Exclusive: British students will be able to participate in EU-wide scheme from January 2027, sources say

An agreement to rejoin Erasmus – the EU’s student exchange programme – is expected to be announced on Wednesday as part of the UK government’s drive towards closer relations with Brussels.

Final details of the announcement have now been agreed by the two sides, with a plan to allow UK students to participate in the EU-wide scheme without paying any additional fees from January 2027, sources said.

Review, focusing on effectiveness of political finance laws, follows jailing of former Reform MEP for accepting bribes

An independent review into the impact of foreign financial influence and interference in domestic politics from Russia and other hostile states has been announced after one of Reform UK’s former senior politicians, Nathan Gill, was jailed for accepting bribes from a pro-Kremlin agent.

Amid growing concern inside the security services and parliament over the scale of the foreign threat to British democracy, the government-commissioned inquiry will focus on the effectiveness of the UK’s political finance laws.

Report to highlight ‘uncomfortable truths’ and could recommend ‘radical change’, former health secretary says

A major review into rising inactivity among Britain’s young people has been launched by the former health secretary Alan Milburn, with a promise not to shy away from “uncomfortable truths” or “radical” policy solutions.

A panel of health, business and policy experts, including the former John Lewis boss Charlie Mayfield, ex-Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane and social welfare expert Dame Louise Casey, will help draw up recommendations.

Exclusive: Culture secretary announces first national youth strategy in 15 years to help ‘vulnerable’ generation

Young people have faced “violent indifference” from the political establishment for decades, leaving them struggling to navigate a changing world, the culture secretary said as she announced the first national youth strategy in 15 years.

In an interview with the Guardian, Lisa Nandy said young people today were the most digitally connected but also the most isolated generation, adding that more could be done to police online spaces under new laws.