Reeves considering ‘more than a hundred tax and spending plans’ ahead of Budget

The chancellor is reportedly considering more than one hundred different tax and spending measures in the upcoming Budget, amid concerns the fiscal watchdog could be about to downgrade the UK’s productivity performance.

Rachel Reeves is thought to be looking at hitting the top third of earners as part of an attempt to fill a black hole in the public finances of up to £50bn.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) – which handed the chancellor its latest set of projections for the economy last week – is expected to downgrade the UK’s performance on productivity at the Budget, with fears that it could represent a further £20bn gap in the public finances.

Sources told The Times that around a hundred tax and spending measures are on the table for the Budget, including an increase in income tax, which would be a clear breach of Labour’s manifesto promise not to increase three key taxes on working people.

However, they said there is still “considerable uncertainty” over the level of tax increases that are required to fill the looming black hole.

“Nothing is decided and can’t be decided until we know exactly what the forecasts are,” the source said.

Meanwhile, Sky News reported that Treasury officials are looking to protect the incomes of the lower two-thirds of earners – those earning less than £45,000.

The latest reports come after the prime minister on Wednesday declined to say he would stand by Labour’s manifesto pledge not to raise VAT, income tax or national insurance in next month’s Budget – fuelling expectations that the Budget will involve further major tax rises as she seeks to close a multi-billion pound gap in her plans.

Sir Keir Starmer has previously said the commitment Labour made to voters before the 2024 general election “stands”, but failed to repeat that assurance in the Commons, and his press secretary also avoided using the phrase.

The PM also refused to rule out extending the freeze on the personal tax allowance threshold, which drags more earners into paying income tax.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, defence secretary John Healey warned there will be “consequences” from recent weaker economic forecasts at this month’s Budget – and declined to repeat Labour’s promises on tax.

He said the OBR now saw much worse “scarring” on the economy than previously thought and the chancellor would make “announcements to deal with those challenges”.

Asked whether the government would stick to its manifesto pledge not to raise income tax, national insurance or VAT, Mr Healey declined to repeat the promise.

He told Sky News’s Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips programme: “That’s for the Budget and that’s for the chancellor to announce at the end of the month.”

Pressed further on Labour’s tax commitment, he added: “No decisions have been taken about the Budget, even the Office of Budget Responsibility hasn’t produced its final figures.

“But what we do know is that they now see the deep damage and scarring to be much more serious than previously thought, a combination of years of cuts, Covid and really slow economic growth over 14 years.

“So there are consequences. Things do change, and we’ll have the announcements that are needed to deal with those challenges in the Budget.”

King wants Andrew to be stripped of his last remaining military title

Andrew Mountbatten Windsor will be stripped of his honorary rank of vice-admiral, the defence secretary has announced, which is the disgraced royal’s last remaining military title.

John Healey said his department was “working to remove” the rank, which Andrew was awarded on his 55th birthday in 2015.

He handed back his other honorary military titles in 2022 over his connections with the disgraced paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

The honour hit the headlines four years ago following reports he wanted to wear an Admiral’s uniform to the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral.

Mr Healey said that ministers had been “guided by the decisions and judgments the King has made”.

He added: “We’ve seen Andrew surrender the honorary positions he’s had throughout the military… we are working now to remove that last remaining title of vice-admiral that he has.”

But he would not comment on whether or not Andrew would be able to keep his medals, including the campaign medal he received for his service in the Falklands War.

The King stripped his brother of his peerages and the title of prince on Thursday amid the continuing fallout of the Epstein scandal.

Royal author Valentine Low said the latest move “will be a blow to Andrew… But even after doing this, Andrew is still going to be in the headlines and will continue to be for a long time”.

He has been associated with the Royal Navy since 1979, when he began officer training, subsequently serving as a helicopter pilot and was part of the task force deployed to the Falklands following Argentina’s invasion in 1982.

He ended his active naval career in 2001 with the rank of commander, but nearly a decade and a half later received an honorary promotion to vice-admiral.

Meanwhile, it has been claimed that Andrew routinely refused to sign off on official statements that supported survivors who had abuse connected to Epstein.

A friend of the King and Camilla told The Sunday Times that references to victims were removed from all previous statements drafted by courtiers and issued by Buckingham Palace since Andrew’s disastrous Newsnight interview in 2019.

Any such communication had required Andrew’s sign-off, the paper said.

The former prince denies sexually assaulting the late Virginia Giuffre, who alleged this happened on three occasions, including when she was 17, after being trafficked by Epstein.

The friend told the paper the King had “lost patience” and that this week’s statement announcing the removal of Andrew’s prince and Duke of York titles was “no longer a statement by committee, it’s a statement from the King”.

It comes as the BBC revealed Andrew arranged a private tour of Buckingham Palace for businessmen from cryptocurrency mining firm, Pegasus Group Holdings, which agreed to pay his ex-wife up to £1.4m.

The company employed Sarah Ferguson as a “brand ambassador” for a crypto-mining scheme – which lost investors millions when it failed.

She was reportedly paid more than £200,000 for her work and a leaked contract suggests she was in line for an additional bonus worth £1.2m.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment.

Air India sole survivor says plane crash ‘took all my happiness’

A British man, the sole survivor of a devastating Air India plane crash that claimed 241 lives, has described his survival as a “miracle” but revealed that the death of his brother in the same crash “took all my happiness”.

Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 39, from Leicester, spoke nearly four months after the tragedy in Ahmedabad, India.

He said that the incident has left him with constant flashbacks.

The loss of his brother, Ajay, means his family has “lost everything”, he said.

Mr Ramesh finds discussing the crash “very painful”, with advisers noting he has yet to speak about the ordeal with his immediate family.

The London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into a medical college shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad airport on 12 June, killing everyone on board other than Mr Ramesh.

Some 169 Indian passengers and 52 British nationals died.

In terms of British fatalities, it was one of the deadliest plane crashes on record.

Another 19 people on the ground also died, and 67 were seriously injured.

Mr Ramesh’s advisers, Sanjiv Patel and Radd Seiger, have now criticised the care he has received since the crash, saying he has been treated like a “name on a spreadsheet”.

They have appealed to the airline’s chief executive, Campbell Wilson, to meet with them so he can hear about Mr Ramesh’s current situation – claiming he has “ignored repeated written requests”.

Air India said in a statement that an offer of a meeting with senior leaders from the airline’s parent company, Tata Group, has been made, and said care for the families of the crash victims, including Mr Ramesh, “remains our absolute priority”.

It is understood that an interim payment has been accepted and transferred to Mr Ramesh.

A preliminary report into the incident from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau found both of the plane’s fuel switches moved to the “cut-off” position “immediately” after take-off, stopping fuel supply to the engine.

It has sparked questions over whether the crash was deliberate.

Mr Ramesh said the incident, and losing his brother, has “completely brought down my family”.

“I can’t explain about my brother,” he said.

“I lost everything – my happiness. God gave me life but took all my happiness, and from my family.

“It completely brought down my family … it’s very difficult for me and my family.”

Mr Ramesh said recalling the crash itself was still too painful to talk about, adding that he could not bring himself to speak about what his first memory was after the incident.

After the interview, in a statement prepared with the assistance of his advisers, he said he was “broken” and stays awake at night because of the “flashbacks”.

He said: “I get flashbacks all the time, I just stay awake, I sleep maybe three to four hours.

“Yes, it’s a miracle I survived, but I lost everything, I lost my brother, I’m broken.”

On his brother, Mr Ramesh’s statement continued: “We were all happy, enjoying [life].

“My brother was my strength; he was my everything.

“And now? We’re broken, I don’t feel like talking to anyone.”

During his interview, Mr Ramesh said he was grateful for the support of his wider family, but said his mother, father and younger brother “totally broke down” after the crash.

Mr Ramesh wore a New York Yankees cap to the interview in memory of Ajay, who frequently wore an identical cap, including on the flight.

“My uncle, my cousin, my friends, Sanjiv, Radd – they have given me good support – they’re always here,” he said.

“Mentally and physically – I’m not talking about too much with my family as I’m in my room, alone.

“I don’t like to talk too much. I’m just sitting on my bed and thinking.

“I lost my brother, 35 years old – every day I’m struggling.”

One of Mr Ramesh’s advisers, Mr Patel, said that Air India was “failing” to keep its promise to treat victims of the crash as “family”.

He said: “On the day of the accident, after the initial shock, I felt sick to my stomach, the thought of the trauma unfolding in so many families.

“Since then, I’ve done what I can to help whoever reached out.

“Air India promised to treat them as family, but four months on, I can tell you, they are failing.”

Mr Patel continued: “The families have been dignified in their grief, but they’ve been treated like a name on a spreadsheet, where’s the personal care?

“People have been patient, but four months on and the frustration is growing.

“I’d like to believe that Air India’s executives meant what they promised, unstinting support for the victims of this devastating tragedy, and perhaps they are unaware of the way they are failing in carrying it out.

“Having ignored repeated written requests, this is a public appeal, on behalf of Vishwash and the family and the wider community, an appeal to CEO Campbell Wilson to come and meet with us so he can hear directly about the challenges and failings and be given a chance to put things right.”

Fellow adviser and spokesperson Mr Seiger said: “Having advised corporations like Air India myself in the past in a previous life, you have one chance to do the right thing after disasters like this.

“We are sitting next to the sole survivor of this major airline crash, and as far as I can make out, he is being treated like a number on a spreadsheet.

“Not only has his life been turned upside down, but his entire family’s life has been turned upside down and the CEO of Air India said after the crash he promised full and unstinting support for victims.

“What you can’t forgive is when the people responsible for that crash don’t step forward and do the right thing – that we can’t forgive.”

In a statement issued in response to the claims made by Mr Ramesh’s advisers, Air India said: “We are deeply conscious of our responsibility to provide Mr Ramesh with support through what must have been an unimaginable period.

“Care for him – and indeed all families affected by the tragedy – remains our absolute priority.

“Senior leaders from across Tata Group continue to visit families to express their deepest condolences.

“An offer has been made to Mr Ramesh’s representatives to arrange such a meeting. We will continue to reach out and we very much hope to receive a positive response.

“We are keenly aware this continues to be an incredibly difficult time for all affected and continue to offer the support, compassion, and care we can in the circumstances.”

The food Gen X is addicted to – and why it could be killing them

Joe Wicks and Dr Chris Van Tulleken, creating the world’s most harmful protein bar in Channel 4’s Licensed to Kill last month, made headlines. The sweeteners, goo, flavouring and other industrially produced edible substances they poured into an innocent-looking and apparently extremely tasty fake chocolate bar, have been linked to diarrhoea, other gut issues, an increased risk of stroke, cancer, and what Van Tulleken describes with alarming confidence as “early death”.

A nation trembled. But who should have been trembling in a very specific way? Generation X. Snagged silently between the gobby social media hoggers of baby boomers and millennials, those of us who’d been paying attention to US medical journals (a very specific subset, admittedly) will have seen just one week previously a paper from the University of Michigan, which has discovered that this is all affected Gen X’s health has suffered in a very unique way.

It’s only the second piece of research in the US looking at the intersection between older age groups and ultra-processed food (UPF), and it points out that Generation X were the first generation to have UPF feature heavily in their diets from an early age. The results are clear. Twenty-one per cent of women and 10 per cent of men in Generation X meet criteria for addiction to UPFs, outweighing other addictions like alcoholism (1.5 per cent) and smoking (4 per cent ).

The term “ultra-processed foods”, just in case you’ve not come across it, was defined by the Nova food classification system, developed by researchers at the University of São Paulo, Brazil. It defines food in four categories depending on what’s been done to it during its production.

Unprocessed or minimally processed foods include fruit, vegetables, milk, fish, eggs and other foods with no added ingredients. Processed ingredients include salt, sugar and oils used to cook with. Processed foods combining groups one and two in a way you could do at home, like jam, pickles, tinned fruit and vegetables. Ultra-processed foods, however, have more than one ingredient that you’d never find in a kitchen, such as chemical-based preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners, artificial colours and flavours.

But that’s only half the story. It doesn’t explain why those Gen Xers got addicted, showing strong cravings, repeated unsuccessful attempts to cut down and withdrawal symptoms. It also doesn’t explain why some of this cohort say they even sometimes avoid social situations because of fear of overeating. Or why they over-index as UPF addicts who are overweight and are isolated and have poor mental health.

Boomers, by the way, not so much. Just 12 per cent of women and 4 per cent of men from the golden generation count as UPF addicts. In case the cheap housing, large pensions and jobs for life weren’t enough of a reward for being born in the 1950s and early 60s, they’d also been taught to cook from scratch – a habit many of them never abandoned.

“Generation X was the first to grow up surrounded by ultra-processed foods,” Dr Karen Mann, medical director for the digital health app Noom. “If you were a child in the 1970s or 1980s like I was, you probably remember being bombarded with ads for brightly packaged snacks, fast food, and “convenience” meals.

“Those foods weren’t just available, they were marketed as normal, fun, and family-friendly. In a sense, Gen X was the first test case for how a diet dominated by engineered, hyperpalatable products affects long-term eating behaviour. And being young when UPF arrived shaped Generation X’s tastes and habits early on, making those foods more difficult to resist later in life.”

This was also a generation when both parents started to work too and a more educated population meant many moved away from extended family as they sought out new work opportunities.

“It created a latchkey generation, with parents leaving us food things like French bread pizzas, Findus Crispy Pancakes and Pop-Tarts to snack on when we got home from school,” adds Rob Hobson, nutritionist and author of Unprocess Your Family Life. “Our teeth have suffered, we have a mouthful of fillings, our diets suffered and now we’re reaching midlife, we have high rates of metabolic issues – weight gain, cardiovascular risk, all that kind of stuff.”

As a card-carrying member of Gen X, I look back on Findus Crispy Pancakes, Vesta Curries, Alphabetty Spaghetti, Mr Kipling Cakes, Dalepak Steaks and Bird’s Eye Potato Waffles with genuine affection. There were no health warnings for us. We were just told that Mr Kipling baked exceedingly good cakes, Bird’s Eye Potato Waffles were waffley versatile and Angel Delight was not only delicious, it was also delovely, right?

Ironically, UPF’s high calorie content and semi-industrial structure – which makes it faster to eat and faster to digest – is thanks to the American biologist Paul Ehrlich who, in 1968, predicted that the US would face widespread famines in the 1980s, with millions dying of starvation.

He wrote the then seminal Population Bomb, a grim but entirely incorrect book that saw the post-war surge in the population as unsustainable. There were so many of you, they thought we’d all starve. Instead, between 1980 and 1998, we saw the emergence of Big Food to feed us all and obesity rates treble.

“That famine fear gave huge financial incentives for greater food energy creation and technological advances that lead to nutrient poor industrial food products dense in calories per bite, high in too much saturated fat, high in too much added sugar, high in too much salt, far too low in fibre but very cheap,” explains Sam Dicken, research fellow at the Centre for Obesity Research at UCL

“There were tobacco companies getting into food production, using their marketing tricks and product innovations. It was really hard to avoid. We didn’t even have nutritional standards for food until the 1990s. It was an unregulated market.”

Which, of course, was tragic for a generation of kids being brought up on this stuff in the Seventies and Eighties, and then came a cunning switcheroo, which would make things even worse. Having pumped us full of calories, UPF food companies then sold us diet foods like Diet Coke, low-fat or fat-free versions of cereals, yogurts and non-butter spreads – with sugar replaced by aspartame, which can create sugar cravings and fat replaced with sugar.

This, the University of Michigan research suggests, may account for women’s higher addiction to UPF. “One explanation may be the aggressive marketing of ‘diet’ ultra-processed food to women in the 1980s,” according to Ashley Gearhardt, professor of psychology at the university.

“Low-fat cookies, microwaveable meals and other carbohydrate-heavy products were sold as health foods, which can be especially problematic for those trying to reduce the number of calories they consume. Their engineered nutrient profiles may reinforce addictive eating patterns. This especially affects women, because of the societal pressure around weight.”

And to add a cultural smack in the face to the UPF injury, as poor old Gen X staggered uncertainly into the 1990s and faced a wave of insane fad diets like the detox diet (consume only water or juice); the cabbage soup diet (seven days on just low calorie cabbage soup); the food combining diet (don’t eat certain foods in the same meal because they digest at different rates) and the Atkins diet (eat as much protein and fat as you like but no carbs).

My friends tried most of these. “I nearly attacked my flatmate for eating toast while I was detoxing, it smelt so good,” one recalls, “While on the cabbage soup diet, I actually passed out using the treadmill at the gym.” Another says; “Honestly, I think I tried everything that came along. They made me angry and so hungry I’d break and just stuff my face. It was the 1990s, so I had unhealthy relationships with everything – pills, coke, food, diets and booze. Weirdly, I look back on it as a fun decade. I guess that’s because the Cold War was over and the War on Terror hadn’t arrived. The only person working hard to kill me was me.”

Caroline Buck, a health psychologist, and Dr Abigail Fisher, professor of physical activity and health, work at the Centre for Obesity Research with Sam Dicken. They’re trying to wean healthcare workers off UPF, telling me: “They’re at high risk down to shift work and lots of UPF available in hospitals,” Buck explains. “But we found that the whole diet culture is an older age thing that we just didn’t see with younger participants in our study. They had a very different mentality.”

For all age groups, they found that a combination of regular one-to-one online video calls, monthly support groups, setting goals, having them self-monitor, providing booklets and a website with information… It was a lot, all based on something called a behaviour change wheel, which is way more complicated than cabbage soup. And it’s taken six months so far. This is the power of UPF – it’s addictive, but it’s everywhere, and it still makes up 60 per cent of the average UK diet despite people being more aware of it than ever.

No wonder, Mounjaro and Ozempic are so popular among Gen X’s in the UK. Private-market data for Mounjaro indicate that “people aged 40-59 make up over half of Mounjaro users, and the average user age was reported as 50.2 years. And older users are also more likely to use it for chronic conditions (diabetes, heart disease) rather than solely for slimming, too.

It makes me feel a little bad about how little we noticed back in the 1980s. There’s plenty of work done on adolescents, but only now are we really understanding how the early diets of those in their fifties today have impacted their health. Gen X came home from school alone, put the UPF into the microwave and chowed down alone, and then were left to wrestle with the twisted diet culture, which came for them as they hit their twenties.

No wonder they call us the forgotten generation. Perhaps it’s time to remind people we’re here, because, if we don’t, the cost of ignoring the mounting health crisis coming down the track will.

Warning over ‘unsafe’ scan clinics misdiagnosing baby loss

Leading radiographers have voiced grave concerns over “unsafe” high street clinics providing baby scans without qualified specialists.

Reports detail instances of babies being wrongly diagnosed as deceased and critical medical emergencies being overlooked.

The Society of Radiographers (SoR) highlights a surge in such pregnancy scan clinics, noting that while other health professionals require qualification and regulation, anyone with an ultrasound machine can currently claim to be a sonographer.

When people perform scans without proper training, it can lead to “unsafe” situations for the mother and baby, the SoR said.

It highlighted examples including:

The SoR is calling for sonographers to have a “protected” job title, which means only those with qualifications and registered with a regulatory body would be able to use the title.

SoR president and a hospital sonographer, Katie Thompson, said: “When people go for a scan or any kind of diagnostic test, they assume that the person they’re going to see is qualified to do it.

“They don’t realise that anybody can buy a machine and call themselves a sonographer.

“With registration, no one would be able to call themselves a sonographer unless they were on that register. If there was a problem or a complaint, the patient would be able to refer them to their regulatory body.”

Elaine Brooks, a former hospital sonographer and Midlands regional officer for the SoR, said: “One time, we had a lady referred in from a private clinic who was eight or nine weeks pregnant.

“The sonographer at the private clinic said there was no heartbeat for the baby and that the baby was very, very malformed, and they sent her in for an induced miscarriage.

“The trust I was working in never accepts reports that come in from private clinics, so we started scanning the lady, who was in tears. On the scan there was clearly a beautiful nine-week pregnancy with a heartbeat. It was absolutely fine.

“Next to the pregnancy was a blood clot – what they’d done is measured the blood clot. But there was a foetus of normal appearance above it. If the hospital had given her the medication the private clinic had recommended, that baby would have miscarried.

“The mother was absolutely over the moon – but also very distraught, because she’d been knocking back the wine all weekend.”

She said that on some occasions, people have gone to private clinics a couple of weeks before their 20-week NHS scan to find out the gender of their baby, and staff have failed to spot major problems.

“Then they come for their NHS scan and there’s quite a large abnormality that should have been picked up – something like spina bifida, polycystic kidneys or fluid-filled ventricles in the head – things that you wouldn’t expect to have developed in a week,” she said.

On other occasions, officials have seen cases where ectopic pregnancies have been missed.

The SoR also highlighted concerns about people banned from working in NHS hospitals instead finding employment in private clinics.

Gill Harrison, the SoR’s professional officer for ultrasound, said: “Patients often don’t know who’s conducting their scan. Many are appalled when they realise that someone with no qualifications, or who has been struck off a professional register, can still perform their ultrasound scan.”

The Department of Health and Social Care said in a statement: “No parent should face the trauma of an incorrect diagnosis, and our sympathies are with families affected.

“We are committed to ensuring appropriate regulation for all health and care professions so patients can feel confident their care is in safe and qualified hands.

“The regulation of healthcare professionals is kept under review to ensure patient safety remains paramount. We will carefully consider any proposals from professional bodies regarding this.”

Explore phone photography plus a chance to win a Samsung Galaxy S25 FE

When it comes to capturing moments that matter, it’s all about our mobiles, with an incredible 92.5 per cent of photos now taken on our phones. And whether you’re an experienced snapper or an enthusiastic amateur, when it comes to taking your images and videos to the next level, the new Samsung Galaxy S25 FE has all the spec and tech you need.

This sleek and impressively lightweight device is leading the way when it comes to real world AI performance, offering software designed to enhance your images and footage from image quality and clarity, to tone and colour, even in tricky conditions, such as low-light or busy, bustling places – meaning you get the perfect image and video every time. What’s more, the device’s functionality and editing features allows you to easily and seamlessly improve what you capture, meaning you can nail the perfect shot or clip every time.

Read on to find out more about the Galaxy S25 FE’s range of photo-first features – and how you can win one of your own…

Let’s start by delving into the assortment of camera options that come with the Galaxy S25 FE. There’s a triple lens set up on the rear of the body to offer varying focal lengths – a 50 MP Wide Camera, 8 MP Telephoto Camera with 3 x optical zoom and a 12 MP Ultra-Wide camera – meaning you get the exact frame you desire at the best possible quality.

Portrait mode is exceptional, beautifully capturing the essence of people, pets, nature and objects with equal splendour. The option of three different lenses and multiple zoom capabilities means you always get the perfect angle and crop – and whether you’re shooting during the day or when the sun goes down, the Galaxy S25 FE’s Night Mode means the results are clear and vivid.

Take strikingly detailed selfies thanks to a 12 MP front camera, which has regular and wide options, and a 20 per cent higher resolution than the previous model. There’s an equally lucid quality for the selfie video mode – so you can make yourself look just as good as your friends and family.

On top of the incredible camera functionality, the Galaxy S25 FE boasts trailblazing AI tech – because even the best photo in the world can be improved with a few little tweaks, right? Introducing Photo Assist*: improve your images using the Generative Edit function, which lets you move around, or even remove, people and objects in your photos – so you can wave goodbye to photobombers once and for all. Or leave it to AI to make the decisions with ‘Suggest Erase’ to instantly remove people and objects that may be crowding your background. Equally, you can fill spaces that look too empty: the AI-powered function will analyse surrounding imagery to create a suitable filler. You can also resize and reposition people or objects to create fun, abstract and quirky images.

Want to get even more creative? Lean into the Sketch to Image** function which allows you to generate new additions to your existing photos. Open up your chosen photo and start sketching simple drawings directly onto the image and let AI Image Generation do the rest, as it fills the space with your chosen item or even a person. Want some surfers in that edgy picture of crashing waves? A heart-shaped cloud in that stunning azure sky? Sketch them in and let Galaxy AI do the rest.

While the Galaxy S25 FE already has a very impressive Night Mode, it can always be tricky capturing the exact shot you want without sunlight. This is where Enhanced Nightography comes in. The smartphone’s AI-powered image processing ProVisual Engine will analyse the scenes in the photos and videos to automatically enhance the visual quality, while Object Awareness can recognise faces and lighting and use that information to optimise skin tones and enhance clarity – making skin look true-to-life whenever you’re shooting.

And it’s not only about making things look better. The Audio Eraser*** function will make your videos sound better too. It works by removing unwanted background noises and disturbances post filming, with the result a more clear and focused final cut.

Aside from the innovative camera and AI features, the Galaxy S25 FE is an all-round impressive smartphone. The stylish design is available in four colours – Navy, Jetblack, Icyblue and White – all with Premium Haze matte finish and rare curved edges. While the body may be the slimmest and most lightweight FE model to date (disclaimer, compared to previous models) – just 7.4 mm thin and 190 grams light – the robust build is encased with Corning® Gorilla® and Glass Victus®+ for drop protection and has an enhanced aluminium frame. The device also boasts an IP68 rating**** for dust and water resistance – the highest rating available.

When it comes to battery life, you’re looking at a 4900mAh capacity† offering up to a whopping 28 hours of video playback, and you can power up the battery to 65 per cent in just 30 minutes with fast-wired charging. Expect smooth and immersive gaming and multimedia viewing thanks to a screen resolution of 6.7” FHD+ and up to 120HZ display refresh rate.

While the Galaxy S25 FE’s AI tech in terms of photos and videos may mean a world of endless creation, the integrated AI capabilities don’t end there. Lean into Gemini to get all the information you could need in real time, ‘Circle to Search with Google’ lets you trace information direct from the pictures and videos on your screen‡, while ‘Browse Assist’ instantly summarises web content and ‘Writing Assist’§ works to polish up your notes and communication. Meanwhile the AI-powered Now Bar◊ delivers helpful daily summaries and weather information to your homescreen so you can schedule the perfect moment to get out and shoot.

For your chance to win one of these game-changing devices, and capture your moments in style, simply fill out the form below.

18+, UK residents only. Promotion closes at 23:59 GMT on Sunday 30th November 2025. Winners will be drawn at random from all entries received by the closing date. The prize is non-transferable and no cash alternative is available. Usual promotional rules apply, see independent.co.uk/rules For further information, please write to Customer Care, The Independent, Alphabeta, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London, EC2A 1AH

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To find out more about the Samsung S25 FE visit Samsung

*Samsung account login is required. Requires network connection.

**Samsung account login and network connection may be required for certain AI features.

***Samsung account login required. Six types of sound can be detected; voices, music, wind, nature, crowd and noise. Results may vary depending on audio source & condition of the video.

**** IP68 rating based on lab test conditions for submersion in up to 1.5 meters of freshwater for up to 30 minutes. Not advised for beach or pool use.

† Typical value tested under third party laboratory condition. Rated minimum capacity of S25 FE is 4755 mAh.

‡ Requires network connection. Results may vary depending on visual match.

§ Samsung account login is required. Requires a network connection. Must meet length requirements to activate feature. Service availability may vary by language. Accuracy of results is not guaranteed.

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AI prostate cancer tool trialled by NHS in bid to improve treatment

A new study is set to investigate how artificial intelligence (AI) could significantly improve doctors’ decisions regarding prostate cancer treatment.

While diagnostic methods for the disease have become safer and more precise, medical professionals still face considerable challenges in accurately assessing its aggressiveness in individual patients.

This difficulty can unfortunately lead to some men undergoing invasive procedures such as surgery or radiotherapy, when a less aggressive monitoring approach might have been more appropriate.

The crucial Vanguard Path study, spearheaded by researchers at the University of Oxford, is being funded with a £1.9 million grant from the charity Prostate Cancer UK to address this vital issue.

Experts will first test the technology – called ArteraAI Prostate Biopsy Assay – on prostate biopsy samples from men who have already been diagnosed and treated for the disease and have at least five years of follow-up data.

The study will compare how well the predictions made by the AI tool match what happened to patients in the real world.

It will then be tested in real clinics on biopsies from men as they are diagnosed, with a focus on cases in which doctors find it hard to decide the best course of treatment.

The three NHS sites taking part are North Bristol NHS Trust, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

Professor Clare Verrill, lead researcher on the project, said the trial “will pave the way for advanced AI technologies” to be rolled out on the NHS.

“This will enable more detailed and precise information to be provided to men who will be able to make better-informed decisions with their clinical team about whether they can be safely monitored or need treatment – and, if so, help guide those decisions,” she added.

Dr Matthew Hobbs, director of research at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “AI has the potential to massively improve prostate cancer care and make sure that every man has the most accurate and best treatment plan for his specific cancer.

“We’ve been working with Artera for several years now and I believe that their AI tool is one of the most exciting ones to have been developed. But exciting AI tools can only make a difference if they can be properly evaluated.

“This new project from Professor Verrill and her team is so exciting, because it tests this new technology in real-world settings, meaning we can deliver the final evidence needed for it to be rolled out across the NHS.”

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in males and about one in eight men will have it in their lifetime, according to Prostate Cancer UK.

Some 58,218 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer in England in 2024, up from 53,462 the year before, according to the National Prostate Cancer Audit (NPCA).

Andre Esteva, chief executive and co-founder of Artera, said: “We developed the ArteraAI Prostate Biopsy Assay to help improve the lives of prostate cancer patients and have spent years gathering evidence about its potential impact.

“We’re delighted to be working with Professor Verrill and her team to see how the test could be used to maximise benefit for men in the NHS and hope that we will soon see the tool being used to personalise prostate cancer care for men in the UK.”

News of the study comes days after it emerged an NHS trial will use AI to interpret MRI scans from men suspected of having prostate cancer.

If the software detects a scan it deems high risk for the disease, it will be sent to radiologists for priority review and the patient will be booked in for a same-day biopsy.

Specialists can then review results and either rule out or diagnose prostate cancer faster.

The pilot will run in 15 hospitals, NHS England said.

Israeli strike kills Palestinian in latest violation of Gaza ceasefire

Israeli forces have killed another Palestinian in Gaza, the latest in a series of ceasefire violations that have left at least 236 people dead.

The man was killed in a drone strike near a vegetable market in the Shujayea area of Gaza City on Sunday. Israeli forces claimed he crossed the “yellow line” marking the ceasefire boundary, according to media reports.

The Israeli military said it struck a militant who was posing a threat to its forces.

Hamas, meanwhile, released what it described as a list of violations of the ceasefire by Israel. Ismail Al-Thawabta, director of the Gaza government’s media office, denied that Hamas fighters had violated the truce by attacking Israeli soldiers.

Israel has claimed three of its soldiers have been killed.

A total of 236 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since the ceasefire came into effect on 10 October.

Authorities in Gaza City have recovered at least 502 dead bodies of Palestinians from massive rubble sites so far, as desperate family members continue to search for their missing loved ones.

Gaza’s health and civil defence authorities estimate that around 10,000 people remain buried under the rubble, though some experts believe the true number could be as high as 14,000.

Israeli authorities on Sunday received the remains of three hostages from Hamas. Israel’s military said official identification of these remains would be provided to families first.

Palestinian militants had released the remains of 17 hostages before the weekend handover.

US president Donald Trump indicated on Sunday that the remains of Omer Neutra, an American-Israeli citizen, were among those returned by Hamas.

The president said he had spoken with the family of Neutra, who served as a tank platoon commander in the Israeli military.

“They were thrilled, in one sense, but in another sense, obviously, it’s not too great,” Mr Trump said of Neutra’s parents.

Israeli officials have said they believed Neutra, a Long Island, New York, native, was killed in the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israel that sparked the war.

Israel has been releasing the remains of 15 Palestinian captives for the remains of an Israeli hostage.

Health officials in Gaza have struggled to identify bodies without access to DNA kits. Only 75 of the 225 Palestinian bodies returned since the ceasefire started have been identified, according to the health ministry, which has posted photos of remains in the hope that families will recognise them.