is on track to overtake Germany by 2030 to become the world’s third-largest economy.

    Reflecting on a decade of extensive welfare programmes, the Minister highlighted that over 27 crore citizens have been lifted out of multidimensional poverty, nearly four crore homes have been sanctioned under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, and more than 15 crore rural households now have access to piped drinking water through the Jal Jeevan Mission. Health coverage under Ayushman Bharat now benefits over 70 crore people, providing ₹5 lakh insurance per family each year.

    Puri also underscored India’s ability to attract foreign investment, citing USD 748 billion in foreign direct investment inflows between 2014 and 2025—an increase of 143% over the previous decade—and the rise in source countries from 89 to 112. Landmark economic measures such as the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, Production-Linked Incentive schemes, Goods and Services Tax, and Direct Benefit Transfers, along with the removal of over 25,000 compliances and 1,400 outdated laws, have further strengthened India’s business environment.

    The Minister pointed to significant improvements in tax administration, with the number of annual income tax returns filed more than doubling from 3.6 crore in FY 2013–14 to 8.5 crore in FY 2024–25. He noted that 95% of these returns are now processed within 30 days, helping ensure that every tax rupee translates into social benefits such as LPG connections for households, medicines for the underprivileged, rural electrification, pensions for senior citizens, and jobs for the youth.

    Highlighting the resilience of India’s banking sector, Puri said gross non-performing assets of scheduled commercial banks have fallen from 14.58% in FY 2017–18 to below 3% in FY 2024–25. He also noted that India’s digital economy continues to expand rapidly, with the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) handling nearly 50% of the world’s real-time digital transactions and serving over 500 million active users. India’s fintech adoption now stands at 87%, compared to a global average of 67%, driven by widespread access to digital identity and mobile connectivity.

    Among flagship initiatives, the Minister lauded the success of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, which has delivered more than 16.5 crore LPG connections since 2014. This has empowered women, improved health by reducing indoor air pollution, and enhanced public welfare. The Oil & Gas sector’s robust growth was reflected in the doubling of the market capitalization of Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) to ₹8.79 lakh crore since 2014.

    Looking ahead, Puri urged chartered accountants to embrace new technologies such as artificial intelligence and advanced analytics to automate routine tasks and focus on delivering strategic insights. “Embracing AI is no longer optional—it is essential for staying competitive and innovative in today’s evolving financial world,” he said.

    Puri called on the ICAI community to uphold the values of transparency, efficiency, and accountability as India advances towards its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047. “On this special day, remember that your profession has the power to protect and sustain our economy. Your dedication is vital for building Viksit Bharat,” he said.

  • MIL-OSI Video: Secretary-General/Financing for Development & other topics – Daily Press Briefing | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (video statements)

    Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

    ———————————

    Highlights:
    Secretary-General / Financing for Development
    Deputy Secretary-General
    Occupied Palestinian Territory
    Syria
    Humanitarian Syria
    Sudan
    Sudan Humanitarian
    Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Haiti
    Briefing
    ———————————
    SECRETARY-GENERAL/ FINANCING FOR DEVELOPMENT
    This morning, in Sevilla, Spain, the Secretary-General had a closed meeting with the Heads of the Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs). He then had a bilateral meeting with Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, President of the regional government of Andalusia and the First Vice-President of the European Committee of the Regions.
    The Secretary-General left Sevilla in the afternoon. We expect to announce his next travel in the coming days.

    DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL
    The Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, was also present at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) in Sevilla, where she delivered remarks at the High-Level session of the International Business Forum. She called for a shift from international assistance to investments in sustainable development and underscored the private sector’s role in delivering impact at scale.
    She also participated in a G20-Spain high-level special event on debt sustainability in developing countries alongside Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, and she highlighted the need to break the cycle of debt and welcomed the growing attention from policymakers.
    This evening, she will travel to Vienna to address the 68th session of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, organized by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA).
    During her time, there she will meet with Member States, senior government officials and the UN system. She will then return to Seville on Thursday for the closing of FFD4.

    OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
    Turning to the situation in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military operations have further intensified in northern Gaza since the issuance of the displacement order on Sunday by the Israeli authorities. In the time since that directive was announced, our partners on the ground say that at least 1,500 families have been displaced from North Gaza, as well as eastern parts of Gaza governorate, towards the central and western parts of Gaza governorate.
    Over the past 48 hours, five school buildings sheltering displaced families in North Gaza were reportedly hit, with deaths and injuries reported. Initial assessments by partners indicate that many families who fled from the schools that were hit have returned to North Gaza, largely due to the lack of alternatives and limited shelter space elsewhere.
    Healthcare also continues to come under attack. The World Health Organization says that in central Gaza yesterday, a tent sheltering displaced people in the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al Balah was reportedly hit, injuring five people. The agency added that the hospital’s internal medicine department also sustained some damage, and its oxygen supply line was affected.
    Since October 2023, WHO has documented 734 attacks on healthcare in Gaza. WHO reiterated its call for the protection of civilians and healthcare facilities. OCHA reiterates that under international humanitarian law, civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected, not targeted.
    Regarding aid operations on the ground, OCHA tells us that movement restrictions remain a major challenge, preventing partners from predictably and sustainably providing critical services and assistance.

    Full Highlights:
    https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/ossg/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=01+July+2025

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kggmKeR7k-k

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Secretary-General/Financing for Development & other topics – Daily Press Briefing | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (video statements)

    Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

    ———————————

    Highlights:
    Secretary-General / Financing for Development
    Deputy Secretary-General
    Occupied Palestinian Territory
    Syria
    Humanitarian Syria
    Sudan
    Sudan Humanitarian
    Democratic Republic of the Congo
    Haiti
    Briefing
    ———————————
    SECRETARY-GENERAL/ FINANCING FOR DEVELOPMENT
    This morning, in Sevilla, Spain, the Secretary-General had a closed meeting with the Heads of the Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs). He then had a bilateral meeting with Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, President of the regional government of Andalusia and the First Vice-President of the European Committee of the Regions.
    The Secretary-General left Sevilla in the afternoon. We expect to announce his next travel in the coming days.

    DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL
    The Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, was also present at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) in Sevilla, where she delivered remarks at the High-Level session of the International Business Forum. She called for a shift from international assistance to investments in sustainable development and underscored the private sector’s role in delivering impact at scale.
    She also participated in a G20-Spain high-level special event on debt sustainability in developing countries alongside Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, and she highlighted the need to break the cycle of debt and welcomed the growing attention from policymakers.
    This evening, she will travel to Vienna to address the 68th session of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, organized by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA).
    During her time, there she will meet with Member States, senior government officials and the UN system. She will then return to Seville on Thursday for the closing of FFD4.

    OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
    Turning to the situation in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military operations have further intensified in northern Gaza since the issuance of the displacement order on Sunday by the Israeli authorities. In the time since that directive was announced, our partners on the ground say that at least 1,500 families have been displaced from North Gaza, as well as eastern parts of Gaza governorate, towards the central and western parts of Gaza governorate.
    Over the past 48 hours, five school buildings sheltering displaced families in North Gaza were reportedly hit, with deaths and injuries reported. Initial assessments by partners indicate that many families who fled from the schools that were hit have returned to North Gaza, largely due to the lack of alternatives and limited shelter space elsewhere.
    Healthcare also continues to come under attack. The World Health Organization says that in central Gaza yesterday, a tent sheltering displaced people in the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al Balah was reportedly hit, injuring five people. The agency added that the hospital’s internal medicine department also sustained some damage, and its oxygen supply line was affected.
    Since October 2023, WHO has documented 734 attacks on healthcare in Gaza. WHO reiterated its call for the protection of civilians and healthcare facilities. OCHA reiterates that under international humanitarian law, civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected, not targeted.
    Regarding aid operations on the ground, OCHA tells us that movement restrictions remain a major challenge, preventing partners from predictably and sustainably providing critical services and assistance.

    Full Highlights:
    https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/ossg/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=01+July+2025

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kggmKeR7k-k

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI: OTC Markets Group Launches OTCID™ Basic Market, In Major Structural Upgrade to U.S. OTC Equities Markets

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of regulated markets for over 12,000 U.S. and international securities, today launched the OTCID™ Basic Market, a major structural upgrade that redefines the baseline for disclosure in the over-the-counter (OTC) equities space.

    With the elimination of the Pink Current Market, the new OTCID™ Basic Market introduces a more transparent framework for companies that choose to engage with U.S. investors through consistent, ongoing reporting.

    The move reflects OTC Markets Group’s broader strategy to enhance market clarity, reduce investor uncertainty, and offer compliant companies a more defined pathway to grow their presence in U.S. public markets.

    Companies trading on the OTCID™ Basic Market are now required to meet specific disclosure benchmarks, including timely quarterly and annual financials, management certifications, and updated company profile information. These foundational requirements ensure that investors, brokers, regulators, and data providers can rely on timely, accurate information from issuers of securities.

    “We’re supporting companies that choose to connect with the market and commit to timely, consistent, ongoing disclosure, as the best public companies understand that their data drives market quality” said Cromwell Coulson, President and CEO of OTC Markets Group. “When companies provide reliable information, that data flows directly into investor screens and broker-dealer machines, enhancing transparency, improving price discovery, and driving better outcomes across the market.”

    1237 securities from the US and key international markets, including Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan and Hong Kong have already taken the necessary steps to meet OTCID requirements, reinforcing their commitment to timely disclosure and direct engagement with U.S. investors.

    For many, OTCID is a strategic entry point, not a final destination. Investor-focused issuers continue to move up the market. Since January, 61 companies, including Bayer AG and OMV AG, have qualified for the OTCQX® Best Market, underscoring growing demand among issuers for higher visibility, stronger governance, and deeper, digital engagement with U.S. investors.

    Companies that fail to meet the new OTCID’s requirements have been downgraded to either the Pink Limited™ Market or the Expert Restricted Market. Pink Limited™ Market serves as a warning to investors, flagging securities with limited to no issuer involvement, including companies with limited, outdated, or inconsistent disclosures. The Expert Market continues to include securities that fail to meet even the most basic public disclosure requirements under SEC Rule 15c2-11. Quotes in Expert Market securities are not available to retail investors.

    By setting sharper distinctions between active and inactive issuers, OTC Markets Group is delivering on its mission to foster informed investment decisions and build a more efficient public market.

    For more information, visit www.otcmarkets.com/OTCID

    About OTC Markets Group Inc.
    OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities. Our data-driven disclosure standards form the foundation of our public markets: OTCQX® Best Market, OTCQB® Venture Market, OTCID™ Basic Market and Pink Limited™ Market. Our OTC Link® Alternative Trading Systems (ATSs) provide critical market infrastructure that broker-dealers rely on to facilitate trading. Our innovative model offers companies more efficient access to the U.S. financial markets.

    OTC Link ATS, OTC Link ECN, OTC Link NQB, and MOON ATS™ are each SEC regulated ATS, operated by OTC Link LLC, a FINRA and SEC registered broker-dealer, member SIPC. To learn more about how we create better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com.

    Media Contact:

    Media@otcmarkets.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Banco Santander Chile: Second Quarter 2025 Analyst and Investor Webcast / Conference Call

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SANTIAGO, Chile, July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — You are cordially invited to participate in Banco Santander Chile’s (NYSE: BSAC) conference call-webcast on Tuesday August 5, 2025, at 11.00 AM (ET time) where we will discuss 2Q 2025 financial results. The Bank’s Officers participating in the conference call are: Patricia Pérez, CFO, Cristian Vicuña, Chief Strategy Officer & Head of IR and Andrés Sansone, Chief Economist. A question and answer session will follow the presentation.

    The Management Commentary report will be published on July 31, 2025, before the market opens. The quiet period begins on July 17.

    To participate, the webcast presentation can be viewed at: https://mm.closir.com/slides?id=720987

    Or please dial in using any of the below numbers:
    United Kingdom +44 203 984 9844
    USA +1 718 866 4614
    Austria +43 720 022981
    Brazil +556120171549
    Canada +1 587 855 1318
    Chile +56228401484
    Czech Republic +420 910 880101
    Estonia +372 609 4102
    Finland +35 8753 26 4477
    France +33 1758 50 878
    Germany +49 30 25 555 323
    Hong Kong +852 3001 6551
    Mexico +52 55 1168 9973
    Peru +51 1 7060950
    Poland +48 22 124 49 59
    Russia +7 495 283 98 58
    Singapore +65 3138 6816
    South Africa +27872500455
    South Korea +82 70 4732 5006
    Sweden +46 10 551 30 20
    Turkey +90 850 390 7512
    Ukraine +380 89 324 0624

    Participant Passcode: 720987
    Please dial in approximately 10 minutes prior to the starting time of the conference.

    If you have any questions, please contact Cristian Vicuña at Banco Santander Chile at Cristian.vicuna@santander.cl, Rowena Lambert at Rowena.lambert@santander.cl or María Magdalena Rosende at Maria.rosende@santander.cl

    CONTACT INFORMATION

    Cristian Vicuña
    Investor Relations
    Banco Santander Chile
    Bandera 140, Floor 20
    Santiago, Chile
    Email: irelations@santander.cl
    Website: www.santander.cl

    Banco Santander Chile is one of the companies with the highest risk classifications in Latin America with an A2 rating from Moody’s, A- from Standard and Poor’s, A+ from Japan Credit Rating Agency, AA- from HR Ratings and A from KBRA. All our ratings as of the date of this report have a Stable Outlook.

    As of March 31, 2025, the bank had total assets of Ch$67,059,423 million (US$70,284 million), total gross loans (including those owed by banks) at amortized cost of Ch$41,098,666 million (US$43,075 million), total deposits of Ch$30,607,715 million (US$32,080 million), and bank owners’ equity of Ch$4,400,233 million (US$4,612 million). The BIS capital ratio was 16.9%, with a core capital ratio of 10.7%. As of March 31, 2025, Santander Chile employed 8,712 people and had 237 branches throughout Chile.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Play! Memorial Park tennis courts back in use after revamp

    Source: City of Canterbury

    Home  »  Latest News   »   Play! Memorial Park tennis courts back in use after revamp

    Just as Wimbledon is underway, we have now completed a fantastic revamp of the tennis courts in Herne Bay Memorial Park.

    Four of the eight courts have been completely resurfaced, with the other four thoroughly cleaned and resprayed. All eight now sport the classic tennis blue and green colours.

    In addition, they all have new posts and nets, and one of the courts has pickleball line markings as well as tennis markings.

    These courts will remain free of charge to use and no booking is required.

    Cabinet member for open spaces, Cllr Mel Dawkins (pictured left, above), joined Lord Mayor Cllr Keji Moses and Heron ward councillor David Thomas for an inspection and the chance to hit a few shots.

    Cllr Dawkins said: “The courts look absolutely ‘ace’ and we are sure they are going to prove to be a ‘smash’ in the town.

    “It’s a job really well done and thanks go to the council officers who have run this project and our contractor ETC Sports Surfaces for such professional work.”

    The revamp cost £70,000 and was paid for using section 106 planning contributions from developers.

    We are also keen to develop a ‘Friends of…’ group for the courts to encourage activity and help to report any issues.

    Anyone interested in getting involved should email Leisure Development Officer Giles Seaford at giles.seaford@canterbury.gov.uk.

    Published: 1 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Liberia: Totota Peace Hut Setting the Pace for Rural Women Empowerment


    Download logo

    The thriving, lively rural town of Totota, Bong County will never be the same, according to women beneficiaries of the Totota Peace Hut. “This town is growing and changing in terms of mentoring and improving the attitude, skills, and public-speaking confidence of women so we can reach to that height we all aspire to acquire in life,” said Annie G. Saah, 53, member of the peace hut and Chairlady of the One Voice Group.

    “Our peace hut in Totota has helped in improving the lives of women and young girls. Through this peace hut, women and girls have gained valuable skills in literacy, computer training, group and individual farming, village savings and loan scheme as well as conflict resolution and mediation outreach at household and community-levels, and I am one such example. I have my individual potatoes garden, my house-side bag garden together with a group farm. We use the proceeds for our children’s tuition and other family needs,” added Annie G. Saah.

    Annie, Miatta Borbor, and nearly 50 other women meet at the peace hut on a weekly basis to support one another in peacebuilding, literacy, computer skills, petty business management, and small-scale farming. “Thanks to UN Women, Plan International, Orange Foundation, and the Peacebuilding Fund for their support in giving women the skills they need to become marketable and active contributors not just to our families but also to the community of Totota,” said Miatta Borbor, a member of One Voice Group at the peace hut.

    True to Annie and Miatta’s words on the empowerment of women, in November 2024, during an indoor programme at Totota Peace Hut in Bong County, visiting Peacebuilding Commission Chair and Sweden’s Ambassador to the UN in New York, Amb. Nicola Clase and delegation witnessed a life-changing moment. Three formerly illiterate women – Mary Sheriff, Gbentelo Kennedy, and Oretha Jallah – proudly demonstrated their peace hut-acquired literacy skills by writing their names and telephone numbers on paper to the admiration of the visitors. The audience applauded them for their literacy achievements. Ma Mary Sandiman, Chairlady of Totota Peace Hut, emphasized the need to continue the peace hut: “This peace hut must continue here so more women can learn to read and write and to enhance women’s unity so women themselves can drive the change they need.”

    The vegetable gardens, small businesses, the conflict mediation roles, and the computer training have all had tremendous impact on women beneficiaries by enabling them to earn money, support their households, participate in public and community discussions, and enhance peaceful co-existence among people. Rev Fahnlon A. Mulbah, Coordinator of the Orange Digital Center (ODC) within the Totota Peace Hut, underscored the life-improving results of the peace hut and the ODC on young women. “Computer literacy is a globally required skills area especially for women and girls to earn income and advertise their work on phone and on a computer.” He disclosed that Grace Pope, a resident of Totota, acquired digital skills in the application of cell phone for business and started advertizing and doing Orange Mobile Money, and then relocated to Monrovia where she’s living and working.

    The empowerment and results-oriented achievements at the Totota Peace Hut was made possible through the seamless collaboration among UN Women, Plan International, Government of Liberia, Orange Foundation, and other partners with funding from the UN Peacebuilding Fund. Each organization lent its own comparative advantage, garnered resources, and provided backstopping and technical inputs to make the peace hut functional and effective.

    Peace huts across Liberia have become a useful model for driving rural women’s collective empowerment. According to UN Women, the women of Liberia gained national and international acclaim as champions of peace through their mass action campaign that pressured warring factions to agree to a peace settlement in 2003.  As part of this effort, the women, under the banner “Liberian Women Mass Action for Peace”, launched the Peace Hut model in 2004 to provide a space for community women to discuss issues of peace, including ongoing community and domestic violence. Since then, the Peace Huts have evolved into a multi-faceted platform that promotes gender equality and the empowerment of women especially in rural communities.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN Women – Africa.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The Bear season 4: this meaty restaurant drama is still an enticing bingeable prospect

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jane Steventon, Course Leader, BA (Hons) Screenwriting; Deputy Course Leader & Senior Lecturer, BA (Hons) Film Production, University of Portsmouth

    Take a soupçon of identity crisis, a pinch of perfectionism, a scoop of burnout and mix thoroughly with a large measure of fraternal grief and sear over a hot grill and voilà! You have The Bear, a perfectly blended drama about a chef on the edge, driven by relentless ambition and exacting standards as he turns his family’s humble sandwich shop into a fine-dining restaurant.

    This intoxicating family drama was eaten up by critics and audiences alike in 2022, its first season garnering a rare perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, the subsequent two reaching scores of 99% and 89% respectively. It’s certainly a hard act to follow for season four.

    The first ten minutes of The Bear’s pilot episode thrillingly defined what was to come in high-octane style and scene-setting detail. The first season delivered a clever mix of authentic dialogue and setting, relatable family dysfunction and dynamic production style.

    Showstopping scenes of stressful kitchen heat were served up alongside a delectable range of new and established talent in the form of Jeremy Allen White (Carmy), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Richie), Ayo Edebiri (Sydney) and Oliver Platt (Cicero/Uncle Jimmy).

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

    In charge is showrunner Christopher Storer, who came up with the concept after being inspired by his friend’s father Chris Zucchero, the owner of Chicago sandwich joint Mr Beef.

    With his professional chef sister also serving as a consultant, Storer succeeded in creating a deliciously authentic and intensely real drama. Buoyed along the way by 21 Emmys and five Golden Globes, Storer also watched his cast ascend, the tortured-soul performance of White garnering particular praise.

    Testing the parameters of a long-running show, Storer focused in on the entire cast of characters and their backstories, a successful tactic used by shows such as Orange is the New Black to keep the drama – largely confined to a kitchen set – fresh.

    Pulling in Hollywood die-hards Oliver Platt and Jamie Lee Curtis for familial tough-love roles further enriched the mix, often using a non-chronological timeframe to go back to moments of family turbulence and tension. This made for three-dimensional characters and enabled evolution around difficult themes such as the aftermath of suicide and generational trauma.

    The Bear has come a long way in three seasons, starting with a spit and sawdust establishment serving up the lunchtime beef sandwiches for its working customers.

    Carmy’s experience and longing for the high-end restaurant of his dreams hurtled forward in season two, as he sent his core crew off in different directions to hone their skills and help form his vision. A restaurant trying to win success but plagued with challenges, there were exhausting familial tensions embedded in every episode of season three.

    Several themes play out in The Bear: love, family, loyalty, community and purpose. The relationship between Carmy and cousin Richie (not a real cousin, but a term of endearment) is key to linking past and future. Richie provides some of the highlights of comedy and pathos as he spits truth bombs, most frequently at talented sous-chef Syd.

    It is Syd who follows Carmy’s aspirations for gastronomic perfection but can’t abide the lack of order or the intense highs and lows that inevitably go hand in hand with his talent. And this is one central question to consider for the latest series: just how long will the audience remain loyal to Carmy and his endless quest for artistry in a high-failure rate industry?

    It’s all in the sauce

    Storer begins season four with a ghost. Carmy and his dead brother Mikey (Jon Berthal) banter in a seven-minute scene, with Carmy ultimately confiding the dream of a restaurant as Mikey watches him make tomato sauce (“too much garlic”). The tomatoes resonate: Mikey left behind money hidden in tomato cans that ended up saving Carmy’s sanity and his dream of a proper restaurant.

    Just as oranges represent death to Frances Ford Coppola, Storer uses tomatoes to underscore themes; here they symbolise familial loyalty and history, a solid base to a meal, a core ingredient. Mikey was one of the core ingredients in Carmy’s life, and now he’s gone.

    Carmy awakens to a rerun of Groundhog Day on late-night TV and fittingly, we too are back – same dish, now more seasoned and enriched with its core ingredients and ready to serve up a big bowlful of family, love, ambition, strife and grief.

    The episode furthers the theme of loyalty as the restaurant receives The Tribune’s review – the cliffhanger of the season three finale. Naturally, Storer doesn’t let up – the food critic highlights “dissonance” and Carmy is back in emotional chaos, with Syd urging him to lighten up and lose the misery.

    In truth, this series could do with adding some more humour in the mix; the teasing and frivolous banter of season one has got somewhat lost in the seasons that followed.

    Storer ramps up the tension, setting several ticking clocks in place: chiefly Uncle Jimmy’s notice period for the business to turn a profit is literally installed on a digital clock in the kitchen. Then Syd’s headhunter calls, offering her desired autonomy and an exit strategy from the chaos.

    And Carmy raises the stakes with an intention to gain a Michelin star. Thus a heroic journey is set in place for the whole cast, with future battles both internal and external laid out.

    There’s too much going on at this feast and the feeling of being stuffed full of story is tangible by the end of the first episode. Still, with a season lining up more emotional turbulence steered by White, more celebrity cameos (Brie Larson and Rob Reiner are lined up) and the excellent cinematography and performances that we have come to expect, Storer stirs his secret sauce.

    The Bear still offers an entertaining and enticing proposition, bingeable and mostly satisfying.

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

    – ref. The Bear season 4: this meaty restaurant drama is still an enticing bingeable prospect – https://theconversation.com/the-bear-season-4-this-meaty-restaurant-drama-is-still-an-enticing-bingeable-prospect-260143

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Five ways to avoid illness like the Lionesses

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Samantha Abbott, Doctoral Researcher, Department of Sport Science, Nottingham Trent University

    England’s Beth Mead cheering on podium after win v Germany in the Women European Championship Final 2022 photographyjp/Shutterstock

    Think back to the last time you had a cold or the flu. Now imagine stepping onto the pitch for a European Cup final, while battling through those symptoms. For elite athletes, illness can strike at the worst possible time – and it could hit women harder.

    Research suggests that female athletes are more susceptible to cold and flu-like illnesses than their male counterparts. For England women’s national football team, the Lionesses, this risk only increases before a major tournament like the Euros.

    Close contact, shared kit, disrupted sleep and travel all add up to a perfect storm for infection. But targeted nutritional strategies, alongside good sleep and hand hygiene, can offer a crucial line of defence.

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

    1. Fuel first: energy matters for immunity

    Before anything else, players need to eat enough. Energy supports both performance and immune function. In fact, female athletes who didn’t meet their energy needs in the run-up to the 2016 Olympics were four times more likely to report cold or flu symptoms.

    This is especially relevant in women’s football, where low energy and carbohydrate intake has been documented among professional players and recreational players too. Regular meals and snacks that include carbohydrate-rich foods like oats, bread and pasta, especially around training, are essential to meet energy demands and support immune health.

    2. Eat the rainbow

    Athletes are often encouraged to go beyond the public’s five-a-day fruit and veg target, aiming instead for eight to ten portions daily. Why? Because colourful plant foods are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds: all vital for immunity.



    Read more:
    We’re told to ‘eat a rainbow’ of fruit and vegetables. Here’s what each colour does in our body

    Each colour offers unique benefits. For instance, red fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. Orange produce like carrots get their colour from beta-carotene, which is converted by the body into vitamin A – a key vitamin for immune health.

    Eating a rainbow of colours means getting a wide range of nutrients.

    3. Vitamin C: powerful but timing matters

    Vitamin C has long been linked with reducing the risk and severity of cold and flu symptoms. One Cochrane review found that regular vitamin C intake halved the risk of illness in physically active people.

    However, more isn’t always better. Long-term use of high-dose vitamin C supplements could blunt training adaptations – the structural and functional changes the body undergoes in response to repeated exercise – because of its anti-inflammatory effects. That’s why vitamin C is most effective when used strategically, such as during high-risk periods like travel or intense competition. Good food sources include oranges, kiwis, blackcurrants, red and yellow peppers, broccoli and even potatoes.

    4. Gut health supports immune health

    Around 70% of the immune system is located in the gut, making gut health a key player in illness prevention. This is where probiotics (live bacteria) and prebiotics (which feed those bacteria) come in.

    Probiotics, found in fermented foods like kefir and kimchi or in supplement form, have been shown to reduce the duration and severity of respiratory illnesses in athletes. Prebiotics have similarly shown promise. In one study, a 24-week prebiotic intervention in elite rugby players reduced the duration of cold and flu symptoms by over two days.



    Read more:
    Gut microbiome: meet Lactobacillus acidophilus – the gut health superhero

    In the build-up to the Euros, including probiotic-rich foods in their diet or taking a daily prebiotic and probiotic supplement may help players stay healthy and return to training faster if they do get ill.

    5. Zinc lozenges: first aid for a sore throat

    If cold-like symptoms do appear, zinc lozenges can offer fast-acting relief. Zinc has antiviral, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. When zinc is delivered as a lozenge, it acts directly in the throat, where many infections begin. Taken within 24 hours of symptoms starting, zinc lozenges could shorten illness duration by a third.

    But caution is key. Long-term use of high-dose zinc supplements can actually suppress immune function. Zinc lozenges should only be used short-term at symptom onset, not as a daily supplement.

    Staying match-ready during major tournaments means more than just tactical drills and fitness. Nutrition is a powerful ally in illness prevention, especially for women’s teams like the Lionesses. From fuelling adequately to supporting gut health and knowing when to supplement, these nutritional strategies can make the difference between sitting on the bench and bringing a trophy home.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Five ways to avoid illness like the Lionesses – https://theconversation.com/five-ways-to-avoid-illness-like-the-lionesses-259302

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –