Academic freedom is widely recognised as a fundamental value of contemporary higher education and research, and as a prerequisite for well-functioning democratic societies. However, in recent years, major concerns have been expressed by various stakeholders about the state of academic freedom in the European Union. The European Parliament annual Academic Freedom Monitor aims to improve the promotion and protection of academic freedom in the European Union. The 2025 edition is organised in two parts. The first part consists of an update of existing measures of academic freedom in all EU Member States, an updated overview of public debate and studies of the state of academic freedom in four selected EU Member States, and an examination of the EU's state of academic freedom in a global context. The second part contains a thematic analysis of the potential impact of selected trends in academic freedom within the EU, namely political polarisation, recent developments in the US higher education and research system, the commercialisation of academia, and foreign interference. Furthermore, EU-level policy options are proposed for possible legislative and non-legislative initiatives to enhance the support for academic freedom in the EU Member States. ITRE, CULT, EUDS, AFET EEAS EC: DG RTD, DG EAC Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

The growing controversy surrounding the powers of Malawi’s Director of Public Prosecutions has once again exposed a troubling weakness at the heart of the country’s constitutional architecture. The recent decision by the office of Fostino Maele to discontinue several high-profile corruption cases has ignited a national debate about whether prosecutorial discretion in Malawi has quietly […] The post DPP Powers Under Fire: When Prosecutorial Discretion Becomes a Democratic Risk appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

Only 71 Members of Parliament turned up for parliamentary deliberations this morning while a staggering 159 legislators—including cabinet ministers who are not MPs—were absent, exposing a growing culture of absenteeism that has alarmed the leadership of the Parliament of Malawi. The alarming attendance figures were revealed at the start of proceedings by the First Deputy […] The post Parliament Empty as 159 MPs Skip Sitting, Only 71 Show Up appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

In the first case involving a child attending preschool, a 11-month-old female infant has contracted measles.This comes after the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) stepped up measures to contain the infection, according to a press release on Tuesday (Feb 24).The agency was notified of the case on Feb 17, which is also the fifth measles case involving an infant below 12 months of age this year.The 11-month-old attended a preschool in Singapore and was not yet due for her vaccination for measles, mumps and rubella.During the infectious period of the measles she contracted, she had attended school.Parents and children in close contact with the case have been notified by the preschool, and epidemiological investigations are ongoing.Among the close contacts with the child, all except four were up to date with their measles vaccination or were in progress of getting vaccinated against measles, CDA said.The four were subsequently issued quarantine orders, but these orders were rescinded following their receipt of vaccination or post-exposure treatment.

Workers' Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh has called on the Government to provide a comprehensive «record card» of its spending after «one of the largest fiscal surpluses in decades».Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday (Feb 24), Singh said the political timing of the General Elections last May was «calculated» so that the ruling People's Action Party could use the US President Donald Trump's tariffs as a «rallying call» for voters to back the tried and tested. He said that since then, there has been little information of the tariffs and their actual impact on Singapore.«Despite the doom and gloom surrounding the Liberation Day tariffs, this PAP Government begins its new term with what may be the greatest fiscal surplus any PAP government has seen in decades.»In his Budget speech, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that Singapore's budget surplus for the 2025 financial year has been revised to $15.1 billion, more than double the earlier estimate of $6.8 billion.He cited several reasons for this, including a better-than-expected economic performance, as well as the increase in corporate income tax collections.

A man has accused a hair salon in Clementi of hard selling a prepaid treatment package to his 71-year-old mother, who he said is «usually very frugal».The complainant named Leon told Stomp that his mother had visited Salon One at Block 449 Clementi Avenue 3 for a haircut on Jan 3 and ended up paying for a 12-session scalp-treatment package.He alleged that a hairstylist conducted a scalp analysis after finishing her haircut and repeatedly persuaded her to have a scalp treatment for $99.Leon alleged that his mother subsequently bought the package because of hard selling.In a negative review left on the salon's Google page, he said his mother, who works as a cleaner, was «pressured» into the sale and did not tell her family of the incident until they checked her bank account statement.He uploaded pictures showing the $1,294.92 Nets transaction and a magnified image of her scalp presumably taken during the analysis process after the haircut.

The Vanuatu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) yesterday with the Kamar Dagang dan Industri Indonesia/Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN Indonesia) in Canberra, Australia, marking the official entry into force of…

Prime Minister (PM) Jotham Napat emphasised the need for economic transformation yesterday as the central goal of the Government, at a first-ever government forum spearheaded by his office – bringing together government ministers, Directors General (DGs), and senior officials.

The Court of Appeal (COA) has dismissed an application for leave to appeal in a long-running custom land dispute on Malekula, ruling that there was no error in a Supreme Court decision allowing Jeffrey William to remain a party to…

The main cemetery at Laone in North Pentecost has been completely destroyed by soil erosion and rising sea levels.

A 19-year-old woman, about four months pregnant with her first child, has died following a fatal assault in Northwest Malekula, in a case that has sparked national outrage and renewed calls to address violence against women and girls.

As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine marks four years this week, political analysts, industry leaders, and economists warn that Malawi—like many African nations—has suffered profound economic fallout from disrupted wheat and fertilizer imports from the Black Sea region. Africa, which sourced over 80% of its wheat from Russia and Ukraine pre-war, now grapples with chronic food […] The post Russia-Ukraine War: Malawi and Africa lose billions in economic stability appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

The Malawi Law Society has issued a sharp rebuke of the sweeping powers held by the Director of Public Prosecutions, warning that the recent collapse of several high-profile corruption cases exposes dangerous weaknesses in Malawi’s justice system. In unusually blunt remarks, the legal body says the law must be urgently amended to curb what critics […] The post Legal community slams DPP’s unchecked powers after collapse of high-profile corruption cases appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

​The Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) has issued a bold call to action for power utilities across East and Southern Africa, appealing for collaboration to improve stable power supply in the region. ​Opening the 2026 Power Institute for East and Southern Africa (PIESA) conference at the Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) on Monday, ESCOM […] The post ESCOM hosts energy experts, calls for regional collaboration appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

National Bank of Malawi (NBM) plc has boosted this year’s 93 Brigade Inter-Unit Sports Festival with a K6.4 million sponsorship, supporting efforts to enhance physical fitness, morale and cohesion among soldiers at Cobbe Barracks in Zomba. The festival, which started on Monday this week, has brought together various units under the 93 Brigade to compete […] The post NBM plc donates K6.4 million to 93 Brigade Inter-Unit Sports Festival appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

Malawi’s largest public pension fund is sitting on a powder keg of mismanagement: K90.4 billion in unpaid pension contributions, K11.5 billion not credited to members, K4.9 billion paid out for a hotel project while the fund had no board, and a K463 million loss on a land deal in Lilongwe—all uncovered in a confidential regulatory […] The post Pension Fund in Crisis: Audit Exposes K90.4bn Arrears, K463m Land Loss, K4.9bn Paid Without Board and K11.5bn Uncredited to Members appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

Have you found yourself watching the pennies more closely?About six in 10 Singapore consumers said their grocery expenses have increased the most in the past 12 months, according to a post-Budget 2026 poll conducted by Consumers Association of Singapore (Case).Results of the survey, which collected responses from 366 users of the Price Kaki app, was shared by Case president and Radin Mas MP Melvin Yong in a Facebook post on Tuesday (Feb 24).About 59.5 per cent of respondents said grocery costs rose the most, while above 10 per cent of respondents each chose healthcare and transport as the areas they spent more on over the past year.The poll also found that a combined 82.1 per cent of those surveyed believe that the Cost-of-Living Special Payment and CDC vouchers announced at Budget 2026 would be most helpful in addressing cost of living concerns.Eligible Singaporean adults will receive a Cost-of-Living special cash payment of between $200 and $400, and every Singaporean household will get $500 in CDC vouchers in 2027.

Molestation cases went up 7.3 per cent in 2025 compared to the year before, according to the latest police's annual crime brief.The number of cases rose to 1,531 compared to 1,427 in 2024.This is despite the decrease in other crimes of concern — shop theft, theft in dwelling and voyeurism.Of the outrage of modesty cases in 2025, 372 were reported in residential premises, 164 in public transport and 115 in public entertainment outlets.Molestation cases in shopping complexes saw a decline compared to 2024.More than half of the molestation cases in 2025 involved offenders known to the victims, the police added.Overall, last year saw a total of 20,857 cases while 2024 had 19,969, a 4.4 per cent increase.Theft in foreign worker dormsTheft in dwelling saw a 0.9 per cent decrease from 1,514 cases in 2024 to 1,500 in 2025, but the number of cases in foreign worker dormitories jumped 57.4 per cent from 54 to 85 in 2025.Victims and perpetrators were most often residents sharing the same room, police said.

If you encounter a pop-up alert from the police while browsing websites, informing you that «your computer has been blocked» due to outstanding fines, do not enter any bank card details, or your bank balance may be hurt. The scam variant was revealed by the police in a news release on Tuesday (Feb 24), following reports from members of the public. According to the police, victims would encounter fraudulent pop-up alerts claiming to be from the police while browsing websites on their computers or laptops. The websites would appear frozen and unresponsive, while carrying alerts that would contain the police's logo and the victim's purported outstanding fines for violating the law. They would then be asked provide their bank card details to pay the «fines». Those who did so would realise that they have been scammed when they discovered unauthorised transactions made on their cards. «These alerts are fraudulent,» said the police. They also reminded the public to ignore any pop-up alerts claiming to be from the police. 

Russia’s Marshal Shaposhnikov carried out exercises as part of Indian naval drills Read Full Article at RT.com

Vladimir Zelensky has suggested that the West could be pressing him on holding the election to “get rid” of him Read Full Article at RT.com

Delhi Police arrested Indian Youth Congress chief Uday Bhanu Chib and seven others for a shirtless protest at Bharat Mandapam during the AI Summit. The Youth Congress condemned the arrests as «an undeclared emergency,» while Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera criticized the government's reaction to peaceful dissent. Protesters displayed anti-PM slogans.

The Supreme Court has authorized the Calcutta High Court Chief Justice to bring in judicial officers from Jharkhand and Odisha to speed up the verification of voter claims in West Bengal's electoral roll revision. This move aims to address a significant backlog, with the Election Commission bearing the costs.

Rahul Gandhi lauded Indian Youth Congress members for protesting against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He stated, «Peaceful protest is our historic heritage. It is in our blood and is the democratic right of every Indian.» Gandhi criticized a trade deal with America, claiming it compromises national interests and harms farmers and the textile industry.

A Pawan Hans helicopter experienced a short landing near Mayabunder in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands shortly after departing Port Blair. The aircraft was carrying two crew members and five passengers. Fortunately, all individuals were safely rescued with no reported injuries. Authorities are investigating the incident, and those on board are receiving medical observation.

Joshua Parsons, 26, a signaller, died after suffering catastrophic injuries in the late night smash as he spoke to his partner Georgia Clements.

[allAfrica]

Sex work involving consenting adults 'should be decriminalised', and restrictions of sexually explicit material ended - except for those protecting children, the Green Party 's official policy states.