The effective management of the EU's external borders is a prerequisite for creating the EU area of freedom, security and justice. In response to an unprecedented influx of refugees and immigrants into Europe in the 2015-2016 period, the EU took steps to strengthen the management of its external borders, and to reform the common European asylum system. Several major challenges have affected the EU's external borders in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic pushed Member States to adopt extraordinary border measures, including temporary restrictions of non-essential travel into the EU. The pandemic also affected efforts to implement key EU measures aiming to strengthen the external borders, including the strengthening of Frontex and the expansion of EU-wide information systems for borders and security. Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine generated a new wave of refugees and revealed new vulnerabilities concerning EU borders. In the aftermath of the pandemic, the surge in the number of asylum seekers and irregular migrants has put new pressure on the EU's external borders. Attempts by third countries to instrumentalise irregular migrants in order to put pressure on the EU has meanwhile created additional hurdles. Faced with these multiple and overlapping challenges, the EU has intensified its efforts to reform its migration and asylum policies, notably by slowly working through the proposals included in the new pact on migration and asylum. It has also continued to implement measures that have already been agreed on to make up for delays caused by the pandemic. This briefing discusses key recent trends and figures and provides an overview of EU policy developments relating to the management of the EU's external borders. Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

The initiative aims to harmonise certain substantive rules on insolvency proceedings across the EU. The IA examines the nature and scale of the problems and who they affect. It establishes a clear intervention logic, from the problems and their drivers to the initiative's objectives and options. The IA identifies only two options, which are cumulative. It is questionable whether such options qualify as alternative options, as required in the BRGs. This range of options is very limited, and some policy measures do not have alternatives. The assessment of the economic, social and environmental impacts is mostly qualitative, but the IA also presents quantified estimates. Limitations and uncertainties in the analysis are described in a transparent manner. The IA gives an exhaustive account of the stakeholder groups' views on the problems, their drivers, the objectives and the options. The IA would have benefited from a more comprehensive analysis of the impacts on SMEs. It is in fact questionable whether the SME test has been fully performed, as it would appear from the IA that a dedicated consultation of SMEs was not conducted. Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

Ever since the early history of European universities, academic freedom has been acknowledged to be a fundamental feature of any higher education research system or institution. The emergence of the research university model in Germany in the early 1800s, highlighting the basic concepts of Lehrfreiheit and Lernfreiheit, contributed strongly to the central position of academic freedom in present-day higher education systems. Following the widespread democratisation of Europe and other parts of the world during the second half of the 20th century, academic freedom became no longer simply an abstract concept; in many countries, it was codified as a specific freedom. More recently, academic freedom has been recognised as a basic condition for a healthy democracy and an essential feature of any democratic political order. Currently, major breaches of and threats to academic freedom can be observed across Europe and the world. Presenting independent research into the de facto state of play of academic freedom in the EU Member States, this study has been designed to contribute to a better understanding of potential and real threats to academic freedom in the EU Member States, and ways in which the protection of academic freedom can be strengthened. Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

Public financing of enterprises, which has been on the rise globally, can have a distortive effect on competitive markets. In response to this trend, in May 2021 the European Commission published a proposal for a regulation to tackle foreign subsidies with a distortive effect on the EU single market. It would enable the Commission to investigate subsidies granted by non-EU public authorities to companies operating on the single market, and to apply countervailing measures, should these subsidies be found to be distortive. The Commission would have three tools at its disposal: two are notification-based, allowing it to investigate foreign subsidies in companies' mergers and acquisitions, and to investigate the bids in large public procurement procedures involving third-country government support. The acquirer or bidder would have to give ex-ante notification of external financial contribution. The third would enable the Commission to investigate other market situations. The Parliament adopted its position in plenary in May 2022, and trilogue negotiations concluded successfully in June 2022. Parliament approved the agreement in plenary by a large majority on 10 November 2022 and the final act was signed on 14 December 2022. The regulation entered into force on 12 January 2023. Fourth edition. The 'EU Legislation in Progress' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the legislative procedure. Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

The porn star, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, said her phone records are 'gonna hurt' Trump - on a day a grand jury in Manhattan investigating former President Trump didn't meet.

The Food Standards Agency, which published the alert, told people in the UK with coeliac disease or who are allergic or intolerant to gluten not eat the tomato and cheese-based riced balls.

DailyMail.com reporters will bring you all the latest from the third day of actress Gwyneth Paltrow's trial over a 2016 ski collision that allegedly left a retired optometrist with a brain injury.

The incident occurred outside the BSB bar in Bristol's waterfront district during the early hours of Friday.

In the first case of its kind in the UK, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, 60, his wife Beatrice, 56, were found guilty at the Old Bailey of conspiring to exploit a young man from Lagos for his body part.

A man who had his Charter rights violated when he was arrested for impaired driving has seen his conviction restored after the Supreme Court of Canada ruled Thursday that even though the evidence was obtained unlawfully it should not be excluded.

MPs will be voting later today in the House of Commons about whether to endorse a report calling for a public inquiry into foreign interference, a move that comes amid new allegations involving the Chinese government interference in Canada's affairs.

The Newfoundland and Labrador government is painting a sunny picture of the province’s financial future as health spending reaches record levels.

The Nova Scotia government’s 2023-24 budget shows major increases in tax revenue, and much of it is being spent on projects related to health care.

Radio-Canada has learned that the Trudeau government has reached a deal with the United States on irregular migration which will allow Ottawa to close the Roxham Road irregular crossing at the Canada-U.S. border. 

Odisha and West Bengal chief ministers, Naveen Patnaik and Mamata Banerjee, gave a call to protect the country’s federal structure during a meeting between them at the former’s residence in Bhubaneswar on Thursday. ​The meeting, which lasted for about 40 minutes, comes in the backdrop of Mamata’s interaction with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in Kolkata last week, triggering speculation of a possible non-Congress opposition taking on the BJP in the 2024 general elections.

After hosting an event celebrating President Barack Obama's signature achievement, President Biden plans to head to Canada for meetings with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The billionaire founder of Craigslist, Craig Newmark, is using his fortune to further shape journalism into partisan activism to help Democrats win elections. He is the nation’s leading financier of the “mis”- and “disinformation” industries and is now the largest private stakeholder in America’s legacy journalism schools.

SINGAPORE – A 33-year-old woman was found dead on Thursday night at Cove station along the Punggol East LRT loop. Transport operator SBS Transit announced on Twitter at 10.32pm on Thursday that both the Punggol East and West LRT loops were down. This was due to an incident at Cove station, which is the first station in the Punggol East LRT loop. In response to queries from The Straits Times, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it received a call for assistance at about 10pm. The woman was found motionless on the LRT track near the station’s platform and was pronounced dead at the scene. Based on preliminary investigations, the police said they do not suspect foul play. Investigations are ongoing.

China claims to have driven away a US Navy destroyer from the South China Sea, near the Paracel Islands Read Full Article at RT.com

Armenia plans to make a peace treaty with Azerbaijan, its prime minister Nikol Pashinyan has announced, vowing no further escalation Read Full Article at RT.com

A Russian governor’s son has reportedly fled house arrest in Italy after a court in Milan had agreed to extradite him to the US Read Full Article at RT.com

Though it does not recognize the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction, Ukraine has invited it to open an office in Kiev Read Full Article at RT.com

Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman has voiced concern over the banking crisis and the American economy Read Full Article at RT.com

Artyomovsk, located in the Kiev-controlled part of the DPR, is an important transport hub for the delivery of supplies to the Ukrainian group of troops in Donbass

Oil production will therefore total 9.7 mln barrels per day after the cut

Earlier, a Milan court approved Artyom Uss’ extradition to the US, where he is charged with evasion of sanctions and money laundering

It is recorded the ministry also recalled that Russian peacekeepers monitored the situation round-the-clock and controlled observance of the ceasefire regime at 30 observation posts

It was reported earlier that the Foreign Ministry of Finland authorized carriage of a batch of fertilizers for the Russian vessel Swem, detained in the port of Kotka on suspicions of breaching anti-Russian sanctions of the EU

A villager who tried to put out a fire was shot dead by regime soldiers.

The United Nations, in collaboration with the military regime, appears ready to repatriate Rohingya refugees regardless of whether they want to return or not.