Follow the link: Independent Women 2026 – The Influence List | The Independent
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Independent Women 2026 The Influence List
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To read full article, follow the link: Photos: They embody the spirit of International Women’s Day : NPR
March 8 is International Women’s Day — a date picked in honor of a remarkable Russian protest.
During World War I, women in Russia went on strike. They demanded “bread and peace.” Among the results of their four-day protest: the Czar abdicated and women gained the right to vote.
This bold strike began on Feb. 23, 1917, according to the Julian calendar then used in Russia. That date translated to March 8 in the Gregorian calendar that much of the world uses. So that’s the day chosen for this celebratory event.
True to the spirit of those Russian women, the world pauses on this day to celebrate the achievements of women. This year to mark International Women’s Day, the United Nations is calling for “Rights. Justice. Action. For all women and girls.”
Sometimes, the true achievements are the ones that we barely see. The photographers at The Everyday Projects, a global photography and storytelling network, have shared portraits of women who in ways large and small are determined, like those Russian women over 100 years ago, to improve the lives of women and to build a better world.
Singing with strength
Kuala Lumpur-based photographer Annice Lyn likes to highlight the strength, resilience and the stories of women who are often overlooked.
That’s the inspiration for her portrait of Jean, 72, as she prepares for a performance of Chinese opera at Kwai Chai Hong, a restored heritage alley in Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown in August 2024.
Such performances, typically staged during festivals and temple celebrations, combine singing, acting, martial arts, elaborate costumes and symbolic makeup to tell classical stories from Chinese folklore, history, and literature.
“Performers like Jean often dedicate decades of their lives to mastering this art form, preserving techniques and stories that are centuries old,” says Lyn. They told her that they may encounter negative reactions — questions like “are you wasting your time” or simply indifference.
“Sustaining a centuries-old practice in a modern urban setting requires both resilience and passion,” says Lyn, who made this picture minutes before the performance. “I wanted to give Jean the dignity she deserves through this portrait, a strong, intimate image that acknowledges her beauty, her discipline and the life she has dedicated to Chinese opera. I hoped to make her feel seen and heard, capturing not just a performance but a living cultural legacy.”
The government has announced a new definition of anti-Muslim hate that includes violence, harassment and prejudicial stereotyping – as it insisted the move will not curtail free speech.
Ministers say it is a working definition and a “tool for government and organisations to better understand, measure, prevent and address anti-Muslim hostility”.
Crucially, the definition is non-statutory – meaning it is advisory and has no legal backing.
Discrimination of someone due to their religion or belief is already unlawful under the Equality Act.
Communities Secretary Steve Reed told MPs that ministers had a duty to act against record levels of hate crime against Muslims, but that “you can’t tackle a problem if you can’t describe it”.
He also denied the definition would interfere with freedom of speech or create “blasphemy laws by the back door”.
Hate crimes against Muslims reported to police in England and Wales rose by almost a fifth in the year ending March 2025, to 3,199 offences.
The figure does not include incidents reported to Metropolitan Police due to changes in its recording system.
Jewish people faced the highest rate of hate crimes, according to the government figures, with 106 incidents per 10,000 population. Muslims were second, with 12 per 10,000 population.
What is the government’s definition of anti-Muslim hostility?
Anti-Muslim hostility is intentionally engaging in, assisting or encouraging criminal acts – including acts of violence, vandalism, harassment, or intimidation, whether physical, verbal, written or electronically communicated – that are directed at Muslims because of their religion or at those who are perceived to be Muslim, including where that perception is based on assumptions about ethnicity, race or appearance.
It is also the prejudicial stereotyping of Muslims, or people perceived to be Muslim including because of their ethnic or racial backgrounds or their appearance, and treating them as a collective group defined by fixed and negative characteristics, with the intention of encouraging hatred against them, irrespective of their actual opinions, beliefs or actions as individuals.
It is engaging in unlawful discrimination where the relevant conduct – including the creation or use of practices and biases within institutions – is intended to disadvantage Muslims in public and economic life.
Speaking in the Commons, shadow communities minister Paul Holmes said the definition risked “hindering legitimate criticism” – which Mr Reed rejected.
“We will not do what [the Conservatives] did and stand by and simply watch while Muslim communities face targeted abuse in ways that any decent country would consider to be absolutely intolerable,” he replied.
Mr Reed announced the new definition as he unveiled a wider strategy on social cohesion.
The British Muslim Trust welcomed the move, with chairman Shabir Randeree saying it would “help guide institutions that have too often been too slow or too weak in their responses to incidents a tolerant and respectful country like ours must never accept”.
The government is to also appoint a special representative on anti-Muslim hostility to engage with communities and help facilitate understanding and implementation of the definition.
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Tax and Education Planning Seminars
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Tax and Education Planning Seminars
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Commonwealth Day Celebration
COMMONWEALTH DAY
CELEBRATIONS
You’re invited to MAUK
Monday, 9 March 2026
14:45 – 16:05 (GMT)
https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/37262829295585?p=klsHvVC9qHOAB16J9g
Tap on the link or paste it in a browser to join.
HM King Charles will be accompanied by HM Queen Camila
For
Malaysia Association of United Kingdom (MAUK)
Malaysian &
Non-Malaysians
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UK’s first visa ban in asylum crackdown
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has claimed a growing number of migrants from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan are using legal migration routes as a backdoor for claiming asylum.
The government will halt visa routes for nationals from four countries who the home secretary says have “abused” the UK’s generosity.
An emergency brake is being placed on study visas for people from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan, while work visas have also been stopped for Afghans.
It’s the first time such visa bans have been implemented by the UK government.
Shabana Mahmood claimed a growing number of migrants from these countries are using legal migration routes as a backdoor for claiming asylum.
According to Home Office figures, 39% of the 100,000 who claimed asylum in 2025 did so after arriving via a legal migration route.
A spike in asylum applications between 2021 and September last year was dominated by students from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan.
Ms Mahmood said: “Britain will always provide refuge to people fleeing war and persecution, but our visa system must not be abused. That is why I am taking the unprecedented decision to refuse visas for those nationals seeking to exploit our generosity.”
The bans will be officially introduced on Thursday, when Ms Mahmood will lay out measures to toughen up the asylum system.
They would include asylum seekers having to have their refugee status reviewed every two-and-a-half years.
Refugees whose countries are deemed safe will also be expected to return home.
Ms Mahmood’s tougher approach doesn’t sit comfortably with many Labour MPs, but she has warned a failure to address the public’s concerns about immigration will lead to a right-wing government.
But the government is also coming under pressure from its left flank, after the Greens won the year’s first Westminster by-election.
Ms Mahmood has argued the level of illegal immigration is “creating division within communities across the country”, risking the erosion of public support for the asylum system entirely.
The government has committed to ending the use of hotels to house asylum seekers by the next election, though its plans for using old military sites are also proving unpopular.
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The15th Day of Lunar New Year
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The 14th Day of Lunar New Year
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British Passport Rules Change
As the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) becomes fully mandatory for visa-exempt visitors starting February 25, 2026, the British government has announced its intention to increase the fee in the near future. Currently set at £16, the cost is expected to rise to £20
From today (25 February), non-visa nationals will be barred from entering the UK without an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).
Non-visa nationals who try to enter the UK without an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) will be barred under new rules coming into force.
From today (25 February), it will be mandatory for visitors to the UK to have obtained digital permission to travel. This means that airlines will prevent passengers from boarding if they do not have an ETA, eVisa or have other valid documentation.
Visitors of 85 nationalities, including nationals of the United States, Canada and France, are now legally required to have an ETA when travelling to the UK. An ETA costs £16, permits multiple journeys, and lasts for 2 years or until the holder’s passport expires – whichever is sooner.
The cost of an ETA is competitive and in line with other countries including the US ESTA, which costs $40 and the EU’s ETIAS, which is expected to cost €20 when it is implemented.
British and Irish citizens, including dual citizens, are exempt from needing an ETA but will be required to present either a valid British passport or Certificate of Entitlement when travelling to the UK. This is the same approach taken by other countries, including the US, Australia and Canada. At their own discretion, carriers may accept some expired British passports as alternative documentation.
Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Mike Tapp said:
The ETA scheme is a vital part of our work to strengthen the UK’s border security, helping to deliver a more efficient and modern service that works for both visitors and the British public.
I’d urge anyone wanting to travel to the UK to ensure they are travel ready and have the right permission, to make their journey much smoother.
ETAs are also mandatory for visitors who travel to the UK to take connecting flights and go through passport control.
Since ETA was introduced in October 2023, over 19 million visitors have successfully applied. As of January 2026, ETA has generated over £383 million in revenue which is reinvested in improving the UK’s border and immigration system.
The enforcement of the ETA scheme is a significant step towards digitising the immigration system and paves the way for a contactless UK border in the future. The scheme also helps to keep the border secure, preventing individuals who pose a threat from entering the UK.
The UK has been phasing out physical documents for several years through the transition to eVisas, with over 10 million issued to date. eVisa holders, including those with EU Settlement Scheme status, need to keep their UK Visas and Immigration account up to date with their most recent passport details, to avoid travel disruption.
As part of ongoing improvements to our services, from tomorrow (26 February), Certificates of Entitlement will be issued in digital format. This means that a certificate only needs to be applied for once, rather than expiring with your passport.
Applying for an ETA through the UK ETA app is quick and easy, and the vast majority of applicants currently receive a decision automatically within minutes, ensuring that spontaneous trips to the UK remain possible. However, it is still recommended that visitors allow up to 3 working days before they plan to travel to receive their decision in time and, to account for the small number of cases that require additional review.
Applicants are required to provide their biographic and biometric details and answer a few questions on suitability and criminality. Once a person has successfully applied, their ETA is digitally linked to their passport.