NewzIntel.com

Category: Scandinavia

  • MIL-OSI: From 401(k) to cloud mining: CryptoMiningFirm launches new APP, opening up a new strategy for stable value-added digital pension

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Seattle, Washington, July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  As the global economic structure transforms, traditional retirement plans such as 401(k)s face challenges such as sluggish growth and volatile returns. During “Crypto Week”, the U.S. Congress passed a number of bills to clarify the legal status of digital assets and provide a stable regulatory environment for digital pension investments.

    In this context, CryptoMiningFirm cloud mining platform recently announced the launch of a new version of its mobile APP. As a zero-threshold digital value-added method, it is becoming an ideal choice for retired investors and digital pension planning. Users can participate in the mining activities of mainstream currencies remotely without purchasing mining machines, obtain stable daily income, and help achieve steady value-added of assets.

    Cloud Mining: Building a Robust Digital Pension Path

    Cloud mining is known for its zero threshold and everyone can participate. After users register, they can participate in the mining of mainstream currencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, etc. remotely for free, obtain stable income, and achieve long-term and stable asset appreciation.

    CryptoMiningFirm: A secure, compliant, and transparent cloud mining pioneer

    As the world’s leading compliant cloud mining platform, CryptoMiningFirm closely follows regulatory trends and relies on compliant computing resources in multiple locations around the world to provide users with:

    Multi-currency support: covers mainstream assets such as BTC, ETH, XRP, DOGE, etc.

    Enterprise-level security: uses military-grade data encryption and multiple identity authentication;

    Automatic income distribution system: mining pool income is settled daily and automatically credited;

    Global node deployment: computing power is distributed in North America, Iceland, Asia-Pacific and other regions, stable and efficient;

    Compliance and transparent operation: audit reports are open and operation data can be checked in real time.

    How to participate: Three easy steps to start your profit journey

    1: One-click registration – Create an account in 1 minute through the official website or official APP, and immediately receive a $10-100 reward for free.

    2: Choose a plan that matches your goals – short-term, long-term or high-yield plan – and watch your balance grow every day

    Popular contract examples: {Supports multiple mainstream currencies}

    Trial contract: Investment amount: $100, contract period: 2 days, daily income: $4, total income: $100 + $8 upon expiration

    BTC Classic computing power: Investment amount: $500, contract period: 7 days, daily income: $6.5, total income: $500 + $45.5 upon expiration

    BTC Classic computing power: Investment amount: $1,000, contract period 7 days, daily income: $13.5, total income: $1,000 + $94.5 upon expiration

    BTC advanced computing power: Investment amount: $5,000, contract period: 15 days, daily income: $72.5, total income: $5,000 + $1,087.5 upon expiration

    BTC advanced computing power: Investment amount: $10,000, contract period: 25 days, daily income: $160, total income: $10,000 + $4,000 upon expiration

    Click here to view more contract types

    3: Real-time income – income can be withdrawn to the bound wallet at any time or reinvested to accelerate income growth

    As traditional pensions face challenges, cryptocurrencies are becoming an innovative tool for wealth growth. CryptoMiningFirm injects new vitality into pension funds through safe and reliable cloud mining technology, achieving steady appreciation of digital assets. With strict security protection and transparent operations, investors can not only enjoy high returns in the crypto market, but also ensure the long-term security of retirement funds, providing solid protection for future retirement life.

    Join now and start a new chapter of digital retirement wealth!

    Official email: info@cryptominingfirm.com

    Official APP download: supports iOS and Android

    Official website: https://cryptominingfirm.com

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Occupied Palestinian Territories: joint statement, 21 July 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    News story

    Occupied Palestinian Territories: joint statement, 21 July 2025

    The UK and 25 international partners gave a joint statement on the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

    Joint statement by:

    • foreign ministers of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK
    • EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management

    We, the signatories listed below, come together with a simple, urgent message: the war in Gaza must end now.

    The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. The Israeli government’s aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity. We condemn the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food. It is horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid. The Israeli Government’s denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable. Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law.

    The hostages cruelly held captive by Hamas since 7 October 2023 continue to suffer terribly. We condemn their continued detention and call for their immediate and unconditional release. A negotiated ceasefire offers the best hope of bringing them home and ending the agony of their families.

    We call on the Israeli government to immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and to urgently enable the UN and humanitarian NGOs to do their life saving work safely and effectively.

    We call on all parties to protect civilians and uphold the obligations of international humanitarian law. Proposals to remove the Palestinian population into a “humanitarian city” are completely unacceptable. Permanent forced displacement is a violation of international humanitarian law.

    We strongly oppose any steps towards territorial or demographic change in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The E1 settlement plan announced by Israel’s Civil Administration, if implemented, would divide a Palestinian state in two, marking a flagrant breach of international law and critically undermine the two-state solution. Meanwhile, settlement building across the West Bank including East Jerusalem has accelerated while settler violence against Palestinians has soared. This must stop.

    We urge the parties and the international community to unite in a common effort to bring this terrible conflict to an end, through an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire. Further bloodshed serves no purpose.  We reaffirm our complete support to the efforts of the US, Qatar and Egypt to achieve this.

    We are prepared to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire and a political pathway to security and peace for Israelis, Palestinians and the entire region.

    This statement has been signed by: 

    • The Foreign Ministers of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK 

    • The EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management

    Media enquiries

    Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk

    Telephone 020 7008 3100

    Email the FCDO Newsdesk (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: A potted history of fermented foods – from pickles to kimchi

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Serin Quinn, PhD Candidate, Department of History, University of Warwick

    Are you a pro at pickling? How about baking sourdough bread or brewing your own kombucha? If the answer is yes, you’ve probably picked up on one of the recent trends promoting fermented foods, which promise to boost your gut health and save both you and the planet from the scourge of food waste.

    For the uninitiated, fermented foods include anything that uses bacteria to break down organic matter into a new product. Look around an ordinary kitchen and you’ll almost certainly find something fermented: yoghurt (milk), beer and wine (grain/fruit) or vinegar (alcohol). Not all of these will give you the promised health boost, however, which comes from “live” ferments containing probiotic microbes, usually lactic acid bacteria. In alcohol and vinegar the fermenting bacteria die during the process.

    The health benefits of fermented foods are widely promoted. Some advocates, like epidemiologist Tim Spector, suggest the gut microbiome is the key to our health, while others are more cautious: in essence, although kefir is certainly good for your gut, it isn’t a cure-all. Still, the research is ongoing and diversifying: one study has even suggested that probiotics could fight the less pleasant recent phenomenon of microplastics in our stomachs.

    The future of fermented foods is definitely something to keep an eye on, but equally interesting is their long past and the different fermented food fashions we see over time.

    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.

    People have been fermenting food since before the written word. Thanks to archaeological discoveries, we know that 13,000 years ago ancient Natufian culture in the Levant was fermenting grain into beer and that around the globe in Jiahu, Northern China, 9,000 years ago, a mixture of rice, honey and fruit was fermented to make early “wines”.

    In fact, most cultures have at some point in their history fermented plants into alcohol, from agave pulque in Mesoamerica to gum-tree way-a-linah in Australia.

    Mosaic depicting a garum jug with a titulus reading ‘from the workshop of the garum importer Aulus Umbricius Scaurus’.
    Claus Ableiter, CC BY-SA

    As to preserving food, archaeologists have found that nearly 10,000 years ago fish was fermented by the Mesolithic inhabitants of Sweden. Today nam pla (fish sauce made from fermented anchovies) is very popular, but fermented fish sauces were a major commodity in the ancient world, including the garum of the Romans. This was made from the blood and guts of mackerel, salt-fermented for two months. Although it might not sound very appealing, garum was an expensive condiment for the Roman nobility and was shipped all the way from Spain to Britain.

    Garum eventually lost its popularity in Europe during the Middle Ages, but fermented fish made a comeback in the 18th century. In Asia fish sauces had continued strong, and colonialism brought the south Asian fish sauce kê-chiap to Europe, alongside soy sauce (fermented soybeans). Salt-fermenting oysters and anchovies in this style became popular in England and North America, and people eventually branched out to preserving tomatoes – giving us modern ketchup.

    Cabbage cultures

    No discussion of fermentation would be complete without pickled vegetables. Today, the most talked-about fermented vegetable is the cabbage, in the form of kimchi and sauerkraut, thanks to its strong probiotic and vitamin C content.

    The historical origins of these dishes are unclear. Online articles might tell you that pickled cabbage was first eaten by the builders of the Great Wall of China 2,000 years ago and brought to Europe in Genghis Khan’s saddlebags. These kinds of apocryphal stories should be taken with more than a grain of salt.

    An illustration of the cultivation of grapes and winemaking in Ming dynasty China (1368–1644).
    Wellcome Collection

    So should the apparent connection to Roman author Pliny the Elder, who made no mention of “salt cabbage” anywhere in his works. While the Greeks and Romans loved cabbage and considered it a cure for many illnesses, they almost always boiled it, which would kill the lactobacillus.

    Still, as Jan Davison, author of Pickles: A Global History, writes, literary evidence suggests that salt pickling in general does have a long precedence. Pickled gourds were eaten in Zhou dynasty China around 3,000 years ago.

    It’s hard to say when sauerkraut became a common dish, but the term was in use by the 16th century and was associated with Germany by the 17th. As to Korean kimchi, research suggests this style of preservation was practised by the 13th century, only using turnips rather than cabbage.

    The popularity of radish and cabbage kimchi only came about in the 16th century, alongside the use of chilli peppers. Now an iconic aspect of this bright-red dish, peppers were not part of “Old World” diets before the Columbian exchange.

    History reveals our long relationship with fermented food. Our pickling ancestors were more interested in food preservation than in their bacterial microbiome – a very modern concept. Looking to past practices might even help us innovate fermentation technologies, as recent research from the Vrije Universiteit Brussels shows. I’m not sure about bringing back fermented fish guts, but more pickled turnips doesn’t sound half bad.

    This article features references to books that have been included for editorial reasons, and may contain links to bookshop.org. If you click on one of the links and go on to buy something from bookshop.org The Conversation UK may earn a commission.

    Serin Quinn 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. A potted history of fermented foods – from pickles to kimchi – https://theconversation.com/a-potted-history-of-fermented-foods-from-pickles-to-kimchi-260132

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Congo and critical minerals: What are the costs of America’s peace?

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Evelyn Namakula Mayanja, Assistant Professor, Interdisciplinary Studies, Carleton University

    In March 2025, President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) offered the country’s critical mineral reserves to the United States and Europe in exchange for security and stability.

    At the time, the March 23 (M23) militia insurgency was unleashing violence: killing civilians, committing sexual violence, displacing communities and looting mineral resources. Since 1996, eastern Congo has been engulfed in wars and armed conflicts driven by regional powers and more than 120 armed groups.

    The U.S.-brokered peace agreement between Rwanda and the DRC raises critical questions: Is this a genuine path to sustainable peace, or a continuation of U.S. President Donald Trump’s strategy to secure access to critical minerals through coercive diplomacy?



    Read more:
    4 things every peace agreement needs – and how the DRC-Rwanda deal measures up

    Global arms race for critical minerals

    The global shift toward renewable energy, digital infrastructure and military modernization has sparked a geopolitical scramble for critical and rare earth minerals.

    In early 2025, Trump signed a series of executive orders that introduced aggressive and imperial-style tactics to secure access to mineral wealth. He threatened Canada with annexation and tariffs, demanded access to Greenland’s resources and linked U.S. support for Ukraine to access to its mineral reserves.

    The DRC’s offer must be viewed through this lens of global resource competition.

    Congo’s critical mineral wealth

    The DRC holds some of the world’s richest deposits of critical minerals and metals. A 2012 article estimated the value of Congo’s untapped mineral wealth at US$24 trillion, a figure nearing the U.S. first-quarter 2025 GDP of $29.962 trillion.

    The DRC produces 70 per cent of the world’s cobalt, ranks fourth in copper, sixth in industrial diamonds and also possesses vast reserves of nickel and lithium, including the Manono deposit expected to yield 95,170 tonnes of crude lithium.

    But the struggle to control these resources has fuelled a cycle of armed violence, displacement and exploitation. Despite several peace agreements, peace and stability remain elusive.

    America’s interests in Congo

    U.S. involvement in Congo stretches back to the Cold War, when it played a role in the 1961 assassination of Patrice Lumumba, Congo’s first elected prime minister who sought economic sovereignty.

    In 1996, the U.S. was accused of backing Rwanda and Uganda in the initial invasion of eastern Congo. A U.S. diplomat, “Mr. Hankins,” was quoted in Goma saying: “I am here …to represent American interests.”

    In 2024, President Joe Biden met Tshisekedi to advance the Lobito Corridor, a strategic trade route to counter China’s dominance in the region. Chinese companies currently control around 80 per cent of Congo’s copper market.

    When Trump signed the 2025 peace agreement, he openly stated the U.S. would gain “a lot of mineral rights … foreign trade and investment from the regional critical mineral supply chains.”

    U.S.-brokered peace deal

    The deal, however, prioritizes America’s access to minerals over the well-being of Congolese citizens. Historically, Congo’s mineral wealth has enriched elites and foreign powers while leaving its people impoverished and vulnerable. The new agreement could entrench existing inequalities and inflame tensions further.

    The U.S. has also cut off aid for war survivors, including emergency medical kits and antiretrovirals for rape victims, undermining humanitarian efforts.

    Crucially, the agreement overlooks:

    • The root causes and drivers of conflict at national, regional and international levels.

    • The role of Rwanda and Uganda, whose militaries and intelligence services have long been implicated in supporting groups like M23. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, son of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, has referred to M23 as “our brothers” and threatened military action in Congo.

    • The voices of Congolese civil society, war survivors and the public, who were excluded from the negotiation process.

    • State fragility and institutional collapse — major enablers of protracted violence.

    • The grievances of Hutu and Tutsi communities in the DRC, deeply rooted in colonial and regional politics.

    • The presence of more than 120 armed groups, many of them proxies for foreign powers engaging in what some scholars call “geocriminality.”

    Between January and February 2025 alone, more than 7,000 people were killed in the DRC. The United Nations and several human rights organizations have documented mass atrocities, including crimes of genocidal magnitude.

    A path toward real peace

    The peace agreement fails to demand justice for crimes committed against the Congolese people. Nobel Peace laureate Denis Mukwege condemned the deal for “rewarding aggression, legitimizing the plundering of Congo’s natural resources, and sacrificing justice for a fragile peace.”

    It also ignores the roles of international mining corporations and external entities that have long profited from Congo’s instability.

    True and lasting peace in the DRC cannot be imposed from the outside. U.S.-led mineral extraction without justice risks deepening the crisis. Since 1999, UN peacekeepers have been deployed in the Congo , yet violence continues.

    Sustainable peace will require:

    • An end to impunity;

    • Thorough investigations into war crimes;

    • Regional truth-telling processes;

    • Justice and reparations for victims;

    • And most importantly, inclusion of Congolese voices in shaping their future.

    Without these commitments, the U.S. risks replicating a long history of exploitation, trading in minerals while ignoring the human cost.

    Evelyn Namakula Mayanja receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and from Carleton University

    – ref. Congo and critical minerals: What are the costs of America’s peace? – https://theconversation.com/congo-and-critical-minerals-what-are-the-costs-of-americas-peace-260567

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Why it can be harder to sleep during the summer

    Source: Anglia Ruskin University

    By Timothy Hearn, Anglia Ruskin University

    As the days stretch long and the sun lingers late into the evening, most of us welcome summer with open arms. Yet for a surprising number of people, this season brings an unwelcome guest: insomnia.

    For these people, summer is a time of tossing and turning, early waking – or simply not feeling sleepy when they should. Far from just being a nuisance, this seasonal insomnia may chip away at mood, concentration and metabolic health.

    But why does insomnia spike in summer — and more importantly, what can be done about it? The answer lies in the light.

    Every tissue in the body owns a molecular “clock”. However, these clocks take their cue from a central timekeeper – the brain’s suprachiasmatic nucleus. This cluster of about 20,000 neurons synchronises the myriad cellular clocks to a near 24-hour cycle.

    It uses the external light detected by the eyes as a cue, driving the release of two different hormones: melatonin, which makes us sleepy and a pre-dawn surge cortisol to help us wake.

    In winter, this light cue is short and sharp. But in June and July, daylight can stretch on for 16 or 17 hours in the mid‑latitudes. That extra dose matters because evening light is the most potent signal for pushing the central timekeeper later. In summer melatonin shifts by roughly 30 minutes to an hour later, while dawn light floods bedrooms early and kills the hormone off sooner.

    This can have a big effect on the amount of sleep we get. One study monitored the sleep of 188 participants in the lab on three nights at different times of the year. The researchers found that total sleep was about an hour shorter in summer than winter.

    Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep — the sleep stage most strongly linked to emotional regulation and the consolidation of emotionally charged memories — accounted for roughly half the sleep loss in summer.

    The same team later tracked 377 patients over two consecutive years and showed that sleep length and REM sleep began a five‑month decline soon after the last freezing night of spring. Sleep length shrank by an average of 62 minutes, while REM decreased by about 24 minutes. Slow-wave sleep – the phase most critical for tissue repair, immune regulation and the consolidation of factual memories – reached its annual low around the autumn equinox.

    Both studies took place in a city bathed in artificial light – suggesting that even in modern environments our sleep remains seasonally affected.

    Big population surveys echo these findings. Among more than 30,000 middle‑aged Canadians, volunteers interviewed in midsummer said they slept eight minutes less than those interviewed in midwinter. The summer interviewees also reported greater insomnia symptoms in the fortnight after the autumn clock change – suggesting the abrupt time shift exacerbates underlying seasonal misalignment.

    One study also compared the effect of summer sleep in people living at very different latitudes – such as near the equator, where there’s little change in day length in the summer, and near the Arctic circle, where the differences are extreme. The study found that for people living in Tromsø, Norway, their self-reported insomnia and daytime fatigue rose markedly in summer. But for people living in Accra, Ghana (near the equator), these measures barely budged.

    This show just how strongly daylight – and the amount of daylight hours we experience – can affect our sleep quality. But it isn’t the only culprit of poor summertime sleep.

    Temperature is another factor that can spoil sleep during the summer months.

    Just before we fall asleep, our core body temperature begins a steep descent of roughly 1°C to help us fall asleep. It reaches its lowest point during the first half of the night.

    On muggy summer nights this can make falling asleep difficult. Laboratory experiments show that even a rise from 26°C to about 32°C increases wakefulness and reduces both slow-wave and REM sleep.

    Different people are also more vulnerable to summer insomnia than others. This has to do with your unique “chronotype” – your natural preference to rise early or sleep late.

    Evening chronotypes – “night owls” – already lean towards later bedtimes. They may stay up even later when it stays bright past 10pm. Morning chronotypes, on the other hand, may find themselves waking up even earlier than they normally do because of when the sun rises in the summer.

    Mood can amplify the effect. Research found people who suffered with mental health issues were more likely to experience difficulty sleeping in summer.

    Chronic anxiety, alcohol use and certain prescription drugs — notably beta blockers, which suppress melatonin — can all make sleep more elusive in summer.

    Reclaiming summer sleep

    Happily, there are many ways of fixing the issue.

    • Get some morning sunshine. Try to step outside within an hour of waking up – even if it’s just for 15 minutes. This tells the clock that the day has begun and nudges it to finish earlier that evening.

    • Create an artificial dusk. Around two hours before bed, close the curtains, turn off the lights and reduce the intensity of your phone screen’s blue light to help your melatonin rise on time.

    • Don’t let the dawn light in. Being exposed to the dawn light too early will wake you up. Blackout curtains or a contoured eye-mask can ensure you don’t wake before you’re rested.

    • Keep things cool. Fans, breathable cotton or linen sheets or a lukewarm shower before bed all help the body to achieve that crucial one-degree drop in core temperature needed to get a good night’s sleep.

    The deeper lesson here from chronobiology is that humans remain, biologically speaking, seasonal animals. While our industrialised lives flatten the calendar, our cells still measure day length and temperature just as plants and migratory birds do.

    By adapting and aligning our habits with those light signals, we might just be able to recapture some sleep – even during the warmer months.

    Timothy Hearn, Senior Lecturer in Bioinformatics, Anglia Ruskin University

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

    The opinions expressed in VIEWPOINT articles are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARU.

    If you wish to republish this article, please follow these guidelines: https://theconversation.com/uk/republishing-guidelines

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Sydbank A/S share buyback programme: transactions in week 29

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Company Announcement No 32/2025

    		 Peberlyk 4
    6200 Aabenraa
    Denmark

    Tel +45 74 37 37 37
    Fax +45 74 37 35 36

    Sydbank A/S
    CVR No DK 12626509, Aabenraa
    sydbank.dk
    21 July 2025  

    Dear Sirs

    Sydbank A/S share buyback programme: transactions in week 29
    On 26 February 2025 Sydbank A/S announced a share buyback programme of DKK 1,350m. The share buyback programme commenced on 3 March 2025 and will be completed by 31 January 2026.

    The purpose of the share buyback programme is to reduce the share capital of Sydbank A/S and the programme is executed in compliance with the provisions of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 of 8 March 2016, collectively referred to as the Safe Harbour rules.

    The following transactions have been made under the share buyback programme:

      Number of shares VWAP Gross value (DKK)
    Accumulated, most recent
    Announcement

    1,238,000

    		  

    529,848,260.00
    14 July 2025
    15 July 2025
    16 July 2025
    17 July 2025
    18 July 2025    		 10,000
    10,000
    10,000
    10,000
    10,000    		 480.70
    481.13
    481.33
    477.60
    477.97    		 4,807,000.00
    4,811,300.00
    4,813,300.00
    4,776,000.00
    4,779,700.00
    Total over week 29 50,000   23,987,300.00
    Total accumulated during the
    share buyback programme

    1,288,000

    		  

    553,835,560.00

    All transactions were made under ISIN DK 0010311471 and effected by Danske Bank A/S on behalf of Sydbank A/S.

    Further information about the transactions, cf Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council on market abuse and Commission delegated regulation, is available in the attachment.

    Following the above transactions, Sydbank A/S holds a total of 1,288,593 own shares, equal to 2.51% of the Bank’s share capital.

    Yours sincerely
            
    Mark Luscombe        Jørn Adam Møller
    CEO                          Deputy Group Chief Executive

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Vidsyn Discovery Proves Up Commercial Oil and Gas

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Oslo, 21 July 2025 – DNO ASA, the Norwegian oil and gas operator, today confirmed a gas and condensate discovery on the Vidsyn prospect close to its producing Fenja oil and gas field, both within the Norwegian Sea license PL586. The Company has a 25 percent stake in the license, up from 7.5 percent prior to the recent acquisition of Sval Energi Group AS last month.

    Preliminary estimates put gross recoverable resources in the range of 25 to 40 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMboe) with a mean of 31 MMboe, above the pre-drill estimate range. The Vidsyn discovery was made in Middle Jurassic high-quality reservoir sandstones of the Ile formation. The partnership, including Vår Energi ASA (75 percent and operator), considers the discovery commercial and sees a potential to unlock a larger volume in the licence.

    “Vidsyn is another exciting addition to our string of Norway discoveries,” said Executive Chairman Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani. “Together with Vår Energi, we will work hard to put it into production faster than is the norm in Norway.”

    Vidsyn is located eight kilometers west of the Fenja field, which is tied back to the Equinor-operated Njord field facilities 35 kilometers to the northeast. Njord oil is exported by shuttle tankers while gas is piped to the market via the Åsgard Transport System.

    Since re-entering Norway in 2017, DNO has participated in over a dozen discoveries on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, including three on permits operated by the Company, namely Kjøttkake (2025), Othello (2024) and Norma (2023).

    DNO produces around 80,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day offshore North Sea from more than 30 fields, participates in six ongoing field development projects, is maturing multiple discoveries for project sanction and has interests in a total of 138 permits in the North Sea where it will drill three more exploration wells later this year: Page in PL1086 (50 percent interest and operator), Tyrihans Øst in PL1121 (30 percent) and Camilla Nord in the Vega unit (5.5 percent). Combined North Sea 2P reserves and 2C resources of 435 million barrel of oil equivalent translates into15 years of production at the current run rate.

    –

    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, Netherlands 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.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EU adopts new sanctions against Russia

    Source: Government of Sweden

    The EU has today adopted an 18th sanctions package in response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. This package contains a number of new and expanded measures to limit Russia’s energy revenues and the shadow fleet. These measures include lowering the oil price cap from USD 60 to USD 47.6 per barrel.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI: IDEX Biometrics ASA – Contemplated Fully Underwritten Private Placement – 21 July 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO AUSTRALIA, CANADA, HONG KONG, JAPAN OR THE UNITED STATES OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF ANY OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN.

    Oslo, Norway, 21 July 2025

    IDEX Biometrics ASA (“IDEX” or the “Company”) has engaged Arctic Securities AS (the “Manager”) to advise on and effect a contemplated private placement in the Company of 9,090,909 new shares in the Company (the “Offer Shares”) raising gross proceeds of NOK 30 million (the “Private Placement”). The subscription price per Offer Share (the “Offer Price”) is NOK 3.30 per Offer Share.

    Altea AS, Pinchcliffe AS (closely associated company of the CEO and CFO, Anders Storbråten), Anders Storbråten, Charles Street International Ltd. (Robert Keith) and K-Konsult AS (closely associated company of the chairperson of the board of directors, Morten Opstad) (the “Underwriters”) have, subject to customary conditions, accepted to be allocated Offer Shares that are not applied for during the Application Period (as defined herein) for up to NOK 30,000,000 pursuant to an underwriting agreement entered into with the Company (the “UWA“). An underwriting fee equal to 5% of the underwriting commitment by each Underwriter will be payable by the Company to each of the Underwriters in the form of a total of 454,542 new shares in the Company (the “Underwriting Shares“), subject to the approval and issuance of the Underwriting Shares by the EGM (as defined herein).

    The net proceeds from the Private Placement will be used to Company’s commercialization efforts in line with the new business strategy announced in March 2025 as well as for general corporate purposes.

    The application period for the Private Placement will commence today, 21 July 2025 at 09:00 CEST and is expected to close no later than 21 July 2025 at 16:30 CEST (the “Application Period”). The Company, in consultation with the Manager, reserves the right to at any time and in its sole discretion resolve to close or extend the Application Period or to cancel the Private Placement in its entirety without further notice. If the Application Period is shortened or extended, any other dates referred to herein may be amended accordingly.

    The final number of Offer Shares will be determined at the end of the Application Period, and the final allocation will be made at the sole discretion of the Board after consulting with the Manager. The allocation will be based on criteria such as (but not limited to) timeliness of the application, relative order size, sector knowledge, investment history, perceived investor quality and investment horizon. The Board may, at its sole discretion, reject and/or reduce any applications. There is no guarantee that any applicant will be allocated Offer Shares. Notification of allotment and payment instructions is expected to be issued to the applicants on or about 22 July 2025 through a notification to be issued by the Manager.

    The Private Placement will be divided into two tranches: Tranche 1 (“Tranche 1”) will consist of up to 4,731,594 Offer Shares, which may be issues based on the current outstanding authorization to issue new shares given to the Company’s board of directors (“Board”) by the annual general meeting on 21 May 2025 (the “Authorization”) and Tranche 2 (“Tranche 2”) will consist of the number of Offer Shares that, together with the Tranche 1 shares, is necessary in order to raise gross proceeds of NOK 30 million. The issuance of Offer Shares in Tranche 2 remains subject to approval by an extraordinary general meeting, scheduled to be held on or about 14 August 2025 (the “EGM”). Applicants will receive a pro rata portion of shares from Tranche 1 and Tranche 2 based on their overall allocation in the Private Placement, with the exception of the Underwriters which has agreed that the new shares it is allocated in the Private Placement will all be allocated in Tranche 2.

    Tranche 1 will be settled with existing and unencumbered shares in the Company that are already listed on Oslo Børs, pursuant to a share lending agreement entered into between the Company, the Manager and an existing shareholder (the “Share Lending Agreement”). The Share Lending Agreement will be settled with new shares in the Company to be resolved issued by the Board pursuant to the Authorization. Settlement of the Private Placement is expected to take place on a delivery versus payment basis on or about 24 July 2025.

    The completion of Tranche 1 is subject to (i) approval by the Board under the Authorization and (ii) the Share Lending Agreement and the UWAs remaining in full force and effect (”Tranche 1 Conditions”). The completion of Tranche 2 is subject to (i) completion of Tranche 1, (ii) approval by the EGM and (iii) the Share Lending Agreement and the UWA remaining in full force and effect (”Tranche 2 Conditions”). Both the Tranche 1 Conditions and the Tranche 2 Conditions include the share capital increase pertaining to the issuance of the allocated Offer Shares under such tranche being validly registered with the Norwegian Register of Business Enterprises and the allocated Offer Shares being validly issued and registered in the Norwegian Central Securities Depository Euronext Securities Oslo (“VPS”), Completion of Tranche 1 is not conditional upon completion of Tranche 2, and acquisition of shares in Tranche 1 will remain final and binding and cannot be revoked or terminated by the respective applicants if Tranche 2 is not completed. The Board reserves the right to cancel, and/or modify the terms of the Private Placement, at any time and for any reason prior to delivery of the Offer Shares in Tranche 1, without or on short notice. The Applicant acknowledges that Tranche 1 and Tranche 2 of the Private Placement will be cancelled if the relevant conditions for such tranches (or issuance) are not fulfilled, and may be cancelled by the Board in its sole discretion for any other reason whatsoever prior to delivery of the Offer Shares in Tranche 1. Neither the Manager nor the Company will be liable for any losses if the Private Placement is cancelled or modified, irrespective of the reason for such cancellation or modification.

    The Private Placement will be directed towards Norwegian and international investors, subject to applicable exemptions from relevant registration, filing and prospectus requirements, and subject to other applicable selling restrictions. The minimum application and allocation amount has been set to the NOK equivalent of EUR 100,000. The Company may however, at its sole discretion, allocate amounts below EUR 100,000 to the extent exemptions from the prospectus requirements in accordance with applicable regulations, including the Norwegian Securities Trading Act and ancillary regulations, are available.

    The Board has considered the contemplated Private Placement in light of the equal treatment obligations under the Norwegian Securities Trading Act and Oslo Børs’ Circular no. 2/2014 and deems that the proposed Private Placement would be in compliance with these requirements. The Board holds the view that it will be in the common interest of the Company and its shareholders to raise equity through a private placement, in view of the current market conditions and the growth opportunities currently available to the Company. A private placement enables the Company to raise capital in an efficient manner, and the Private Placement is structured to ensure that a market-based subscription price is achieved. In order to limit the dilutive effect of the Private Placement and to facilitate equal treatment, the Board will consider carrying out a subsequent offering directed towards shareholders who did not participate in the Private Placement (see details below).

    The Subsequent Offering
    Subject to among other things (i) completion of the Private Placement, (ii) relevant corporate resolutions including approval by the Board and an extraordinary general meeting, (iii) the prevailing market price of IDEX’s shares being higher than the Offer Price, and (iv) approval of a prospectus by the Norwegian Financial Supervisory Authority, IDEX will consider whether to carry out a subsequent offering (the “Subsequent Offering”) of new shares in the Company. A Subsequent Offering will, if made, be directed towards existing shareholders in the Company as of 21 July 2025, as registered in IDEX’s register of shareholders with Euronext Securities Oslo, the central securities depositary in Norway (Nw. Verdipapirsentralen) (the “VPS”) two trading days thereafter, who (i) are not allocated Offer Shares in the Private Placement, and (ii) are not resident in a jurisdiction where such offering would be unlawful or would (other than Norway) require any prospectus, filing, registration or similar action (the “Eligible Shareholders”). The Eligible Shareholders are expected to be granted non-tradable allocation rights. If carried out, the subscription period in a Subsequent Offering is expected to commence shortly after publication of the Prospectus (if relevant), and the subscription price in the Subsequent Offering will be the same as the Offer Price in the Private Placement. IDEX will issue a separate stock exchange notice with further details on the Subsequent Offering if and when finally resolved.

    About IDEX Biometrics ASA
    IDEX Biometrics ASA (OSE: IDEX) is a global technology leader in fingerprint biometrics, offering authentication solutions across payments, access control, and digital identity. Our solutions bring convenience, security, peace of mind and seamless user experiences to the world. Built on patented and proprietary sensor technologies, integrated circuit designs, and software, our biometric solutions target card-based applications for payments and digital authentication. As an industry-enabler we partner with leading card manufacturers and technology companies to bring our solutions to market.

    This information is considered to be inside information pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) and is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to MAR article 17 and section 5 -12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. This stock exchange release was published by Kjell-Arne Besseberg, Chief Operating Officer, on 21 July 2025 at 07.30 CEST.

    Important information:
    This announcement is not and does not form a part of any offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase, any securities of the Company. The distribution of this announcement and other information may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. Copies of this announcement are not being made and may not be distributed or sent into any jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful or would require registration or other measures. Persons into whose possession this announcement or such other information should come are required to inform themselves about and to observe any such restrictions.

    The securities referred to in this announcement have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and accordingly may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and in accordance with applicable U.S. state securities laws. The Company does not intend to register any part of the offering or its securities in the United States or to conduct a public offering of securities in the United States. Any sale in the United States of the securities mentioned in this announcement will be made solely to “qualified institutional buyers” as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act.

    In any EEA Member State, this communication is only addressed to and is only directed at qualified investors in that Member State within the meaning of the EU Prospectus Regulation, i.e., only to investors who can receive the offer without an approved prospectus in such EEA Member State. The expression “EU Prospectus Regulation” means Regulation 2017/1129 as amended together with any applicable implementing measures in any Member State.

    This communication is only being distributed to and is only directed at persons in the United Kingdom that are (i) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the “Order”) or (ii) high net worth entities, and other persons to whom this announcement may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as “relevant persons”). This communication must not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not relevant persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this communication relates is available only for relevant persons and will be engaged in only with relevant persons. Persons distributing this communication must satisfy themselves that it is lawful to do so.

    Matters discussed in this announcement may constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and may be identified by words such as “believe”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “strategy”, “intends”, “estimate”, “will”, “may”, “continue”, “should” and similar expressions. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions. Although the Company believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important factors which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond its control.

    Actual events may differ significantly from any anticipated development due to a number of factors, including without limitation, changes in investment levels and need for the Company’s services, changes in the general economic, political and market conditions in the markets in which the Company operate, the Company’s ability to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel, changes in the Company’s ability to engage in commercially acceptable acquisitions and strategic investments, and changes in laws and regulation and the potential impact of legal proceedings and actions. Such risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important factors could cause actual events to differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in this release by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not provide any guarantees that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements in this announcement are free from errors nor does it accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the opinions expressed in this announcement or any obligation to update or revise the statements in this announcement to reflect subsequent events. You should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements in this document.

    The information, opinions and forward-looking statements contained in this announcement speak only as at its date, and are subject to change without notice. The Company does not undertake any obligation to review, update, confirm, or to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that arise in relation to the content of this announcement.

    Neither the Manager nor any of their affiliates make any representation as to the accuracy or completeness of this announcement and none of them accepts any responsibility for the contents of this announcement or any matters referred to herein.

    This announcement is for information purposes only and is not to be relied upon in substitution for the exercise of independent judgment. It is not intended as investment advice and under no circumstances is it to be used or considered as an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a recommendation to buy or sell any securities in the Company. Neither the Manager nor any of their affiliates accept any liability arising from the use of this announcement. 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Missions – 21-23 July: INTA Delegation to Brazil – 21-07-2025 – Committee on International Trade

    Source: European Parliament

    A delegation of 10 Members of the Committee on International Trade (INTA) will travel to Brazil from 21 to 23 July and will visit Brasília and São Paulo.

    The mission will focus on advancing dialogue on the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement and strengthening trade relations between the European Union and Brazil.

    During the visit, Members of the European Parliament will engage with Brazilian ministers, and officials as well as representatives from industry, civil society and think tanks to discuss the political, economic and environmental dimensions of the agreement.

    The delegation is lead by LANGE Bernd, Chair of the INTA, S&D (Germany) and also includes:

    SOUSA SILVA Hélder, Chair of the Delegation for relations with the Federative Republic of Brazil, EPP (Portugal)

    REGNER Evelyn, Chair of the Delegation for relations with Mercosur, S&D (Austria)

    WARBORN Jörgen, EPP (Sweden)

    ZOVKO Željana, EPP (Croatia)

    ASSIS Francisco, S&D (Portugal)

    BULLMANN Udo, S&D (Germany)

    KRUIS Sebastian, PfE (Netherlands)

    MADISON Jaak, ECR (Estonia)

    VEDRENNE Marie-Pierre, Renew (France)

    BRICMONT Saskia, Greens/EFA (Belgium)

    AUBRY Manon, The Left (France)

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: General Assembly Adopts Resolution Urging Action on Secretary-General’s Initiative to Modernize United Nations System

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    The General Assembly today adopted, by consensus, a resolution welcoming the Secretary-General’s efforts to strengthen the United Nations so that the Organization can keep pace with a changing world and be fit for present and future challenges.

    That text, titled “UN80 Initiative” (document A/79/L.99) also saw the Assembly look forward to receiving the Secretary-General’s proposals in the framework of that initiative, “taking into account the necessity to have clearly defined objectives and an evidence-based approach, and aiming at strengthening the impact of the United Nations and enhancing its agility, responsiveness and resilience while addressing the issue of duplicative efforts and ensuring effective and efficient mandate delivery across all three pillars of the work of the United Nations”.

    Further, the Assembly called on UN entities and specialized agencies to align their reform efforts with this approach, as appropriate.

    Following the adoption, the representative of Japan underlined her country’s commitment to multilateralism and the UN80 Initiative.  Detailing her delegation’s understanding that the UN is drawing lessons from previous reforms where “negotiations on mandates faced deadlock between Member States”, she said that today’s resolution “is not intended to obstruct these efforts but, rather, to support and complement them”.

    However, several speakers took issue with the timing of today’s resolution.

    The representative of Switzerland, also speaking for Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, welcomed that today’s resolution recognizes the importance of Member States providing the Secretary-General with the necessary space and political backing for the UN80 Initiative.  However, he added:  “We were not fully convinced that the timing of this resolution was optimal or conducive to the ongoing discussions.”

    The representative of Australia, also speaking for Canada and New Zealand, emphasized that discussions concerning the UN80 Initiative should be based on clear, robust advice and proposals from the Secretary-General.  Further, they should be grounded in evidence-based, documented analysis.  “So, we believe a resolution at this stage is premature,” she said, pointing out that “it risks limiting both the scope and ambition of forthcoming proposals”.

    Similarly, Denmark’s representative, speaking for the European Union and its member States, expressed regret that “the process leading to the adoption of this resolution was premature and unnecessarily rushed”.  The limited time available for meaningful consultation and reflection did not allow for the constructive engagement required.  And, while the text aims to address duplication and promote efficiency, he stressed that the process leading to its adoption — “regrettably did not reflect these principles”.

    Following those statements, the representative of the Russian Federation took the floor to exercise the right of reply.  Recalling that his delegation conducted several rounds of consultations — “and, most importantly, took into account the red lines specified by delegations” — he urged the European Union to take such an approach in future negotiations.  Thanking those present for their consensus support, he said:  “It is because we seek success in the UN’s adaptation to current and future challenges that the Russian Federation presented this draft.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Wanted Massachusetts Trinitarios Gang Member Captured in Bethel, Maine

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Portland, ME – The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) in Maine, announce the arrest of Yonaidry Lascano Rosario, 24, in Bethel, ME. Rosario, a known member of the Trinitarios Gang, was wanted for 2 counts of Assault to Murder (Armed), Accessory After the Fact, Assault and Battery with Dangerous Weapon, Assault with Dangerous Weapon, and Firearm Carry without License. All warrants were issued out of the State of Massachusetts.

    The USMS led, Maine Violent Offender Task Force (MVOTF), received a collateral lead from the USMS District of Massachusetts in April of 2025. For months, Maine Investigators conducted surveillance, interviews, and developed leads which finally resulted in a credible location for Rosario.

    Thursday night, federal task force members surrounded a residence in Bethel, Maine and ordered Rosario to surrender. Rosario was identified and apprehended without incident. As a result of the arrest, a search warrant was also executed, resulting in firearm(s) and a quantity of drugs being seized by Investigators. Rosario was charged as a Fugitive from Justice, pending his extradition back to Massachusetts.

    It is alleged that “Trinitarios” undertake efforts to dominate communities by intimidating rival gangs while trying to establish control over certain neighborhoods. As seen in previous charging documents throughout the country, “Trinitarios” tend to utilize violence, including murder, in furtherance of the organization’s goals and purposes.

    The U.S. Marshal’s MVOTF received significant assistance from the FBI Maine Safe Streets Task Force, Oxford County Sheriff’s Office, Rumford Police Department, Norway Police Department, and the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section.

    The District of Maine’s, Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal, Josh Taylor said, “This is simply the direct result of multi-agency collaboration between our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners who are dedicated and sharply focused on apprehending dangerous persons in Maine communities in order to safeguard our residents.”

    The USMS, Maine Violent Offender Task Force is comprised of members of the U.S. Marshals Service, Maine Department of Corrections, Biddeford Police Department, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Maine National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, and the Coast Guard Investigative Service.

    If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of any state or federal fugitive, please contact the United States Marshals Service, District of Maine at med.tipline@usdoj.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Highlights – 21-23 July: INTA delegation to Brazil – Committee on International Trade

    Source: European Parliament

    A delegation of 10 Members of the Committee on International Trade (INTA) will travel to Brazil from 21 to 23 July and will visit Brasília and São Paulo.

    The mission will focus on advancing dialogue on the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement and strengthening trade relations between the European Union and Brazil.

    During the visit, Members of the European Parliament will engage with Brazilian ministers, and officials as well as representatives from industry, civil society and think tanks to discuss the political, economic and environmental dimensions of the agreement.

    The delegation is lead by LANGE Bernd, Chair of the INTA, S&D (Germany) and also includes:

    SOUSA SILVA Hélder, Chair of the Delegation for relations with the Federative Republic of Brazil, EPP (Portugal)

    REGNER Evelyn, Chair of the Delegation for relations with Mercosur, S&D (Austria)

    WARBORN Jörgen, EPP (Sweden)

    ZOVKO Željana, EPP (Croatia)

    ASSIS Francisco, S&D (Portugal)

    BULLMANN Udo, S&D (Germany)

    KRUIS Sebastian, PfE (Netherlands)

    MADISON Jaak, ECR (Estonia)

    VEDRENNE Marie-Pierre, Renew (France)

    BRICMONT Saskia, Greens/EFA (Belgium)

    AUBRY Manon, The Left (France)

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN80 initiative should be ‘inclusive and transparent’, recognises General Assembly

    Source: United Nations 2

    The text, introduced by Russia and adopted without a vote, “welcomes the efforts of the Secretary‑General to strengthen the United Nations in order to keep pace with a changing world” and calls on UN entities and specialised agencies to align their reform efforts “as appropriate”.

    In the resolution, the 193-member Assembly “recognises the central role of Member States in the reform process, which should be inclusive and transparent”.

    It also “looks forward to receiving, in accordance with established procedures” the Secretary‑General’s proposals under the initiative, “taking into account the necessity to have clearly defined objectives and an evidence-based approach, and aiming at strengthening the impact of the United Nations and enhancing its agility, responsiveness and resilience while addressing the issue of duplicative efforts and ensuring effective and efficient mandate delivery across all three pillars of the work of the United Nations.”

    Launched by the Secretary-General in March, the UN80 Initiative centres on three priorities: enhancing operational efficiency, assessing how mandates – or key tasks – from Member States are implemented and exploring structural reforms across the UN system.

    Mixed reactions on timing

    Several delegations voiced backing for the reform effort, but questioned the timing of the resolution.

    Speaking for the European Union, Denmark said the process was “premature and unnecessarily rushed”, noting that limited time for consultations “did not allow for the constructive engagement such an initiative requires”.

    Australia, on behalf of the CANZ group (Canada, Australia and New Zealand), echoed that view, warning that an early resolution “risks limiting both the scope and ambition of the forthcoming proposals”.

    Switzerland, speaking for a group including Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein, also stressed that reform should be “ambitious and strategic”, building on existing assets while ensuring long‑term efficiencies.

    Japan emphasised its “commitment to multilateralism” and said the initiative responds to the urgency of revitalising the UN.

    “The success of the UN80 initiative relies on our shared and complementary responsibilities,” its delegate said.

    Member States in the driving seat

    Exercising its right of reply, Russia rejected claims that the text was rushed, saying it had “conducted several rounds of consultations” and “took into account the red lines specified by delegations, which came out in the silence procedure”.

    The silence procedure sets out a window of time for delegations to express objections to a draft resolution or decision before it is formally acted upon.

    The Russian delegate said the resolution puts Member States “into the driving force of this process” while recognising the Secretary‑General’s prerogative as chief administrative officer under the UN Charter.

    “We seek success in the UN’s adaptation to current and future challenges,” the Russian delegate said, calling the resolution’s adoption “a very important step” to ensure universal support for the initiative.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Alberta’s Heritage Fund reaches new heights

    [. By investing in the Heritage Fund, by 2050 Alberta will be on the path to energize its economy, create new opportunities and fund projects that make life better for all Albertans.

    This $2.8-billion contribution marks a new record for the fund and keeps the province on track to reach its goal of $250 billion by 2050. The goal is to grow the fund to the point where, after 2050, Alberta would be able to withdraw some of the income the fund earns each year while still allowing it to grow over time. Those withdrawals could help cover fluctuations in resource revenue, invest in important infrastructure and keep taxes low.

    “Alberta is turning resource strength into lasting financial security. By growing the Heritage Fund, we’re strengthening core services like health care and education, while preserving the low-tax Alberta advantage. This $2.8-billion boost to the Heritage Fund is a bold step that sets the province on the path to success and puts Albertans first.”

    Danielle Smith, Premier

    “This investment is a key step in securing a prosperous future with stable revenues and competitive taxes for Albertans today and tomorrow.”

    Nate Horner, President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance

    Alberta’s government recently launched their plan, Renewing the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund: A Roadmap to Securing Alberta’s Future. This plan outlines how Alberta will grow the Heritage Fund to $250 billion by 2050 through strategic investments, global partnerships and strong governance, securing long-term economic growth and stability. These strategic investments will eventually fund the public services and infrastructure vital to supporting the growing province.

    Central to the plan is the leadership of the Heritage Fund Opportunities Corporation. The updated corporation will modernize the fund’s management and help Alberta access global investment opportunities to create meaningful wealth and future prosperity. Led by board chair Joe Lougheed, the corporation will strengthen the governance of Heritage Fund assets and support investment decisions independent from government.

    “Our role is to ensure the Heritage Fund is managed with the highest standards of governance and independence. By embracing global opportunities and modernizing oversight, we’re safeguarding Alberta’s wealth to deliver steady, long-term prosperity for Alberta’s future generations.”

    Joe Lougheed, chair, Heritage Fund Opportunities Corporation

    This historic boost to Alberta’s Heritage Fund isn’t just about the numbers – it’s about building a future where families thrive, communities grow and Alberta stays strong no matter what comes next.

    Quick facts:

    • Alberta’s government invested $2.8 billion from the 2024-25 surplus cash in the Heritage Fund, growing the fund to $30 billion from $27.2 billion in 2024-25.
      • This is up from $22.9 billion in 2023-24, the previous fiscal year.
    • Alberta’s goal is to grow the fund to $250 billion by 2050.
      • Once $250 billion is reached, interest from the fund will help stabilize resource revenue, invest in infrastructure and keep taxes low.
    • Since 2019-20, the Heritage Fund has grown more than 84 per cent:
      • from $16.3 billion to $30 billion.
    • Since 2022-23, the Heritage Fund has grown more than 41.5 per cent:
      • from $21.2 billion to $30 billion.
    • The board of the Heritage Fund Opportunities Corporation brings together the skills and expertise of Alberta and international leaders in investment management to set Alberta up for long-term success. The current members are:
      • Joe Lougheed, board chair, Alberta
      • Kate White, director, Alberta
      • Jacqueline Curzon, director, Switzerland
      • Jouko Karvinen, director, Finland
      • Chana Martineau, director, Alberta
      • Mary Ritchie, director, Alberta

    Related information

    • Heritage Savings Trust Fund
    • Renewing the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund: a roadmap to securing Alberta’s future

    Multimedia

    • Watch the news conference

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister Champagne concludes successful G7 and G20 meetings in South Africa

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    July 18, 2025 – Durban, South Africa – Department of Finance Canada

    With global political and economic uncertainty abounding, strong relationships and cross-continental collaboration with reliable nations has never been more important. Canada is spearheading a new era of collaboration and partnership with nations it can trust and whose priorities it shares.

    The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Finance and National Revenue, today concluded his participation in the G7 and G20 meetings of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) in Durban, South Africa – a key engagement under Canada’s ongoing G7 Presidency and a demonstration of Canada’s commitment to strong international partnerships.

    At the G20 meeting, Minister Champagne outlined Canada’s vision for the global economy, as well as for the international financial architecture, international taxation and ways to improve longer-term growth prospects for Africa. Discussions during the meeting included the importance of sustainable finance and the role of resilient infrastructure in supporting economic development.

    The Minister leveraged the occasion to engage in a series of bilateral meetings with his counterparts, further strengthening Canada’s relationships and fostering collaboration with key global partners. This included meetings with Ministers from Indonesia, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, Norway, Sweden, Singapore, Italy, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and  Japan, along with pull-asides with South Africa and Denmark.

    On the margins of the G20 meeting, Minister Champagne co-chaired with Tiff Macklem, Governor of the Bank of Canada, the fourth G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ meeting under Canada’s G7 Presidency. Discussions focused on ways to work together to reduce the ongoing trade and economic policy uncertainty, notably by establishing new uninterrupted trade routes with reliable partners and lifting existing barriers to trade. Russia’s illegal and unjust war against Ukraine, and actions to improve supply chain resilience including for critical minerals, were also discussed. Australia and South Korea joined the discussion on supply chains.

    During a short stay in Cape Town prior to the G7 and G20 meetings, Minister Champagne also met with local business leaders and government officials to advance Canada’s goals of partnership, economic development and innovation. 

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Roar on the Lionesses from Millennium Square as they bid for Euro 2025 final place

    Source: City of Leeds

    Semi-final against Italy to be shown live on the big screen

    England fans will be able to support the Lionesses in their bid for Euro 2025 glory as their semi-final against Italy will be shown live on the big screen in Millennium Square on Tuesday.

    Following their dramatic penalty shootout win over Sweden last night, Sarina Wiegman’s European champions are now one step away from the final as they bid to go back-to-back and repeat their historic success of winning Euro 2022.

    Fans of all ages will be able to watch the semi-final on Tuesday 22 July on the screen on Millennium Square in Leeds, with free access to a fanzone from 7pm ahead of the match starting at 8pm. A licensed bar and toilet facilities will be provided, with strictly no alcohol or glass permitted.

    The screening forms part of the Summer Series of events currently taking place on Millennium Square, and Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport and sustainable development Councillor Jonathan Pryor, said:

    “Once again the Lionesses had the nation enthralled with their exciting and nailbiting comeback victory over Sweden, now we can’t wait to see them in action in the semi-final and the best place to watch will be on the big screen in Millennium Square.

    “As we have seen from the fantastic Summer Series events we have hosted so far, Millennium Square makes for the perfect venue for a crowd atmosphere, so get down on Tuesday night and enjoy the tension and drama as England hopefully get through to the final.”

    For more information on the Summer Series events visit https://www.millsqleeds.com/whats-on/ 

    ENDS 

    For media enquiries please contact:

    Leeds City Council communications and marketing,

    Email: communicationsteam@leeds.gov.uk

    Tel: 0113 378 6007

     

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Testosterone gel: what happens if it rubs off on other people

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Daniel Kelly, Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry, Sheffield Hallam University

    Marc Bruxelle/Shutterstock.com

    A case that first appeared in a medical journal several years ago has recently resurfaced in the media, highlighting an unexpected risk of hormone therapies: a baby girl in Sweden developed unusually large genitals after lying on her father’s bare chest, accidentally exposed to his testosterone gel.

    The incident is a reminder that hormone treatments, while safe when used correctly, can pose risks to others if proper precautions aren’t followed.

    Testosterone is a powerful sex hormone that plays a crucial role in male development. In the early months of life, babies undergo rapid development, making their bodies, and hormones, extremely sensitive. Even small amounts of testosterone absorbed through the skin can affect a baby’s development, particularly with repeated exposure.

    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.

    During “mini-puberty” – a short surge in hormone levels occurring a few months after birth – boys experience rising testosterone levels that help complete reproductive system development and prime it for adulthood. This process also influences brain development.

    In girls, oestrogen rises slightly during this period, but testosterone remains very low. When a girl is exposed to external testosterone, such as from hormone gel, it can cause unexpected changes, including enlarged clitoris or fusion of the labia. This is precisely what occurred in the Swedish case.

    Testosterone gels are commonly prescribed to treat men with low testosterone deficiency. The gel is typically applied once daily to clean, dry skin on the shoulders, upper arms or stomach. These alcohol-based gels help the hormone absorb into the skin.

    While the gel dries within minutes, residue can remain on the skin for an hour or two after application. If someone touches the treated area too soon, or rests directly on it, they can inadvertently absorb some of the hormone. This risk is particularly significant for babies and children, whose thinner, more absorbent skin and developing bodies make them more vulnerable.

    Testosterone gels are also increasingly used off-label in women to treat menopause symptoms (such as low libido, low mood and fatigue) and at around one-tenth of the dose given to men. This lower dose is achieved by applying a smaller amount of the same male product — this time to the lower abdomen, buttocks or outer thighs.

    This means there’s much less hormone overall, but incidental exposure from women is also possible, for example, when holding a child soon after application.

    Some perspective

    While stories like this understandably cause concern, it’s crucial to understand the actual risk level. In the UK, around 50,000 to 100,000 people are prescribed testosterone on the NHS, with gel formulations popular due to their ease of application. If accidental exposure were common, we would see far more cases than the small number reported in medical journals.

    The instructions accompanying these gels are clear: apply only to specified areas, wash hands immediately, cover the skin once dry and avoid close skin contact for several hours. When these guidelines are followed, transfer is very unlikely.

    Thousands of people in the UK are prescribed testosterone replacement therapy.
    Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com

    In the case of the Swedish child, when the father stopped resting the baby on his bare chest, the genital changes reversed over time. This pattern holds true for other reported cases – if exposure stops early, many effects can fade naturally.

    However, in more severe or prolonged cases, children may need medical treatment. This could include hormonal tests, continued monitoring, anti-hormone treatment, or even surgery if physical changes don’t resolve. Early intervention is key, making it essential to consult a doctor if there’s any concern.

    For those with babies, young children, or pregnant partners at home, the solution is straightforward planning. Apply the gel when you won’t be in direct contact immediately afterwards, or consider alternative application methods such as injections, skin patches, or tablets (available in the US), which carry lower risks of unintentional exposure to others.

    This case serves as a valuable reminder that testosterone therapy, like all medications, comes with responsibilities. When used properly, it’s an effective treatment for men with diagnosed testosterone deficiency, improving sexual function and mood, with evidence suggesting it can also support muscle mass, bone health, and metabolism.

    There is no need to fear these treatments, but if you are prescribed this medication, use it responsibly and follow the instructions carefully.

    Daniel Kelly 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. Testosterone gel: what happens if it rubs off on other people – https://theconversation.com/testosterone-gel-what-happens-if-it-rubs-off-on-other-people-261110

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Automatic voter registration: a huge step forward for democracy – and a chance to bring missing millions into elections

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Toby James, Professor of Politics and Public Policy, University of East Anglia

    Shutterstock/Melinda Nagy

    The UK government has announced planned changes to elections which it claims to be “the boldest and most ambitious change to our democracy for decades”. This includes extending the franchise to 16- and 17-year-olds at parliamentary elections – but also other important reforms such as automatic voter registration.

    At the moment, everyone needs to fill in an individual voter registration application at least 12 days before an election. Automatic registration would enable electoral officials to update the electoral rolls without people having to make an application to register to vote. They could use other reliable data to make the electoral register as accurate and complete as possible.

    Electoral officials would then write to the potential voter to inform them that they had been added to the register. They would have the opportunity to make any corrections needed.

    The details are still to be worked out and the change would not come overnight. The process may be semi-automated to begin with – with the individual process sitting alongside some automation.

    Why is automatic registration needed?

    Many people don’t register in time for elections. Some don’t intend to vote, but others assume that they’re already registered. Some are also just busy.

    The result is that there are around 7-8 million people who are not correctly registered when the polling stations open on election day. A significant number are then turned away. The problem is getting worse as the number of people who are not registered is also rising at an alarming rate.

    Estimated number of people missing from the electoral register at UK general elections, 1945-2024.

    The number of people missing from the voter .
    James, Bernal and Berry, CC BY-ND

    What is especially troubling is that there are large gaps in registrations by age, gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Nearly all over-65-year-olds are on the register, but younger people are increasingly missing. Only 60% of 18-to-19-year-olds are on the electoral rolls – and 16% of the soon-to-be-enfranchised 16- to 17-year-olds (you can currently register to vote at 16).

    Automatic registration will therefore be crucial to making votes at 16 a success. Asking and reminding young people to register would inevitably involve an enormous administrative effort. But if data could be transferred from schools and government departments to election officials to put them straight onto the roll, it would save both time and money – and bring about a higher participation rate.

    Does automatic voter registration work?

    Roughly half of countries around the around the world use automatic voter registration – including Germany, the Netherlands, Iceland and Finland. Countries which have historically not had automatic registration, such as the US, Malta, Canada and Australia, have all moved to at least partially implement it over recent years.

    The UK is thought have one of the more difficult voter registration systems compared to other countries. The evidence is that automatic voter registration leads to more accurate and complete electoral registers. It can therefore reduce the opportunity for fraud and increase convenience for citizens.

    What data might be used?

    In a recent report with colleagues, I set out how this can be implemented and suggested a range of datasets that could be securely used.

    Electoral rolls could be updated when people apply for a passport, register to pay council tax, update their driving licence details, register at university or claim benefits. Electoral officials could also be authorised to update the electoral rolls with data such as council tax data and information held by the Department for Work and Pensions.

    One option would be to register people to vote when they apply for a passport.
    Shutterstock/ClimbWhenReady

    Data sharing is already used in electoral registration. Every time a voter registration application is made, it is checked against another government dataset. There is therefore already the data infrastructure to enable automatic registration to work.

    Electoral officials already use such data to register, remove or re-register people. This has enabled a lot of savings and less administrative hassle for many people.

    Voter identification changes

    The government’s election bill proposals will also extend the forms of identification that voters can present at polling stations to include bank cards. It clears the path for future digital forms of ID to be accepted.

    The last government introduced a requirement for everyone to provide photographic identification at polling stations at UK general elections and some local elections. Accepted forms of identification include passports and driving licences but also a range of other options. If citizens don’t have identification, then they can apply for a free voter authority certificate, provided that they do so before the deadline.

    However, our research found that many people were turned away in polling stations as they did not have required identification. Poll workers reported that the impact particularly affected some groups, such as students and women.

    The UK is now ranked in the bottom half of countries in the UK by election quality. The proposed changes to electoral law are therefore urgent, important and will strengthen elections in areas where they are weak.

    They may not, however, go far enough. The previous government restricted the independence of the Electoral Commission and these changes have not been reversed by the Labour government. The Electoral Commission will play an important role in automatic registration, so the government could renew its independence to help build confidence and trust in elections.

    Nonetheless, the move to automatic registration would be a major step forward for a changing democracy – as long as the government now puts on the afterburners to power the effort needed to make these changes work effectively in time for the next election.

    Toby James has previously received funding from the AHRC, ESRC, Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust, British Academy, Leverhulme Trust, Electoral Commission, Nuffield Foundation, the McDougall Trust, Unlock Democracy, International IDEA and the Canadian SSHRC.

    – ref. Automatic voter registration: a huge step forward for democracy – and a chance to bring missing millions into elections – https://theconversation.com/automatic-voter-registration-a-huge-step-forward-for-democracy-and-a-chance-to-bring-missing-millions-into-elections-261489

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI: HSBC Continental Europe Agrees to Sell French Portfolio of Home and Certain Other Retail Loans

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press Release

    18 July 2025

    HSBC CONTINENTAL EUROPE AGREES TO SELL FRENCH PORTFOLIO
    OF HOME AND CERTAIN OTHER RETAIL LOANS

    HSBC Continental Europe, an indirectly held subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc (“HSBC Group”), today signed a memorandum of understanding with a consortium comprising Rothesay Life plc and CCF (together the “Consortium Buyer”) regarding the sale of its French portfolio of predominantly home and certain other retail loans (the “Portfolio”) retained after the disposal of its retail banking business in France1 (the “Potential Transaction”).

    At 31 December 2024, the Portfolio had an outstanding balance of €6.7bn.

    On 1 January 2025, the Portfolio was reclassified from hold-to-collect to hold-to-collect-and-sell, and during the first quarter of 2025, the HSBC Group recognised a €1.2bn ($1.3bn2) pre-tax fair value loss through other comprehensive income on the Portfolio, and a €0.1bn ($0.1bn2) fair value gain in the income statement on related interest rate hedges. The fair value loss on the Portfolio resulted in an approximately 0.2 percentage point reduction in the HSBC Group CET1 ratio, which stood at 14.7% at 31 March 20253.

    At completion of the Potential Transaction:

    • The loss recognised in other comprehensive income will be recycled to the income statement with no further impact on HSBC Group’s CET1 ratio.
    • The risk weighted assets (“RWAs”) of the Portfolio4 will be deconsolidated, resulting in an immaterial benefit on the HSBC Group CET1 ratio.

    The Potential Transaction is expected to complete in the fourth quarter of 2025, subject to the appropriate information and consultation processes with respective works councils. HSBC Continental Europe will work closely with the Consortium Buyer to enable a smooth transition.

    The Potential Transaction allows HSBC Continental Europe to further strengthen its focus on being the leading corporate and institutional bank in Europe, supporting international clients. HSBC is focused on increasing its leadership and market share in the areas where it has a clear competitive advantage, and where it has the greatest opportunities to grow and support its clients.

    Financial impact of the transaction on HSBC Continental Europe:

    • Since the reclassification of the Portfolio on 1 January 2025 from hold-to-collect to hold-to-collect-and-sell, HSBC Continental Europe recognised during the first quarter of 2025, a €1.2bn fair value pre-tax loss through other comprehensive income and a €0.1bn fair value gain in the income statement on related interest rate hedges. The fair value loss on the Portfolio resulted in an approximately 2 percentage points reduction in HSBC Continental Europe’s CET1 ratio, which stood at 18.8% at 31 December 20245.
    • At completion of the Potential Transaction, the loss recognised in other comprehensive income will be recycled to the income statement with no further impact on HSBC Continental Europe’s CET1 ratio. The RWAs6 of the Portfolio will be deconsolidated and it is estimated that the HSBC Continental Europe CET1 ratio will increase by approximately 0.3 percentage point.

    Contacts:

    Sophie Ricord | sophie.ricord@hsbc.fr | + 33 6 89 10 17 62
    Stéphanie Préaut | stephanie.preaut@hsbc.fr | +33 6 75 31 16 58

    HSBC Continental Europe
    Headquartered in Paris, HSBC Continental Europe is an indirectly held subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc. HSBC Continental Europe comprises, in addition to corporate and institutional banking, private banking, insurance and asset management activities across Continental Europe, and includes the business activities of 10 European branches (in Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden) and two banking subsidiaries in Continental Europe (in Luxembourg and Malta). HSBC Continental Europe’s mission is to serve both customers in Continental Europe for their needs worldwide and Group customers for their needs in Continental Europe.

    HSBC Holdings plc
    HSBC Holdings plc, the parent company of the HSBC Group, is headquartered in London, HSBC serves customers worldwide from offices in 58 countries and territories. With assets of US$3.054 billion at 31 March 2025, HSBC is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organisations.

    Rothesay Life plc
    Rothesay is the UK’s largest pensions insurance specialist. The company has over £70 billion of assets under management, securing the pensions of more than one million people and paying out, on average, over £300 million in pension payments each month.

    CCF Group
    CCF Group is a century-old French banking group specializing in wealth management and specialized financing. Wealth management services are provided under the CCF brand to 800,000 clients across France. Specialized financing focuses on personal loans and corporate financing.

    1 Completion of the sale of Retail Banking Business in France – 1 Jan 2024, HSBC.com
    2 At relevant prevailing FX rates during, and at the end of, the first quarter of 2025.

    3 HSBC Group CET1 ratio on a PRA basis.
    4 Excluding Operational Risk RWAs.
    5 HSBC Continental Europe CET1 ratio computed on an ECB basis.
    6 Excluding Operational Risk RWAs

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Secretary-General of ASEAN hosts Farewell Dinner for Outgoing Ambassador of Norway to ASEAN

    Source: ASEAN

    Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, this evening hosted a farewell dinner in honour of H.E. Kjell Tormod Pettersen, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to ASEAN, who has completed his tenure in Jakarta. On this occasion, both sides exchanged views on advancing ASEAN–Norway relations, particularly as ASEAN and Norway commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Sectoral Dialogue Partnership this year. Dr. Kao also expressed his sincere appreciation to Ambassador Pettersen for his dedication and efforts in strengthening ASEAN-Norway relations throughout his tenure, including the successful arrangements for the Working Visit of SG Dr. Kao to Norway, in June 2025.

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN hosts Farewell Dinner for Outgoing Ambassador of Norway to ASEAN appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Secretary-General of ASEAN hosts Farewell Dinner for Outgoing Ambassador of Norway to ASEAN

    Source: ASEAN

    Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, this evening hosted a farewell dinner in honour of H.E. Kjell Tormod Pettersen, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to ASEAN, who has completed his tenure in Jakarta. On this occasion, both sides exchanged views on advancing ASEAN–Norway relations, particularly as ASEAN and Norway commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Sectoral Dialogue Partnership this year. Dr. Kao also expressed his sincere appreciation to Ambassador Pettersen for his dedication and efforts in strengthening ASEAN-Norway relations throughout his tenure, including the successful arrangements for the Working Visit of SG Dr. Kao to Norway, in June 2025.

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN hosts Farewell Dinner for Outgoing Ambassador of Norway to ASEAN appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Britain’s ban on lead ammunition could save tens of thousands of birds from poisoning

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Deborah Pain, Visiting Academic, University of Cambridge; Honorary Professor, University of East Anglia, University of Cambridge

    CHUYKO SERGEY/Shutterstock

    The UK’s environment minister Emma Hardy has announced a ban on toxic lead ammunition to protect Britain’s countryside. This ban includes the sale and use for hunting of both lead shotgun ammunition (each cartridge of which contains hundreds of small lead pellets called “shot”), used mainly for hunting small game animals like gamebirds, and large calibre lead bullets, used for hunting large game animals like deer.

    This is great news for Britain’s birds because the ban will eventually prevent the deaths and suffering of the vast numbers affected by lead poisoning each year after ingesting lead from ammunition.

    Most shot fired do not hit their targets and thousands of tonnes of lead shot are scattered in the environment every year.

    Waterbirds and land-based gamebirds mistakenly eat these because they look like food or the grit they ingest to help grind up their food. Shot are retained in their gizzards (a muscular part of the stomach), ground up, and the lead dissolved and absorbed into the bloodstream.

    Lead poisoning kills an estimated 50,000-100,000 waterbirds annually in the UK. These birds suffer considerably before they die. Many more birds are poisoned, but not killed.

    While this additional “sublethal” poisoning does not kill birds directly, they may be more likely to die of other causes. This is because lead poisoning affects the immune system and behaviour.

    Gamebirds will no longer be able to be killed using lead shot under a new ban in Britain.
    AdamEdwards/Shutterstock

    The use of lead shot for hunting waterfowl and over certain wetlands is already banned in England and Wales. It is also banned for shooting over all wetlands in Scotland.

    However, compliance with the regulations in England is only about 30%, and is also low in Scotland, although has not been measured in Wales. This new comprehensive ban should dramatically improve the situation across all habitats throughout Britain.

    Birds of prey, including eagles, common buzzards and red kites ingest lead fragments when they scavenge flesh from animals killed by lead ammunition, or prey on animals wounded by lead ammunition. The acidic conditions in their stomachs help dissolve the lead.

    Our research shows that while fewer birds of prey than waterbirds are estimated to die of lead poisoning, it can have a far greater effect on their populations, especially for species that first breed at a later age, produce fewer young, and would otherwise have higher annual adult survival rates.

    The lead ban will benefit birds that live in Britain permanently or for just part of the year. But it will not entirely solve the problem for migratory species. If lead shot continues to be used elsewhere, these species may still ingest it on migration or on their breeding or wintering grounds.

    Beyond borders

    To protect all species, lead ammunition needs to be replaced by non-lead alternatives everywhere. The use of lead shot is already banned in many wetlands globally. Across the EU, a ban on the use of lead shot in or close to wetlands came into force in February 2023.

    Denmark was the first country to ban lead ammunition across all habitats. In 1996, it banned the use of lead shot and in April 2024, it banned lead bullets. Our research shows that the lead shot ban in Denmark has been very effective, with good levels of compliance.

    Now, Britain is set to become the second country to ban most uses of lead ammunition. This has been made possible by the increasing availability of safe, efficient and affordable non-lead ammunition alternatives, primarily steel shot and copper bullets.

    In February 2025, the European Commission published a draft regulation banning most uses of lead ammunition and fishing weights. This awaits approval under EU processes – if successful, it will represent a major step forward.

    Beyond birds

    Birds are particularly susceptible to the effects of ingested lead from ammunition due to their muscular gizzards and stomach acidity. But it also puts the health of many other animals at risk, including pets and people.

    In the UK, we found average lead concentrations in raw pheasant dog food from three suppliers to be tens of times the legal maximum residue limit for lead in animal feed.

    The UK government based its decision to ban lead ammunition on a report by the Health and Safety Executive which highlighted risks to the health of young children and women of pregnancy age if they frequently eat meat from game hunted with lead ammunition. Children’s developing nervous systems are particularly sensitive to the effects of lead.

    We recently urged the EU’s committee of member states for Reach (the chemicals regulation), the European parliament and council to fully support the European Commission’s proposal to restrict lead ammunition.

    We also encouraged the European Food Safety Authority to recommend that the European Commission set a legal maximum level for lead in game meat marketed for human consumption. This maximum level should be similar to the one already set for meat from most farmed animals.

    Until this happens, and more countries follow suit by banning all use of lead ammunition for hunting, the health of wildlife, domestic animals and vulnerable groups of people will continue to be threatened by the toxic effects of lead from ammunition.

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

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

    Deborah Pain is an Honorary Professor at the University of East Anglia (Biological Sciences) and a Visiting Academic in the Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge. She has been an independent scientist since April 2018. She has received no remuneration for research on lead poisoning since that time, but, along with colleagues, has received funding for the costs of research and chemical analysis from a number of sources, as acknowledged in published papers. She was a member of the UK REACH Independent Scientific Expert Pool (RISEP) and within this the Challenge Panel on Lead in Ammunition and received payment for that work. However, her published research on lead poisoning was independent of that process.

    Rhys Green has received funding for research from several organisations including the RSPB, where he was principal conservation scientist until 2017. He is now retired. He is an unpaid volunteer research scientist at RSPB and Emeritus Honorary Professor of Conservation Science in the Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge. He is a member of the UK REACH Independent Scientific Expert Pool (RISEP), which is an expert group set up by a UK government agency, the Health & Safety Executive. He receives occasional payments for work done on behalf of RISEP. He is on the Board of Trustees of Chester Zoo.

    Niels Kanstrup 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. Britain’s ban on lead ammunition could save tens of thousands of birds from poisoning – https://theconversation.com/britains-ban-on-lead-ammunition-could-save-tens-of-thousands-of-birds-from-poisoning-260958

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Aberdeen professor among the new Fellows announced by the British Academy A University of Aberdeen Professor is among the distinguished scholars newly elected to the British Academy’s Fellowship in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the humanities and social sciences.

    Source: University of Aberdeen

    Professor Behr joins a distinguished community of over 1,800 scholars who share a commitment to advancing the humanities and social sciences

    A University of Aberdeen Professor is among the distinguished scholars newly elected to the British Academy’s Fellowship in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the humanities and social sciences.
    Reverend Professor John Behr, Regius Chair in Humanity and Head of the Department of Divinity at the School of Divinity, History, Philosophy & Art History, is one of 92 academics elected this year.
    Previously at St Vladimir’s Seminary, New York, where he also served as Dean, he is also a part-time Professor at Radboud University, Nijmegen, Holland; and has published editions and translations of various Patristic texts with Oxford University Press, and most recently In Accordance with the Scriptures: The Shape of Christian Theology.
    “I am deeply touched and honoured to be elected a Fellow,” said Professor Behr, adding that he looks forward “to working with the British Academy to help ensure that research in the Humanities at the highest level continues to be supported.”
    Professor Behr was elected alongside other notable academics such as Professor Lily Kong BBM, PPA, FBA, the first Singaporean woman to lead a university in Singapore, and Professor Jonathan D Jansen FBA, the first Black Vice Chancellor and Rector of the University of the Free State, now Distinguished Professor of Education at Stellenbosch University.
    This year, a total of 58 new Fellows have been elected from 25 universities across the United Kingdom, as well as 30 International Fellows from universities in the United States, Ireland, South Africa, Singapore, China, Australia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, and Cyprus. Four Honorary Fellows have also been elected in recognition of their exceptional achievements in music, art, journalism and librarianship.
    This year’s cohort join a community of over 1,800 scholars who share a commitment to advancing the humanities and social sciences.
    Professor Susan J. Smith PBA, new President of the British Academy, said: “With specialisms ranging from the neuroscience of memory to the power of music and the structural causes of poverty, they represent the very best of the humanities and social sciences. They bring years of experience, evidence-based arguments and innovative thinking to the profound challenges of our age: managing the economy, enabling democracy, and securing the quality of human life.
    “This year, we have increased the number of new Fellows by nearly ten percent to cover some spaces between disciplines. Champions of research excellence, every new Fellow enlarges our capacity to interpret the past, understand the present, and shape resilient, sustainable futures. It is a privilege to extend my warmest congratulations to them all.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Immigrants in Europe and North America earn 18% less than natives – here’s why

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Are Skeie Hermansen, Professor of Sociology, University of Oslo

    F Armstrong Photography/Shutterstock

    As many countries grapple with ageing populations, falling birthrates, labour shortages and fiscal pressures, the ability to successfully integrate immigrants is becoming an increasingly pressing matter.

    However, our new study found that salaries of immigrants in Europe and North America are nearly 18% lower than those of natives, as foreign-born workers struggle to access higher-paying jobs. To reach this conclusion, we analysed the salaries of 13.5 million people in nine immigrant-receiving countries: Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United States. Data was taken from the period of 2016 to 2019.

    Immigrants in these countries earned less primarily because they were unable to access higher-paying jobs. Three-quarters of the migrant pay gap was the result of a lack of access to well-paid jobs, while only one-quarter of the gap was attributed to pay differences between migrant and native-born workers in the same job.

    Spain has the largest gap, while Sweden’s is the smallest.
    Author’s own elaboration

    The high-income countries we examined in Europe and North America all face similar demographic challenges, with low fertility rates resulting in an ageing population and labour shortages. Pro-natalist policies are unlikely to change this demographic destiny, but sound immigration policies can help.

    Across these countries with vastly different labour market institutions and immigrant populations, a common theme emerged: countries are not making good use of immigrants’ human capital.

    Stark regional differences

    We found that immigrants earn 17.9% less than natives on average, although the pay gap varied widely by country. In Spain, a relatively recent large-scale receiver of immigrants, the pay gap was over 29%. In Sweden – a country where many employed immigrants find work in the public sector – it was just 7%. These results don’t include immigrants who are unemployed or in the informal economy.

    Where immigrants were born also mattered. The highest average overall pay gaps were for immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa (26.1%) and the Middle East and North Africa (23.7%). For immigrants from Europe, North America and other Western countries, the difference in average pay compared to natives was a much more modest 9%.

    Migrant pay gaps according to region of origin. The minus sign (−) before figures indicates that immigrants earn less than natives. Note that data for second-generation immigrants is unavailable in France, Spain and the US.
    Author’s own elaboration

    Our results suggest that the children of immigrants faced substantially better earning prospects than their parents. For the countries where second-generation data was available – Canada, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden – the gap narrowed over time, and the children of immigrants had a substantially smaller earnings gap, earning an average of 5.7% less than workers with native-born parents.

    The struggle to access higher-paying jobs

    Beyond quantifying the gap, we wanted to understand the roots of pay disparities. To create better policies, it is important to know whether immigrants are paid less than natives when they’re doing the same job in the same company, or whether these differences arise because immigrants typically work in lower-paying jobs.

    By a wide margin, we found that immigrants end up working in lower-paying industries, occupations and companies; three-quarters of the gap was due to this type of labour-market sorting. The pay gap for the same work in the same company was just 4.6% on average across the nine countries.

    These differences represent a failure of immigration policy to incorporate immigrants, as immigrants are relegated to jobs where they cannot contribute to their full potential. Our analyses rule out that the lack of access to higher-paying jobs simply reflects a difference in skill between immigrants and native-born workers. We also found that the size of the pay gap and the key role of unequal access to well-paid jobs is similar for immigrants with and without a university education.

    This means that the immigrant-native pay gap in large part represents a market inefficiency and policy failure, with significant social consequences for both immigrants and immigrant-receiving countries.



    Leer más:
    What Britons and Europeans really think about immigration – new analysis

    Policy implications

    Although equal pay for equal work policies may seem like a viable solution, they won’t close the immigrant pay gap. This is because they only help those who have already secured work, but immigrants face barriers to employment that begin long before even applying for a job. This includes convoluted processes to validate university degrees or other qualifications, and exclusion from professional networks.

    The policy focus should therefore be on improving access to better jobs.

    To make this happen, governments should invest in programmes such as language training, education and vocational skills for immigrants. They should ensure immigrants have early access to employment information, networks, job-search assistance and employer referrals. They should implement standardised and transparent recognition of foreign degrees and credentials, helping immigrants to access jobs matching their skills and training.

    This is particularly important for Europe as it races to attract – and retain – skilled immigrants who may be having second thoughts about the US in the Trump era. In the European Union, around 40% of university-educated non-EU immigrants are employed in jobs that do not require a degree, an underutilisation of skills known as brain waste.

    Some countries are already taking steps to remedy this. Germany’s Skilled Immigration Act – which took effect in 2024 – allows foreign graduates to work while their degrees are being formally recognised. In 2025, France reformed its Passeport Talent permit to attract skilled professionals and address labour shortages, especially in healthcare.

    These kinds of policies help ensure that foreign-born workers can contribute at their full capacity, and that countries can reap the full benefits of immigration in terms of productivity gains, higher tax revenue and reduced inequality.

    If immigrants can’t get access to good jobs, their skills are underutilised and society loses out. Smart immigration policy doesn’t end at the border – it starts there.

    Are Skeie Hermansen has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s
    Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement no. 851149), the Research Council of Norway (grant 287016), and the Center for Advanced Study at The Norwegian Academy of Science
    and Letters (Young CAS grant 2019/2020).

    Marta M. Elvira receives funding from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, grant PID2020-
    118807RB-I00/AEI /10.13039/501100011033

    Andrew Penner no recibe salario, ni ejerce labores de consultoría, ni posee acciones, ni recibe financiación de ninguna compañía u organización que pueda obtener beneficio de este artículo, y ha declarado carecer de vínculos relevantes más allá del cargo académico citado.

    – ref. Immigrants in Europe and North America earn 18% less than natives – here’s why – https://theconversation.com/immigrants-in-europe-and-north-america-earn-18-less-than-natives-heres-why-261188

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Energy Sector – BASF and Equinor confirm strategic partnership and sign ten-year natural gas supply agreement

    Source: Equinor

    18 JULY 2025 – Dirk Elvermann, CFO and CDO of BASF, and Anders Opedal, President and CEO of Equinor, at the signing of the ten-year natural gas supply agreement.

    Equinor will supply up to 23 terawatt hours of natural gas (around 2 billion cubic meters) annually to BASF.

    BASF and Equinor have signed a long-term strategic agreement for the annual delivery of up to 23 terawatt hours of natural gas over a ten-year period. The contract secures a substantial share of BASF’s natural gas needs in Europe. Deliveries will start on October 1st, 2025.

    “This agreement further strengthens our partnership with BASF. Natural gas not only provides energy security to Europe but also critical feedstock to European industries. I am very happy that our gas also supports BASF’s efforts to reduce their carbon footprint. Gas from Norway comes with the lowest emissions from production and transportation”, says Anders Opedal, president and chief executive officer, Equinor.

    Natural gas is a key feedstock for European industries, especially in the production of chemicals and fertilisers. BASF uses natural gas both as an energy source and as a raw material in the production of basic chemicals. This long-term partnership will support the company’s strategy to diversify its energy and raw materials portfolio. The gas is sold on market terms.

    “We are very happy to enter into this long-term partnership with Equinor for the reliable supply of low-carbon natural gas for BASF’s operations in Europe. Equinor is a trusted and valued partner. The supply agreement not only comes with competitive terms but also supports our sustainability targets”, says Dirk Elvermann, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Digital Officer, BASF SE.

    BASF develops a broad portfolio of solutions that are essential components in the manufacturing of everyday consumer goods, such as car interiors, sportswear, personal care items, and agricultural solutions. Equinor has been supplying gas and liquids to BASF for several years.

    About BASF

    BASF is a company that creates chemistry for a sustainable future. Its ambition is to be the preferred chemical company to enable its customers’ green transformation. BASF combines economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 112,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of its customers across nearly all sectors and in almost every country in the world. BASF’s core businesses include the segments Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, and Nutrition & Care, while its standalone businesses are bundled in the segments Surface Technologies and Agricultural Solutions. In 2024, BASF generated sales of €65.3 billion. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK, Philippines launch coalition to boost emerging market finance

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    World news story

    UK, Philippines launch coalition to boost emerging market finance

    The UK and the Philippines have partnered to launch a groundbreaking initiative to channel more global capital into emerging markets.

    The ‘EMDE Public Markets Coalition’ was unveiled at the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) in Seville this July, as part of a Sevilla Platform for Action Initiative on ‘Public Markets Mobilisation for Development. This initiative aims to redirect a portion of the $255 trillion flowing through listed equity and bond markets toward crucial development projects in emerging markets and developing economies. 

    With only a small fraction of global public market investments currently reaching emerging economies like the Philippines, even a modest shift could transform financing for climate resilience and sustainable development projects. The Coalition will develop a Toolkit to guide development banks, finance institutions, and investors in mobilizing climate and development investments in emerging markets through public markets. This will help direct more capital to the Philippines and and similar economies.

    The Government of the Philippines endorses the initiative, co-hosted its FFD4 launch event, and will play a key role in its implementation. The initiative will be co-implemented by the Government of Norway and the African Development Bank (AfDB). It has also received endorsement from the Governments of the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), British International Investment (BII) and the Centre for Development Finance Studies (CDFS). 

    Undersecretary Joven Balbosa of the Philippines’ Department of Finance said:

    The Philippines is proud to continue our partnership with the UK to mobilise finance toward sustainable development and climate action. Public markets are powerful vehicles for mobilisation, with both equity and debt financing proving crucial in meeting climate and development targets.

    The Rt Hon Baroness Chapman of Darlington, UK Minister for International Development, highlighted the coalition’s significance:

    We need to see a transformation in how the public and private sectors work together to mobilise capital to power development progress. Even a small shift in the way this money is invested could unlock massive change and new opportunities for investors, ensuring more countries, communities, and businesses have the finance they need to solve the most difficult development challenges.

    Commissioner McJill Bryant Fernandez of the Philippines’ Securities and Exchange Commission noted that:

    The launch of the EMDE Public Markets Coalition is a timely step toward mobilizing global capital for sustainable development. For the Philippines, improving market access and de-risking investments enable more Filipino enterprises to secure long-term financing for climate-smart growth. We hope to see more countries and partners join us in scaling this agenda to create transformative change across emerging markets.

    The initiative aligns with the UK Government’s Plan for Change, which aims to make Britain a clean energy superpower while helping partners, like the Philippines, build climate resilience. 

    British Ambassador to the Philippines Laure Beaufils highlighted the strong partnership between the UK and the Philippines:

    I am proud that the UK and Philippines have teamed up to show how public markets can boost financing for sustainable development projects, thereby driving quantifiable, lasting change. Together, we have shown that the public sector has a role to play in facilitating this, by creating robust ecosystems that enable more private capital to be redirected to sustainable investments.

    The UK’s MOBILIST programme, which provides capital and technical assistance to support companies in emerging markets to list on stock exchanges, serves as a foundation for the new coalition. This approach has already proven effective in channelling institutional investment toward development projects. In 2024, MOBILIST invested $12.5 million in the Initial Public Offering (IPO) of Citicore Renewables Energy Corporation, a renewable energy developer and operator of solar, hydro, and wind energy platforms in the Philippines. MOBILIST’s investment played a catalytic role in the IPO, which was valued at a total of $86 million and also attracted private institutional investors.

    Updates to this page

    Published 18 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Good customer activity and strong credit quality led to solid results for the first half of 2025. Net profit of DKK 11.2 billion

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press release Danske Bank
    Bernstorffsgade 40
    DK-1577 København V
    Tel. + 45 45 14 14 00

    18 July 2025

    Page 1 of 3

    Good customer activity and strong credit quality led to solid results for the first half of 2025
    Net profit of DKK 11.2 billion

    Carsten Egeriis, Chief Executive Officer, comments on the financial results:

    “In the first half-year, we continued our robust performance and delivered solid results in line with our expectations. We saw new business customer relations being established, a continued uplift in lending and a steady development in core income, and we maintained our focus on cost management. Furthermore, credit quality remained strong, resulting in a low level of loan impairments.

    Our solid financial results and capital position enable us to be a strong financial partner, providing expert advice and standing by our customers and society in times of volatile markets.

    With our increased investments in technology and customer offerings, we continue to deliver on our Forward ’28 strategy and are well on track to meet our guidance for the full year.”

    Solid performance in uncertain environment
    Driven by good customer activity across our business and our ongoing commitment to efficiency, we achieved a net profit of DKK 11.2 billion and a return on equity of 13% in the first half of the year. These solid financial results reflect our successful execution and strategic focus in key growth areas.

    Net interest income remained steady, as the adverse effect of the sale of the personal customer business in Norway and a reduction in deposit margins was offset by enhanced lending activity and our deposit hedge strategy.

    Net fee income for the first half of the year was stable year on year, supported by growing demand for everyday banking services in the first quarter, although this demand decreased in the second quarter. Fee income related to capital markets and investment activity was impacted by the decline in investment appetite caused by the market volatility.

    On the basis of continued cost discipline, the cost trajectory is in line with the full-year 2025 guidance. Furthermore, credit quality remained strong, supported by favourable macroeconomic conditions, including the employment rate. Loan impairment charges remained low and amounted to DKK 266 million in the first half of the year.

    With prudent asset and liability management, our capital and liquidity positions remain solid, with substantial buffers well above regulatory requirements.

    “In the first half of the year, we achieved a solid financial performance, fuelled by good customer activity that led to resilient core banking income and an increase in net trading income year on year. Net profit was stable, despite the impact of rates and market volatility. Our diversified business model and operational efficiency contributed to an improved cost/income ratio of 45.4% and a return on equity of 13.0%. We are on track to meet our 2025 guidance and are progressing towards achieving our 2026 financial targets,” says Cecile Hillary, Chief Financial Officer.

    H1 2025 vs H1 2024
    Total income of DKK 27.9 billion (DKK 28.0 billion in the first half of 2024)
    Operating expenses of DKK 12.7 billion (DKK 12.8 billion in the first half of 2024)
    Loan impairments of DKK 266 million (net reversal of DKK 99 million in the first half of 2024)
    Net profit of DKK 11.2 billion (DKK 11.5 billion in the first half of 2024)
    Return on shareholders’ equity of 13.0% (13.1% in the first half of 2024)
    Total capital ratio of 22.4% and CET1 capital ratio of 18.7% (total capital ratio of 22.5% and CET1 capital ratio of 18.5% in the first half of 2024)

    Resilient macroeconomic outlook amid uncertainty
    Despite the challenges posed by geopolitical turbulence and market volatility, the macroeconomic environment in our operating markets remains robust. The Nordic economies continue to exhibit resilience.

    The economies are increasingly supported by increased household spending power and lower interest rates. However, this has not translated into improved consumer sentiment, as retail customers remain cautious and consumer confidence is low.

    According to the latest macroeconomic outlook by Danske Bank Research, we continue to expect robust economies with high employment rates and single-digit growth, particularly in Denmark.

    “Nordic businesses still have a cautiously positive outlook, and we share their view that growth is likely to become moderately higher, despite the uncertainty hanging over the global economy. Though conditions are in place with higher real incomes and lower interest rates, we do not expect a strong recovery. Households remain deeply worried about the economic situation, which could hold growth back, but there is also a potential for the situation to improve,” says Las Olsen, Head of Macro Research.

    Personal Customers
    Profit before tax amounted to DKK 4,217 million in the first half of 2025 (H1 2024: DKK 5,028 million). The decrease was mainly due to a decline in net interest income caused by lower deposit margins, a decline in fee income that was mainly the result of positive one-offs in the first half of 2024 and relatively subdued refinancing activity, as well as to slightly higher loan impairment charges. These were partly offset by rising deposit volumes and the impact of deposit hedging. Both income and operating expenses were affected by the divestment of the personal customer business in Norway. Loan levels remained stable, and deposits increased 5%.

    Business Customers
    In the first half of 2025, we saw continuously good progress in terms of customer inflow and a positive development in lending volumes, and business with existing customers remained strong across our mid-sized customer segment. Profit before tax amounted to DKK 5,085 million, an increase of 23% from the same period last year (H1 2024: DKK 4,140 million). The increase was driven by loan impairment reversals. Net fee income also increased, although the effect was offset by lower income from our leasing operations.

    Large Corporates & Institutions
    In the first half of 2025, we achieved solid financial results. Our efforts to attract new corporate customers outside Denmark and to strengthen customer relations across our markets have improved our position within cash management. Furthermore, we maintained our leadership within sustainable finance. Profit before tax decreased to DKK 4,544 million, or 9%, from the level in the same period last year, with the decrease driven by higher loan impairment charges.

    Danica 
    Net income at Danica decreased to DKK 714 million in the first half of 2025, down 25% from the level for the same period in 2024 due to a decrease in the insurance service result, which was impacted by a strengthening of provisions related to legacy life insurance products in run-off. The insurance service result for the health and accident business for the first half of 2025 recorded a loss, however, Danica saw an improvement during the first half of 2025 supported by a positive trend in the treatment and prevention of long-term illness and injury that was driven by intensified efforts with new healthcare solutions and improved digital solutions.

    Northern Ireland
    Residential mortgage lending volumes continued to grow, reflecting an increased market share of new business in Northern Ireland. Financial performance remained positive with profit before tax of DKK 1,110 million in the first half of 2025, 18% higher than for the same period last year.

    Outlook for 2025
    We maintain our guidance and expect net profit to be in the range of DKK 21-23 billion. The outlook is subject to uncertainty and depends on economic conditions.

    Danske Bank        

    Contact: Helga Heyn, Head of Media Relations, tel. +45 45 14 14 00

    Attachments

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Iceland, EU to start security talks

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    HELSINKI, July 18 (Xinhua) — Iceland and the European Union (EU) are set to begin talks on a security and defense partnership, Icelandic Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir announced at a joint press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Keflavik on Thursday.

    They noted that formal negotiations could begin in the coming weeks or months and expressed hope that they would be completed by the end of the year.

    K. Frostadottir also said that the government is considering holding a national referendum on resuming EU accession talks. –0–

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Universiade: First gold goes to Denmark as Sandersen triumphs in taekwondo

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

    With a Danish flag wrapped around her shoulders, taekwondo athlete Eva Eun-Kyung Sandersen raced around the venue Thursday after claiming the first gold of the Rhine-Ruhr World University Games in the women’s individual poomsae with a score of 8.732.

    A nine-time World Poomsae medalist and 11-time European champion, Sandersen dominated the final with refined technique and precise coordination, finishing ahead of South Korea’s Jung Haeun. Kaitlyn Marie Reclusado of the United States and China’s Pan Meijing shared bronze.

    “I feel so relieved,” said Sandersen, pausing to catch her breath in a post-match interview. “I’m really happy and proud of my trainer and everything we’ve worked for. I can finally tell them that we did something great together.”

    Despite having stood on many podiums before, the gold at the University Games held special significance for the 24-year-old.

    “I’ve practiced taekwondo for about 15 years. The sport is my whole life – it’s everything I think about. This gold medal means so much to me.”

    This marked Sandersen’s first and last appearance at the Universiade. She had hoped to make her debut two years ago in China’s Chengdu, but a last-minute injury ended those plans.

    “I was supposed to go to Chengdu, but I injured my knee just one month before, due to intense training over a long period,” she said, becoming emotional. “It was a tough time, and it was hard to recover both physically and mentally.”

    Born to South Korean parents and raised in Denmark, Sandersen wasn’t introduced to taekwondo right away.

    “My sports journey actually started with ballet,” she said. “But my mom suggested I try taekwondo because of our Korean heritage.”

    After a decorated career that spans both continental and global success, Sandersen now hopes to combine her two passions: sport and science.

    “I’m a student majoring in pharmacy, and ideally I’d love to find a way to blend pharmacy with sports. I want to promote taekwondo around the world and show people how beautiful it is.”

    She also shared a personal dream: to one day see her discipline recognized at the Olympic level.

    “I know individual poomsae isn’t currently part of the Olympic program, so I may never get the chance to compete at the Olympics,” she said. “But I really hope it will be included one day, and if it is, I’ll definitely fight for that glory.”

    MIL OSI China News –