MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to two papers assessing off-the-shelf health tests sold in UK shops

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

July 23, 2025

A study published in The BMJ assesses direct-to-consumer self-tests sold in the UK.

Prof Amitava Banerjee, Professor of Clinical Data Science and Honorary Consultant Cardiologist, Institute of Health Informatics, UCL, said:

“Direct-to-consumer, self-tests are increasingly used by people with and without disease for screening and are widely available from high street vendors. In these rigorous, real-world studies led by the University of Birmingham, we see two main findings. First, across 30 self-tests in 19 conditions from infertility and menopause to raised cholesterol and anaemia, there is a not enough information for consumers to judge when and why to do the test, and how to interpret or how to act on the results. Second, the evidence and the support from clinical guidelines to use these tests is often lacking, suggesting that regulatory oversight needs to be improved.

“Sometimes people use self-tests because they “feel it is better to know” and they are trying to inform their health and healthcare decisions. This research shows that these self-tests are often not providing relevant knowledge or information and they are not informing decisions in the right way. Therefore, all stakeholders need to consider the quality of self-tests and information available to members of the public or health professionals before recommending their use, whether in the health and wellness space or in diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease.”

Rachel Richardson, Acting Head of Methods Support, Evidence Production and Methods Directorate, The Cochrane Collaboration, said:

“This well-conducted research shines a welcome light on an area of healthcare which appears to be inadequately regulated.”

Prof Kevin McConway, Emeritus Professor of Applied Statistics, The Open University, said:

“I think the findings of these new studies on self-tests for health conditions, available (at a cost) in supermarkets, high street chemists and online, are scary and concerning. I don’t doubt the findings of the researchers, that many of the available tests don’t make it clear who could make good use of them, how accurate the results might be, or what someone should do in the light of their results.

“These are good studies in my view. The researchers do list some limitations in the discussion sections of the papers, in particular that their samples of tests were obtained two years ago and were not specifically intended to be a sample of what was available across the country, but given what they do say about where they got the tests, I’d be surprised if they aren’t pretty much the same anywhere nowadays. Also, the researchers didn’t check with representatives of the public whether the instructions were as unhelpful to understanding as they believe they were, but I don’t think this affects their conclusions.

“I’m certainly not saying that tests like this should be banned, or even radically discouraged. The authors of these research papers aren’t saying that either. Experience during the heights of the Covid pandemic showed how useful home testing could be, particularly when access to other information about one’s health might not be easily available (as can still be the case at some GP practices, for instance). And, generally as a default position, I don’t like telling people they can’t do something that they want to do – though only in the light of clear, transparent and easily available information on the pros and cons, and in the presence of adequate regulation. These studies make it clear that users of many self-tests aren’t given easy access to relevant information, and that the regulation isn’t appropriate at present.

“I’ll just mention one particular aspect, because it’s one that I have studied and written about myself. This is about why the findings are important, not about the quality of the research. No diagnostic or screening test for a health condition can be 100% accurate. There will inevitably be false positives – people with a positive test result for the condition who actually don’t have the condition – and false negatives – people with a negative test result for a condition who actually do have the condition. These are aspects of accuracy, though discussions of that word don’t always make it clear enough that there are two different ways in which a test result can be wrong.

“You probably recall some of the interest and media discussion about these things in relation to Covid testing. Not all of the discussion was logical or well argued, but it clearly and correctly drew attention to the fact that test results can be wrong sometimes.

“Fewer than half of the self-tests examined by the researchers gave any information at all on the box about accuracy of the results. Even when they did give information about accuracy on the box or in the instructions inside, the information was sometimes itself not accurate, or was based on the results of laboratory studies under careful conditions, not on findings on use of the tests by people who are not health professionals.

“But even if all the tests had given information about accuracy, and all that information was reliable, there can still be problems. I’ll describe how.

“Because there are two kinds of wrong results from tests – false positives and false negatives – we need to look at two aspects of the chance of making an error. One common way of doing this, that was used in some of the self-test instructions, is as follows. Findings from the development and use of the test can estimate the probability that someone, who is known to have the health condition in question, will have a true positive test result rather than a false negative result. (In the jargon, that probability is called the test sensitivity – but trust me, knowing the jargon doesn’t help understanding.) Another finding from test development and use is an estimate of the chance that a person, who is known not to have the condition on question, will have a true negative test result rather than a false positive result. (That’s called the test specificity.)

“The trouble is that these two probabilities are the probability of the person having a positive or a negative test result, in the position where we know whether they really have the health condition. But you don’t do these tests if you know already whether you have the health condition. So these probabilities are the wrong way round. What people (and health professionals) want to know is, for example, if we know someone has a positive test result, what’s the chance that they really have the health condition that is being tested for. Or, if we know someone has a negative test result, what’s the chance that they really don’t have the health condition? (There are jargon names for those too – the positive predictive value and the negative predictive value, but again I don’t think those names help much, as there’s too much risk of confusion.) And I’m sure that’s the kind of thing someone would want to know if they buy a self-test and see what result it gives for them.

“However, the first lot of probabilities, the sensitivity and specificity, are different from the second lot, the predictive values. If I tell you that the chance that a person, known already to have the health condition, will have positive test result is 98%, that doesn’t tell you what the chance is that a person, who has a positive test result, actually has the health condition. That second probability is almost certainly not 98%, and in many circumstances it would be very much less than 98%. To get from one set of probabilities to the other, you would need more information, such as how likely it is that the person has the condition if we don’t yet know the test result.

“Just to rub in that these two probabilities aren’t the same, consider the following silly story. You find a man in the street in London. You happen to know he is the Pope. What’s the chance that he is a Roman Catholic? Obviously, 100%. But now suppose the thing you know ,and the thing you want to know the chance of, are the other way round. You know, somehow, that a different man in the London street is a Roman Catholic. What’s the chance that he is the Pope? Well, very much less than 100%. It matters, a lot, which thing you already know and which thing you want the probability for.

“So, in testing you get different probabilities if you know whether the person being tested has the health conditions, and want the probability that the test will be positive, from if you know what the person’s test result is, and want the probability that they have the health condition. And only one of these probabilities – the second one – tells you what a test result is really saying about the chance of having the health condition.

“There has been a lot of research in the past on how people, including health professionals and also non-professionals that might buy one of these self-tests, understand the findings, when they are given some information about the probabilities. Several studies, for instance, found that many doctors and health professionals weren’t using the information on probabilities when the person’s health status is already known (the sensitivity and specificity) properly in trying to answer the question of how likely it is that someone, with a positive test result, actually has the health condition. And if doctors might not be getting it right, how could a non-expert be expected to interpret their own test results properly?

“The position on that maybe isn’t as grim as it sounds, though. Other research has indicated that there are ways of getting the information across so that it’s useable by non-experts. That has been done by several groups, including the Winton Centre for Risk and Evidence Communication in Cambridge (which has now closed, though its findings are still available), groups led by the psychologist Gerd Gigerenzer in Berlin, and many others. Somehow, those communication findings need to be incorporated, as well as they can be, in the instructions for these tests. But that will require more and better regulation.

“Also, some doctors in primary health, including Jessica Watson and Margaret McCartney, who wrote the editorial accompanying these two new research papers in the BMJ, have worked on ways of helping people to understand test results – though you’d need to ask them how much of their findings could transfer easily to something that could be written clearly in test instructions rather than used in direct communication between health professionals and patients.”

Paper 1: ‘Direct-to-consumer self-tests sold in the UK in 2023: cross sectional review of information on intended use, instructions for use, and post-test decision making’ by Clare Davenport et al. was published in the BMJ at 23:30 UK time on Wednesday 23 July 2025.

DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2025-085546

Paper 2: ‘Direct-to-consumer self-tests sold in the UK in 2023: cross sectional review of regulation and evidence of performance’ by Bethany Hillier et al. was published in the BMJ at 23:30 UK time on Wednesday 23 July 2025.

DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2025-085547

Declared interests

Prof Amitava Banerjee: “AB declares no relevant conflicts of interest.”

Prof Kevin McConway: “I have no conflicts of interest to declare.”

Rachel Richardson: “I have no interests to declare.”

This Roundup was accompanied by an SMC Briefing.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

July 24, 2025

MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Papers assessing off-the-shelf health tests sold in UK shops

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

July 23, 2025

Scientists from the University of Birmingham have reviewed a number of direct-to-consumer health tests that are available for members of the public to buy from supermarkets, pharmacies and shops in the UK, such as tests for vitamin deficiency, blood cholesterol and the menopause.

The scientists assessed the evidence available for the basis of levels of accuracy, sensitivity and specificity that the tests reported. They also looked at how useable the tests were in terms of equipment, instructions and interpretation of the results.

They published their findings in two papers in the BMJ.

Journalists came to this briefing to hear some of the authors of the papers discuss their findings, and to ask their questions.

Speakers included:

Prof Jon Deeks, Professor of Biostatistics and head of the Biostatistics, Evidence Synthesis and Test Evaluation Research Group, University of Birmingham

Dr Clare Davenport, Clinical Associate Professor, University of Birmingham (joining online)

Prof Alex Richter, Professor of Clinical Immunology and Director of the Clinical Immunology Services, University of Birmingham

Bethany Hillier, Medical Statistician, University of Birmingham

This Briefing was accompanied by an SMC Roundup of comments.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

July 24, 2025

MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to systematic review and meta-analysis of daily step count and risk of chronic diseases, cognitive decline and death

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

July 23, 2025

A systematic review and meta analysis published in The Lancet Public Health looks at daily steps and health outcomes in adults.

Prof Steven Harridge, Professor of Human & Applied Physiology at the Centre for Ageing Resilience in a Changing Environment (CARICE) at King’s College London, said:

“This is a systematic review of a large number of studies looking at the relationship between increasing step count and multiple health outcomes – as opposed to just all-cause mortality.

“The paper shows clear effects of increasing physical activity (through increasing step count) on reducing disease risk. There has been debate about the amount of activity an individual should be doing with 10,000 steps as a generalised target, not well evidenced. This paper shows that 7,000 steps is sufficient for reducing the risk for most diseases covered, and 10 000 steps does not confer much additional benefit. But further risk reduction might be possible for some diseases.

“Simply put, the paper supports bodies of evidence that increasing levels of physical activity are associated with positive health outcomes. Importantly, increasing to 10,000 streps seems to confer no negative effects!

“Studies of this kind are helpful in the large number of studies and participants combined into the analysis but it lacks mechanistic insight as to how these benefits arise. The likelihood is that increasing step count increases cardiorespiratory fitness, well known to be positively associated with better health and all-cause mortality outcomes.

“There is also another interpretation of these data. Humans are designed to be physically active (our evolutionary heritage as hunter gatherers), so the question could be posed the other way. Let’s say the default is to walk 10,000 or 7,000 steps, what are the negative health outcomes that might be expected of going below this level? Clearly, they are not good. Thus is all depends on the perspective of what should be considered “normal”.

“Whilst step count is a very basic measure of activity (e.g.it does not capture intensity), this study adds to the body of knowledge that shows physical activity is vitally important for health and anything that encourages people to be more active is a good thing for both physical and mental health. This is in the context of most people not adhering to the guidelines for physical activity as set out by the Chief Medical Officer.”

Dr Andrew Scott, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Exercise Physiology, University of Portsmouth, University of Portsmouth, said:

“The press release gives an accurate account of the study. The article is written by an excellent author team, leading to a coherent article summarising the evidence of daily step count and various health outcomes.

“There’s been little research on steps per day, with most research focussing on characterising the exercise in frequency per week, time per day and intensity per minute of exercise. This research does fit the usual narrative of a logarithmic dose-response to exercise of a range of health conditions. This is not surprising; a dose-response is evident in many relationships between interventions/activities and health outcomes, including medications. This dose (amount of intervention) to outcome (health benefit) determines the dose required of particular medications to improve a particular health condition. In this case this information can be used to indicate the number of steps per day should be performed to reduce the risk of developing a health condition by a particular percentage. In most cases the 10,000 steps per day will still be better than 7,000 steps, just by decreasing margins of health benefit return.

“More important than the exact number of steps, it demonstrates that overall more is always better and people should not focus too much on the numbers, particularly on days where activity is limited. The steps per day is useful when people’s exercise is weight-bearing, however cycling, swimming and rowing are not well-represented by the steps per day model.

“This is a meta-analysis so it is representative of a range of studies, but there is a range of ways to be active for health benefit, beyond just steps per day. The team also analysed the rate or cadence of stepping, where faster rates of stepping per 30 minutes were further associated with health benefits, but not everybody can step at this rate to benefit with. There are other ways of exercise that are beneficial for older people, including balance exercise and higher intensity resistance training that can provide benefits beyond walking or jogging.

“The compelling finding is that whilst such walking does not mitigate cancer incidence there is a decrease in cancer mortality, illustrating that enhanced physical activity levels leading to enhanced physical and psychological fitness enhances the resilience of people to deal with cancer and its associated treatments.

“These findings are important for providing a public health message, where targeted exercise intervention, as opposed to discouraging inactivity is not as prevalent compared to medical intervention. So, while these findings have real world implications, the specific number should not receive too much reverence; it just means that 10,000 steps per day is not the only number to aim for, enhancing achievability.”

Dr Daniel Bailey, Reader – Sedentary Behaviour and Health at Brunel University of London, said:

“The press release does accurately reflect the study, showing that walking 7000 steps per day is associated with significantly lower risk of a number of health outcomes like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia, depression and falls.

“The researchers assessed the strength of evidence in their review of studies. The strength of evidence was moderate for most of the health outcomes, meaning that we can be confident the findings in this paper are true, but there is a possibility they may not be completely accurate.

“This study adds to existing evidence by showing that the more steps people do, the less their risk of developing different health conditions. The finding that doing 5000-7000 steps per day is an important addition to the literature which helps to debunk the myth that 10,000 steps per day should be the target for optimal health.

“This study suggested that 5000-7000 steps per day can significantly reduce the risk of many health outcomes, but that does not mean you cannot get benefits if you don’t meet this target. The study also found that health risks were reduced with each 1000 extra steps per day, up to a maximum of 12,000 steps per day. So just adding more steps from your starting point can have important benefits for health.

“An important limitation is that many of the findings from this review were based on a small number of studies, meaning that the results may not be accurate for some of the health outcomes measured. Also, the findings cannot be easily applied to people living with a chronic condition as the studies in this reviewer were in generally healthy people.

“The real-world implications are that people can get health benefits just from small increases in physical activity, such as doing an extra 1000 steps per day. To achieve the best reductions in risk, aiming for 5000-7000 per day can be recommended, which will be more achievable for many people than the unofficial target of 10,000 steps that has been around for many years.”

‘Daily steps and health outcomes in adults: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis’ by Ding Ding et al. was published in The Lancet Public Health at 23:30 UK time on Wednesday 23^rd July.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(25)00164-1

Declared interests

Prof Steven Harridge: I am Professor of Human and Applied Physiology at King’s College London, with a research interest in healthy human ageing and have no funding from manufacturers of physical activity monitors.

Dr Andrew Scott: I do not have any conflicts of interest.

Dr Daniel Bailey: No interests

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

July 24, 2025

4th Test: Sudharsan’s 61 takes India to 264/4 against England, Pant suffers foot

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

Bad light forced an early end to Day One of the fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series at Old Trafford, with India reaching 264/4 in 83 overs, largely due to B Sai Sudharsan’s impressive 61 – his first Test fifty.

Brought back into the playing XI in place of Karun Nair, Sudharsan had a nervy start and was even dropped on 20. But the left-handed batter recovered well, striking seven boundaries in his 151-ball knock on a hard pitch under overcast skies.

Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a gritty 58 while sharing a 94-run opening stand with KL Rahul, who made 46. However, India’s biggest concern will be Rishabh Pant’s foot injury, which forced him to retire hurt on 37. After taking a nasty blow and developing significant swelling, Pant was sent for scans, and the extent of his participation could influence the outcome of the match.

In the morning, Ben Stokes won the toss for the fourth time and opted to bowl first. Initially, Jaiswal rode his luck as Chris Woakes repeatedly beat his outside edge. However, the veteran all-rounder couldn’t find the breakthrough in his marathon eight-over spell, with Jaiswal taking three boundaries off him, while Rahul hit two.

When Brydon Carse came on, Rahul cut him twice for fours, and Jaiswal pierced the gap between third slip and gully. Rahul, who surpassed 400 runs in the series, faced more deliveries from Archer than Jaiswal, who had twice fallen to the pacer at Lord’s.

After cutting Stokes for four, Jaiswal got a lucky edge off Archer for another boundary before upper-cutting the England captain for six. He and Rahul ensured India went to lunch without losing a wicket.

The second session began with Jaiswal slashing and punching Carse for a pair of boundaries, before Woakes was finally rewarded for his persistence. On the last ball of the 30th over, a back-of-a-length delivery nipped away and took a thick outside edge from Rahul’s attempted punch, and Zak Crawley held on at third slip. Rahul departed for 46, ending the 94-run opening stand.

Jaiswal went on to record his 12th Test fifty but fell soon after the drinks break. Liam Dawson, making his Test comeback after eight years, claimed his first wicket on just his seventh delivery. Jaiswal, attempting a forward defence, edged to Harry Brook at first slip and was dismissed for 58.

Dawson, playing in place of the injured Shoaib Bashir, managed to tie Sudharsan down. Sudharsan could have fallen on 20 if Jamie Smith hadn’t missed a leg-side chance off Stokes.

However, Stokes struck in his next over when Shubman Gill left an in-ducker that rapped him on the pads. After being adjudged out by on-field umpire Rod Tucker, Gill reviewed, but replays showed the ball clipping the top of off-stump. He walked off for 12, giving England a boost after a wicketless first session.

In the final session, Sudharsan hooked Archer through fine leg for four, then pulled another for a boundary. Pant stunned the crowd with a front-foot sweep off Archer for four, followed by an audacious reverse ramp. He also launched Carse for a six over long-on, as he and Sudharsan brought up a counter-attacking 50-run stand and helped India cross 200.

However, disaster struck in the 68th over when Pant attempted a reverse sweep off Woakes but under-edged the ball onto his right foot. Though England reviewed for lbw and lost it, Pant was clearly in pain. The swelling on his foot ballooned to the size of a table tennis ball, and he was eventually taken off the field in a buggy, retiring hurt on 37 after a 72-run stand with Sudharsan.

Sudharsan went on to bring up his maiden Test fifty in 174 balls with a crisp drive through cover off Joe Root. But Stokes’ short-ball tactic worked once again, as Sudharsan, cramped for room, top-edged a pull to long leg – the third time he’s been dismissed by Stokes in this series.

With bad light forcing England to bowl spin from both ends, Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur, both unbeaten on 19, added three boundaries between them before play was called off, concluding a see-saw day of Test cricket.

Brief scores:

India 264/4 in 83 overs (B Sai Sudharsan 61, Yashasvi Jaiswal 58; Ben Stokes 2-47, Chris Woakes 1-43) vs England

—IANS

July 24, 2025

MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Prime Minister secures thousands of British jobs and £6 billion in investment and export wins as historic trade deal with India signed

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Press release

Prime Minister secures thousands of British jobs and £6 billion in investment and export wins as historic trade deal with India signed

Today, the Prime Minister will welcome nearly £6 billion in new investment and export wins.

Thousands of jobs created for Brits through new Indian investment and export wins worth almost £6 billion
New figures show that £4.8bn trade deal will unlock economic growth for each region and nation of the UK – delivering on the government’s Plan for Change
UK and India also agree to ramp up joint efforts against organised crime and illegal migration with new framework to tackle trafficking, document fraud and remove barriers to return

Today, the Prime Minister will welcome nearly £6 billion in new investment and export wins, which will create over 2,200 British jobs across the country as Indian firms expand their operations in the UK and British companies secure new business opportunities in India. These deals will drive jobs in high-growth sectors like aerospace, technology and advanced manufacturing – supporting engineers, technicians and supply chain workers, in every corner of the UK.

It comes as the Prime Minister is set to meet the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, today for the signing of the landmark UK-India trade deal. From Coventry to Carlisle, new analysis shows communities across every region of the UK will benefit from its £4.8 billion increase to UK GDP each year.

Thanks to the deal, British workers will enjoy a collective uplift in wages of £2.2 billion each year and could also see cheaper prices and more choice on clothes, shoes, and food products.

The UK already imports £11 billion in goods from India, but liberalised tariffs on Indian goods will make it easier and cheaper to buy their best products. For businesses, this could mean potential savings when importing components and materials used in areas such as advanced manufacturing or luxury and consumer goods.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

Our landmark trade deal with India is a major win for Britain. It will create thousands of British jobs across the UK, unlock new opportunities for businesses and drive growth in every corner of the country, delivering on our Plan for Change.

We’re putting more money in the pockets of hardworking Brits and helping families with the cost of living, and we’re determined to go further and faster to grow the economy and raise living standards across the UK.

India’s average tariff on UK products will drop from 15% to 3% which means British companies selling products to India from soft drinks and cosmetics to cars and medical devices will find it easier to sell to the Indian market.

Whisky producers will benefit from tariffs slashed in half, reduced immediately from 150% to 75% and then dropped even further to 40% over the next ten years – giving the UK an advantage over international competitors in reaching the Indian market.

Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

The billions brought to our economy from the trade deal signed today will reach all regions and nations of the UK so working people in every community can feel the benefits.

The almost £6 billion in new investment and export wins announced today will deliver thousands of jobs and shows the strength of our partnership with India as we ensure the UK is the best place in the world to invest and do business.

This government is proving time and again that we can deliver on our mission to grow the economy, put more money in pockets and boost living standards under our Plan for Change.

The two Prime Ministers have also signed a renewed Comprehensive and Strategic Partnership, which will see closer collaboration on defence, education, climate, technology and innovation. This comes exactly one year since the countries signed the landmark UK-India Technology Security Initiative, which sees joint work on telecoms security and unlocking investment across emerging technologies – telecoms, critical minerals, AI, quantum, health/bio tech, advanced materials and semiconductors.

The UK and India have also agreed to strengthen cooperation in tackling corruption, serious fraud, organised crime, and irregular migration through enhanced intelligence sharing and operational collaboration. This includes committing to finalising a groundbreaking new criminal records sharing agreement, facilitating the exchange of criminal records to support criminal proceedings, maintain accurate watchlists and enable the enforcement of travel bans. These measures represent a significant step forward in joint efforts to combat organised immigration crime.

Aligned with the UK’s recent Industrial and Trade Strategies, the deal will support the sectors which drive the most growth for the economy. The UK’s large and varied manufacturing sectors will benefit from tariffs cut on aerospace (as high as 11% reduced to 0%), automotives (up to 110% down to 10% under a quota) and electrical machinery (from up to 22% down to either 0% of a 50% reduction).

A reduction in tariffs, combined with a reduction in regulatory barriers to trade between the UK and India are estimated to:

Increase UK exports to India by nearly 60% in the long run – this is equivalent to an additional £15.7 billion of UK exports to India when applied to projections of future trade in 2040.
Increase bilateral trade by nearly 39% in the long run, equivalent to £25.5 billion a year, when compared to 2040 projected levels of trade in the absence of an agreement

The clean energy industry will have brand new, unprecedented access to India’s vast procurement market as the country makes the switch to renewable energy and continues to see growing energy demand.

For financial and professional business services, locked in access will offer certainty to expand in India’s growing market and measures such as binding India’s foreign investment cap for the insurance sector, ensuring UK financial services companies are treated on an equal footing with domestic suppliers.

Meanwhile, 26 British companies have secured new business in India. Airbus & Rolls-Royce will soon begin delivering Airbus aircraft – with over half powered by Rolls-Royce engines – to major Indian airlines as part of around £5 billion worth of contracts recently agreed. These orders will help sustain hundreds of jobs across their respective sites in Filton, Broughton and Derby.

18 firms have confirmed new investment including Zerowatt Energy, AI powered energy intelligence platform is setting up its Global HQ in Leicester. The firm will invest £10m and create 50 new jobs across Leicester, Manchester, Edinburgh and London over the next three years.

Other UK and Indian businesses who have confirmed almost £6 billion in new investments and export deals today creating over 2,200 jobs across the UK includes:

Carbon Clean, a UK-based leader in carbon capture, with projected UK export contributions of £83 million over the next five years, has invested £7.6 million in a Global Innovation Centre in Mumbai. This ODI and export wins will unlock 250 jobs across London, Glasgow and Huddersfield as well as 100 jobs in Mumbai.
AI and data services company, DCube AI, is investing £5 million in the UK, unlocking 50 jobs across Manchester and London in the next three years to strength its technology offering to UK customers.
Occuity, an innovative UK AI healthcare company has partnered with Remidio Innovative Solutions Pvt. Ltd., a leading Indian manufacturer and distributor of ophthalmic medical devices to bring Occuity’ s cutting-edge ophthalmic screening technologies to India, improving access to innovative and non-invasive eye screening and leading to an export value of £74.3 million over 5 years.
Johnson Matthey, a UK-based leader in chemicals and sustainable technologies, has secured recent contracts of over £20 million for process licensing, engineering, and catalysts supply in India. The company will also invest £4 million in a new plant at Taloja (Maharashtra) and in doubling its capacity at an existing site in Panki, Uttar Pradesh, with contracts are helping to create up to 20,000 jobs in India during the construction phase of these projects.
Marcus Evans Group, a global business intelligence and summits business company established its new Global Technology office in Mumbai to serve its 59 offices worldwide and has confirmed a combined Export (£42mn) and ODI (£27mn) win of £69 million over the next five years from India.
LTIMindtree , a global technology consulting and digital solutions company plans to further expand its London operations by adding over 300 highly skilled jobs, investing £1m. This includes a state-of-the-art AI innovation studio and showcase lab.
Aurionpro, a global enterprise technology leader in Banking, Payments, Insurance, Data Centers, and Public Sector technology is investing over £20M to launch its UK HQ, creating 150+ high-value jobs in multiple locations across UK over 3 years. It will also open AI-powered R&D labs in collaboration with top UK universities to develop next-gen transport technology and lead the global Safe Superintelligence (SSI) movement, ensuring AI is built safely and ethically.

Tufan Erginbiligic, Rolls-Royce CEO, said:

India is an important market for our business, with over 90 years of partnership with Indian industry and the Indian Government. We welcome the provisions in this Free Trade Agreement, including those that bring closer alignment with international standards for trade in civil aerospace. These agreements will benefit Rolls-Royce and our customers, paving the way for future aerospace growth in India.

Nik Jhangiani, Interim Chief Executive, Diageo, said:

This agreement marks a great moment for both Scotch and Scotland, and we’ll be raising a glass of Johnnie Walker to all those who have worked so hard to get it secured.

William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the BCC, said:

The signing of this agreement is a clear signal of the UK’s continuing commitment to free and fair trade. It will open a new era for our businesses and boost investment between two of the world’s largest economies.

Currently around 16,000 UK companies are trading goods with Indian companies, and there is high interest in our Chamber Network to grow that.  This deal will create new opportunities in the transport, travel, creative and business support sectors alongside traditional strengths in finance and professional services.

Jean-Etienne Gourgues, Chivas Brothers Chairman and CEO, said:

Signature of the UK-India FTA is a sign of hope in challenging times for the spirits industry. India is the world’s biggest whisky market by volume and greater access will be an eventual game changer for the export of our Scotch whisky brands, such as Chivas Regal and Ballantine’s.

The deal will support long term investment and jobs in our distilleries in Speyside and our bottling plant at Kilmalid and help deliver growth in both Scotland and India over the next decade. Let’s hope that both governments will move quickly to ratification so business can get to work implementing the deal!

Published 23 July 2025

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

July 24, 2025

MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The prolonged suffering will have irreversible consequences that will last generations: Joint statement on conflict and hunger in Gaza

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

Speech

The prolonged suffering will have irreversible consequences that will last generations: Joint statement on conflict and hunger in Gaza

A joint statement by the Permanent Missions to the UN of the Dominican Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Guyana, Ireland, Mexico, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Norway, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

It is unacceptable that man-made and avoidable conflict-induced hunger continues to afflict civilians in Gaza. The prolonged suffering will have irreversible consequences that will last generations.

From the May IPC Special Snapshot, we know that the Gaza Strip is facing a critical risk of famine. The entire population is facing high levels of acute food insecurity, with 500,000 people facing starvation and more than 70,000 children set to require treatment for acute malnutrition.

The latest figures are even more disturbing, and we are witnessing increased deaths due to malnutrition. This follows sustained denial of essential humanitarian assistance to civilians by Israel.

To address this crisis, we call on all parties to fully comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law. In particular, we call on Israel as the occupying power to adhere to its obligations under international law and UN Security Council Resolution 2417. Israel must:

Lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid and facilitate immediate, safe, rapid, unhindered and sustained humanitarian access by the UN and humanitarian organisations that ensures relief supplies at scale to civilians in need throughout Gaza.
Facilitate the effective delivery of life-saving nutrition, health, water, sanitation and other essential services by the UN and humanitarian organisations, as well as the fuel needed to sustain them.
Protect objects necessary for food production and distribution and facilitate the restoration of essential commercial supplies and market systems at scale.
Urgently ensure the protection of civilians, including aid workers, UN and associated personnel, and medical personnel, and allow their unrestricted access.

We urge all parties to do everything to support efforts to reach agreement on a new ceasefire and hostage release deal. While humanitarian assistance is essential, the answer to conflict-induced hunger is peace.

We need to ensure accountability for actors who deliberately cause or prolong conflict-induced hunger in violation of international law. Using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare may constitute a war crime.

All Member States should use their influence to address conflict-driven hunger in Gaza and promote compliance by all parties to the conflict with international law.

We call for rapid and full implementation of humanitarian commitments made by Israel including the steps agreed between Israel and the EU to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza. This is imperative. We will follow delivery measures by Israel closely.

We must all support the work of the UN-coordinated humanitarian system in Gaza led by OCHA. It is best equipped to ensure aid is delivered to civilians, apply established strong aid diversion prevention systems and adhere with humanitarian principles.

UNRWA remains crucial to the delivery of humanitarian aid and essential services, despite increasing restrictions and attacks.

The new Israel-approved aid delivery model is dangerous and is not operating in accordance with humanitarian principles. We condemn the killing of well over 800 Palestinians, including children, seeking water and food.

The 20 July incident where people came under Israeli fire beside a WFP convoy was terrible. Humanitarian action must be based on humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence.

We condemn the heinous attack by Hamas on October 7 2023. Hamas must release all hostages unconditionally now.

Immediate action is needed to address this debilitating suffering.

Published 23 July 2025

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

July 24, 2025

MIL-OSI: Brookline Bancorp Announces Second Quarter Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Net Income of $22.0 million, EPS of $0.25

Quarterly Dividend of $0.135

BOSTON, July 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Brookline Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: BRKL) (the “Company”) today announced net income of $22.0 million, or $0.25 per basic and diluted share, for the second quarter of 2025, compared to net income of $19.1 million, or $0.21 per basic and diluted share, for the first quarter of 2025, and $16.4 million, or $0.18 per basic and diluted share, for the second quarter of 2024. The Company reported operating earnings after tax (non-GAAP) of $22.4 million, or $0.25 per basic and diluted share, for the second quarter of 2025, compared to operating earnings after tax (non-GAAP) of $20.0 million, or $0.22 per basic and diluted share, for the first quarter of 2025, and $17.0 million, or $0.19 per basic and diluted share, for the second quarter of 2024.

Commenting on the second quarter’s performance, Mr. Perrault stated, “We are pleased to report solid earnings for the second quarter of the year led by growth in our C&I portfolio and deposits. Our dedicated team of bankers continue to provide exceptional service to the communities we serve. As a result of these efforts, our net interest margin expanded again this quarter despite intentional contraction in our commercial real estate portfolio.”

BALANCE SHEET

Total assets at June 30, 2025 were $11.6 billion, representing an increase of $48.9 million from $11.5 billion at March 31, 2025, primarily driven by an increase in cash and cash equivalents partially offset by a reduction of loans and leases. Total assets decreased $66.5 million from June 30, 2024.

At June 30, 2025, total loans and leases were $9.6 billion, representing a decrease of $60.3 million from March 31, 2025, and a decrease of $138.8 million from June 30, 2024.

Total investment securities at June 30, 2025 decreased $15.7 million to $866.7 million from $882.4 million at March 31, 2025, and increased $10.3 million from $856.4 million at June 30, 2024. Total cash and cash equivalents at June 30, 2025 increased $149.2 million to $506.7 million from $357.5 million at March 31, 2025, and increased $163.6 million from $343.1 million at June 30, 2024. As of June 30, 2025, total investment securities and total cash and cash equivalents represented 11.9 percent of total assets, compared to 10.8 percent and 10.3 percent as of March 31, 2025 and June 30, 2024, respectively.

Total deposits at June 30, 2025 increased $49.8 million to $9.0 billion from March 31, 2025, primarily driven by an increase of $58.3 million in customer deposits partially offset by a decline of $8.5 million in brokered deposits. Total deposits increased $224.2 million from $8.7 billion at June 30, 2024, primarily driven by an increase of $391.2 million in customer deposits partially offset by a decline of $167.0 million in brokered deposits.

Total borrowed funds at June 30, 2025 remained flat at $1.2 billion compared to March 31, 2025, and decreased $274.4 million from $1.4 billion at June 30, 2024.

The ratio of stockholders’ equity to total assets was 10.84 percent at June 30, 2025, as compared to 10.77 percent at March 31, 2025, and 10.30 percent at June 30, 2024. The ratio of tangible stockholders’ equity to tangible assets (non-GAAP) was 8.82 percent at June 30, 2025, as compared to 8.73 percent at March 31, 2025, and 8.23 percent at June 30, 2024. Tangible book value per common share (non-GAAP) increased $0.17 from $11.03 at March 31, 2025 to $11.20 at June 30, 2025, and increased $0.67 from $10.53 at June 30, 2024.

NET INTEREST INCOME

Net interest income increased $2.9 million to $88.7 million during the second quarter of 2025 from $85.8 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. The net interest margin increased 10 basis points to 3.32 percent for the three months ended June 30, 2025 from 3.22 percent for the three months ended March 31, 2025, primarily driven by lower funding costs and higher yields on loans and leases.

NON-INTEREST INCOME

Total non-interest income for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 increased $0.3 million to $6.0 million from $5.7 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. The increase was primarily driven by an increase of $0.2 million in gain on sales of loans and leases.

PROVISION FOR CREDIT LOSSES

The Company recorded a provision for credit losses of $7.0 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, compared to $6.0 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. The increase in provision was driven by a combination of continued stress in the Boston office sector as well as additional specific reserves on two large Eastern Funding credits.

Total net charge-offs for the second quarter of 2025 were $5.1 million, compared to $7.6 million in the first quarter of 2025. The $5.1 million in net charge-offs was driven by two commercial real estate loans that were sold during the quarter resulting in a combined $3.5 million in net charge-offs. The ratio of net loan and lease charge-offs to average loans and leases on an annualized basis decreased to 21 basis points for the second quarter of 2025 from 31 basis points for the first quarter of 2025.

The allowance for loan and lease losses represented 1.32 percent of total loans and leases at June 30, 2025, compared to 1.29 percent at March 31, 2025, and 1.25 percent at June 30, 2024.

ASSET QUALITY

The ratio of nonperforming loans and leases to total loans and leases was 0.65 percent at June 30, 2025, flat compared to March 31, 2025. Total nonaccrual loans and leases decreased $0.8 million to $62.3 million at June 30, 2025 from $63.1 million at March 31, 2025, driven by the sale of two commercial real estate loans. The ratio of nonperforming assets to total assets was 0.55 percent at June 30, 2025, a decrease from 0.56 percent at March 31, 2025. Total nonperforming assets decreased $0.4 million to $63.6 million at June 30, 2025 from $64.0 million at March 31, 2025.

NON-INTEREST EXPENSE

Non-interest expense for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 decreased $1.9 million to $58.1 million from $60.0 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. The decrease was primarily driven by decreases of $0.7 million in compensation and employee benefits expense, $0.5 million in merger and acquisition expense related to the previously announced proposed merger of the Company with Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. (“Berkshire”), and $0.4 million in occupancy expense, partially offset by an increase of $0.5 million in advertising and marketing expense.

PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES

The effective tax rate was 25.6 percent and 25.3 percent for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025 compared to 25.0 percent for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 24.4 percent and 24.5 percent for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024.

RETURNS ON AVERAGE ASSETS AND AVERAGE EQUITY

The annualized return on average assets increased to 0.77 percent during the second quarter 2025 from 0.66 percent for the first quarter of 2025.

The annualized return on average stockholders’ equity increased to 7.04 percent during the second quarter of 2025 from 6.19 percent for the first quarter of 2025. The annualized return on average tangible stockholders’ equity (non-GAAP) increased to 8.85 percent for the second quarter of 2025 from 7.82 percent for the first quarter of 2025.

DIVIDEND DECLARED

The Company’s Board of Directors approved a dividend of $0.135 per share for the quarter ended June 30, 2025. The dividend will be paid on August 22, 2025 to stockholders of record on August 8, 2025.

CONFERENCE CALL

The Company will conduct a conference call/webcast at 1:30 PM Eastern Time on Thursday, July 24, 2025 to discuss the results for the quarter, business highlights and outlook. A copy of the Earnings Presentation is available on the Company’s website, www.brooklinebancorp.com. To listen to the call and view the Company’s Earnings Presentation, please join the call via https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/149362707. To listen to the call without access to the slides, interested parties may dial 833-470-1428 (United States) or 404-975-4839 (internationally) and ask for the Brookline Bancorp, Inc. conference call (Access Code 673409). A recorded playback of the call will be available for one week following the call on the Company’s website under “Investor Relations” or by dialing 866-813-9403 (United States) or 929-458-6194 (internationally) and entering the passcode: 916742.

ABOUT BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC.

Brookline Bancorp, Inc., a bank holding company with $11.6 billion in assets and branch locations in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and the Lower Hudson Valley of New York State, is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts and operates as the holding company for Brookline Bank, Bank Rhode Island, and PCSB Bank (the “banks”). The Company provides commercial and retail banking services, cash management and investment services to customers throughout Central New England and the Lower Hudson Valley of New York State. More information about Brookline Bancorp, Inc. and its banks can be found at the following websites: www.brooklinebank.com, www.bankri.com and www.pcsb.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We may also make forward-looking statements in other documents we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), in our annual reports to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials, and in oral statements made by our officers, directors or employees. You can identify forward looking statements by the use of the words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “assume,” “outlook,” “will,” “should,” and other expressions that predict or indicate future events and trends and which do not relate to historical matters, including statements regarding the Company’s business, credit quality, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations. Forward-looking statements may differ, possibly materially, from what is included in this press release due to factors and future developments that are uncertain and beyond the scope of the Company’s control. These include, but are not limited to, the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the right of the Company or Berkshire to terminate the merger agreement; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Berkshire or Company; delays in completing the proposed transaction with Berkshire; the failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals (and the risk that such approvals may result in the imposition of conditions that could adversely affect the combined company or the expected benefits of the proposed transaction), or to satisfy any of the other conditions to the proposed transaction on a timely basis or at all, including the ability of Berkshire and the Company to meet expectations regarding the timing, completion and accounting and tax treatments of the proposed transaction; the impact of certain restrictions during the pendency of the proposed transaction on the parties’ ability to pursue certain business opportunities and strategic transactions; diversion of management’s attention from ongoing business operations and opportunities; potential adverse reactions or changes to business or employee relationships, including those resulting from the announcement or completion of the proposed transaction; changes in interest rates; general economic conditions (including the impact of actual or threatened tariffs imposed by the U.S. and foreign governments, inflation, and concerns about liquidity) on a national basis or in the local markets in which the Company operates; ongoing turbulence in the capital and debt markets; competitive pressures from other financial institutions; changes in consumer behavior due to changing political, business and economic conditions, or legislative or regulatory initiatives; changes in the value of securities and other assets in the Company’s investment portfolio; increases in loan and lease default and charge-off rates; the adequacy of allowances for loan and lease losses; decreases in deposit levels that necessitate increases in borrowing to fund loans and investments; operational risks including, but not limited to, cybersecurity incidents, fraud, natural disasters, and future pandemics; changes in regulation; the possibility that future credit losses may be higher than currently expected due to changes in economic assumptions and adverse economic developments; the risk that goodwill and intangibles recorded in the Company’s financial statements will become impaired; and changes in assumptions used in making such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties which are difficult to predict. The Company’s actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of, among others, the risks outlined in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, as updated by its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings submitted to the SEC. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date the forward-looking statements are made.

BASIS OF PRESENTATION

The Company’s consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) as set forth by the Financial Accounting Standards Board in its Accounting Standards Codification and through the rules and interpretive releases of the SEC under the authority of federal securities laws. Certain amounts previously reported have been reclassified to conform to the current period’s presentation.

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

The Company uses certain non-GAAP financial measures, such as operating earnings after tax, operating earnings per common share, operating return on average assets, operating return on average tangible assets, operating return on average stockholders’ equity, operating return on average tangible stockholders’ equity, tangible book value per common share, tangible stockholders’ equity to tangible assets, return on average tangible assets (annualized) and return on average tangible stockholders’ equity (annualized). These non-GAAP financial measures provide information for investors to effectively analyze financial trends of ongoing business activities, and to enhance comparability with peers across the financial services sector. A detailed reconciliation table of the Company’s GAAP to the non-GAAP measures is attached.

INVESTOR RELATIONS:

Contact:	Carl M. Carlson
	Brookline Bancorp, Inc.
	Co-President and Chief Financial and Strategy Officer
	(617) 425-5331
	carl.carlson@brkl.com

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC AND SUBSIDIARIES
Selected Financial Highlights (Unaudited)
	At and for the Three Months Ended
	June 30, 2025			March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024
	(Dollars in Thousands Except per Share Data)
Earnings Data:
Net interest income	$	88,685		$	85,830		$	84,988		$	83,008		$	80,001
Provision for credit losses on loans	6,997			5,974			4,141			4,832			5,607
Provision (recovery) of credit losses on investments	3			12			(104)			(172)			(39)
Non-interest income	5,970			5,660			6,587			6,348			6,396
Non-interest expense	58,061			60,022			63,719			57,948			59,184
Income before provision for income taxes	29,594			25,482			23,819			26,748			21,645
Net income	22,026			19,100			17,536			20,142			16,372

Performance Ratios:
Net interest margin (1)	3.32		%	3.22		%	3.12		%	3.07		%	3.00		%
Interest-rate spread (1)	2.57		%	2.38		%	2.35		%	2.26		%	2.14		%
Return on average assets (annualized)	0.77		%	0.66		%	0.61		%	0.70		%	0.57		%
Return on average tangible assets (annualized) (non-GAAP)	0.79		%	0.68		%	0.62		%	0.72		%	0.59		%
Return on average stockholders’ equity (annualized)	7.04		%	6.19		%	5.69		%	6.63		%	5.49		%
Return on average tangible stockholders’ equity (annualized) (non-GAAP)	8.85		%	7.82		%	7.21		%	8.44		%	7.04		%
Efficiency ratio (2)	61.34		%	65.60		%	69.58		%	64.85		%	68.50		%

Per Common Share Data:
Net income — Basic	$	0.25		$	0.21		$	0.20		$	0.23		$	0.18
Net income — Diluted	0.25			0.21			0.20			0.23			0.18
Cash dividends declared	0.135			0.135			0.135			0.135			0.135
Book value per share (end of period)	14.08			13.92			13.71			13.81			13.48
Tangible book value per share (end of period) (non-GAAP)	11.20			11.03			10.81			10.89			10.53
Stock price (end of period)	10.55			10.90			11.80			10.09			8.35

Balance Sheet:
Total assets	$	11,568,745		$	11,519,869		$	11,905,326		$	11,676,721		$	11,635,292
Total loans and leases	9,582,374			9,642,722			9,779,288			9,755,236			9,721,137
Total deposits	8,961,202			8,911,452			8,901,644			8,732,271			8,737,036
Total stockholders’ equity	1,254,171			1,240,182			1,221,939			1,230,362			1,198,480

Asset Quality:
Nonperforming assets	$	63,596		$	64,021		$	70,452		$	72,821		$	62,683
Nonperforming assets as a percentage of total assets	0.55		%	0.56		%	0.59		%	0.62		%	0.54		%
Allowance for loan and lease losses	$	126,725		$	124,145		$	125,083		$	127,316		$	121,750
Allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of total loans and leases	1.32		%	1.29		%	1.28		%	1.31		%	1.25		%
Net loan and lease charge-offs	$	5,127		$	7,597		$	7,252		$	3,808		$	8,387
Net loan and lease charge-offs as a percentage of average loans and leases (annualized)	0.21		%	0.31		%	0.30		%	0.16		%	0.35		%

Capital Ratios:
Stockholders’ equity to total assets	10.84		%	10.77		%	10.26		%	10.54		%	10.30		%
Tangible stockholders’ equity to tangible assets (non-GAAP)	8.82		%	8.73		%	8.27		%	8.50		%	8.23		%

(1) Calculated on a fully tax-equivalent basis.
(2) Calculated as non-interest expense as a percentage of net interest income plus non-interest income.

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)

	June 30, 2025			March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024
ASSETS	(In Thousands Except Share Data)
Cash and due from banks	$	87,386		$	78,741		$	64,673		$	82,168		$	60,067
Short-term investments		419,362			278,805			478,997			325,721			283,017
Total cash and cash equivalents		506,748			357,546			543,670			407,889			343,084
Investment securities available-for-sale		866,684			882,353			895,034			855,391			856,439
Total investment securities		866,684			882,353			895,034			855,391			856,439
Allowance for investment security losses		(97	)		(94	)		(82	)		(186	)		(359	)
Net investment securities		866,587			882,259			894,952			855,205			856,080
Loans and leases:
Commercial real estate loans		5,485,546			5,580,982			5,716,114			5,779,290			5,782,111
Commercial loans and leases		2,520,347			2,512,912			2,506,664			2,453,038			2,443,530
Consumer loans		1,576,481			1,548,828			1,556,510			1,522,908			1,495,496
Total loans and leases		9,582,374			9,642,722			9,779,288			9,755,236			9,721,137
Allowance for loan and lease losses		(126,725	)		(124,145	)		(125,083	)		(127,316	)		(121,750	)
Net loans and leases		9,455,649			9,518,577			9,654,205			9,627,920			9,599,387
Restricted equity securities		66,481			67,537			83,155			82,675			78,963
Premises and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation		83,963			84,439			86,781			86,925			88,378
Right-of-use asset operating leases		42,415			44,144			43,527			41,934			35,691
Deferred tax asset		52,325			52,176			56,620			50,827			60,032
Goodwill		241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222
Identified intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization		14,600			16,030			17,461			19,162			20,830
Other real estate owned and repossessed assets		1,288			917			1,103			1,579			1,974
Other assets		237,467			255,022			282,630			261,383			309,651
Total assets	$	11,568,745		$	11,519,869		$	11,905,326		$	11,676,721		$	11,635,292
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Deposits:
Demand checking accounts	$	1,726,933		$	1,664,629		$	1,692,394		$	1,681,858		$	1,638,378
NOW accounts		650,707			625,492			617,246			637,374			647,370
Savings accounts		1,795,761			1,793,852			1,721,247			1,736,989			1,735,857
Money market accounts		2,153,709			2,183,855			2,116,360			2,041,185			2,073,557
Certificate of deposit accounts		1,877,661			1,878,665			1,885,444			1,819,353			1,718,414
Brokered deposit accounts		756,431			764,959			868,953			815,512			923,460
Total deposits		8,961,202			8,911,452			8,901,644			8,732,271			8,737,036
Borrowed funds:
Advances from the FHLB		934,669			957,848			1,355,926			1,345,003			1,265,079
Subordinated debentures and notes		84,397			84,362			84,328			84,293			84,258
Other borrowed funds		135,985			113,617			79,592			68,251			80,125
Total borrowed funds		1,155,051			1,155,827			1,519,846			1,497,547			1,429,462
Operating lease liabilities		43,528			45,330			44,785			43,266			37,102
Mortgagors’ escrow accounts		15,289			15,264			15,875			14,456			17,117
Reserve for unfunded credits		4,586			5,296			5,981			6,859			11,400
Accrued expenses and other liabilities		134,918			146,518			195,256			151,960			204,695
Total liabilities		10,314,574			10,279,687			10,683,387			10,446,359			10,436,812
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock, $0.01 par value; 200,000,000 shares authorized; 96,998,075 shares issued, 96,998,075 shares issued, 96,998,075 shares issued, 96,998,075 shares issued, and 96,998,075 shares issued, respectively		970			970			970			970			970
Additional paid-in capital		904,697			903,696			902,584			901,562			904,775
Retained earnings		475,781			465,898			458,943			453,555			445,560
Accumulated other comprehensive income		(39,378	)		(42,498	)		(52,882	)		(38,081	)		(61,693	)
Treasury stock, at cost;
7,039,136, 7,037,610, 7,019,384, 7,015,843, and 7,373,009 shares, respectively		(87,899	)		(87,884	)		(87,676	)		(87,644	)		(91,132	)
Total stockholders’ equity		1,254,171			1,240,182			1,221,939			1,230,362			1,198,480
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$	11,568,745		$	11,519,869		$	11,905,326		$	11,676,721		$	11,635,292

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited)
	Three Months Ended
	June 30, 2025			March 31, 2025		December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024
	(In Thousands Except Share Data)
Interest and dividend income:
Loans and leases	$	143,933		$	143,309	$	147,436		$	149,643		$	145,585
Debt securities		6,691			6,765		6,421			6,473			6,480
Restricted equity securities		1,062			1,203		1,460			1,458			1,376
Short-term investments		2,386			2,451		2,830			1,986			1,914
Total interest and dividend income		154,072			153,728		158,147			159,560			155,355
Interest expense:
Deposits		52,682			53,478		56,562			59,796			59,721
Borrowed funds		12,705			14,420		16,597			16,756			15,633
Total interest expense		65,387			67,898		73,159			76,552			75,354
Net interest income		88,685			85,830		84,988			83,008			80,001
Provision for credit losses on loans		6,997			5,974		4,141			4,832			5,607
Provision (recovery) of credit losses on investments		3			12		(104	)		(172	)		(39	)
Net interest income after provision for credit losses		81,685			79,844		80,951			78,348			74,433
Non-interest income:
Deposit fees		2,472			2,361		2,297			2,353			3,001
Loan fees		472			393		439			464			702
Loan level derivative income (loss)		(4	)		70		1,115			—			106
Gain on sales of loans and leases held-for-sale		264			24		406			415			130
Other		2,766			2,812		2,330			3,116			2,457
Total non-interest income		5,970			5,660		6,587			6,348			6,396
Non-interest expense:
Compensation and employee benefits		35,147			35,853		37,202			35,130			34,762
Occupancy		5,349			5,721		5,393			5,343			5,551
Equipment and data processing		6,841			7,012		6,780			6,831			6,732
Professional services		1,471			1,726		1,345			2,143			1,745
FDIC insurance		1,880			2,037		2,017			2,118			2,025
Advertising and marketing		1,371			868		1,303			859			1,504
Amortization of identified intangible assets		1,431			1,430		1,701			1,668			1,669
Merger and restructuring expense		439			971		3,378			—			823
Other		4,132			4,404		4,600			3,856			4,373
Total non-interest expense		58,061			60,022		63,719			57,948			59,184
Income before provision for income taxes		29,594			25,482		23,819			26,748			21,645
Provision for income taxes		7,568			6,382		6,283			6,606			5,273
Net income	$	22,026		$	19,100	$	17,536		$	20,142		$	16,372
Earnings per common share:
Basic	$	0.25		$	0.21	$	0.20		$	0.23		$	0.18
Diluted	$	0.25		$	0.21	$	0.20		$	0.23		$	0.18
Weighted average common shares outstanding during the period:
Basic		89,104,605			89,103,510		89,098,443			89,033,463			88,904,692
Diluted		89,612,781			89,567,747		89,483,964			89,319,611			89,222,315
Dividends paid per common share	$	0.135		$	0.135	$	0.135		$	0.135		$	0.135

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited)

	Six Months Ended June 30,
		2025		2024
	(In Thousands Except Share Data)
Interest and dividend income:
Loans and leases	$	287,242	$	290,850
Debt securities		13,456		13,358
Restricted equity securities		2,265		2,868
Short-term investments		4,837		3,738
Total interest and dividend income		307,800		310,814
Interest expense:
Deposits		106,160		116,605
Borrowed funds		27,125		32,620
Total interest expense		133,285		149,225
Net interest income		174,515		161,589
Provision for credit losses on loans		12,971		13,030
Provision (credit) for credit losses on investments		15		(83	)
Net interest income after provision for credit losses		161,529		148,642
Non-interest income:
Deposit Fees		4,833		5,898
Loan Fees		865		1,491
Loan level derivative income, net		66		543
Gain on sales of loans and leases held-for-sale		288		130
Other		5,578		4,618
Total non-interest income		11,630		12,680
Non-interest expense:
Compensation and employee benefits		71,000		71,391
Occupancy		11,070		11,320
Equipment and data processing		13,853		13,763
Professional services		3,197		3,645
FDIC insurance		3,917		3,909
Advertising and marketing		2,239		3,078
Amortization of identified intangible assets		2,861		3,377
Merger and restructuring expense		1,410		823
Other		8,536		8,892
Total non-interest expense		118,083		120,198
Income before provision for income taxes		55,076		41,124
Provision for income taxes		13,950		10,087
Net income	$	41,126	$	31,037
Earnings per common share:
Basic	$	0.46	$	0.35
Diluted	$	0.46	$	0.35
Weighted average common shares outstanding during the period:
Basic		89,104,060		88,899,635
Diluted		89,590,267		89,201,912
Dividends paid per common share	$	0.270	$	0.270

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Asset Quality Analysis (Unaudited)
	At and for the Three Months Ended
		June 30, 2025			March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024
	(Dollars in Thousands)
NONPERFORMING ASSETS:
Loans and leases accounted for on a nonaccrual basis:
Commercial real estate mortgage	$	987		$	10,842		$	11,525		$	11,595		$	11,659
Multi-family mortgage		1,433			6,576			6,596			1,751			—
Total commercial real estate loans		2,420			17,418			18,121			13,346			11,659

Commercial		8,687			7,415			14,676			15,734			16,636
Equipment financing		46,067			32,975			31,509			37,223			27,128
Total commercial loans and leases		54,754			40,390			46,185			52,957			43,764

Residential mortgage		3,572			3,962			3,999			3,862			4,495
Home equity		1,561			1,333			1,043			1,076			790
Other consumer		1			1			1			1			1
Total consumer loans		5,134			5,296			5,043			4,939			5,286

Total nonaccrual loans and leases		62,308			63,104			69,349			71,242			60,709

Other real estate owned		700			700			700			780			780
Other repossessed assets		588			217			403			799			1,194
Total nonperforming assets	$	63,596		$	64,021		$	70,452		$	72,821		$	62,683

Loans and leases past due greater than 90 days and still accruing	$	24,899		$	3,009		$	811		$	16,091		$	4,994

Nonperforming loans and leases as a percentage of total loans and leases		0.65	%		0.65	%		0.71	%		0.73	%		0.62	%
Nonperforming assets as a percentage of total assets		0.55	%		0.56	%		0.59	%		0.62	%		0.54	%

PROVISION AND ALLOWANCE FOR LOAN AND LEASE LOSSES:
Allowance for loan and lease losses at beginning of period	$	124,145		$	125,083		$	127,316		$	121,750		$	120,124
Charge-offs		(5,601	)		(9,073	)		(8,414	)		(4,183	)		(8,823	)
Recoveries		474			1,476			1,162			375			436
Net charge-offs		(5,127	)		(7,597	)		(7,252	)		(3,808	)		(8,387	)
Provision for loan and lease losses excluding unfunded commitments *		7,707			6,659			5,019			9,374			10,013
Allowance for loan and lease losses at end of period	$	126,725		$	124,145		$	125,083		$	127,316		$	121,750

Allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of total loans and leases		1.32	%		1.29	%		1.28	%		1.31	%		1.25	%

NET CHARGE-OFFS:
Commercial real estate loans	$	3,524		$	—		$	—		$	—		$	3,819
Commercial loans and leases		1,640			7,647			7,257			3,797			4,571
Consumer loans		(37	)		(50	)		(5	)		11			(3	)
Total net charge-offs	$	5,127		$	7,597		$	7,252		$	3,808		$	8,387

Net loan and lease charge-offs as a percentage of average loans and leases (annualized)		0.21	%		0.31	%		0.30	%		0.16	%		0.35	%

*Provision for loan and lease losses does not include (credit) provision of $(0.7 million), $(0.7 million), $(0.9 million), $(4.5 million), and $(4.4 million) for credit losses on unfunded commitments during the three months ended June 30, 2025, March 31, 2025, December 31, 2024, September 30, 2024, and June 30, 2024, respectively.

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Average Yields / Costs (Unaudited)
	Three Months Ended
	June 30, 2025							March 31, 2025							June 30, 2024
	Average Balance		Interest (1)		Average Yield/ Cost			Average Balance		Interest (1)		Average Yield/ Cost			Average Balance		Interest (1)		Average Yield/ Cost
	(Dollars in Thousands)
Assets:
Interest-earning assets:
Investments:
Debt securities (2)	$	874,212	$	6,752		3.09	%	$	888,913	$	6,814		3.07	%	$	846,469	$	6,510		3.08	%
Restricted equity securities (2)		65,724		1,062		6.46	%		69,784		1,204		6.90	%		71,696		1,375		7.67	%
Short-term investments		215,982		2,386		4.42	%		202,953		2,451		4.83	%		143,800		1,914		5.33	%
Total investments		1,155,918		10,200		3.53	%		1,161,650		10,469		3.60	%		1,061,965		9,799		3.69	%
Loans and Leases:
Commercial real estate loans (3)		5,533,208		77,136		5.51	%		5,651,390		77,243		5.47	%		5,754,901		81,565		5.61	%
Commercial loans (3)		1,286,908		20,757		6.38	%		1,237,078		19,698		6.37	%		1,069,154		17,672		6.54	%
Equipment financing (3)		1,240,128		25,069		8.09	%		1,281,425		25,965		8.11	%		1,374,217		26,255		7.64	%
Consumer loans (3)		1,556,254		21,437		5.51	%		1,548,973		20,861		5.41	%		1,488,587		20,291		5.46	%
Total loans and leases		9,616,498		144,399		6.01	%		9,718,866		143,767		5.92	%		9,686,859		145,783		6.02	%
Total interest-earning assets		10,772,416		154,599		5.74	%		10,880,516		154,236		5.67	%		10,748,824		155,582		5.79	%
Non-interest-earning assets		630,518							662,814							704,570
Total assets	$	11,402,934						$	11,543,330						$	11,453,394

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity:
Interest-bearing liabilities:
Deposits:
NOW accounts	$	637,786		1,034		0.65	%	$	628,346		1,005		0.65	%	$	659,351		1,111		0.68	%
Savings accounts		1,780,838		10,692		2.41	%		1,743,688		10,173		2.37	%		1,731,388		11,874		2.76	%
Money market accounts		2,189,373		13,990		2.56	%		2,187,581		13,587		2.52	%		2,026,780		15,520		3.08	%
Certificates of deposit		1,879,749		18,437		3.93	%		1,886,386		19,593		4.21	%		1,699,510		18,717		4.43	%
Brokered deposit accounts		748,205		8,529		4.57	%		767,275		9,120		4.82	%		958,146		12,499		5.25	%
Total interest-bearing deposits		7,235,951		52,682		2.92	%		7,213,276		53,478		3.01	%		7,075,175		59,721		3.39	%
Borrowings
Advances from the FHLB		904,399		10,422		4.56	%		1,007,508		11,847		4.70	%		1,049,609		12,894		4.86	%
Subordinated debentures and notes		84,380		1,718		8.14	%		84,345		1,701		8.07	%		84,241		1,375		6.53	%
Other borrowed funds		46,086		565		4.93	%		71,462		872		4.95	%		103,753		1,364		5.29	%
Total borrowings		1,034,865		12,705		4.86	%		1,163,315		14,420		4.96	%		1,237,603		15,633		5.00	%
Total interest-bearing liabilities		8,270,816		65,387		3.17	%		8,376,591		67,898		3.29	%		8,312,778		75,354		3.65	%
Non-interest-bearing liabilities:
Demand checking accounts		1,654,594							1,680,527							1,646,869
Other non-interest-bearing liabilities		225,469							251,011							300,362
Total liabilities		10,150,879							10,308,129							10,260,009
Stockholders’ equity		1,252,055							1,235,201							1,193,385
Total liabilities and equity	$	11,402,934						$	11,543,330						$	11,453,394
Net interest income (tax-equivalent basis) /Interest-rate spread (4)				89,212		2.57	%				86,338		2.38	%				80,228		2.14	%
Less adjustment of tax-exempt income				527							508							227
Net interest income			$	88,685						$	85,830						$	80,001
Net interest margin (5)						3.32	%						3.22	%						3.00	%

(1) Tax-exempt income on debt securities, equity securities and revenue bonds included in commercial real estate loans is included on a tax-equivalent basis.
(2) Average balances include unrealized gains (losses) on investment securities. Dividend payments may not be consistent and average yield on equity securities may vary from month to month.
(3) Loans on nonaccrual status are included in the average balances.
(4) Interest rate spread represents the difference between the yield on interest-earning assets and the cost of interest-bearing liabilities.
(5) Net interest margin represents net interest income (tax-equivalent basis) divided by average interest-earning assets on an actual/actual basis.

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Average Yields / Costs (Unaudited)
	Six Months Ended
	June 30, 2025							June 30, 2024
	Average Balance		Interest (1)		Average Yield/ Cost			Average Balance		Interest (1)		Average Yield/ Cost
	(Dollars in Thousands)
Assets:
Interest-earning assets:
Investments:
Debt securities (2)	$	881,522	$	13,566		3.08	%	$	869,848	$	13,437		3.09	%
Restricted equity securities (2)		67,743		2,266		6.69	%		74,015		2,868		7.75	%
Short-term investments		209,503		4,837		4.62	%		137,284		3,738		5.45	%
Total investments		1,158,768		20,669		3.57	%		1,081,147		20,043		3.71	%
Loans and Leases:
Commercial real estate loans (3)		5,591,973		154,379		5.49	%		5,758,318		162,614		5.59	%
Commercial loans (3)		1,262,130		40,455		6.38	%		1,047,810		35,179		6.64	%
Equipment financing (3)		1,260,663		51,034		8.10	%		1,374,322		53,150		7.73	%
Consumer loans (3)		1,552,633		42,298		5.46	%		1,485,702		40,269		5.43	%
Total loans and leases		9,667,399		288,166		5.96	%		9,666,152		291,212		6.03	%
Total interest-earning assets		10,826,167		308,835		5.71	%		10,747,299		311,255		5.79	%
Non-interest-earning assets		646,577							684,343
Total assets	$	11,472,744						$	11,431,642

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity:
Interest-bearing liabilities:
Deposits:
NOW accounts	$	633,092		2,039		0.65	%	$	665,632		2,372		0.72	%
Savings accounts		1,762,366		20,865		2.39	%		1,712,804		23,226		2.73	%
Money market accounts		2,188,482		27,577		2.54	%		2,051,542		31,474		3.09	%
Certificates of deposit		1,883,049		38,030		4.07	%		1,661,814		35,389		4.28	%
Brokered deposit accounts		757,687		17,649		4.70	%		927,465		24,144		5.23	%
Total interest-bearing deposits		7,224,676		106,160		2.96	%		7,019,257		116,605		3.34	%
Borrowings
Advances from the FHLB		955,669		22,269		4.63	%		1,107,071		27,527		4.92	%
Subordinated debentures and notes		84,363		3,419		8.11	%		84,223		2,752		6.54	%
Other borrowed funds		58,704		1,437		4.94	%		98,406		2,341		4.78	%
Total borrowings		1,098,736		27,125		4.91	%		1,289,700		32,620		5.00	%
Total interest-bearing liabilities		8,323,412		133,285		3.23	%		8,308,957		149,225		3.61	%
Non-interest-bearing liabilities:
Demand checking accounts		1,667,489							1,635,690
Other non-interest-bearing liabilities		238,169							289,351
Total liabilities		10,229,070							10,233,998
Stockholders’ equity		1,243,674							1,197,644
Total liabilities and equity	$	11,472,744						$	11,431,642
Net interest income (tax-equivalent basis) /Interest-rate spread (4)				175,550		2.48	%				162,030		2.18	%
Less adjustment of tax-exempt income				1,035							441
Net interest income			$	174,515						$	161,589
Net interest margin (5)						3.27	%						3.03	%

(1) Tax-exempt income on debt securities, equity securities and revenue bonds included in commercial real estate loans is included on a tax-equivalent basis.
(2) Average balances include unrealized gains (losses) on investment securities. Dividend payments may not be consistent and average yield on equity securities may vary from month to month.
(3) Loans on nonaccrual status are included in the average balances.
(4) Interest rate spread represents the difference between the yield on interest-earning assets and the cost of interest-bearing liabilities.
(5) Net interest margin represents net interest income (tax-equivalent basis) divided by average interest-earning assets on an actual/actual basis.

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Non-GAAP Financial Information (Unaudited)
	At and for the Three Months Ended March 31,						At and for the Six Months Ended June 30,
		2025			2024			2025			2024
Reconciliation Table – Non-GAAP Financial Information	(Dollars in Thousands Except Share Data)						(Dollars in Thousands Except Share Data)

Reported Pretax Income	$	29,594		$	21,645		$	55,076		$	41,124
Add:
Merger and restructuring expense		439			823			1,410			823
Operating Pretax Income	$	30,033		$	22,468		$	56,486		$	41,947
Effective tax rate		25.3	%		24.4	%		24.8	%		24.5	%
Provision for income taxes		7,590			5,473			14,008			10,289
Operating earnings after tax	$	22,443		$	16,995		$	42,478		$	31,658

Operating earnings per common share:
Basic	$	0.25		$	0.19		$	0.48		$	0.36
Diluted	$	0.25		$	0.19		$	0.47		$	0.35

Weighted average common shares outstanding during the period:
Basic		89,104,605			88,904,692			89,104,060			88,899,635
Diluted		89,612,781			89,222,315			89,590,267			89,201,912

Return on average assets *		0.77	%		0.57	%		0.72	%		0.54	%
Add:
Merger and restructuring expense (after-tax) *		0.01	%		0.02	%		0.02	%		0.01	%
Operating return on average assets *		0.78	%		0.59	%		0.74	%		0.55	%

Return on average tangible assets *		0.79	%		0.59	%		0.73	%		0.56	%
Add:
Merger and restructuring expense (after-tax) *		0.01	%		0.02	%		0.02	%		0.01	%
Operating return on average tangible assets *		0.80	%		0.61	%		0.75	%		0.57	%


Return on average stockholders’ equity *		7.04	%		5.49	%		6.61	%		5.18	%
Add:
Merger and restructuring expense (after-tax) *		0.10	%		0.21	%		0.17	%		0.10	%
Operating return on average stockholders’ equity *		7.14	%		5.70	%		6.78	%		5.28	%


Return on average tangible stockholders’ equity *		8.85	%		7.04	%		8.34	%		6.65	%
Add:
Merger and restructuring expense (after-tax) *		0.13	%		0.27	%		0.21	%		0.13	%
Operating return on average tangible stockholders’ equity *		8.98	%		7.31	%		8.55	%		6.78	%

* Ratios at and for the three months and six months ended are annualized.

	At and for the Three Months Ended
	June 30, 2025			March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024
	(Dollars in Thousands)

Net income, as reported	$	22,026		$	19,100		$	17,536		$	20,142		$	16,372

Average total assets	$	11,402,934		$	11,543,330		$	11,580,572		$	11,451,338		$	11,453,394
Less: Average goodwill and average identified intangible assets, net		256,508			257,941			259,496			261,188			262,859
Average tangible assets	$	11,146,426		$	11,285,389		$	11,321,076		$	11,190,150		$	11,190,535

Return on average tangible assets (annualized)		0.79	%		0.68	%		0.62	%		0.72	%		0.59	%

Average total stockholders’ equity	$	1,252,055		$	1,235,201		$	1,232,527		$	1,216,037		$	1,193,385
Less: Average goodwill and average identified intangible assets, net		256,508			257,941			259,496			261,188			262,859
Average tangible stockholders’ equity	$	995,547		$	977,260		$	973,031		$	954,849		$	930,526

Return on average tangible stockholders’ equity (annualized)		8.85	%		7.82	%		7.21	%		8.44	%		7.04	%

Total stockholders’ equity	$	1,254,171		$	1,240,182		$	1,221,939		$	1,230,362		$	1,198,480
Less:
Goodwill		241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222
Identified intangible assets, net		14,600			16,030			17,461			19,162			20,830
Tangible stockholders’ equity	$	998,349		$	982,930		$	963,256		$	969,978		$	936,428

Total assets	$	11,568,745		$	11,519,869		$	11,905,326		$	11,676,721		$	11,635,292
Less:
Goodwill		241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222
Identified intangible assets, net		14,600			16,030			17,461			19,162			20,830
Tangible assets	$	11,312,923		$	11,262,617		$	11,646,643		$	11,416,337		$	11,373,240

Tangible stockholders’ equity to tangible assets		8.82	%		8.73	%		8.27	%		8.50	%		8.23	%

Tangible stockholders’ equity	$	998,349		$	982,930		$	963,256		$	969,978		$	936,428

Number of common shares issued		96,998,075			96,998,075			96,998,075			96,998,075			96,998,075
Less:
Treasury shares		7,039,136			7,037,610			7,019,384			7,015,843			7,373,009
Unvested restricted shares		854,334			855,860			880,248			883,789			713,443
Number of common shares outstanding		89,104,605			89,104,605			89,098,443			89,098,443			88,911,623

Tangible book value per common share	$	11.20		$	11.03		$	10.81		$	10.89		$	10.53

PDF available: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/713b7b8a-a804-4b26-a467-f10b0d266b1b

The MIL Network –

July 24, 2025

MIL-OSI: Brookline Bancorp Announces Second Quarter Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Net Income of $22.0 million, EPS of $0.25

Quarterly Dividend of $0.135

BOSTON, July 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Brookline Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: BRKL) (the “Company”) today announced net income of $22.0 million, or $0.25 per basic and diluted share, for the second quarter of 2025, compared to net income of $19.1 million, or $0.21 per basic and diluted share, for the first quarter of 2025, and $16.4 million, or $0.18 per basic and diluted share, for the second quarter of 2024. The Company reported operating earnings after tax (non-GAAP) of $22.4 million, or $0.25 per basic and diluted share, for the second quarter of 2025, compared to operating earnings after tax (non-GAAP) of $20.0 million, or $0.22 per basic and diluted share, for the first quarter of 2025, and $17.0 million, or $0.19 per basic and diluted share, for the second quarter of 2024.

Commenting on the second quarter’s performance, Mr. Perrault stated, “We are pleased to report solid earnings for the second quarter of the year led by growth in our C&I portfolio and deposits. Our dedicated team of bankers continue to provide exceptional service to the communities we serve. As a result of these efforts, our net interest margin expanded again this quarter despite intentional contraction in our commercial real estate portfolio.”

BALANCE SHEET

Total assets at June 30, 2025 were $11.6 billion, representing an increase of $48.9 million from $11.5 billion at March 31, 2025, primarily driven by an increase in cash and cash equivalents partially offset by a reduction of loans and leases. Total assets decreased $66.5 million from June 30, 2024.

At June 30, 2025, total loans and leases were $9.6 billion, representing a decrease of $60.3 million from March 31, 2025, and a decrease of $138.8 million from June 30, 2024.

Total investment securities at June 30, 2025 decreased $15.7 million to $866.7 million from $882.4 million at March 31, 2025, and increased $10.3 million from $856.4 million at June 30, 2024. Total cash and cash equivalents at June 30, 2025 increased $149.2 million to $506.7 million from $357.5 million at March 31, 2025, and increased $163.6 million from $343.1 million at June 30, 2024. As of June 30, 2025, total investment securities and total cash and cash equivalents represented 11.9 percent of total assets, compared to 10.8 percent and 10.3 percent as of March 31, 2025 and June 30, 2024, respectively.

Total deposits at June 30, 2025 increased $49.8 million to $9.0 billion from March 31, 2025, primarily driven by an increase of $58.3 million in customer deposits partially offset by a decline of $8.5 million in brokered deposits. Total deposits increased $224.2 million from $8.7 billion at June 30, 2024, primarily driven by an increase of $391.2 million in customer deposits partially offset by a decline of $167.0 million in brokered deposits.

Total borrowed funds at June 30, 2025 remained flat at $1.2 billion compared to March 31, 2025, and decreased $274.4 million from $1.4 billion at June 30, 2024.

The ratio of stockholders’ equity to total assets was 10.84 percent at June 30, 2025, as compared to 10.77 percent at March 31, 2025, and 10.30 percent at June 30, 2024. The ratio of tangible stockholders’ equity to tangible assets (non-GAAP) was 8.82 percent at June 30, 2025, as compared to 8.73 percent at March 31, 2025, and 8.23 percent at June 30, 2024. Tangible book value per common share (non-GAAP) increased $0.17 from $11.03 at March 31, 2025 to $11.20 at June 30, 2025, and increased $0.67 from $10.53 at June 30, 2024.

NET INTEREST INCOME

Net interest income increased $2.9 million to $88.7 million during the second quarter of 2025 from $85.8 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. The net interest margin increased 10 basis points to 3.32 percent for the three months ended June 30, 2025 from 3.22 percent for the three months ended March 31, 2025, primarily driven by lower funding costs and higher yields on loans and leases.

NON-INTEREST INCOME

Total non-interest income for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 increased $0.3 million to $6.0 million from $5.7 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. The increase was primarily driven by an increase of $0.2 million in gain on sales of loans and leases.

PROVISION FOR CREDIT LOSSES

The Company recorded a provision for credit losses of $7.0 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, compared to $6.0 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. The increase in provision was driven by a combination of continued stress in the Boston office sector as well as additional specific reserves on two large Eastern Funding credits.

Total net charge-offs for the second quarter of 2025 were $5.1 million, compared to $7.6 million in the first quarter of 2025. The $5.1 million in net charge-offs was driven by two commercial real estate loans that were sold during the quarter resulting in a combined $3.5 million in net charge-offs. The ratio of net loan and lease charge-offs to average loans and leases on an annualized basis decreased to 21 basis points for the second quarter of 2025 from 31 basis points for the first quarter of 2025.

The allowance for loan and lease losses represented 1.32 percent of total loans and leases at June 30, 2025, compared to 1.29 percent at March 31, 2025, and 1.25 percent at June 30, 2024.

ASSET QUALITY

The ratio of nonperforming loans and leases to total loans and leases was 0.65 percent at June 30, 2025, flat compared to March 31, 2025. Total nonaccrual loans and leases decreased $0.8 million to $62.3 million at June 30, 2025 from $63.1 million at March 31, 2025, driven by the sale of two commercial real estate loans. The ratio of nonperforming assets to total assets was 0.55 percent at June 30, 2025, a decrease from 0.56 percent at March 31, 2025. Total nonperforming assets decreased $0.4 million to $63.6 million at June 30, 2025 from $64.0 million at March 31, 2025.

NON-INTEREST EXPENSE

Non-interest expense for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 decreased $1.9 million to $58.1 million from $60.0 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. The decrease was primarily driven by decreases of $0.7 million in compensation and employee benefits expense, $0.5 million in merger and acquisition expense related to the previously announced proposed merger of the Company with Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. (“Berkshire”), and $0.4 million in occupancy expense, partially offset by an increase of $0.5 million in advertising and marketing expense.

PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES

The effective tax rate was 25.6 percent and 25.3 percent for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025 compared to 25.0 percent for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 24.4 percent and 24.5 percent for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024.

RETURNS ON AVERAGE ASSETS AND AVERAGE EQUITY

The annualized return on average assets increased to 0.77 percent during the second quarter 2025 from 0.66 percent for the first quarter of 2025.

The annualized return on average stockholders’ equity increased to 7.04 percent during the second quarter of 2025 from 6.19 percent for the first quarter of 2025. The annualized return on average tangible stockholders’ equity (non-GAAP) increased to 8.85 percent for the second quarter of 2025 from 7.82 percent for the first quarter of 2025.

DIVIDEND DECLARED

The Company’s Board of Directors approved a dividend of $0.135 per share for the quarter ended June 30, 2025. The dividend will be paid on August 22, 2025 to stockholders of record on August 8, 2025.

CONFERENCE CALL

The Company will conduct a conference call/webcast at 1:30 PM Eastern Time on Thursday, July 24, 2025 to discuss the results for the quarter, business highlights and outlook. A copy of the Earnings Presentation is available on the Company’s website, www.brooklinebancorp.com. To listen to the call and view the Company’s Earnings Presentation, please join the call via https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/149362707. To listen to the call without access to the slides, interested parties may dial 833-470-1428 (United States) or 404-975-4839 (internationally) and ask for the Brookline Bancorp, Inc. conference call (Access Code 673409). A recorded playback of the call will be available for one week following the call on the Company’s website under “Investor Relations” or by dialing 866-813-9403 (United States) or 929-458-6194 (internationally) and entering the passcode: 916742.

ABOUT BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC.

Brookline Bancorp, Inc., a bank holding company with $11.6 billion in assets and branch locations in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and the Lower Hudson Valley of New York State, is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts and operates as the holding company for Brookline Bank, Bank Rhode Island, and PCSB Bank (the “banks”). The Company provides commercial and retail banking services, cash management and investment services to customers throughout Central New England and the Lower Hudson Valley of New York State. More information about Brookline Bancorp, Inc. and its banks can be found at the following websites: www.brooklinebank.com, www.bankri.com and www.pcsb.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We may also make forward-looking statements in other documents we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), in our annual reports to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials, and in oral statements made by our officers, directors or employees. You can identify forward looking statements by the use of the words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “assume,” “outlook,” “will,” “should,” and other expressions that predict or indicate future events and trends and which do not relate to historical matters, including statements regarding the Company’s business, credit quality, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations. Forward-looking statements may differ, possibly materially, from what is included in this press release due to factors and future developments that are uncertain and beyond the scope of the Company’s control. These include, but are not limited to, the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the right of the Company or Berkshire to terminate the merger agreement; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Berkshire or Company; delays in completing the proposed transaction with Berkshire; the failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals (and the risk that such approvals may result in the imposition of conditions that could adversely affect the combined company or the expected benefits of the proposed transaction), or to satisfy any of the other conditions to the proposed transaction on a timely basis or at all, including the ability of Berkshire and the Company to meet expectations regarding the timing, completion and accounting and tax treatments of the proposed transaction; the impact of certain restrictions during the pendency of the proposed transaction on the parties’ ability to pursue certain business opportunities and strategic transactions; diversion of management’s attention from ongoing business operations and opportunities; potential adverse reactions or changes to business or employee relationships, including those resulting from the announcement or completion of the proposed transaction; changes in interest rates; general economic conditions (including the impact of actual or threatened tariffs imposed by the U.S. and foreign governments, inflation, and concerns about liquidity) on a national basis or in the local markets in which the Company operates; ongoing turbulence in the capital and debt markets; competitive pressures from other financial institutions; changes in consumer behavior due to changing political, business and economic conditions, or legislative or regulatory initiatives; changes in the value of securities and other assets in the Company’s investment portfolio; increases in loan and lease default and charge-off rates; the adequacy of allowances for loan and lease losses; decreases in deposit levels that necessitate increases in borrowing to fund loans and investments; operational risks including, but not limited to, cybersecurity incidents, fraud, natural disasters, and future pandemics; changes in regulation; the possibility that future credit losses may be higher than currently expected due to changes in economic assumptions and adverse economic developments; the risk that goodwill and intangibles recorded in the Company’s financial statements will become impaired; and changes in assumptions used in making such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties which are difficult to predict. The Company’s actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of, among others, the risks outlined in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, as updated by its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings submitted to the SEC. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date the forward-looking statements are made.

BASIS OF PRESENTATION

The Company’s consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) as set forth by the Financial Accounting Standards Board in its Accounting Standards Codification and through the rules and interpretive releases of the SEC under the authority of federal securities laws. Certain amounts previously reported have been reclassified to conform to the current period’s presentation.

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

The Company uses certain non-GAAP financial measures, such as operating earnings after tax, operating earnings per common share, operating return on average assets, operating return on average tangible assets, operating return on average stockholders’ equity, operating return on average tangible stockholders’ equity, tangible book value per common share, tangible stockholders’ equity to tangible assets, return on average tangible assets (annualized) and return on average tangible stockholders’ equity (annualized). These non-GAAP financial measures provide information for investors to effectively analyze financial trends of ongoing business activities, and to enhance comparability with peers across the financial services sector. A detailed reconciliation table of the Company’s GAAP to the non-GAAP measures is attached.

INVESTOR RELATIONS:

Contact:	Carl M. Carlson
	Brookline Bancorp, Inc.
	Co-President and Chief Financial and Strategy Officer
	(617) 425-5331
	carl.carlson@brkl.com

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC AND SUBSIDIARIES
Selected Financial Highlights (Unaudited)
	At and for the Three Months Ended
	June 30, 2025			March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024
	(Dollars in Thousands Except per Share Data)
Earnings Data:
Net interest income	$	88,685		$	85,830		$	84,988		$	83,008		$	80,001
Provision for credit losses on loans	6,997			5,974			4,141			4,832			5,607
Provision (recovery) of credit losses on investments	3			12			(104)			(172)			(39)
Non-interest income	5,970			5,660			6,587			6,348			6,396
Non-interest expense	58,061			60,022			63,719			57,948			59,184
Income before provision for income taxes	29,594			25,482			23,819			26,748			21,645
Net income	22,026			19,100			17,536			20,142			16,372

Performance Ratios:
Net interest margin (1)	3.32		%	3.22		%	3.12		%	3.07		%	3.00		%
Interest-rate spread (1)	2.57		%	2.38		%	2.35		%	2.26		%	2.14		%
Return on average assets (annualized)	0.77		%	0.66		%	0.61		%	0.70		%	0.57		%
Return on average tangible assets (annualized) (non-GAAP)	0.79		%	0.68		%	0.62		%	0.72		%	0.59		%
Return on average stockholders’ equity (annualized)	7.04		%	6.19		%	5.69		%	6.63		%	5.49		%
Return on average tangible stockholders’ equity (annualized) (non-GAAP)	8.85		%	7.82		%	7.21		%	8.44		%	7.04		%
Efficiency ratio (2)	61.34		%	65.60		%	69.58		%	64.85		%	68.50		%

Per Common Share Data:
Net income — Basic	$	0.25		$	0.21		$	0.20		$	0.23		$	0.18
Net income — Diluted	0.25			0.21			0.20			0.23			0.18
Cash dividends declared	0.135			0.135			0.135			0.135			0.135
Book value per share (end of period)	14.08			13.92			13.71			13.81			13.48
Tangible book value per share (end of period) (non-GAAP)	11.20			11.03			10.81			10.89			10.53
Stock price (end of period)	10.55			10.90			11.80			10.09			8.35

Balance Sheet:
Total assets	$	11,568,745		$	11,519,869		$	11,905,326		$	11,676,721		$	11,635,292
Total loans and leases	9,582,374			9,642,722			9,779,288			9,755,236			9,721,137
Total deposits	8,961,202			8,911,452			8,901,644			8,732,271			8,737,036
Total stockholders’ equity	1,254,171			1,240,182			1,221,939			1,230,362			1,198,480

Asset Quality:
Nonperforming assets	$	63,596		$	64,021		$	70,452		$	72,821		$	62,683
Nonperforming assets as a percentage of total assets	0.55		%	0.56		%	0.59		%	0.62		%	0.54		%
Allowance for loan and lease losses	$	126,725		$	124,145		$	125,083		$	127,316		$	121,750
Allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of total loans and leases	1.32		%	1.29		%	1.28		%	1.31		%	1.25		%
Net loan and lease charge-offs	$	5,127		$	7,597		$	7,252		$	3,808		$	8,387
Net loan and lease charge-offs as a percentage of average loans and leases (annualized)	0.21		%	0.31		%	0.30		%	0.16		%	0.35		%

Capital Ratios:
Stockholders’ equity to total assets	10.84		%	10.77		%	10.26		%	10.54		%	10.30		%
Tangible stockholders’ equity to tangible assets (non-GAAP)	8.82		%	8.73		%	8.27		%	8.50		%	8.23		%

(1) Calculated on a fully tax-equivalent basis.
(2) Calculated as non-interest expense as a percentage of net interest income plus non-interest income.

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)

	June 30, 2025			March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024
ASSETS	(In Thousands Except Share Data)
Cash and due from banks	$	87,386		$	78,741		$	64,673		$	82,168		$	60,067
Short-term investments		419,362			278,805			478,997			325,721			283,017
Total cash and cash equivalents		506,748			357,546			543,670			407,889			343,084
Investment securities available-for-sale		866,684			882,353			895,034			855,391			856,439
Total investment securities		866,684			882,353			895,034			855,391			856,439
Allowance for investment security losses		(97	)		(94	)		(82	)		(186	)		(359	)
Net investment securities		866,587			882,259			894,952			855,205			856,080
Loans and leases:
Commercial real estate loans		5,485,546			5,580,982			5,716,114			5,779,290			5,782,111
Commercial loans and leases		2,520,347			2,512,912			2,506,664			2,453,038			2,443,530
Consumer loans		1,576,481			1,548,828			1,556,510			1,522,908			1,495,496
Total loans and leases		9,582,374			9,642,722			9,779,288			9,755,236			9,721,137
Allowance for loan and lease losses		(126,725	)		(124,145	)		(125,083	)		(127,316	)		(121,750	)
Net loans and leases		9,455,649			9,518,577			9,654,205			9,627,920			9,599,387
Restricted equity securities		66,481			67,537			83,155			82,675			78,963
Premises and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation		83,963			84,439			86,781			86,925			88,378
Right-of-use asset operating leases		42,415			44,144			43,527			41,934			35,691
Deferred tax asset		52,325			52,176			56,620			50,827			60,032
Goodwill		241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222
Identified intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization		14,600			16,030			17,461			19,162			20,830
Other real estate owned and repossessed assets		1,288			917			1,103			1,579			1,974
Other assets		237,467			255,022			282,630			261,383			309,651
Total assets	$	11,568,745		$	11,519,869		$	11,905,326		$	11,676,721		$	11,635,292
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Deposits:
Demand checking accounts	$	1,726,933		$	1,664,629		$	1,692,394		$	1,681,858		$	1,638,378
NOW accounts		650,707			625,492			617,246			637,374			647,370
Savings accounts		1,795,761			1,793,852			1,721,247			1,736,989			1,735,857
Money market accounts		2,153,709			2,183,855			2,116,360			2,041,185			2,073,557
Certificate of deposit accounts		1,877,661			1,878,665			1,885,444			1,819,353			1,718,414
Brokered deposit accounts		756,431			764,959			868,953			815,512			923,460
Total deposits		8,961,202			8,911,452			8,901,644			8,732,271			8,737,036
Borrowed funds:
Advances from the FHLB		934,669			957,848			1,355,926			1,345,003			1,265,079
Subordinated debentures and notes		84,397			84,362			84,328			84,293			84,258
Other borrowed funds		135,985			113,617			79,592			68,251			80,125
Total borrowed funds		1,155,051			1,155,827			1,519,846			1,497,547			1,429,462
Operating lease liabilities		43,528			45,330			44,785			43,266			37,102
Mortgagors’ escrow accounts		15,289			15,264			15,875			14,456			17,117
Reserve for unfunded credits		4,586			5,296			5,981			6,859			11,400
Accrued expenses and other liabilities		134,918			146,518			195,256			151,960			204,695
Total liabilities		10,314,574			10,279,687			10,683,387			10,446,359			10,436,812
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock, $0.01 par value; 200,000,000 shares authorized; 96,998,075 shares issued, 96,998,075 shares issued, 96,998,075 shares issued, 96,998,075 shares issued, and 96,998,075 shares issued, respectively		970			970			970			970			970
Additional paid-in capital		904,697			903,696			902,584			901,562			904,775
Retained earnings		475,781			465,898			458,943			453,555			445,560
Accumulated other comprehensive income		(39,378	)		(42,498	)		(52,882	)		(38,081	)		(61,693	)
Treasury stock, at cost;
7,039,136, 7,037,610, 7,019,384, 7,015,843, and 7,373,009 shares, respectively		(87,899	)		(87,884	)		(87,676	)		(87,644	)		(91,132	)
Total stockholders’ equity		1,254,171			1,240,182			1,221,939			1,230,362			1,198,480
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$	11,568,745		$	11,519,869		$	11,905,326		$	11,676,721		$	11,635,292

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited)
	Three Months Ended
	June 30, 2025			March 31, 2025		December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024
	(In Thousands Except Share Data)
Interest and dividend income:
Loans and leases	$	143,933		$	143,309	$	147,436		$	149,643		$	145,585
Debt securities		6,691			6,765		6,421			6,473			6,480
Restricted equity securities		1,062			1,203		1,460			1,458			1,376
Short-term investments		2,386			2,451		2,830			1,986			1,914
Total interest and dividend income		154,072			153,728		158,147			159,560			155,355
Interest expense:
Deposits		52,682			53,478		56,562			59,796			59,721
Borrowed funds		12,705			14,420		16,597			16,756			15,633
Total interest expense		65,387			67,898		73,159			76,552			75,354
Net interest income		88,685			85,830		84,988			83,008			80,001
Provision for credit losses on loans		6,997			5,974		4,141			4,832			5,607
Provision (recovery) of credit losses on investments		3			12		(104	)		(172	)		(39	)
Net interest income after provision for credit losses		81,685			79,844		80,951			78,348			74,433
Non-interest income:
Deposit fees		2,472			2,361		2,297			2,353			3,001
Loan fees		472			393		439			464			702
Loan level derivative income (loss)		(4	)		70		1,115			—			106
Gain on sales of loans and leases held-for-sale		264			24		406			415			130
Other		2,766			2,812		2,330			3,116			2,457
Total non-interest income		5,970			5,660		6,587			6,348			6,396
Non-interest expense:
Compensation and employee benefits		35,147			35,853		37,202			35,130			34,762
Occupancy		5,349			5,721		5,393			5,343			5,551
Equipment and data processing		6,841			7,012		6,780			6,831			6,732
Professional services		1,471			1,726		1,345			2,143			1,745
FDIC insurance		1,880			2,037		2,017			2,118			2,025
Advertising and marketing		1,371			868		1,303			859			1,504
Amortization of identified intangible assets		1,431			1,430		1,701			1,668			1,669
Merger and restructuring expense		439			971		3,378			—			823
Other		4,132			4,404		4,600			3,856			4,373
Total non-interest expense		58,061			60,022		63,719			57,948			59,184
Income before provision for income taxes		29,594			25,482		23,819			26,748			21,645
Provision for income taxes		7,568			6,382		6,283			6,606			5,273
Net income	$	22,026		$	19,100	$	17,536		$	20,142		$	16,372
Earnings per common share:
Basic	$	0.25		$	0.21	$	0.20		$	0.23		$	0.18
Diluted	$	0.25		$	0.21	$	0.20		$	0.23		$	0.18
Weighted average common shares outstanding during the period:
Basic		89,104,605			89,103,510		89,098,443			89,033,463			88,904,692
Diluted		89,612,781			89,567,747		89,483,964			89,319,611			89,222,315
Dividends paid per common share	$	0.135		$	0.135	$	0.135		$	0.135		$	0.135

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited)

	Six Months Ended June 30,
		2025		2024
	(In Thousands Except Share Data)
Interest and dividend income:
Loans and leases	$	287,242	$	290,850
Debt securities		13,456		13,358
Restricted equity securities		2,265		2,868
Short-term investments		4,837		3,738
Total interest and dividend income		307,800		310,814
Interest expense:
Deposits		106,160		116,605
Borrowed funds		27,125		32,620
Total interest expense		133,285		149,225
Net interest income		174,515		161,589
Provision for credit losses on loans		12,971		13,030
Provision (credit) for credit losses on investments		15		(83	)
Net interest income after provision for credit losses		161,529		148,642
Non-interest income:
Deposit Fees		4,833		5,898
Loan Fees		865		1,491
Loan level derivative income, net		66		543
Gain on sales of loans and leases held-for-sale		288		130
Other		5,578		4,618
Total non-interest income		11,630		12,680
Non-interest expense:
Compensation and employee benefits		71,000		71,391
Occupancy		11,070		11,320
Equipment and data processing		13,853		13,763
Professional services		3,197		3,645
FDIC insurance		3,917		3,909
Advertising and marketing		2,239		3,078
Amortization of identified intangible assets		2,861		3,377
Merger and restructuring expense		1,410		823
Other		8,536		8,892
Total non-interest expense		118,083		120,198
Income before provision for income taxes		55,076		41,124
Provision for income taxes		13,950		10,087
Net income	$	41,126	$	31,037
Earnings per common share:
Basic	$	0.46	$	0.35
Diluted	$	0.46	$	0.35
Weighted average common shares outstanding during the period:
Basic		89,104,060		88,899,635
Diluted		89,590,267		89,201,912
Dividends paid per common share	$	0.270	$	0.270

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Asset Quality Analysis (Unaudited)
	At and for the Three Months Ended
		June 30, 2025			March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024
	(Dollars in Thousands)
NONPERFORMING ASSETS:
Loans and leases accounted for on a nonaccrual basis:
Commercial real estate mortgage	$	987		$	10,842		$	11,525		$	11,595		$	11,659
Multi-family mortgage		1,433			6,576			6,596			1,751			—
Total commercial real estate loans		2,420			17,418			18,121			13,346			11,659

Commercial		8,687			7,415			14,676			15,734			16,636
Equipment financing		46,067			32,975			31,509			37,223			27,128
Total commercial loans and leases		54,754			40,390			46,185			52,957			43,764

Residential mortgage		3,572			3,962			3,999			3,862			4,495
Home equity		1,561			1,333			1,043			1,076			790
Other consumer		1			1			1			1			1
Total consumer loans		5,134			5,296			5,043			4,939			5,286

Total nonaccrual loans and leases		62,308			63,104			69,349			71,242			60,709

Other real estate owned		700			700			700			780			780
Other repossessed assets		588			217			403			799			1,194
Total nonperforming assets	$	63,596		$	64,021		$	70,452		$	72,821		$	62,683

Loans and leases past due greater than 90 days and still accruing	$	24,899		$	3,009		$	811		$	16,091		$	4,994

Nonperforming loans and leases as a percentage of total loans and leases		0.65	%		0.65	%		0.71	%		0.73	%		0.62	%
Nonperforming assets as a percentage of total assets		0.55	%		0.56	%		0.59	%		0.62	%		0.54	%

PROVISION AND ALLOWANCE FOR LOAN AND LEASE LOSSES:
Allowance for loan and lease losses at beginning of period	$	124,145		$	125,083		$	127,316		$	121,750		$	120,124
Charge-offs		(5,601	)		(9,073	)		(8,414	)		(4,183	)		(8,823	)
Recoveries		474			1,476			1,162			375			436
Net charge-offs		(5,127	)		(7,597	)		(7,252	)		(3,808	)		(8,387	)
Provision for loan and lease losses excluding unfunded commitments *		7,707			6,659			5,019			9,374			10,013
Allowance for loan and lease losses at end of period	$	126,725		$	124,145		$	125,083		$	127,316		$	121,750

Allowance for loan and lease losses as a percentage of total loans and leases		1.32	%		1.29	%		1.28	%		1.31	%		1.25	%

NET CHARGE-OFFS:
Commercial real estate loans	$	3,524		$	—		$	—		$	—		$	3,819
Commercial loans and leases		1,640			7,647			7,257			3,797			4,571
Consumer loans		(37	)		(50	)		(5	)		11			(3	)
Total net charge-offs	$	5,127		$	7,597		$	7,252		$	3,808		$	8,387

Net loan and lease charge-offs as a percentage of average loans and leases (annualized)		0.21	%		0.31	%		0.30	%		0.16	%		0.35	%

*Provision for loan and lease losses does not include (credit) provision of $(0.7 million), $(0.7 million), $(0.9 million), $(4.5 million), and $(4.4 million) for credit losses on unfunded commitments during the three months ended June 30, 2025, March 31, 2025, December 31, 2024, September 30, 2024, and June 30, 2024, respectively.

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Average Yields / Costs (Unaudited)
	Three Months Ended
	June 30, 2025							March 31, 2025							June 30, 2024
	Average Balance		Interest (1)		Average Yield/ Cost			Average Balance		Interest (1)		Average Yield/ Cost			Average Balance		Interest (1)		Average Yield/ Cost
	(Dollars in Thousands)
Assets:
Interest-earning assets:
Investments:
Debt securities (2)	$	874,212	$	6,752		3.09	%	$	888,913	$	6,814		3.07	%	$	846,469	$	6,510		3.08	%
Restricted equity securities (2)		65,724		1,062		6.46	%		69,784		1,204		6.90	%		71,696		1,375		7.67	%
Short-term investments		215,982		2,386		4.42	%		202,953		2,451		4.83	%		143,800		1,914		5.33	%
Total investments		1,155,918		10,200		3.53	%		1,161,650		10,469		3.60	%		1,061,965		9,799		3.69	%
Loans and Leases:
Commercial real estate loans (3)		5,533,208		77,136		5.51	%		5,651,390		77,243		5.47	%		5,754,901		81,565		5.61	%
Commercial loans (3)		1,286,908		20,757		6.38	%		1,237,078		19,698		6.37	%		1,069,154		17,672		6.54	%
Equipment financing (3)		1,240,128		25,069		8.09	%		1,281,425		25,965		8.11	%		1,374,217		26,255		7.64	%
Consumer loans (3)		1,556,254		21,437		5.51	%		1,548,973		20,861		5.41	%		1,488,587		20,291		5.46	%
Total loans and leases		9,616,498		144,399		6.01	%		9,718,866		143,767		5.92	%		9,686,859		145,783		6.02	%
Total interest-earning assets		10,772,416		154,599		5.74	%		10,880,516		154,236		5.67	%		10,748,824		155,582		5.79	%
Non-interest-earning assets		630,518							662,814							704,570
Total assets	$	11,402,934						$	11,543,330						$	11,453,394

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity:
Interest-bearing liabilities:
Deposits:
NOW accounts	$	637,786		1,034		0.65	%	$	628,346		1,005		0.65	%	$	659,351		1,111		0.68	%
Savings accounts		1,780,838		10,692		2.41	%		1,743,688		10,173		2.37	%		1,731,388		11,874		2.76	%
Money market accounts		2,189,373		13,990		2.56	%		2,187,581		13,587		2.52	%		2,026,780		15,520		3.08	%
Certificates of deposit		1,879,749		18,437		3.93	%		1,886,386		19,593		4.21	%		1,699,510		18,717		4.43	%
Brokered deposit accounts		748,205		8,529		4.57	%		767,275		9,120		4.82	%		958,146		12,499		5.25	%
Total interest-bearing deposits		7,235,951		52,682		2.92	%		7,213,276		53,478		3.01	%		7,075,175		59,721		3.39	%
Borrowings
Advances from the FHLB		904,399		10,422		4.56	%		1,007,508		11,847		4.70	%		1,049,609		12,894		4.86	%
Subordinated debentures and notes		84,380		1,718		8.14	%		84,345		1,701		8.07	%		84,241		1,375		6.53	%
Other borrowed funds		46,086		565		4.93	%		71,462		872		4.95	%		103,753		1,364		5.29	%
Total borrowings		1,034,865		12,705		4.86	%		1,163,315		14,420		4.96	%		1,237,603		15,633		5.00	%
Total interest-bearing liabilities		8,270,816		65,387		3.17	%		8,376,591		67,898		3.29	%		8,312,778		75,354		3.65	%
Non-interest-bearing liabilities:
Demand checking accounts		1,654,594							1,680,527							1,646,869
Other non-interest-bearing liabilities		225,469							251,011							300,362
Total liabilities		10,150,879							10,308,129							10,260,009
Stockholders’ equity		1,252,055							1,235,201							1,193,385
Total liabilities and equity	$	11,402,934						$	11,543,330						$	11,453,394
Net interest income (tax-equivalent basis) /Interest-rate spread (4)				89,212		2.57	%				86,338		2.38	%				80,228		2.14	%
Less adjustment of tax-exempt income				527							508							227
Net interest income			$	88,685						$	85,830						$	80,001
Net interest margin (5)						3.32	%						3.22	%						3.00	%

(1) Tax-exempt income on debt securities, equity securities and revenue bonds included in commercial real estate loans is included on a tax-equivalent basis.
(2) Average balances include unrealized gains (losses) on investment securities. Dividend payments may not be consistent and average yield on equity securities may vary from month to month.
(3) Loans on nonaccrual status are included in the average balances.
(4) Interest rate spread represents the difference between the yield on interest-earning assets and the cost of interest-bearing liabilities.
(5) Net interest margin represents net interest income (tax-equivalent basis) divided by average interest-earning assets on an actual/actual basis.

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Average Yields / Costs (Unaudited)
	Six Months Ended
	June 30, 2025							June 30, 2024
	Average Balance		Interest (1)		Average Yield/ Cost			Average Balance		Interest (1)		Average Yield/ Cost
	(Dollars in Thousands)
Assets:
Interest-earning assets:
Investments:
Debt securities (2)	$	881,522	$	13,566		3.08	%	$	869,848	$	13,437		3.09	%
Restricted equity securities (2)		67,743		2,266		6.69	%		74,015		2,868		7.75	%
Short-term investments		209,503		4,837		4.62	%		137,284		3,738		5.45	%
Total investments		1,158,768		20,669		3.57	%		1,081,147		20,043		3.71	%
Loans and Leases:
Commercial real estate loans (3)		5,591,973		154,379		5.49	%		5,758,318		162,614		5.59	%
Commercial loans (3)		1,262,130		40,455		6.38	%		1,047,810		35,179		6.64	%
Equipment financing (3)		1,260,663		51,034		8.10	%		1,374,322		53,150		7.73	%
Consumer loans (3)		1,552,633		42,298		5.46	%		1,485,702		40,269		5.43	%
Total loans and leases		9,667,399		288,166		5.96	%		9,666,152		291,212		6.03	%
Total interest-earning assets		10,826,167		308,835		5.71	%		10,747,299		311,255		5.79	%
Non-interest-earning assets		646,577							684,343
Total assets	$	11,472,744						$	11,431,642

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity:
Interest-bearing liabilities:
Deposits:
NOW accounts	$	633,092		2,039		0.65	%	$	665,632		2,372		0.72	%
Savings accounts		1,762,366		20,865		2.39	%		1,712,804		23,226		2.73	%
Money market accounts		2,188,482		27,577		2.54	%		2,051,542		31,474		3.09	%
Certificates of deposit		1,883,049		38,030		4.07	%		1,661,814		35,389		4.28	%
Brokered deposit accounts		757,687		17,649		4.70	%		927,465		24,144		5.23	%
Total interest-bearing deposits		7,224,676		106,160		2.96	%		7,019,257		116,605		3.34	%
Borrowings
Advances from the FHLB		955,669		22,269		4.63	%		1,107,071		27,527		4.92	%
Subordinated debentures and notes		84,363		3,419		8.11	%		84,223		2,752		6.54	%
Other borrowed funds		58,704		1,437		4.94	%		98,406		2,341		4.78	%
Total borrowings		1,098,736		27,125		4.91	%		1,289,700		32,620		5.00	%
Total interest-bearing liabilities		8,323,412		133,285		3.23	%		8,308,957		149,225		3.61	%
Non-interest-bearing liabilities:
Demand checking accounts		1,667,489							1,635,690
Other non-interest-bearing liabilities		238,169							289,351
Total liabilities		10,229,070							10,233,998
Stockholders’ equity		1,243,674							1,197,644
Total liabilities and equity	$	11,472,744						$	11,431,642
Net interest income (tax-equivalent basis) /Interest-rate spread (4)				175,550		2.48	%				162,030		2.18	%
Less adjustment of tax-exempt income				1,035							441
Net interest income			$	174,515						$	161,589
Net interest margin (5)						3.27	%						3.03	%

(1) Tax-exempt income on debt securities, equity securities and revenue bonds included in commercial real estate loans is included on a tax-equivalent basis.
(2) Average balances include unrealized gains (losses) on investment securities. Dividend payments may not be consistent and average yield on equity securities may vary from month to month.
(3) Loans on nonaccrual status are included in the average balances.
(4) Interest rate spread represents the difference between the yield on interest-earning assets and the cost of interest-bearing liabilities.
(5) Net interest margin represents net interest income (tax-equivalent basis) divided by average interest-earning assets on an actual/actual basis.

BROOKLINE BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Non-GAAP Financial Information (Unaudited)
	At and for the Three Months Ended March 31,						At and for the Six Months Ended June 30,
		2025			2024			2025			2024
Reconciliation Table – Non-GAAP Financial Information	(Dollars in Thousands Except Share Data)						(Dollars in Thousands Except Share Data)

Reported Pretax Income	$	29,594		$	21,645		$	55,076		$	41,124
Add:
Merger and restructuring expense		439			823			1,410			823
Operating Pretax Income	$	30,033		$	22,468		$	56,486		$	41,947
Effective tax rate		25.3	%		24.4	%		24.8	%		24.5	%
Provision for income taxes		7,590			5,473			14,008			10,289
Operating earnings after tax	$	22,443		$	16,995		$	42,478		$	31,658

Operating earnings per common share:
Basic	$	0.25		$	0.19		$	0.48		$	0.36
Diluted	$	0.25		$	0.19		$	0.47		$	0.35

Weighted average common shares outstanding during the period:
Basic		89,104,605			88,904,692			89,104,060			88,899,635
Diluted		89,612,781			89,222,315			89,590,267			89,201,912

Return on average assets *		0.77	%		0.57	%		0.72	%		0.54	%
Add:
Merger and restructuring expense (after-tax) *		0.01	%		0.02	%		0.02	%		0.01	%
Operating return on average assets *		0.78	%		0.59	%		0.74	%		0.55	%

Return on average tangible assets *		0.79	%		0.59	%		0.73	%		0.56	%
Add:
Merger and restructuring expense (after-tax) *		0.01	%		0.02	%		0.02	%		0.01	%
Operating return on average tangible assets *		0.80	%		0.61	%		0.75	%		0.57	%


Return on average stockholders’ equity *		7.04	%		5.49	%		6.61	%		5.18	%
Add:
Merger and restructuring expense (after-tax) *		0.10	%		0.21	%		0.17	%		0.10	%
Operating return on average stockholders’ equity *		7.14	%		5.70	%		6.78	%		5.28	%


Return on average tangible stockholders’ equity *		8.85	%		7.04	%		8.34	%		6.65	%
Add:
Merger and restructuring expense (after-tax) *		0.13	%		0.27	%		0.21	%		0.13	%
Operating return on average tangible stockholders’ equity *		8.98	%		7.31	%		8.55	%		6.78	%

* Ratios at and for the three months and six months ended are annualized.

	At and for the Three Months Ended
	June 30, 2025			March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024
	(Dollars in Thousands)

Net income, as reported	$	22,026		$	19,100		$	17,536		$	20,142		$	16,372

Average total assets	$	11,402,934		$	11,543,330		$	11,580,572		$	11,451,338		$	11,453,394
Less: Average goodwill and average identified intangible assets, net		256,508			257,941			259,496			261,188			262,859
Average tangible assets	$	11,146,426		$	11,285,389		$	11,321,076		$	11,190,150		$	11,190,535

Return on average tangible assets (annualized)		0.79	%		0.68	%		0.62	%		0.72	%		0.59	%

Average total stockholders’ equity	$	1,252,055		$	1,235,201		$	1,232,527		$	1,216,037		$	1,193,385
Less: Average goodwill and average identified intangible assets, net		256,508			257,941			259,496			261,188			262,859
Average tangible stockholders’ equity	$	995,547		$	977,260		$	973,031		$	954,849		$	930,526

Return on average tangible stockholders’ equity (annualized)		8.85	%		7.82	%		7.21	%		8.44	%		7.04	%

Total stockholders’ equity	$	1,254,171		$	1,240,182		$	1,221,939		$	1,230,362		$	1,198,480
Less:
Goodwill		241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222
Identified intangible assets, net		14,600			16,030			17,461			19,162			20,830
Tangible stockholders’ equity	$	998,349		$	982,930		$	963,256		$	969,978		$	936,428

Total assets	$	11,568,745		$	11,519,869		$	11,905,326		$	11,676,721		$	11,635,292
Less:
Goodwill		241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222			241,222
Identified intangible assets, net		14,600			16,030			17,461			19,162			20,830
Tangible assets	$	11,312,923		$	11,262,617		$	11,646,643		$	11,416,337		$	11,373,240

Tangible stockholders’ equity to tangible assets		8.82	%		8.73	%		8.27	%		8.50	%		8.23	%

Tangible stockholders’ equity	$	998,349		$	982,930		$	963,256		$	969,978		$	936,428

Number of common shares issued		96,998,075			96,998,075			96,998,075			96,998,075			96,998,075
Less:
Treasury shares		7,039,136			7,037,610			7,019,384			7,015,843			7,373,009
Unvested restricted shares		854,334			855,860			880,248			883,789			713,443
Number of common shares outstanding		89,104,605			89,104,605			89,098,443			89,098,443			88,911,623

Tangible book value per common share	$	11.20		$	11.03		$	10.81		$	10.89		$	10.53

PDF available: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/713b7b8a-a804-4b26-a467-f10b0d266b1b

The MIL Network –

July 24, 2025

MIL-Evening Report: Immigration courts hiding the names of ICE lawyers goes against centuries of precedent and legal ethics requiring transparency in courts

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cassandra Burke Robertson, Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Professional Ethics, Case Western Reserve University

Some immigration courts have allowed ICE attorneys to conceal their names during proceedings. Jacob Wackerhausen/iStock via Getty Images

Something unusual is happening in U.S. immigration courts. Government lawyers are refusing to give their names during public hearings.

In June 2025, Immigration Judge ShaSha Xu in New York City reportedly told lawyers in her courtroom: “We’re not really doing names publicly.” Only the government lawyers’ names were hidden – the immigrants’ attorneys had to give their names as usual. Xu cited privacy concerns, saying, “Things lately have changed.”

When one immigration lawyer objected that the court record would be incomplete without the government attorney’s name, Xu reportedly refused to provide it. In another case, New York immigration Judge James McCarthy in July referred to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, attorney as merely “Department” throughout the hearing.

New York immigration Judge Shirley Lazare-Raphael told The Intercept that some ICE attorneys believe it is “dangerous to state their names publicly.” This follows a broader pattern of ICE agents wearing masks during arrests to hide their identities.

This secrecy violates a fundamental principle that has protected Americans for centuries: open courts. Here’s how those courts operate and why the principle governing them matters.

Hiding of ICE attorneys’ names in court fits a broader pattern seen here outside a New York immigration courtroom of ICE agents wearing masks.
AP Photo/Olga Fedorova

‘Presumption of openness’

The U.S. legal system is built on openness, with multiple layers of legal protection that guarantee public access to court proceedings.

This tradition of open courts developed as a direct rejection of secret judicial proceedings that had been used to abuse power in England. The notorious Star Chamber operated in secret from the 15th to 17th centuries, initially trying people “too powerful to be brought before ordinary common-law courts.”

But the Star Chamber eventually became a tool of oppression, using torture to obtain confessions and punishing jurors who ruled against the Crown. Parliament abolished it in 1641 after widespread abuses.

By the time American colonial courts were established, the reaction against the Star Chamber had already shaped English legal thinking toward openness. American courts adopted this principle of transparency from the beginning, rejecting the secretive proceedings that had enabled abuse.

Today, the term “star chamber” refers to any secret court proceeding that seems grossly unfair or is used to persecute individuals.

In the U.S., courts have repeatedly emphasized that “justice faces its gravest threat when courts dispense it secretly.” The First Amendment gives the public a right to observe judicial proceedings. The Supreme Court has ruled that “a presumption of openness inheres in the very nature of a criminal trial under our system of justice.”

Every federal appeals court has recognized that this constitutional right extends to civil cases too, with some exceptions such as protecting “the parties’ privacy, confidential business information, or trade secrets.” Federal court rules require that trials be “conducted in open court” and that witness testimony be “taken in open court unless otherwise provided.”

Many state constitutions also guarantee open courts – such as Oregon’s mandate that “no court shall be secret.”

While there’s no explicit law requiring attorneys to be publicly named, there’s also no policy allowing their names to be kept secret. The presumption is always toward openness.

In response to these recent developments, law professor Elissa Steglich said that she’d “never heard of someone in open court not being identified,” and that failing to identify an attorney could impair accountability “if there are unethical or professional concerns.”

Rules for anonymity

Courts sometimes allow anonymity, but only in specific circumstances.

Juries can be anonymous when there’s “substantial danger of harm or undue influence,” as legal expert Michael Crowell writes – like in high-profile organized crime cases or when defendants have tried to intimidate witnesses before. Even then, the lawyers still know the jurors’ names.

Similarly, parties to a lawsuit can sometimes use pseudonyms like “Jane Doe” when the case involves highly sensitive matters such as sexual abuse, or when there’s a real risk of physical retaliation.

But these rare exceptions require careful court review.

What’s happening with ICE attorneys is different. There’s no formal court ruling allowing it, no specific safety findings and no established legal process.

Immigration courts have fewer protections

Immigration courts operate differently from regular federal courts. They are so-called “administrative courts” that are part of the executive branch, not the judicial branch.

These courts decide claims involving an individual’s right to stay in the U.S., either when the government seeks to remove someone from the country for violating immigration law or when an individual seeks to stay in the country through the asylum process.

Immigration judges lack the lifetime job protections that regular federal judges have. As executive branch government employees, they can be hired and fired, just like other Department of Justice employees.

People in immigration court also have fewer procedural protections than criminal defendants. They have no right to court-appointed counsel and must represent themselves unless they can afford to hire an attorney. The majority of immigrants appear without an attorney. Outcomes are better for those who can afford to hire counsel.

Immigration court records are also less accessible to the public than other federal court proceedings.

For years, the Board of Immigration Appeals, the nation’s highest immigration court, made less than 1% of its opinions publicly available. A federal court ruled that public disclosure was required; the Board of Immigration Appeals now posts its decisions online.

However, lower immigration court decisions are rarely made public.

Because immigration courts operate with less oversight than regular federal courts, public observation becomes more critical.

Open courts aren’t just about legal procedure – they’re about democracy itself. When the public can observe how justice is administered, it builds confidence that the system is fair.

Federal agents patrol the halls of immigration court at the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building on July 21, 2025, in New York City.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Court watching protects transparency

Court watching has become an important way for citizens to ensure due process is honored, especially in immigration cases.

Observers can monitor whether proper legal procedures are being followed. They can watch for signs that attorneys are prepared, treating people respectfully and following court rules – regardless of whether those attorneys identify themselves.

Observers help track trends such as lack of legal representation, language barriers or procedural unfairness that can inform advocacy for reforms. This kind of public oversight is especially important in immigration court, where people often don’t have lawyers and may not understand their rights.

When community members bear witness to these proceedings, it helps ensure the system operates fairly and transparently.

Professional ethics and accountability

As a law professor who runs a law school’s Center for Professional Ethics, I can say that while there’s no specific law forcing ICE attorneys to identify themselves, they are still bound by rules of professional conduct that require accountability and transparency.

State bar associations have clear standards about attorney conduct in court proceedings. The American Bar Association’s Model Rules of Professional Conduct emphasize that lawyers are “officers of the legal system” with duties to uphold its integrity.

Immigration judges, despite being government employees rather than lifetime-tenured federal judges, are also bound by judicial conduct codes that require them to uphold public confidence in the justice system. When judges allow or encourage anonymity without formal procedures or safety findings, they risk violating these ethical obligations.

Bar associations can investigate professional conduct violations and impose sanctions ranging from reprimands to suspension or disbarment. While enforcement against federal government lawyers has historically been uncommon, sustained documentation by court observers can provide the evidence needed for formal complaints.

While government attorneys, judges and other court personnel may face real safety concerns, hiding their identities in open court is unprecedented and breaks with centuries of legal tradition that requires accountability and transparency in our justice system.

As pressure mounts to process immigration cases quickly, courts are ethically and legally bound to ensure that speed doesn’t come at the expense of fundamental fairness and transparency.

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

– ref. Immigration courts hiding the names of ICE lawyers goes against centuries of precedent and legal ethics requiring transparency in courts – https://theconversation.com/immigration-courts-hiding-the-names-of-ice-lawyers-goes-against-centuries-of-precedent-and-legal-ethics-requiring-transparency-in-courts-261452

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

July 24, 2025

MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM call with President Sandu of the Republic of Moldova: 23 July 2025

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Press release

PM call with President Sandu of the Republic of Moldova: 23 July 2025

The Prime Minister met the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, this afternoon.

Discussing Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine, the leaders agreed to work closely to stop the spread of malign disinformation and illicit finance, and the Prime Minister underscored the need to sanction those who seek to undermine democracy.

The Prime Minister updated the President on the progress of the Coalition of the Willing, and how all must ensure Ukraine is in the strongest possible position now and going forwards. The leaders discussed the effectiveness of sanctions on stopping Putin’s war machine, and how the international community must ramp up the pressure.

The leaders agreed on the importance of an unconditional ceasefire and the necessity of a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

They looked forward to speaking soon.

Published 23 July 2025

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

July 24, 2025

MIL-OSI NGOs: Wales: Welsh government accused of funding companies exporting arms to Israel despite public assurances

Source: Amnesty International –

FOI reveals £500,000 grant to weapons supplier

Weapons components supplied for F-35s and Apache gunships

‘Public money must never help fuel war crimes’ – Glenn Page

Amnesty International has condemned the Welsh Government for awarding public funds to a weapons manufacturer that exports military equipment to Israel – despite First Minister claims to the contrary.

In December 2024, the First Minister told the Senedd: “No Welsh Government financial support has been provided to companies in Wales who export arms to Israel since the 7 October attacks.”

But Freedom of Information requests submitted by Amnesty reveal that the Welsh Government awarded £500,000 in grant funding to SENIOR, a company that exports military equipment directly to Israel, including component parts for F-35 fighter jets and Apache gunships.

Glenn Page, Amnesty International’s Government and Political Relations Manager in Wales, said:

“The Welsh Government has quietly funded a company supplying weapons to Israel – despite mounting evidence of war crimes and genocide being committed by Israel against Palestinian people in Gaza.

“This directly contradicts what the First Minister told the public. It’s deeply concerning that we only know this because of FOI requests – not because of transparency from the Welsh Government.

“Public money must never help fuel war crimes. There must be full transparency and accountability, beginning with an urgent, long-overdue review of public funding and investment, and the immediate introduction of a robust framework for human rights due diligence.”

Further FOI requests by Amnesty exposed that the Welsh Government does not conduct human rights due diligence checks before awarding public money to private companies. This means there are no guarantees that public money isn’t supporting weapons used in potential breaches of international law.

Earlier this year, the Senedd reiterated its support for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and urged the Welsh Government to “review public sector procurement and investments to ensure that ethical standards are upheld.” Despite supporting this call, no review has taken place.

Amnesty International is calling for the Welsh Government to:

Support an end to arms exports to Israel

Conduct an urgent and transparent review of all public funding, procurement, and investment policies.

Introduce mandatory human rights due diligence checks for any company receiving public money.

MIL OSI NGO –

July 24, 2025

MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Portmahomack to Tain bus pilot to start

Source: Scotland – Highland Council

The Highland Council has announced that a 2 day a week pilot bus service from Portmahomack to Tain will start on Thursday 24 July.

The 416A service will operate on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The first bus of the day will depart from Main Street Portmahomack at 9:40, stopping at Tarrel 9:45am and Shore Road in Inver at 09:51 before arriving in Tain at 10.00am. Another two journeys from Portmahomack will depart at 13:40 and 17:40.

The two return journeys each Tuesday and Thursday from Tain to Portmahomack depart at 13:15 and 17:15.

During the summer school holidays, the service will be jointly delivered by The Highland Council and by Rapsons. From Tuesday 19 August, the service will be delivered entirely by Rapsons.

Chair of The Highland Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Councillor Ken Gowans said: “As this new twice a week bus is a pilot, people living and visiting in these communities are very much encouraged to use the service. As a bonus, during the school holidays, we will not be charging, so everyone can travel back and forth between Portmahomack and Tain for free.”

“The pilot will run for 3 months, after which we will assess usage patterns and user feedback.”

23 Jul 2025

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

July 24, 2025

MIL-OSI Russia: 3 killed in shooting in Northern Ireland

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

LONDON, July 23 (Xinhua) — Two children and a woman were killed in a shooting incident in Northern Ireland’s County Fermanagh on Wednesday morning, local police said.

All the victims were members of the same family, District Commander Inspector Robert McGowan told a news conference.

“We can advise that there is currently no threat to the public,” a Police Service of Northern Ireland spokesman said.

Law enforcement officials say the motive for the shooting remains unclear. A case of premeditated murder has been opened, and the investigation is in its early stages. –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.

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MIL OSI Russia News –

July 24, 2025

MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to observational study looking at rates of depression and anxiety in teens who smoke and vape

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

July 23, 2025

An observational study published in PLOS Mental Health looks at mental health outcomes in teens who smoke or use e-cigarettes.

Prof Peter Hajek, Professor of Clinical Psychology, and Director of the Health and Lifestyle Research Unit, Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), said:

“There is not much novelty in this study. The findings add to the well-established link between mental health issues or other sources of stress, especially in childhood, and the use of psychoactive substances including nicotine.”

Prof Stella Chan, Charlie Waller Chair in Evidence-Based Psychological Treatment, University of Reading, said:

“This well conducted study has helpfully established robust evidence for a link between the use of cigarettes and vapes and symptoms of depression and anxiety in adolescents in the US. As acknowledged by the authors, the cross-sectional nature of the data cannot point towards causal relationships. It is therefore impossible to determine from this study if the use of tobacco increases the risk for mental health problems; or that adolescents with mood difficulties use tobacco as a coping strategy; or if a bit of both. Future research can also investigate differences between gender groups, those with neural divergent conditions, those belonging to minority or vulnerable groups such as LGBT+ , in care system, or justice system, to understand the effects of tobacco use in further details in order to inform support and intervention.”

Dr Jasmine Khouja, Senior Research Associate in the Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group, University of Bristol, said:

“This study design is not appropriate to address the research question. The study measures whether adolescents who have ever tried a “tobacco product” (even just once) are more or less likely to have some symptoms of anxiety or depression. It does not measure whether regularly using e-cigarettes or smoking causes depression or anxiety. Although the number of young people who used e-cigarettes more than once or twice is not reported, the majority of this group is likely made up of young people who vaped once or twice to give it a try. Therefore, the study measures whether people with anxiety and depression symptoms are more likely to have experimented with potentially risky products. This is not discussed in the limitations, which is concerning because the authors should be aware that the measure is not appropriate for this question.

“The study does not adequately account for other factors that could be driving this link, and it is cross-sectional, meaning that the mental health symptoms could have preceded the vaping experimentation. The authors state that nicotine could be a mechanism by which vaping could cause depression and anxiety, but they did not ascertain whether the products contained nicotine or not.

“It is important to note that although the authors describe e-cigarettes as tobacco products, e-cigarettes do not contain tobacco, and using e-cigarettes is not considered tobacco use.

“This study alone does not add much to our understanding of the relationship between vaping, smoking, and mental health. Much more research (with a more appropriate study design) is needed before we can determine whether vaping causes poor mental health.”

Dr Johnathan Livingstone-Banks, Lecturer & Senior Researcher in Evidence-Based Healthcare, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, said:

“This study finds a correlation between ever trying cigarettes or vapes and reporting depression or anxiety, but as the authors note, it doesn’t show that one causes the other. It could just as easily be that young people with poor mental health are more likely to experiment. However, that does not mean that this correlation shouldn’t be taken seriously, and there is evidence in adults that quitting smoking can improve mental health.

“In the US, vapes are classed as tobacco products. But it’s worth clarifying: while they usually contain nicotine, they don’t contain any tobacco. In the UK, they’re not classified as tobacco products.

“This survey counts anyone who has ever used a vape or cigarette, even just once, as a user. That’s potentially misleading, especially when it comes to ‘dual use’. Someone who tried a vape once and a cigarette once, perhaps years apart, would be counted as dual users. Without more detailed data, we can’t tell whether these young people were actual users or just experimenting. The sample probably includes a mix of both.”

Dr Lion Shahab, Chartered member of the British Psychological Society, said:

“This study analysed cross-sectional data from the US National Youth Tobacco Survey to investigate the association of cigarettes and e-cigarette use in youth with self-reported depression and anxiety symptoms. The results show that exclusive cigarette and exclusive e-cigarette use, as well as co-use of both products was associated with higher depression and anxiety levels than not using either. Tobacco use has a well-established bidirectional relationship with mental health such that mental health symptoms predict later smoking and smoking leads to deterioration in mental health symptoms. This study shows that a similar relationship may exist with e-cigarette use.

“However, there are several caveats that need to be considered when interpreting these findings. First, as all measurements were taken at the same time, it is not clear whether e-cigarette use preceded poorer mental health symptoms or whether poorer mental health symptoms preceded e-cigarettes use, or whether there is evidence of an effect in both directions. This can only be assessed in a longitudinal cohort study where timelines of what occurs first (e-cigarette use or deterioration in mental health symptoms) can be clearly established.

“Due to the cross-sectional nature of this study, it is therefore as likely that adolescents who have experienced psychological stress or mental health problems may be more likely to start vaping as it is that prior vaping leads to later poor mental health outcomes. Second, as for most epidemiological studies, there is a risk that important factors that influence both e-cigarette use and mental health symptoms were not controlled for. For instance, this study did not account for familial history of mental health problems, which may – in part – explain the observed association.

“Lastly, the study used a relatively crude measure of e-cigarette use, which was defined ‘ever e-cigarette only use’. This category lumps together adolescents who may have used an e-cigarette once or twice with youth who vape daily, which is unhelpful. It is unlikely that very occasional e-cigarette use will have lasting effects on mental health. Future work would benefit from investigating whether the frequency of vaping and nicotine content in vapes has a dose-response relationship with mental health symptoms. Notwithstanding these issues, this study highlights the need to examine the effects of vaping in youth, not only in terms of potential physical health but also mental health.”

‘Mental health outcomes associated with electronic cigarette use, combustible tobacco use, and dual use among U.S. adolescents: Insights from the National Youth Tobacco Survey’ by Abdulhay et al. was published in PLOS Mental Health at 19:00 UK time on Wednesday 23th July.

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmen.0000370

Declared interests

Dr Jasmine Khouja None

Prof Peter Hajek None

Prof Stella Chan None

Dr Jonathan Livingstone-Banks No financial conflicts – I’ve never received funding from industry. I’m a tobacco control researcher at the University of Oxford and I’m an author of numerous academic papers on smoking and e-cigarettes, including the Cochrane reviews on e-cigarettes for smoking cessation and interventions for vaping cessation.

Dr Lion Shahab None

For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

July 24, 2025

MIL-OSI Analysis: Immigration courts hiding the names of ICE lawyers goes against centuries of precedent and legal ethics requiring transparency in courts

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Cassandra Burke Robertson, Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Professional Ethics, Case Western Reserve University