UK food prices are on track to be 50 percent higher this November than at the start of the 2021 cost-of-living crisis, research from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit shows. Beef is up 64 percent over five years and olive oil has more than doubled, with the Bank of England forecasting food inflation to reach 7 percent by year-end on higher fertiliser, energy, and transport costs. The Iran war is expected to push prices further as oil and gas surge, the analysis warns.

HMS Iron Duke has been withdrawn from active service, leaving the Royal Navy with just five operational Type 23 frigates, according to naval analysis website NavyLookout. The ship has been stripped of weapons and sensors and has not been to sea since October 2024, with no formal decommissioning announcement. Her removal comes less than three years after a £103 million refit that took 49 months and more than 1.7 million man-hours.

More than 600 prisoners were freed early from Scotland's jails under an emergency programme from November to April, but the overall prison population rose to 8,456 by May 1, new data shows. Governors blocked 40% of eligible inmates during three release periods due to high risk. The emergency scheme has ended, but a new law will automatically release short-term prisoners after 30% of their sentence, excluding domestic abuse and sexual offenders.

On the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, residents are grappling with rising costs and reduced public services as Swale Borough Council and Kent County Council impose new charges and cut funding to address their own debts. A free car park in Queenborough now charges fees, sparking a boycott and fears for local businesses, while the island's high insolvency and debt-advice rates reflect broader financial strain. The area, home to 47,000 people, has seen shops close, charity funding slashed, and a rise in crime, with many residents working longer hours for diminishing returns.

Background: Two people died and a major incident was declared after an explosion at a residence in Sterncourt Road, Frenchay, Bristol, treated as suspicious but not terrorist-related. The blast, which occurred after police were called to a domestic-related incident, killed a man and a woman and injured three others (a man, woman, and child). The British Army's Explosive Ordnance Disposal conducted specialist searches as a precaution. Today: Police have reduced the cordon and allowed most residents to return home. The investigation remains complex and sensitive, and officers are not looking for anyone else in connection.

Reform UK's home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf announced a policy to locate migrant detention centres in constituencies that vote Green, framing it as an exercise in 'democratic consent'. The proposal has been condemned by other parties as 'abhorrent' and potentially illegal. The plan is part of Reform's broader pledge to deport all illegal migrants, with detention centres holding up to 24,000 people.

A new injectable form of the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda) is being rolled out in England and Wales, reducing treatment time from hours to minutes, but is not yet available in Northern Ireland. Cancer researcher Prof Mark Lawler warns of a 'postcode lottery' and calls for rapid access. The Department of Health says it is exploring how to make the drug available as soon as possible.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged a stronger European element within NATO at the European Political Community summit in Yerevan, Armenia, warning that defense, security, trade, and energy have been weaponized. He cited the Ukraine war and Iran conflict as dual fronts impacting Europe directly through proxy attacks and cyber threats, and noted strains in traditional alliances. The summit focused on democracy, energy security, and economic ties.