Snow could follow Storm Claudia as UK set for freezing temperatures

A cold snap is forecast to bring freezing temperatures and a chance of snow after downpours from Storm Claudia caused widespread flooding in parts of the UK.

The storm particularly affected Wales, where a major incident was declared in Monmouthshire. People were evacuated from their homes in the town of Monmouth after the River Monnow burst its banks.

Rainfall of 119.6mm was recorded in the 12 hours to 6am on Saturday at a Natural Resources Wales rain gauge at Tafalog in Gwent. In Suckley, Worcestershire 80.6mm was recorded over the same period.

But as the clear-up from the flooding gets underway, a plunge in temperature could bring icy conditions in the coming days.

A significant drop in temperatures is expected due to a change in wind.

Recent mild spells have been caused by southerly winds, but this pattern is set to change and, by Monday, colder air in the north will sweep southwards and bring winds from the Arctic.

According to Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Dan Holley, the cold snap will be triggered by high pressure to the northwest.

He said this pressure “will drive a cold northerly flow from the Arctic”, bringing with it “much colder conditions than of late”.

Temperatures could dip as low as minus 7C in places next week, according to the Met Office.

“It’s certainly going to turn much colder over the next couple of days, there will be an eight to 10 degree drop in temperature, you will be struggling to get double figures,” Met Office meteorologist Simon Partridge told The Independent.

“We will probably see our first widespread countrywide frost on Monday morning and the lowest temperatures will be somewhere between minus 5C and minus 7C.”

There is potential for it to snow in areas exposed to this northerly wind from the Arctic.

“On Tuesday, there is a small area of low pressure that is going to bring in a band of rain, sleet and hill snow,” Mr Partridge said.

This is likely to hit northern parts of the UK, he explained.

Wintery showers, with a mixture of rain, sleet and snow, could hit Scotland, Northern Ireland, the North Yorkshire Moors, west Wales and the moors of southwest England.

The Met Office has said snow could fall in these areas on Tuesday and Wednesday. But it will be dry and sunny for most areas on Thursday, with overnight frosts.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a cold weather warning ahead of the drop in temperatures.

The alert is in place from 8am on Monday until 8am next Friday. It covers the East Midlands, West Midlands, North East, North West and Yorkshire and the Humber.

UKHSA explained alerts are issued when cold weather is forecast that could lead to significant impacts on health.

In addition, Mr Holley also warned “it is possible warnings may be issued for snow and ice at times”.

Two men arrested after phone hidden to ‘play sex noises during PMQs’

Two men have been arrested after a mobile phone was planted in the House of Commons to play “sex noises” during Prime Minister’s Questions.

The device, discovered near the front bench, is thought to have been hidden there to deliberately disrupt the weekly showdown between Sir Keir Starmer and the opposition.

It had been taped to the underside of a table but had lost its grip and fallen on the floor, according to reports.

It later rang twice during PMQs with a sexually explicit ringtone, but had already been discovered during a routine security sweep on 3 September.

Scotland Yard launched an investigation into the prank, which is being treated as a major security breach.

A man in his 30s and a man in his 60s were arrested on suspicion of attempting to intentionally cause a public nuisance and bailed later that month, it has now emerged.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “At 10.25 on Wednesday 3 September a mobile phone was found during a routine search of the House of Commons chamber by Met officers.

“Enquiries led officers to believe that the phone was purposely placed in a location with the aim of causing disruption to business in the house.

“A man in his 30s was arrested on Friday 5 September on suspicion of attempting to intentionally cause a public nuisance.

“Another man in his 60s was arrested on Tuesday 30 September on suspicion of the same offence. Both have been bailed to return at a later date.”

Heightened security measures were introduced in the Commons after the phone was found. Audio and guided tours were cancelled and there was reduced access to the Commons chamber.

The House of Lords took the same decision to reduce access to the Lords Chamber “as a precautionary measure”.

The incident occurred while hundreds of parliamentary security staff were on strike over pay and conditions, meaning visitors were banned from the parliamentary estate.

A UK Parliament spokesperson said at the time: “Parliament is a public building and we facilitate the visits of thousands of people to the estate each week.

“The safety and security of everyone who works or visits here remains our top priority, and we have robust and proactive security measures in place – this includes ensuring that visitors and their belongings are security screened, along with monitoring and routine searches of areas that are open to the public.

“Whilst we cannot comment on the detail of our processes, we can confirm that a mobile phone was removed from the Commons Chamber on 3 September – demonstrating the effectiveness of the security measures we have in operation.”

‘I was a Covid hero – now I live in a caravan because of the housing crisis’

For two years, Kirsty Brett searched for a flat in the Essex town of Canvey Island.

Staying with her parents and earning £27,000 as a carer, the 34-year-old thought she was in a good position find a suitable one-bedroom flat she could move in and gain her independence.

But all she could find were apartments priced at £1,300 and £1,400-a-month in a local authority, Castle Point, where average rents increased 7 per cent last year.

“How could I afford that and then pay my bills and for my food and other things on top of that on my wage all by myself?” she said. “I had no option but to look at other ways to move out from my parents.”

Ms Brett, who worked as a carer, decided to move 80 miles to move in with her sister in Bury St Edmunds, before taking the plunge to buy a £10,000 caravan in May, selling two cars and taking out a loan to pay for it.

“I was happy to do it but I also felt like I was forced down this avenue if I wanted to live on my own,” she said.

She initially pitched on a residential and holiday park, paying £800 a month, before, a few weeks ago, moving on to a friend’s driveway in Bury St Edmunds. Her friend, due to ill health, needed help with errands and so it made sense to live outside the home, she said.

“You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do,” she said.

“If you’re like me and you don’t mind small spaces that you can keep tidy, it’s fine. It might not be perfect, but have everything I need in the caravan; there’s a bed, kitchen, toilet and television.

“I’m lucky I could buy it, because I was not prepared to work myself into an early grave to pay the extortionate amount of money that we’re expected to pay to live on their own.”

Ms Brett is among a growing group of people across the country who, feeling priced out by the housing market, are choosing to live in caravans.

At the last census in 2021, some 104,000 households lived in a caravan or mobile home, 19,000 more than a decade before. In cities like Bristol there has been a notable rise in the number of “lived-in vehicles”, which include vans and caravans, causing tensions in the local community.

There is a perception by some that it leads to a cost-free life – but Mr Brett, who works more than 20 hours every week as a cleaner, said that’s a myth.

“I’ve still got to pay bills,” she said. “I’ve got my car with insurance costing £140, I’ve got the money to pay back on my loan which is £400 a month and then I need to buy food, with a week’s shopping costing nearly £100, and that just for like sandwiches and dinners.

“I have to cut back on some parts of life, and have looked to bring in extra money through things crafts and meditation classes.”

The Labour government’s response to the housing crisis is to build more homes, with a target for 1.5m new homes by the end of the current five-year term.

But the current shortage in social housing means there are a record 1.3m households on council waiting lists, with analysis of official figures by the National Housing Federation showing it will take more than 100 years to clear the lists at three local authority areas; Westminster, Enfield and Merton.

Part of the problem for Ms Brett has been finding a well paid job.

She said she is highly-qualified, and has a wealth of experience working in care homes, particularly during the Covid pandemic. But said there is a lack of “hard, challenging” jobs which offer a good wage.

“There are so many jobs that should be paid way more that are specialised but always go on minimum wage or zero contract,” she said.

“I’m very qualified, I’ve got 27 qualifications, certificates coming out of ears, but they [employers] won’t pay me for my skills, they only pay me what they want to and I think that’s wrong.

“It means we’re forever going to be in a situation where people like me are chasing the cost of living, from renting a home to doing the weekly shop.”

Ms Brett said she was helped by a raise in the National Living Wage this year, up to £12.21 – but she has urged the government ahead of this month’s Budget to provide greater support to those on minimum wage.

“Many people feel let down,” she said. “We all want a greater share of wealth, but what we are seeing is those who slugged so hard helping others, like during Covid, are getting nothing in return.”

As for the future, despite wanting to make her voice heard, Ms Brett is pessimistic she will see improvement.

She added: “They [politicians] stand there and say we’re going to make it better for people, we’re going to do this , we’re going to do that. And they don’t. They let us down every time.”

Home secretary condemns ‘mortifying’ Labour leadership row

The home secretary has condemned speculation around the Labour leadership as “deeply mortifying” as allies of Angela Rayner were forced to deny a bid to topple the prime minister – just days after the health secretary had to do the same.

Shabana Mahmood described the past week of Labour infighting – which has dominated the headlines and embroiled the most senior members of the party – as “horribly embarrassing” as she called on ministers to “focus on the job” rather than engage in “tittle tattle”.

As she made her plea, a source close to Ms Rayner hit out at “false” reports claiming that the former deputy prime minister was among those plotting a challenge to Sir Keir Starmer.

Shadow minister Chris Philp said Labour party was “fighting like rats in a sack”, while a Labour insider suggested it showed the PM was “a man on borrowed time”.

The turmoil at the top of government follows a tumultuous week in which Wes Streeting was forced to openly deny that he was planning a coup to overthrow Sir Keir. The bitter row broke out on Tuesday after allies of the prime minister insisted he was willing to fight off any challenges to his leadership, with Mr Streeting singled out as a likely challenger.

Speaking to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, Ms Mahmood referred to the briefings as “tittle tattle” – a phrase also used by Ms Rayner to condemn the row.

She said: “I think what happened earlier on this week was horribly embarrassing.

“It’s deeply mortifying for everybody in the government and I’m pleased that the prime minister has dealt with it.”

She pointed to policy announcements from this week, such as the abolition of police and crime commissioners, and added: “We all have important difficult jobs to do, and it is incumbent on all of us as cabinet ministers to focus on the job.

“Because all of this tittle tattle, these off the record briefings, people who haven’t got the courage of their convictions to say publicly on the record what they’re saying privately to journalists, all of that it doesn’t stand the test of time.”

Ms Mahmood was also asked on Sky News if the PM needed to think again about his leadership after a difficult week for No 10.

She said: “No. Keir Starmer is our prime minister. We won an election just under a year and a half or so ago, when people thought that we would not win an election for maybe a generation or more.

“I have no time for these things that people say or brief off the record, or any of this, frankly, Westminster bubble tittle-tattle.”

The continued fallout at the top of Labour came as Ms Mahmood outlined details of her immigration crackdown, which she will unveil on Monday in the House of Commons and which faces strong opposition from MPs.

But the big announcement threatens to be overshadowed by the row, with one insider suggesting Sir Keir is a man on “borrowed time”. There are still unanswered questions around the source of the leak, with the prime minister launching an investigation amid fresh attention on whether Sir Keir’s longtime ally and chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, could survive in his post.

Pollster Scarlett Maguire, founder and director of Merlin Strategy suggested that voters are “desperate” for politicians to put aside infighting and get on with governing.

She told The Independent: “Bitter public infighting is never a good look, especially when voters are desperate for politicians that get on with the job and deliver tangible change.

“That being said, there is clearly deep rooted unhappiness with the current leadership of the country.”

Pointing to figures from YouGov earlier this week, she added: “A majority of the public think Keir Starmer should step down, including nearly 4 in 10 Labour voters.”

Meanwhile, a Labour insider suggested to The Independent that they agreed that the saga has been “embarrassing”. “We’re at a point where it’s being openly discussed on the media every day. If that isn’t a man on borrowed time I don’t know what is,” they said, referring to Sir Keir.

Ministers have been grappling with their own MPs who are worried about the party’s polling and the potential fallout of the upcoming Budget.

A source close to Ms Rayner denied on Sunday that she was making any potential moves towards a leadership bid, calling the idea “total rubbish”.

They said: “This is total rubbish and obviously false. Amidst all the stirring and silly games, Angela is focussed on representing her local community and ensuring that the priorities she championed in government are delivered in full.”

She had earlier sparked speculation about a return to frontline politics by insisting she had “not gone away” during her first interview since her resignation in September.

She also condemned the saga as “arrogant tittle tattle” and critisied the briefings against Mr Streeting.

Chris Philp, meanwhile, told Sky News: “The Labour Party are unable to do that. They are fighting like rats in a sack.

“You’ve got Keir Starmer briefing against Wes Streeting. You’ve got Angela Rayner sharpening the knives in the background.

“Goodness knows what Bridget Phillipson and Lucy Powell are both up to.

“Instead of serving the national interest, the Labour government are fighting each other just weeks away from a Budget that will unleash enormous tax rises on this country that will drive up unemployment even further.”

Why leaning out of work for mental health could backfire for women

The numbers are stark. In June, the government reported that almost one million young people aged 16 to 24 are not currently in employment, education or training. And if you look closely at the data, you’ll notice that this increase has been driven by women. In the three-month period before June, the number of so-called “Neets” rose by 24,000; this can be broken down to a 25,000 increase in women, and a 1,000 drop in men.

In total, the Office for National Statistics reports, there are now 450,000 young female “Neets” – that’s the highest number recorded since 2016. So why is this figure on the rise, reversing previous trends? What is holding women back from the workplace, or prompting them to drop out quickly?

It’s undeniable that the job market isn’t exactly welcoming right now. “There are fewer jobs around, unemployment is rising, but then also, particularly for younger women, we are now seeing that AI is starting to reduce the number of entry-level jobs as well,” says Anna Hemmings, CEO of Smart Works, a charity supporting unemployed women across the UK. And any conversation about women and work must also reckon with the fact that women overwhelmingly tend to shoulder caring responsibilities, whether that is for young children or ageing family members.

But this only goes part way to explain what might be happening for the young women in the Neet cohort – many of whom aren’t yet even of an age when they are thinking about starting a family.

Mental health is also a major factor – but it’s a much more complex picture than you might think. Data from the King’s Trust shows that one in 10 Neets left employment over the past year due to mental health; more than one quarter say this has stopped them applying for jobs. The government has earmarked this as a particularly pressing issue; earlier this month, they announced that a new review, headed up by the former health secretary Alan Milburn, will examine how mental health issues and disability factor into youth unemployment.

Young women have “always been more likely than men to experience the more common mental health problems”, from anxiety to depression, says Dr Lynne Green, chief clinical officer at Kooth, a digital mental health support platform. And over the past decade or so, an overwhelming array of studies has concluded that these problems are only rising and rising in this demographic. This year, the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity survey pinpointed this group as particularly at risk of suffering from a common mental health condition.

Could this crisis, then, be pushing young female employees out of work? Twenty-nine year-old Megan is a Gen Z “cusper” who opted to leave the corporate world behind in order to prioritise her mental wellbeing. She was left feeling burned out after having to grapple with the “up and down” moods of “toxic people managers who expect you to work around the clock”, she says. “I was feeling guilty all the time for not working and had the goal posts moved all the time, which meant I dreaded logging in for work and it gave me intense anxiety.”

She is not the only one. You only have to glance at social media to hear the stories of young women who’ve decided to take a step back from their career after facing burnout. Caroline Hickey is a careers coach who mainly works with women in their twenties and thirties, and has seen some clients inadvertently fall into the Neet category. “I’m seeing lots of young people accidentally becoming Neets because they’ll go, ‘I want to go travelling, I want to have a break, I’ll figure it out when I get back,’” she explains.

This is a more “intentional” plan, she notes. But others may be making a “more emotionally driven decision” in response to “the negative experiences they’re having at work”. The issue with both approaches, though, is that these women are opting out for a “breather”, but potentially underestimating just how tricky it can be to return to the job market when they are ready, Hickey notes, while the fact that they “feel empowered to make these choices” and “put themselves first” is a positive, there is a risk that they may be “swap[ping] one pressure for another”.

It’s worth bearing in mind that much of Gen Z came of age during the pandemic, and suffered the setbacks and confidence knocks that came with this. Twenty-two year-old student Asma, found that studying for her A-levels remotely during Covid “really took a toll on me mentally and physically”; she ended up withdrawing her university applications and taking two years out, all of which “affected my confidence”. Since then, she has received interview support from Smart Works, which helped her secure an internship.

“I think the big challenge with Gen Z is that many of them are emerging from childhoods and adolescences that have left them extremely ill-equipped for the workplace, through no real fault of their own,” says Gen Z expert Chloe Combi. “The death of the Saturday and after-school job and lack of work experience opportunities have left them finding work quite alien and scary.”

Combine this with the confidence gap between young women and men, with there being “comparatively less likelihood” that the former will “brazen it out or blag it in the way young men do”, as Combi puts it, and you have the potential makings of “a young woman retention crisis”.

Social media, and the “aspiration inflation” it has encouraged, is exacerbating this, making hyper-perfectionist women assume that they’re somehow failing unless they are excelling in a career that is high-powered but also feels meaningful (and let’s face it, it’s pretty rare to fall into a role that provides all of this when you’re only on your first or second job).

If you’re holding yourself up against impossible standards, your mental health is only going to suffer. “There is evidence that young women and girls are more likely to engage with social media platforms generally, but also engage in a particular way,” says Dr Green. “Generally speaking, [they] are more likely to compare themselves to others, pay more attention to likes, positive endorsements, and all these things are then associated with poor body image, low self-esteem, low mood.”

Even accounts that aim to support students or jobseekers, or give a more honest picture, can just end up sparking anxiety. Asma tells me how she’d see social media users detailing how they’d “had to apply to over 200 internships and only got offers from two”, which only painted a discouraging picture.

Combi also makes the point that well-meaning but “over-pushed” discussions around imposter syndrome – the feeling that you are somehow inadequate or not “worthy” of your role, despite your track record proving the contrary – might prove counterproductive. “It’s been foisted on young women as something they should feel, even if they don’t naturally, which makes them more fearful and apologetic,” she says.

It’s no wonder that all these competing conversations around women in the workplace might prove overwhelming. Women, Hickey suggests, are being “pulled between two ideals” – they might simultaneously feel that they should be excelling at everything, while also “decentering work” and believing it to be “not that important”. They might then respond in different ways, she adds: either by leaning “fully into” one of those ideals, or “opting out entirely”.

Throw in the rising discourse around so-called “trad wives”, selling an aspirational version of a stay-at-home life more suited to 1925 than 2025, and you add another confusing piece to the puzzle: young women are also being told to embrace a more small-c conservative lifestyle, focusing on domesticity and child-rearing, by influencers who are (ironically) “getting rich and independent by selling servitude and dependence to girls and women”, as Combi puts it.

The cost of sending a child to nursery has only just started to fall after increasing over a 15-year period, according to recent figures from kids’ charity Coram, and the UK is still one of the most expensive countries for childcare.

And this presents a huge structural issue for young women debating whether to return to work after maternity leave, or drop out altogether. Camilla Rigby is the co-founder of Women’s Work Lab, a not-for-profit organisation supporting unemployed mothers aged 19 and over by offering programmes to help them get back into work. “In September, we had over 65 applications for the 15 spots available,” she says. But “as our programme manager started interviewing, it transpired that half of those mums could not access the childcare to even attend our course, let alone going on to get a job”, she says.

Even though eligible working parents can now claim up to 30 free hours of childcare per week, in practice, those free hours are often snapped up by those “who have already got a child in the nursery” or those who can immediately commit to more hours. Plus, many nurseries require an upfront sum.

It’s making an impossible situation worse for mums who don’t want to fall out of the workplace. “They’re expecting a deposit before the child goes to nursery, and it’s just not possible if you don’t have help around you,” says 25-year-old Karolina, one of the women who Rigby’s organisation has worked with. “If you’re on Universal Credit and just getting the money to pay the bills, you do not have any spare money to put towards or save up [for childcare], especially with paying full rent.” Karolina spent two and a half years out of a job, but now works in a supermarket; her child is now school-age, but childcare during the holidays is still pricey. Without money, you can’t secure the childcare you need to go to work. If you can’t work, how do you save up for childcare? It’s a vicious cycle.

So what could be the long-term impact of all this? “I worry that if we’ve got [young women] opting in and out, what’s going to happen is they’ll end up staying lower down the employment ladder because they’ve haven’t been in the workforce [long enough] to put the time in to do the climbing,” Hickey says. After years of making progress on issues such as the gender pay gap and better female representation, “we potentially have the risk of going backwards”.

Food photography tips: how to make food look as good as it tastes

Ever since the rise of social media, sharing food online has become a global obsession. From Instagram reels to TikTok trends, food content dominates our feeds and for good reason. Food is a universal love language. There’s something irresistible about the smell of freshly baked bread or the comfort of a steaming bowl of delicious pasta.

But as any food lover knows, capturing a photo that truly does your meal justice is easier said than done. Yet, it’s a powerful skill to have, as the perfect food shot can turn a humble dinner into viral content and, in some cases, transform small cafés, bartenders, and home bakers into internet stars.

At the heart of this movement sits the smartphone camera. And as someone who’s been immersed in food photography for over a decade and adores a smartphone for its ease of use and authentic way of capturing food moments, I was eager to see what Samsung’s new lightweight Galaxy S25 FE device could bring to the dinner table as it were.

When it comes to shooting food, I look for four essential things in a phone camera:

The Galaxy S25 FE ticks all four boxes and then some, and truly feels as though it was designed with the modern day foodie/food creator in mind. It even introduces ground-breaking AI features that promise to make editing and shooting more intuitive than ever, for a true end-to-end all encompassing device that elevates your food images effortlessly.

When it comes to food photography, the right lens can transform an ordinary plate into a visual feast – and the Galaxy S25 FE delivers a versatile mix that makes shooting creative, effortless, and fun.

The phone features four lenses in total, each one offering something unique for the way you tell your food story. Up front is a 12 MP selfie lens – solid, though not one you’ll often reach for when photographing your meals (unless you’re keen to share a reaction pic after). The real excitement is at the back, where three impressive lenses open up endless visual possibilities.

The 12 MP ultra-wide lens truly shines in tight spaces – whether you’re in a bustling café or a cosy, low-lit bar – capturing the full atmosphere with ease. It’s also perfect for those beautiful ‘table spread’ shots that continue to be popular on social media: think a tapas feast, a Christmas dinner, or a brunch spread where you want every dish in frame, without needing to balance on a chair!

For most food photography though, the star of the show is the 50 MP wide lens. It’s the one that produces those crisp, vibrant images with lifelike colours that leap off the screen. I always suggest shooting dishes that are abundant in natural hues such as bright salads, deeply coloured curries, or gorgeous fruit platters – and wherever possible, using natural light – because on social media colourful food always wins! I’ll often book a restaurant table near a window or shoot at my home studio beside one: it’s the easiest way to make textures sing and let the Galaxy S25 FE’s sensor show what it can really do.

Then there’s the 8 MP telephoto zoom lens, your best friend for capturing all the delicious food trends making the rounds right now such as the creamy frosting on a cinnamon roll or the sparkle of sea salt on a perfectly fried egg with feta and chilli sauce. It’s also great for those close-up shots that add a touch of drama and intimacy to your food feed – the ones that make people stop scrolling and think, ‘Dang, I need that right now.’

Together, these lenses help you capture not just what your food looks like, but how it feels to eat it.

As mentioned above, natural light is always a food photographer’s best friend, but when you’re enjoying a cosy evening meal, it’s not always an option. Most phone cameras struggle in those dimly lit restaurants or candlelit bars, often leaving food looking flat and colours washed out. That’s why I was especially curious to see how the Galaxy S25 FE would perform once the sun went down considering it has Enhanced Nightography and an AI-powered ProVisual Engine – an image processing engine that analyses each shot to automatically improve its visual. So, I put it to the test and am pleased to report, it delivered.

Even under low, warm lighting, the Galaxy S25 FE captures crisp textures and allows your food to look as good as it tastes, whilst infusing it with that evening ambience. For best results, I would recommend using the ultra wide lens in evening settings to capture the restaurant’s atmosphere and the wide lens for your food shots as it will result in the sharpest low light shots.

The Galaxy S25 FE also introduces some clever AI-powered tools that make creating food content even easier. One standout is Audio Eraser*, perfect for those who prefer filming in lively, bustling restaurants. It intelligently removes unwanted background noise, allowing the subtle sounds of your dish like the gentle bubble of hot soup or the satisfying crunch of a bite to take centre stage instead.

There’s also Photo Assist**, which includes Generative Edit and Sketch to Image***. The former lets you effortlessly move or remove distractions from your frame, while the latter allows you to write or draw directly onto your image – not something I’d necessarily do because food is just so naturally beautiful in its own right, but which could be ideal if you’re keen to add a more personal or artistic touch to your social media food posts to ensure you stand out from the crowd.

The Galaxy SE25 FE isn’t just another smartphone, instead it’s a powerful tool for food lovers and food content creators alike. Whether you’re an aspiring influencer keen to share your latest cookie haul, a café owner hoping to make your matcha lattes go viral or simply a home cook who loves sharing their latest creations, this phone can absolutely help you along your delicious journey. Cheers to that!

Kimberly Espinel is an award-winning food photographer, blogger, stylist, podcaster, teacher and author – find out more at her website or on Instagram.

To find out more about the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE visit Samsung

*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.

**Samsung account login is required. Requires network connection.

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

Five young people dead in ‘devastating’ road crash in Ireland

Five people in their early 20s died in a two-vehicle crash in Co Louth on Saturday night.

Three other people, one of whom is also in his early 20s, were injured in what Irish police described as a “shocking and devastating” crash.

Gardai said it would have “a deep impact” on families and communities in Carrickmacross, Dromconrath and in Scotland.

The crash, which involved a Volkswagen Golf and a Toyota Land Cruiser, happened on a road near Dundalk just after 9pm.

The five people who died, and one man in his early 20s, were in the Volkswagen Golf and are believed to have been on their way to socialise in Dundalk, gardai said.

Two other people, a man and woman from the other vehicle, were taken for treatment to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda.

Ireland’s premier Micheal Martin said he was “numbed and shocked” at the news, and deputy premier Simon Harris said a “veil of deep sadness” had come over the country.

An investigation has begun into the accident on the L3168 at Gibstown.

Speaking near the scene on Sunday, Superintendent Charlie Armstrong said: “Yesterday evening, just after 9pm, there was a serious road traffic collision involving two vehicles, a Volkswagen Golf and a Toyota Land Cruiser.

“Five occupants of the Volkswagen Golf, three males and two females, all in their early 20s, are deceased at the scene.”

He said family liaison officers have been appointed to each of the families and gardai will keep them updated.

Mr Armstrong said: “I want to express my condolences and sympathies and the sympathies of every member of An Garda Siochana to the families of the five young adults who lost their lives yesterday evening in this road traffic collision.”

He said a major incident response was initiated last night by gardai and emergency services including Dundalk Fire Brigade, HSE paramedics and hospital staff.

He said the scene on the L3168 remained closed on Sunday as gardai carried out a technical and forensic examination.

He said post-mortem examinations would be carried out.

Mr Armstrong added: “I want to acknowledge and express my gratitude to my colleagues in An Garda Siochana and the other emergency services who attended the scene last night.

“The scene was very difficult, in adverse weather conditions, and the professionalism shown by all first responders and the care and respect shown to the five deceased was exemplary.

“This tragedy, with the loss of five young adults, will have a deep impact on families and local communities in Carrickmacross, Dromconrath and in Scotland.

“This is a shocking, devastating event for these families, their communities and the community here in Dundalk.

“I want to take the opportunity to appeal to any person with any information on this road traffic collision to contact the investigation team at Dundalk Garda Station.

“I am appealing to any person who was on the L3168 between 8.30pm and 9.15pm, last night Saturday November 15 2025, to contact the Garda investigation team.

“I am appealing to any person who might have any camera footage or images from the L3168, Gibstown area, between 8.30pm and 9.15pm last night, to give that footage or images to the investigation team at Dundalk Garda Station.

“The investigation team can be contacted at Dundalk Garda Station on 042 9388400, the Garda confidential line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.”

He added: “Finally, I once again want to express my sympathies to the families of the five young people who lost their lives yesterday evening.”

Taoiseach Micheal Martin said: “I am numbed and shocked at the horrific road crash that has led to the loss of five young lives in Dundalk, Co Louth.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of these young people, and those injured.

“We also think of our first responders, who worked so professionally in truly devastating circumstances.”

Tanaiste Mr Harris said: “A veil of deep sadness and shock has come over our country this morning with the news emerging of the devastating loss of five young lives overnight in a road traffic accident in Co Louth.

“This morning, my thoughts, and I know the thoughts of people right across our country, are with the families of those who have lost loved ones, their friends, and their communities.

“We keep them in our prayers and in our thoughts now and in the time ahead.

“I also want to pay tribute to the emergency services.

“One cannot even imagine the extraordinarily difficult and tragic circumstances in which they found themselves working last night as they set about trying to help in the most harrowing of situations.”

Superintendent Liam Geraghty said it was particularly stark that they were speaking on the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.

“The events that occurred here last night again are a very, very clear reminder for us of how things can change dramatically on our roads in a split second, and the tragedy that that brings to families, to communities and to loved ones.

“As we stand here today, 157 people have lost their lives on Irish roads so far this year in 2025. That is a slight increase, unfortunately, in the number who lost their lives on roads in 2024.”

Irish President Catherine Connolly said she was “deeply saddened and shocked” at the loss of five young lives on Saturday night.

She said: “I am thinking of them, their families and of those injured.

“May I acknowledge also all those first responders who have worked to support all involved.”

Warning of ‘most severe flu outbreak in decades’ as infections surge

Top doctors are urging people to take up their flu vaccinations ahead of what could be the “most severe flu outbreak in decades” this winter.

Hospital admissions are already on the rise for the H3N2 strain, with infections hitting numbers not usually seen until December. Health bosses are concerned that many of the most vulnerable may not have received their vaccine yet as the NHS braces itself for a difficult winter.

Doctor Hilary Jones has explained more about the health service’s “SOS campaign”, which is encouraging people to get vaccinated this coming week.

“Australia had the worst flu for seven years,” he said. “What tends to happen there in their winter tends to follow here. We’re already seeing a spike in hospitalisations here, so the season has started early.”

He added the flu virus mutates, meaning it can evade immunity built up over years of exposure and vaccinations. The current dominant strain in H3N2 developed seven mutations over the summer, meaning those who received vaccines last year may not be protected.

“We’re getting the warning now that this could be a very bad season for flu,” Dr Hilary said when he appeared on ITV’s Lorraine show. “The NHS have launched this SOS campaign saying there are 2.4 million appointments available next week for people to go and get their jabs. Many people are eligible for a free vaccination.”

He warned that flu is “much, much worse” than a bad cold, and can leave sufferers bed-bound for at least a week.

“We shouldn’t think of flu as being a bad cold, it’s much much worse,” Dr Hilary said. “Raging sore throat, high fever, aching muscles, you’re bed-bound for a week or so.”

The doctor explained flu should be taken seriously and can be deadly when picked up by the most vulnerable groups.

“Last year there were 70,000 excess deaths in Europe, 7,500 here,” he said. “Some of them were children – 53 children died of flu last winter. So it’s not just the elderly.”

He urged people to get vaccinated, saying immunisation is the “best way” to prevent getting seriously ill with the flu.

Flu vaccines are available for everyone aged 65 and over, under-65s in clinical risk groups, pregnant women, care-home residents and carers, close contacts of those who are immunosuppressed, frontline social care workers, and health and social care staff, as well as for children.

But he added anyone who does not qualify for the free vaccine can easily protect themselves by paying for the jab at a pharmacy.

“If you wanted to get one privately just walk into the pharmacy, you don’t have to make an appointment, you can just get it there and then,” he said.

Earlier this week, NHS England said it is making 2.4 million vaccination slots available next week, which it said was enough to vaccinate the whole of Greater Manchester or Botswana.

Public health minister Ashley Dalton said: “Vaccination is the best form of defence against flu – particularly for the most vulnerable. With flu cases already triple what they were this time last year, I urge everyone eligible to take up one of the 2.4 million appointments available next week.”