NewzIntel.com

Category: Eurozone

  • MIL-OSI: Varonis Secures HDS Certification, Strengthening Commitment to Health Data Protection in France

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Certification affirms that Varonis’ cloud-native Data Security Platform meets stringent legal requirements for safeguarding personal medical information

    MIAMI, July 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Varonis Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: VRNS), the leader in data security, announced it achieved Hébergeur de Données de Santé (Health Data Hosting) certification. This certification is a prerequisite for any organization wishing to host health data in France and provides a framework for the security and protection of personal health data.

    The certification demonstrates Varonis’ ability to meet the requirements as defined in the HDS Referential version 2.0.

    “Varonis is dedicated to upholding the highest international standards for data security,” said Gilad Raz, CIO and VP of Technical Services at Varonis. “Achieving the HDS certification reinforces our commitment to protecting our customers’ health data and complying with local regulations.”

    The HDS accreditation enables Varonis to serve French healthcare customers who are legally required to use HDS-certified providers, meet stringent regulatory requirements, expand its footprint in EU healthcare markets, and reinforce trust by ensuring data handling adheres to the highest standards of confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

    To explore the full list of Varonis certifications, visit www.varonis.com/trust.

    Additional Resources

    About Varonis
    Varonis (Nasdaq: VRNS) is the leader in data security, fighting a different battle than conventional cybersecurity companies. Our cloud-native Data Security Platform continuously discovers and classifies critical data, removes exposures, and detects advanced threats with AI-powered automation.

    Thousands of organizations worldwide trust Varonis to defend their data wherever it lives — across SaaS, IaaS, and hybrid cloud environments. Customers use Varonis to automate a wide range of security outcomes, including data security posture management (DSPM), data classification, data access governance (DAG), data detection and response (DDR), data loss prevention (DLP), AI security, identity protection, and insider risk management.

    Varonis protects data first, not last. Learn more at www.varonis.com.

    Investor Relations Contact:
    Tim Perz
    Varonis Systems, Inc.
    646-640-2112
    investors@varonis.com

    News Media Contact:
    Rachel Hunt
    Varonis Systems, Inc.
    877-292-8767 (ext. 1598)
    pr@varonis.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Pacvue Partners with Unlimitail, a Leading European Grocery Media Network, to Expand Retail Media Access Across Europe, Starting with Carrefour

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LOS ANGELES, July 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pacvue today announced a strategic partnership with Unlimitail, the retail media network serving over 35 leading retailers across Europe and Latin America.

    This collaboration will expand Pacvue clients’ self-service capabilities by enabling brands and agencies to activate campaigns across Unlimitail’s network via Pacvue’s commerce operating system. It also unlocks incremental demand by opening access to global and regional budgets through Pacvue’s platform. The partnership will begin with Carrefour, the number one grocery player in Europe, with campaigns launchable starting this summer in France.

    This integration reflects the increasing maturity of Europe’s retail media landscape and aligns with the best practices established in the most advanced markets. It also showcases Unlimitail’s and Pacvue’s continued investments in creating a more unified, standardized, and accessible ecosystem through streamlined platforms and partner integrations.

    Through this integration, Pacvue now offers streamlined access to Carrefour France’s onsite media inventory, allowing brands and agencies to seamlessly plan, launch, and optimize retail media campaigns with greater precision, efficiency, and control. The partnership will progressively expand to other countries and other retailers in Europe.

    Strategic Impact for brands and agencies

    This partnership, enabled by Unlimitail’s exclusive retail media offering and ad tech infrastructure, positions Pacvue clients to capitalize on the growth of the European retail media market with more personalized campaigns, real-time optimization, and access to one of the region’s most influential grocery retail media channels.

    This partnership will bring key benefits to brands:

    • Access to exclusive retail media inventory: Activate campaigns across Unlimitail onsite media inventories, starting with Carrefour in France. Reach shoppers in high-impact placements throughout the whole purchase journey.
    • Performance measurement powered by transactional data: Use Pacvue’s platform to monitor and optimize campaigns in real time, with performance insights enriched by retailer’s transactional data.
    • Streamlined access to a top-tier retail media networks: Leverage Pacvue’s platform to easily activate and manage campaigns across one of Europe’s most influential retail media networks and advanced retailers, with centralized visibility and control. This global connectivity for brands and agencies will bring Europe closer to the most mature markets in retail media.

    “At Unlimitail, our mission is to make omnichannel retail media simpler, smarter, and more impactful for brands. Partnering with Pacvue, the worldwide leading Commerce platform, does exactly that, by allowing us to expand the accessibility of our retailer’s inventories to more global agencies and advertisers. This global connectivity, powered by Pacvue tools, is a significant step in steering the European markets towards the most mature countries in retail media. More than ever, we are committed to lead the way in helping brands put retail media at the core of their Marketing & Commerce strategies,” declares Thibault Hennion, COO of Unlimitail.

    Victor De La Fuente, the Head of Global eCommerce at Nestle, shared, “We’re thrilled about the opportunities this partnership between Unlimitail and Pacvue brings. Accessing and managing Carrefour’s data through the Pacvue solution marks a significant advancement in our retail digital media initiatives across Europe, enhancing operational efficiency and driving performance.”

    Unlocking Carrefour’s Retail Media Ecosystem

    This partnership will start by providing access to Carrefour inventories in France. Carrefour.fr welcomes close to 17 million unique monthly visitors, with nearly 2 million new visitors added in the past year (source: Médiamétrie net ratings, February 2025). In France, 1 in 4 people now visit the retailer regularly, with 97% of shoppers still shopping through the website at least 2 years after their first purchase (source: Kantar).

    With such a loyal and high-traffic environment, Unlimitail and Carrefour offer a strong foundation for performance. According to Unlimitail’s latest benchmark study, Retail Media Decoded, Sponsored Product campaigns in Europe on grocery reach an average click-through rate around 1,0%, with 1-1 ROAS above 3x and Halo ROAS around 6x, demonstrating the power of well-executed activations and their impact not only on products, but brands as a whole.

    Pacvue’s Investment in European Expansion

    This announcement comes as Pacvue deepens its investment in Europe with the appointment of Mark James as VP, Head of EMEA. With over 15 years of experience in retail media and digital advertising, James will support the company’s continued growth and localized value for brands across the region.

    The partnership with Unlimitail underscores Pacvue’s commitment to expanding its European footprint. Backed by Mark James’ 15+ years of experience in retail media and digital advertising, the company is well-positioned to capitalize on growth opportunities and foster them for clients in the EMEA region.

    Pacvue CRO Ross McNab commented: “Mark is the ideal leader to drive Pacvue’s growth across the EMEA region. He has deep expertise in retail media and a proven track record. Coupled with our partnership with Unlimitail, this is a big leap forward in our mission to give brands a competitive advantage through cutting-edge retail media capabilities.”

    Romain Schneider, eRetail Media Director at WPP, underscored what this move signals for the brands and advertisers: “We’re always looking for innovative, scalable ways to drive meaningful outcomes for our clients at WPP. The partnership between Pacvue and Carrefour represents a significant advancement for retail media in Europe. Access to Carrefour’s high-traffic, data-rich ecosystem via Pacvue’s platform gives our brands unprecedented precision, speed, and control in campaign execution.”

    About Unlimitail, The Retail Media Powerhouse

    Unlimitail is a global retail media platform enabling brands and retailers to deploy simplified, unified, and optimized retail media strategies. Through deep consumer insights, omnichannel campaign activation, and end-to-end measurement, Unlimitail helps drive visibility and generate sales.

    The company stands out for its advanced advertising technologies through Epsilon Retail Media, offering unified onsite and offsite solutions, as well as its global reach and premium data assets. Unlimitail aggregates over 2 billion monthly page views and connects more than 220 million addressable customers worldwide through 35 retail partners.

    For more information, visit www.unlimitail.com

    Unlimitail Communications Department: communication@unlimitail.com

    About Pacvue

    Pacvue is the leading commerce acceleration platform that integrates retail media, commerce management and measurement. The company’s first-to-market platform drives incrementality, profitability and market share for brands, while turning insights into actionable recommendations. Backed by a global team of experts, Pacvue works with over 70,000 brands and agencies across 95+ retailers worldwide including Amazon, Walmart, Target and Instacart. With the incorporation of Pacvue’s enterprise solution with Helium 10 for SMBs, Pacvue is now the most comprehensive commerce and retail media platform available in the market. Founded in 2018, their global presence includes locations in Chicago, Seattle, New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC, London, Shanghai and Tokyo.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: How the nature of environmental law is changing in defense of the planet and the climate

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Dana Zartner, Professor of International Studies, University of San Francisco

    A 2017 New Zealand law recognizes inherent rights of the Whanganui River. Jason Pratt, CC BY-SA

    While the dangerous effects of climate change continue to worsen, legal efforts to address a range of environmental issues are also on the rise.

    Headlines across the globe tout many of these legal actions: South Korea’s Climate Law Violates Rights of Future Generations; Ukraine is Ground Zero in Battle for Ecocide Law; Paris Wants to Grant the River Seine Legal Personhood; and Montana Court Rules Children Have the Right to a Healthy Environment, to name a few recent examples.

    As an environmental lawyer, I see that most of these suits use one of five legal strategies that have been developed over the past couple of decades. These approaches vary in terms of who is filing the lawsuit, against whom, and whether the underlying legal perspective is based on protecting human rights or the rights of the environment itself. But they all share an innovative approach to protect all life on this planet.

    1. Right to a healthy environment

    In 2022, the United Nations declared that humans have “the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment … essential to protecting human life, well-being and dignity.” More than 150 countries have similar declarations in their constitutions or laws, often alongside protections for other human rights, such as those to education and medical care.

    These rights are held by humans, so people can sue for alleged violations. Typically they sue one or more government agencies, whose responsibility it is to protect human rights.

    One recent case using this approach was Held v. Montana, in which a group of young people in 2024 won a lawsuit against the state of Montana for violating the state constitution’s right to a “clean and healthful environment.” The state Supreme Court agreed with the plaintiffs and struck down a law barring the consideration of climate effects when evaluating proposals for fossil fuel extraction. Similar cases have been heard in the U.S. and other countries around the world.

    Rikki Held, the lead plaintiff in the Montana case, center seated, confers with the Our Children’s Trust legal team before the start of the trial on June 12, 2023.
    William Campbell/Getty Images

    2. The rights of future generations

    A legal concept called “intergenerational equity” is the idea that present generations must “responsibly use and conserve natural resources for the benefit of future generations.” First codified in international law in the 1972 Stockholm Declaration, the principle has been gaining popularity in recent decades. International organizations and national governments have enshrined this principle in law.

    Focused on humans’ rights, these laws allow people and groups to bring claims, usually against governments, for allowing activities that are altering the environment in ways that will harm future generations. One well-known case that relied on this legal principle is Future Generations v. Ministry of the Environment and Others, in which a Colombian court in 2018 agreed with young people who had sued, finding that the Colombian government’s allowance of “rampant deforestation in the Amazon” violated the pact of intergenerational equity.

    3. Government responsibility

    Another human-centered approach is the public trust doctrine, which establishes “that certain natural and cultural resources are preserved for public use” and that governments have a responsibility to protect them for everyone’s benefit.

    While the concept of “public trust” has long existed in the law, recently it has been used to bring suit against governments for their failure to address climate change and other environmental degradation. In Urgenda Foundation v. the State of the Netherlands, a Dutch court held in 2019 that the government has a responsibility to mitigate the effects of climate change due to the “severity of the consequences of climate change and the great risk of climate change occurring.” Since the decision, the Dutch government has sought to reduce emissions by phasing out the use of coal, increasing reliance on renewable energy and aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

    Government responsibility for the public trust was also a basis of the Juliana v. U.S. case, where a group of young people sued the U.S. government for breaching the public trust by not doing enough to curb greenhouse gas emissions. The U.S. Supreme Court ultimately declined to hear an appeal of a lower court’s ruling, but the lack of a specific ruling by the nation’s highest court has given continued hope to new cases, which continue to be filed based on the same principle.

    A documentary examining the movement to protect the rights of nature.

    4. Rights of nature

    The rights of nature is one of the fastest-growing environmental legal strategies of the past decade. Since Ecuador recognized the rights of Pachamama, the Quechua name for Mother Earth, in its Constitution in 2008, more than 500 laws on the rights of nature have been enacted around the world.

    The principle recognizes the legal rights of natural entities, such as rivers, mountains, ecosystems or even something as specific as wild rice. The laws that grant these rights don’t focus on humans but rather nature itself, often including language that the natural entity has the right to “exist and persist.”

    The laws then provide a mechanism for the natural entity – whether through a specific group assigned legal guardianship or other community efforts – to protect itself by filing lawsuits in court. In the 2018 Colombian case, the court found that the Amazon ecosystem has rights, which must be respected and protected.

    Similarly, in Bangladesh in 2019 the courts recognized the rights of all the country’s rivers, requiring, among other things, a halt on damaging development along the rivers that block their natural flow. The court also created a commission to serve as legal guardians of the country’s rivers.

    The destruction of a dam in Ukraine, which emptied this former reservoir, is being investigated as a possible crime of ecocide.
    Tarasov/Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images

    5. Defining a new crime: Ecocide

    In 2024, the governments of Vanuatu, Fiji and Samoa formally proposed that the international community recognize a new crime under international law. Called “ecocide,” the principle takes a nature-focused approach and includes any unlawful act committed with “the knowledge that there is a substantial likelihood of severe and either widespread or long-term damage to the environment.”

    Put another way, what genocide is to humans, ecocide is to nature. It is being proposed as an addition to the 2002 Rome Statute, which created the International Criminal Court to prosecute war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.

    While the idea is relatively new, in addition to the international efforts, several countries have incorporated ecocide into their laws – including Vietnam, France, Chile and Ukraine. A Ukrainian prosecutor is currently investigating the June 2023 destruction of a dam in a Russian-occupied area of the country as a potential crime of ecocide, because of the widespread flooding and habitat destruction that resulted.

    The European Union has also incorporated ecocide into its Environmental Crime Directive, which applies to all EU member countries, providing them with a mechanism to hear ecocide claims in their national courts.

    Using these ideas

    Each of these legal concepts has the potential to increase protection for the environment – and the people who live in it. But determining which strategy has the greatest chance of success depends on the details of the existing law and legal system in each community.

    All of these legal strategies have a role in the fight to protect and preserve the environment as an integral, interdependent living thing that is vitally important to us as humans but also in its own right.

    Dana Zartner is a volunteer with the Earth Law Center assisting with the editing of toolkits and guides, but has not worked on any of its lawsuits.

    – ref. How the nature of environmental law is changing in defense of the planet and the climate – https://theconversation.com/how-the-nature-of-environmental-law-is-changing-in-defense-of-the-planet-and-the-climate-258982

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Inspection report published: An inspection of the Home Office’s use of age assessments (July 2024 – February 2025)

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Inspection report published: An inspection of the Home Office’s use of age assessments (July 2024 – February 2025)

    The Independent Chief Inspector, David Bolt CBE, comments on the inspection report on the Home Office’s use of age assessments, and the Home Office’s response, following its publication yesterday.

    My report on the Home Office use of age assessments was published yesterday (22 July 2025). The report was sent to the Home Secretary on 20 May 2025, so publication fell just outside the agreed 8-week target timescale. I made eight recommendations designed to improve training, guidance, assurance, resources and communication and I am pleased that all were accepted.  

    When a young person claims asylum in the UK, the Home Office must determine whether they will be treated as an adult or as a child while their claim is being processed. The focus is on chronological age, reflecting the fact that immigration and other relevant legislation is framed around 18 years as the bright line between childhood and adulthood. However, the binary nature of the determination and the absence of a foolproof ‘test’ of chronological age mean that the Home Office will sometimes get it wrong. This is clearly a cause for concern, especially where a child is denied the rights and protections to which they are entitled.

    This inspection examined initial age decisions based on appearance and demeanour made by the Home Office when first encountering young people who claim asylum, in particular those arriving by small boat. It also examined subsequent age assessments, including those conducted by the National Age Assessment Board (NAAB), which sits within the Home Office and since 2023 has been assisting local authorities by conducting Merton-compliant age assessments on their behalf.

    Inspectors set out to understand how far the Home Office went to ensure that its assessments were sufficiently mindful of the difficulty of getting it right and of the consequences of getting it wrong. Inspectors looked for evidence that processes were methodical, fairly and consistently applied, and child-sensitive; that decisions were balanced and reasonable; and that those involved were open to learning from others and from their mistakes.

    Inspectors found that many of the long-standing concerns about policy and practice, especially in respect of initial age decisions, remain unanswered, and for small boat arrivals some of these concerns had increased. Yet there was a surprising lack of curiosity about decisions that were subsequently disputed and overturned, and a prevailing view that there was no learning to take from these later assessments as the processes were too dissimilar.

    For those disputing their initial age decision, the greater reliance on qualified social workers, whether employed by local authorities or by the NAAB, the recognised Merton ‘standard’, and the fact that there is more time to probe and reflect, made for a more careful and thorough process, though still not guaranteed to get it right. Here there was a need to improve information sharing (with local authorities regarding age disputed individuals dispersed to their area) and capacity (especially of the NAAB to meet the demand it had generated for its services), along with record-keeping, data and quality assurance. 

    Previous inspections have raised concerns about the Home Office’s ability to identify vulnerable adults and respond effectively. In focusing on determining chronological age the Home Office needs to take care that it is not deflected from making a more holistic assessment of individual needs, since a young person who is assessed correctly to be over 18 may nonetheless be vulnerable and at risk if placed with other adults. 

    Underlying my eight recommendations the overall message is that the Home Office should look to work more closely and collaboratively with external stakeholders, including local authorities in England and Wales and their equivalents in Scotland and Northern Ireland, Strategic Migration Partnerships, Non-Governmental Organisations, and should involve others (interpreters, social workers, experts and practitioners in supporting and providing services for children and young people) as much as possible in designing and delivering its processes.

    Home Office policies and practice in relation to age assessments will always be hotly contested, not least because of what is at stake. But a more open and inclusive approach will make it easier for the Home Office and its critics to maintain a constructive dialogue about how to ensure that the best interests of children are served. Committing to better communication, engagement and collaboration would be a start.

    Yesterday, the government also issued a written ministerial statement regarding the use of scientific methods to help determine age. As no scientific methods are currently in use, this was out of scope for this inspection. However, the ICIBI will no doubt wish to return to age assessments at some point to follow up on its recommendations, and this will also be an opportunity to inspect any new methods that are in use at that time.

    David Bolt CBE, Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration

    23 July 2025

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Press conference following Council of Ministers meeting no. 135

    Source: Government of Italy (English)

    22 Luglio 2025

    Council of Ministers meeting no. 135 was held at Palazzo Chigi today. Following the meeting, Minister for Public Administration Paolo Zangrillo, Minister of Justice Carlo Nordio, Undersecretary of State to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers Alberto Barachini, Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance Maurizio Leo, Special government commissioner for prison facilities Marco Doglio and Director General of the National Cybersecurity Agency Pref. Bruno Frattasi held a press conference to illustrate the measures approved.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI: Fidelity D & D Bancorp, Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2025 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DUNMORE, Pa., July 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fidelity D & D Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: FDBC) and its banking subsidiary, The Fidelity Deposit and Discount Bank, announced its unaudited, consolidated financial results for the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2025.

    Unaudited Financial Information

    Net income for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 was $6.9 million, or $1.20 diluted earnings per share, compared to $4.9 million, or $0.86 diluted earnings per share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2024.  The $2.0 million, or 40%, increase in net income resulted primarily from a $2.8 million increase in net interest income coupled with a $0.8 million increase in non-interest income. This was partially offset by a $1.1 million increase in non-interest expense and a $0.6 million increase in the provision for income tax.

    For the six months ended June 30, 2025, net income was $12.9 million, or $2.23 diluted earnings per share, compared to $10.0 million, or $1.73 diluted earnings per share, for the six months ended June 30, 2024.  The $2.9 million, or 29%, increase in net income stemmed from the $4.9 million increase in net interest income and $1.1 million increase in non-interest income. This was partially offset by a $2.0 million increase in non-interest expense and a $1.0 million increase in the provision for income tax.

    “I am pleased to share that we delivered another strong quarter, underscoring the continued momentum of our strategy and the dedication of our entire team,” stated Daniel J. Santaniello, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Second quarter 2025 net income increased 40% over last year’s second quarter to $6.9 million, with diluted earnings per share rising to $1.20. This performance was driven by a 19% increase in net interest income—reflecting our disciplined loan portfolio expansion and enhanced yields as well as a 16% rise in non-interest income.

    Year-to-date, net income has grown 29% to $12.9 million, a clear testament to the strength of our relationship-based deposit strategy and prudent expense management. Our asset quality remains solid, and we further strengthened our capital position, with shareholders’ equity up 7% providing a strong foundation for continued growth in the second half of 2025.

    These results reflect more than financial performance—they speak to the strength of our culture, our commitment to our clients, and our deep roots in the communities we serve. I want to sincerely thank our talented and dedicated team of bankers, whose expertise and focus on service excellence drive our success every day. Together, we continue to build a stronger, more resilient financial institution—one that delivers meaningful value to our bankers, clients, shareholders, and communities.”

    Consolidated Second Quarter Operating Results Overview

    Net interest income was $17.9 million for the second quarter of 2025, a 19% increase over the $15.1 million earned for the second quarter of 2024.  The $2.8 million increase in net interest income resulted from the increase of $3.7 million in interest income primarily due to a $213.6 million increase in the average balance of interest-earning assets and a 19 basis point increase in fully-taxable equivalent (“FTE”) (non-GAAP measurement) yield. The loan portfolio had the most significant impact, producing a $2.8 million increase in FTE interest income from $124.6 million in higher quarterly average balances and an increase of 24 basis points in FTE loan yield. Additionally, the Company experienced an increase of $1.1 million in interest earned from interest-bearing deposits with other financial institutions from $102.0 million in higher average balances. Slightly offsetting the higher interest income, there was a $0.9 million increase in interest expense due to a $178.8 million quarter-over-quarter increase in average interest-bearing liability balances. The increase was due to growth of $208.3 million in average interest-bearing deposit balances. However, this deposit growth was partially offset by a $28.5 million decrease in average short-term borrowings.

    The FTE yield on interest-earning assets was 4.77% for the second quarter of 2025, an increase of 19 basis points from the 4.58% for the second quarter of 2024. The overall cost of interest-bearing liabilities was 2.52% for the second quarter of 2025, a decrease of 6 basis points from the 2.58% for the second quarter of 2024.  The cost of funds decreased 1 basis point from 1.96% to 1.95% for the second quarters of 2024 and 2025, respectively. The Company’s FTE net interest spread was 2.25% for the second quarter of 2025, an increase of 25 basis points from 2.00% recorded for the second quarter of 2024.  FTE net interest margin increased to 2.92% for the three months ended June 30, 2025 from 2.71% for the same period of 2024 primarily due to the growth in higher yielding taxable commercial loans.

    For the three months ended June 30, 2025, the provision for credit losses on loans was $300 thousand and the provision for unfunded commitments was $20 thousand compared to a $275 thousand provision for credit losses on loans and a $140 thousand provision for credit losses on unfunded loan commitments for the three months ended June 30, 2024. For the three months ended June 30, 2025, the increase in the provision for credit losses on loans compared to the prior year period was due to $155 thousand in higher net charge-offs and a higher average total loan balance compared to the same period in 2024. For the three months ended June 30, 2025, the decrease in the provision for unfunded commitments was due to lower levels of unfunded commitments during the quarter due to increased utilization, specifically commercial construction commitments, compared to the year earlier period.

    Total non-interest income increased $0.8 million, or 16%, to $5.4 million for the second quarter of 2025 compared to $4.6 million for the second quarter of 2024. The increase in non-interest income was primarily attributed to increases of $0.2 million in trust fees, a $0.2 million BOLI death benefit, $0.2 million in loan service charges, and $0.1 million in interchange fees. 

    Non-interest expenses increased $1.1 million, or 8%, for the second quarter of 2025 to $14.7 million from $13.6 million for the same quarter of 2024. The increase in non-interest expenses was primarily due to the increases in salaries and benefits expense of $0.8 million, premises and equipment expense of $0.2 million, and advertising expense of $0.2 million. These increases were partially offset by a $0.2 million decrease in professional services for the three months ended June 30, 2025 compared to the same period of 2024.

    The provision for income taxes increased $0.6 million during the three months ended June 30, 2025 compared to the same period in 2024 primarily due to a $2.6 million increase in income before taxes.

    Consolidated Year-To-Date Operating Results Overview

    Net interest income was $35.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2025 compared to $30.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024.  The $4.9 million increase in net interest income resulted from the increase of $6.4 million in interest income primarily due to a $181.0 million increase in the average balance of interest-earning assets and a 20 basis point increase in FTE yield.  On the asset side, the loan portfolio interest income growth resulted from producing $5.3 million more in interest income from an increase of 25 basis points in FTE loan yields on $120.5 million in higher average balances. Additionally, the Company experienced an increase of $1.5 million in interest earned from interest-bearing deposits with other financial institutions from $71.6 million in higher average balances. The increase in interest income was partially offset by a decrease of $0.3 million in interest earned on the investment portfolio due to decreases of 6 basis points in yield and $11.3 million in average balances. On the funding side, total interest expense increased by $1.5 million primarily due to an increase in interest expense paid on deposits of $2.5 million from a 2 basis points higher rates paid on a $194.0 million larger average balance of interest-bearing deposits, partially offset by a decrease in interest expense on borrowings of $1.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.

    The overall cost of interest-bearing liabilities was 2.51% for the six months ended June 30, 2025 compared to 2.54% for the six months ended June 30, 2024.  The cost of funds decreased 1 basis point to 1.94% for the six months ended June 30, 2025 from 1.95% from the same period of 2024. The FTE yield on earning assets was 4.75% for the six months ended June 30, 2025, an increase of 20 basis points from the 4.55% year-to-date June 30, 2024.  The Company’s FTE net interest spread was 2.24% for the six months ended June 30, 2025, an increase of 23 basis points from the 2.01% recorded for the same period of 2024.  FTE net interest margin increased by 21 basis points to 2.91% for the six months ended June 30, 2025 from 2.70% for the same 2024 period primarily due to the increase in yields earned on loans and leases outpacing the rates paid on interest-bearing deposits.

    For the six months ended June 30, 2025, the provision for credit losses on loans was $755 thousand and the provision for credit losses on unfunded loan commitments was a net benefit of $65 thousand compared to a $400 thousand provision for credit losses on loans and a $90 thousand provision for credit losses on unfunded commitments for the six months ended June 30, 2024. For the six months ended June 30, 2025, the increase in the provision for credit losses on loans compared to the prior year period was due to $215 thousand in higher net charge-offs and a higher average total loan balance compared to the same period in 2024. For the six months ended June 30, 2025, the decrease in the provision for unfunded commitments was due to lower growth in unfunded commitments during the period due to increased utilization, specifically commercial construction commitments, compared to the year earlier period.

    Total non-interest income for the six months ended June 30, 2025 was $10.3 million, an increase of $1.1 million, or 12%, from $9.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024.  The increase was primarily due to $0.3 million higher fees from trust fiduciary activities. The Company also had $0.2 million more non-interest income resulting from an increase in interchange fees, a $0.2 million BOLI death benefit, and an increase of $0.2 million in service charges on commercial loans. During the first half of 2025, gains of $0.5 million on the sale of a commercial loan and $0.3 million from the sale of a property were offset by $0.8 million in losses recognized on the sale of securities.

    Non-interest expenses increased to $29.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2025, an increase of $2.0 million, or 7%, from $27.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024. Salaries and benefits expense increased $1.3 million due to an increase in bankers, group insurance costs, and banker incentives in the first half of 2025, compared to the same period in 2024. Additionally, the Company saw an increase of $0.5 million in advertising and marketing expenses primarily due to a $0.3 million increase in Neighborhood Assistance Program donations from which the Company recognized $0.2 million in additional tax credits causing a corresponding decrease in PA shares tax expense. There was also an increase of $0.5 million in premises and equipment expense primarily due to higher costs for software licenses, subscriptions, and maintenance. The increases were partially offset by $0.3 million less in professional services expense.

    The provision for income taxes increased $1.0 million during the six months ended June 30, 2025 compared to the same period in 2024 primarily due to a $3.9 million increase in income before taxes and $0.2 million less in tax credits. 

    Consolidated Balance Sheet & Asset Quality Overview

    The Company’s total assets had a balance of $2.7 billion as of June 30, 2025, an increase of $114.0 million from December 31, 2024. The increase resulted from $82.1 million in growth in cash and cash equivalents as of June 30, 2025 compared to December 31, 2024. The loans and leases portfolio increased $37.9 million over the same period. Asset growth was offset by a decrease of $11.4 million in the investment portfolio primarily due to the sale of $17.5 million in available-for-sale securities and $11.3 million in paydowns partially offset by $14.7 million in purchases of securities.

    During the same time period, total liabilities increased $100.0 million, or 4%. Deposit growth of $94.5 million was utilized to fund loan growth and increase interest-bearing cash balances. For interest-bearing deposit accounts, the Company experienced increases of $37.2 million in money market deposits, $17.2 million in interest-bearing checking accounts, $14.4 million in time deposits, and $1.6 million in savings and clubs. The deposit growth is primarily driven by growth in existing account balances from the relationship building strategy along with targeted direct marketing campaigns driving new client acquisitions and active management of promotional and retention rates. Additionally, the Company experienced an increase of $24.1 million in non-interest-bearing checking accounts. As of June 30, 2025, the ratio of insured and collateralized deposits to total deposits was approximately 75%.

    Shareholders’ equity increased $13.9 million, or 7%, to $217.9 million at June 30, 2025 from $204.0 million at December 31, 2024. The increase was caused by $8.3 million higher retained earnings from net income of $12.9 million plus a $4.9 million, after tax, improvement in accumulated other comprehensive income from lower net unrealized losses recorded on available-for-sale securities, partially offset by $4.7 million in cash dividends paid to shareholders. An additional $0.9 million was recorded from the issuance of common stock under the Company’s stock plans and stock-based compensation expense. At June 30, 2025, there were no credit losses on available-for-sale and held-to-maturity debt securities.  Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) is excluded from regulatory capital ratios. The Company remains well capitalized with Tier 1 capital at 9.16% of total average assets as of June 30, 2025.  Total risk-based capital was 14.72% of risk-weighted assets and Tier 1 risk-based capital was 13.57% of risk-weighted assets as of June 30, 2025. Tangible book value per share was $34.25 at June 30, 2025 compared to $31.98 at December 31, 2024.  Tangible common equity was 7.38% of total assets at June 30, 2025 compared to 7.16% at December 31, 2024.

    Asset Quality

    Total non-performing assets were $3.5 million, or 0.13% of total assets, at June 30, 2025, compared to $7.8 million, or 0.30% of total assets, at December 31, 2024. Past due and non-accrual loans to total loans were 0.41% at June 30, 2025 compared to 0.71% at December 31, 2024. Net charge-offs to average total loans were 0.05% at June 30, 2025 compared to 0.03% at December 31, 2024.

    About Fidelity D & D Bancorp, Inc. and The Fidelity Deposit and Discount Bank

    Fidelity D & D Bancorp, Inc. has built a strong history as trusted financial advisor to the clients served by The Fidelity Deposit and Discount Bank (“Fidelity Bank”).  Fidelity Bank continues its mission of exceeding client expectations through a unique banking experience. It operates 21 full-service offices throughout Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lehigh and Northampton Counties and a Fidelity Bank Wealth Management Office in Schuylkill County. Fidelity Bank provides a digital banking experience online at www.bankatfidelity.com, through the Fidelity Mobile Banking app, and in the Client Care Center at 1-800-388-4380. Additionally, the Bank offers full-service Wealth Management & Brokerage Services, a Mortgage Center, and a full suite of personal and commercial banking products and services. Part of the Company’s vision is to serve as the best bank for the community, which was accomplished by having provided over 5,960 hours of volunteer time and over $1.3 million in donations to non-profit organizations directly within the markets served throughout 2024. Fidelity Bank’s deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation up to the full extent permitted by law.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    The Company uses non-GAAP financial measures to provide information useful to the reader in understanding its operating performance and trends, and to facilitate comparisons with the performance of other financial institutions. Management uses these measures internally to assess and better understand our underlying business performance and trends related to core business activities.  The Company’s non-GAAP financial measures and key performance indicators may differ from the non-GAAP financial measures and key performance indicators other financial institutions use to measure their performance and trends. Non-GAAP financial measures should be supplemental to GAAP used to prepare the Company’s operating results and should not be read in isolation or relied upon as a substitute for GAAP measures.  Reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to GAAP are presented in the tables below.

    Interest income was adjusted to recognize the income from tax exempt interest-earning assets as if the interest was taxable, fully-taxable equivalent (“FTE”), in order to calculate certain ratios within this document.  This treatment allows a uniform comparison among yields on interest-earning assets.  Interest income was FTE adjusted, using the corporate federal tax rate of 21% for 2025 and 2024.

    Forward-looking statements

    Certain of the matters discussed in this press release constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as such may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.  The words “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “estimate,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements.

    The Company’s actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including, without limitation:

      ■ local, regional and national economic conditions and changes thereto;
      ■ the short-term and long-term effects of inflation, and rising costs to the Company, its customers and on the economy;
      ■ the risks of changes and volatility of interest rates on the level and composition of deposits, loan demand, and the values of loan collateral, securities and interest rate protection agreements, as well as interest rate risks;
      ■ securities markets and monetary fluctuations and volatility;
      ■  disruption of credit and equity markets;
      ■ impacts of the capital and liquidity requirements of the Basel III standards and other regulatory pronouncements, regulations and rules;
      ■ governmental monetary and fiscal policies, as well as legislative and regulatory changes;
      ■ effects of short- and long-term federal budget and tax negotiations and their effect on economic and business conditions;
      ■ the costs and effects of litigation and of unexpected or adverse outcomes in such litigation;
      ■ the impact of new or changes in existing laws and regulations, including laws and regulations concerning taxes, banking, securities and insurance and their application with which the Company and its subsidiaries must comply;
      ■ the effect of changes in accounting policies and practices, as may be adopted by the regulatory agencies, as well as the Financial Accounting Standards Board and other accounting standard setters;
      ■ the effects of competition from other commercial banks, thrifts, mortgage banking firms, consumer finance companies, credit unions, securities brokerage firms, insurance companies, money market and other mutual funds and other financial institutions operating in our market area and elsewhere, including institutions operating locally, regionally, nationally and internationally, together with such competitors offering banking products and services by mail, telephone, computer and the internet;
      ■ the effects of economic conditions of any other pandemic, epidemic or other health-related crisis such as COVID-19 and responses thereto on current customers and the operations of the Company, specifically the effect of the economy on loan customers’ ability to repay loans;  
      ■ the effects of bank failures, banking system instability, deposit fluctuations, loan and securities value changes;  
      ■ technological changes;  
      ■ the interruption or breach in security of our information systems, continually evolving cybersecurity and other technological risks and attacks resulting in failures or disruptions in customer account management, general ledger processing and loan or deposit updates and potential impacts resulting therefrom including additional costs, reputational damage, regulatory penalties, and financial losses;  
      ■ acquisitions and integration of acquired businesses;  
      ■ the failure of assumptions underlying the establishment of reserves for loan losses and estimations of values of collateral and various financial assets and liabilities;  
      ■ acts of war or terrorism; and  
      ■ the risk that our analyses of these risks and forces could be incorrect and/or that the strategies developed to address them could be unsuccessful.

    The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect analyses only as of the date of this release.  The Company has no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release.

    For more information please visit our investor relations web site located through www.bankatfidelity.com.

    FIDELITY D & D BANCORP, INC.
    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
    (dollars in thousands)    		  
    At Period End:   June 30, 2025     December 31, 2024  
    Assets                
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 165,495     $ 83,353  
    Investment securities     545,821       557,221  
    Restricted investments in bank stock     4,240       3,961  
    Loans and leases     1,837,477       1,800,856  
    Allowance for credit losses on loans     (19,976 )     (19,666 )
    Premises and equipment, net     40,097       35,914  
    Life insurance cash surrender value     58,849       58,069  
    Goodwill and core deposit intangible     20,364       20,504  
    Other assets     46,208       44,404  
                     
    Total assets   $ 2,698,575     $ 2,584,616  
                     
    Liabilities                
    Non-interest-bearing deposits   $ 558,074     $ 533,935  
    Interest-bearing deposits     1,877,254       1,806,885  
    Total deposits     2,435,328       2,340,820  
    Short-term borrowings     10       –  
    Secured borrowings     6,134       6,266  
    Other liabilities     39,191       33,561  
    Total liabilities     2,480,663       2,380,647  
                     
    Shareholders’ equity     217,912       203,969  
                     
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 2,698,575     $ 2,584,616  
    Average Year-To-Date Balances:   June 30, 2025     December 31, 2024  
    Assets                
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 129,527     $ 55,773  
    Investment securities     551,906       557,537  
    Restricted investments in bank stock     4,066       3,960  
    Loans and leases     1,822,654       1,741,349  
    Allowance for credit losses on loans     (20,189 )     (19,391 )
    Premises and equipment, net     35,839       35,580  
    Life insurance cash surrender value     58,503       56,455  
    Goodwill and core deposit intangible     20,423       20,641  
    Other assets     42,950       41,755  
                     
    Total assets   $ 2,645,679     $ 2,493,659  
                     
    Liabilities                
    Non-interest-bearing deposits   $ 540,320     $ 527,825  
    Interest-bearing deposits     1,852,895       1,697,529  
    Total deposits     2,393,215       2,225,354  
    Short-term borrowings     16       32,446  
    Secured borrowings     6,194       6,830  
    Other liabilities     35,497       32,471  
    Total liabilities     2,434,922       2,297,101  
                     
    Shareholders’ equity     210,757       196,558  
                     
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 2,645,679     $ 2,493,659  
    FIDELITY D & D BANCORP, INC.
    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income
    (dollars in thousands)    		  
        Three Months Ended     Six Months Ended  
        Jun. 30, 2025     Jun. 30, 2024     Jun. 30, 2025     Jun. 30, 2024  
    Interest income                                
    Loans and leases   $ 25,328     $ 22,516     $ 49,924     $ 44,649  
    Securities and other     4,437       3,523       8,149       7,016  
                                     
    Total interest income     29,765       26,039       58,073       51,665  
                                     
    Interest expense                                
    Deposits     (11,738 )     (10,459 )     (22,925 )     (20,400 )
    Borrowings and debt     (98 )     (463 )     (186 )     (1,204 )
                                     
    Total interest expense     (11,836 )     (10,922 )     (23,111 )     (21,604 )
                                     
    Net interest income     17,929       15,117       34,962       30,061  
                                     
    Provision for credit losses on loans     (300 )     (275 )     (755 )     (400 )
    Net (provision) benefit for credit losses on unfunded loan commitments     (20 )     (140 )     65       (90 )
    Non-interest income     5,359       4,615       10,332       9,188  
    Non-interest expense     (14,710 )     (13,616 )     (29,264 )     (27,306 )
                                     
    Income before income taxes     8,258       5,701       15,340       11,453  
                                     
    Provision for income taxes     (1,337 )     (766 )     (2,428 )     (1,460 )
    Net income   $ 6,921     $ 4,935     $ 12,912     $ 9,993  
        Three Months Ended  
        Jun. 30, 2025     Mar. 31, 2025     Dec. 31, 2024     Sep. 30, 2024     Jun. 30, 2024  
    Interest income                                        
    Loans and leases   $ 25,328     $ 24,596     $ 24,584     $ 24,036     $ 22,516  
    Securities and other     4,437       3,712       3,475       3,263       3,523  
                                             
    Total interest income     29,765       28,308       28,059       27,299       26,039  
                                             
    Interest expense                                        
    Deposits     (11,738 )     (11,187 )     (11,468 )     (11,297 )     (10,459 )
    Borrowings and debt     (98 )     (88 )     (217 )     (571 )     (463 )
                                             
    Total interest expense     (11,836 )     (11,275 )     (11,685 )     (11,868 )     (10,922 )
                                             
    Net interest income     17,929       17,033       16,374       15,431       15,117  
                                             
    Provision for credit losses on loans     (300 )     (455 )     (250 )     (675 )     (275 )
    Net benefit (provision) for credit losses on unfunded loan commitments     (20 )     85       85       (135 )     (140 )
    Non-interest income     5,359       4,973       4,847       4,979       4,615  
    Non-interest expense     (14,710 )     (14,554 )     (14,395 )     (13,840 )     (13,616 )
                                             
    Income before income taxes     8,258       7,082       6,661       5,760       5,701  
                                             
    Provision for income taxes     (1,337 )     (1,091 )     (826 )     (793 )     (766 )
    Net income   $ 6,921     $ 5,991     $ 5,835     $ 4,967     $ 4,935  
    FIDELITY D & D BANCORP, INC.
    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
    (dollars in thousands)    		  
    At Period End:   Jun. 30, 2025     Mar. 31, 2025     Dec. 31, 2024     Sep. 30, 2024     Jun. 30, 2024  
    Assets                                        
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 165,495     $ 211,195     $ 83,353     $ 120,169     $ 78,085  
    Investment securities     545,821       540,960       557,221       559,819       552,495  
    Restricted investments in bank stock     4,240       4,021       3,961       3,944       3,968  
    Loans and leases     1,837,477       1,817,509       1,800,856       1,795,548       1,728,509  
    Allowance for credit losses on loans     (19,976 )     (20,017 )     (19,666 )     (19,630 )     (18,975 )
    Premises and equipment, net     40,097       34,995       35,914       36,057       35,808  
    Life insurance cash surrender value     58,849       58,458       58,069       57,672       57,278  
    Goodwill and core deposit intangible     20,364       20,431       20,504       20,576       20,649  
    Other assets     46,208       43,758       44,404       41,778       42,828  
                                             
    Total assets   $ 2,698,575     $ 2,711,310     $ 2,584,616     $ 2,615,933     $ 2,500,645  
                                             
    Liabilities                                        
    Non-interest-bearing deposits   $ 558,074     $ 555,684     $ 533,935     $ 549,710     $ 527,572  
    Interest-bearing deposits     1,877,254       1,901,775       1,806,885       1,792,796       1,641,558  
    Total deposits     2,435,328       2,457,459       2,340,820       2,342,506       2,169,130  
    Short-term borrowings     10       10       –       25,000       98,120  
    Secured borrowings     6,134       6,190       6,266       6,323       7,237  
    Other liabilities     39,191       35,977       33,561       34,843       30,466  
    Total liabilities     2,480,663       2,499,636       2,380,647       2,408,672       2,304,953  
                                             
    Shareholders’ equity     217,912       211,674       203,969       207,261       195,692  
                                             
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 2,698,575     $ 2,711,310     $ 2,584,616     $ 2,615,933     $ 2,500,645  
    Average Quarterly Balances:   Jun. 30, 2025     Mar. 31, 2025     Dec. 31, 2024     Sep. 30, 2024     Jun. 30, 2024  
    Assets                                        
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 161,316     $ 97,384     $ 67,882     $ 41,991     $ 58,351  
    Investment securities     546,149       557,726       560,453       554,578       551,445  
    Restricted investments in bank stock     4,158       3,973       3,957       3,965       3,983  
    Loans and leases     1,832,162       1,813,040       1,797,023       1,763,254       1,707,598  
    Allowance for credit losses on loans     (20,357 )     (20,019 )     (20,050 )     (19,323 )     (19,171 )
    Premises and equipment, net     35,954       35,722       36,065       36,219       35,433  
    Life insurance cash surrender value     58,697       58,307       57,919       57,525       55,552  
    Goodwill and core deposit intangible     20,386       20,459       20,529       20,602       20,677  
    Other assets     42,729       43,177       41,454       41,734       42,960  
                                             
    Total assets   $ 2,681,194     $ 2,609,769     $ 2,565,232     $ 2,500,545     $ 2,456,828  
                                             
    Liabilities                                        
    Non-interest-bearing deposits   $ 547,278     $ 533,286     $ 538,506     $ 522,827     $ 530,048  
    Interest-bearing deposits     1,878,548       1,826,957       1,769,265       1,702,187       1,670,211  
    Total deposits     2,425,826       2,360,243       2,307,771       2,225,014       2,200,259  
    Short-term borrowings     10       22       10,326       37,220       28,477  
    Secured borrowings     6,162       6,226       6,297       6,429       7,269  
    Other liabilities     36,050       34,937       34,695       31,999       30,734  
    Total liabilities     2,468,048       2,401,428       2,359,089       2,300,662       2,266,739  
                                             
    Shareholders’ equity     213,146       208,341       206,143       199,883       190,089  
                                             
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 2,681,194     $ 2,609,769     $ 2,565,232     $ 2,500,545     $ 2,456,828  
    FIDELITY D & D BANCORP, INC.
    Selected Financial Ratios and Other Financial Data
        Three Months Ended  
        Jun. 30, 2025     Mar. 31, 2025     Dec. 31, 2024     Sep. 30, 2024     Jun. 30, 2024  
    Selected returns and financial ratios                                        
    Basic earnings per share   $ 1.20     $ 1.04     $ 1.02     $ 0.87     $ 0.86  
    Diluted earnings per share   $ 1.20     $ 1.03     $ 1.01     $ 0.86     $ 0.86  
    Dividends per share   $ 0.40     $ 0.40     $ 0.40     $ 0.38     $ 0.38  
    Yield on interest-earning assets (FTE)*     4.77 %     4.73 %     4.68 %     4.68 %     4.58 %
    Cost of interest-bearing liabilities     2.52 %     2.49 %     2.60 %     2.70 %     2.58 %
    Cost of funds     1.95 %     1.93 %     2.00 %     2.08 %     1.96 %
    Net interest spread (FTE)*     2.25 %     2.24 %     2.08 %     1.98 %     2.00 %
    Net interest margin (FTE)*     2.92 %     2.89 %     2.78 %     2.70 %     2.71 %
    Return on average assets     1.04 %     0.93 %     0.90 %     0.79 %     0.81 %
    Pre-provision net revenue to average assets*     1.28 %     1.16 %     1.06 %     1.05 %     1.00 %
    Return on average equity     13.02 %     11.66 %     11.26 %     9.89 %     10.44 %
    Return on average tangible equity*     14.40 %     12.93 %     12.50 %     11.02 %     11.72 %
    Efficiency ratio (FTE)*     61.17 %     61.67 %     65.48 %     65.33 %     66.47 %
    Expense ratio     1.40 %     1.37 %     1.48 %     1.41 %     1.47 %
        Six months ended  
        Jun. 30, 2025     Jun. 30, 2024  
    Basic earnings per share   $ 2.24     $ 1.74  
    Diluted earnings per share   $ 2.23     $ 1.73  
    Dividends per share   $ 0.80     $ 0.76  
    Yield on interest-earning assets (FTE)*     4.75 %     4.55 %
    Cost of interest-bearing liabilities     2.51 %     2.54 %
    Cost of funds     1.94 %     1.95 %
    Net interest spread (FTE)*     2.24 %     2.01 %
    Net interest margin (FTE)*     2.91 %     2.70 %
    Return on average assets     0.98 %     0.82 %
    Pre-provision net revenue to average assets*     1.22 %     0.98 %
    Return on average equity     12.35 %     10.57 %
    Return on average tangible equity*     13.68 %     11.87 %
    Efficiency ratio (FTE)*     61.42 %     67.01 %
    Expense ratio     1.38 %     1.49 %
    Other financial data   At period end:  
    (dollars in thousands except per share data)   Jun. 30, 2025     Mar. 31, 2025     Dec. 31, 2024     Sep. 30, 2024     Jun. 30, 2024  
    Assets under management   $ 1,030,268     $ 955,647     $ 921,994     $ 942,190     $ 906,861  
    Book value per share   $ 37.78     $ 36.70     $ 35.56     $ 36.13     $ 34.12  
    Tangible book value per share*   $ 34.25     $ 33.16     $ 31.98     $ 32.55     $ 30.52  
    Equity to assets     8.08 %     7.81 %     7.89 %     7.92 %     7.83 %
    Tangible common equity ratio*     7.38 %     7.11 %     7.16 %     7.19 %     7.06 %
    Allowance for credit losses on loans to:                                        
    Total loans     1.09 %     1.10 %     1.09 %     1.09 %     1.10 %
    Non-accrual loans   6.50x     3.36x     2.68x     2.77x     2.75x  
    Non-accrual loans to total loans     0.17 %     0.33 %     0.41 %     0.39 %     0.40 %
    Non-performing assets to total assets     0.13 %     0.23 %     0.30 %     0.29 %     0.28 %
    Net charge-offs to average total loans     0.05 %     0.02 %     0.03 %     0.02 %     0.03 %
                                             
    Capital Adequacy Ratios                                        
    Total risk-based capital ratio     14.72 %     14.74 %     14.78 %     14.56 %     14.69 %
    Common equity tier 1 risk-based capital ratio     13.57 %     13.57 %     13.60 %     13.38 %     13.52 %
    Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio     13.57 %     13.57 %     13.60 %     13.38 %     13.52 %
    Leverage ratio     9.16 %     9.22 %     9.22 %     9.30 %     9.30 %

    * Non-GAAP Financial Measures – see reconciliations below

    FIDELITY D & D BANCORP, INC.
    Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Financial Measures to GAAP
    Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Measures to GAAP   Three Months Ended  
    (dollars in thousands)   Jun. 30, 2025     Mar. 31, 2025     Dec. 31, 2024     Sep. 30, 2024     Jun. 30, 2024  
    FTE net interest income (non-GAAP)                                        
    Interest income (GAAP)   $ 29,765     $ 28,308     $ 28,059     $ 27,299     $ 26,039  
    Adjustment to FTE     760       771       764       775       751  
    Interest income adjusted to FTE (non-GAAP)     30,525       29,079       28,823       28,074       26,790  
    Interest expense (GAAP)     11,836       11,275       11,685       11,868       10,922  
    Net interest income adjusted to FTE (non-GAAP)   $ 18,689     $ 17,804     $ 17,138     $ 16,206     $ 15,868  
                                             
    Efficiency Ratio (non-GAAP)                                        
    Non-interest expenses (GAAP)   $ 14,710     $ 14,554     $ 14,395     $ 13,840     $ 13,616  
                                             
    Net interest income (GAAP)     17,929       17,033       16,374       15,431       15,117  
    Plus: taxable equivalent adjustment     760       771       764       775       751  
    Non-interest income (GAAP)     5,359       4,973       4,847       4,979       4,615  
    Plus: Loss on sales of securities     –       822       –       –       –  
    Net interest income (FTE) plus adjusted non-interest income (non-GAAP)   $ 24,048     $ 23,599     $ 21,985     $ 21,185     $ 20,483  
    Efficiency ratio (non-GAAP) (1)     61.17 %     61.67 %     65.47 %     65.33 %     66.48 %
    (1) The reported efficiency ratio is a non-GAAP measure calculated by dividing non-interest expense by the sum of net interest income, on an FTE basis, and adjusted non-interest income.                                        
                                             
    Tangible Book Value per Share/Tangible Common Equity Ratio (non-GAAP)                                        
    Total assets (GAAP)   $ 2,698,575     $ 2,711,310     $ 2,584,616     $ 2,615,933     $ 2,500,645  
    Less: Intangible assets     (20,364 )     (20,431 )     (20,504 )     (20,576 )     (20,649 )
    Tangible assets     2,678,211       2,690,879       2,564,112       2,595,357       2,479,996  
    Total shareholders’ equity (GAAP)     217,912       211,674       203,969       207,261       195,692  
    Less: Intangible assets     (20,364 )     (20,431 )     (20,504 )     (20,576 )     (20,649 )
    Tangible common equity     197,548       191,243       183,465       186,685       175,043  
                                             
    Common shares outstanding, end of period     5,767,490       5,767,500       5,736,252       5,736,025       5,735,728  
    Tangible Common Book Value per Share   $ 34.25     $ 33.16     $ 31.98     $ 32.55     $ 30.52  
    Tangible Common Equity Ratio     7.38 %     7.11 %     7.16 %     7.19 %     7.06 %
                                             
    Pre-Provision Net Revenue to Average Assets                                        
    Income before taxes (GAAP)   $ 8,258     $ 7,082     $ 6,661     $ 5,760     $ 5,701  
    Plus: Provision for credit losses     320       370       165       810       415  
    Total pre-provision net revenue (non-GAAP)     8,578       7,452       6,826       6,570       6,116  
    Total (annualized) (non-GAAP)   $ 34,404     $ 30,220     $ 27,157     $ 26,423     $ 24,600  
                                             
    Average assets   $ 2,681,194     $ 2,609,769     $ 2,565,232     $ 2,500,545     $ 2,456,828  
    Pre-Provision Net Revenue to Average Assets (non-GAAP)     1.28 %     1.16 %     1.06 %     1.05 %     1.00 %
    Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Measures to GAAP   Six months ended  
    (dollars in thousands)   Jun. 30, 2025     Jun. 30, 2024  
    FTE net interest income (non-GAAP)                
    Interest income (GAAP)   $ 58,073     $ 51,665  
    Adjustment to FTE     1,531       1,497  
    Interest income adjusted to FTE (non-GAAP)     59,604       53,162  
    Interest expense (GAAP)     23,111       21,604  
    Net interest income adjusted to FTE (non-GAAP)   $ 36,493       31,558  
                     
    Efficiency Ratio (non-GAAP)                
    Non-interest expenses (GAAP)   $ 29,264     $ 27,306  
                     
    Net interest income (GAAP)     34,962       30,061  
    Plus: taxable equivalent adjustment     1,531       1,497  
    Non-interest income (GAAP)     10,332       9,188  
    Plus: Loss on sales of securities     822       –  
    Net interest income (FTE) plus non-interest income (non-GAAP)   $ 47,647     $ 40,746  
    Efficiency ratio (non-GAAP) (1)     61.42 %     67.01 %
    (1) The reported efficiency ratio is a non-GAAP measure calculated by dividing non-interest expense by the sum of net interest income, on an FTE basis, and adjusted non-interest (loss) income.                
                     
    Pre-Provision Net Revenue to Average Assets                
    Income before taxes (GAAP)   $ 15,340     $ 11,453  
    Plus: Provision for credit losses     690       490  
    Total pre-provision net revenue (non-GAAP)   $ 16,030     $ 11,943  
    Total (annualized) (non-GAAP)   $ 32,326     $ 23,951  
                     
    Average assets   $ 2,645,679     $ 2,453,998  
    Pre-Provision Net Revenue to Average Assets (non-GAAP)     1.22 %     0.98 %
       
    Contacts:  
    Daniel J. Santaniello Salvatore R. DeFrancesco, Jr.
    President and Chief Executive Officer Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer
    570-504-8035 570-504-8000

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Waldencast Acquires Novaestiq Corp. and U.S. Rights to Leading Injectable Hyaluronic Acid Gel Line, Saypha®, Under the Obagi Medical Brand

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Acquisition strengthens Obagi Medical’s product portfolio with proven, scientifically backed, injectable portfolio

    New products position Obagi Medical at the forefront of health, beauty and aesthetics convergence

    LONDON, July 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Waldencast plc (NASDAQ: WALD) (“Waldencast”), a global multi-brand beauty and wellness platform, today announced that it has acquired Novaestiq Corp. (Novaestiq), a growth-oriented aesthetic and medical dermatological innovations company, as well as the U.S. rights to the Saypha® line of hyaluronic acid (HA) injectable gels. The strategic acquisition expands Obagi Medical’s offerings beyond U.S. medical-grade skincare, a market projected to be $2.2 billion by 2029, into the growing U.S. dermal filler market, projected to reach $2 billion in market size by 2029, effectively doubling its addressable market.1 The move marks a pivotal step in positioning Obagi Medical as an industry leader in integrated skincare and aesthetic solutions.

    “We are excited to further diversify Obagi Medical’s portfolio of medical-grade skincare with consumer centric, in-office injectable procedures through the introduction of the Obagi Medical Saypha® ChIQ™ and MagIQ™ lines of injectable HA gels,” said Michel Brousset, Co-Founder and CEO of Waldencast. “Adding proven products into our portfolio increases our addressable market and allows us to deliver solutions for professionals and patients seeking both skincare and aesthetic treatments, all under the trusted Obagi Medical brand.”

    Obagi Medical’s philosophy advocates for a holistic, science-driven approach where potent skincare and professional procedures work in tandem to achieve and maintain optimal skin health and a youthful appearance. These injectable products will play a pivotal role in the evolution of Obagi Medical into an end-to-end, synergistic solution that integrates medical-grade skincare with aesthetic treatments to deliver enhanced outcomes, prolonged results, and greater patient satisfaction. Beyond the two current offerings, the Novaestiq transaction provides access to a future pipeline of novel injectables in North America.

    Saypha®,2 currently undergoing U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, is recognized globally as a proven, safe and efficacious HA injectable with high levels of patient satisfaction. The new Obagi Medical injectable portfolio is supported by an industry-leading clinical program that reflects the brand’s commitment to science-backed innovation. Core pivotal studies are more than twice the size of typical nasolabial fold (NLF) and midface trials and include the highest representation of Fitzpatrick Skin Types I, V, and VI – underscoring Obagi Medical’s mission to provide effective solutions for all skin types and tones.

    Saypha® is distinguished by its proprietary technology delivering advanced HA treatments through a stable 3D matrix designed to provide natural-looking results with optimally balanced gel characteristics. This technology powers a portfolio of clinically proven products that lead in multiple performance categories including high HA content at injection, ideal gel distribution, and consistent injection force and swelling behavior. Saypha®, a product of Croma-Pharma GmbH, is developed and manufactured in Austria and marketed in over 80 countries, leveraging 40 years of expertise in HA-based treatments with more than 110 million syringes produced. This global reach and deep market insight allow for the delivery of trusted, personalized care to patients and professionals worldwide.

    “We believe that great results start with great skincare and are perfected with great after care,” said Dr. Suzan Obagi, Chief Medical Director at Obagi Medical. “By combining Obagi Medical skincare with injectable procedures under the guidance of a qualified professional, patients can achieve more significant, longer-lasting, and natural-looking results. This acquisition also allows our professionals to offer patients more personalized, higher quality and safer products that their customers are looking for.”

    Obagi Medical’s vision is to become the #1 Dermatological Mega Brand uniquely serving all the needs of physicians, patients and consumers globally. It is already the fastest-growing U.S. professional-skincare brand among the top ten in its category.3 This momentum is powered by a three-pronged strategy: anchoring products in dermatological science, introducing breakthrough innovations, and expanding its global reach.

    Brousset added, “We are thrilled to introduce this new offering that will strengthen Obagi Medical’s market position, drive innovation, and create new growth opportunities in our fast-evolving industry. We see an accelerating global convergence of health, beauty, and aesthetics – an intersection where Obagi Medical is uniquely positioned to lead. We also plan to leverage this acquisition to expand Obagi Medical’s footprint.”

    Transaction Details
    Under the terms of the definitive agreement relating to the transaction, Waldencast has agreed to acquire Novaestiq in exchange for (1) certain amount of cash payable at closing, (2) certain additional ongoing royalties based on net sales of Saypha® products, and (3) the contingent issuance of Waldencast class A shares (equal to approximately 7% of Waldencast’s fully diluted class A shares), based on the receipt of FDA approval relating to the Saypha® products (triggering the issuance of 3,273,000 Waldencast class A shares) and the achievement of cumulative net revenue thresholds of (a) $100 million (triggering the issuance of an additional 3,273,000 Waldencast class A shares) and (b) $200 million (triggering the further issuance of 3,273,000 Waldencast class A shares), respectively, reflecting meaningful long-term commercial targets, with (a) and (b) being earnable until June 20, 2031. The details of the transaction will be summarized in more detail in a Form 6-K that Waldencast will file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) following this press release.

    About Waldencast
    Founded by Michel Brousset and Hind Sebti, Waldencast’s ambition is to build a global best-in-class beauty and wellness operating platform by developing, acquiring, accelerating, and scaling conscious, high-growth purpose-driven brands. Waldencast’s vision is fundamentally underpinned by its brand-led business model that ensures proximity to its customers, business agility, and market responsiveness, while maintaining each brand’s distinct DNA. The first step in realizing its vision was the business combination with Obagi Medical and Milk Makeup. As part of the Waldencast platform, its brands will benefit from the operational scale of a multi-brand platform; the expertise in managing global beauty brands at scale; a balanced portfolio to mitigate category fluctuations; asset light efficiency; and the market responsiveness and speed of entrepreneurial indie brands. For more information please visit: https://ir.waldencast.com/.

    About Obagi Medical
    Obagi Medical is an industry-leading, advanced skincare line rooted in research and skin biology, with a legacy of 35+ years of experience. Initially known for its leadership in the treatment of hyperpigmentation with the Obagi Nu-Derm® System, Obagi Medical products are designed to address a variety of skin concerns, including premature aging, photodamage, skin discoloration, acne, and sun damage. As the fastest-growing professional skincare brand in the U.S. in 2024,3 Obagi Medical empowers individuals to achieve healthy, beautiful skin. More information about Obagi is available on the brand’s website, https://www.obagi.com.

    1In preparing for this transaction, Waldencast engaged management consulting services from a reputed global consulting firm. 2Saypha® products are not approved medical devices, and each product has a premarket approval (PMA) application under review by the FDA. 3Among the Top 10 Professional Skin Care Brands in the U.S., according to Kline’s 2024 Global Professional Skin Care Series (China, Europe and the U.S.).

    Advisors
    Holland & Knight LLP is serving as Waldencast’s legal advisor, with support from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. Experium Capital Advisers is serving as Waldencast’s financial advisor.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements regarding the intended benefits of the transaction with Novaestiq, the ability to obtain FDA approval for Saypha®, the contingent issuance of Waldencast class A shares, and the growth strategies of Waldencast, including Obagi Medical and Novaestiq. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “estimates,” “projects,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “forecasts,” “plans,” “intends,” “believes,” “seeks,” “may,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “future,” “propose,” “target,” “goal,” “objective,” “outlook” and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside the control of Waldencast, Obagi Medical and Novaestiq that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Important factors, among others, that may affect actual results or outcomes include, but are not limited to: (i) the inability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the transaction; (ii) the inability to obtain FDA approval for one or both of the Saypha® products; (iii) the general impact of geopolitical events, including the impact of current wars, conflicts and other hostilities; (iv) the overall economic and market conditions, sales forecasts and other information about Waldencast’s possible or assumed future results of operations or our performance; (v) changes in general economic conditions; (vi) the impact of any international trade or foreign exchange restrictions, the imposition of new or increased tariffs, foreign currency exchange fluctuations; (vii) that the price of Waldencast’s securities may be volatile due to a variety of factors, including Waldencast’s, Obagi Medical’s or Novaestiq’s inability to implement their business plans; and (viii) the ability to implement Waldencast’s strategic initiatives and continue to innovate Obagi Medical’s existing products and anticipate and respond to market trends and changes in consumer preferences. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of Waldencast’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on March 20, 2025, or in other documents that may be filed or furnished by Waldencast from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Waldencast assumes no obligation and do not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

    Contacts

    Investors
    ICR
    investors@waldencast.com

    Media
    ICR
    waldencast@icrinc.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Gaza: As starvation spreads, our colleagues and those we serve are wasting away – joint statement

    Source: Amnesty International –

    As the Israeli government’s siege starves the people of Gaza, aid workers are now joining the same food lines, risking being shot just to feed their families. With supplies now totally depleted, humanitarian organisations are witnessing their own colleagues and partners waste away before their eyes.

    Exactly two months since the Israeli government-controlled scheme, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, began operating, 109 organisations are sounding the alarm, urging governments to act: open all land crossings; restore the full flow of food, clean water, medical supplies, shelter items, and fuel through a principled, UN-led mechanism; end the siege, and agree to a ceasefire now.

    “Each morning, the same question echoes across Gaza: will I eat today?” said one agency representative. 

    Massacres at food distribution sites in Gaza are occurring near-daily. As of July 13, the UN confirmed 875 Palestinians were killed while seeking food, 201 on aid routes and the rest at distribution points. Thousands more have been injured. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have forcibly displaced nearly two million exhausted Palestinians with the most recent mass displacement order issued on July 20, confining Palestinians to less than 12 per cent of Gaza. WFP warns that current conditions make operations untenable. The starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is a war crime. 

    Just outside Gaza, in warehouses – and even within Gaza itself – tons of food, clean water, medical supplies, shelter items and fuel sit untouched with humanitarian organisations blocked from accessing or delivering them. The Government of Israel’s restrictions, delays, and fragmentation under its total siege have created chaos, starvation, and death. An aid worker providing psychosocial support spoke of the devastating impact on children: “Children tell their parents they want to go to heaven, because at least heaven has food.” 

    Doctors report record rates of acute malnutrition, especially among children and older people. Illnesses like acute watery diarrhoea are spreading, markets are empty, waste is piling up, and adults are collapsing on the streets from hunger and dehydration. Distributions in Gaza average just 28 trucks a day, far from enough for over two million people, many of whom have gone weeks without assistance.

    The UN-led humanitarian system has not failed, it has been prevented from functioning. 

    Humanitarian agencies have the capacity and supplies to respond at scale. But, with access denied, we are blocked from reaching those in need, including our own exhausted and starved teams. On July 10, the EU and Israel announced steps to scale up aid. But these promises of ‘progress’ ring hollow when there is no real change on the ground. Every day without a sustained flow means more people dying of preventable illnesses. Children starve while waiting for promises that never arrive. 

    Palestinians are trapped in a cycle of hope and heartbreak, waiting for assistance and ceasefires, only to wake up to worsening conditions. It is not just physical torment, but psychological. Survival is dangled like a mirage. The humanitarian system cannot run on false promises. Humanitarians cannot operate on shifting timelines or wait for political commitments that fail to deliver access.

    Governments must stop waiting for permission to act. We cannot continue to hope that current arrangements will work. It is time to take decisive action: demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire; lift all bureaucratic and administrative restrictions; open all land crossings; ensure access to everyone in all of Gaza; reject military-controlled distribution models; restore a principled, UN-led humanitarian response and continue to fund principled and impartial humanitarian organisations. States must pursue concrete measures to end the siege, such as halting the transfer of weapons and ammunition. 

    Piecemeal arrangements and symbolic gestures, like airdrops or flawed aid deals, serve as a smokescreen for inaction. They cannot replace states’ legal and moral obligations to protect Palestinian civilians and ensure meaningful access at scale. States can and must save lives before there are none left to save.

    Signatories: 

    1. American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
    2. A.M. Qattan Foundation
    3. A New Policy
    4. ACT Alliance
    5. Action Against Hunger (ACF)
    6. Action for Humanity
    7. ActionAid International
    8. American Baptist Churches Palestine Justice Network
    9. Amnesty International
    10. Asamblea de Cooperación por la Paz
    11. Associazione Cooperazione e Solidarietà (ACS)
    12. Bystanders No More
    13. Campain
    14. CARE 
    15. Caritas Germany
    16. Caritas Internationalis
    17. Caritas Jerusalem
    18. Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD)
    19. Center for Mind-Body Medicine (CMBM)
    20. CESVI Fondazione
    21. Children Not Numbers
    22. Christian Aid
    23. Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP)
    24. CIDSE- International Family of Catholic Social Justice Organisations
    25. Cooperazione Internazionale Sud Sud (CISS)
    26. Council for Arab‑British Understanding (CAABU)
    27. DanChurchAid (DCA)
    28. Danish Refugee Council (DRC)
    29. Doctors against Genocide
    30. Episcopal Peace Fellowship
    31. EuroMed Rights
    32. Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)
    33. Forum Ziviler Friedensdienst e.V.
    34. Gender Action for Peace and Security
    35. Global Legal Action Network (GLAN)
    36. Global Witness
    37. Health Workers 4 Palestine
    38. HelpAge International
    39. Humanity & Inclusion (HI)
    40. Humanity First UK
    41. Indiana Center for Middle East Peace
    42. Insight Insecurity
    43. International Media Support
    44. International NGO Safety Organisation
    45. Islamic Relief
    46. Jahalin Solidarity
    47. Japan International Volunteer Center (JVC)
    48. Kenya Association of Muslim Medical Professionals (KAMMP)
    49. Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation
    50. MedGlobal
    51. Medico International
    52. Medico International Switzerland (medico international schweiz)
    53. Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP)
    54. Mennonite Central Committee (MCC)
    55. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
    56. Médecins du Monde France
    57. Médecins du Monde Spain
    58. Médecins du Monde Switzerland
    59. Mercy Corps
    60. Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA)
    61. Movement for Peace (MPDL)
    62. Muslim Aid
    63. National Justice and Peace Network in England and Wales
    64. Nonviolence International
    65. Norwegian Aid Committee (NORWAC)
    66. Norwegian Church Aid (NCA)
    67. Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA)
    68. Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)
    69. Oxfam International
    70. Pax Christi England and Wales
    71. Pax Christi International
    72. Pax Christi Merseyside
    73. Pax Christi USA
    74. Pal Law Commission
    75. Palestinian American Medical Association
    76. Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF)
    77. Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS)
    78. Peace Direct
    79. Peace Winds
    80. Pediatricians for Palestine
    81. People in Need
    82. Plan International
    83. Première Urgence Internationale (PUI)
    84. Progettomondo
    85. Project HOPE
    86. Quaker Palestine Israel Network
    87. Rebuilding Alliance
    88. Saferworld
    89. Sabeel‑Kairos UK
    90. Save the Children (SCI)
    91. Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund
    92. Solidarités International
    93. Støtteforeningen Det Danske Hus i Palæstina
    94. Swiss Church Aid (HEKS/EPER)
    95. Terre des Hommes Italia
    96. Terre des Hommes Lausanne
    97. Terre des Hommes Nederland
    98. The Borgen Project
    99. The Center for Mind-Body Medicine (CMBM)
    100. The Glia Project
    101. The Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect (GCR2P)
    102. The Institute for the Understanding of Anti‑Palestinian Racism
    103. Un Ponte Per (UPP)
    104. United Against Inhumanity (UAI)
    105. War Child Alliance
    106. War Child UK
    107. War on Want
    108. Weltfriedensdienst e.V.
    109. Welthungerhilfe (WHH)

     

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: As mass starvation spreads across Gaza, our colleagues and those we serve are wasting away

    Source: Amnesty International –

    As the Israeli government’s siege starves the people of Gaza, aid workers are now joining the same food lines, risking being shot just to feed their families. With supplies now totally depleted, humanitarian organisations are witnessing their own colleagues and partners waste away before their eyes.

    Exactly two months since the Israeli government-controlled scheme, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, began operating, 109 organisations are sounding the alarm, urging governments to act: open all land crossings; restore the full flow of food, clean water, medical supplies, shelter items, and fuel through a principled, UN-led mechanism; end the siege, and agree to a ceasefire now.

    “Each morning, the same question echoes across Gaza: will I eat today?” said one agency representative. 

    Each morning, the same question echoes across Gaza: will I eat today?

    Humanitarian agency representative in Gaza

    Massacres at food distribution sites in Gaza are occurring near-daily. As of July 13, the UN confirmed 875 Palestinians were killed while seeking food, 201 on aid routes and the rest at distribution points. Thousands more have been injured. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have forcibly displaced nearly two million exhausted Palestinians with the most recent mass displacement order issued on July 20, confining Palestinians to less than 12 per cent of Gaza. WFP warns that current conditions make operations untenable. The starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is a war crime. 

    Just outside Gaza, in warehouses – and even within Gaza itself – tons of food, clean water, medical supplies, shelter items and fuel sit untouched with humanitarian organisations blocked from accessing or delivering them. The Government of Israel’s restrictions, delays, and fragmentation under its total siege have created chaos, starvation, and death. An aid worker providing psychosocial support spoke of the devastating impact on children: “Children tell their parents they want to go to heaven, because at least heaven has food.” 

    Doctors report record rates of acute malnutrition, especially among children and older people. Illnesses like acute watery diarrhoea are spreading, markets are empty, waste is piling up, and adults are collapsing on the streets from hunger and dehydration. Distributions in Gaza average just 28 trucks a day, far from enough for over two million people, many of whom have gone weeks without assistance.

    The UN-led humanitarian system has not failed, it has been prevented from functioning. 

    Humanitarian agencies have the capacity and supplies to respond at scale. But, with access denied, we are blocked from reaching those in need, including our own exhausted and starved teams. On July 10, the EU and Israel announced steps to scale up aid. But these promises of ‘progress’ ring hollow when there is no real change on the ground. Every day without a sustained flow means more people dying of preventable illnesses. Children starve while waiting for promises that never arrive. 

    Palestinians are trapped in a cycle of hope and heartbreak, waiting for assistance and ceasefires, only to wake up to worsening conditions. It is not just physical torment, but psychological. Survival is dangled like a mirage. The humanitarian system cannot run on false promises. Humanitarians cannot operate on shifting timelines or wait for political commitments that fail to deliver access.

    Governments must stop waiting for permission to act. We cannot continue to hope that current arrangements will work. It is time to take decisive action: demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire; lift all bureaucratic and administrative restrictions; open all land crossings; ensure access to everyone in all of Gaza; reject military-controlled distribution models; restore a principled, UN-led humanitarian response and continue to fund principled and impartial humanitarian organisations. States must pursue concrete measures to end the siege, such as halting the transfer of weapons and ammunition. 

    Piecemeal arrangements and symbolic gestures, like airdrops or flawed aid deals, serve as a smokescreen for inaction. They cannot replace states’ legal and moral obligations to protect Palestinian civilians and ensure meaningful access at scale. States can and must save lives before there are none left to save.

    Signatories: 

    1. American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
    2. A.M. Qattan Foundation
    3. A New Policy
    4. ACT Alliance
    5. Action Against Hunger (ACF)
    6. Action for Humanity
    7. ActionAid International
    8. American Baptist Churches Palestine Justice Network
    9. Amnesty International
    10. Asamblea de Cooperación por la Paz
    11. Associazione Cooperazione e Solidarietà (ACS)
    12. Bystanders No More
    13. Campain
    14. CARE 
    15. Caritas Germany
    16. Caritas Internationalis
    17. Caritas Jerusalem
    18. Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD)
    19. Center for Mind-Body Medicine (CMBM)
    20. CESVI Fondazione
    21. Children Not Numbers
    22. Christian Aid
    23. Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP)
    24. CIDSE- International Family of Catholic Social Justice Organisations
    25. Cooperazione Internazionale Sud Sud (CISS)
    26. Council for Arab‑British Understanding (CAABU)
    27. DanChurchAid (DCA)
    28. Danish Refugee Council (DRC)
    29. Doctors against Genocide
    30. Episcopal Peace Fellowship
    31. EuroMed Rights
    32. Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)
    33. Forum Ziviler Friedensdienst e.V.
    34. Gender Action for Peace and Security
    35. Global Legal Action Network (GLAN)
    36. Global Witness
    37. Health Workers 4 Palestine
    38. HelpAge International
    39. Humanity & Inclusion (HI)
    40. Humanity First UK
    41. Indiana Center for Middle East Peace
    42. Insight Insecurity
    43. International Media Support
    44. International NGO Safety Organisation
    45. Islamic Relief
    46. Jahalin Solidarity
    47. Japan International Volunteer Center (JVC)
    48. Kenya Association of Muslim Medical Professionals (KAMMP)
    49. Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation
    50. MedGlobal
    51. Medico International
    52. Medico International Switzerland (medico international schweiz)
    53. Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP)
    54. Mennonite Central Committee (MCC)
    55. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
    56. Médecins du Monde France
    57. Médecins du Monde Spain
    58. Médecins du Monde Switzerland
    59. Mercy Corps
    60. Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA)
    61. Movement for Peace (MPDL)
    62. Muslim Aid
    63. National Justice and Peace Network in England and Wales
    64. Nonviolence International
    65. Norwegian Aid Committee (NORWAC)
    66. Norwegian Church Aid (NCA)
    67. Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA)
    68. Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)
    69. Oxfam International
    70. Pax Christi England and Wales
    71. Pax Christi International
    72. Pax Christi Merseyside
    73. Pax Christi USA
    74. Pal Law Commission
    75. Palestinian American Medical Association
    76. Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF)
    77. Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS)
    78. Peace Direct
    79. Peace Winds
    80. Pediatricians for Palestine
    81. People in Need
    82. Plan International
    83. Première Urgence Internationale (PUI)
    84. Progettomondo
    85. Project HOPE
    86. Quaker Palestine Israel Network
    87. Rebuilding Alliance
    88. Saferworld
    89. Sabeel‑Kairos UK
    90. Save the Children (SCI)
    91. Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund
    92. Solidarités International
    93. Støtteforeningen Det Danske Hus i Palæstina
    94. Swiss Church Aid (HEKS/EPER)
    95. Terre des Hommes Italia
    96. Terre des Hommes Lausanne
    97. Terre des Hommes Nederland
    98. The Borgen Project
    99. The Center for Mind-Body Medicine (CMBM)
    100. The Glia Project
    101. The Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect (GCR2P)
    102. The Institute for the Understanding of Anti‑Palestinian Racism
    103. Un Ponte Per (UPP)
    104. United Against Inhumanity (UAI)
    105. War Child Alliance
    106. War Child UK
    107. War on Want
    108. Weltfriedensdienst e.V.
    109. Welthungerhilfe (WHH)

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Jobs unlocked as first wave of hydrogen projects sign contracts

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Jobs unlocked as first wave of hydrogen projects sign contracts

    10 projects from the first phase of the government’s flagship hydrogen programme can begin construction.

    • Spades in the ground as 10 of the UK’s first commercial-scale green hydrogen projects sign contracts, boosting growth as part of Plan for Change
    • homegrown, green hydrogen to fuel range of British business and industry with clean power, from tissue manufacturing and waste disposal to breweries and bus services
    • projects to unlock more than 700 good jobs across Britain in the clean energy industries of the future, while delivering on clean energy mission and industrial strategy

    Skilled jobs will be created in Britain’s industrial heartlands, as the first commercial-scale green hydrogen projects in the country sign long-term contracts to fuel heavy industry with clean, homegrown energy. 

    In an update to the hydrogen market, the government has confirmed that 10 projects from the first phase of its flagship hydrogen programme – Hydrogen Allocation Round (HAR1) – can begin construction, supporting the government’s mission to become a clean energy superpower.   

    This means spades can now enter the ground across the country in a major boost to the UK’s hydrogen industry, creating highly skilled jobs in industrial cities and regions such as South Wales, Bradford (North West), North Scotland and Teesside (North East).  

    These projects will support British industry to move away from using fossil fuels towards domestically-produced low-carbon hydrogen, reducing emissions heavy industry – such as steel, glass and heavy transport – ensuring decarbonisation is a route to reindustrialisation. 

    The HyMarnham project in Newark, Nottinghamshire has already started construction. The project is transforming the old High Marnham coal-fired power station into a clean energy hub by using hydrogen to decarbonise waste disposal operations.  

    Cromarty Hydrogen Project in Northeast Scotland is another of the 10 projects. The project’s 3 5MW electrolysers – which use electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen – will power local industrial users, including distilleries. 

    Taken together, the projects are expected to create over 700 jobs, including roles for apprentices, graduates, pipefitters and engineers. They are also expected to bring in over £400 million of private capital investment which has been committed between 2024 and 2026 – driving economic growth and British innovation through the Plan for Change. 

    The update comes as Andrex and Kleenex producer Kimberly-Clark announces that it will be the first major consumer goods company in the UK to make a significant commitment to green hydrogen. Kimberly-Clark, together with energy partners HYRO, Carlton Power, and Schroders Greencoat, will invest a combined £125 million into HAR1 projects at two plants in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria and Northfleet, Kent.

    Minister for Industry, Sarah Jones, said: 

    This government is rolling out hydrogen out at scale for the first time, with 10 of the first projects now shovel-ready to start powering businesses with clean, homegrown energy from Teesside to Devon.  

    Hydrogen will help us cut industrial emissions and support Britain’s industrial renewal by creating thousands of jobs in our industrial heartlands as part of the Plan for Change. 

    Neil McDermott, Chief Executive of Low Carbon Contracts Company (LCCC), said: 

    LCCC is proud to have signed the UK’s first Low Carbon Hydrogen Agreements, supporting the development of projects under the Hydrogen Production Business Model.  

    These agreements provide revenue stability for producers, and a clear signal that low-carbon hydrogen has a key role to play in the UK’s future energy system.  

    We look forward to working closely with project developers to bring these projects into operation.

    Dan Howell, Managing Director at Kimberly-Clark UK & Ireland said:  

    We are delighted to be the first UK consumer goods manufacturer to really embrace green hydrogen, showing that manufacturing industries can take the lead and overcome the technical challenge and adopt green hydrogen at scale. This initiative builds on the investments and progress we’ve already made with innovative technologies for our business, our consumers and our customers.

    Today’s announcement follows the Spending Review which saw an extra £500 million confirmed for the first ever hydrogen transport and storage network as part of Britain’s industrial renewal, connecting hydrogen producers with vital end users, including power stations and industry for the first time. 

    The government has also announced that it will consult on transmission-level hydrogen blending – assessing the economic and technical feasibility for hydrogen to be blended into the networks that are the backbone of Britain’s gas system, before it is safely transported into homes and businesses. 

    Hydrogen transmission blending has the potential to reduce costs for hydrogen production projects and the wider energy system, and the consultation will also gather evidence to assess whether hydrogen blending could lower consumers’ energy bills. 

    Clare Jackson, CEO of Hydrogen UK, said:  

    Signing these contracts demonstrates the confidence and commitment of both the government and industry in building a sustainable hydrogen sector.   

    Our members are at the forefront of this transition, and their projects will play a vital role in meeting the UK’s net-zero targets while driving economic growth and job creation.

    Dr Emma Guthrie, CEO of the Hydrogen Energy Association, said:  

    This announcement marks a significant and encouraging milestone for the UK’s hydrogen sector.   

    The signing of contracts for 10 projects under HAR1 provides vital momentum and confidence for industry and investors alike.   

    We look forward to seeing these projects move into the next phase, helping to scale up the UK’s low carbon hydrogen economy.

    Pierre de Raphélis-Soissan, CEO of Hynamics UK who are developing the Tees Green Hydrogen project, said:  

    We are delighted that Tees Green Hydrogen has successfully signed a contract as part of the Hydrogen Allocation Round.   

    We are committed to advancing low carbon hydrogen solutions that not only support the UK’s energy transition but also contribute to a sustainable future for our communities.   

    This achievement marks a significant milestone in the journey towards industrial decarbonisation within the Tees Valley region.

    Gareth Mills and Kevin Selleslags, on behalf of Bradford Low Carbon Hydrogen (BLCH) said: 

    Signing our contract to take the largest HAR 1 project forward is a significant step.  

    Thanks to the government’s investment, we’re able to continue to progress our plans to transform Birkshall from a former fossil fuel gas site powering Bradford’s homes and businesses to a flagship low carbon hydrogen production facility and fuelling station.  

    The scheme will not only help the area decarbonise with cleaner fuel but will vitally create around £120 million and support 125 jobs in the regional economy.

    Alistair Collins, Director at HyMarnham Power, said:   

    As one of the first HAR1 projects now commissioning electrolyser systems, we’re proud to demonstrate what government support can unlock, real infrastructure, green hydrogen production and a tangible contribution to the UK’s net zero and energy security goals.

    Lucy Whitford, RES’ Managing Director, UK&I, said:  

    Green hydrogen, created using British low carbon energy, will revolutionise how we power industry, helping the UK to build a globally competitive, zero carbon economy in the process.  

    We are proud of the success of HYRO’s Northfleet project, which will show how we can make green hydrogen a reality.

    Notes to editors

    HAR1 projects are expected to access over £2 billion over 15 years in revenue support from the Hydrogen Production Business Model and over £90 million in capital expenditure support via the Net Zero Hydrogen Fund. 

    Further details of the 10 projects which have signed to HAR1 are detailed in the table below, with contracts available on the LCCC registry. 

    Government is working collaboratively with the project developer of the final HAR1 project to ensure they are ready to sign the Low Carbon Hydrogen Agreement as soon as possible. 

    See the transmission blending consultation.

    Project name Developer Constituency Summary
    Cromarty Hydrogen Project Scottish Power & Storegga Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross Cromarty Green Hydrogen Project is located in northeast Scotland and is being developed by Scottish Power and Storegga. The project will use electricity from nearby wind farms produce hydrogen that could be sold to local industrial offtakers, including distilleries.
    Bradford Low Carbon Hygen Bradford East Bradford Low Carbon Hydrogen is located within the city centre of Bradford, Yorkshire and is being developed by Hygen in partnership with Ryze. The project will use renewable electricity to produce hydrogen for use in a range of offtakers in the mobility sector. JCB and Wrightbus are key potential customers.
    West Wales Hydrogen Project Morgen & Trafigura Mid and South Pembrokeshire West Wales Hydrogen Project is located in Milford Haven, West Wales, and is being developed by MorGen and Trafigura. The project will produce hydrogen could be sold to local industrial offtakers including Natural Gas facilities to decarbonise their operations.
    High Marnham JG Pears & GeoPura Newark HyMarnham is located on the site of an old coal power station in the East Midlands and is being developed by JG Pears and GeoPura. Hydrogen produced is expected to be used by GeoPura to supply their remote power generation units and by JG Pears as part of their waste disposal operations.
    Whitelee Green Hydrogen Scottish Power Kilmarnock and Loudoun Whitelee Green Hydrogen is located in central Scotland, 14 miles south of Glasgow and is being developed by Scottish Power. The project will use electricity from Whitelee Wind Farm to produce hydrogen to be sold to local distilleries and transportation companies to decarbonise their operations.
    Green Hydrogen 3 HYRO Gravesham Green Hydrogen 3 is located in Northfleet, South east, and is developed by HYRO. Electricity will be sourced through a renewable Power Purchase Agreement and aims to be used to produce hydrogen for use in a paper mill to power industrial boilers.
    Trafford Carlton Power Stretford and Urmston (Greater Manchester) Trafford Hydrogen Project is located in Trafford, Manchester and is being developed by Carlton Power. The project will produce hydrogen to be sold to a range of local industrial offtakers.
    Barrow   Barrow-in-Furness (Cumbria) Barrow Hydrogen is located in Cumbria and is being developed by Carlton Power. The project could provide low carbon hydrogen to the neighbouring Kimberly Clark tissue manufacturing site.
    Langage   South West Devon (Plymouth) Langage green hydrogen is located in Plymouth and is being developed by Carlton Power. The project will supply hydrogen to companies located in Langage Energy Park which could utilise Hydrogen in place of gas in industrial processes such as minerals processing.
    Tees Green EDF/Hynamics Redcar (Teesside) The Tees Green hydrogen project is located in Teeside. Low carbon hydrogen will be produced from electricity generated in the Teesside Offshore Wind Farm for use in the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel, helping decarbonise the aviation industry in the future.

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Lusophone Compact Presents Investment Opportunities to Accelerate Inclusive Development at 15th Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) Summit

    Source: APO – Report:

    The Lusophone Compact Secretariat last week engaged with leaders of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) at their 15th Summit and economic forum in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau. The July 15-18 meetings provided a strategic platform to showcase the Lusophone Compact’s role in attracting private financing to accelerate sustainable economic development in African member countries. 

    An initiative by the African Development Bank in partnership with the Governments of Portugal and Brazil, the Lusophone Compact supports private sector investment in the six African member states of the CPLP: Angola, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Equatorial Guinea. Representing a community of more than 300 million people across four continents, with a combined GDP of $2.3 trillion in 2024, the CPLP holds immense potential for trade, investment, and inclusive economic transformation. 

    Compact objectives are: promoting inclusive private sector development, mobilizing blended finance and technical assistance, strengthening economic resilience and regional integration, and aligning with national development priorities and the CPLP’s economic agenda. 

    During the summit, officials of the Lusophone Compact secretariat participated in high-level policy dialogues on food security, technology, and sustainability, which align with the thematic focus of the summit under Guinea-Bissau’s rotating presidency. The Compact team also presented its suite of financing tools and eligibility criteria while supporting resource mobilization efforts in member countries. 

    “The 15th CPLP Summit presented a unique opportunity to reinforce the strategic priorities of the Lusophone Compact, particularly in areas of food security, technology, and sustainability,” said Neima Ferreira Coordinator of the Lusophone Compact at the African Development Bank. “With the right tools, partnerships and vision, Portuguese-speaking countries can lead a new era of investment-driven development.” 

    The host country, Guinea-Bissau, reaffirmed its commitment to private sector-led growth and expressed strong interest in aligning the Compact’s support mechanisms with its national development strategy. 

    One of the Compact’s flagship achievements is the Cabeólica Project in Cabo Verde –  a large-scale public-private wind energy project, co-financed by the African Development Bank and the European Investment Bank. The project supplies more than 20 percent of Cabo Verde’s electricity, avoids the emission of thousands of tons of CO2 annually, and has created more than 150 local jobs. Cabeólica has become a benchmark for sustainable infrastructure and innovative finance in the region. 

    As Portuguese-speaking countries seek new engines for economic growth, the Lusophone Compact offers a robust mechanism for mobilizing private sector capital, fostering regional cooperation, and advancing shared development objectives. 

    Learn more about the Lusophone Compact here (https://apo-opa.co/44ZMHGt). 

    – on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

    Media contact: 
    Communication and External Relations Department 
    media@afdb.org

    Media files

    .

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Italy: EIB provides €120 million to AGSM AIM to strengthen power grid

    Source: European Investment Bank

    AGSM

    • The agreement will enable power grid modernisation and reliability improvement work in three key municipalities in Veneto, with direct benefits for residents and businesses.
    • The operation will help make the local energy system more efficient and able to meet the challenges of the green transition and digitalisation.

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) and AGSM AIM have signed a finance contract totalling €120 million to strengthen and modernise the power grid in the three Italian municipalities of Vicenza, Verona and Grezzana, all strategic areas for the group served by the V-RETI S.p.A. business unit.

    The financing – which can be used all at once or split into tranches – is a step forward in promoting the energy transition and the goals of REPowerEU. The funds will be directed to projects improving the grid’s operational efficiency, resilience and sustainability, in line with EU decarbonisation and digitalisation objectives.

    EIB Vice-President Gelsomina Vigliotti said: “This agreement shows our growing practical commitment to backing investments to make power grids more modern, sustainable and resilient, benefiting local communities and Italy’s energy transition.”

    AGSM AIM Managing Director Alessandro Russo added: “This new EIB financing confirms our commitment to investing in our longstanding operational areas, making them more modern and sustainable. These technical operations are also strategically important to providing residents and businesses with an efficient power supply able to meet future challenges. The support of an institution like the EIB shows the strength of our business plan and the group’s ability to lead the national energy transition.”

    Background information

    The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. It finances investments that contribute to EU policy objectives. EIB projects bolster competitiveness, drive innovation, promote sustainable development, enhance social and territorial cohesion, and support a just and swift transition to climate neutrality. In the last five years, the EIB Group has provided more than €58 billion in financing for projects in Italy. All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Climate Agreement. The EIB Group does not fund investments in fossil fuels. We are on track to deliver on our commitment to support €1 trillion in climate and environmental sustainability investment in the decade to 2030 as pledged in our Climate Bank Roadmap. Over half of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation, and a healthier environment. Approximately half of the EIB’s financing within the European Union is directed towards cohesion regions, where per capita income is lower.

    AGSM AIM Group provides essential services to individuals and products of high added value for the development of businesses, entities and institutions. It operates in the electrical energy, gas, district heating, energy efficiency, street lighting, telecom services, electric mobility and environmental health sectors. Created by the merger of AGSM Verona and AIM Vicenza, the publicly owned group (61.2% owned by the municipality of Verona and 38.8% by the municipality of Vicenza) has positioned itself as a benchmark for the energy, technological, sustainability and digital transitions. Its multi-business model enabled it to record substantial profitability growth in 2024, with solid business performance. Its €1.9 billion in revenue, €182 million EBITDA, over 2 000 employees and 890 000 electricity and gas customers make it one of Italy’s biggest multi-utility companies.

    AGSM AIM ELECTRICITY NETWORK UPGRADE
    EIB provides €120 million to AGSM AIM to strengthen power grid
    ©AGSM
    Download original
    AGSM AIM ELECTRICITY NETWORK UPGRADE
    EIB provides €120 million to AGSM AIM to strengthen power grid
    ©AGSM
    Download original

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Missions – CONT Mission to Bratislava (Slovakia), 26-28 May 2025 – 26-05-2025 – Committee on Budgetary Control

    Source: European Parliament

    CONT mission to Slovakia © Image used under license from Adobe Stock

    The purpose of this mission was to assess the situation in Slovakia related to ensuring the sound financial Management of EU funds and, more generally, to the protection of the EU’s financial interests.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Participants of the International Summer School of Restoration of SPbGASU are working on the concept of preserving an ancient temple

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Participants of the International Summer School of Restoration at the site

    The International Summer School of Restoration is taking place at SPbGASU, which is being held jointly with the International Restoration Center and the Restoration Association (Rosregionrestavratsiya). It is attended by 12 students from Greece, Kazakhstan, Kazan and St. Petersburg. They are working on a historical heritage site and the concept of preserving and developing the historical territory of the unique wooden Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

    The current church is located in the village of Listvenka, Boksitogorsk District, Leningrad Region, and is a cultural heritage site of federal significance. It is one of the oldest church buildings in Leningrad Region – it was built in 1599 and rebuilt in 1720.

    As the head of the summer school of restoration, candidate of architecture, associate professor of the department of architectural and urban heritage, head of the project “Scientific and educational laboratory “Restoration and renovation of architectural heritage” (NOL) Nadezhda Akulova said, the participants of the summer school talked with the rector of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, visited the nearby surroundings and immersed themselves in the history of the area, learned about the place where, according to the rector, “Moscow and St. Petersburg are connected.” Thus, they were deeply immersed not only in the object, but also in important historical zones, feeling their special atmosphere.

    In addition to SPbGASU, the school’s organizers and leaders also include the Director of the International Restoration Center Tatyana Chernyaeva and the Head of the Department for the Restoration of Cultural Heritage Sites of the Leningrad Region State Autonomous Cultural Institution “International Restoration Center” Tatyana Afanasyeva.

    The defense of the projects is planned for July 24 at the International Restoration Center in the village of Rozhdestveno.

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Folkestone business wins US contract through $475,000 UK Export Finance deal

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Folkestone business wins US contract through $475,000 UK Export Finance deal

    UKEF announces its support for British engineering firm Dyrhoff, enabling the company to supply key components for a large-scale water management project in the United States.

    A water control gate installed by Dyrhoff in Scotland. Image provided by Dyrhoff

    • Dyrhoff, a Folkestone-based provider of water control gates, has recently won a major export contract following support from UK Export Finance (UKEF) and NatWest.

    • The business is supporting a flood protection project in North Dakota, using both UK and internationally manufactured parts.

    Dyrhoff, a provider of water control gates, has won a major contract to deliver two pneumatically operated spillway gates for a flood protection project in North Dakota, USA, following support from a government financing scheme.

    Throughout its more than 30 years, the business has specialised in the design and supply of inflatable rubber dams and spillway gates. These gates can be used to reduce flood risk and aid water regulation.

    In line with the government’s Plan for Change and its mission to kickstart economic growth, UKEF guaranteed a $475,000 finance facility to be issued by NatWest. This facility enabled Dyrhoff to meet the bonding terms required to win the contract in North Dakota.

    Dyrhoff works with UK and international partners to engineer and manufacture parts which are subsequently assembled at the project location. The majority of Dyrhoff’s business originates from overseas contracts, contributing to 156 projects in over 33 countries, including USA, Italy, Canada, Norway, Turkey, Portugal and Indonesia.

    Although Dyrhoff is a seasoned exporter, the financial support provided by UKEF has enabled the business to win one of its largest contracts to date.

    As a result of the North Dakota deal and other successful contracts, Dyrhoff is now planning to increase staff numbers at its manufacturing facility in Folkestone, Kent.

    Don Mason, Director at Dyrhoff said:

    We have been providing market-leading rubber dam and spillway solutions since 1989, but the support afforded by UKEF has enabled us to set our sights on an exciting overseas growth opportunity.

    By assisting us in winning such a significant project for the business, UKEF support has set us up to carry on building momentum in key markets like the USA. Despite economic uncertainty in the market, we are now well placed to use this project as a springboard for success.

    Lisa Maddison-Brown, Kent, East Sussex and West Sussex Export Finance Manager at UKEF said:

    We are really pleased to be able to assist a business which maintains a focus on developing critical infrastructure to keep areas safe from flooding. A key goal of ours is to continue placing British engineering at the heart of vital projects worldwide, and Dyrhoff is helping to do just that.

    Ellie Morrison, Trade Finance Manager at NatWest commented:

    I’m delighted to announce NatWest’s Trade Finance support for Dyrhoff, as they secure a significant export contract creating impactful engineering solutions that serve a crucial international and domestic purpose.

    The financing package has equipped Dyrhoff to meet essential bonding requirements, thereby enabling the company to secure and mobilise on this project. This partnership, facilitated with the support of UK Export Finance, aligns with NatWest’s commitments to foster the growth of UK-based businesses and contributing to vital infrastructure projects worldwide.

    Dyrhoff are a great example of a successful UK exporter and NatWest is proud to support the business with the financial solutions they need to thrive globally.

    News of Dyrhoff’s success follows on from the recent publication of UKEF’s Annual Reports and Accounts for 2024/25. The department provided £14.5 billion in loans, guarantees and insurance in support of exporters of all sizes and supported up to 70,000 jobs.

    Contact

    Media enquiries:

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Tatyana Golikova held the first meeting of the organizing committee to prepare for the celebration of the 150th anniversary of GITIS

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The first meeting of the organizing committee for the preparation and celebration of the 150th anniversary of the founding of GITIS in 2028, chaired by Tatyana Golikova

    July 23, 2025

    Rector of GITIS Grigory Zaslavsky at the first meeting of the organizing committee for the preparation and celebration of the 150th anniversary of the founding of GITIS in 2028, chaired by Tatyana Golikova

    July 23, 2025

    Tatyana Golikova held the first meeting of the organizing committee to prepare for the celebration of the 150th anniversary of GITIS

    July 23, 2025

    The first meeting of the organizing committee for preparations for the celebration of the 150th anniversary of GITIS chaired by Tatyana Golikova. From left to right: GITIS rector Grigory Zaslavsky, Deputy Minister of Culture Andrei Malyshev and Chairman of the Union of Theatre Workers Vladimir Mashkov

    July 23, 2025

    Previous news Next news

    The first meeting of the organizing committee for the preparation and celebration of the 150th anniversary of the founding of GITIS in 2028, chaired by Tatyana Golikova

    Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova held the first meeting of the organizing committee for preparations for the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the founding of GITIS in 2028. The agenda included discussion of the plan of events. The meeting was attended by GITIS Rector Grigory Zaslavsky, Deputy Minister of Culture of Russia Andrei Malyshev, General Director of the NTV television company Alexei Zemsky, Head of the Vocal Arts Department of GITIS Tamara Sinyavskaya, Chairman of the Union of Theatre Workers Vladimir Mashkov and others.

    “GITIS annually confirms its status as a leading university in the field of theater education according to the K.S. Stanislavsky system. The upcoming anniversary – the 150th anniversary of the founding of GITIS – is a wonderful opportunity not only to look back on the path traveled, but also to fully present the achievements of the national theater school, recognized throughout the world,” emphasized Tatyana Golikova. – Many destinies and events are connected with GITIS. These are not just pages of history, but the very history of the transformation of our country. Epochs changed, but GITIS remained a forge of outstanding cultural figures. This is its true purpose and role in the fate of Russia.”

    Today, the institute has about 1,800 students from 30 countries, who are taught their skills by more than 500 teachers. Eight departments teach actors of dramatic and musical theater, directors of drama, musical theater and circus, choreographers and ballet teachers, theater artists and makeup artists, playwrights, producers and theater historians.

    Deputy Minister of Culture Andrei Malyshev emphasized that GITIS is an ambassador of Russian culture and identity, so the institute’s anniversary is important not only for GITIS and the theater community, but also for all of Russian culture.

    GITIS is actively developing. “Just two days later, on behalf of Russian President Vladimir Putin, on July 25, in the city of Blagoveshchensk, we open together with Governor Vasily Orlov of the Far Eastern branch of GITIS. The exams have already passed, the competition was, there was a competition, which is also very important for us, so we are just starting. The next day we move to Heihe, to China, and there we also present the Far Eastern branch of GITIS. It is very important for us that from the moment of changes, we not only have not decreased the flow of foreign students, but there are even more of them. This year we have almost accepted 46 students. This is Latvia, and Italy, and Iran, and Morocco. And of course, we are trying to maintain leadership in Central Asia, we have just held the GITIS school on Lake Issyk-Kul, the traditional, already fourth in a row. There were four countries with Russia. It is also important for us to expand the presence of GITIS in Central and South America. Last year, the second time was held by GITIS School in Chile, the first time GITIS School in Brazil after a long break in the framework of the “Russian seasons“. This year, the Brazilians came to us at the theater festival. It seems to me that one of the most important problems that we realized is that the theater is one of the arts, maybe the only one that cannot exist without constant self -understanding. The writer. It can be written in the world in 100 years by someone that can be brilliant in 100 years, no one will call the contemporaries, we have not been appreciated by the problem of the Institute of Expertise. We began the publication of the “Theater Journal“ and we consider this to be one of the most important tasks of returning a serious and high -quality examination to the theater, ”said the rector of the university Grigory Zaslavsky. 

    The plan to celebrate the 150th anniversary included 20 events, including festivals, tours, exhibitions and conferences.

    Key events include a gala concert dedicated to the 150th anniversary of GITIS, the International Competition of Young Choreographers named after R.V. Zakharov “Maria”, and the premiere of a documentary film about the history of the institute. In September 2028, GITIS will launch its branded train, on which students and teachers will travel from Moscow to Blagoveshchensk with performances and festive concerts, as well as master classes and selection tests in various regions of the country.

    Traditional GITIS festivals will be scaled up. The VIII International Student Festival of Diploma Performances “GITIS-fest” will be held in two cities – Moscow and Blagoveshchensk. In April 2028, the XIX International Competition of Young Choreographers named after R.V. Zakharov “Maria” and the XVIII International Festival of Stage Fencing “Silver Sword” named after N.V. Karpov will be held, and in November – the theater festival of the CIS countries “GITIS – Master Class”. The international scientific conference “Perspective – 150 years of GITIS” will bring together young specialists from leading universities in Russia, near and far abroad: art history, theater studies, philology, directing, choreography, scenography.

    An exhibition entitled “Russian Revolutionary Theatre” is planned for the fall of 2028, dedicated to the unique traditions of Russian theatre and domestic education in the field of theatrical art.

    Other events include tours of GITIS graduation performances in the CIS republics and regions of Russia where GITIS national studios were created. In addition, a series of 12 podcasts from GITIS students with stories about faculties and teachers will be released in 2028.

    An important event in preparation for the celebration will be the renovation and restoration work in the main academic building, as well as a major overhaul of the dormitory.

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Conversation between Mikhail Mishustin and the head of the Altai Republic Andrey Turchak

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Current issues of the region’s socio-economic development were discussed.

    Conversation between Mikhail Mishustin and the head of the Altai Republic Andrey Turchak

    From the transcript:

    M. Mishustin: Andrey Anatolyevich, good afternoon!

    Thank you for showing the hospital, the emergency department, modern, new, with all the necessary equipment, built in two and a half months. This is pleasing. The speed with which it was all done and the professionalism are visible. We also heard this from the people who visit it.

    More and more tourists are coming to the Altai Republic. Soon, literally in a few days, the International Ecological Conference will take place. Distinguished guests will arrive.

    Last year, a decision was made (we discussed this with you) to build a modern, now international airport. The funds are there, they are planned, there is an investor. And it is very important to provide for the entire complex development around it, the logistics infrastructure – this is a transport hub, access roads, service maintenance and much more.

    First of all, I want to ask how this work is going? Please.

    A. Turchak: Mikhail Vladimirovich, first of all, thank you for giving our airport the status of an international airport. Today, a modern international checkpoint has already been opened on the territory of the airport terminal. In general, as you correctly said, the tourist flow is growing, and the airport infrastructure can no longer cope with it. Therefore, by 2028, within the framework of the concession agreement, we will complete the modernization of the entire airfield infrastructure and build a new terminal. Our goal is to increase passenger traffic to 1.3 million passengers per year by 2030.

    By road. You are absolutely right, connectivity is necessary, because tourists come to us not only by air, but also by car.

    Regarding the road sector, in 2024, under the national project, we allocated about 6.6 billion rubles for this and brought 196 km of our roads into compliance. And it is very important that 10 km are directly in the Gorno-Altaisk agglomeration itself, which includes our capital Gorno-Altaisk and the suburban Mayminsky district. This year, we plan to bring 101 km and 12 bridges into compliance. The topic of bridges is very important for our republic, I reported to you about it last time. We are systematically moving towards putting the bridge sector in order. This year, our road fund is 3.5 billion.

    This year, with your support, the reconstruction of the Chuysky tract will begin – this is a 21 km section to Manzherok, which will solve the problem of traffic jams, especially during the high tourist season, and reduce accidents.

    One project I wanted to report to you about, you supported it last year, is the construction of the Platovsky Bridge by shifting funds to the left. We are handing it over ahead of schedule. This is the first bridge that has been built in the republic in the last six years.

    We continue working with the Ministry of Transport to bypass Maima and, in general, Gorno-Altaisk, the entire Gorno-Altaisk agglomeration. We need to take transit transport beyond the boundaries of the agglomeration. In this part, the Ministry of Transport will support us. Once again, I would like to thank you very much for supporting the development of our transport infrastructure.

    M. Mishustin: Andrey Anatolyevich, I know that you are very actively involved in infrastructure. It is important to keep everything under personal control here. So that the logistics infrastructure, the new airport will allow for the expansion of tourism opportunities, and also contribute to the growth of the number of residents.

    Another task is the construction of social, in particular educational, facilities. You are also actively involved in this.

    The federal budget for three years provides funds for the construction of a school in Gorno-Altaisk, as well as a lyceum of about 2.5 billion rubles. Much is being done for healthcare as well. The hospital admissions department that we looked at today is one example.

    Please tell us what else is being done and built in the fields of education and medicine.

    A. Turchak: Mikhail Vladimirovich, at the last meeting I reported to you that one of the main challenges I faced was the large number of long-term construction projects that existed at that time. I want to thank you. With your support, additional funds were allocated. We commissioned the seventh school in Gorno-Altaisk – a long-awaited facility that was built on the direct instructions of the President. The start of construction of this facility is 2021. We commissioned it in January of this year. A unique school.

    M. Mishustin: Were the problems mainly due to contractors?

    A. Turchak: The problems were due to the poor quality of the project. We had to redesign, undergo a new assessment, then the cost of materials increased, and so on. Nevertheless, the school was completed, it became such a good gift for the 200th anniversary of Gorno-Altaisk, which we celebrated.

    The only school in the city where children from the 1st grade study the Altai language. The school has a very large sports core. Two sports halls inside the school, a large stadium, several playgrounds where children can practice national sports.

    Another long-term construction project is a sports and fitness complex with a games room. We also completed it in December last year. Residents were waiting for it with impatience.

    The Cultural Development Center, which I reported to you about, has also been completed. In July, we opened it with the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation. The first cultural institution built in the city in the last 13 years.

    Also, with your support, the issue of reconstruction of the 12th school has moved from dead center. Not just reconstruction, but, in fact, the construction of a new building. We will introduce this facility by 2027 – the federal budget has allocated 615 million for it, and the republican budget – 345 million rubles.

    Regarding the Republican Classical Lyceum, which you are monitoring. All work is on schedule, the completion date is 2026. The budget provides 3.3 billion, of which 2.7 billion is the federal budget. And the uniqueness of this project is that the developer additionally attracted its own 500 million rubles to complete the construction of the campus of this lyceum. It will be a truly unique educational institution, in which gifted children from the most remote corners of our republic will be able not only to receive a quality education, but also to develop their talents in various fields.

    This year we have planned to carry out major repairs of 11 rural schools and the first gymnasium in Gorno-Altaisk. More than 700 million rubles from the federal budget are allocated for these purposes.

    In addition, we are building another new school for 360 students in the Chemalsky District. This is a comprehensive rural development program that is actively operating in our republic.

    We also repair kindergartens, primarily in rural areas. We have repaired four in a year and are building three new ones. 920 million rubles are allocated for these purposes from the federal and republican budgets. In general, we keep the issues of modernization and improvement of educational infrastructure under control and work on them with the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation. Our colleagues support us.

    M. Mishustin: Modern schools, kindergartens, educational institutions, hospitals, clinics – this is very important for people and makes it possible to attract investors. And for the republic, by decision of the President, an individual program of socio-economic development has been formed. Quite significant funds are provided until 2030.

    Tell us what is planned within this program?

    A. Turchak: If possible, one more thing on the topic of healthcare. Today, the Minister of Health reported to you on the overall situation in the republic. We examined the admission and diagnostic department of our republican hospital, equipped with a modern operating unit, modern diagnostic equipment – MRI, CT, ultrasound. We are the first region to implement this project this year. Indeed, the timing of its implementation is quite unique. In almost less than three months, this facility was erected, and 80% of the structures, materials, and equipment itself were of domestic production. By your decision, we received 744 million rubles from the federal budget for this project, including the MRI machine, which was also introduced this year on your instructions, and now our residents do not need to travel to other regions for such high-tech examination.

    I would like to talk about the perinatal center. I approached you with this question last year. Our current perinatal center is located in a maternity hospital built in 1975. You gave the order to work out a step-by-step, phased plan for the implementation of this project. I would like to report on the work done.

    As of today, we have worked out a medical and technical assignment together with the Ministry of Health. The concept for the construction of a new perinatal center is ready. Mikhail Albertovich Murashko saw it and supported it. And, if possible, I would like to separately report to you our proposals on how to gradually put everything related to obstetrics in our republic in order.

    M. Mishustin: Yesterday we inspected the perinatal center in Chita. A wonderful and, in fact, methodological center not only for the Zabaikalsky Krai, but also for the entire Far East. And most importantly, the people who work there, mostly women, really help with obstetrics, and warmly welcome mothers and fathers. It seems to me that it is very important to support you in the construction of this center.

    A. Turchak: Thank you very much.

    According to the individual development program. We have good results for the first five-year plan. 2 thousand jobs have been created. 2.5 billion in extra-budgetary investments have been attracted. During the period of the individual program, the region has become one of the leaders in terms of investment growth rates in fixed capital.

    In terms of specific results, 120 projects in the agro-industrial complex were supported, 8 accommodation facilities, 8 sites for processing milk, meat, wood, and producing dietary supplements were created. The Industrial Development Fund and the SME Fund were recapitalized, and 66 preferential loans were issued.

    According to the new program. In the current 2025, we will support the development of the material and technical base of at least four agricultural enterprises. First of all, these are projects in the dairy industry. I can give one example. Our agroholding “Ekoniva” will build a dairy complex in the Ust-Kansky district. Moreover, the owner of this project in the recent past is a citizen of Germany, who has now acquired Russian citizenship and is registered for tax purposes in the Altai Republic.

    Farmers will also be provided with a subsidy to support and develop crop production, meat and milk processing. We will support 22 SME projects, 4 tourism infrastructure projects and, most importantly, personnel training – we plan to train at least 150 specialists per year.

    Dear Mikhail Vladimirovich, the implementation of individual programs is impossible without solving the main issue in the republic. And the main issue in the republic– I reported to you at the last meeting – this is land.

    I would like to thank you for your support: last year you supported our proposal to lift the moratorium on mass inspections of the intended use of land. Thanks to this decision, a land amnesty was launched in the region, which is aimed at legalizing the illegal accommodation facilities that were identified.

    Together with Rosreestr, the FMS worked. They identified about one and a half thousand accommodation facilities that were not registered with the tax authorities, that is, they did not pay either land tax or property tax. More than half went for legalization – 800 voluntarily submitted applications, and are now preparing their documents.

    The amnesty ends with the inclusion of these accommodation facilities in the register. Accordingly, in addition to direct tax revenues, we will receive at least half a billion rubles of our own income. I reported to you today that we will spend a third of them on supporting healthcare, in particular, on developing the emergency medical service.

    In this regard, I would like to make one request to you – to use a similar approach to reduce the level of shadow employment and legalize labor relations in the region. If possible, I would like to ask you to instruct Rostrud, just as we did for the land, to conduct unscheduled monitoring and supervisory activities for the Altai Republic with the involvement of employees of territorial bodies of Rostrud from other regions, because our own forces are not enough. In this way, we would also bring this topic out of the shadows. Thank you for your support.

    M. Mishustin: Andrey Anatolyevich, the plans are serious. I wish you success in their implementation.

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Ukraine Loses French Mirage 2000 Fighter Jet for the First Time

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    KYIV, July 23 (Xinhua) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address on Wednesday that a Mirage 2000 fighter jet donated to the country by France had crashed, marking the first known loss of the type of aircraft by Ukraine.

    The Ukrainian Air Force, in turn, stated on Telegram that the plane crash occurred due to equipment failure on Tuesday evening while performing a flight mission.

    The pilot managed to eject and was found by a search and rescue team. His condition is assessed as stable. There are no casualties on the ground.

    A special commission has been created to determine the causes of the accident.

    The Mirage 2000 is a fourth-generation multirole fighter jet. It is capable of carrying long-range Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG cruise missiles. Ukraine received its first batch of Mirage 2000 aircraft in February this year. –0–

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Declaration of the EU Member States: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain on Raising Awareness of Persons with Disabilities.s (Warsaw, 30.06.25)

    Source: Republic of France in English
    The Republic of France has issued the following statement:

    Following the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), to which the European Union and all its Member States are party to and considering that the aforementioned Convention is an international human rights treaty that promotes and protect the rights of persons with disabilities with a view to ensure equality and inclusion of persons with disabilities;

    Noting that since the signatory countries of this Declaration are Member States of the European Union that have ratified the aforementioned Convention, we wish to contribute to its promotion by raising awareness about persons with disabilities in accordance with Article 8 of the CRPD, according to which States Parties undertake to take immediate, effective and appropriate measures to raise public awareness of issues affecting persons with disabilities, as well as measures to strengthen respect for the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities;

    Following the European Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030 as the main tool to implement the UNCRPD at European level. The Strategy sets the priorities and the framework for the joint work of the EU and the Member States to improve the lives of persons with disabilities in the EU and beyond in line with the Convention. The implementation of this Strategy will be achieved through a strong commitment by the Member States, by promoting policies and actions that will bring about accessible environments, inclusive education systems as well as health care systems of high quality and effective pathways to fair employment for persons with disabilities. In addition, the strategy indicates the commitment that the Commission will work with Member States to complement and support national campaigns, to strengthen awareness-raising and to combat stereotypes around disability;

    Referring to the European Parliament Resolution of 13 December 2022 towards equal rights for persons with disabilities , which stresses that the exercise of the right to work by persons with disabilities is closely linked to measures to combat direct and indirect discrimination, and therefore encourages the Commission and Member States to introduce effective and concrete measures to promote equality, diversity, including through awareness raising and a barrier-free environment;

    We, the Member States of the European Union, during the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, hereby undertake:

    1. Strongly encourage all national mainstream media to portray persons with disabilities in a way that is consistent with the purpose of the UN CRPD and thus respects the human rights of persons with disabilities while respecting the effective editorial freedom and independence of media service providers in the exercise of their professional activities.

    Under the Strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities, the European Commission and Member States committed to work together to combat stereotyping and prejudice and raise awareness about persons with disabilities, in line with the Convention;

    2. Strive to ensure that disability in the mainstream media is portrayed as part of everyday life regarding persons with disabilities and to foster respect for the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. Efforts should be made to ensure that persons with disabilities regularly appear on television, radio and social media as well as in the written press in everyday circumstances, not necessarily related to disability, on an equal basis with others in order to raise awareness among the society.

    It should be noted that stories presented in the media have a huge impact on public opinion, including those of persons with disabilities. There are still few persons with disabilities who regularly appear in the media, and when they do, they are often portrayed in inappropriate and stereotypical ways. Persons with disabilities are most often shown in the context of charity or medical treatment and are thus treated as people in need of help or support and not portrayed as integral participants of society. Television, written press, radio and social media are tools that can be crucial in raising awareness about persons with disabilities. The media can play a huge role in counteracting the stigmatization of persons with disabilities and are able to influence the change of societal misconceptions which will significantly contribute to the inclusion of persons with disabilities into society on an equal basis with others.

    3. Declare their intention to conduct regular public campaigns, in particular in the public press, radio and television as well as on social media in their Member States to raise awareness of the rights of persons with disabilities and their social and professional potential.

    In accordance with Article 8 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and as underlined in Objective 9 “Awareness, governance and measuring progress” of the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030, Parties undertake to adopt immediate, effective and appropriate measures to raise awareness, combat stereotypes, prejudices and harmful practices and promote awareness of the capabilities and contributions of persons with disabilities. The measures to this end include, inter alia, initiating and maintaining effective public awareness campaigns designed to:

    • nurture receptiveness to the rights of persons with disabilities.
    • promote positive perceptions and greater social awareness towards persons with disabilities.
    • promote recognition of the skills, merits and abilities of persons with disabilities, and of their contributions to the workplace and labour market.

    4. Promote the Disability Employment Package, which is a set of guidelines and good practices, covering all stages of employment, from recruitment to retention, and targeting both policymakers and practitioners such as public employment services, employers and trade unions.

    All the Disability Employment Package deliverables have now been published by the Commission . The package aims to support Member States in improving the overall employment conditions for persons with disabilities in the EU. Increasing opportunities for persons with disabilities in the open labour market can be achieved by building awareness among employers of the career potential of persons with disabilities and among public employment services.

    It is important to raise awareness of the potential of persons with disabilities and highlight their contributions in the workplace and labour market.

    5. Promote the “Guidance on independent living and inclusion in the community of persons with disabilities in the context of EU funding” , which provide a set of guidelines on how to promote the right of persons with disabilities to live independently and be included in the community.

    The Commission adopted a notice “Guidance on independent living and inclusion in the community of persons with disabilities in the context of EU funding”, which recommends measures to promote independent living by improving and promoting support services for independent living. The guidance provides practical recommendations to Member States and stakeholders to accelerate the transition from institutional care to community-based services and independent living for persons with disabilities.

    6. Support the implementation of the European Accessibility Act , in particular, enforcing media providers must ensure that the services used to deliver the content, and their functions provide equal access for persons with disabilities.

    The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is a Directive that aims to improve the functioning of the internal market for accessible products and services, by removing barriers created by divergent rules in Member States. The EAA covers the provision of access to audiovisual media services, which may include websites, web-based applications, set-top box-based applications, downloadable applications, mobile device-based services, including mobile applications and related media players, and connected television.

    In our leadership capacity, we pledge a strong involvement in promoting national policies that are consistent with the EU Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

    1) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/FR/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2021%3A101%3AFIN#PP4Contents

    2) https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2022-0435_FR.pdf

    3) https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/disability/union-equality-strategy-rights-persons-disabilities-2021-2030/disability-employment-package-improve-labour-market-outcomes-persons-disabilities_en

    4) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32019L0882

    5) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/FR/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32019L0882

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • Microsoft knew of SharePoint security flaw but failed to effectively patch it, timeline shows

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    A security patch Microsoft released this month failed to fully fix a critical flaw in the U.S. tech giant’s SharePoint server software, opening the door to a sweeping global cyber espionage effort, a timeline reviewed by Reuters shows.

    On Tuesday, a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed that its initial solution to the flaw, identified at a hacker competition in May, did not work, but added that it released further patches that resolved the issue.

    It remains unclear who is behind the spy effort, which targeted about 100 organisations over the weekend, and is expected to spread as other hackers join the fray.

    In a blog post Microsoft said two allegedly Chinese hacking groups, dubbed “Linen Typhoon” and “Violet Typhoon,” were exploiting the weaknesses, along with a third, also based in China.

    Microsoft and Alphabet’s Google have said China-linked hackers were probably behind the first wave of hacks.

    Chinese government-linked operatives are regularly implicated in cyberattacks, but Beijing routinely denies such hacking operations.

    In an emailed statement, its embassy in Washington said China opposed all forms of cyberattacks, and “smearing others without solid evidence.”

    The vulnerability opening the way for the attack was first identified in May at a Berlin hacking competition organised by cybersecurity firm Trend Micro that offered cash bounties for finding computer bugs in popular software.

    It offered a $100,000 prize for so-called “zero-day” exploits that leverage previously undisclosed digital weaknesses that could be used against SharePoint, Microsoft’s flagship document management and collaboration platform.

    The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration, charged with maintaining and designing the nation’s cache of nuclear weapons, was among the agencies breached, Bloomberg News said on Tuesday, citing a person with knowledge of the matter.

    No sensitive or classified information is known to have been compromised, it added.

    The U.S. Energy Department, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and Microsoft did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment on the report.

    A researcher for the cybersecurity arm of Viettel, a telecoms firm run by Vietnam’s military, identified a SharePoint bug at the May event, dubbed it “ToolShell” and demonstrated a way to exploit it.

    The discovery won the researcher an award of $100,000, an X posting by Trend Micro’s “Zero Day Initiative” showed.

    Participating vendors were responsible for patching and disclosing security flaws in “an effective and timely manner,” Trend Micro said in a statement.

    “Patches will occasionally fail,” it added. “This has happened with SharePoint in the past.”

    In a July 8 security update Microsoft said it had identified the bug, listed it as a critical vulnerability, and released patches to fix it.

    About 10 days later, however, cybersecurity firms started to notice an influx of malicious online activity targeting the same software the bug sought to exploit: SharePoint servers.

    “Threat actors subsequently developed exploits that appear to bypass these patches,” British cybersecurity firm Sophos said in a blog post on Monday.

    The pool of potential ToolShell targets remains vast.

    Hackers could theoretically have already compromised more than 8,000 servers online, data from search engine Shodan, which helps identify internet-linked equipment, shows.

    Such servers were in networks ranging from auditors, banks, healthcare companies and major industrial firms to U.S. state-level and international government bodies.

    The Shadowserver Foundation, which scans the internet for potential digital vulnerabilities, put the number at a little more than 9,000, cautioning that the figure is a minimum.

    It said most of those affected were in the United States and Germany.

    Germany’s federal office for information security, BSI, said on Tuesday it had found no compromised SharePoint servers in government networks, despite some being vulnerable to the ToolShell attack.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI China: ‘Boundless’ German art exhibition ends Thursday in Beijing

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

    Editor’s Note: A group exhibition featuring five German contemporary artists closes this week at Beijing’s Whitebox Art Center.

    “Boundless: Contemporary Art from Germany” runs through July 24, showcasing abstract paintings and sculptures that blend Western and Eastern artistic approaches.

    The exhibition, curated by Ren Rong, features works by Franz Türtscher, Herbert Mehler, Nikola Dimitrov, Otto Reitsperger, and Reinhard Roy. The artists draw from German abstract traditions while incorporating Eastern artistic philosophy.

    The show highlights the enduring influence of Bauhaus design principles, particularly ideas of structure and rhythm. The artists push painting and sculpture beyond representation, experimenting with visual logic and optical illusion.

    Each work shows a different approach to abstract art. Dimitrov’s work reflects his background as a classical pianist, while Türtscher’s uses color and grids. Reitsperger creates visual illusions through geometry, and Mehler transforms steel into curved sculptures. 

    “Boundless” invites viewers to inhabit a space where vision, thought and form dissolve their boundaries.

    This photo shows the entrance to “Boundless: Contemporary Art from Germany” at Whitebox Art Center in Beijing, July 17, 2025. The stark architectural framing prepares viewers for a journey through abstraction and cross-cultural exchange. [Photo by Liu Ziying/China.org.cn]

    1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   >  

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Cultural beats greet Milan Ballet at Xinjiang airport

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

    Italy’s Milan Ballet arrived in Urumqi, Xinjiang, on July 21, to participate in the 7th China Xinjiang International Dance Festival. At the airport, they were welcomed by Xinjiang Urumqi Art Theatre with a traditional ethnic-style dance.

    Members of the Urumqi Art Theatre performed a variety of ethnic dances, while the Milan Ballet dancers joyfully echoed their movements. Transcending language barriers through body language, they created an atmosphere of “shared harmony through dance” and mutual appreciation.

    The 7th China Xinjiang International Dance Festival opened in Urumqi on July 20 and will run until Aug. 5. The event brings together Chinese and foreign groups, including eight international teams and 16 domestic troupes. A total of 52 performances, covering various forms such as dance dramas, operas, ballets and modern dances, will be staged at the main venue in Urumqi and six sub-venues in cities including Yili and Hotan.

    An Italian dancer from the Milan Ballet and a dancer from Xinjiang Urumqi Art Theatre dance together at Urumqi Tianshan International Airport, Xinjiang, July 21, 2025. [Photo by Yang Chuanli/China.org.cn]

    1   2   3   4   5   6   7   >  

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Walaza crowned in 100m, USA claim 4 more swimming golds at Universiade

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

    Bayanda Walaza sprinted to the men’s 100m title to give South Africa its third gold medal at the Rhine-Ruhr World University Games, while Team USA continued to dominate the swimming pool with four more golds on Tuesday night.

    The Paris 2024 Olympian and world junior champion crossed the line in 10.16 seconds, edging Thailand’s Puripol Boonson (10.22), the same rival he beat at last year’s under-20 global competition in Peru. Asian champion Hiroki Yanagita finished third, just 0.01 seconds behind Boonson.

    “I feel glorified. I believe in winning. As soon as I was on that [start] line, I was looking at that finish line. My mind was there. I need to cross it before everyone,” said Walaza, who, at just 18, ran the leadoff leg in the men’s 4x100m relay final to help South Africa claim silver at Paris 2024.

    Ai Yanhan (3rd L) of China competes during the women’s 200m freestyle final of swimming at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games in Berlin, Germany, July 22, 2025. (Xinhua/Du Zheyu)

    Walaza became just the ninth South African to break the 10-second barrier in the 100m when he clocked 9.94 in Zagreb in May. Weeks earlier, he set a national junior record of 20.08 in the 200m.

    Australia’s Georgia Harris won the women’s 100m in 11.44, ahead of Poland’s Magdalena Stefanowicz (11.49) and South Africa’s Gabriella Marais (11.51).

    Germany claimed a one-two finish in the men’s discus, with Mika Sosna winning gold with a throw of 64.26 meters and Steven Richter taking silver at 61.77. Ukraine’s Mykhailo Brudin posted a season-best 60.71 to earn bronze.

    The women’s long jump podium was separated by just three centimeters. Portugal’s Agate Sousa leaped 6.60 meters, two centimeters ahead of China’s Asian Games champion Xiong Shiqi, who finished one centimeter ahead of Spain’s Natalia Gonzalez.

    “It’s a pity to miss the top place by just two centimeters,” said Xiong, who earned China’s first athletics medal at the Games. “But the result is compatible with my capability and my expectation. I want to inspire my teammates in the upcoming track and field competitions with this very first medal in the stadium for China.”

    Swedish Olympian Axelina Johansson won the women’s shot put with a throw of 18.45 meters. American top qualifier Abria Smith followed with 17.38, while South Africa’s Colette Uys claimed bronze at 17.34, narrowly ahead of compatriot Mine de Klerk by one centimeter.

    Seven finals were contested in the pool, with Team USA winning four. The American men continued their relay dominance with a record-breaking win in the 4x200m freestyle, finishing in 7:04.51 to break the previous Games mark of 7:05.49 set by Russia in 2013.

    Cavan Gormsen surged from eighth to first on the back half of the women’s 200m freestyle, winning gold for the U.S. in 1:57.21. She closed the final 50 meters in 29.13 to pass three swimmers and edge China’s Ai Yanhan by 0.3 seconds.

    Leah Shackley broke her own day-old meet record to win the women’s 50m backstroke in 27.31 seconds, trimming 0.3 off her semifinal time of 27.66.

    In the women’s 200m individual medley, another American, Leah Hayes, won gold in 2:09.48, improving on her Games record from the semifinal.

    Competing as a neutral athlete, Aleksandr Stepanov won his second freestyle distance title of the meet with victory in the men’s 800m in 7:46.51, finishing nearly four seconds ahead of Italy’s Tommaso Griffante.

    Italy’s Gianmarco Sansone claimed gold in the men’s 100m butterfly with a personal-best 51.40. Germany’s Bjorn Kammann finished second in 51.70, followed by Uzbekistan’s Eldorbek Usmonov (51.84).

    Federico Rizzardi earned Italy’s second gold of the session, winning the men’s 50m breaststroke in 27.14, nearly 0.2 seconds ahead of the field.

    In diving, China’s Zhang Wenao won gold in the men’s 1m springboard with 425.85 points, followed by teammate Hu Yukang (368.75). Germany’s Tim Axur took bronze with 354.80.

    South Korea claimed its fifth fencing gold by edging France 45-43 in the women’s sabre team event. Italy secured its third fencing title with a commanding 45-20 win over Poland in the men’s foil team final.

    The top three on the medal table remained unchanged after the sixth day of competition. The U.S. leads with 21 golds (20 in swimming), 12 silvers and 20 bronzes, followed by China (12-17-4) and South Korea (11-5-13). Host Germany sits fourth with seven golds, six silvers and eight bronzes. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Payments statistics: second half of 2024

    Source: European Central Bank

    23 July 2025

    The European Central Bank (ECB) today published statistics on non-cash payments for the second half of 2024.[2]The statistics comprise indicators on access to and use of payment services, payment cards and payment terminals by the public, as well as volumes and values of transactions processed through retail and large-value payment systems. This press release focuses on developments in the euro area as a whole, while statistics are also published at country level for all euro area and most non-euro area EU member states. EU and euro area aggregates are also published.[3]

    Payment services[4]

    In the second half of 2024, the total number of non-cash payment transactions[5] in the euro area increased by 8.6% to 77.6 billion compared with the second half of 2023, with the corresponding total value rising by 3.8% to €116.9 trillion. Card payments accounted for 57% of the total number of transactions, while credit transfers accounted for 21%, direct debits for 15% and e-money payments for 6%. The remaining 1% comprised cheques, money remittances and other payment services (see annex, Table 1).

    Chart 1

    Use of the main payment services in the euro area

    (number of transactions in billions, graph on the right-hand-side refers to half-yearly data)

    Source: ECB.
    Note: Data have been partially estimated for periods prior to 2010, as methodological changes were implemented in those years and some data are not directly available. The historical estimations done by the ECB ensure comparability of figures over the entire period. Statistics were also collected for cheques, money remittances and other payment services which together accounted for 1% of the total number of non-cash euro area payment transactions in the second half of 2024.

    Data on payment services

    Card payments

    In the second half of 2024 the number of card payments within the euro area increased by 11.3% to 44.3 billion compared with the second half of 2023. The corresponding total value of card payments rose by 9.4% to €1.7 trillion, reflecting an average value of around €39 per transaction. The split between remote and non-remote[6] transactions in the total number of card payments was 18% to 82%, while the split in terms of value was 28% to 72%. The number of contactless card payments initiated at a physical electronic funds transfer point of sale terminal increased by 15.5% to 29.5 billion compared with the second half of 2023, with the corresponding total value rising by 15.1% to €0.8 trillion. As a result, their share in the total number of non-remote card payments accounted for 81%, while the corresponding share in terms of value was 65%. At the national level, Lithuania continued to have the largest share of card payments as a percentage of the total number of non-cash payments in the second half of 2024, at around 79% (see annex, Table 2).

    Credit transfers[7]

    In the second half of 2024 the number of credit transfers within the euro area increased by 7.3% to 16.2 billion compared with the second half of 2023, and the corresponding total value rose by 3.6% to €108.3 trillion. As higher-value payments are usually made by credit transfer[8], they accounted for 93% of the total value of non-cash payments. The ratio of transactions initiated electronically to those initiated using paper forms was around 16 to 1, while in terms of value the ratio was around 12 to 1. At the national level, Latvia continued to have the largest share of credit transfers as a percentage of the total number of non-cash payments in the second half of 2024, at around 36% (see annex, Table 2).

    Direct debits

    In the second half of 2024 the number of direct debits within the euro area increased by 3.9% to 11.4 billion compared with the second half of 2023, and the corresponding total value rose by 8.2% to €5.4 trillion. Of the total number of direct debits, those with an electronic mandate accounted for 12% whereas those with consent given in other forms accounted for 88%, while in terms of value the split was 14% to 86%. At the national level, Germany continued to have the largest share of direct debits as a percentage of the total number of non-cash payments in the second half of 2024, at around 32% (see annex, Table 2).

    E-money payments

    In the second half of 2024 the number of e-money payment transactions within the euro area increased by 2.6% to 4.6 billion compared with the second half of 2023, and the corresponding value rose by 15.8% to €0.3 trillion. Of the total number of e-money payment transactions, those made with e-money accounts accounted for 95% whereas those made with cards on which e-money can be stored accounted for 5%, while in terms of value the split was 93% to 7%.

    Cards and accepting devices

    At the end of the second half of 2024 the number of cards with a payment function[9] had increased by 8.2% to 750.0 million compared with the number at the end of the second half of 2023. With a total euro area population of around 353 million, this implies an average of 2.1 payment cards per euro area inhabitant.

    At the end of the second half of 2024 the total number of automated teller machines (ATMs) in the euro area had decreased by 3.1% to around 253.7 thousand compared with the number at the end of the second half of 2023. Of these, 33% accepted contactless transactions.

    At the end of the second half of 2024 the total number of point of sale (POS) terminals had increased by 7.9% to around 20.7 million[10] compared with the corresponding number at the end of the second half of 2023. Of these terminals, 92% accepted contactless transactions.

    Payment systems[11]

    Retail payment systems

    Retail payment systems located in the euro area handle mainly payments that are made by individuals and businesses, with a relatively low value and high volume overall.

    In the second half of 2024, 34 retail payment systems within the euro area processed around 56.1 billion transactions with a combined value of €26.4 trillion. Instant credit transfers accounted for 16% of the total number and for 4% of the total value of credit transfer transactions processed by euro area retail payment systems.

    Retail payment systems located in the euro area differ significantly in terms of type, size and geographical scope of transactions they process. The three largest systems (MCMS[12], STEP2-T[13] and CORE (France)) processed 65% of the volume and 62% of the value of all transactions processed by the retail payment systems located in the euro area in the second half of 2024.

    Chart 2

    Main retail payment systems located in the euro area, values and numbers of transactions processed in the second half of 2024

    (value of transactions in EUR trillions and number of transactions in billions)

    Source: ECB.

    Data on retail payment systems

    Large-value payment systems

    Large-value payment systems form the backbone of the euro area financial market infrastructure and are designed primarily to process large-value and/or high-priority payments made between system participants for their own account or on behalf of their customers. 

    In the second half of 2024, large-value payment systems located in the euro area settled 74.7 million payments with a total value of €223.7 trillion in euro payments, with T2 and EURO1/STEP1 being the two main systems.[14]

    Chart 3

    Main large-value payment systems located in the euro area, values and numbers of transactions processed in the second half of 2024

    (value of transactions in EUR trillions and number of transactions in millions)

    Source: ECB.

    Data on large-value payment systems

    Notes:

    • The full set of payment statistics can be downloaded from the ECB Data Portal (EDP). The EDP also includes interactive dashboards and interactive reports supporting data visualization. Detailed methodological information, including a list of all data definitions, is available under “Payment services and large-value and retail payment systems” in the “Statistics” section of the ECB’s website.
    • As of 2025, the dissemination scope of payments statistics in the EDP has been extended in two-waves. Since March 2025, the quarterly publication of payments statistics has been significantly widened, offering more detailed geographical breakdowns as well as additional details on card payments per type of merchant category codes (MCC). As of July 2025, the semi-annual publication includes details on the payment schemes for credit transfers and direct debits as well as more granular geographical breakdowns, among others. In addition, some indicators related to fraudulent payment transactions are now publicly available in the EDP. For the latter, please also refer to the relevant disclaimer available towards the bottom of the EDP page.
    • Taking effect on 1 January 2022, the methodological and reporting framework for payments statistics was enhanced to take progressive developments in the payments market and related changes in the legal framework in Europe into account. The enhanced reporting requirements are set out in Regulation ECB/2020/59 amending Regulation ECB/2013/43 on payments statistics and in Guideline ECB/2021/13 on reporting requirements on payments statistics. In addition, the Manual on payments statistics reporting is available on the ECB’s website.
    • Hyperlinks in the main body of the press release and in annex tables lead to data that may change with subsequent releases as a result of revisions. Figures shown in annex tables are a snapshot of the data at the time of the current release. Unless otherwise indicated, statistics referring to the euro area cover the EU Member States that had adopted the euro at the time to which the data relate.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI: Atos Renewed as a Google Cloud Partner Managed Service Provider, Supporting Continued Cloud Transformation and Innovation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    News

    Atos Renewed as a Google Cloud Partner Managed Service Provider, Supporting Continued Cloud Transformation and Innovation

    Paris, France – July 23, 2025 – Atos, a global leader in digital transformation and managed services, today announced the renewal of its status as a Google Cloud Managed Service Provider (MSP), reinforcing the strategic partnership between the two organizations. This renewal reaffirms Atos’ continued excellence in delivering cloud-native services, scalable infrastructure solutions, and end-to-end digital modernization to enterprises worldwide.

    As a Premier Google Cloud Partner and a certified Google Cloud MSP, Atos will continue to provide advanced support, optimization, and AI-driven management of Google Cloud environments for customers across industries, accelerating their digital journeys to AI solutions and maximizing the value of their cloud investments. The renewed recognition highlights Atos’ proven expertise in cloud migration, data analytics, AI, security, and application modernization. 

    “We are proud to be renewed as a Google Cloud Managed Service Provider, a testament to our ongoing commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and delivering measurable outcomes for our clients,” said Alexa Vandenbempt, Head of Group Partnerships, Atos. “This renewal strengthens our long-standing strategic partnership and enables us to further support organizations in achieving agility, scalability and sustainable growth. This continues our momentum following our recent Google Cloud Partner of the Year Award for Crisis Response & Resilience.” 

    Google Cloud’s MSP initiative recognizes partners that meet rigorous standards for technical proficiency, customer success, and service delivery. Atos’ renewal follows a comprehensive audit of its capabilities, customer impact, and ongoing investment in Google Cloud technologies and talent development. 

    This milestone builds on a decade-long collaboration between Atos and Google Cloud, which includes joint go-to-market initiatives including co-innovation labs, Bare Metal Solution, Google Cloud VMware Engine and Database Modernization for AI.  

    For more information, please visit: Atos and Google Cloud – Atos

    ***

    About Atos Group

    Atos Group is a global leader in digital transformation with c. 72,000 employees and annual revenue of c. € 10 billion, operating in 68 countries under two brands — Atos for services and Eviden for products. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high-performance computing, Atos Group is committed to a secure and decarbonized future and provides tailored AI-powered, end-to-end solutions for all industries. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea) and listed on Euronext Paris.

    The purpose of Atos is to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space.

    Press contact

    Isabelle Grangé | isabelle.grange@atos.net | +33 (0) 6 64 56 74 88

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Panasonic TOUGHBOOK Research Highlights Urgency of Windows 11 Migration

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Critical infrastructure organisations face increased security, compatibility, performance, cost, and compliance risks if they delay upgrading to Windows 11.

    Bracknell, UK. 23rd July 2025 – Panasonic TOUGHBOOK has released research revealing the challenges and concerns for organisations navigating Windows 10 end-of-life and migrating to the Windows 11 operating system*. With support for Windows 10 ceasing on 14th October 2025, Panasonic’s research shows organisations that have not yet completed their migration are concerned about security risks, costs, and software compatibility issues arising from out-of-support software.

    Panasonic’s whitepaper, ‘Navigating the Shift: The Business Case for Upgrading to Windows 11’ also explores the extent of hardware refreshes needed to support Windows 11, and reveals concerns about the impact of device downtime during upgrade cycles.

    Standing still presents significant security risks and cost implications
    One of the biggest challenges surveyed organisations face is the security risk of inaction or delaying their Windows 11 migration. Ninety-eight percent of organisations surveyed say they are ‘likely’ to invest in Microsoft’s Extended Security Update (ESU) if they have not completed migration to Windows 11 by October.

    More than half (58%) are not confident that they will be able to manage device security without either completing the migration or investing in ESU. They are concerned that if they don’t migrate or purchase ESU, they will be exposed to higher ransomware and malware risk (94%), data breaches (93%), a lack of patches for new security threats (91%), compliance risks (89%) and the impact on business reputation (88%).

    Cost is another concerning factor for organisations delaying their Windows 11 migration beyond October 2025. Two-thirds predict that they’ll face higher costs overall, with 55% expecting these will come in the form of higher cybersecurity expenses. With Microsoft advising that an enterprise with 1,000 devices will face an ESU bill for approximately £320,000 over the three years that ESU is available, the cost of delay is tangible and immediate

    In addition, 48% predict increased support costs and 46% believe business continuity risks will have cost implications. Increased maintenance costs (40%) and hardware costs (38%) are also factors.

    Software upgrade means hardware replacement and reduced productivity
    Surveyed organisations operate an average of 4,000 devices and estimate that 62% either have been, or will still need to be replaced or upgraded, to ensure compatibility with Windows 11. This rises to 76% of devices in organisations with more than 5,000 employees.

    Almost half (45%) of respondents see challenges around the loss of productivity due to downtime when devices are being upgraded. Consequently 75% are adopting a phased approach. One-quarter (25%) are delaying software upgrades to coincide with device replacement. Application and business software compatibility issues are another migration challenge, cited by 47%.

    Upgrades will be managed through a combination of remote upgrades (46%) and in-person upgrades (54%), with 64% expecting to draw heavily on device manufacturer support during the process.

    Benefits of migration outweigh risks of delay
    Respondents currently migrating to Windows 11 expect to unlock important benefits around security and protection (44%), performance and processing power (36%) and having a future-proofed device ecosystem (36%). They also seek to leverage AI features such as Microsoft Copilot or Bing AI (34%) as well as deploying Edge AI capabilities in the field (29%).

    Chris Turner, Head of Go-to-Market, Panasonic TOUGHBOOK Europe, comments: “The window is closing for organisations to make a well-planned, measured and cost-effective transition to Windows 11 and start unlocking its benefits. The cost, security, and performance risks of delay are steadily increasing as the end-of-life deadline approaches, which is especially concerning in the critical sectors we surveyed including emergency services, field services and utilities, and defence organisations.

    “Organisations that are still to undertake Windows 11 migration need support to ensure their deployment is not rushed and risky. Panasonic TOUGHBOOK offers customers full transition support to ensure a seamless migration experience, maintain productivity and take the uncertainty from the process. By acting now, businesses can avoid incurring both cost and risk beyond October 2025,” adds Turner.

    To download the Panasonic TOUGHBOOK whitepaper, ‘Navigating the Shift: The Business Case for Upgrading to Windows 11’, please click here: https://eu.connect.panasonic.com/gb/en/whitepapers/navigating-shift-business-case-upgrading-windows-11

    For more information on how Panasonic’s Mobile-IT As-a-Service offering can help your organisation migrate to Windows 11, click here: https://eu.connect.panasonic.com/gb/en/toughbook/Mobile-IT-As-A-Service

    *Research Methodology
    Panasonic commissioned research from 200 decision makers from the UK and Germany (100 each) in March 2025. Respondents are involved with purchasing decisions and working for organisations with 1,000+ employees, in field services and utilities; defence; emergency services; automotive; supply chain and logistics; and manufacturing sectors.

    Panasonic Press Contact
    Lisbeth Lashmana
    Head of European Marketing, Panasonic TOUGHBOOK
    Lisbeth.Lashmana@eu.panasonic.com

    Panasonic Press Contact
    Jim Pople
    C8 Consulting
    jim@c8consulting.co.uk

    About the Panasonic Group
    Founded in 1918, and today a global leader in developing innovative technologies and solutions for wide-ranging applications in the consumer electronics, housing, devices, B2B solutions and energy sectors worldwide, the Panasonic Group switched to an operating company system on April 1, 2022, with Panasonic Holdings Corporation serving as a holding company. The Group reported consolidated net sales of Euro 51.6 billion (8,458.2 billion yen) for the year ended March 31, 2025. To learn more about the Panasonic Group, please visit: https://holdings.panasonic/global/

    About Panasonic Connect Europe GmbH
    Panasonic Connect Europe began operations on October 1st, 2021, creating a new Business-to-Business focused and agile organisation. With more than 400 employees and led by CEO Shusuke Aoki, the business aims to contribute to the success of its customers with innovative products and integrated systems and services – all designed to deliver its vision to Change Work, Advance Society and Connect to Tomorrow.

    Panasonic Connect Europe is headquartered in Wiesbaden and consist of the following business units: 

    • The Mobile Solutions Business Division helping mobile workers improve productivity with its range of Toughbook rugged notebooks, business tablets and handhelds.
    • The Media Entertainment Business Division incorporating Visual System Solutions offering a range of high brightness and reliable projectors as well as high quality displays; and Broadcast & ProAV offering Smart Live Production solutions from an end-to-end portfolio consisting of PTZ and system cameras, camcorders, the Kairos IT/IP platform, switchers and robotic solutions that are widely used for live event capture, sports production, television, and xR studios.
    • Business and Industry Solutions delivering tailored technology solutions focused on Retail, Logistics and Manufacturing. Designed to increase operational efficiency and enhance customer experience, helping businesses to perform at their best, every day.
    • Panasonic Factory Solutions Europe selling a wide range of smart factory solutions including electronics manufacturing solutions, robot and welding systems and software solutions engineering.

    For more information please visit: https://eu.connect.panasonic.com

    Please visit Panasonic Connect Europe’s LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/panasonic-connect-europe/

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Dentsu Expands Partnership with Magnite to Streamline CTV and Video Activation Across EMEA

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON, July 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Magnite (NASDAQ: MGNI), the largest independent sell-side advertising company, has announced a strategic partnership with dentsu in EMEA to accelerate innovation and performance across the media supply chain. Dentsu is tapping into Magnite’s built-for-video tools and technology to power dentsu Total TV and support its ambition to lead in the “Algorithmic Era” of advertising, where interoperability, automation and outcome-driven planning are key.

    Across multiple EMEA markets, including Spain and the UK, the Magnite SpringServe video platform is empowering dentsu with more efficient, data-rich connections to inventory, enabling them to curate premium media experiences with greater precision, transparency and scale. From video and CTV to emerging formats, the partnership reflects a shared commitment to evolving how media is deployed and optimised, with client performance at the centre.

    “Our relationship with dentsu is a great example of how technology and collaboration can unlock real value,” said Julie Selman, SVP, Head of EMEA at Magnite. “We’re proud to support dentsu’s vision for the future by providing the tools and insights needed to deliver stronger results and a more efficient media experience for clients and publishers alike.”

    “In this new era of advertising, media must work harder, smarter and faster,” said Ben Angove, President, Amplifi EMEA & Chief Strategy Officer, Amplifi Global at dentsu. “At dentsu, we are committed to building Next Gen media solutions in partnership with best-in-class technologies that ultimately enable our clients to win and grow in the Algorithmic Era. Our partnership with Magnite gives us the tools to do just that – connecting the right data with the right inventory to drive better results for our clients across the region.”

    Magnite’s technology plays a key role in helping dentsu move beyond transactional media buying, towards a more curated, high-performance approach. The collaboration helps dentsu gain greater visibility and control of their media buys, enabling more intelligent decision-making and unlocking new opportunities for optimisation across the media ecosystem.

    Press contact
    Paige Brewer, Account Executive, Bluestripe Group
    magnite@bluestripegroup.co.uk

    About Magnite
    We’re Magnite (NASDAQ: MGNI), the world’s largest independent sell-side advertising company. Publishers use our technology to monetize their content across all screens and formats including CTV, online video, display, and audio. The world’s leading agencies and brands trust our platform to access brand-safe, high-quality ad inventory and execute billions of advertising transactions each month. Anchored in bustling New York City, sunny Los Angeles, mile high Denver, historic London, colorful Singapore, and down under in Sydney, Magnite has offices across North America, EMEA, LATAM, and APAC.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: 21Shares Partners with Societe Generale to Expand Institutional Access to Crypto ETPs in Europe

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Societe Generale to act as market maker for 21Shares’ Bitcoin and Ethereum ETPs on key German and Eastern Europe fund platforms, expanding institutional access to crypto

    Zurich, 23 July 2025 – 21Shares AG, one of the world’s leading issuers of cryptocurrency exchange-traded products (ETPs), is pleased to announce it has entered into an ETP market making fund platform agreement with Societe Generale, a leading institutional player in exchange traded products, to enhance liquidity across 21Shares ETPs on fund platforms for investors in Germany and Eastern Europe.

    As part of the agreement, Societe Generale will support the trading of 21Shares’ Bitcoin and Ethereum ETPs (ABTC, CBTC, AETH, CETH) by providing over-the-counter liquidity on key fund platforms in Germany and Eastern Europe. These platforms, typically operated by major financial institutions, serve as critical infrastructure for institutional trading. By joining these platforms, where Societe Generale acts as a market maker, 21Shares’ flagship crypto products will now be accessible to a wider base of professional investors, expanding institutional reach across Germany and Eastern Europe.

    “We are thrilled to partner with Societe Generale, a major player in the European ETF space, as we continue to expand access to our ETPs,” said Alistair Byas-Perry, Global Head of Capital Markets & EMEA Investment at 21Shares. “By bringing liquidity to our Bitcoin and Ethereum ETPs, Societe Generale is helping us advance our mission to deliver the most efficient and trusted crypto investment solutions to the market.”

    “Societe Generale is excited to partner with 21Shares, a leading provider of cryptocurrency ETPs, to support the trading of their Bitcoin and Ethereum ETPs on fund platforms. This marks a significant milestone in our commitment to providing innovative liquidity solutions and enhancing access to a wide range of ETFs and ETPs for our clients,” said Martina Schroettle, Head of ETF Sales Trading UK at Societe Generale.

    The partnership is expected to enhance liquidity, execution quality, and ease of access for German and Eastern European institutional investors navigating the digital asset market.

    For more information on 21Shares’ full product suite, visit www.21shares.com.

    Notes to editors

    About 21Shares

    21Shares is one of the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange traded product providers and offers the largest suite of crypto ETPs in the market. The company was founded to make cryptocurrency more accessible to investors, and to bridge the gap between traditional finance and decentralized finance. 21Shares listed the world’s first physically-backed crypto ETP in 2018, building a seven-year track record of creating crypto exchange-traded funds that are listed on some of the biggest, most liquid securities exchanges globally. Backed by a specialised research team, proprietary technology, and deep capital markets expertise, 21Shares delivers innovative, simple and cost-efficient investment solutions.

    21Shares is a member of 21.co, a global leader in decentralized finance. For more information, please visit www.21Shares.com.

    Media Contact
    Matteo Valli
    matteo.valli@21shares.com

    DISCLAIMER

    This document is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe for securities of 21Shares AG in any jurisdiction. Neither this document nor anything contained herein shall form the basis of, or be relied upon in connection with, any offer or commitment whatsoever or for any other purpose in any jurisdiction. Nothing in this document should be considered investment advice.

    This document and the information contained herein are not for distribution in or into (directly or indirectly) the United States, Canada, Australia or Japan or any other jurisdiction in which the distribution or release would be unlawful.

    This document does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in or into the United States, Canada, Australia or Japan. The securities of 21Shares AG to which these materials relate have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. There will not be a public offering of securities in the United States. Neither the US Securities and Exchange Commission nor any securities regulatory authority of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States has approved or disapproved of an investment in the securities or passed on the accuracy or adequacy of the contents of this presentation. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offence in the United States.

    Within the United Kingdom, this document is only being distributed to and is only directed at: (i) to investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the “Order”); or (ii) high net worth entities, and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as “relevant persons”); or (iii) persons who fall within Article 43(2) of the Order, including existing members and creditors of the Company or (iv) any other persons to whom this document can be lawfully distributed in circumstances where section 21(1) of the FSMA does not apply. The securities are only available to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire such securities will be engaged in only with, relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents.

    Exclusively for potential investors in any EEA Member State that has implemented the Prospectus Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 the Issuer’s Base Prospectus (EU) is made available on the Issuer’s website under www.21Shares.com.

    The approval of the Issuer’s Base Prospectus (EU) should not be understood as an endorsement by the SFSA of the securities offered or admitted to trading on a regulated market. Eligible potential investors should read the Issuer’s Base Prospectus (EU) and the relevant Final Terms before making an investment decision in order to understand the potential risks associated with the decision to invest in the securities. You are about to purchase a product that is not simple and may be difficult to understand.

    This document constitutes advertisement within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 and the Swiss Financial Services Act (the “FinSA”) and not a prospectus. The 2024 Base Prospectus of 21Shares AG has been deposited pursuant to article 54(2) FinSA with BX Swiss AG in its function as Swiss prospectus review body within the meaning of article 52 FinSA. The 2024 Base Prospectus and the key information document for any products may be obtained at 21Shares AG’s website (https://21shares.com/ir/prospectus or https://21shares.com/ir/kids).

    ###

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: RIBER: 2025 FIRST-HALF BUSINESS – FULL-YEAR REVENUES EXPECTED TO EXCEED €40M

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    2025 FIRST-HALF BUSINESS

    FULL-YEAR REVENUES EXPECTED TO EXCEED €40M

    Bezons, July 23, 2025 – 8:00am – RIBER, the global leader in Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) equipment for the semiconductor industry, reports its revenues for the first half of 2025.

    Business developments

    At June 30 (€m) 2025 2024 Change
    Systems 7.8 9.4 -17%
    Services and accessories 3.0 4.3 -31%
    Total half-year revenues 10.7 13.7 -22%

    In a complex international environment, RIBER continues to demonstrate the resilience of its business model and the appeal of its technology offering.

    The Company reiterates that its business activity is subject to seasonal trends, with revenue structurally lower in the first half of the year.

    As of June 30, 2025, first-half revenues amounted to €10.7m, down 22% compared with the same period in 2024.

    Systems revenues totaled €7.8m, down 17%, reflecting the delivery schedule agreed with customers for systems on order in 2025. This corresponds to the delivery of three machines, including two production systems, compared with three production systems in the same period last year.

    Revenues for services and accessories came to €3.0m, down 31%, primarily due to a temporary decline in research-related orders, particularly in the United States, against a backdrop of tighter budgets in universities and research laboratories.

    The geographical breakdown of half-year revenues was as follows: Europe (15%), Asia (70%) and North America (13%).

    Order book developments

    At June 30 (€m) 2025 2024 Change
    Systems 22.5 30.2 -25%
    Services and accessories 5.2 5.8 -11%
    Total order book 27.7 36.0 -23%

    Despite ongoing geopolitical tensions and regulatory constraints, RIBER maintained strong commercial momentum during the first half of 2025.
    The Company secured five new system orders, including the first order for ROSIE, its new 300 mm silicon photonics platform, which recently entered its industrialization phase.

    As of June 30, 2025, the systems order book stood at €22.5m, down 25% from the high base in the first half of 2024. It includes nine systems, of which six are production machines. This change is mainly due to the denial of two export licenses, representing €4m in unbooked orders, and longer license approval timelines, which delayed the booking of already-identified orders.

    The services and accessories order book is down 11% to €5.2m.

    Outlook

    RIBER anticipates an improvement in order intake during the second half of the year, driven by major global investment programs in the semiconductor industry.

    The Company also expects to benefit from the ramp-up of its ROSIE platform, a breakthrough technology in silicon-based integrated photonics. Following the signing of a strategic partnership with the Novo Nordisk Foundation Quantum Computing Programme (NQCP) and the first unit sale, RIBER aims to leverage growing interest from both research institutions and industrial players for solutions compatible with silicon fabrication lines.

    While short-term momentum in research-related services and accessories remains uncertain, the systems business is expected to remain broadly stable in 2025. These elements do not undermine the Company’s strong fundamentals.

    Given the current order book for delivery this year and the upcoming business opportunities, RIBER expects to generate full-year revenue of over €40m in 2025.

    Financial calendar

    First-half 2025 results will be published on September 25, 2025, before the start of trading.

    About RIBER

    Founded in 1964, RIBER is the global market leader for MBE – molecular beam epitaxy – equipment. It designs and produces equipment for the semiconductor industry and provides scientific and technical support for its clients (hardware and software), maintaining their equipment and optimizing their performance and output levels. Accelerating the performance of electronics, RIBER’s equipment performs an essential role in the development of advanced semiconductors that are used in numerous applications, from information technologies to photonics (lasers, sensors, etc.), 5G telecommunications networks and research, including quantum computing. RIBER is a BPI France-approved innovative company and is listed on the Euronext Growth Paris market (ISIN: FR0000075954).
    www.riber.com

    Contacts

    RIBER
    Annie Geoffroy | tel: +33 (0)1 39 96 65 00 | invest@riber.com

    ACTUS FINANCE & COMMUNICATION
    Cyril Combe | tel: +33 (0)1 53 67 36 36 | ccombe@actus.fr

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: RIBER: 2025 FIRST-HALF BUSINESS – FULL-YEAR REVENUES EXPECTED TO EXCEED €40M

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    2025 FIRST-HALF BUSINESS

    FULL-YEAR REVENUES EXPECTED TO EXCEED €40M

    Bezons, July 23, 2025 – 8:00am – RIBER, the global leader in Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) equipment for the semiconductor industry, reports its revenues for the first half of 2025.

    Business developments

    At June 30 (€m) 2025 2024 Change
    Systems 7.8 9.4 -17%
    Services and accessories 3.0 4.3 -31%
    Total half-year revenues 10.7 13.7 -22%

    In a complex international environment, RIBER continues to demonstrate the resilience of its business model and the appeal of its technology offering.

    The Company reiterates that its business activity is subject to seasonal trends, with revenue structurally lower in the first half of the year.

    As of June 30, 2025, first-half revenues amounted to €10.7m, down 22% compared with the same period in 2024.

    Systems revenues totaled €7.8m, down 17%, reflecting the delivery schedule agreed with customers for systems on order in 2025. This corresponds to the delivery of three machines, including two production systems, compared with three production systems in the same period last year.

    Revenues for services and accessories came to €3.0m, down 31%, primarily due to a temporary decline in research-related orders, particularly in the United States, against a backdrop of tighter budgets in universities and research laboratories.

    The geographical breakdown of half-year revenues was as follows: Europe (15%), Asia (70%) and North America (13%).

    Order book developments

    At June 30 (€m) 2025 2024 Change
    Systems 22.5 30.2 -25%
    Services and accessories 5.2 5.8 -11%
    Total order book 27.7 36.0 -23%

    Despite ongoing geopolitical tensions and regulatory constraints, RIBER maintained strong commercial momentum during the first half of 2025.
    The Company secured five new system orders, including the first order for ROSIE, its new 300 mm silicon photonics platform, which recently entered its industrialization phase.

    As of June 30, 2025, the systems order book stood at €22.5m, down 25% from the high base in the first half of 2024. It includes nine systems, of which six are production machines. This change is mainly due to the denial of two export licenses, representing €4m in unbooked orders, and longer license approval timelines, which delayed the booking of already-identified orders.

    The services and accessories order book is down 11% to €5.2m.

    Outlook

    RIBER anticipates an improvement in order intake during the second half of the year, driven by major global investment programs in the semiconductor industry.

    The Company also expects to benefit from the ramp-up of its ROSIE platform, a breakthrough technology in silicon-based integrated photonics. Following the signing of a strategic partnership with the Novo Nordisk Foundation Quantum Computing Programme (NQCP) and the first unit sale, RIBER aims to leverage growing interest from both research institutions and industrial players for solutions compatible with silicon fabrication lines.

    While short-term momentum in research-related services and accessories remains uncertain, the systems business is expected to remain broadly stable in 2025. These elements do not undermine the Company’s strong fundamentals.

    Given the current order book for delivery this year and the upcoming business opportunities, RIBER expects to generate full-year revenue of over €40m in 2025.

    Financial calendar

    First-half 2025 results will be published on September 25, 2025, before the start of trading.

    About RIBER

    Founded in 1964, RIBER is the global market leader for MBE – molecular beam epitaxy – equipment. It designs and produces equipment for the semiconductor industry and provides scientific and technical support for its clients (hardware and software), maintaining their equipment and optimizing their performance and output levels. Accelerating the performance of electronics, RIBER’s equipment performs an essential role in the development of advanced semiconductors that are used in numerous applications, from information technologies to photonics (lasers, sensors, etc.), 5G telecommunications networks and research, including quantum computing. RIBER is a BPI France-approved innovative company and is listed on the Euronext Growth Paris market (ISIN: FR0000075954).
    www.riber.com

    Contacts

    RIBER
    Annie Geoffroy | tel: +33 (0)1 39 96 65 00 | invest@riber.com

    ACTUS FINANCE & COMMUNICATION
    Cyril Combe | tel: +33 (0)1 53 67 36 36 | ccombe@actus.fr

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –