The United Nations Rights Office sounds the alarm on forced displacement in the West Bank

UN rights office sounds the alarm over forced displacement in the West Bank

Israeli authorities have stepped up measures to transfer large numbers of people from long-standing Palestinian towns and communities, according to OHCHR’s office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

On 18 June, the High Planning Council in the Israeli Civil Administration issued a directive to reject all building and planning permits submitted by Palestinians in Masafer Yatta, South Hebron Hills, in the area referred by the Israeli authorities as Firing Zone 918.

The decision was based on the grounds that the Israeli army needs the area for “military training,” the rights office said.

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Demolitions on the rise

In recent months, Israel has dramatically ramped up home demolitions, as well as the arbitrary arrest and ill-treatment of Palestinians and human rights defenders. This is happening alongside intensifying movement restrictions in and around Masafer Yatta, to force Palestinians out, the office noted.

At the same time, Israeli settlers from nearby outposts have carried out daily attacks and harassment of Palestinians, including older people, women and children, to force them to leave.

“The recent directive by the Israeli Civil Administration effectively paves the way for the Israeli army to demolish existing structures in the area and expel the approximately 1,200 Palestinians, who have been living there for decades,” OHCHR said.

“This would amount to forcible transfer, which is a war crime. It could also amount to a crime against humanity if committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack.”

Some 6,463 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced following the demolition of their homes by Israel between 7 October 2023 and 31 May 2025, according to the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA,

This figure does not include the approximately 40,000 Palestinians displaced from three refugee camps in Jenin and Tulkarem as a result of intensive Israeli operations in the northern West Bank since January.

During the same period, over 2,200 Palestinians were forcibly displaced by settler attacks and access restrictions.

More communities at risk

OHCHR added that countless other Palestinian communities face the same fate of forced displacement. It said that on 10 June, the Jerusalem municipality reportedly issued demolition notices for the entire village of An Nu’man, home to 150 people.

The village, which is located near Bethlehem, was cut off from the rest of the West Bank by the construction of the separation wall and incorporated into Israel’s unilaterally declared boundaries of the Jerusalem municipality. Most Palestinians were not provided with Jerusalem identification cards, effectively rendering them unable to access services in either East Jerusalem or the rest of the West Bank.

“These demolition notices appear to be another step by Israel to compound the coercive environment and forcibly transfer Palestinians from the village and consolidate the annexation of this land,” the office said.

Evictions in East Jerusalem

Meanwhile, Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem also face the ongoing threat of forced eviction from their homes and lands.

OHCHR said that on 16 and 22 June, the Israeli Supreme Court endorsed the eviction of five Palestinian families, 37 people, from their homes in the Batn El Hawa neighbourhood of Silwan based on discriminatory laws that permit Jewish individuals to reclaim property lost in the 1948 war, while denying Palestinians the same rights.

Additionally, the Israel Land Authority issued eviction notices on 11 June for residencies in Umm Tuba. The 150 Palestinians affected were informed that the land was registered to the Jewish National Fund under the “settlement of land title”.

“These evictions form part of a concerted campaign by the Israeli State and settler organisations, which target Palestinian neighbourhoods to seize Palestinian homes and expand Jewish settlements,” OHCHR said.

The office stressed that these acts violate international law, which prohibits the confiscation of private property in occupied territory, as highlighted by the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) last July.

DR Congo: Conflict survivors ‘have been through hell,’ says UN aid chief

By

United Nations News

-

26 June 2025

DR Congo: Conflict survivors ‘have been through hell,’ says UN aid chief

Speaking from the Goma region, whose main city was overrun by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in January, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher explained that people had suffered “decades of trauma”.

The last few months have been “particularly horrific for so many”, he added, referring to the lawless fall-out from heavy fighting this year between the rebel fighters and the regular DRC army that has been linked to serious human rights abuses, including potential war crimes.

“Most striking today and yesterday has been the stories of sexual violence, and sitting with women who tell horrific stories which are too horrific for me to tell here and who are trying to find the courage to rebuild their lives,” the UN relief chief said.

“We’re there providing that support to them, trying to help them rebuild, but they have been through hell.”

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Peace call

All those newly displaced by the M23 rebel advance are in addition to the five million people already living in displacement camps in eastern DRC. Today, more than 20 million people need relief assistance. “They are desperate for this conflict to end,” Mr. Fletcher continued.

A day after NATO Member States agreed to a five per cent increase in funding for their collective defence, investment in the humanitarian work of the UN and its partners is at rock bottom.

In DRC, a full 70 per cent of UN aid programmes was historically funded by the United States – “amazing generosity over decades” – Mr. Fletcher noted. But today “we’re seeing most of that disappearing”, he insisted, forcing the humanitarian community to make “brutal choices, life-and-death choices” about who receives help.

“For these women – the survivors of sexual violence, for the kids who told me they needed water, for the communities that told me they needed shelter, medicine, these cuts are real right now and people are dying because of the cuts,” the top UN official explained.

Aid teams haven’t stopped

Despite the difficulties linked to the protracted nature of the conflict in DRC and the massive needs, UN aid teams and their partners are “working hard to get access to those communities,” Mr. Fletcher insisted – “trying to get the airport back open, trying to get roads open, trying to unblock checkpoints that are impeding our aid from getting through”.

In an attempt to square the circle of the steadily diminishing amount of aid funding provided globally, Mr. Fletcher recently announced a “hyper-prioritized” plan to save 114 million lives this year. But that is dependent on receiving the necessary funding. “All we’re asking for to do that is one per cent of what the world spent on defence last year,” he continued.

After visiting and connecting with communities impacted time and again by the fighting, the top UN official insisted that they should not be forgotten. “They are the frontlines of the humanitarian effort,” he said.

Communities on front line

“I suppose the glimmer of hope in all of this is, yes, we can work in that more efficient and prioritized way and will do that; but also, the communities here who are – basically – they’ve come through so much and they are determined to support each other.”

And despite rising antipathy in some countries towards international cooperation including the work and peace-promoting efforts of the United Nations, Mr. Fletcher insisted that reasons for optimism remain.

“I really strongly believe there is a movement out there that will back this work, that will support this work,” he told UN News. “We’ve got to find them. We’ve got to enlist them, and we’ve got to show them that we can deliver for them.

“And, you know, I have not given up on human kindness and human solidarity. I have not given up on the UN Charter for a second. And this work is at the heart of it.”

Eighty years later, a UN charter marked by reflection, resolution – and a race

By

NewsdeskTET

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26 June 2025

Under a fresher sky after days of intense heat, the race ended when it all started, at the original Charter of the United Nations – The document that launched the organization and reshaped the modern international order – now exposed to the UN headquarters.

Inside the general meeting room, the delegates gathered to commemorate the 80th anniversary of his signature.

They have thought about the last eight decades in which the UN has helped to rebuild countries after the Second World War, supported the independence of the former colonies, favored peace, provided aid, rights and advanced development of man and a fight against emerging threats such as climate change.

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To save the following generations of the scourge of war

President of the General Assembly Philitarmon Yang described the moment as “symbolic” but dark, noting in progress in Gazan, Ukraine and Sudan, and the growing challenges of multilateralism.

He urged nations to choose diplomacy rather than strength and to maintain the vision of the Charter of Peace and Human Dignity: “We must grasp the moment and Choose dialogue and diplomacy instead of destructive wars. “”

Secretary General António Guterres Echoing this call, warning that the principles of the Charter are increasingly threatened and must be defended as the foundation of international relations.

“” The Charter of the United Nations is not optional. It is not an à la carte menu. This is the foundation of international relations“He said, stressing the need to go to his promises” for peace, for justice, for progress, for us the peoples “.

Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Security advice The president of June, underlined the urgency of renewing collective measures to fight against emerging global threats.

“” That this 80th anniversary of the Charter is not only an opportunity for reflection, but also a call to actionShe urged.

The general assembly commemorates the 80th anniversary of the signature of the Charter UN.

To unite our strength to maintain international peace and security

Eighty years ago, on June 26, 1945, the delegates of 50 countries gathered in San Francisco to sign a document that would change the course of history.

Forged following the Second World War, by a generation marked by the great depression and the holocaust and having learned the painful lessons of the collapse of the League of Nations, the Charter of the United Nations represented a new world pact.

Its preamble – “we, the peoples of the United Nations” – echoed the determination to prevent future conflicts, to reaffirm faith in human rights and to promote peace and social progress.

This very document, kept by the National Archives and Records Administration of the United States, has returned-for the first time in decades-at the heart of the institution it has founded.

Now on the public demonstration at the UN headquarters until September, the original charter is a powerful symbol: not only of a past promise, but of a lasting commitment to multilateralism, peace and the shared goal.

Video: The UN Charter returns to the UN headquarters

To promote social progress and better standards of life

No more votes – presidents of Economic and social council (Ecosoc) and the International Court of Justice (Icj) – also spoke, reaffirming the lasting relevance of the charter and the need to defend it.

Bob Rae, president of Ecosoc, attracted an arc through human history to underline the young people’s relative of the UN – aged eight decades in a global context of millennia.

“We currently have the advantage of being able to look lucidly what we have accomplished, while recognizing our successes and our failures,” he said, holding a copy of the charter used by his father.

“” The United Nations is not a government and the Charter is not perfect“, He said,”But it was founded with great aspirations and hope.“”

The president of the CIJ, judge Yuji Iwasawa, reflected in progress since 1945 and the challenges the world community is still confronted.

“During the 80 years that followed the editors of the Charter, the international community has made remarkable progress. However, he also faces many challenges, “he said. “” The vision of the editors of the Charter to respect the rule of law for international peace and security, remains not only relevant but essential today.“”

Jordan Sanchez, a young poet, speaks to the General Assembly during the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the signing of the Charter of the United Nations.

To reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights

In a powerful reminder that the charter speaks not only of the past, but also of future generations, Jordan Sanchez, a young poet, went on stage.

His piece of words spoken, Let light fallmentioned not statements, but feelings of hope And the vision of a better world.

“Let the light fall,” she started, “on faces fallen hidden in the shadow of contempt … where children run towards the light of your face, towards the warmth of your presence and the silence of your peace.”

“There is no fear, only abundance, of security, of security, to know that there will always be enough light for me,” she said, describing a restored Eden of Eden landscape-not a lost paradise, but glimpsed from justice, equity and shared humanity.

“” Let’s be bold enough to look down and take it, humble enough to kneel and bathe us, love enough to collect and share it, and childish enough to really, really believe.“”

Equal rights of men and women

While the world marks 80 years of the Charter of the United Nations, it should be remembered that its promise of equal rights for men and women was hardly won from the start.

In 1945, only four women were one of the 850 delegates who met in San Francisco to sign the document, and only 30 of the countries represented granted women the right to vote.

In 2018 UN News Podcast, the researchers highlighted these neglected pioneers – and asked why women who helped shape the founding vision of the UN are so often excluded from its history.

Listen to the podcast here.

Note: The subtitles of this article are drawn directly from the preamble to the Charter of the United Nations, whose sustainable language continues to guide the organization’s mission.

Originally published at Almouwatin.com

EPPO strikes criminal networks flooding EU with fraudulent Chinese imports

By

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26 June 2025

EPPO strikes criminal networks flooding EU with fraudulent Chinese imports

Tons of goods illegally imported through port of Piraeus, €700 million in losses

(Luxembourg, 26 June 2025) – A coordinated raid by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Athens (Greece), Madrid (Spain), Paris (France) and Sofia (Bulgaria) has dealt a significant blow to criminal networks flooding the EU market with goods fraudulently imported from China, while evading custom duties and VAT. The criminal scheme, which involved the massive importation of textile, shoes, e-scoters, e-bikes and other goods, is believed to have caused an estimated damage of approximately €700 million.

The investigation carried out by the EPPO, code-named ‘Calypso’, spans 14 countries: Bulgaria, China, Czechia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain. A total of 101 searches were conducted yesterday at the offices of customs brokers, companies controlled by the organised criminal groups under investigation, the premises of the suspects, and at the offices of tax advisers and representatives, lawyers, accountants and transport companies, in Bulgaria, Greece, France and Spain. Ten suspects were arrested, including two customs officers. In addition, firearms and cold weapons were found and seized in the houses of three of the suspects.

Law enforcement agents seized €5.8 million (of which €4.75 million in Greece and the remaining in France and Spain), in different currencies, including Hong Kong dollars, euros in digital wallets and cryptocurrencies. In addition, 7 133 e-bikes and 3 696 e-scooters were secured, as well as 480 containers for further checks and verification in the Port of Piraeus. Eleven properties located in Spain were also seized, as well as 27 vehicles and luxury items (bags, watches and jewellery). Freezing orders were also issued in Greece to seize real estate, boats and bank accounts.

At issue are several criminal networks, mainly controlled by Chinese nationals, that handle the full circuit of the goods imported from China into the EU market, including distribution to different Member States and sales to end customers, as well as money laundering and sending the profits back to China, while defrauding the payment of customs duties and committing large-scale VAT fraud.

How it works

The fraudulent scheme starts with the introduction of the goods from China into the EU, mainly through the port of Piraeus (Greece), with a substantial undervaluation or misclassification of the goods, in order to evade custom duties – using false documents to conceal the true value and nature of the merchandise. A network of professional enablers operating at the customs entry point, such as customs brokers, service providers and accounting firms, facilitate the initial clearance, and the apparent purchase and transport of the merchandise by companies mainly registered in Bulgaria, but operating in Greece with a Greek VAT registration number.

The goods are subsequently sold to companies established in other Member States, thus allowing the first apparent purchaser to benefit from a VAT import exemption based on Customs Procedure 42 (CP42). This procedure, created to simplify cross-border trade, exempts importers from paying VAT in the country of importation, if the imported goods are subsequently transported to another EU Member State.

Through a chain of buffer and shell companies, the goods are apparently sold to companies in specific Member States, where they are supposed to be sold on the market. These fraudulently declared destinations include Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain. However, these fake ultimate acquirers of the goods never receive the merchandise, and operate as a missing trader, thus not paying VAT. In some cases, the criminal organisations used identity documents from legitimate companies, fraudulently hijacking their VAT numbers to conceal the true destination of the goods.

In reality, after the goods enter the EU, they are stored in warehouses and places controlled by the criminal organisations, and from there they are transported, using false documents, to France, Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain (the real countries of destination). These Chinese logistics centres, where all goods are stored, operate as highly controlled warehouse districts, functioning almost like exclusive communities, accessible only to members of the criminal groups managing them.

The transport documents are destroyed as soon as the goods are delivered, and the merchandise is sold to end customers mostly on the black market, in cash, as part of a highly concealed parallel economy.

One-stop criminal enterprise

The criminal organisations under investigation are in charge of producing the false invoices and transport documents to conceal the real destination of the goods, and to recruit a large network of sham companies used for the fake sales and deliveries, in order to hide the whole fraudulent chain. This allows the companies controlled by the criminal organisations to sell the products at a very competitive price, since VAT remains unpaid and customs duties and anti-dumping fees are largely evaded.

Finally, the proceeds of the crime are transferred to China using different money laundering techniques, including providing money laundering services to other criminal organisations via trade-based underground banking systems. In this way, the organised criminal groups control and conceal the whole criminal chain, from the initial fraudulent import to the VAT fraud, and from the sale of the goods to the laundering of the profits.

The total damage of the criminal activities under investigation is currently estimated at approximately €700 million: over €250 million come from evaded customs duties (which revert entirely to the EU budget), and close to €450 million from unpaid VAT (which damages both the EU budget and the national budgets of Member States). The damage caused by the fraudulent scheme under investigation is likely much higher. Greece’s Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) is also actively supporting the EPPO to further evaluate the extent of the damage in evaded customs duties.

This EPPO-led investigation was supported by Europol through analytical assistance, coordination via a Virtual Command Post, and the deployment of an expert to the command centre in Luxembourg, with additional backing from national law enforcement agencies – highlighting the value of cross-border cooperation against organised crime. The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) contributed to the detection.

All persons concerned are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in the competent courts of law.

The EPPO is the independent public prosecution office of the European Union. It is responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU.

List of most important partners and national authorities involved:

Europol
European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)
Hellenic Internal Affairs Agency of Law Enforcement Bodies (Υπηρεσία Εσωτερικών Υποθέσεων Σωμάτων Ασφαλείας)
Hellenic Police’s Digital Forensics Investigations and Analysis Subdivision (Υποδιεύθυνση Ψηφιακής Εγκληματολογικής Έρευνας και Ανάλυσης της ΔΕΕ)
France’s National Anti-Fraud Office (Office National Antifraude – ONAF)
Bulgaria’s State Agency for National Security (ДАНС); National Investigation Service (Национална следствена служба); General Directorate National Police) Главна дирекция “Национална полиция”) and General Directoratе Gendarmerie and Specialised Counter-Terrorism Department (Главна дирекция “Жандармерия и специализан отряд за борба с тероризма”)
Spain’s National Police and Tax Agency (Policía Nacional and Agencia Estatal de Administración Tributaria)

Investigation ‘Calypso’: EPPO strikes criminal networks flooding EU with fraudulent Chinese imports

By

-

26 June 2025

Investigation ‘Calypso’: EPPO strikes criminal networks flooding EU with fraudulent Chinese imports

Tons of goods illegally imported through port of Piraeus, €700 million in losses

(Luxembourg, 26 June 2025) – A coordinated raid by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Athens (Greece), Madrid (Spain), Paris (France) and Sofia (Bulgaria) has dealt a significant blow to criminal networks flooding the EU market with goods fraudulently imported from China, while evading custom duties and VAT. The criminal scheme, which involved the massive importation of textile, shoes, e-scoters, e-bikes and other goods, is believed to have caused an estimated damage of approximately €700 million.

The investigation carried out by the EPPO, code-named ‘Calypso’, spans 14 countries: Bulgaria, China, Czechia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain. A total of 101 searches were conducted yesterday at the offices of customs brokers, companies controlled by the organised criminal groups under investigation, the premises of the suspects, and at the offices of tax advisers and representatives, lawyers, accountants and transport companies, in Bulgaria, Greece, France and Spain. Ten suspects were arrested, including two customs officers. In addition, firearms and cold weapons were found and seized in the houses of three of the suspects.

Law enforcement agents seized €5.8 million (of which €4.75 million in Greece and the remaining in France and Spain), in different currencies, including Hong Kong dollars, euros in digital wallets and cryptocurrencies. In addition, 7 133 e-bikes and 3 696 e-scooters were secured, as well as 480 containers for further checks and verification in the Port of Piraeus. Eleven properties located in Spain were also seized, as well as 27 vehicles and luxury items (bags, watches and jewellery). Freezing orders were also issued in Greece to seize real estate, boats and bank accounts.

At issue are several criminal networks, mainly controlled by Chinese nationals, that handle the full circuit of the goods imported from China into the EU market, including distribution to different Member States and sales to end customers, as well as money laundering and sending the profits back to China, while defrauding the payment of customs duties and committing large-scale VAT fraud.

How it works

The fraudulent scheme starts with the introduction of the goods from China into the EU, mainly through the port of Piraeus (Greece), with a substantial undervaluation or misclassification of the goods, in order to evade custom duties – using false documents to conceal the true value and nature of the merchandise. A network of professional enablers operating at the customs entry point, such as customs brokers, service providers and accounting firms, facilitate the initial clearance, and the apparent purchase and transport of the merchandise by companies mainly registered in Bulgaria, but operating in Greece with a Greek VAT registration number.

The goods are subsequently sold to companies established in other Member States, thus allowing the first apparent purchaser to benefit from a VAT import exemption based on Customs Procedure 42 (CP42). This procedure, created to simplify cross-border trade, exempts importers from paying VAT in the country of importation, if the imported goods are subsequently transported to another EU Member State.

Through a chain of buffer and shell companies, the goods are apparently sold to companies in specific Member States, where they are supposed to be sold on the market. These fraudulently declared destinations include Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain. However, these fake ultimate acquirers of the goods never receive the merchandise, and operate as a missing trader, thus not paying VAT. In some cases, the criminal organisations used identity documents from legitimate companies, fraudulently hijacking their VAT numbers to conceal the true destination of the goods.

In reality, after the goods enter the EU, they are stored in warehouses and places controlled by the criminal organisations, and from there they are transported, using false documents, to France, Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain (the real countries of destination). These Chinese logistics centres, where all goods are stored, operate as highly controlled warehouse districts, functioning almost like exclusive communities, accessible only to members of the criminal groups managing them.

The transport documents are destroyed as soon as the goods are delivered, and the merchandise is sold to end customers mostly on the black market, in cash, as part of a highly concealed parallel economy.

One-stop criminal enterprise

The criminal organisations under investigation are in charge of producing the false invoices and transport documents to conceal the real destination of the goods, and to recruit a large network of sham companies used for the fake sales and deliveries, in order to hide the whole fraudulent chain. This allows the companies controlled by the criminal organisations to sell the products at a very competitive price, since VAT remains unpaid and customs duties and anti-dumping fees are largely evaded.

Finally, the proceeds of the crime are transferred to China using different money laundering techniques, including providing money laundering services to other criminal organisations via trade-based underground banking systems. In this way, the organised criminal groups control and conceal the whole criminal chain, from the initial fraudulent import to the VAT fraud, and from the sale of the goods to the laundering of the profits.

The total damage of the criminal activities under investigation is currently estimated at approximately €700 million: over €250 million come from evaded customs duties (which revert entirely to the EU budget), and close to €450 million from unpaid VAT (which damages both the EU budget and the national budgets of Member States). The damage caused by the fraudulent scheme under investigation is likely much higher. Greece’s Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) is also actively supporting the EPPO to further evaluate the extent of the damage in evaded customs duties.

This EPPO-led investigation was supported by Europol through analytical assistance, coordination via a Virtual Command Post, and the deployment of an expert to the command centre in Luxembourg, with additional backing from national law enforcement agencies – highlighting the value of cross-border cooperation against organised crime. The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) contributed to the detection.

All persons concerned are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in the competent courts of law.

The EPPO is the independent public prosecution office of the European Union. It is responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU.

List of most important partners and national authorities involved:

Europol
European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)
Hellenic Internal Affairs Agency of Law Enforcement Bodies (Υπηρεσία Εσωτερικών Υποθέσεων Σωμάτων Ασφαλείας)
Hellenic Police’s Digital Forensics Investigations and Analysis Subdivision (Υποδιεύθυνση Ψηφιακής Εγκληματολογικής Έρευνας και Ανάλυσης της ΔΕΕ)
France’s National Anti-Fraud Office (Office National Antifraude – ONAF)
Bulgaria’s State Agency for National Security (ДАНС); National Investigation Service (Национална следствена служба); General Directorate National Police) Главна дирекция “Национална полиция”) and General Directoratе Gendarmerie and Specialised Counter-Terrorism Department (Главна дирекция “Жандармерия и специализан отряд за борба с тероризма”)
Spain’s National Police and Tax Agency (Policía Nacional and Agencia Estatal de Administración Tributaria)

European rural areas face higher levels of energy poverty

By

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26 June 2025

European rural areas face higher levels of energy poverty

Around 48 million Europeans are unable to keep their homes warm, according to a new report. Rural areas in the EU experience higher levels of energy poverty, especially in Bulgaria, Romania and Greece. However, rural areas are ahead of cities in carrying out energy efficiency improvements.

EUBAM Libya: Council extends mandate for two further years

By

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26 June 2025

EUBAM Libya: Council extends mandate for two further years

The Council renewed the mandate of EUBAM Libya for two years until 30 June 2027. Source link

Strategic Innovation Open Call | EIT

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26 June 2025

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Apply to the Strategic Innovation Open Call to develop impactful solutions that address the most pressing challenges in urban mobility.

The call focuses on supporting ambitious, market-critical projects that tackle clearly defined problems faced by cities, public authorities, and mobility providers. Through this call, EIT Urban Mobility fosters innovation and strengthens Europe’s competitiveness by encouraging collaboration across the EIT Knowledge Triangle – education, research, and business – alongside a fourth essential partner: cities.

The Call will focus on five sectors:

Urban logistics,
Public transport,
Mobility data management,
Electrification of transport and alternative fuels, and
Health and mobility.

EIT funding allocation

The total estimated funding allocated to this Call is € 60 million for the period 2026-2028 and has multiple cut-off dates The indicative funding for the first submission cut-off is: € 9 million.

Each project may receive up to € 2 million of EIT funding. EIT Urban Mobility will reimburse up to 65% of the eligible project costs, while the minimum co-funding rate for all proposals is 35%.

Who can apply?

This is a multi-beneficiary call for proposals and therefore there must be a minimum of two independent legal entities, working together. These entities must be established in two different European Member States, and/or Third countries associated with Horizon Europe.

How can you apply?

The Strategic Innovation Open Call is open from 2026-2028 with several cut-off dates as outlined below. The assessment of the proposals involves two stage: Stage 1 is the expert evaluation of proposals submitted via the EIT Urban Mobility NetSuite platform, followed by Stage 2, which includes a panel hearing and selection by the Selection Committee.

Info webinars

EIT Urban Mobility will host online information sessions from 1-3 July 2025. Register for the online information sessions via the Mobility Innovators platform.

Info webinar: Call content and Q&A | 10.00 – 11.30 CET, 1 July 2025
Info webinar: Commercialisation and financial sustainability | 14.00 – 15.00 CET, 2 July 2025
Info webinar: Intellectual property strategy | 9.30 – 10.30 CET, 3 July 2025
Info webinar: Guidance to applicants | 14.30 – 15.30 CET, 3 July 2025

Apply here

UN rights mission condemns civilian toll in deadly missile strikes on Ukraine

By

United Nations News

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26 June 2025

UN rights mission condemns civilian toll in deadly missile strikes on Ukraine

At least 24 people were reported killed and over 300 injured – including 32 children – when ballistic missiles struck Ukraine’s Dnipro and Odesa regions on Monday and Tuesday, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) said on Wednesday.

The attacks destroyed homes, schools, hospitals, and other civilian infrastructure, and left hundreds wounded.

“The attacks struck during the day when civilians were at work, on trains, or at school,” said Danielle Bell, head of HRMMU.

“The timing alone made the high number of civilian casualties entirely foreseeable.”

On 23 June, two ballistic missiles launched by Russian forces hit Lyceum No. 1, a middle school in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Odesa region. Although the school year had ended, staff and students were present for administrative work. The strike killed three educators and injured 14 others, including two boys.

The school, which served over 700 students, sustained critical damage.

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No military objective

HRMMU, which visited the attacks sites, reported no evidence of military presence at the school, and people confirmed that no military presence had been stationed there.

“The school in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi was not a military objective,” Ms. Bell said.

“Yet it was hit by two ballistic missiles, killing educators and injuring children.”

The following day, 24 June, missiles struck an industrial area of Dnipro city at around 11 AM local time. The blast shattered windows in nearby schools, hospitals and residential buildings.

HRMMU confirmed that two dormitories were hit, injuring numerous residents. A nearby passenger train was also impacted – windows blown out by the shockwave – injuring more than 20 travellers, according to a UN monitor onboard.

A troubling trend

These strikes followed a series of other attacks in June that have resulted in significant civilian harm, including in Kyiv city on 17 and 23 June, according to the human rights mission.

Civilian casualties in the first five months of 2025 were nearly 50 percent higher than during the same period last year, with increases typically seen during the summer months.

“Ballistic missiles, when used in densely populated areas, cause predictable and widespread harm to civilians, as demonstrated by these recent attacks,” Ms. Bell said.

“The rising civilian casualties reflect the severity of that risk.”