Europol has launched a taskforce to tackle the rising trend of organised crime networks hiring youngsters to carry out threats, assaults, or killings for a fee. The taskforce brings together police from 8 European countries with Europol providing operational support and coordination. Source link
New taskforce to investigate the hiring of youngsters to commit violence for a fee
Europol has launched a taskforce to tackle the rising trend of organised crime networks hiring youngsters to carry out threats, assaults, or killings for a fee. The taskforce brings together police from 8 European countries with Europol providing operational support and coordination.
New MSCA Seal of Excellence call open in Poland
The National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) in Poland has opened a new call under the Ulam NAWA programme, which gives foreign scientists the opportunity to carry out research in Poland.
This call will support researchers with projects that have been awarded the Seal of Excellence under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowships call, and whose proposals have been evaluated with a score of at least 85%, but failed to be funded due to budget constraints.
About the call
The call budget is 13 million PLN and will allow outstanding scientists with at least a doctoral degree to come to Poland for a period of 6 to 24 months.
The programme is open to applicants representing all fields of science, without any age restrictions, and who
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hold at least a doctoral degree or an equivalent degree obtained abroad and
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have submitted, jointly with an institution of the Polish higher education and science system, an MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships application, which has been granted the Seal of Excellence certificate
How to apply
The call is open until 12 May 2025, 15.00 CEST.
The application is submitted by scientist via the NAWA website. The application and its attachments shall be written in English. It is allowed to submit a copy of the doctoral diploma in Polish.
About the MSCA Seal of Excellence
The MSCA Seal of Excellence is a quality label awarded to applicants under Postdoctoral Fellowships and COFUND calls who achieved a high score in their applications (85% or higher) but unfortunately were not awarded funding due to budgetary constraints.
The MSCA Seal of Excellence
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underlines the value of these projects and aims to support applicants in securing alternative funding
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allows other funding bodies such as national, regional, and local authorities, public and private institutions to support MSCA proposals that have been awarded the Seal of Excellence and to take advantage of the Horizon Europe evaluation process.
More information
New MSCA Seal of Excellence call open in Poland
The National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) in Poland has opened a new call under the Ulam NAWA programme, which gives foreign scientists the opportunity to carry out research in Poland. This call will support researchers with projects that have been awarded the Seal of Excellence under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowships call, […]
EIOPA opens first set of consultations in preparation for the EU’s insurance recovery and resolution framework
The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) has launched six consultations today, all related to the implementation of the European Union’s Insurance Recovery and Resolution Directive (IRRD). Today’s consultations propose draft guidelines and technical standards covering key aspects such as pre-emptive recovery plans, resolution plans and resolvability of insurance undertakings and groups.
The IRRD, which is set to become operational in 2027, introduces a recovery and resolution framework tailor-made for (re)insurers in Europe. The Directive puts the focus on the importance of pre-emptive planning and effective crisis management and aims at maintaining the stability of Europe’s insurance sector while also allowing for the orderly wind-down of failing undertakings and groups. The IRRD will make insurance failures less likely and limit the impact of failures when they do happen, making the management of insurance failures more effective and cost-efficient.
The consultations launched today concern crucial elements that will form the basis for the practical implementation of the IRRD. These include aspects such as pre-emptive recovery plans, resolution plans, resolvability assessment and the criteria to identify critical functions. In developing the instruments listed below, EIOPA sought to ensure proportionality and promote convergence while aiming to minimise the burden on both undertakings and authorities.
Content of pre-emptive recovery plans
The first consultation paper presents draft regulatory technical standards (RTS) that further specify the minimum elements that have to be included in the pre-emptive recovery plan of (re)insurers subject to pre-emptive recovery planning requirements.
Pre-emptive recovery plan criteria and methods to determine market shares
The second consultation paper concerns specific criteria for selecting which (re)insurers should be required to prepare pre-emptive recovery plans and details the methods for calculating the market share of undertakings subject to these requirements, ensuring that at least 60% of the respective market is covered.
Content of resolution plans
The third consultation paper sets out draft regulatory technical standards (RTS) that further specify the minimum elements that have to be included in the resolution plans.
Identification of critical functions
The fourth consultation paper specifies criteria for the identification of critical functions, the disruption of which could have a severe impact on policyholders, beneficiaries and the broader economy, including financial stability. The IRRD requires (re)insurers identified by resolution authorities as performing critical functions to draw up resolution plans.
Assessment of resolvability
The fifth consultation paper proposes Guidelines to further specify the criteria for the assessment of the resolvability of undertakings or groups, including the feasibility and credibility of their resolution strategy.
Addressing impediments to resolvability
The final consultation paper of this round relates to the alternative measures included in the Directive that resolution authorities may take to address or remove impediments to the resolvability of the insurance or reinsurance undertakings or groups in scope.
Background/Next steps
For more information on the IRRD – its objectives, key elements and the expected implementation timeline – visit the dedicated section of our website.
ESMA issues supervisory guidelines to prevent market abuse under MiCA
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the EU’s financial markets regulator and supervisor, has published today guidelines on supervisory practices to prevent and detect market abuse under the Market in Crypto Assets Regulation (MiCA). Based on ESMA’s experience under Market Abuse Regulation (MAR), the guidelines intended for National Competent Authorities (NCAs) include general principles […]
Gazans face hunger crisis as aid blockade nears two months
Both the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees, UNRWA, and the World Food Programme (WFP) report that food stocks are now exhausted, even as supplies of lifesaving assistance pile up at border crossings waiting to be brought in.
Humanitarians continue to warn that hunger is spreading and deepening in the enclave, amid the blockage, access constraints, ongoing Israeli military operations and a rise in looting.
Scarcity, sharing and shame
UNRWA shared the testimony of a woman called Um Muhammad who is staying at a shelter in Gaza City and prepares food for 11 family members daily. Although she still has some flour, most families nearby have already run out.
“When I knead and bake, I feel very ashamed of myself, so I distribute some bread to the children who come asking for a piece of bread,” she said.
“We eat one meal a day, dividing bread among each person daily. We eat canned goods, lentils, and rice. When this stock runs out, I don’t know what we will do because what is available in the market is scarce.”
Longest blockade
Gaza has a population of more than two million people who mostly depend on aid, but no humanitarian or commercial supplies have entered since 2 March when Israel imposed a full blockade on the territory.
This is by far the longest ban on aid moving into the Strip since the start of the war in October 2023, following the deadly Hamas-led terror attacks on Israel.
The situation has led to shortages – not just of food, but other items including medicine, shelter supplies and safe water. WFP recently noted a 1,400 per cent increase in food prices when compared to the ceasefire period, which lasted from 19 January to 18 March of this year.
Malnutrition and looting
On Friday, the UN agency delivered its last remaining stocks to hot meals kitchens, which have been a lifeline in recent weeks. The kitchens are expected to fully run out of food within days, and another 16 closed over the weekend. Furthermore, all 25 WFP-supported bakeries are now shuttered.
There has been an increase in reports of looting incidents, the UN humanitarian affairs office OCHA said on Monday. Over the weekend, armed individuals reportedly ransacked a truck in Deir Al-Balah and a warehouse in Gaza City.
Meanwhile, the latest famine review analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) got underway this week.
Humanitarian partners warn that the nutrition situation across Gaza is worsening. Since January, about 10,000 cases of acute malnutrition among children have been identified, including 1,600 cases of severe acute malnutrition.
Although treatment supplies remain available in the south, accessing them continues to be extremely challenging due to operational and security restrictions.
Healthcare also affected
OCHA stressed that the depletion of critical stocks in Gaza goes far beyond food. For example, trauma-related medical supplies are running out at a time when the number of people injured in mass casualty incidents continues to increase.
Gaza also lacks surgical supplies, including gowns, drapes and gloves. The World Health Organization (WHO) informed that their warehouse has run out of therapeutic milk, intravenous antibiotics and painkillers, as well as spare parts for ambulances and oxygen stations.
Partners working in health add that an increasing number of critical staff are being denied access to Gaza, with a rise in the denial of entry for emergency medical teams, particularly highly specialized professionals – including orthopedic and plastic surgeons – and a recent restriction of movement across the enclave.
Aid awaiting entry
As the aid ban continues, humanitarians are doing everything possible to reach people with whatever supplies remain available.
They also have stocks of food and other lifesaving items ready and waiting to enter the Gaza Strip as soon as border crossings re-open.
This includes nearly 3,000 UNRWA trucks of aid, while WFP has more than 116,000 metric tonnes of food assistance – enough to feed one million people for up to four months.
Republic of Moldova: EU restrictive measures renewed until 29 April 2026
The Council prolonged EU restrictive measures against those responsible for actions aimed at destabilising, undermining or threatening the sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Moldova, until 29 April 2026.
Republic of Moldova: EU restrictive measures renewed until 29 April 2026
The Council prolonged EU restrictive measures against those responsible for actions aimed at destabilising, undermining or threatening the sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Moldova, until 29 April 2026. Source link
One in four female genital mutilation cases now carried out by health workers
While the health sector worldwide plays a key role in stopping the abusive practice of FGM and supporting survivors, in several regions, evidence suggests otherwise.
As of 2020, an estimated 52 million girls and women were subjected to FGM at the hands of health workers – that’s around one in four cases.
“Health workers must be agents for change rather than perpetrators of this harmful practice,” said Dr Pascale Allotey, WHO’s Director for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research.
She insisted that cutting is a “severe violation of girls’ rights” which critically endangers their health.
Evidence has shown that FGM causes harm, regardless of who performs it – but it can be more dangerous when performed by health workers, as a “medicalised” procedure can result in more severe wounds, WHO warned in a statement on Monday.
As part of ongoing efforts to halt the practice altogether, the UN agency issued new guidelines urging greater action from doctors, governments, and local communities.
FGM in retreat
Cutting – which encompasses any procedure that removes or injures parts of the female genitalia for non-medical reasons – also requires high-quality medical care for those suffering its effects, WHO says.
Since 1990, the likelihood of a girl undergoing genital mutilation has dropped threefold, but 30 countries still practise it, putting four million girls each year at risk.
FGM can lead to short and long-term health issues, from mental health conditions to obstetric risks and sometimes the need for surgical repairs.
The newly published guidelines from WHO also suggest ways to improve care for survivors at different stages in their lives.
‘Opinion leaders’
Putting an end to the practice is within the realm of the possible – and some countries are heading in that direction, the UN health agency said.
“Research shows that health workers can be influential opinion leaders in changing attitudes on FGM, and play a crucial role in its prevention,” said Christina Pallitto, a senior author of the study at Scientist at WHO and the Human Reproduction Programme (HRP).
“Engaging doctors, nurses and midwives should be a key element in FGM prevention and response, as countries seek to end the practice and protect the health of women and girls,” she said.
Unrelenting efforts to stop FGM have led countries including Burkina Faso to reduce rates among 15 to 19-year-olds by 50 per cent in the past three decades.
Likewise, prevalence fell by 35 per cent in Sierra Leone and 30 per cent in Ethiopia – thanks to action and political will to enforce bans and accelerate prevention.
WHO in 2022 published a prevention training package for primary care health workers, to highlight the risks of the practice and equip them to engage sensitively with communities, while factoring in local culture and perspectives.
“Because of this training, I am now able to raise women’s awareness [of FGM] and persuade them about the… disadvantages,” said one health worker during the launch.
