The new EHRC head urges politicians and the public to avoid framing migration as a threat, arguing heated language fuels division. While supporting firm enforcement and faster decisions, he calls for a debate centred on practical reforms and humane treatment of asylum seekers.

David Walliams has been dropped by publisher HarperCollins after an internal investigation into claims he harassed female staff. A junior employee received a five‑figure payout, and colleagues were reportedly told to work in pairs around him. The publisher cited inappropriate conduct concerns.

Bridget Phillipson has halted guidance for public bodies on expanding single-sex facilities after a Supreme Court ruling on female-only lavatories. She argues the judgment is trans-exclusive, pausing plans to tighten rules on women-only spaces and prompting a political row.

Britain will rejoin the Erasmus student exchange, with costs put at about £8bn over the deal’s life. The PM signed up while declining to specify the long‑term bill. The scheme is intended to widen study placements and deepen links between UK and European universities and research.