Week in Pictures: From ceasefire in Gaza to floods in Mexico
Crowd boos mention of Netanyahu during Witkoff’s speech in Tel Aviv
US envoy Steve Witkoff and members of President Donald Trump’s family spoke to nearly half a million people in Tel Aviv who had gathered to celebrate the imminent return of Israeli captives. The crowd booed every time Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was mentioned, who they blame for prolonging the war.
Supermarkets selling cheapest advent calendars this year from Cadbury to Lindt
With less than 100 days to go until Christmas, many supermarkets have begun stocking their shelves with advent calendars – but which store is selling the cheapest?
Counting down the days to Christmas with a treat-filled box is the perfect way to get in the festive spirit, but there’s nothing wrong with counting the pennies as well.
Christmas can be an expensive time of year, so if you can save money on chocolate advent calendars, then you’ll have more leftover to spend during the festive season. But where do you go if you’re looking for the cheapest?
Supermarkets across the UK are offering different deals when it comes to securing the chocolatey goods, whether that’s the classic Cadbury Dairy Milk or a more luxurious Lindt advent calendar. So if you’re looking for a bargain, we’ve listed some of the cheapest you can find this year.
READ MORE: ‘I got £5 Too Good to Go bag from M&S and was stunned by one of items inside’READ MORE: Get Lego Star Wars, Harry Potter and Frozen advent calendars for as little as £5
First up is Lindt’s chocolate advent calendar, which comes with a tasty chocolate Santa and classic Lindt reindeer. It’s certainly not the cheapest on the list, but if you’re looking for something more indulgent, it could be worth the extra pennies.
Tesco is the cheapest place to pick this up, with the product costing £7 if you have a free loyalty Clubcard. However, non-Clubcard holders will have to pay £8.50.
Meanwhile, Cadbury’s Dairy Milk advent calendar comes with 24 pieces of its classic milk chocolate, making it perfect for the whole family to enjoy. Asda is currently selling this for £2.48, making it one of the cheapest places to pick one up.
Another festive favourite is the Maltesers Reindeer advent calendar, which you pick up from Asda for just £2.98.
If you have little ones in your home, this Bluey advent calendar is sure to go down a treat, and it’s super cheap too. Morrisons has priced this at just £1.35 if you have a loyalty card; otherwise, you can pick it up for a reasonable £1.75.
If you don’t have a Morrisons near you, you can purchase one from Iceland for £1.50 or at Asda for £1.48.
But these days, an advent calendar doesn’t have to be about chocolate – now shoppers have all kinds of alternative countdowns to choose from. From matcha tea, candles and pampering pick-me-ups, there are a whole host of festive advent calendars to dive into.
These unique advent calendars can start from around £19.99, with some filled with contents worth more than £200. So, splashing out could be a way to save money if you normally buy the products.
Lego Advent calendars start from £19.99 and are a great way to keep kids entertained for hours. There’s also an ASOS Face and Body Advent Calendar 2025, which costs £98 but comes with around £400 worth of products.
Article continues below
The ASOS Advent Calendar contains 26 items, 15 of which are full-size, and covers skincare, makeup, body care, and hair care – with shoppers only needing to buy four of the products included individually to get their money back. The calendar costs £98 and includes treats from Charlotte Tilbury, MAC, Rituals, Caudalie and more.
READ MORE: Four-piece beauty bundle of Clinique’s best-sellers worth £63 is under £25 with this rare deal
Louis Tomlinson admits he’s ‘so in love’ with Zara McDermott in rare admission
The One Direction singer made the admission about his Strictly Come Dancing star girlfriend while appearing on Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO podcast this week.
Louis Tomlinson has admitted he’s “so in love” with girlfriend Zara McDermott in a rare admission about their relationship. The pair were dating in private for several months before going public with their romance in June, with a loved-up snap of the smitten pair kissing.
While appearing on Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO podcast this week and speaking about his upcoming album, the One Direction star, 33, gave further insight into his relationship with Zara, 28.
He expressed: “I’m a deeply, deeply romantic person. It’s also easy to be romantic when you are a creative […] I really struggle to write in a fictional sense, I really struggle.
“For me, I have to have been living it, it has to be real to me. So if I wasn’t feeling so good, like right now, I wasn’t feeling so in love…the record probably would have a slightly different feel to it.”
Zara and Louis confirmed their relationship on Instagram earlier this summer, much to the delight of fans. In June, Zara posted a sweet snap of the two smooching, with Louis commenting, “I love you.”
READ MORE: Louis Tomlinson says Dan Walker ‘lacked all empathy’ after awkward BBC Breakfast row
Clearly getting the seal of approval from each other’s families, the post was met with support from both sides as Zara’s brother responded, “beautiful couple,” while Louis’ sister added, “love love.”
It was reported that the couple first started dating at the beginning of this year, but wanted to keep things private until they were ready to tell the world.
Their first public appearance was at Glastonbury Festival in June, where they were seen in a TikTok video embracing while watching a performance. Louis had his arms around Zara, who looked loved-up and at ease as she leaned back on his shoulder.
Zara also recently made her own rare public admission this month as she addressed her boyfriend in a rare snap where she wrote: “My incredible boyfriend”, over a photo where Louis was performing at one of his recent gigs.
He performed an array of songs at the Away From Home Festival, which Zara appeared to be in the crowd for. Zara also shared a snap to her grid with two of her friends with the stage in the background.
She was flooded with compliments as one fan wrote: “Hope you had an amazing time, you look lovely Zara!!”, while another added: “You all are so pretty omggg!!”.
Sources have now revealed that Zara has gradually shifted her belongings to the former One Direction member’s residence in London after spending increasingly lengthy periods there.
Article continues below
“They’re smitten and she has been spending all of her time at his place, she’s pretty much moved in,” the insider revealed. “Zara has even started making her social media videos from there instead of her parents,” they continued.
According to sources close to the couple, this summer was spent travelling together before returning to the UK at which point Zara began using Louis’ home as her base.
Actress who played Hilary Duff’s mum shares throwback film snap and where she is now
It’s always fun to re-watch our favourite films from when we were younger and one actress has reminisced on when she played the mother of character played by Hilary Duff, in a film people insist is ‘so underrated’
With so much choice nowadays, it can be hard to choose which film or TV show to watch – and if you venture back into an old but gold film, you might discover actors who were in smaller roles before they became famous. Rita Wilson reminisced recently on her time starring alongside Lizzie McGuire star Hilary Duff in the movie Raise Your Voice. People insist the film is “so underrated”.
Rita, known for her roles in My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Jingle All The Way, played Francis Fletcher, Terri Fletcher’s mum. Recently, the 68-year-old actress and singer shared a post on Instagram recently, and said: “Back in 2004, I played Francis Fletcher, mom to the wonderful Hilary Duff in Raise Your Voice.”
Sharing snaps of scenes, Rita added: “That film has always stayed with me because it celebrates the courage it takes to chase music and dreams. Now Hilary’s returning to music in real life, and I couldn’t be more excited to hear what’s next. Sending love (and an early happy birthday) to you, Hilary! You continue to inspire.”
Hilary commented: “RITAAAAAA.”
READ MORE: ‘I got £5 Too Good to Go bag from M&S and was stunned by one of items inside’
While the film didn’t do well in the box office, many people shared how much they adore the picture. Fans rushed to comment, as one said: “Still my favourite movie till this day.”
Another said: “One of the best movies of allllll time. I cry every time throughout. Someone’s watching over me is SO POWERFUL. Love to all.” “This movie is so underrated.”
Another agreed, writing: “This was one of Hilary Duffs best films and it was so underrated I have no idea why.” One other said: “You were amazing in this movie. The part where you are crying about your son in his room, brings me in to tears. You are an amazing actress and woman. Beautiful.”
“This movie was everything to me as a kid, thank you for being in it,” added another. Another said: “Thank you for making my favourite movie together! Great acting and beautiful storyline.”
Hilary has become a mum-of-four since then and gone on to have a fantastic acting career – starring in beloved films like Cinderella Story, Cheaper By the Dozen 2, Material Girls, The Last Summer and more. Now, she is following in the footsteps of her film co-star Rita as she returns to the music world.
Rita, who is married to Tom Hanks, has since released five studio albums. It was not until she was in her late 50s that she began to seriously pursue music.
Article continues below
The superstar, who was an executive producer for the Mamma Mia films, has since gone on to perform at huge venues and gained a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
JENNIE BOND: ‘Kate Middleton’s new move is one of her best but Meghan must think harder’
The Princess of Wales made an urgent plea about the harm smartphones are playing in family life – just as Prince Harry and Meghan also gave a warning about the dangers online
The Princess of Wales’s warning about the harm caused by smartphones could be one of her most important, according to an expert.
Kate aired her concerns about the problems posed by modern technology at the expense of family life in an essay where she warned about the “epidemic of disconnection” created by smartphones and other gadgets and urged society to “invest in the relationships you have with each other”. It came just hours before Prince Harry and Meghan also spoke out about how the impact of social media on children is “one of the most pressing issues of our time”.
READ MORE: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry steal Kate’s thunder in shock move on rare joint visitREAD MORE: Meghan Markle follows in late Queen’s footsteps with dramatic move – but there’s a twist
In her essay, Kate explained: “When we check our phones during conversations, scroll through social media during family dinners, or respond to e-mails while playing with our children, we’re not just being distracted, we are withdrawing the basic form of love that human connection requires.”
And for former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond, tackling this issue could be one of Kate’s biggest missions. She told the Mirror : “I think this could be one of the most important campaigns that Catherine has so far spearheaded. As a society, we are grappling with the very real challenges that modern technology has thrown at us: trying to live in two, three, even multiple worlds at the same time.
“Writing in collaboration with a Harvard professor gives an extra dimension to words that will ring true in almost every household up and down the country. How many of us are constantly distracted by our phones, “physically present but mentally absent”as Catherine puts it?
“I think she’s entirely right: we have to lead by example when it comes to family life. Children need to know and feel that they come first — and that simply can’t come across if their parents are constantly distracted by their screens.
“It is a modern-day crisis in which so many of us are, as she says, ‘simply no longer able to engage fully with people who are right in front of us’.
“William has told us that none of his children is allowed a smartphone yet, and more and more schools are now banning them. If Catherine and William continue to voice these concerns, they will be doing all of us – and particularly the young children of the next generation— a huge service.”
Kate’s plea came just hours before Harry and Meghan also spoke about a similar topic as they picked up a humanitarian award at the Project Healthy Minds Gala.
Citing that 4,000 families are taking legal action through the Social Media Victims Law Centre, the duke said more needed to be done to protect young people from online dangers.
“Tonight, we are all here together to focus on what remains one of the most pressing issues of our time,” Harry said. “Let me share a number with you: 4,000. That’s how many families the Social Media Victims Law Centre is currently representing – families whose children have been harmed or lost forever to social media.
The couple’s stance on social media comes just months after Meghan returned to Instagram with a personal account after several years off the platform.
Last week she drew criticism on a trip to Paris where she filmed herself being driven at night through the French capital with her feet on the seat, near where the late Princess Diana was involved in a fatal car crash.
Jennie added: “I think Meghan’s Instagram post of being driven at night so close to the tunnel where Diana died was highly insensitive — but unintentionally so. She should have thought about it harder but, like so many people these days, it’s all about sharing your life instantly without considering the implications.
Article continues below
“I’m sure it’s the last thing Meghan meant to do, why would she want to upset her husband? But perhaps she should have posted a follow-up explaining her mistake, and apologising.”