Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)
The Housing, Communities and Local Government committee continues their modernising elections inquiry with questions to Philip Rycroft, author of the independent review into countering foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics.
The cross-party group of MPs will also question a panel of political finance, corruption and election experts (full witness list below) as the committee assesses the government’s proposals for political finance reform and considers how these can be strengthened.
Witnesses:
Philip Rycroft – Author of the independent review into countering foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics
Duncan Hames – Senior Director of Policy and UK Programmes at Transparency International UK
Dr Susan Hawley – Executive Director at Spotlight on Corruption
Dr Sam Power – University of Bristol
The ECB Forum on Central Banking – the Sintra Forum – is an annual event organised by the European Central Bank and is held in Sintra, Portugal.
It brings together central bank governors, academics, financial market representatives, journalists and others to exchange views on current policy issues and discuss the Forum’s key topic from a longer-term perspective.
Full programme can be found here: https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/conferences/html/20260629_ecb_forum_on_central_banking.en.html
– Session 1
"Accelerating growth in Europe: innovation versus diffusion"
Chair: Boris Vujčić, Vice-President, European Central Bank
Paper: "Rewiring Europe’s productivity framework: aligning investment, innovation, and diffusion"
Author: Bart Van Ark, Professor, University of Manchester
Discussant: Monika Schnitzer, Professor, University of Munich
– Session 2
"Regulatory cycles, stability risks and growth opportunities"
Chair: Frank Elderson, Member of the Executive Board and Vice-Chair of the Supervisory Board, European Central Bank
Paper: "The stringency and complexity of post crisis bank regulation"
Author: Mariassunta Giannetti, Professor, Stockholm School of Economics
(together with Cameron Ellis, Associate Professor, University of Iowa, and Chotibhak Jotikasthira, Professor, Southern Methodist University)
Discussant: Enrico Perotti, Professor, University of Amsterdam
– Young Economist Prize
Introduction of the finalists – speed presentations on the stage
– Panel 1
"Artificial intelligence and financial stability"
Chair: Isabel Schnabel, Member of the Executive Board, European Central Bank
Tobias Adrian, Financial Counsellor and Director of the Monetary and Capital Markets Department, International Monetary Fund
Sarah Breeden, Deputy Governor for Financial Stability, Bank of England
Itay Goldstein, Professor, University of Pennsylvania
Torsten Slok, Chief Economist, Apollo Global Management
– A conversation about artificial intelligence
Aaron Chatterji, Chief Economist, OpenAI, and Professor, Duke University
Philip R. Lane, Member of the Executive Board, European Central Bank
Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Ramiz Alakbarov reiterated the Secretary-General’s "strong condemnation of the relentless expansion and acceleration of Israeli settlements in the West Bank," stressing that all settlement activity and related infrastructure "must cease immediately."
The Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator spoke to the Council today (29 Jun) via video link.
Alakbarov said the escalating violence and tensions in the West Bank are “highly concerning.”
He condemned all violence against civilians, including acts of terror, echoing the Secretary-General’s “deep concern over persistent and intensifying settler attacks.”
Alakbarov also remained “deeply concerned” by ongoing attacks by Palestinians against Israelis. “All perpetrators must be held accountable,” he reiterated.
The Deputy Special Coordinator also expressed concern over growing threats to the status quo at the Holy Sites in Jerusalem. He reiterated, “the status quo must be respected and upheld, in line with the special and historic role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.”
Alakbarov echoed the Secretary-General in “condemning in the strongest terms the Israeli authorities’ decision to establish military facilities at the UNRWA Sheikh Jarrah compound in East Jerusalem.”
He urged the Government of Israel to “rescind its decision and immediately return to the United Nations the UNRWA Sheikh Jarrah compound.”
The UN official also urged Member States to “continue to politically support and financially sustain UNRWA.”
