Latest news with #Finnish

Sydney Morning Herald
26 minutes ago
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
Could young Aussies be convinced to do national service? For the Finns, it's an act of nationalism
In Australia, finishing high school opens a world of possibilities: will you dive straight into university, pick up a trade or take a gap year to travel the world? For three young Finnish men – Juho Hirst (21), Jaakko Pasanen (25) and Nicholas Boosey (24) – the path to adulthood wasn't theirs to choose. In Finland, every male citizen aged 18 and over must complete at least 165 days of military service, or, for conscientious objectors, 347 days of civilian service. Juho became a paratrooper, joining an elite group of fewer than 60 recruits. Jaakko trained as a reserve officer and went on to lead a platoon responsible for training new recruits. Nicholas completed non-commissioned officer training in urban warfare. 'Military service isn't meant to be fun and enjoyable all the time,' Jaakko says. It requires sisu, a uniquely Finnish concept that Nicholas describes as 'being quite stoic and maybe a bit gruff, but determined and resilient'. The physical and psychological toll of service was clear in Juho's account of survival training in the Finnish Lapland: 'You're stuck in a forest, it rains for a couple of days straight, you're cold, and you don't have much food.' For Nicholas, it involved '72-hour exercises without sleeping … lugging 30-kilo rucksacks, and carrying your teammates, cannons and rocket launchers'. In comparison, all three agreed that the everyday pressures of student life now feel far more manageable. According to Nicholas, one key reason for Finland's exceptionally high social cohesion is that national service 'serves an important role in society as a kind of transition to adulthood – a marker of societal respect and dignity'. By fostering mutual respect between younger and older generations who have completed service, and strengthening the bond between the individual and the state – which not only provides national security but also offers a range of benefits through the Finnish welfare system – military service addresses issues related to 'self-esteem, identity and meaning' that appear to be troubling young men in many other Western countries.

The Age
26 minutes ago
- General
- The Age
Could young Aussies be convinced to do national service? For the Finns, it's an act of nationalism
In Australia, finishing high school opens a world of possibilities: will you dive straight into university, pick up a trade or take a gap year to travel the world? For three young Finnish men – Juho Hirst (21), Jaakko Pasanen (25) and Nicholas Boosey (24) – the path to adulthood wasn't theirs to choose. In Finland, every male citizen aged 18 and over must complete at least 165 days of military service, or, for conscientious objectors, 347 days of civilian service. Juho became a paratrooper, joining an elite group of fewer than 60 recruits. Jaakko trained as a reserve officer and went on to lead a platoon responsible for training new recruits. Nicholas completed non-commissioned officer training in urban warfare. 'Military service isn't meant to be fun and enjoyable all the time,' Jaakko says. It requires sisu, a uniquely Finnish concept that Nicholas describes as 'being quite stoic and maybe a bit gruff, but determined and resilient'. The physical and psychological toll of service was clear in Juho's account of survival training in the Finnish Lapland: 'You're stuck in a forest, it rains for a couple of days straight, you're cold, and you don't have much food.' For Nicholas, it involved '72-hour exercises without sleeping … lugging 30-kilo rucksacks, and carrying your teammates, cannons and rocket launchers'. In comparison, all three agreed that the everyday pressures of student life now feel far more manageable. According to Nicholas, one key reason for Finland's exceptionally high social cohesion is that national service 'serves an important role in society as a kind of transition to adulthood – a marker of societal respect and dignity'. By fostering mutual respect between younger and older generations who have completed service, and strengthening the bond between the individual and the state – which not only provides national security but also offers a range of benefits through the Finnish welfare system – military service addresses issues related to 'self-esteem, identity and meaning' that appear to be troubling young men in many other Western countries.


Scotsman
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Celtic outbid for target, Rangers deal hampered, Lennon Miller bids, Hibs get Triantis answer
Latest transfer news and speculation in Scottish football Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Here is your Tuesday evening transfer bulletin featuring Celtic being outbid for a key target, how the deal could impact Rangers, Lennon Miller developments and a resolution in Hibs' pursuit of Nectar Triantis. Celtic outbid for target Celtic have been told to up their transfer bid for Jakob Breum after Go Ahead Eagles revealed they have already turned down a higher offer for the midfielder from one of their Dutch rivals. The Hoops have had three bids rejected for Breum, according to reports in the Netherlands, with an initial bid of £1.3million swiftly rejected, while the most recent offers also fell well short of his club's valuation. The 21-year-old, who is under contract until 2027, joined Go Ahead as a left winger from Odense two years ago but was transformed into a central attacking midfield player. The Denmark Under-21 international delivered 10 goals and five assists in the Eredivisie last season. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Celtic target Jakob Breum (left) in action for Go Ahead Eagles against Ajax in February. (Photo by MAURICE VAN STEEN/ANP/AFP via Getty Images) | ANP/AFP via Getty Images Addressing the interest from Celtic, Go Ahead CEO Jan Willem van Dop confirmed that the club had already knocked back a higher offer from FC Twente. "There was a question (from FC Twente), and that was about Jakob Breum. That's negotiable, but only if the price is right. And we couldn't reach an agreement on that. What I did find positive was that his thoughts were certainly higher than the official offer Celtic ever made. "I've told Celtic that we won't be accepting their offer. I spoke to Breum's agent on the phone Monday morning, and he hopes he'll go that certainly not the most difficult club, but it has to be a good fit. And if we can't reach a financial agreement, we also have the right to say: well, it's not going to happen." Rangers deal hampered Celtic's pursuit of Jakob Breum could provide a stumbling block to Rangers' attempts to sign his Go Ahead Eagles team-mate Oliver Antman. Finnish international winger Antman is reportedly on Russell Martin's radar as he looks to bolster his attacking options for his maiden season in charge. However, Go Ahead CEO Jan Willem van Dop has intimated that the club will only sell one of Antman and Breum this summer. With Breum already the subject of interest from Celtic and Twente, it could hamper Rangers move for Antman. Asked about interest from the Glasgow giants in Breum and Antman, van Dop responded: "Those are the guys who are in the spotlight. I think one of them will ultimately leave." Rangers target Oliver Antman. Cr: Getty Images. | AFP via Getty Images Meanwhile, Russell Martin has indicated he would be keen to add Mikey Moore to his squad amid speculation Rangers are poised to sign the Tottenham teenager. The 17-year-old has made 21 appearances for Spurs but their new manager Thomas Frank explained on Tuesday he would like to 'find the right option' for the attacker to get the necessary game time to accelerate his development. When asked about Moore at his pre-match media briefing on the eve of Wednesday's Champions League qualifier with Panathinaikos in Athens, Gers boss Martin said little to dispel suggestions he is set to move to Ibrox. I think I've said to you all the way along that as soon as it's done you'll be the first guys to know,' Martin said on Tuesday. 'There's lots of players we like, lots that we're linked to. He's a really good player and if at any point he becomes a Rangers player we will let you know.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Lennon Miller bids Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou conceded there is 'a high probability' that prized asset Lennon Miller will be sold this summer. Askou revealed on Tuesday that the Lanarkshire club have received offers for the 18-year-old Scotland international, who is currently recovering from a minor injury, and that he may have played his last game for the Steelmen. 'Yeah, he's still here, he's training, we're trying to get him back into full training after he's had a minor thing here over the summer and there's been some bids on him recently and it's something the board is working with,' the manager told Sky Sports. 'I'm trying with the staff here to get the team ready for Saturday, so it's going on in the background and will probably intensify here in the coming days. Who knows how long it's going to take, there's been a lot of speculation, a lot of rumours, a lot of interest in him for a long time and of course it's intensifying now.' Motherwell have received offers for Scotland international Lennon Miller. | Getty Images Bologna and Udinese are among the clubs reportedly leading the chase for Miller, who has also been linked with Celtic. Asked if he expected the teenager to remain at Motherwell beyond the end of the transfer window, Askou said: 'We'll see. Obviously there's a high probability that he will move this summer, but nothing is finalised yet. Obviously there's concrete things going on which we expected at the moment, so it's going to be interesting to see how it's all turning out. For now he's still a Motherwell player and he's doing his best to get back to full training so we can maybe see if we see him on the pitch again or not, but we're trying our best to get him ready.' Hibs get Triantis answer


Daily Record
8 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Record
Oliver Antman to Rangers transfer hampered by Celtic as Jakob Breum stance made clear by agent
The Glasgow giants are both looking to snap up wingers from the Eredivise outfit this summer Go Ahead Eagles' CEO Jan Willem van Dop had declared that the club will only sell one of Oliver Antman and Jakob Breum this summer. It comes with both Rangers showing interesting in Finnish international Antman - while Celtic have seen bids turned down for Dane Breum already this summer. A fee of around £5million has been reported for Antman after he netted seven goals and an impressive 17 assists to help fire his club to Dutch Cup glory last term. The Eagles are reported to be expecting an offer from the Scottish Premiership side for the 23-year-old. And when speaking to De Oosttribune, Van Dop insisted the club would not sell both of their key men. Asked about interest from the Glasgow giants in Breum and Antman, he responded: "Those are the guys who are in the spotlight. I think one of them will ultimately leave." The comments come after Breum's agent has told the Dutch club his client wants to join Celtic this summer. But the Scottish champions have been warned they must stump up the cash to sign the 21-year-old. The Hoops are in need of reinforcements on the flanks after Nicolas Kuhn joined Como in a £17.2million deal - while Jota is sidelined until next year. Van Dop insists the club won't sell on the cheap - having already knocked back a more substantial bid from FC Twente: "There was a question (from FC Twente), and that was about Jakob Breum. That's negotiable, but only if the price is right. "And we couldn't reach an agreement on that. What I did find positive was that his thoughts were certainly higher than the official offer Celtic ever made. "I've told Celtic that we won't be accepting their offer. I spoke to Breum's agent on the phone Monday morning, and he hopes he'll go that route. "We're certainly not the most difficult club, but it has to be a good fit. "And if we can't reach a financial agreement, we also have the right to say: well, it's not going to happen." Asked if the club had set an asking price in the region of £5.1million, he cryptically added: "We've set a ceiling." You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season.


NDTV
8 hours ago
- Sport
- NDTV
Finland Cricketer Mahesh Tambe Makes History, Scalps Fastest-Ever T20 Fifer In Just 8 Balls
Cricket history has been made in a match between Finland and Estonia. Finnish bowler Mahesh Tambe scripted the record for the fastest five-wicket haul in the history of T20I cricket, doing so in the space of just eight balls. Tambe took wickets on the third, fourth, sixth, seventh and eighth deliveries of his spell, also completing a sensational hattrick in the process. Tambe broke the record of Bahrain's Junaid Aziz, who held the previous record of taking a five-wicket haul in 10 deliveries. Introduced into the attack in the 17th over, Tambe dismissed Estonian batters Sahil Chauhan, Muhammad Usman Sr and Steffan Gooch in the first over of his spell. Tambe then came back to bowl the 19th over, dismissing Rupam Baruah and Pranay Gheewala in the first two balls to claim his hattrick and the record for the fastest five-wicket haul. Tambe's fiery spell helped Finland bowl Estonia out for 141, a target which was then chased down with eleven balls to spare. Fastest five-wicket hauls in T20I cricket: 8 balls: Mahesh Tambe (Finland) vs Estonia, 2025* 10 balls: Junaid Aziz (Bahrain) vs Germany, 2022 11 balls: Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) vs Ireland, 2017 11 balls: Moazzam Baig (Malawi) vs Cameroon, 2024 11 balls: Khizer Hayat (Malaysia) vs Hong Kong, 2020 Meanwhile, the attention of the cricket world has been caught by the heated spat between India head coach Gautam Gambhir and the pitch curator of The Oval Lee Fortis, ahead of the fifth and final Test between India and England. Gambhir was on Tuesday heard telling Fortis "you don't tell any of us what we need to do, you have no right to tell us, you are just a groundsman nothing beyond" while pointing fingers at the chief curator. In response Fortis was heard saying "I will have to report this." In the presence of 10 squad members minus captain Shubman Gill, the training session in the field of play was going on as usual until Gambhir blasted Fortis, who is not the "easiest person to work with" despite winning ECB's best multi-day pitches award for the last three years. India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak tried to douse the fire by taking Fortis away from Gambhir, who was visibly angry with the chief curator. Later, Kotak explained what really happened in the middle. "When we went to take a look at the wicket the coaches were there, someone came to us and said 'stand 2.5 metres away', which was little surprising. Day after there is a Test match, we had our joggers on not spike and it felt a bit awkward. I have never seen anything like that in my life. "The Indian players had told me that he is not the easiest person to work with. Now you all know. It is okay to be protective and possessive about this pitch but not to this extent," said Kotak.