Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda to bring torrential rain to UK

Nearly a foot of rain could fall on parts of the UK this week, forecasters have warned, as the remnants of two storms sweep across the Atlantic.

The Met Office has already issued a 37-hour yellow rain warning for western Scotland, in place from 5pm on Wednesday until 6am on Friday.

The alert currently covers parts of Argyll, Ayrshire, Dunbartonshire and Renfrewshire, but the weather service suggested the warning may soon extend to other areas following the arrival of Hurricane Humberto and Hurricane Imelda, which have caused disruption in the US.

Marco Petagna, a senior operational meteorologist at the Met Office, wrote on social media platform X (Twitter) on Tuesday: “Ten inches of rain not out of the question over the highest ground in western Scotland in the next few days… pretty incredible rainfall totals.”

Deputy chief meteorologist Chris Bulmer added that “persistent” rain will develop from Wednesday, with the heaviest downpours over the hills. “Pulses of heavier rain will extend more widely at times,” he said, adding that later in the week the picture “becomes more complex” as the storms move across the Atlantic.

He warned: “If this materialises, we could see some very strong winds as well as further heavy rainfall Friday into Saturday, but at this time the development and track of this system remains uncertain. We’re monitoring this closely.”

The Met Office said there was a “possibility of further warnings being issued later this week as confidence increases”.

For now, conditions are expected to be split between northwestern areas and the southeast. Northern Ireland, western Scotland and northwest England will see the wettest weather in the first half of the week, while the south and east should remain drier, with some sunshine and temperatures passing 20C.

But from late Thursday into Friday, wind and rain are expected to spread more widely across the UK as the Atlantic systems begin to influence conditions.

Imelda, currently a tropical storm, has already battered parts of the Caribbean and was forecast to strengthen into a hurricane on Tuesday. Humberto, downgraded from category 5 to category 3, remains near Bermuda with maximum sustained winds of 115mph.

Neither system has yet met the criteria to be named by UK forecasters, but both could contribute to the first significant autumn storm this weekend.

Here is the weather forecast for the UK for the coming week, according to the Met Office:

Staying largely dry and settled across England and Wales, with some sunny spells. Cloudier in many parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland with some outbreaks of rain at times and brisk winds. Feeling pleasant in any sunshine.

A spell of persistent and heavy rain will move into Northern Ireland and Scotland, and some parts of Wales and northwest England. Dry and chilly elsewhere with patchy fog.

Cloudy and breezy in the north. Heavy rain will gradually clear to the east, but further rain is expected in western Scotland. Dry elsewhere with sunny spells developing.

Further heavy rain in the northwest on Thursday, drier in the south. Turning wet and windy for all as we head towards the weekend, with gales likely in the north.

Family who died ‘violent’ deaths in Co Louth named for first time

Three members of the same family who suffered “violent” deaths in County Louth have been named for the first time.

Mark O’Connor, 54, his wife Louise O’Connor, 56, and their son Evan O’Connor, 27, were found dead at their family home in Dromgowna, outside Tallanstown village, on Monday morning. The trio were an “integral part of their local community”, gardai said.

A 30-year-old man remains under arrest following the deaths.

“The O’Connor family are a very well known and respected family,” Superintendent Andrew Watters said, describing them as “good neighbours”.

In a statement on social media, Drogheda Abacas Special School paid tribute to Mark and Louise as “founder parents” and to Evan as one of its first two pupils.

“Both Mark and Louise were passionate advocates for their son Evan and for all autistic people. Mark was a board member of Autism Support Louth and Meath and was a professional advocate for the rights of people with disabilities in his career.

“Both Mark and Louise were instrumental in the setting up of Drogheda Abacas, and many, many families owe them a debt of gratitude. They campaigned, lobbied and fund-raised for the school and youth clubs, and will always be remembered for their legacy to Abacas and to autistic people.”

It added: “Evan attended Abacas for 14 years. He grew up with us. There are so many moments to remember, so many stories from school and club we will tell each other, especially over the next few weeks.

“Mark, Louise and Evan will always remain part of the Abacas family. May they rest in peace. Our sincere condolences and deepest sympathies to all family and friends.”

Supt Watters said gardai are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the “family tragedy” in Co Louth.

He said: “A family liaison officer has been assigned to support the O’Connor family. An Garda Siochana will keep the family informed of the ongoing investigation and support them as they come to terms with this tragedy. I am appealing for privacy for the family at this time.

“An Garda Siochana will also closely support the local community in the Drumgowna area over the coming days as they come to terms with the violent death of their neighbours.”

Supt Watters said post-mortem examinations of the three victims would start on Tuesday. He said: “The scene remains subject to an ongoing forensic examination by the Garda National Technical Bureau and Divisional Search Team. The offices of the coroner and the state pathologist have been notified.

“Yesterday evening, the remains of the deceased were removed from the scene to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, and post-mortem examinations will commence today. An incident room has been established at Ardee Garda station.

“A senior investigating officer has been appointed to oversee this investigation. An Garda Siochana is not looking for any other person in connection with this homicide investigation.

“I am appealing to any person with any information on this incident to contact the Garda Investigation Team by calling Drogheda Garda Station at 041 987 4200, the Garda Confidential Phone Number on 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.”

Why it hits so hard that Hollywood’s most solid couple are separating

I’m not a huge Nicole Kidman fan. And I’ve never listened to Keith Urban’s music (come to think of it, I’m not even sure I’ve ever heard the man speak). Why, then, do I feel so completely floored by the news of the couple’s separation?

Yes, after nearly 20 years of marriage, the Oscar-winning actor and the Grammy-winning country singer are reportedly calling it quits. The pair have been living separately since the beginning of the summer, according to that modern harbinger of celebrity doom, TMZ.

“Keith has acquired his own residence in Nashville and has moved out of their family home,” a source told the gossip site, adding that the separation was not Kidman’s idea and that she had wanted to fight for the marriage. The Babygirl star is allegedly “holding the family together through this difficult time since Keith has been gone”. Neither party has commented on the split.

It is a strange thing to not know a couple personally, or feel any particular affinity with them – Urban has always seemed somewhat inscrutable, while Kidman exudes the air of a beautiful, mysterious alien stranded on Earth – and yet be rocked by their breakup. But, much like dog years, celebrity years are different from those of mere mortals. Two decades is a good innings, regardless; in celebrity years, it’s practically an eternity. If the most solid of A-list marriages can’t make it, what hope is there for the rest of us of reaching the death bit of “till death us do part”? And if Kidman, one of the world’s most successful and highest-paid actors – with her cosmetically enhanced, age-defying face and body to boot – is vulnerable to being left, surely no one is safe?

Though notoriously on the more private end of the spectrum of famous spouses, Kidman and Urban also shared enough glimmers of a mutually loving and affectionate partnership over the years to convince us that they were rock-solid. There was the Instagram post from Urban in which he waxed lyrical about his wife’s induction into the American Film Institute, writing: “Babygirl – I’m so proud of you, and as much as I could come off sounding like the biased husband, I’ll let the list of previous honorees do all of the talking for me. What a list!”

There was the throwback to their wedding in 2006, with a picture of the pair lighting candles and Kidman’s cute caption: “Sweet XVI. Remember this like it was yesterday.” And then, oh so poignantly given the relationship breakdown, Kidman’s anniversary post just last year. She shared a photo of herself lying down on a stone wall as Urban sat beside her playing the guitar against a backdrop of the ocean, accompanied simply by the words: “Forever #happyanniversary.” It turns out that “forever” is rarely as long as we imagine it to be.

They’re not the first Hollywood couple to send shockwaves around the world by having the temerity to split up when we thought they had it made. Onlookers were stunned when Hugh Jackman and his wife of nearly three decades, Deborra-Lee Furness, filed for divorce earlier this year after announcing their separation in 2023. Furness described the experience as a “traumatic journey of betrayal”; fans could hard relate.

There were similar outcries when Lisa Bonet and Jason Momoa (together for nearly 20 years before divorcing in 2024), Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher (together for over two decades before jointly filing for divorce in 2023) and Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins (together for 23 years before ending things in 2009) all went their separate ways.

Though it’s not your heartbreak, of course, it can nevertheless feel somehow personal and real – that’s the nature of the one-sided parasocial relationship that exists between stars and civilians. We feel like we know them, even though we don’t.

And at a time when the world feels incredibly unstable and insecure – when we long to have a few certainties to be able to bank on – perhaps it makes sense that finding out a stalwart couple aren’t quite the lifers we thought they were can affect us more deeply than it ought to. It is yet more proof that the ground is constantly shifting beneath our feet; nothing in this world can be relied upon to stay the same. Change is the only invariable.

Whenever a couple in the spotlight call it a day, it’s a stark reminder of the fact that relationships are hard, no matter who you are – or how many Academy Award nominations you’ve received. Twenty years is, as I say, good going for any marriage. Maybe we need to realise that endings aren’t failures at all. The real success lies in the length of time they managed to make it work.

Trump subjects generals to list of grievances after US secretary of war says ‘dudes in dresses’ must go

President Donald Trump delivered a rambling address to the U.S. military’s top generals and admirals in Quantico, Virgina, on Tuesday morning, dwelling on everything from the quality of the writing paper he uses in the Oval Office to nuclear submarines, the Nobel Peace Prize and Joe Biden.

His remarks followed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth offering a sermon of his own on the importance of maintaining a “warrior ethos” in which he railed against DEI culture and “woke” values in the Pentagon, berated troops for being overweight, bearded or having long hair and warned America’s enemies: “F*** around and find out.”

As many as 1,000 officials were ordered to fly in for the meeting at the Marine Corps base, a complicated and costly endeavour about which many were reportedly unhappy.

Meanwhile, the leaders of the House and Senate are scrambling to agree a new spending bill before midnight to prevent the federal government entering shutdown mode.

The delicate state of the negotiations between Republicans and Democrats has not been helped by Trump posting an AI meme mocking opposition leaders Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer on Truth Social after a fruitless meeting with them on Monday.

Asylum hotel attacker wants to return to Syria after Epping assaults

A man who assaulted four people while a resident at an asylum hotel wants to return to Syria, a court has heard.

Mohammed Sharwarq travelled to the UK by small boat and was a resident at the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, at the time of the offences this summer.

On Tuesday, a sentencing hearing at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court heard that the 32-year-old had been due to stand trial for sexual assault after being accused of kissing a man on the back of the neck.

However, prosecutors discontinued the matter.

Sharwarq had denied the charge.

He pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to two counts of common assault and four of assault by beating.

Terence Newman, prosecuting, said: “All of these offences were committed at the Bell Hotel in Epping, where the defendant was a resident at the time.”

He said that there were four male victims, with two of them fellow residents of the Bell Hotel and two of them staff.

The prosecutor said that Sharwarq approached another resident of the Bell Hotel in one of the kitchen areas from behind and slapped him on the back, causing no injury.

Describing another occasion, Mr Newman said that the defendant “charged” at the same man in a hallway, causing him to fear he was about to be assaulted.

“No contact was made – a security guard stepped in,” he said.

The prosecutor said Sharwarq approached the same man in the television room and “slapped him to the back and then proceeded to kick [him] to the back of the neck”.

He said the victim “confirmed no injuries were caused”.

Mr Newman said that on another occasion he punched the man, causing a “small cut to his jawline”.

On 12 August, the prosecutor said that Sharwarq “continues to be aggressive, he’s causing issues for several residents and staff members at the hotel”.

He said Sharwarq punched a cleaner at the hotel on the arm, causing no injury, and threw a banana at him, hitting him on the back of the head.

The prosecutor said the defendant slapped another hotel resident on the back and then approached a hotel chef, “grabs him and tries to slap him to the face”.

“The defendant then picks up a chair,” Mr Newman said.

“He’s then restrained and police attend.”

Paul Baker, mitigating for Sharwarq, said the defendant was born in Syria and had worked as an engineer specialising in electronics and motor cars.

“In 2011, a war broke out in Syria,” he said.

“There were a lot of deaths and atrocities committed and he and his family made the decision to flee.”

Mr Baker said he travelled first to Turkey, then Germany, and lastly the UK.

He said Sharwarq “came into the UK by boat” and was initially placed in a hotel in Gloucestershire, then placed in the Bell Hotel, where he had been for around a month before the incidents.

Mr Baker said he had spoken to the defendant about the offences.

“I suspect he’s had some kind of breakdown as a result of the stress he’s been under for the last 13 to 14 years, and the death of his mother was the final straw,” he said.

Mr Baker said Sharwarq had “indicated a desire to return back to Syria despite the atrocities still going on there”.

“Despite the deaths and people going missing, he just wants to return back to Syria,” he said.

“He’s just had enough.”

District Judge Lynette Woodrow is due to pass sentence later on Tuesday.

Eats, Beats and Storied Streets: A journey through Louisiana

Few places in America are as spellbinding as Louisiana. Streets are alive with music, every table groans with food that tells a story, and every river bend reveals landscapes as mysterious as they are beautiful. Whether you’re dancing to zydeco in Lafayette, devouring beignets in the French Quarter, or gliding through the Atchafalaya swamps in search of alligators, this is a destination which offers travellers an unforgettable blend of rhythm, flavour and culture.

Music that Moves You

A seemingly never-ending party, a stroll through the bouncing streets of New Orleans’ French Quarter is one of America’s most thrilling sensory experiences. Guitars crunch, symbols crash and horns howl on every street corner, from Bourbon Street to Frenchmen Street. This Cajun corner of the US has a deep heritage too, and the Preservation Hall – dating back to 1961 – is an essential stop. With its intimate time-worn walls and wooden chairs facing the small stage, it’s a shrine to New Orleans jazz and every note should be savoured.

But Louisiana’s music tradition goes far beyond the Big Easy. Beginning in 1981, the Baton Rouge Blues Festival is one of the country’s oldest blues festivals and the state capital is a haven of Cajun music. It’s also the home of the swamp blues, so to hear the best of these laid-back rhythms, spend a foot-tapping night at Phil Brady’s Bar & Grill or Henry Turner Jr’s Listening Room. And for a little backyard boogie from local Louisiana musicians, try and hit the wonderfully chilled out Bee Nice Concert Series.

One of the more niche regional sounds is zydeco, and these infectious beats driven by accordions and washboards are perfect for dancing the night away. Over in Lafayette, the lush outdoor Hideaway on Lee and the charming Blue Moon Saloon host high-energy zydeco and Cajun jams. For a deeper dive into this unique music of the swamp, drop by the Festivals Acadiens et Créoles for three glorious days of Cajun, Creole, and zydeco sounds.

Flavours to Savour

Louisiana has one of America’s most distinct food cultures, with Creole dishes like gumbo and jambalaya not found anywhere else. Needless to say, the fiery flavours found in these creations are sublime and it’s no surprise that 2025 is Louisiana’s Year of Food.

With its rich broth, often featuring a roux base and embellished by juicy shrimp and thick sausage, gumbo is arguably the quintessential Creole dish. If you’re in New Orleans, look no further than no–frills downtown spots like Coop’s Place or head out to neighbourhood joints like the upscale Gabrielle Restaurant who serve a smoky take on Cajun-style gumbo or the dense dishes plated up at Liuzza’s by the Track. And if you’re so enraptured by this unique stew, then learn how to make it at home at the New Orleans School of Cooking.

A Cajun rice dish that originated in southern Louisiana in the 18th Century, Jambalaya is also iconic down here and can include meats, vegetables, seafood and spices in its mouthwatering mix. The Jambalaya Shoppe is dotted all around southern Louisiana and is a good place to start, though make time to visit Gonzales – the ‘Jambalaya Capital of the World. It even has its own Jambalaya Festival every spring.

Remember to make time for sweet treats though, as Louisiana’s beignets are something special. Warm, deep-fried pastries dusted with powdered sugar, these gentle delights are the perfect cafe snack. Open since 1862, the Cafe du Monde is an iconic French Quarter spot to watch the world go by with a beignet and café au lait.

And if you’re here for Mardi Gras, make sure to sample the sweet colourful King Cake as the jaunty floats pass by.

Culture and the Great Outdoors

Louisiana’s diverse cultural heritage is as unique as its landscape. French, Spanish, African, Caribbean and native influences all converge into Cajun and Creole identities and that’s most famously reflected in the state’s sublime cuisine. But don’t miss the great outdoors, as Louisiana’s biodiversity is enchanting too.

Acadiana’s humid moss-cloaked swamps and bayous are one of America’s last wildernesses, and boat tours of these serene and ethereal landscapes are unforgettable, especially if you spot wildlife like American Alligators, beavers, herons, eagles and white tail deer. The Atchafalaya Basin, just east of Lafayette, is a particular haven and several airboat tours depart from here, including McGee’s Swamp Tours and Last Wilderness Swamp Tours.

Road trails through these bayous can be just as inspiring, and the Bayou Teche National Byway tells stories. Running for 183 miles from Arnaudville down to Morgan City, this serpentine route passes by ornate antebellum homes like Shadows-on-the-Teche, tranquil fields of sugar cane, breezy swamps and historic towns packed with friendly cafes, zydeco dancehalls and local museums.

Look out for the region’s lively 400+ festivals too, which often celebrate Louisiana’s local culture. The Festival International de Louisiane in Lafayette celebrates the links between Acadiana and the Francophone world, through music, art and food, while the Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Music Festival in Opelousas aims to preserve Louisiana’s most gleeful music genre. And there’s no better way of learning about the state’s people and heritage than at the various tours, concerts, talks and cultural events held in Vermillionville in Lafayette.

Man killed in hit-and-run at popular London tourist spot

Police have launched an investigation after a man was fatally hit by a car in a popular tourist area in London.

The Metropolitan Policewas called to Park Crescent on Friday evening following reports that a man in his forties had been struck by a car.

Officers attended the scene alongside the London Ambulance Service at 7.35pm. The man was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died.

Detectives from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit launched an urgent investigation into the circumstances after the driver of the car did not stop at the scene.

“We are appealing for witnesses to come forward with any information they may have about this fatal collision,” Detective Sergeant Glen Mera said.

“From our enquiries, we can see that the car hits the victim before driving off and hitting another vehicle. We are keen to speak with the driver.

“If you have any information, or dash-cam footage that may be of use, please do not hesitate to get in contact with us, we really appreciate any information you may have for us.”

The man’s next of kin are currently being supported by specialist officers.

Anybody who witnessed the incident or who has any information should call 101, quoting reference 7014/26SEP.

Park Crescent is a popular street in Marylebone, central London, known for its impressive buildings. It is often frequented by tourists and is a popular photo spot.

Taliban cut internet for whole country as Afghanistan ‘dragged into abyss’

The Taliban suspended internet services across Afghanistan on Monday, cutting off millions of people from the outside world.

Afghan media reported that the restriction was in line with the Taliban leadership’s decree from earlier this month to tackle online “immorality”.

The ban blocked mobile and broadband internet services, disrupted satellite television, and even affected flight operations. Flightradar24 showed that at least five flights scheduled to arrive at or depart from Kabul airport on Tuesday were cancelled.

The shutdown reportedly also affected the satellite TV broadcasts of Afghan media outlets like Kabul-based Tolo News and London-based Afghanistan International, as well as services in hospitals and government and private offices.

This is the first time that all of Afghanistan is facing a blackout of internet services under the hardline Islamist government.

Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada ordered a “complete internet ban” earlier this month, starting disruption in services from smaller provinces like Balkh.

“This measure was taken to prevent immorality and an alternative will be built within the country for necessities,” Haji Attaullah Zaid, a spokesperson for the Balkh provincial administration, said at the time.

The Independent made multiple WhatsApp and Telegram calls to contacts in Kabul and other cities on Monday and Tuesday morning, but was unable to get through. Messages sent on WhatsApp were not delivered either.

The Associated Press news agency reported that it was unable to contact its bureau in Kabul.

“No notice was given today, but sporadic bans here and there were rolling out over the past few weeks in parts of the country,” a UN official in Kabul told The Independent on the condition of anonymity.

“The aim, according to the de facto authorities, is to prevent vice.”

Mahbob Shah Mahbob, an Afghan journalist in exile, said there was “concern about people accessing pornographic content inside Afghanistan”, which sparked a call by senior Taliban leaders to shut down the internet to prevent “immorality”.

“They’re also concerned about how their extremist rule inside Afghanistan is being perceived by the outside world and the bad publicity,” Mr Mahbob added.

Advocacy group NetBlocks said Afghanistan was now experiencing a “total internet blackout”.

The watchdog’s live metrics showed that internet connectivity had collapsed to 14 per cent. “Afghanistan is now in the midst of a total internet blackout as Taliban authorities move to implement morality measures, with multiple networks disconnected through the morning in a stepwise manner. Telephone services are currently also impacted,” it said.

“The incident is likely to severely limit the public’s ability to contact the outside world.”

The shutdown would last until further notice, an unnamed Taliban official told the BBC.

“The Taliban’s internet ban is dragging Afghanistan into the abyss. A pariah regime has severed 40 million lives from the world, with catastrophic consequences, crushing daily life, and suffocating women most of all,” Habib Khan, founder of Afghan Peace Watch, said.

For thousands of Afghan women and girls, access to the internet was a last resort for continuing their education after the Taliban banned them from attending schools and universities beyond the sixth grade.

The Taliban viewed the fact that women and girls were still able to access online courses as a challenge to its authority, said Ahmad Zia Saraj, who served as national intelligence chief under the previous democratically elected administration of Ashraf Ghani.

He told The Independent the group had a number of reasons to think it would benefit from severing the internet, including suppressing critical conversations and media coverage around its regime.

But perhaps most importantly, he said the Taliban’s senior leadership was concerned about being tracked by the West via their smartphones.

“Some key figures of the Taliban and other terrorist groups are afraid that they can be tracked through smartphones and the internet, hence they are gradually dissuading the usage of smartphones by Afghans,” said Mr Saraj, visiting professor at the King’s Centre for the Study of Intelligence, part of King’s College London.

“Usage of smartphones and the internet remains one of the top security concerns for the Taliban leadership. As they bring in more and more high-profile terrorist targets from around the world they fear that Western powers use technology to trace them, so they just want to alleviate that tension,” he told The Independent.

The internet shutdown will further distance the Afghan population from the rest of the world, says Abdullah Khenjani, head of the political bureau of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, a rebel group that has resisted the Taliban’s control of the country.

Perversely, this comes at a time when the Taliban is courting international recognition for its de facto government, as well as appealing for international aid after a devastating earthquake.

“This serves as yet another illustration of the Taliban’s backwardness and anti-intellectualism,” said Mr Khenjani. “The regime aims to restrict the flow of information and sever the connection between imprisoned Afghans in the country and the outside world.”