Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)
The Education Committee holds the final session of its inquiry into the threat of insolvency facing a growing number of universities, and the relationship this has with government policy towards international students.
Witnesses in this session will include the Higher Education Minister Baroness Jacqui Smith, a senior official from the Department for Education and the Chief Executive of the Office for Students, Susan Lapworth.
There are concerns that fees from international students are providing less income than previously forecast for many universities, and that a significant number of institutions are running deficits.
The panel is likely to face questions on whether a special insolvency regime should be put in place to ensure continuity for students, protect staff and minimise disruption, were a university to become insolvent.
The cross-party Committee may explore whether weaknesses in governance and financial planning may have exacerbated the threat of insolvency in some universities.
MPs are also likely to ask the Minister what impact the Government’s proposed levy on international students’ fees may have on universities’ financial stability; as well as the impact of proposed reforms to immigration rules that affect international students.
Did you know that economic violence affects 12% of women in the EU? While awareness of sexual and physical violence has grown, economic abuse is often misunderstood and remains largely in the shadows.
In this video, we explore the three main types of economic violence – control, exploitation and sabotage – and touch on what needs to be done to tackle it.
By putting the facts in focus, we take a closer look at what charts and numbers can tell us.
🔔 Remember to like and subscribe!
🔬 Sources
EU Agency for Fundamental Rights: an EU-wide survey on violence against women https://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2014/violence-against-women-eu-wide-survey-main-results-report
Surviving Economic Abuse: Statistics on financial and economic abuse https:/survivingeconomicabuse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Statistics-on-economic-abuse_March-2020.pdf
European Institute for Gender Equality: Data collection on economic violence in the EU https:/eige.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/EIGE_Factsheet_EconomicViolence.pdf
📱 Stay connected with us
ECB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/europeancentralbank/
ECB LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/european-central-bank/
ECB WhatsApp: https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaN2TDTEquiHqZTiHo2v
Disclaimer
The views expressed in this video do not necessarily reflect those of the ECB. The information presented is:
• of a general nature and not intended to address the specific circumstances of any particular individual or entity;
• sometimes linked to external websites over which the ECB has no control and for which the ECB assumes no responsibility;
• not intended to constitute professional or legal advice.
Source: Republic of South Africa (video statements)
🎥 The official launch of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children takes place today, led by Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga. South Africans are called to unite in action to protect women and children, and to end GBVF together.
Security Council briefing by Ramiz Alakbarov, Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, on the Middle East.
UN senior official for the Middle East Ramiz Alakbarov reiterated that the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza “must be fully implemented,” urging “the parties to urgently reach an agreement on the modalities to implement the next phases.”
The Deputy Special Coordinator and Resident Coordinator at the Office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO) spoke to the Council via video link.
He noted that since coming into effect last month, the ceasefire has largely held in Gaza. However, recent Israeli airstrikes on populated areas have caused numerous casualties and significant destruction. Palestinian militants in Gaza have also continued sporadic attacks on Israeli soldiers causing fatalities.
The Resident Coordinator said that families in Israel have been reunited with their loved ones, who were held hostage by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups under intolerable conditions in Gaza, “but the bodies of three hostages have yet to be returned, with families waiting in agony for that day to come.”
“The bodies of the deceased hostages must be returned immediately,” he reiterated.
Alakbarov also underscored that all efforts must be made to identify missing Palestinians. These families also deserve closure.
The Resident Coordinator highlighted that with the ceasefire largely holding, the United Nations has redoubled efforts to mobilize and scale up humanitarian assistance – “seizing the moment to reach the population wherever they are.”
He said, “We must not risk a reversal. The coordinated international effort needs to be expanded, both in the immediate term to consolidate the ceasefire, and over the longer term to realize a more secure and just future for all.”
Alakbarov also highlighted that the decisions made now will determine whether the ceasefire endures or unravels, adding that UN resolutions, including Security Council resolution 2803 (2025), and President Trump’s 20-point plan provide that pathway forward.
He said, “The United Nations remains committed to seizing this critical opportunity to move from crisis management to conflict resolution,” adding that “all our efforts must be guided by the imperative of establishing a genuine political process that will resolve the Israeli – Palestinian conflict once and for all.”
The Resident Coordinator continued, “The New York declaration and initiatives such as the Global Alliance for the Two-State Solution can play a vital role. They mobilize political will, investment, and solidarity around a shared political vision.”
Turning to developments in Lebanon, Alakbarov reiterated the Secretary-General’s call for the parties to “uphold their obligations to maintain the cessation of hostilities and the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701.”
He also echoed the Secretary-General’s call for “an immediate cessation of all violations of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and for respect for the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement.”
Today, Gary Tyler is a renowned fiber artist and activist. But he was once the youngest person on death row in the U.S., a man unjustly incarcerated at just age 17. He talks with World Economic Forum video producer Kateryna Gordiychuk about how his experience in prison introduced him to the medium and shapes his art. Gary worked as a volunteer during the AIDs epidemic in one of the first prison hospice programs in the country. The need to fund the program led Gary to learn quilting to raise money that could aid both the dying men and their families who wouldn’t be able to travel to see their loved ones otherwise. The experience drove home for Gary the need for mercy and advocacy in systems where people cannot advocate for themselves. Today, his art explores themes of freedom and individuality and he speaks frequently on the contributions any individual can make, regardless of their circumstance.
This interview was recorded at the Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland January 2025.
About this episode:
About Gary’s Art: Library Street Collective: lscgallery.com
Related Podcasts:
Meet The Leader – Ballerina Misty Copeland: Unlocking potential and a leader’s most ‘vital’ role
Meet The Leader – ‘I’ll show you a real leader’ – Platon, the photographer of power, on finding humanity in all of us
Meet the Leader – Adam Grant: Future leaders won’t succeed without this key trait https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buVVIpttzUA
The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. It provides a global, impartial and not-for-profit platform for meaningful connection between stakeholders to establish trust, and build initiatives for cooperation and progress.
Find out more below:
World Economic Forum Website ► http://www.weforum.org/
YouTube ► https://www.youtube.com/wef
LinkedIn ► https://www.linkedin.com/company/world-economic-forum
Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/worldeconomicforum/
Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/worldeconomicforum/
X ► https://twitter.com/wef
TikTok ► https://www.tiktok.com/@worldeconomicforum
WhatsApp ► https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaDcHBKGZNCihKxwiD0L
Threads ► https://www.threads.com/@worldeconomicforum
Flipboard ► https://flipboard.com/@WEF
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters in New York ‘We urge all actors to exercise maximum restraint and to avoid any further escalation, and remind the parties that civilians and civilian areas must not be targeted’ following a deadly Israeli airstrike on a residential area in southern Beirut on Sunday.
Secretary-General António Guterres is in Angola, and today he addressed the 7th Annual African Union – European Union Summit, which is taking place in Luanda. He underscored that the AU and EU have the power to uphold the Charter, broker agreements, and steer the world towards a more stable, more inclusive reality – where international law prevails and injustices and inequalities are progressively eliminated.
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
– Secretary-General/Angola
– Secretary-General/COP30
– Secretary-General/G20
– Security Council
– Lebanon
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Ukraine
– Central African Republic
– Sudan
– South Sudan
– Democratic Republic of the Congo
– Trafficking in Persons
– Jamaica
– World Conjoined Twins Day
– Guests Tomorrow
– Financial Contribution
SECRETARY-GENERAL/ANGOLA
And today, in an official visit to Angola, the Secretary-General addressed the 7th Annual African Union – European Union Summit, which is taking place in the capital Luanda. He pointed out that that right now, the world is changing at a radical rate. He noted that technology barrels ahead, climate chaos reigns, and inequalities deepen.
The Secretary-General said that we are moving towards a multipolar world, with global power in flux. Against the risks of division of the world into two blocs, led by two big powers, he stressed that we need an interconnected multipolarity, with an inclusive network of intense relations on trade, development, financial institutions, and with increasing political coordination.
The Secretary-General said that together, the AU and the EU make up 40 per cent of UN Member States.
He underscored that the AU and EU have the power to uphold the Charter, broker agreements, and steer the world towards a more stable, more inclusive reality – where international law prevails and injustices and inequalities are progressively eliminated.
Today, he also spoke at a National Assembly Special Session held to hear an address by the Secretary-General. Speaking to the media afterwards, he emphasized that we need a profound reform of the global financial architecture that reflects today’s world, that provides accessible and predictable financing rather than penalizing the victims of crises they did not cause. He added that we also need to give African countries their rightful place in every international institution, including financial institutions and the United Nations Security Council.
Also this morning, the Secretary-General met the President of the Republic of Angola, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço.
SECRETARY-GENERAL/COP30
As you have seen, COP30 closed this weekend in Belém, Brazil, with the Parties reaching an agreement.
In a statement, the Secretary-General said that the COP agreement shows that multilateralism is alive, and that nations can still come together to confront the defining challenges no country can solve alone.
The Secretary-General noted that COP30 has delivered progress – including a call to triple adaptation finance by 2035 as a first step towards closing the adaptation gap, a Just Transition Mechanism, a new dialogue aimed at enhancing international cooperation on trade and the recognition that we are now heading for a temporary overshoot above 1.5 degrees Celsius. He also mentioned the launch of a Global Implementation Accelerator and a recognition to take forward the outcomes of the UAE Consensus, which includes a just, orderly, and equitable transition away from fossil fuels.
But COPs are consensus-based, the Secretary-General said, and in a period of geopolitical divides, consensus is ever harder to reach. He added that he cannot pretend that COP30 has delivered everything that is needed.
The Secretary-General pointed out that the gap between where we are and what science demands remains dangerously wide, and he understands many may feel disappointed, especially young people, Indigenous Peoples and those living through climate chaos. He said that COP30 is over, but our work is not, and he will continue pushing for higher ambition and greater solidarity.
To all those who marched, negotiated, advised, reported and mobilized, the Secretary-General said, do not give up. He told them: History is on your side, and so is the United Nations.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2025-11-24
Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)
The Petitions Committee has scheduled a debate relating humanitarian obligations and Gaza.
Irene Campbell MP has been asked by the Committee to open the debate. The Government will send a Minister to respond.
Read the petition:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/700682
Find petitions you agree with, and sign them: https://petition.parliament.uk/
What are petition debates?
Petition debates are ‘general’ debates which allow MPs from all parties to discuss the important issues raised by one or more petitions, and put their concerns to Government Ministers.
Petition debates don’t end with a vote to implement the request of a petition. This means that MPs will not vote on the issues raised in the petition at the end of the debate.
The Petitions Committee can only schedule debates on petitions to parliament started on petition.parliament.uk
Find out more about how petition debates work: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/content/194347/how-petitions-debates-work/
Stay up-to-date
Follow the Committee on Twitter for real-time updates on its work: https://www.twitter.com/hocpetitions
