Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)
The Business and Trade Committee hears from a range of witnesses on the Post Office Horizon scandal.
Witnesses:
Mr David Eaton – Former Sub-postmaster
Mrs Glenys Eaton – Former Sub-postmaster
Dr Neil Hudgell – Director at Hudgell Solicitors
David Enright – Partner at Howe & Co Solicitors
Kieran O’Rourke – Partner at Howe & Co Solicitors
Paul Patterson – Director at Fujitsu Services Ltd
Nigel Railton – Chair at Post Office Ltd
Joanne Hanley – Remediation Unit Director at Post Office Ltd
Amanda Pearce – Casework Operations Director and Interim Chief Executive at Criminal Cases Review Commission
Blair McDougall MP – Minister for Small Business and Economic Transformation at Department for Business and Trade
Carl Creswell – Director of Post Office Policy at Department for Business and Trade
Alex Davies-Jones MP – Minister for Victims and Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls at Ministry of Justice
Christina Pride – Deputy Director, Criminal Appeals and Miscarriages of Justice Policy at Ministry of Justice
Source: Republic of South Africa (video statements)
🎥 Watch |NSFAS Board Chairperson, Dr Mugwena Maluleke, highlights key issues around appeals, loan applications, and student verification for the 2026 academic year.
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Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)
After tens of thousands of residents in Kent were left without drinking water for 14 days due to failures at a treatment centre, David Hinton, the Chief Executive of the water company that oversaw the problems, will face questions from MPs on the EFRA Committee.
Also appearing will be Marcus Rink, Chief Inspector of the Drinking Water Inspectorate, which launched an ongoing investigation on 4 December. The organisation warned South East Water in 2024 of a significant risk of failure at the Pembury treatment centre.
In this session, the witnesses are likely to be asked questions about the planning, resilience and capacity of the supplier’s infrastructure, as well as communications with the public and leadership.
The Committee is undertaking a long-term inquiry and last year published a report, Priorities for water sector reform. The Committee recently wrote to water companies about their approaches to recovering debts from vulnerable customers.
The United Nations Headquarters observance on the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust will take place on Tuesday 27 January 2026 under the theme "Holocaust Remembrance for Dignity and Human Rights". Ms. Melissa Fleming, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications will host the proceedings. The observance will feature Holocaust survivors sharing their testimonies, and official remarks by the Secretary-General, the President of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly and Representatives of the Permanent Missions of Israel and the United States to the United Nations.
-Security Council
-Venezuela
-UN Peacekeeping / Middle East
-Occupied Palestinian Territory
-Sudan
-Israel-OPT
-Ukraine
-Financial Contributions
SECURITY COUNCIL
This morning, the Security Council held a meeting on the situation in Venezuela, and members of the Council heard from the Secretary-General.
In the remarks that were delivered on his behalf by the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, the Secretary-General said he is deeply concerned about the possible intensification of instability in Venezuela, the potential impact on the region, and the precedent the US military operation may set for how relations between and among states are conducted.
The Secretary-General said that he remains deeply concerned that rules of international law have not been respected with regard to the military intervention on January 3rd.
He highlighted that the Charter of the UN enshrines the prohibition of the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any Member State.
The Secretary-General said it is possible to prevent a wider and more destructive conflagration. He called on all Venezuelan actors to engage in an inclusive, democratic dialogue in which all sectors of society can determine their future. He further urged Venezuela’s neighbours, and the international community more broadly, to act in a spirit of solidarity and in adherence to the principles, laws and rules erected to promote peaceful coexistence.
And you saw that over the weekend, we did issue a statement on Venezuela that emphasized the importance of full respect by all of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations.
VENEZUELA
On the humanitarian front in Venezuela, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell us that the situation in Venezuela remains dire.
At the start of this year, some 7.9 million people in Venezuela were found to need urgent support. This is the equivalent of more than a quarter of the country’s population. We, along with our humanitarian partners, under the leadership of the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Venezuela, are assessing the situation, focusing on providing support as needed. We continue to provide assistance to the most vulnerable, including food, health care and protection services. The UN emphasizes the importance of respect for international law, the need to protect civilians and of preserving humanitarian operational continuity, so that assistance can be delivered in line with humanitarian principles. Funding is obviously also critical.
The Humanitarian Response Plan for Venezuela remains critically underfunded. Last year, only 17 per cent of the more than $600 million needed was received, making it one of the least funded country appeals in the world. More support is urgently needed to keep life-saving aid reaching the most vulnerable.
Office of the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General Website: https://www.un.org/sg/en/spokesperson
Full highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-01-05
The Council met in an emergency session to address the US rendition of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas, a move that has sent shockwaves through the region and beyond.
Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo, delivering a statement on behalf of Secretary-General António Guterres, called for “respect for the UN charter and all other applicable legal frameworks to safeguard peace and security; respect for the principles of sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of states,” and “the prohibition of the threat or use of force.”
DiCarlo said, “the power of the law must prevail. International law contains tools to address issues such as illicit traffic and narcotics, disputes about resources and human rights concerns. This is the route we need to take.”
Colombian Ambassador Leonor Zalabata Torres said, “these actions remind us of the worst interference in Latin American and the Caribbean politics and are a threat to our region as a zone of peace.”
Colombia, backed by China and the Russian Federation, requested the meeting.
Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said, “there is no and can be no justification for the crimes cynically perpetrated by the United States in Caracas,” and called upon the US leadership “to immediately release the legitimately elected president of an independent state and his spouse.”
Nebenzia said, “we are particularly appalled by the unparalleled cynicism with which a Washington did not even attempt to conceal the true aims of its criminal operation, namely, the establishment of unbridled control over Venezuela’s natural resources and the assertion of their hegemonic ambitions in Latin America’s legitimate rights and interests.”
Waltz, in his address to the Council said the US, “successfully carried out a surgical law enforcement operation facilitated by the US military against two indicted fugitives of American justice, narco-terrorist Nicolas Maduro and Celia Flores.”
He stressed that “there is no war against Venezuela or its people. We are not occupying a country,” and said, “this was a law enforcement operation in furtherance of lawful indictments that have existed for decades.”
The US Ambassador said, “this is the Western Hemisphere. This is where we live. And we’re not going to allow the Western Hemisphere to be used as a base of operation for our nation’s adversaries and competitors and rivals of the United States. You can’t turn Venezuela into the operating hub for Iran, for Hezbollah, for gangs, for Cuban intelligence agents, and other malign actors that control that country. You cannot continue to have the largest energy reserves in the world under the control of adversaries of the United States, under the control of illegitimate leaders, and not benefiting the people of Venezuela, and stolen by a handful of oligarchs inside of Venezuela.”
Moncada said, “the kidnapping of the President of the Republic by the government of the United States of America,” constitutes “a direct violation of an essential norm of the international legal order, namely, the personal immunity of heads of state in office,” adding that disregard for these norms “not only affects Venezuela. But also sets an extremely dangerous precedent for all states represented in this chamber, regardless of their size, power, or alliance.”
The Venezuelan Ambassador said, “when force is used to control resources, impose governments or redesign states, we are faced with a logic that harks back to the worst practices of colonialism, and neo colonialism.”
He said, “we request today that the government of the United States of America be demanded to fully respect the immune immunities of President Nicolas Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, as well as their immediate release and safe return to Venezuela. Second, the use of force against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela must be clearly and unequivocally condemned. Thirdly, that the principle of non-acquisition of territory or resources by force be reaffirmed, and fourth, that measures aimed at de-escalation, the protection of the civilian population and the restoration of international law be adopted.”
The US operation began with overnight strikes in and around the capital, Caracas. Venezuela has declared a state of national emergency, with casualty figures and the extent of the damage yet to be confirmed.
To watch full meeting in all UN official languages, please visit: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1k/k1kem3z5nm
-Security Council
-Venezuela
-UN Peacekeeping / Middle East
-Occupied Palestinian Territory
-Sudan
-Israel-OPT
-Ukraine
-Financial Contributions
SECURITY COUNCIL
This morning, the Security Council held a meeting on the situation in Venezuela, and members of the Council heard from the Secretary-General.
In the remarks that were delivered on his behalf by the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, the Secretary-General said he is deeply concerned about the possible intensification of instability in Venezuela, the potential impact on the region, and the precedent the US military operation may set for how relations between and among states are conducted.
The Secretary-General said that he remains deeply concerned that rules of international law have not been respected with regard to the military intervention on January 3rd.
He highlighted that the Charter of the UN enshrines the prohibition of the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any Member State.
The Secretary-General said it is possible to prevent a wider and more destructive conflagration. He called on all Venezuelan actors to engage in an inclusive, democratic dialogue in which all sectors of society can determine their future. He further urged Venezuela’s neighbours, and the international community more broadly, to act in a spirit of solidarity and in adherence to the principles, laws and rules erected to promote peaceful coexistence.
And you saw that over the weekend, we did issue a statement on Venezuela that emphasized the importance of full respect by all of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations.
VENEZUELA
On the humanitarian front in Venezuela, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell us that the situation in Venezuela remains dire.
At the start of this year, some 7.9 million people in Venezuela were found to need urgent support. This is the equivalent of more than a quarter of the country’s population. We, along with our humanitarian partners, under the leadership of the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Venezuela, are assessing the situation, focusing on providing support as needed. We continue to provide assistance to the most vulnerable, including food, health care and protection services. The UN emphasizes the importance of respect for international law, the need to protect civilians and of preserving humanitarian operational continuity, so that assistance can be delivered in line with humanitarian principles. Funding is obviously also critical.
The Humanitarian Response Plan for Venezuela remains critically underfunded. Last year, only 17 per cent of the more than $600 million needed was received, making it one of the least funded country appeals in the world. More support is urgently needed to keep life-saving aid reaching the most vulnerable.
Office of the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General Website: https://www.un.org/sg/en/spokesperson
Full highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-01-05
