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Category: European Union

  • MIL-OSI: OZ Studio, a Global Firm with Texas Roots, Showcases Ethical AI Governance Model at the United Nations

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VIENNA, AUSTRIA , July 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OZ Studio, a global technology firm with offices in Austin, Texas; Geneva, Switzerland; and Monterrey, Mexico, presented a groundbreaking model for municipal governance and ethical artificial intelligence at the United Nations headquarters in Vienna. The presentation marks a significant milestone for the company, which, after 22 years of serving multinational corporations, has pivoted its focus since 2020 toward empowering governments, entrepreneurs, and small businesses with integrated digital platforms.

    Osuna attends sessions at the UN Office on Drugs and Crime that focus on data security and sovereignty.

    The firm, represented by its CEO Daniel Osuna, who also serves on the UN’s AI Council ethics committee, detailed its successful public-private partnerships in the municipalities of Escobedo and Santiago, Mexico. These collaborations showcase a new standard for applying AI ethically at the local government level, a core mission of OZ Studio’s government services division.

    For over two decades, OZ Studio built a reputation for providing high-level services to large multinational companies. However, recognizing a critical gap in the market, the company strategically shifted its focus in 2020. The new mission: to channel its extensive expertise into creating comprehensive digital ecosystems for those who form the backbone of local economies—small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the public institutions that serve them.

    This new direction is embodied by two of its flagship platforms: LINK360 and the OZZY AI system. LINK360 is a digital empowerment platform that provides local businesses with e-commerce tools and AI-powered marketing, ensuring economic value and data sovereignty remain within the community. OZZY AI is an open-source framework trained for municipal processes, designed with ethical principles like transparency, algorithmic fairness, and cultural adaptation at its core.

    The results of this approach are transformative. Under the leadership of Mayor Andrés Mijes, the city of Escobedo has become a 100% digitized municipality, a remarkable achievement that has streamlined public services and eliminated bureaucratic red tape. In Santiago, Mayor David de la Peña is leveraging the LINK360 program to foster a vibrant local entrepreneurial scene.

    The international community has taken notice. Following the conclusion of the UN activities on Monday, July 22, OZ Studio (https://www.oz.studio) has entered into strategic alliances to explore pilot programs with several nations, including: Spain, Egypt, Georgia, Austria, and Australia. This global interest validates OZ Studio’s model as a scalable solution for governments worldwide seeking to innovate responsibly.

    From its strategic locations in Austin, Geneva, and Monterrey, OZ Studio is now positioned to lead the charge in ethical AI for public service. The company’s evolution from a corporate service provider to a champion for local development demonstrates a powerful vision: leveraging top-tier technology to build self-sustaining, equitable, and prosperous communities from the ground up.

    Presenting the OZZI AI framework and the Public Private Partnership for ethical AI

    About OZ Studio

    At OZ Studio, we are your premier destination for transformative digital solutions, anchored in over two decades of innovation and expertise. We are proud to say that we’ve evolved from pioneering basic email marketing to mastering complex digital strategies and immersive creative experiences. Our comprehensive suite of services spans from state-of-the-art website development to advanced SEO strategies, engaging interactive videos, and cutting-edge AI tools. As true digital architects, we empower our clients by merging top-tier technology with unmatched creative prowess, ensuring every digital interaction is compelling and results-oriented. We revolutionized the traditional digital service model through our productized Creative-as-a-Service (CaaS), which guarantees transparency, efficiency, and scalability. Our subscription-based approach simplifies access to a holistic digital strategy, incorporating a full spectrum of expertly managed creative and technical services. Partner with us at OZ Studio, and let us help elevate your brand to new heights, optimizing every touchpoint in your digital journey for growth and transformation. 

    Press inquiries

    OZ Studio
    https://oz.studio
    Daniel Osuna
    oz@oz.studio
    +12123811969
    5900 Balcones Drive
    Austin, TX 78731

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Irish Ambassador Bids Farewell to Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio

    Source: APO

    The Ambassador of Ireland to Sierra Leone, Aidan Fitzpatrick, paid a farewell courtesy call on His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio, marking the end of his two-year diplomatic mission in the country.

    In his remarks, Ambassador Fitzpatrick expressed his sincere gratitude to President Bio for receiving him and used the opportunity to congratulate the President on his recent election as Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

    Reflecting on his time in Sierra Leone, Ambassador Fitzpatrick commended the significant progress made under President Bio’s leadership, particularly in advancing women’s rights. He also praised the warmth and hospitality of the Sierra Leonean people and acknowledged the increasing international recognition the country has gained under President Bio’s tenure.

    He further revealed that Ireland is exploring opportunities to expand investment in Sierra Leone, underscoring the deepening of bilateral relations between the two nations.

    In response, President Bio thanked Ambassador Fitzpatrick on behalf of the Government and people of Sierra Leone for his service, dedication, and unwavering support throughout his mission.

    He noted that Sierra Leone recently established an embassy in Ireland, reflecting the long-standing and cordial relations between the two countries.

    “Your leadership and diplomatic style will be missed. You were always present and supportive at diplomatic meetings,” the President recalled. “I wish you success in your future endeavors.”

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of State House Sierra Leone.

    Media files

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    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Deep dive into the International Seabed Authority: Why it matters now

    Source: United Nations 2

    At a time when the international community seeks to regulate the rich tapestry of the planet’s ocean floors while countries and corporations speed towards deep-sea mining opportunities, here’s what you need to know about ISA and why it matters now:

    What does it do?

    ISA manages the mineral resources of the seabed beyond national jurisdiction, which covers 54 per cent of the world’s oceans, for “the shared benefit of all humankind”.

    Created by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1994, ISA is aims to ensure that all economic activities in the deep seabed, including mining, are regulated and responsibly managed.

    Mandated to ensure the effective protection of the marine environment from harmful effects that may arise from deep-seabed-related activities, its work also contributes to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

    Seabeds contain rich fauna and an array of rare earth minerals.

    Why it matters now?

    As the world’s only international body that focuses on the deep-sea area beyond national borders, ISA aims to address pressing concerns, from plastic waste littering oceans to the race to secure rare earth minerals to quench the world’s insatiable thirst for lithium batteries and a range of tech items.

    What kind of rare earth minerals are on the ocean floor? Copper, cobalt, gold, lanthanum, neodymium, nickel, silver, yttrium and zinc to name a few.

    Right now, countries can pursue deep-sea mining within their own territorial waters or “exclusive economic zones”. But, under international law, the deep seabed belongs to no single country or corporation, ISA Secretary-General Leticia Carvalho wrote in a recent op-ed.

    “It is our common heritage,” she said.

    An active volcano on the ocean floor.

    What’s the draft mining code?

    Right now, nations are looking for ever more sources of rare earth minerals to meet demand for renewable energy technologies and such items as mobile phones and computers. The deep-sea contains a plethora of supplies. That’s where the draft mining code comes in.

    During its 30th session, ISA members are working on a draft code that would protect the marine environment and build a foundation for ensuring that any activities in the deep-sea area are conducted responsibly and in line with environmental sustainability principles as well as benefitting all of humanity.

    A food container seen resting at 4,947m on the slopes of an underwater canyon near the North Marianas Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

    Tackling the ‘missing plastics paradox’

    Plastic pollution is another part of the problem. To address this and other pressing issues, ISA members adopted a global research agenda in July 2020, serving as an action plan for marine scientific research with six strategic priorities that include advancing knowledge of deep-sea ecosystems, promoting data sharing and providing insights into the scientific landscape of plastics in the deep-sea.

    This latter growing global challenge has potential consequences for the sustainable use of oceans. In 2019, the plastics industry produced over 450 million tonnes of plastic, a figure expected to rise in the coming decades and is likely to increase pressure on marine environments and species. Yet, a portion of plastics entering the oceans remains unaccounted for, a phenomenon known as the “missing plastics paradox”.

    Some researchers suggest that the deep sea may act as a sink for plastic debris, where their prolonged persistence could pose risks to these environments.

    Acorn worms were one of the many types of fauna observed in the deep-sea around the North Marianas Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

    The world’s new deep-sea biobank

    ISA has also just begun filling its new biobank, launched in June on the margins of the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France. The Deep-Sea Biobank Initiative (DBI) aims to enhance access to deep-sea biological samples and genetic data collected from the international seabed area.

    Designed to promote deep-sea research and inclusive scientific collaboration, particularly for developing States, the initiative will establish a global repository of biological samples and develop standard operating procedures to enhance data quality, sharing and use by stakeholders.

    “The DBI is ISA’s response to a growing need to advance research, share data, build capacity and facilitate access to deep-sea knowledge, particularly for developing States,” said the authority’s chief Carvalho. “We aim to create standardised and equitable pathways for scientific collaboration, empowering countries and institutions to explore, understand and protect the ocean’s most remote ecosystems.”

    The International Seabed Authority has emerged as a central institution of global ocean architecture, charting a course towards responsible and sustainable use.

    ‘DeepData’ diving

    The wealth of data and information ISA has collected has been critical to shaping environmental management plans. Every data byte collected through deep-sea exploration adds critical new information about life in the ocean and assists with decision making.

    In launching the DeepData database in 2019, ISA made publicly available for the first time the biggest and most complete global repository of environmental data and information on the deep-sea area.

    Exactly how much data has been collected? As of May 2023, DeepData contained over 10 terabytes, roughly equivalent to 6.9 million Instagram uploads. Widely used around the world, it had about 2.4 million hits from visitors in 2022 alone and more than 160 citations in scientific publications.

    Learn more about ISA here.

    • The International Seabed Authority (ISA) has 170 members
    • ISA is an autonomous intergovernmental organization established by the UN
    • Members meet annually to address pressing issues
    • The 30th session concludes with the ISA assembly meeting from 21 to 25 July in Kingston, Jamaica

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • Defence, diaspora and digital: PM Modi’s UK trip to reinforce bilateral agenda

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a two-nation visit from July 23 to 26, starting with the United Kingdom at the invitation of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. This will be his fourth official visit to the UK, reaffirming the growing depth and breadth of India-UK ties, particularly in defence, innovation, healthcare, education, and diaspora engagement.

    Defence cooperation between the two countries spans joint exercises, technological collaboration, and knowledge exchange. The Indian and British armed forces regularly participate in bilateral and multilateral drills. In 2023, the Indian Navy joined Exercise Konkan in the Arabian Sea, while the Indian Air Force took part in Exercise Cobra Warrior at Royal Air Force Waddington. The Indian Army participated in the seventh edition of Exercise Ajeya Warrior held in Salisbury, UK. A major multinational air exercise, Exercise Tarang Shakti, is scheduled for August 2024. These engagements reflect a strategic partnership aimed at enhancing operational synergy and promoting indigenous defence production under India’s Make in India initiative.

    In the area of science and technology, India and the UK have established themselves as close partners, with joint research programmes amounting to $387–516 million (approx. £300–400 million). The India-UK Science and Innovation Council, which convenes biennially, provides the framework for cooperation in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, clean energy, pandemic preparedness, and quantum science. During the April 2023 SIC meeting in the UK, an MoU was signed for expanded collaboration, including the creation of a new India-UK Net Zero Innovation Virtual Centre focused on industrial decarbonisation. India was also named a partner country in the UK’s International Science Partnership Fund, building upon the Newton-Bhabha Fund legacy.

    Healthcare cooperation saw a pivotal moment during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly with the joint development of the AstraZeneca vaccine by the UK and the Serum Institute of India. In July 2022, both nations signed the India-UK Framework Agreement for collaboration on healthcare workforce, aiming to streamline the recruitment and training of healthcare professionals. As per UK government data from June 2023, 60,533 Indian nationals are working in the National Health Service (NHS), the second-highest after British citizens. Among doctors in the NHS, 18 percent are of Asian origin, including 10,865 Indians. There are 31,992 Indian nurses and 11,499 clinical support staff, reflecting India’s critical contribution to the UK’s healthcare system.

    Education continues to be a key pillar of the bilateral relationship. The number of Indian students enrolling in UK universities has consistently risen since 2015-16, with an estimated 170,000 currently studying in the country. A landmark development under India’s New Education Policy: the University of Southampton’s Gurugram campus was recently inaugurated, becoming the first fully operational foreign university campus in India under UGC regulations. Further boosting collaboration, both nations signed a mutual recognition of academic qualifications MoU in July 2022.

    Mobility and migration are being actively facilitated under the Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement signed in May 2021. The Young Professional Scheme, announced in November 2022 by Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Rishi Sunak on the sidelines of the G20 Bali Summit, enables 3,000 young graduates between 18 and 30 years of age to live and work in each other’s countries for up to two years.

    The Indian diaspora in the UK remains a cornerstone of bilateral relations. According to the 2021 Census, 1.864 million people of Indian origin reside in the UK, forming 2.6 percent of its population. Of these, 369,000 hold Indian passports. The diaspora has made significant contributions across academia, medicine, science, arts, business, and politics. A report by Grant Thornton and FICCI in 2022 identified over 65,000 Indian diaspora-owned businesses in the UK. Among them, 654 companies with annual revenues exceeding $129,000 (approx. £100,000) together generated $47.5 billion (approx. £36.84 billion) in revenue, paid over $1.29 billion (approx. £1 billion) in corporate taxes, invested more than $2.58 billion (approx. £2 billion) in capital expenditure, and supported over 174,000 jobs.

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Portugal Reaffirms Commitment to Strengthening Strategic Partnership with Morocco

    Source: APO


    .

    The Portuguese Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel, praised, on Tuesday in Lisbon, the excellent bilateral ties with the Kingdom of Morocco, reaffirming the mutual will to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries, which represents a stellar cooperation model.

    This position was set out in the Joint Statement signed at the end of his meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Mr. Nasser Bourita.

    On this occasion, MFA Bourita and his Portuguese peer welcomed the excellent bilateral ties which continue to gain new momentum, strengthened in 2024 by the celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the historic Peace and Friendship Agreement signed between the two countries in 1774, and the 30th anniversary of the Friendship, Neighbourhood and Cooperation Treaty, signed in Rabat on May 30, 1994.

    The two ministers stressed the need to work towards implementing the commitments contained in the strategic partnership linking the two countries, endorsed at the 14th session of the High-Level Meeting held in Lisbon in May 2023.

    In this respect, MFA Bourita and Rangel seized the opportunity to underline the economic potential and the means to be deployed to further strengthen cooperation in priority areas, notably green hydrogen, calling for continued joint efforts to install the electricity interconnection project and ensure connectivity, including maritime connectivity, between the two countries.

    The two ministers also welcomed the joint organization by Morocco and Portugal, alongside Spain, of the 2030 Football World Cup, underscoring the momentum that could be unleashed by such a large-scale event in terms of shared prosperity and growth, as well as cultural rapprochement between the two countries.

    Regrading shared objectives and responsibilities, the two leaders undertook to pursue consultations and coordination within international bodies.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kingdom of Morocco – Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Morocco: Portugal Welcomes Atlantic Initiatives Launched by His Majesty (HM) the King in Favor of Africa

    Source: APO


    .

    Portugal, as an Atlantic country, welcomes the Atlantic Initiatives launched by His Majesty King Mohammed VI in favor of the African continent.

    This position was expressed by the Portuguese Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, Mr. Paulo Rangel, in a Joint Statement signed following his meeting on Tuesday in Lisbon with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Mr. Nasser Bourita.

    In this Joint Statement, Portugal, as an Atlantic country, thus welcomed the Atlantic Initiatives launched by His Majesty King Mohammed VI in support of the African continent, notably the Initiative of the Atlantic African States Process, the Royal International Initiative to facilitate access of Sahel countries to the Atlantic Ocean, and the Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic African Gas Pipeline Project.

    Rangel also praised the role of the Kingdom of Morocco as a driver of development and a provider of stability in the region and across Africa. In this regard, he commended the reforms undertaken by the Kingdom under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.

    The Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Portugal emphasized their positive and constructive roles in maintaining stability, security, and peace in their respective regions. They also reaffirmed their commitment to these principles, as well as to the peaceful resolution of conflicts and respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of States, the Joint statement adds.

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Mr. Nasser Bourita, paid an official visit to Portugal at the invitation of the Portuguese Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, Mr. Paulo Rangel.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kingdom of Morocco – Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • PM Modi’s fourth UK visit to spotlight $53.75 billion bilateral trade and FTA gains

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-nation visit on Wednesday, beginning with an official tour to the United Kingdom at the invitation of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer from July 23-24. This will mark his fourth visit to the UK, underscoring the deepening ties between the two nations, especially in the realm of economic cooperation.

    India and the UK share a strong and steadily growing economic partnership, reflected in robust trade figures and expanding investment flows. Bilateral trade between the two countries stood at approximately $53.75 billion in 2024, with Indian exports valued at around $32.5 billion and imports at about $21.25 billion. Trade in goods contributed $22.5 billion, while the services sector accounted for nearly $31.25 billion.

    Investment flows between the two countries continue to deepen. The UK ranks as the sixth-largest inward investor in India, with a cumulative equity investment of $35 billion as of September 2024. On the other hand, Indian investments in the UK amounted to $19 billion till March 2024. There are currently 971 Indian companies operating in the UK, employing over 1 lakh people. Meanwhile, 667 British companies are active in India, providing employment to more than 5 lakh people.

    A key development in bilateral economic relations has been the successful conclusion of the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the Double Contribution Convention. These landmark announcements were made during a telephonic conversation between the two Prime Ministers on May 6, 2025, following three years of negotiations. The FTA, one of India’s most comprehensive, spans 26 chapters, covering sectors such as goods, services, rules of origin, intellectual property rights, government procurement, digital trade, telecom, financial services, environment, and labour.

    Two institutional mechanisms have played a pivotal role in driving the India-UK economic agenda. The India-UK Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO), launched on January 13, 2005, is designed to strengthen strategic economic ties through a business-driven approach. The 15th JETCO meeting took place in New Delhi on January 13, 2022, co-chaired by India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal and UK’s then Secretary of State for International Trade, Ms. Anne-Marie Trevelyan. It was during this meeting that both nations formally launched negotiations for the FTA.

    The India-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD), established on February 4, 2005, has been instrumental in shaping macroeconomic cooperation. The 13th EFD meeting was held in London on April 9, 2025, led by the Finance Ministers of both countries. Discussions focused on boosting infrastructure collaboration, enhancing fintech partnerships, promoting sustainable finance, and advancing knowledge exchange.

  • PM Modi’s fourth UK visit to spotlight $53.75 billion bilateral trade and FTA gains

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-nation visit on Wednesday, beginning with an official tour to the United Kingdom at the invitation of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer from July 23-24. This will mark his fourth visit to the UK, underscoring the deepening ties between the two nations, especially in the realm of economic cooperation.

    India and the UK share a strong and steadily growing economic partnership, reflected in robust trade figures and expanding investment flows. Bilateral trade between the two countries stood at approximately $53.75 billion in 2024, with Indian exports valued at around $32.5 billion and imports at about $21.25 billion. Trade in goods contributed $22.5 billion, while the services sector accounted for nearly $31.25 billion.

    Investment flows between the two countries continue to deepen. The UK ranks as the sixth-largest inward investor in India, with a cumulative equity investment of $35 billion as of September 2024. On the other hand, Indian investments in the UK amounted to $19 billion till March 2024. There are currently 971 Indian companies operating in the UK, employing over 1 lakh people. Meanwhile, 667 British companies are active in India, providing employment to more than 5 lakh people.

    A key development in bilateral economic relations has been the successful conclusion of the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the Double Contribution Convention. These landmark announcements were made during a telephonic conversation between the two Prime Ministers on May 6, 2025, following three years of negotiations. The FTA, one of India’s most comprehensive, spans 26 chapters, covering sectors such as goods, services, rules of origin, intellectual property rights, government procurement, digital trade, telecom, financial services, environment, and labour.

    Two institutional mechanisms have played a pivotal role in driving the India-UK economic agenda. The India-UK Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO), launched on January 13, 2005, is designed to strengthen strategic economic ties through a business-driven approach. The 15th JETCO meeting took place in New Delhi on January 13, 2022, co-chaired by India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal and UK’s then Secretary of State for International Trade, Ms. Anne-Marie Trevelyan. It was during this meeting that both nations formally launched negotiations for the FTA.

    The India-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD), established on February 4, 2005, has been instrumental in shaping macroeconomic cooperation. The 13th EFD meeting was held in London on April 9, 2025, led by the Finance Ministers of both countries. Discussions focused on boosting infrastructure collaboration, enhancing fintech partnerships, promoting sustainable finance, and advancing knowledge exchange.

  • MIL-OSI: Taxback International rebrands as Fintua

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Kilkenny, Ireland , July 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Taxback International, a global leader in VAT compliance and recovery, has officially rebranded as Fintua. This rebrand represents the fusion of decades of indirect tax expertise with next-generation SaaS technology, setting a new standard for digital solutions in the fintech space. With this rebrand, the company reinforces its commitment to delivering smarter, more scalable fintech solutions to accelerate positive digital change across the indirect tax landscape.

    Fintua are a global fintech leader, delivering specialist tax technology solutions for indirect tax recovery, compliance, eInvoicing and payments.

    Why the change?

    Fintua represents the evolution of our business from a specialist in VAT reclaim to a global technology expert in the wider fintech industry. As indirect tax grows more complex, businesses are seeking smarter, more agile solutions. Our rebrand signals a commitment to empowering global tax and finance professionals with innovative technology that simplifies complexity, reduces risk and transforms how tax is managed. 

    The name Fintua blends our financial technology focus with a strong connection to our Irish heritage. Fin reflects our fintech expertise, while Tua derived from the Irish word tuath (meaning people or community), highlights our collaborative and client-centric values.  

    A new chapter of innovation 

    Rebranding to Fintua represents more than a name change – it is a statement of intent. We remain the trusted partner our clients know, but with an even greater focus on developing intuitive, expert-built technology that meets both current and future tax challenges. 

    “As we embark on this exciting journey to become Fintua, I am thrilled to see our company evolve into a brand that truly reflects our innovative spirit and commitment to tax technology,” said Catherine Quirke, CEO of Fintua. “This rebranding marks a significant milestone in our growth, and identifies with our ability and commitment to deliver cutting-edge solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers.” 

    Fintua’s vision is to be a leader in breakthrough technology, accelerating positive digital change throughout the indirect tax and wider fintech community. Our values; empowering, progressive, collaborative, and perceptive—will continue to guide every solution we deliver. 

    “The rebrand of Taxback International to Fintua is a proud moment for all of us at CluneTech. It’s a reflection of how far the business has come since its early days in Kilkenny – growing from a VAT reclaim specialist into a global technology leader in tax and fintech. For me, Fintua stands for innovation, ambition, and the power of a great team working together to solve complex challenges for businesses worldwide. I’m excited to see Fintua lead the way into this new era, continuing our tradition of empowering clients and driving positive change across the industry.” – Terry Clune, CEO and Founder of CluneTech. 

    About Fintua

    Fintua is a global fintech leader, delivering specialist tax technology solutions for indirect tax recovery, compliance, eInvoicing and payments. 

    Press inquiries

    Fintua
    https://fintua.com/
    Katie Fitzpatrick
    kfitzpatrick@fintua.com
    +353 87 020 3636
    IDA Business and Technology Park,
    Ring Road,
    Kilkenny,
    R95 ETN5

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: RWS and Copyleaks Join Forces to Deliver Built-in AI and Plagiarism Detection for Tridion Users

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MAIDENHEAD, United Kingdom and BERKSHIRE, United Kingdom, July 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Copyleaks, the AI content analysis and governance platform trusted by enterprises, educators, and governments worldwide, today announced a strategic partnership with RWS, the global leader in language, content, and intellectual property services. Through a new native integration with Tridion Docs, the RWS intelligent content management solution, Copyleaks’ award-winning AI-generated text and plagiarism detection capabilities now operate seamlessly within RWS content workflows, empowering organizations to publish with confidence and integrity at scale.

    As generative AI transforms content creation, organizations face an unprecedented challenge: ensuring the authenticity and originality of the content they publish. From technical documentation and marketing copy to regulatory content and training materials, businesses need to verify not just what they publish, but how it was created and whether it’s safe to use.

    Copyleaks’ comprehensive content integrity platform combines advanced AI detection with plagiarism prevention in one powerful solution. The platform identifies AI-generated text from leading models, including ChatGPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, and Claude, with an accuracy rate of over 99% and support for more than 30 languages. Its sophisticated detection capabilities extend beyond surface-level scans to catch advanced evasion tactics, including character substitution, paraphrasing, and blended human-AI writing.

    At the heart of this detection power is AI Logic, Copyleaks’ latest innovation that reveals the ‘why’ behind AI detection. Unlike traditional black-box approaches, AI Logic provides transparent insights through AI Phrases, which highlight linguistic patterns commonly found in AI-generated content, and AI Source Match, which determines whether text matches AI-generated content that has already been published elsewhere. This level of transparency enables content teams to make informed decisions with clarity and confidence, rather than relying on guesswork.

    Seamless Integration, Powerful Results

    Tridion already helps organizations manage complex, multilingual content at scale. With Copyleaks’ integration, content teams gain automatic analysis capabilities that scan text, code, and paraphrased material before publication. This creates a robust workflow where content authored in Tridion Docs is automatically analyzed by Copyleaks, ensuring every document meets organizational standards for originality and authenticity without disrupting publication cycles.

    Key Integration Benefits

    Automated Content Analysis: Content drafted or uploaded in Tridion Docs undergoes real-time Copyleaks scanning, with issues surfacing instantly to keep projects on schedule while maintaining quality standards.

    AI Governance and Policy Enforcement: Administrators can establish acceptable AI usage policies and receive detailed explanations for any flagged content through AI Logic’s transparent analysis, enabling responsible AI adoption across teams.

    Comprehensive Content Coverage: The integration supports text, code snippets, and multiple file formats, detecting everything from exact copying to sophisticated paraphrasing across diverse content types.

    Enterprise-Scale API Integration: Organizations can extend Copyleaks analysis to any Tridion workflow or third-party system through streamlined API connectivity.

    “Our customers need speed, but never at the expense of integrity,” said Alon Yamin, CEO and co-founder of Copyleaks. “By embedding our detection capabilities directly into Tridion, writers and reviewers can identify AI usage, plagiarism, or licensing risks the moment they occur – no additional steps and no file uploads; just clean, verifiable content that organizations can trust.”

    The Copyleaks connector for Tridion Docs is available immediately to joint customers worldwide. Organizations interested in adding advanced content analysis to their Tridion environment can contact their RWS account representative or request a demonstration at Copyleaks.com.

    About Copyleaks

    Copyleaks is a leading AI text analysis platform empowering businesses and educational institutions to navigate the evolving landscape of generative AI with confidence. With an award-winning suite of AI-powered tools trusted by millions globally, Copyleaks ensures AI governance, enables responsible AI adoption, safeguards intellectual property, and maintains academic integrity through comprehensive AI and plagiarism detection capabilities.

    For additional information, visit Copyleaks.com or follow the company on LinkedIn.

    About RWS

    RWS is a global content solutions company powered by a combination of advanced technology and human expertise. The company enhances the value of ideas, data, and content by helping organizations be understood everywhere.

    With proprietary technology, more than 45 AI patents, and a global team of specialists, RWS enables organizations to bring ideas to market faster, build deeper cross-cultural relationships, and expand into new markets with confidence. Its solutions drive business growth and open up a world of opportunities.

    More than 80 of the world’s top 100 brands rely on RWS to fuel innovation, inform strategic decisions, and shape impactful brand experiences.

    Operating from over 60 global locations across five continents, RWS supports clients across nearly every industry. Headquartered in the UK, the company has been innovating since 1958 and is publicly listed on AIM, the London Stock Exchange’s regulated market (RWS.L).

    For further information, please visit: rws.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: ASM reports second quarter 2025 results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Almere, The Netherlands
    July 22, 2025, 6 p.m. CET
     
    Solid Q2 results against a backdrop of continued mixed market conditions

    ASM International N.V. (Euronext Amsterdam: ASM) today reports its Q2 2025 results (unaudited).

    Financial highlights

    € million Q2 2024 Q1 2025 Q2 2025
    New orders 755.4 834.2 702.5
    yoy change % at constant currencies 56% 14% (4%)
           
    Revenue 706.1 839.2 835.6
    yoy change % as reported 6% 31% 18%
    yoy change % at constant currencies 6% 26% 23%
           
    Gross profit 352.0 447.8 433.2
    Gross profit margin % 49.8  % 53.4  % 51.8  %
           
    Operating result 177.6 266.2 258.5
    Operating result margin % 25.1  % 31.7 % 30.9  %
           
    Adjusted operating result 1 182.3 271.0 263.2
    Adjusted operating result margin %1 25.8  % 32.3 % 31.5  %
           
    Net earnings (losses) 159.0 (28.9) 202.4
    Adjusted net earnings 1 164.7 191.9 173.0

    1 Adjusted figures are non-IFRS performance measures. Refer to Annex 3 for a reconciliation of non-IFRS performance measures.

    • New orders of €702 million in Q2 2025 decreased by 4% over the same period last year at constant currency (decreased by 7% as reported). Compared to Q1 2025, orders decreased by 10% at constant currency. This sequential decrease is explained by lower advanced logic/foundry orders due to timing of orders. The y-o-y decrease was mainly due to the lumpy nature of quarterly order intake and compared to a relatively high memory contribution in Q2 2024.
    • Revenue of €836 million increased by 23% at constant currencies (increased by 18% as reported) from Q2 last year. At constant currencies, revenue increased by 7% compared to Q1 2025, which was above our guidance range of +1% to +6% at constant currencies. Revenue in Q2 2025 was driven by foundry, followed by memory, and logic.
    • Gross profit margin of 51.8% in Q2 2025 improved compared to 49.8% in Q2 last year, while it decreased, as expected, compared to 53.4% in Q1 2025. Q2 2025 margin remained healthy thanks to mix, including continued strong sales to China.
    • Adjusted operating result margin of 31.5% increased by 5.7% points compared to the same period last year and slightly decreased by 0.8% points compared to previous quarter. The y-o-y improvement is mainly due to higher gross profit margin this quarter, and a one-off tax charge which resulted in a higher SG&A cost last year.
    • Reported net earnings included a reversal of impairment of €34 million from our stake in ASMPT (Q1 included a €215 million impairment), triggered by the increase in market valuation in the recent period. There is no cash impact. Following the impairment, and in line with our accounting policy, the changes in the market value of ASMPT will be included in our quarterly net results in case of further decline or until the impairment charge has been reversed.

    Comment

    “ASM continued to deliver solid quarterly results against a backdrop of mixed market conditions. Sales increased by 23% year-on-year at constant currencies to €836 million,” said Hichem M’Saad, CEO of ASM. “Compared to the first quarter of 2025 revenue increased by +7%, which was above the top end of our guidance. The y-o-y increase was led by the logic/foundry segment as well as continued momentum in our spares & services business.

    The market environment continued to show a mixed picture in the second quarter. Growth in AI is fueling ongoing capacity expansions in the leading-edge logic/foundry and HBM-related DRAM segments, while conditions in most of the other market segments are still slow.

    Bookings amounted to €702 million in Q2 2025, down 10% compared to Q1 at constant currencies, mainly due to lower advanced logic/foundry bookings. However, the underlying trend in this segment, particularly in gate-all-around (GAA), remains healthy and we expect related leading-edge logic/foundry bookings to pick up again in Q3.

    The gross margin, while down from a high level of 53.4%, remained strong at 51.8%, again driven by product and customer mix, improved operational efficiency and a better-than-expected contribution from China sales. For the full year 2025, we still expect the gross margin to be in the upper half of the target range of 46%-50%. This excludes any potential direct impact from tariffs, which at this point remains difficult to predict. We have various scenarios in place to mitigate potential financial impacts.

    Operating profit increased strongly in Q2, by approximately 40% adjusted for a one-off expense last year, on the back of increased sales, gross margin improvement and continued cost control, whilst continuing to invest in R&D.

    We are well positioned to at least maintain our ALD and epi market share from the first to the second GAA logic/foundry nodes and remain focused on further share gains in memory, as ALD and epi intensity grows in upcoming DRAM nodes.”

    Outlook

    We expect revenue in the second half of 2025 to be approximately similar to the level in the first half, at constant currencies. For Q3 2025, we expect total ASM revenue to be flat to slightly lower, in a range of 0% to -5% at constant currencies compared to Q2 2025. As a reminder, with the Q1 2025 results we changed our quarterly revenue guidance from absolute Euro amounts to growth rates at constant currencies, given the increased exchange rate volatility in the recent periods and ASM’s significant USD revenue exposure (>80% of sales).
    For Q3 2025, we expect advanced logic/foundry bookings to be higher than in Q2 2025 and China bookings to be lower, with the overall book-to-bill in Q3 projected to be below 1.

    Based on comparable sales in the second half versus the first half, we expect revenue growth at constant currencies in 2025 to be around the midpoint of the guidance range of +10% to +20%. We continue to expect to outperform the WFE market, which is forecasted to grow slightly this year. Uncertainties related to tariffs, geopolitical tensions and the overall economic outlook continue to be relatively high.
    The key growth driver for ASM this year is the high-volume manufacturing ramp of the 2nm GAA node. Despite some further shifts in capex forecasts among customers in this segment, our view for a strong increase in advanced logic/foundry sales in 2025 has not changed. Demand in advanced HBM-related DRAM applications remains solid, but conditions in the other parts of the memory market are sluggish. Against a very strong level last year, we still expect the memory contribution to drop this year (to less than 20% of equipment sales in 2025 versus 25% in 2024).

    In the power/analog/wafer segment equipment demand remains depressed with no meaningful sales recovery in the remainder of the year, despite some early signs of improvement in the related end markets.
    Demand in the Chinese market held up better than initially expected in the first half. We now expect China equipment sales in 2025 to be around the top end of the previously guided range of low to high 20s percentage of total ASM revenue. China sales and bookings in the second half are projected to be lower than in the first half.

    Share buyback program

    The €150 million share buyback program, announced in February 2025, started on April 30, 2025. On June 30, 2025, 40% of the program was completed at an average share price of €486.48 under ASM’s share buyback program (of which 28.6% has been delivered and settled in cash within the reporting period, and the remainder on July 1, 2025).

    Investor Day

    We will host our 2025 Investor Day on September 23. Speakers will include our CEO, CFO and other members of ASM’s senior management team. Further details will be announced later.

    Interim financial report

    ASM International N.V. (Euronext Amsterdam: ASM) today also publishes its Interim Financial Report for the six-month period ended June 30, 2025.

    This report includes an Interim Management Board Report, including ESG update, and condensed consolidated interim financial statements prepared in accordance with IAS 34 (Interim Financial Reporting). The Interim Financial Report comprises regulated information within the meaning of the Dutch Financial Markets Supervision Act (“Wet op het Financieel Toezicht”) and is available in full on our website www.asm.com.

    About ASM

    ASM International N.V., headquartered in Almere, the Netherlands, and its subsidiaries design and manufacture equipment and process solutions to produce semiconductor devices for wafer processing, and have facilities in the United States, Europe, and Asia. ASM International’s common stock trades on the Euronext Amsterdam Stock Exchange (symbol: ASM). For more information, visit ASM’s website at www.asm.com.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: All matters discussed in this press release, except for any historical data, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These include, but are not limited to, economic conditions and trends in the semiconductor industry generally and the timing of the industry cycles specifically, currency fluctuations, corporate transactions, financing and liquidity matters, the success of restructurings, the timing of significant orders, market acceptance of new products, competitive factors, litigation involving intellectual property, shareholders or other issues, commercial and economic disruption due to natural disasters, terrorist activity, armed conflict or political instability, changes in import/export regulations, pandemics, epidemics and other risks indicated in the company’s reports and financial statements. The company assumes no obligation nor intends to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect future developments or circumstances.

    This press release contains inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation.

    Quarterly earnings conference call details

    ASM will host the quarterly earnings conference call and webcast on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. CET.

    Conference-call participants should pre-register using this link to receive the dial-in numbers, passcode and a personal PIN, which are required to access the conference call.

    A simultaneous audio webcast and replay will be accessible at this link.

    Contacts  
    Investor and media relations Investor relations
    Victor Bareño Valentina Fantigrossi
    T: +31 88 100 8500 T: +31 88 100 8502
    E: investor.relations@asm.com E: investor.relations@asm.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: ASM reports second quarter 2025 results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Almere, The Netherlands
    July 22, 2025, 6 p.m. CET
     
    Solid Q2 results against a backdrop of continued mixed market conditions

    ASM International N.V. (Euronext Amsterdam: ASM) today reports its Q2 2025 results (unaudited).

    Financial highlights

    € million Q2 2024 Q1 2025 Q2 2025
    New orders 755.4 834.2 702.5
    yoy change % at constant currencies 56% 14% (4%)
           
    Revenue 706.1 839.2 835.6
    yoy change % as reported 6% 31% 18%
    yoy change % at constant currencies 6% 26% 23%
           
    Gross profit 352.0 447.8 433.2
    Gross profit margin % 49.8  % 53.4  % 51.8  %
           
    Operating result 177.6 266.2 258.5
    Operating result margin % 25.1  % 31.7 % 30.9  %
           
    Adjusted operating result 1 182.3 271.0 263.2
    Adjusted operating result margin %1 25.8  % 32.3 % 31.5  %
           
    Net earnings (losses) 159.0 (28.9) 202.4
    Adjusted net earnings 1 164.7 191.9 173.0

    1 Adjusted figures are non-IFRS performance measures. Refer to Annex 3 for a reconciliation of non-IFRS performance measures.

    • New orders of €702 million in Q2 2025 decreased by 4% over the same period last year at constant currency (decreased by 7% as reported). Compared to Q1 2025, orders decreased by 10% at constant currency. This sequential decrease is explained by lower advanced logic/foundry orders due to timing of orders. The y-o-y decrease was mainly due to the lumpy nature of quarterly order intake and compared to a relatively high memory contribution in Q2 2024.
    • Revenue of €836 million increased by 23% at constant currencies (increased by 18% as reported) from Q2 last year. At constant currencies, revenue increased by 7% compared to Q1 2025, which was above our guidance range of +1% to +6% at constant currencies. Revenue in Q2 2025 was driven by foundry, followed by memory, and logic.
    • Gross profit margin of 51.8% in Q2 2025 improved compared to 49.8% in Q2 last year, while it decreased, as expected, compared to 53.4% in Q1 2025. Q2 2025 margin remained healthy thanks to mix, including continued strong sales to China.
    • Adjusted operating result margin of 31.5% increased by 5.7% points compared to the same period last year and slightly decreased by 0.8% points compared to previous quarter. The y-o-y improvement is mainly due to higher gross profit margin this quarter, and a one-off tax charge which resulted in a higher SG&A cost last year.
    • Reported net earnings included a reversal of impairment of €34 million from our stake in ASMPT (Q1 included a €215 million impairment), triggered by the increase in market valuation in the recent period. There is no cash impact. Following the impairment, and in line with our accounting policy, the changes in the market value of ASMPT will be included in our quarterly net results in case of further decline or until the impairment charge has been reversed.

    Comment

    “ASM continued to deliver solid quarterly results against a backdrop of mixed market conditions. Sales increased by 23% year-on-year at constant currencies to €836 million,” said Hichem M’Saad, CEO of ASM. “Compared to the first quarter of 2025 revenue increased by +7%, which was above the top end of our guidance. The y-o-y increase was led by the logic/foundry segment as well as continued momentum in our spares & services business.

    The market environment continued to show a mixed picture in the second quarter. Growth in AI is fueling ongoing capacity expansions in the leading-edge logic/foundry and HBM-related DRAM segments, while conditions in most of the other market segments are still slow.

    Bookings amounted to €702 million in Q2 2025, down 10% compared to Q1 at constant currencies, mainly due to lower advanced logic/foundry bookings. However, the underlying trend in this segment, particularly in gate-all-around (GAA), remains healthy and we expect related leading-edge logic/foundry bookings to pick up again in Q3.

    The gross margin, while down from a high level of 53.4%, remained strong at 51.8%, again driven by product and customer mix, improved operational efficiency and a better-than-expected contribution from China sales. For the full year 2025, we still expect the gross margin to be in the upper half of the target range of 46%-50%. This excludes any potential direct impact from tariffs, which at this point remains difficult to predict. We have various scenarios in place to mitigate potential financial impacts.

    Operating profit increased strongly in Q2, by approximately 40% adjusted for a one-off expense last year, on the back of increased sales, gross margin improvement and continued cost control, whilst continuing to invest in R&D.

    We are well positioned to at least maintain our ALD and epi market share from the first to the second GAA logic/foundry nodes and remain focused on further share gains in memory, as ALD and epi intensity grows in upcoming DRAM nodes.”

    Outlook

    We expect revenue in the second half of 2025 to be approximately similar to the level in the first half, at constant currencies. For Q3 2025, we expect total ASM revenue to be flat to slightly lower, in a range of 0% to -5% at constant currencies compared to Q2 2025. As a reminder, with the Q1 2025 results we changed our quarterly revenue guidance from absolute Euro amounts to growth rates at constant currencies, given the increased exchange rate volatility in the recent periods and ASM’s significant USD revenue exposure (>80% of sales).
    For Q3 2025, we expect advanced logic/foundry bookings to be higher than in Q2 2025 and China bookings to be lower, with the overall book-to-bill in Q3 projected to be below 1.

    Based on comparable sales in the second half versus the first half, we expect revenue growth at constant currencies in 2025 to be around the midpoint of the guidance range of +10% to +20%. We continue to expect to outperform the WFE market, which is forecasted to grow slightly this year. Uncertainties related to tariffs, geopolitical tensions and the overall economic outlook continue to be relatively high.
    The key growth driver for ASM this year is the high-volume manufacturing ramp of the 2nm GAA node. Despite some further shifts in capex forecasts among customers in this segment, our view for a strong increase in advanced logic/foundry sales in 2025 has not changed. Demand in advanced HBM-related DRAM applications remains solid, but conditions in the other parts of the memory market are sluggish. Against a very strong level last year, we still expect the memory contribution to drop this year (to less than 20% of equipment sales in 2025 versus 25% in 2024).

    In the power/analog/wafer segment equipment demand remains depressed with no meaningful sales recovery in the remainder of the year, despite some early signs of improvement in the related end markets.
    Demand in the Chinese market held up better than initially expected in the first half. We now expect China equipment sales in 2025 to be around the top end of the previously guided range of low to high 20s percentage of total ASM revenue. China sales and bookings in the second half are projected to be lower than in the first half.

    Share buyback program

    The €150 million share buyback program, announced in February 2025, started on April 30, 2025. On June 30, 2025, 40% of the program was completed at an average share price of €486.48 under ASM’s share buyback program (of which 28.6% has been delivered and settled in cash within the reporting period, and the remainder on July 1, 2025).

    Investor Day

    We will host our 2025 Investor Day on September 23. Speakers will include our CEO, CFO and other members of ASM’s senior management team. Further details will be announced later.

    Interim financial report

    ASM International N.V. (Euronext Amsterdam: ASM) today also publishes its Interim Financial Report for the six-month period ended June 30, 2025.

    This report includes an Interim Management Board Report, including ESG update, and condensed consolidated interim financial statements prepared in accordance with IAS 34 (Interim Financial Reporting). The Interim Financial Report comprises regulated information within the meaning of the Dutch Financial Markets Supervision Act (“Wet op het Financieel Toezicht”) and is available in full on our website www.asm.com.

    About ASM

    ASM International N.V., headquartered in Almere, the Netherlands, and its subsidiaries design and manufacture equipment and process solutions to produce semiconductor devices for wafer processing, and have facilities in the United States, Europe, and Asia. ASM International’s common stock trades on the Euronext Amsterdam Stock Exchange (symbol: ASM). For more information, visit ASM’s website at www.asm.com.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: All matters discussed in this press release, except for any historical data, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These include, but are not limited to, economic conditions and trends in the semiconductor industry generally and the timing of the industry cycles specifically, currency fluctuations, corporate transactions, financing and liquidity matters, the success of restructurings, the timing of significant orders, market acceptance of new products, competitive factors, litigation involving intellectual property, shareholders or other issues, commercial and economic disruption due to natural disasters, terrorist activity, armed conflict or political instability, changes in import/export regulations, pandemics, epidemics and other risks indicated in the company’s reports and financial statements. The company assumes no obligation nor intends to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect future developments or circumstances.

    This press release contains inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation.

    Quarterly earnings conference call details

    ASM will host the quarterly earnings conference call and webcast on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. CET.

    Conference-call participants should pre-register using this link to receive the dial-in numbers, passcode and a personal PIN, which are required to access the conference call.

    A simultaneous audio webcast and replay will be accessible at this link.

    Contacts  
    Investor and media relations Investor relations
    Victor Bareño Valentina Fantigrossi
    T: +31 88 100 8500 T: +31 88 100 8502
    E: investor.relations@asm.com E: investor.relations@asm.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Inside Information: Nokia lowers 2025 operating profit guidance due to currency  

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Nokia Corporation
    Inside information
    22 July 2025 at 19:00 EEST

    Inside Information: Nokia lowers 2025 operating profit guidance due to currency
      

    • Nokia lowers its comparable operating profit guidance range to EUR 1.6 billion to EUR 2.1 billion from EUR 1.9 billion to EUR 2.4 billion.  
    • Adjustment relates to currency headwinds from the weaker USD and tariffs. 
    • Reports preliminary Q2 financial results of approximately EUR 4.55 billion net sales and EUR 0.3 billion comparable operating profit.  


    Espoo, Finland – Nokia is today providing an update to its financial guidance for full year 2025. Nokia’s underlying business performed as expected through the first half, however, considering currency and tariff headwinds which are outside its control and have transpired since its Q1 results, the company feels it is prudent at this point to lower its operating profit outlook range. Nokia is lowering its comparable operating profit outlook range to EUR 1.6 billion to EUR 2.1 billion (previously EUR 1.9 billion to EUR 2.4 billion). Nokia’s guidance for free cash flow conversion from comparable operating profit remains 50% to 80%. Nokia’s guidance is now based on a EUR:USD rate of 1.17, while the currency rate used in January was 1.04.

    Since Nokia provided guidance in January for the full year 2025, two headwinds outside its control are impacting the 2025 outlook. The largest headwind is currency fluctuations (particularly the weaker USD), an approximately EUR 230 million negative impact (EUR 140 million operationally and EUR 90 million from non-cash venture fund currency revaluations). Also, the current tariff landscape is expected to impact full year operating profit by EUR 50 million to EUR 80 million.  

    Update to Nokia’s financial outlook for 2025 

      Updated  Previous (Issued 30 Jan) 
    Comparable Operating Profit1  EUR 1.6 billion to EUR 2.1 billion  EUR 1.9 billion to EUR 2.4 billion 
    Free cash flow conversion from comparable operating profit  50% to 80%  50% to 80% 

    1 Outlook is based on a EUR:USD rate of 1.17 for the remainder of the year.

    In the second quarter, based on its preliminary financials, Nokia expects to report net sales of approximately EUR 4.55 billion and comparable operating profit of EUR 300 million. The Q2 comparable operating profit includes a negative impact from its venture funds of EUR 50 million primarily related to currency.  

    Nokia will release its second quarter and half year 2025 financial results on Thursday 24th July 2025.  

    Nokia will conduct a conference call with analysts and investors to discuss its second quarter performance and business outlook on 24 July 2025 at 11:30am EEST / 09:30am BST / 04:30am US EST.  

    About Nokia

    At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.

    As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, which is celebrating 100 years of innovation.

    With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.

    Inquiries:

    Nokia Communications
    Phone: +358 10 448 4900
    Email: press.services@nokia.com
    Maria Vaismaa, Global Head of External Communications

    Nokia
    Investor Relations
    Phone: +358 931 580 507 
    Email: investor.relations@nokia.com

    FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS 

    Certain statements herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect Nokia’s current expectations and views of future developments and include statements regarding: A) expectations, plans, benefits or outlook related to our strategies, projects, programs, product launches, growth management, licenses, sustainability and other ESG targets, operational key performance indicators and decisions on market exits; B) expectations, plans or benefits related to future performance of our businesses (including the expected impact, timing and duration of potential global pandemics, geopolitical conflicts and the general or regional macroeconomic conditions on our businesses, our supply chain, the timing of market changes or turning points in demand and our customers’ businesses) and any future dividends and other distributions of profit; C) expectations and targets regarding financial performance and results of operations, including market share, prices, net sales, income, margins, cash flows, cost savings, the timing of receivables, operating expenses, provisions, impairments, tariffs, taxes, currency exchange rates, hedging, investment funds, inflation, product cost reductions, competitiveness, value creation, revenue generation in any specific region, and licensing income and payments; D) ability to execute, expectations, plans or benefits related to transactions, investments and changes in organizational structure and operating model; E) impact on revenue with respect to litigation/renewal discussions; and F) any statements preceded by or including “anticipate”, “continue”, “believe”, “envisage”, “expect”, “aim”, “will”, “target”, “may”, “would”, “could“, “see”, “plan”, “ensure” or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause our actual results to differ materially from such statements. These statements are based on management’s best assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to them. These forward-looking statements are only predictions based upon our current expectations and views of future events and developments and are subject to risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. Factors, including risks and uncertainties that could cause these differences, include those risks and uncertainties identified in our 2024 annual report on Form 20-F published on 13 March 2025 under Operating and financial review and prospects-Risk factors.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Inside Information: Nokia lowers 2025 operating profit guidance due to currency  

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Nokia Corporation
    Inside information
    22 July 2025 at 19:00 EEST

    Inside Information: Nokia lowers 2025 operating profit guidance due to currency
      

    • Nokia lowers its comparable operating profit guidance range to EUR 1.6 billion to EUR 2.1 billion from EUR 1.9 billion to EUR 2.4 billion.  
    • Adjustment relates to currency headwinds from the weaker USD and tariffs. 
    • Reports preliminary Q2 financial results of approximately EUR 4.55 billion net sales and EUR 0.3 billion comparable operating profit.  


    Espoo, Finland – Nokia is today providing an update to its financial guidance for full year 2025. Nokia’s underlying business performed as expected through the first half, however, considering currency and tariff headwinds which are outside its control and have transpired since its Q1 results, the company feels it is prudent at this point to lower its operating profit outlook range. Nokia is lowering its comparable operating profit outlook range to EUR 1.6 billion to EUR 2.1 billion (previously EUR 1.9 billion to EUR 2.4 billion). Nokia’s guidance for free cash flow conversion from comparable operating profit remains 50% to 80%. Nokia’s guidance is now based on a EUR:USD rate of 1.17, while the currency rate used in January was 1.04.

    Since Nokia provided guidance in January for the full year 2025, two headwinds outside its control are impacting the 2025 outlook. The largest headwind is currency fluctuations (particularly the weaker USD), an approximately EUR 230 million negative impact (EUR 140 million operationally and EUR 90 million from non-cash venture fund currency revaluations). Also, the current tariff landscape is expected to impact full year operating profit by EUR 50 million to EUR 80 million.  

    Update to Nokia’s financial outlook for 2025 

      Updated  Previous (Issued 30 Jan) 
    Comparable Operating Profit1  EUR 1.6 billion to EUR 2.1 billion  EUR 1.9 billion to EUR 2.4 billion 
    Free cash flow conversion from comparable operating profit  50% to 80%  50% to 80% 

    1 Outlook is based on a EUR:USD rate of 1.17 for the remainder of the year.

    In the second quarter, based on its preliminary financials, Nokia expects to report net sales of approximately EUR 4.55 billion and comparable operating profit of EUR 300 million. The Q2 comparable operating profit includes a negative impact from its venture funds of EUR 50 million primarily related to currency.  

    Nokia will release its second quarter and half year 2025 financial results on Thursday 24th July 2025.  

    Nokia will conduct a conference call with analysts and investors to discuss its second quarter performance and business outlook on 24 July 2025 at 11:30am EEST / 09:30am BST / 04:30am US EST.  

    About Nokia

    At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.

    As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, which is celebrating 100 years of innovation.

    With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.

    Inquiries:

    Nokia Communications
    Phone: +358 10 448 4900
    Email: press.services@nokia.com
    Maria Vaismaa, Global Head of External Communications

    Nokia
    Investor Relations
    Phone: +358 931 580 507 
    Email: investor.relations@nokia.com

    FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS 

    Certain statements herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect Nokia’s current expectations and views of future developments and include statements regarding: A) expectations, plans, benefits or outlook related to our strategies, projects, programs, product launches, growth management, licenses, sustainability and other ESG targets, operational key performance indicators and decisions on market exits; B) expectations, plans or benefits related to future performance of our businesses (including the expected impact, timing and duration of potential global pandemics, geopolitical conflicts and the general or regional macroeconomic conditions on our businesses, our supply chain, the timing of market changes or turning points in demand and our customers’ businesses) and any future dividends and other distributions of profit; C) expectations and targets regarding financial performance and results of operations, including market share, prices, net sales, income, margins, cash flows, cost savings, the timing of receivables, operating expenses, provisions, impairments, tariffs, taxes, currency exchange rates, hedging, investment funds, inflation, product cost reductions, competitiveness, value creation, revenue generation in any specific region, and licensing income and payments; D) ability to execute, expectations, plans or benefits related to transactions, investments and changes in organizational structure and operating model; E) impact on revenue with respect to litigation/renewal discussions; and F) any statements preceded by or including “anticipate”, “continue”, “believe”, “envisage”, “expect”, “aim”, “will”, “target”, “may”, “would”, “could“, “see”, “plan”, “ensure” or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause our actual results to differ materially from such statements. These statements are based on management’s best assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to them. These forward-looking statements are only predictions based upon our current expectations and views of future events and developments and are subject to risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. Factors, including risks and uncertainties that could cause these differences, include those risks and uncertainties identified in our 2024 annual report on Form 20-F published on 13 March 2025 under Operating and financial review and prospects-Risk factors.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Oxford landlord found guilty of failing to comply with HMO licence conditions

    Source: City of Oxford

    Tuesday, 22 July 2025

    An Oxford landlord has been fined £5,500 after being found guilty of failing to comply with HMO licence conditions at a home in Headington.

    Aslam Javid Dogar, (61), of Lime Walk in Oxford, was found guilty of nine counts of failing to comply with the conditions of the HMO licence for 182 Headington Road.  

    The failure to comply with licence conditions included: 

    • an inadequate fire alarm system  
    • fire doors that had not been maintained in good order and repair 
    • a lack of guarding on the staircase and landing between the first and second floors 
    • no mechanical ventilation fitted in either kitchen or bathroom  
    • the property being generally in a poor state of repair 

    Alongside the £5,500 fine, Dogar was ordered to pay costs of £3,678 and a victim surcharge of £2,000 at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on 8 July 2025. 

    , 

    “Some landlords are taking advantage of the city’s housing shortage to rent out badly maintained properties to multiple occupants.  

    The HMO licensing scheme was introduced to raise standards in the city’s private rental sector and make sure all rented homes are safe for tenants to live in.  

    The message to landlords is clear, if you don’t meet your legal obligations to your tenants and keep your properties up to the required standard then the city council will prosecute you.  

    I am pleased by the substantial fine charged in this particular case as it serves as a deterrent to other landlords, and serves notice that HMO standards will be upheld.” 

    – Councillor Linda Smith, Cabinet Member for Housing

    If you suspect a property may be an unlicensed HMO or know of an HMO which is unsafe, in poor repair or you have concerns about its management, you can report it anonymously for investigation on the Council’s website.  

    For more information contact: 

    Oxford City Council 

    Press Office 

    01865 252096 

    pressoffice@oxford.gov.uk 
     

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: SOITEC REPORTS FIRST QUARTER REVENUE OF FISCAL YEAR 2026

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SOITEC REPORTS FIRST QUARTER REVENUE OF FISCAL YEAR 2026

    • Q1’26 revenue: €92m, down 16% year-on-year on an organic1basis, slightly better than the guidance
    • Q1’26 year-on-year revenue development reflects, as expected, ongoing RF-SOI inventory correction among customers, a weak automotive market, the anticipated phase-out of first-generation Imager-SOI, and the strong momentum in Photonics-SOI
    • Q2’26 revenue is expected to grow around 50% versus Q1’26, on an organic basis

    Bernin (Grenoble), France, July 22nd, 2025 – Soitec (Euronext Paris), a world leader in designing and manufacturing innovative semiconductor materials, today announced unaudited consolidated revenue of 92 million Euros for the first quarter of FY’26 (ended on June 29th, 2025), down 24% on a reported basis compared with 121 million Euros achieved in the first quarter of FY’25. This reflects a 16% decline on an organic basis, a negative currency impact of 5% and a negative scope effect2 of 3% related to the divestment of Dolphin Design’s businesses.

    Pierre Barnabé, Soitec’s CEO, commented: “Q1’26 revenue was slightly better than the guidance, down 16% year-on-year on an organic basis. This includes the phase-out of Imager-SOI. Artificial Intelligence continues to support strong growth in Edge & Cloud AI division, with traction both at the edge and in the cloud accelerating adoption of FD-SOI for Edge AI and Photonics-SOI for data centers. Conversely, the correction of RF-SOI inventories among our direct customers, and the ongoing weakness in the Automotive market continued to impact our revenue.

    Looking ahead, we expect Q2’26 revenue to grow around 50% versus Q1’26, on an organic basis. This reflects ongoing RF-SOI inventory correction in Mobile Communications, continued weakness in Automotive & Industrial, and strong growth in Edge & Cloud AI.

    In an uncertain and volatile environment, we remain focused on the factors within our control to prepare Soitec for the future. We are broadening our end-market exposure and customer base to diversify the company’s foundations. In parallel, we are accelerating the expansion of our product portfolio – across both SOI and compound semiconductors – to serve a wider range of applications. At the same time, we are building robust ecosystems that support the adoption of our products, with the ambition of establishing them as new industry standards.”

    First quarter FY’26 consolidated revenue

      Q1’26 Q1’25 Q1’26/Q1’25
             
             
    (Euros million)     change reported chg. at const. exch. rates & perimeter
             
    Mobile Communications 43 48 -12% -7%
    Automotive & Industrial 5 26 -82% -81%
    Edge & Cloud AI 44 46 -4% +13%
             
    Revenue 92 121 -24% -16%

    Mobile Communications

    Mobile Communications revenue reached 43 million Euros in Q1’26, down 7% year-on-year on an organic basis.

    After a strong seasonal tailwind in Q4’25, further correction was expected in RF-SOI customer inventories. As a result, sales of RF-SOI wafers decreased to a low level in Q1’26, below Q1’25. This mostly reflects a significant year-on-year decrease in 200-mm RF-SOI volumes sold. Sales of 300-mm RF-SOI wafers were higher than in Q1’25, driven by higher volumes, despite a slightly negative price / mix effect.

    Sales of POI (Piezoelectric-on-Insulator) wafers dedicated to RF filters were stable year-on-year, reflecting ongoing growth with key US customers and a temporary slowdown in Asia. POI is becoming the reference substrate for advanced Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) filters, increasingly adopted by leading fabless globally.

    Sales of FD-SOI wafers, the only solution for fully integrated 5G mmWave system-on-chip, were significantly higher than in Q1’25. FD-SOI adoption is progressing with first design wins for Wi-Fi 7 SoCs, for premium Android smartphones.

    Automotive & Industrial

    In a persistently complicated automotive market, Automotive & Industrial revenue reached 5 million Euros in Q1’26, down 81% year-on-year on an organic basis.

    As expected, the Power-SOI inventory replenishment that took place at customer level in Q4’25, came at the expense of volumes in Q1’26, and will continue to impact Q2’26. Meanwhile, Soitec is accelerating the transition from 200-mm to 300-mm Power-SOI to address growing demand for Battery Management Systems.

    Automotive FD-SOI wafer sales were negligible in Q1’26, although the build-up of a solid ecosystem is supporting the strengthening of its adoption for analog/digital systems such as radars, microcontrollers and wireless connectivity.

    Regarding SmartSiCTM, the slower growth of the electric vehicle market combined with the longer qualification cycles confirms the delay in the production ramp-up, as already communicated.

    Edge & Cloud AI

    Edge & Cloud AI revenue reached 44 million Euros in Q1’26, up 13% on an organic basis compared to Q1’25 despite the discontinuation of the first generation of Imager-SOI wafers for 3D imaging applications, which recorded 25 million Dollars in revenue in Q1’25. On a reported basis, Edge & Cloud AI revenue went down 4% due to the scope effect of the divestment of Dolphin Design’s businesses combined with a negative currency impact.

    Soitec delivered another strong performance in Photonics-SOI in Q1’26, with sales significantly above Q1’25 levels. As AI computing power expands, driving demand for faster and more efficient data centers, Photonics-SOI stands out as the optimal solution for high-speed, high-bandwidth optical links, whether for pluggable transceivers or Co-Packaged Optics (CPOs). Soitec is capitalizing on strong Cloud infrastructure investments from Big Tech and AI players and is accelerating its Photonics-SOI roadmap with AI leaders.

    FD-SOI sales were also above Q1’25 levels. Thanks to its benefits in power efficiency, performance, thermal management, and reliability, FD-SOI is a key enabler of AI-driven IoT applications across consumer, healthcare, and industrial markets.

    Q2’26 outlook

    Q2’26 revenue is expected to grow around 50% versus Q1’26, on an organic basis. The impact from the phasing out of Imager-SOI will be less pronounced than in Q1’26, as Imager-SOI revenue amounted to approximately 7 million Dollars in Q2’25.

    Excluding Imager-SOI, Edge & Cloud AI is expected to maintain solid momentum and should be slightly up vs. Q1’26. Mobile Communications revenue will remain low, despite nearly doubling from Q1’26, as customers continue to work through excess RF-SOI inventory. As in Q1’26, Automotive & Industrial revenue in Q2’26 is expected to decline sharply versus Q2’25.

    Projected FY’26 Capex cash-out is confirmed around 150 million Euros, down from 230 million Euros in FY’25.

    Key events of Q1’26

    Soitec has successfully issued a new 200 million Euros Schuldschein loan

    This is a 200 million Euros Schuldschein loan offering a floating rate coupon with an average maturity of 4.1 years, which was subscribed by high quality European investors.
    The offering is structured in tranches of 3, 4, 5 & 7 years, with 72% of the transaction on the 4-year and 5-year tenors. The 100 million Euros initially planned were significantly oversubscribed, reflecting investor interest and confidence in Soitec’s financial profile and strategy, despite a volatile environment.
    The proceeds of the new Schuldschein loan will be used to partially refinance the 325 million Euros convertible bonds maturing in October 2025 and for general corporate purposes. Through this transaction, Soitec is actively managing its debt profile and extending its debt maturity.

    Soitec and PSMC collaborate on ultra-thin TLT technology for nm-scale 3D stacking

    On June 3rd, 2025, Soitec announced a strategic collaboration with Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC). Under the collaboration, Soitec will supply PSMC 300mm substrates incorporating a release layer, Transistor Layer Transfer (TLT) ready, to support a new demonstration of advanced 3D chip stacking at the wafer level. This marks the first public announcement of Soitec’s TLT technology. The technology is an enabler for next-generation semiconductor designs that allow for more powerful, compact and energy-efficient chips – with potential applications ranging from smartphones, tablets and AI devices to autonomous driving systems.

    CEA-Leti and Soitec announce strategic partnership to leverage FD-SOI for enhanced security of integrated circuits

    On June 18th, 2025, CEA-Leti and Soitec announced a strategic partnership to enhance the cybersecurity of integrated circuits (ICs) through the innovative use of fully depleted silicon-on-insulator (FD-SOI) technologies. This collaboration aims to position FD-SOI as a foundational platform for secure electronics by leveraging and extending its inherent resistance to physical attacks. At the heart of the initiative is a joint effort to experimentally validate and augment the security benefits of FD-SOI—from the substrate level up to circuit design. The project aims to deliver concrete data, practical demonstrations, and roadmap guidance to meet the surging cybersecurity demands in critical markets such as automotive, industrial IoT, and secure infrastructure

    # # #

    Analysts conference call to be held in English on Wednesday 23rdJuly at 8:00 am CET.

    To listen to this conference call, the audiocast is available live and in replay at the following address: https://channel.royalcast.com/soitec/#!/soitec/20250723_1

    # # #

    Agenda

    Q2’26 revenue and H1’26 results are due to be published on November 19th, 2025, after market close.

    # # #

    Disclaimer

    This document is provided by Soitec (the “Company”) for information purposes only.

    The Company’s business operations and financial position are described in the Company’s Universal Registration Document (which notably includes the Annual Financial Report) which was filed on June 11th, 2025, with the French stock market authority (Autorité des Marchés Financiers, or AMF) under number D.25-0439. The French version of the 2024-2025 Universal Registration Document, together with English courtesy translation for information purposes of this document, are available for consultation on the Company’s website (www.soitec.com), in the section Company – Investors – Financial Reports.

    Your attention is drawn to the risk factors described in Chapter 2.1 (Risk factors and controls mechanism) of the Company’s Universal Registration Document.

    This document contains summary information and should be read in conjunction with the Universal Registration Document.

    This document contains certain forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements relate to the Company’s future prospects, developments and strategy and are based on analyses of earnings forecasts and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties as they relate to future events and are dependent on circumstances that may or may not materialize in the future. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of the Company’s future performance. The occurrence of any of the risks described in Chapter 2.1 (Risk factors and controls mechanism) of the Universal Registration Document may have an impact on these forward-looking statements.

    The Company’s actual financial position, results and cash flows, as well as the trends in the sector in which the Company operates may differ materially from those contained in this document. Furthermore, even if the Company’s financial position, results, cash-flows and the developments in the sector in which the Company operates were to conform to the forward-looking statements contained in this document, such elements cannot be construed as a reliable indication of the Company’s future results or developments.

    The Company does not undertake any obligation to update or make any correction to any forward-looking statement in order to reflect an event or circumstance that may occur after the date of this document.

    This document does not constitute or form part of an offer or a solicitation to purchase, subscribe for, or sell the Company’s securities in any country whatsoever. This document, or any part thereof, shall not form the basis of, or be relied upon in connection with, any contract, commitment or investment decision.

    Notably, this document does not constitute an offer or solicitation to purchase, subscribe for or to sell securities in the United States. Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from the registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Company’s shares have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act. Neither the Company nor any other person intends to conduct a public offering of the Company’s securities in the United States.

    # # #

    About Soitec

    Soitec (Euronext – Tech Leaders), a world leader in innovative semiconductor materials, has been developing cutting-edge products delivering both technological performance and energy efficiency for over 30 years. From its global headquarters in France, Soitec is expanding internationally with its unique solutions, and generated sales of 0.9 billion Euros in fiscal year 2024-2025. Soitec occupies a key position in the semiconductor value chain, serving three main strategic markets: Mobile Communications, Automotive and Industrial, and Edge and Cloud AI. The company relies on the talent and diversity of more than 2,200 employees, representing 50 different nationalities, working at its sites in Europe, the United States and Asia. Nearly 4,300 patents have been registered by Soitec.

    Soitec, SmartSiC™ and Smart Cut™ are registered trademarks of Soitec.

    For more information: visit our website and follow us on LinkedIn and X

    # # #

    Media Relations: media@soitec.com

    Investor Relations: investors@soitec.com

    # # #

    Consolidated revenue per quarter

    Quarterly revenue Q1’25 Q2’25 Q3’25 Q4’25 Q1’26  
    (Euros millions)            
    Mobile Communications 48   124   154   220 43    
    Automotive & Industrial 26 33 25 45 5  
    Edge & Cloud AI 46 61 47 63 44  
                 
    Revenue 121   217   226   327 92    
    Change in quarterly revenue Q1’26/Q1’25
    (vs. previous year) Reported
    change    		 Organic change1
         
    Mobile Communications -12% -7%
    Automotive & Industrial -82% -81%
    Edge & Cloud AI -4% +13%
         
    Revenue -24% -16%

    1         At constant exchange rates and comparable scope of consolidation:

    • in Q1’26 there is a negative scope effect related to the divestment of Dolphin Design’s mixed signal IP activities (completed on October 31st, 2024) and the divestment of Dolphin Design’s ASIC activities (completed on December 30th, 2024).

    1 At constant exchange rates and perimeter

    2 The scope effect is related to the divestment of Dolphin Design’s mixed-signal IP activities (completed on October 31st, 2024) and that of Dolphin Design’s ASIC activities (completed on December 30th, 2024)

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Welcome boost for four Plymouth bus routes

    Source: City of Plymouth

    Plymouth residents and visitors will soon benefit from extended routes and timings on four bus services, thanks to grant funding from the Department for Transport.

    From Monday 28 July the service 25, which runs between the city centre, Barbican and West Hoe, will run until 10pm instead of 6pm from Monday to Saturday. This will be a welcome improvement for people travelling to and from the waterfront later into the evening on these days (Sunday and bank holiday timetables will remain as they are).

    From Sunday 31August the service 1A will run to Derriford Hospital on Sundays and bank holidays, providing a valuable direct link between Sherford, Plymstock and the hospital seven days a week. (It currently only runs between Sherford and the city centre on Sundays and bank holidays.)

    The same will apply for the service 27, providing week-round access to the city centre and the hospital for residents in Lower Compton, Efford, Eggbuckland and Mainstone.

    We will also continue to support evening journeys on the service 2 between the city centre and Mount Batten to maintain this important link for residents.

    The contracts are being funded by the Department for Transport’s Bus Grant for 2025/26 and will run until March 2027.

    Councillor John Stephens, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Transport, said: “Helping people get to and from key parts of the city is a priority for us and we want to do all we can to ensure these links are there during the evenings, as well as on Sundays and bank holidays. These improvements will hopefully make a big difference to local bus passengers, as well as visitors.”

    Unfortunately, due to very low passenger numbers, some journeys on the Council-subsidised service 4 between Plympton and the city centre (via Sherford and Plymstock) will be withdrawn from 31 August:

    Outbound from Royal Parade to Plympton Ridgeway

    6am departure (Monday to Friday)
    8.10pm and 9.10pm departures (Monday to Saturday)

    Inbound from Plympton Ridgeway to Royal Parade

    9.05pm and 10.05pm departures (Monday to Friday)
    9.01pm and 10.01pm departures (Saturday)

    For information about the extended hours of operation on service 25, see the Plymouth Citybus website.

    Information about services 1A, 2, 4 and 27 can be found on the Stagecoach South West website.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration remit letter: 2026 to 2027

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2

    Correspondence

    Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration remit letter: 2026 to 2027

    Letter about the pay round for the financial year 2026 to 2027 from the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB).

    Documents

    Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration remit letter: 2026 to 2027

    HTML

    Details

    This letter to the Chair of the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) sets out the remit from the Department of Health and Social Care to DDRB. It concerns the pay round for the financial year 2026 to 2027.

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 July 2025

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    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Senior Salaries Review Body remit letter: 2026 to 2027

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2

    Correspondence

    Senior Salaries Review Body remit letter: 2026 to 2027

    Letter about the pay round for the financial year 2026 to 2027 from the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to the Senior Salaries Review Body.

    Documents

    Senior Salaries Review Body remit letter: 2026 to 2027

    HTML

    Details

    This letter to the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) sets out the remit from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to the SSRB.

    It concerns the pay round for the financial year 2025 to 2026.

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 July 2025

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    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: NHS Pay Review Body remit letter: 2026 to 2027

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2

    Correspondence

    NHS Pay Review Body remit letter: 2026 to 2027

    Letter about the pay round for the financial year 2026 to 2027 from the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to the NHS Pay Review Body (NHSPRB).

    Documents

    NHS Pay Review Body remit letter: 2026 to 2027

    HTML

    Details

    This letter to the Interim Chair of the NHS Pay Review Body (NHSPRB) sets out the remit from the Department of Health and Social Care to the NHSPRB.

    It concerns the pay round for the financial year 2026 to 2027.

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 July 2025

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    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Armed Forces’ pay round 2026 – remit letter

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Correspondence

    Armed Forces’ pay round 2026 – remit letter

    Formal request to the Chair of the Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body to commence the 2026 pay round.

    Documents

    Armed Forces pay round 2026 – remit letter

    HTML

    Armed Forces pay round 2026 – remit letter

    PDF, 130 KB, 3 pages

    This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

    Request an accessible format.
    If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email ddc-modinternet@mod.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

    Details

    Formal request from the Secretary of State for Defence to the Chair of the Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body to commence the 2026 pay round.

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 July 2025

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    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Lord Chancellor letter to the Chair of the SSRB: July 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Correspondence

    Lord Chancellor letter to the Chair of the SSRB: July 2025

    The Lord Chancellor writes to the Chair of the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) about the annual judicial pay review 2026 to 2027.

    Applies to England and Wales

    Documents

    Lord Chancellor letter to the Chair of the SSRB: July 2025

    PDF, 106 KB, 2 pages

    Details

    This letter to the Chair of the SSRB sets out the remit issued by the Lord Chancellor for the 2026 to 2027 annual pay review.

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 July 2025

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    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Remit letter for the PSPRB 2026 England and Wales pay round

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Correspondence

    Remit letter for the PSPRB 2026 England and Wales pay round

    Remit letter from the Minister of State for Prisons and Probation to the Chair of the Prison Service Pay Review Body (PSPRB).

    Applies to England and Wales

    Documents

    PSPRB remit letter 2026 to 2027

    PDF, 137 KB, 2 pages

    This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

    Request an accessible format.
    If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email web.comments@justice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

    Details

    This letter sets out the remit for the 2026 to 2027 pay round for operational prison staff in the England and Wales prison service.

    The UK government determines when it will respond to and publish the PSPRB’s report.

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 July 2025

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    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: School Teachers’ Review Body remit letter for 2026 and 2027

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Correspondence

    School Teachers’ Review Body remit letter for 2026 and 2027

    The Secretary of State’s letter to the School Teachers’ Review Body asking for recommendations on teachers’ pay and conditions for 2026 to 2027 and 2027 to 2028.

    Applies to England

    Documents

    Letter from Bridget Phillipson to Dr Mike Aldred

    PDF, 173 KB, 4 pages

    Details

    Secretary of State for Education Bridget Phillipson’s letter to Dr Mike Aldred, Chair of the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB).

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 July 2025

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    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: SSRB remit letter: 2026/27 pay round

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Correspondence

    SSRB remit letter: 2026/27 pay round

    The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Pat McFadden, writes to the Senior Salaries Review Body about the 2026/27 pay round.

    Documents

    The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster letter to SSRB (PDF)

    PDF, 180 KB, 2 pages

    This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

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    The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster letter to SSRB (HTML)

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    Details

    The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Pat McFadden, writes to the Senior Salaries Review Body about the 2026/27 pay round.

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 July 2025

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    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: NPCC celebrates role of women in policing

    Source: United Kingdom National Police Chiefs Council

    The NPCC Chair, Gavin Stephens, responds to MP’s comments made yesterday (21 July), about the role of women in policing.

    Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, chair of the NPCC, said: “All of our officers come to work every day with passion, determination and courage to serve their communities.

    “There are an increasing number of women who choose a career in policing, bringing with them vital skills and experience that are critical to the progress of policing, our role in society, and keeping the public safe. Over a third of our officers and around 40% of our chief constables are women, and we must not jeopardise our progress by diminishing the value and role women play in our workforce.

    “There are no roles in policing which women cannot do, and the same exacting standards to qualify are met by all men and women who undertake some of the most challenging tasks of any profession.

    “We celebrate that women have an essential and irreplaceable role in every aspect of policing across the United Kingdom; policing is at its best when it represents the communities it serves, and our priority continues to be making policing a career where anyone can thrive and make a difference.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: NPCC celebrates role of women in policing

    Source: United Kingdom National Police Chiefs Council

    The NPCC Chair, Gavin Stephens, responds to MP’s comments made yesterday (21 July), about the role of women in policing.

    Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, chair of the NPCC, said: “All of our officers come to work every day with passion, determination and courage to serve their communities.

    “There are an increasing number of women who choose a career in policing, bringing with them vital skills and experience that are critical to the progress of policing, our role in society, and keeping the public safe. Over a third of our officers and around 40% of our chief constables are women, and we must not jeopardise our progress by diminishing the value and role women play in our workforce.

    “There are no roles in policing which women cannot do, and the same exacting standards to qualify are met by all men and women who undertake some of the most challenging tasks of any profession.

    “We celebrate that women have an essential and irreplaceable role in every aspect of policing across the United Kingdom; policing is at its best when it represents the communities it serves, and our priority continues to be making policing a career where anyone can thrive and make a difference.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Livestock and lions make uneasy neighbours: how a fence upgrade helped protect domestic and wild animals in Tanzania

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Jonathan Salerno, Associate Professor, Colorado State University, Colorado State University

    Protecting livestock in areas where large carnivores (like lions) live is increasingly important as human land use expands, wildlife habitat shrinks, and climatic changes reshape the ways in which humans and wildlife interact. Protecting the carnivores from livestock owners is important too. Intact carnivore populations support more resilient food webs and the ecosystem services they provide.

    It’s not easy for people, livestock, and carnivores to live together without conflict, though. One of the best ways to reduce conflict is to protect livestock like cattle and sheep from being attacked by predators.

    There are various methods to do this, like guarding livestock or erecting fences. That’s all very well for the livestock inside the fences, but do predators simply turn to the nearest unprotected livestock for their meal instead? Are the neighbours’ cattle, sheep, and goats at greater risk? This question hasn’t been explored much by researchers.

    We’re a group of conservation practitioners and scientists who have studied the interactions of carnivores, livestock, and people in Tanzania and elsewhere for decades to try and find solutions to conflict problems.

    Our study area is next to a national park which protects important populations of lion, leopard, hyena, African wild dog, and cheetah. The people who live here have traditionally kept their livestock overnight in enclosures made of acacia-thorn branches. More recently, some of them have built pens, or corrals, from tall chain link fencing. We knew from years working with communities and from previous research that these fortified corrals were effective at keeping livestock safe from predators.

    Our next step was to find out whether this made other nearby livestock less safe.

    Read more: What’s behind the conflict between people and animals in Tanzania

    The results were intriguing. We found that the new enclosures made predation less likely in the nearby traditional enclosures too.

    This type of beneficial spillover effect had yet to be documented in other systems where interventions aim to protect livestock from large carnivores.

    Our results show that in conservation, it’s important to look closely at complex local dynamics. The findings may help explain why there’s so much uncertainty about the effectiveness of various human–wildlife conflict mitigation strategies.

    Beneficial spillover effects

    People who keep livestock in east Africa have long had strategies to keep their animals safe from large carnivores. Sometimes acacia-thorn night enclosures (known locally as bomas), intensive herding practices, and guarding dogs work well.

    Other times, and especially in communities within and adjacent to large, protected carnivore populations, traditional strategies fall short.

    This is the case in Tanzania’s Ruaha-Rungwa Landscape. In our study area adjacent to Ruaha National Park, any pastoralist or agropastoralist (herding and crop farming) household has about a 30% chance of losing one or more animals to predation each year. This is a serious economic loss on top of important cultural and emotional costs.

    Read more: Losing a calf to wolves in Sweden hurts. But if lions take one in Uganda, a farming family’s income is gone

    Lion Landscapes, an organisation that some of us have been running for over a decade, works to support human-carnivore coexistence. Adjacent to Ruaha, we have been partnering with households to build 1.8-metre chain-link corrals. We subsidise them. Households contribute 25% of the cost and some of the labour for construction.

    We analysed about 25,000 monthly reports of livestock predation in fenced and traditional enclosures, using statistical models. There were 846 predation events over nearly four years. Unexpectedly, while we did detect spillover effects, these appeared to be beneficial. Rather than displacing conflicts, fortified enclosures actually conferred protective effects on their traditional-enclosure neighbours.

    For example, households within 50 metres (the minimum observed distance) of a fortified enclosure were half as likely to experience predation compared with distant households 2 kilometres away. And these beneficial effects increased with the number of fortified enclosures in a neighbourhood. Finally, the effects appeared to be durable over time.

    The fortified enclosures were extremely effective. We showed that households could break even after paying for the fence in just a few years through avoided livestock losses. And we know that when domestic animals aren’t being killed, their owners are more tolerant of predators. We didn’t record carnivore killings in this study but it has happened fairly frequently in the area in the past.

    In a few of the world’s human-wildlife conflict systems, where data exist to assess spillover effects, there is evidence that detrimental spillovers do occur. For instance, beehive deterrents may redirect elephants to nearby crop fields, or lethal removal of individual wolves may redirect the surviving pack to prey on adjacent ranches. Nevertheless, these are very under-studied interactions.

    Livestock management and carnivore coexistence

    In systems where humans, livestock, and wildlife overlap and sometimes come into conflict, management strategies too often focus on wildlife. Another option is to reduce whatever attracts wildlife. In the case of large carnivores, this means managing livestock.

    Read more: Livestock are threatened by predators – but old-fashioned shepherding may be an effective solution

    Our results support this approach by demonstrating that management and protection of livestock is fundamental for reducing conflict, and can benefit not only livestock owners but landscape-level coexistence.

    Conservationists and policy-makers need to encourage these practices that benefit people, carnivores, and livestock in shared landscapes.

    – Livestock and lions make uneasy neighbours: how a fence upgrade helped protect domestic and wild animals in Tanzania
    – https://theconversation.com/livestock-and-lions-make-uneasy-neighbours-how-a-fence-upgrade-helped-protect-domestic-and-wild-animals-in-tanzania-258113

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Sentence tripled for former police officer

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Sentence tripled for former police officer

    A police officer who continued an inappropriate relationship with a vulnerable girl he met on duty over several years has had his sentence increased.

    Che Homersham (37), from Southgate in North London, had his sentence increased by 12 months after the Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP referred it under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.  

    The court heard that Homersham met the 16-year-old girl while on duty. He contacted the girl from his personal number under the pretext of taking a personal statement before picking her up and driving her to a remote location. Homersham then asked if he could kiss her but, the victim refused his advances.  

    This was the start of Homersham’s inappropriate relationship with the teenager over several years, which included describing sexual fantasies and making sexual advances.

    Homersham was arrested for a separate matter in August 2023, when his texts to the victim were uncovered.  

    In a victim personal statement, the girl said that Homersham’s actions has meant she doesn’t trust many people anymore and impacts how she perceives the police.  

    The Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP said: 

    Homersham abused his position as a police officer – a role that rightly commands public trust – and I welcome the Court’s decision to increase his sentence.

    On 13 May 2025, Che Homersham was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for misconduct in public office.

    On 22 July 2025, his sentence was quashed and tripled to 18 months after it was referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: First report on babies born following pioneering licensed IVF technique to reduce the risk of mitochondrial diseases

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The first published research findings from the Newcastle team on the children born following pioneering licensed IVF technique to reduce the risk of mitochondrial diseases.

    The research papers, published in New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) by the team based at Newcastle University and the Newcastle Fertility Centre at Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust describe the reproductive and clinical outcomes of pronuclear transfer treatments performed to date.

    In the absence of a cure for mitochondrial DNA diseases, attention has focussed on IVF-based technologies to reduce the risk of disease by limiting transmission of disease-causing mitochondrial DNA mutations from mother to child.

    The UK was the first country to approve laws to allow the use of the ground-breaking IVF-based mitochondrial donation technology, pronuclear transfer, in 2015. The technique is designed to reduce the risk of mitochondrial DNA disease in children born to women who carry high levels of disease-causing mitochondrial DNA mutations.

    Journalists came to this press briefing to hear from clinicians, scientists and embryologists caring for the mothers affected by mitochondrial disease about the first babies, the science, the methods and the data, and to ask their questions. 

    Speakers included:

    Professor Sir Doug Turnbull, Emeritus Professor of Neurology, Newcastle University

    Professor Mary Herbert, Professor of Reproductive Biology, Newcastle University and Monash University

    Professor Bobby McFarland, Director of the NHS Highly Specialised Service for Rare Mitochondrial Disorders (Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust) and Professor of Paediatric Mitochondrial Medicine at Newcastle University

    Dr Louise Hyslop, Consultant Embryologist, Newcastle Fertility Centre, Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

    This Briefing was accompanied by an SMC Roundup of comments. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –