All five of the Royal Navy's Astute-class attack submarines are tied up in port at the same time, with none at sea, after a maintenance crisis that held the fleet to roughly 300 days at sea between them in 2025 and left only HMS Anson fully operational earlier this year. Because the Astutes carry Tomahawk cruise missiles and Spearfish torpedoes and screen Britain's nuclear-deterrent submarines, the gap leaves the UK unable to send that firepower or covert surveillance to sea at short notice, even as Russian submarine activity around Europe grows. The First Sea Lord, who warned in December that the allied undersea margin over Russia had become "uncomfortably narrow," launched a Submarine Maintenance Recovery Plan in January centred on the dock-space bottleneck at Devonport.

Dr David Wilson, author of a Home Office-sponsored report on Chinese state-linked organised crime in the UK, said a former British police officer who was a naturalised British citizen invited him to a Chinese restaurant shortly after he was warned about honey traps. Wilson said he also received about 20 to 25 LinkedIn connection requests from women with empty profiles and was contacted by a man claiming close ties to the Chinese government. The approaches, which Wilson believes bear the imprint of the United Front Work Department, came as he interviewed officials from 14 UK law enforcement agencies for the report declassified in February.

Joe Bennett, son of British couple Craig and Lindsay Foreman jailed in Iran, has called for a prisoner exchange involving an Iranian national held in the UK to secure their release, as both remain on hunger strike. The Foreign Office denied any truth to claims of a potential exchange, saying such claims risk hindering other efforts. The couple, from East Sussex, were arrested in January 2025 while on a motorcycle trip and sentenced to 10 years in February on espionage charges they deny.

Tata Steel has warned that its planned £1.25 billion electric arc furnace in Port Talbot, Wales, may be delayed by six to eight months due to problems with electrical connectivity. The company is working with National Grid to upgrade infrastructure, but National Grid has formally alerted Tata of a delay in its connectivity project. The furnace is intended to replace traditional blast furnaces that closed with the loss of 2,000 jobs, and the delay could impact the UK's steel industry transition and related economic plans.

Justice Secretary Neil Gray said he would consider a knife amnesty following the convictions of four teenagers for two fatal stabbings in Scotland. The murders of Kayden Moy, 16, and John McNab, 22, have highlighted a 15% rise in knife possession among 11- to 15-year-olds between 2019/20 and 2024/25. Gray emphasized a preventative approach, while opposition parties criticized the SNP's handling of youth knife crime.

NHS hospitals in England and Wales are rolling out the Galeas bladder test, a non-invasive DNA-based urine test that can be taken at home, replacing the traditional invasive cystoscopy. A trial of 964 patients showed 92% accuracy versus 81% for cystoscopy, and the test can deliver results in 16 days, exceeding the NHS 28-day standard. The test is expected to improve patient uptake and free up hospital resources.

The murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak by Vickrum Digwa sparked violent protests in Southampton after police released bodycam footage showing Nowak handcuffed before his death. Eleven police officers and a police dog were injured as missiles including wheelie bins and chairs were thrown. Three more men have been charged with violent disorder, and four men and a 16-year-old girl arrested, bringing the total charged to 14. Eight men have pleaded guilty to violent disorder so far, while one man has denied assaulting a police officer.

The UK Public Accounts Committee reports that armed forces recruitment and retention have improved, with more joining than leaving for the first time in years. However, the Ministry of Defence cannot determine the cause of the improvement or guarantee its sustainability. Processing times have fallen sharply, but the committee warns the MoD lacks robust evidence on what drives personnel flows.