White Lotus star Aimee Lou Wood will no longer front the Marks & Spencer Christmas advert despite being involved in the promotional clip in August
12:09, 07 Nov 2025Updated 12:09, 07 Nov 2025
Aimee Lou Wood (Image: Getty Images)
Aimee Lou Wood has been ‘dropped by M&S’, according to reports. The White Lotus star was set to be the face of the new Marks and Spencer Christmas advert, but appears to have been cut from the production.
The claim comes after the retail giants are said to have initially wooed the 31-year-old actress with a huge fee. Any appearance would have seen her follow the likes of Hannah Waddingham and Sophie Ellis-Bextor in featuring in the festive fun.
However, despite appearing in the promo clip in August, Aimee is thought to have been removed by the brand who have reportedly chosen to go in a different direction.
A spokesperson for M&S told Mail Online: “We really enjoyed working with Aimee Lou Wood during the early stages of this year’s Christmas campaign – she brought great energy and creativity to the process.
“As the campaign evolved, we started to embed a new product-focused strategy under new leadership. So, rather than a single-hero advert, the campaign was reshaped around a series of festive films and influencer content-drops aligned to key seasonal shopping moments – from gifting and hosting to partywear – delivered through a social-first, multi-channel approach across social media, digital, out-of-home and print.”
It could be seen as a blow for the Stockport-born actress. However, after finding fame in Netflix’s comedy drama Sex Education, she has continued to go from strength to strength before the M&S dropping.
She also portrayed Chelsea in the third series of the Sky Atlantic drama last year. It’s thought she had signed a deal to lead the M&S ad in the summer. But with a change in direction, comes new faces.
It comes as the eagerly anticipated John Lewis advert received a mixed response. It was attempting to pull at the heartstrings with its latest offering that focuses on a father and son struggling to find the words to say how much they care about each other.
That all changes when Dad finds a present addressed to him while packing away the wrapping paper for another year on Christmas morning. This year the famous advert is soundtracked by 90s dance icon Alison Limerick’s hit Where Love Lives, with a newly reimagined version by globally acclaimed artist and producer Labrinth also featuring.
However, while some shed a tear, others blasted the production as “Depressing, boring and not very Christmassy!”
“Just seen the John Lewis Christmas advert,” one user wrote on Twitter/X. “Thought it was dull, depressing, boring and not very Christmassy,”
Another posted on the platform: “The John Lewis Christmas Advert is TERRIBLE!!! What a bunch of nonsense. Unimaginative, unfestive, rubbish. Bring back Moz the Monster or Edgar the Dragon!! #JohnLewisChristmasAdvert #JohnLewis #Rubbish.”
A third was left conflicted, writing: “John Lewis ad 2025 – I’m not sure, it’s underlying message of father son communication is great, but it’s portrayed in such a dark way, you don’t know what’s happening, it’s very vague, and not very festive at all, bordering on depressing even!”
Residents on Friday walk past collapsed houses in a community of typhoon survivors that was affected by an earthquake in Bogo City, Cebu, Philippines, on Tuesday. On Friday, a typhoon struck the northern part of the nation. Photo by Rolex Dela Pena/EPA
Oct. 3 (UPI) — Typhoon Matmo struck northern Philippines on Friday, three days after a 6.9-magnitude earthquake hit the central part of the Asian nation hundreds of miles away and weeks after two other cyclones hit the country.
Matmo, which is locally named Paolo, had maximum sustained winds of 81 mph with the eye at San Guillermo in Isabela Province, the national weather agency Pagasa said.
Pagasa warned of “lightly stronger/enhanced in coastal and upland/mountainous areas exposed to winds. Winds are less strong in areas sheltered from the prevailing wind direction.” Also, rough seas are forecast.
More than 8 inches of rain are predicted on Isabela, Aurora and Quirino provinces.
Because of the storm, government agencies and schools were closed in the northern provinces’ main Luzon island, GMA News reported. Also, more than a dozen domestic flights were canceled, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.
After crossing Luzon, Matmo is forecast to re-emerge into the South China Sea and will strengthen because of warm ocean waters and weak cross-winds, according to the US Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
A second landfall is expected in southern China’s Leizhu Province, according to the Hong Kong Observatory.
Caritas Philippines is providing relief to victims of Matmo and the earthquake.
“We are constantly faced with various risks and disasters, but it is through fraternal cooperation and unity among our dioceses that we find strength,” Jeanie, the humanitarian head of the organization, said. Together, we continue our humanitarian mission — to save lives, reduce suffering, and uphold the dignity of every human person.”
Caritas noted in Masbate and Romblon, homes, schools, parish buildings and infrastructure were badly damaged. Electricity, water supply and telecoms remain down in many areas with slow road access.
“Displaced families are facing increasing challenges as daily life becomes more difficult,” the nonprofit said. “Across affected areas, people are living in makeshift conditions, unable to return safely to their homes, and are struggling with disrupted livelihoods and a lack of basic hygiene. The uncertainty of recovery continues to weigh heavily on communities.”
The Philippines has been struck by 16 cyclones this year.
Typhoon Bualoi hit the Philippines on Sept. 25. Bualoi caused at least 37 deaths and displaced thousands in the Philippines before hitting Vietnam, where 49 people died.
Three days earlier, Super Typhoon Ragasa, which at one time was the world’s strongest tropical cyclone of the year, struck the Philippines before landfall in southern China.
The Philippines are struck by 20 cyclones each year, Bloomberg News reported. In 2013, Super Typhoon Haiyan killed more than 6,000 people in the Philippines.
The earthquake affected a different part of the nation where more than 80,000 families affected out of about 366,000 people. Some families are “sleeping outside in unsafe conditions,” Caritas said.
“I still couldn’t process what has happened to us,” Arguel Estalicas told the BBC outside her home in Medellin, near the quake’s epicenter, where she slept with her family. “I am overwhelmed with the things we experienced in the last two days.”
Search and rescue are continuing.
Analysts have criticized officials for poor disaster management, though the geographical location makes it vulnerable to extreme natural hazards.
“We are in the Pacific Ring of Fire, and we’re exposed to earthquake hazards,” Mahar Lagmay, a geologist from the University of the Philippines and the executive director of Project NOAH, a disaster risk reduction, told the South China Morning Post. “That’s something we should take advantage of … the earthquake per se does not kill.”
He added: “We should be looking at all of the hazards together … we should prepare and anticipate for the worst-case events, including climate change scenarios that are bigger than what we have experienced.”
He advocates creating maps documenting disasters.
“Our ancestors and we have been surviving in this area for quite some time,” Ven Paolo Valenzuela, a research fellow at Singapore Management University’s College of Integrative Studies who is an expert in climate change, told the the South China Morning Post. “These are not new risks.”
The United Nations estimates every $1 invested in disaster prevention would lead to $7 to $8 saved in disaster response. Valenzuela asked if the Philippines has “been investing in that dollar. And once a disaster strikes, how sure are we that the $8 is actually going towards proper response and building back better?”
There has been an ongoing flood-control scandal of allegations of corruption, ghost projects and substandard infrastructure.
The UN has reimposed sanctions that were lifted under a 2015 nuclear deal.
Iran is facing new pressure due to its nuclear programme.
European powers have re-imposed sanctions that were lifted as part of a landmark 2015 nuclear agreement.
They target Iran’s banking, oil, and other crucial sectors. There is also an embargo on arms imports.
Western allies say Iran has not been cooperating with the United Nations nuclear watchdog, and that its nuclear programme poses a threat to international security.
Tehran has always maintained that its nuclear programme is for civilian use, and says it is ready to weather the storm.
So, is there still room for diplomacy?
Presenter: Nick Clark
Guests:
Ellie Geranmayeh – senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, and a specialist in Europe-Iran relations
Mark Fitzpatrick – former US diplomat, and associate fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies
Marzie Khalilian – Iranian political analyst and researcher at Carleton University, focusing on US-Middle East relations.
Sept. 18 (UPI) — Texas A&M University President Mark Welsh is to step down from his position, the school announced, making him the latest university executive to lose their job amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on left-leaning ideology being taught at education institutions.
The resignation of Welsh, a distinguished four-star Air Force pilot and member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will be effective Friday at 5 p.m., Texas A&M University System Chancellor Glenn Hegar announced Thursday.
“President Welsh is a man of honor who has led Texas A&M with selfless dedication,” Hegar said in a statement.
“We are grateful for his service and contributions. At the same time, we agree that now is the right moment to make a change and to position Texas A&M for continued excellence in the years ahead.”
Texas State Rep. Brian Harrison, a Republican, celebrated Welsh’s resignation online, stating: “WE DID IT!”
“As the first elected official to call for him to be fired, this news is welcome, although over due. Now… END ALL EDI AND LGBTQ INDOCTRINATION IN TEXAS!!”
Welsh’s resignation comes on the heels of the school being pulled into a scandal around a professor discussing gender and sexuality in children’s literature during a children’s literature course.
On Wednesday, Harrison had shared an uncorroborated video of a student filming herself in a Texas A&M University classroom arguing with her professor, Melissa McCoul.
In the video, the female student references an executive order President Donald Trump signed on his first day in office recognizing only two genders defined at “conception.” She also references Trump administration moves to pause federal funding for schools that have policies that do not align with its own, including diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
The video sparked backlash from Republicans, resulting in Welsh first firing two administrators followed by him later firing McCoul. He said the grounds of the firing were that the course contained content that was not included in the course curriculum. Course content “must match catalog descriptions,” he explained.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican and President Donald Trump ally, had called for McCoul’s firing.
After the firings, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican, suggested Welsh to be fired over his handling of the situation and his “ambivalence on the issue.”
“Most parents, students and Aggie alumni expect Texas A&M to reflect the values of our state and our nation as well as A&M’s rich history,” Patrick said in a statement late last week.
“If President Welsh will not or cannot reflect those values, then change needs to happen.”
Since Trump returned to the White House in January, he has led a charge to remove left-leaning ideology from government, public and private spaces via his executive powers.
He has targeted dozens of universities, in particular so-called elite institutions, with executive orders, lawsuits, reallocation of resources and threats over a swath of allegations, from anti-Semitism to employing diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
Critics and Democrats have accused the Trump administration of using these allegations to coerce schools under threat of stringent punishments, including fines sometimes exceeding $1 billion, to adopt his far-right policies.
While some schools, including Columbia University, Brown University, and others, have reached settlements with the Trump administration, others, such as Harvard, are challenging the White House in court.
On Tuesday, a coalition of faculty, staff, students and labor unions sued the Trump administration to have the courts stop the president’s attempt “to require that universities conform to his worldview.”
Welsh is the latest university exeutive to either be fired or resign amid the second Trump administration.
Michael Schill, president of Northwestern University, resigned earlier this month after the Trump administration froze some $790 million in research funding for the school on accusations of ignoring Jewish students amid pro-Palestine protests.
James Ryan, president of the University of Virginia, resigned late June as the Trump administration demanded he step down as part of a settlement of a civil rights investigation over the school’s DEI policies.
Katrina Armstrong, interim president of Columbia University, resigned in late March, among others.
The Middle East in 2025 is still a powder keg, a place where dreams of peace get chewed up by the gritty, messy reality of the region. Donald Trump is swinging big with his “peace through strength” slogan, doubling down on his love for Israel. His grand plan? Pump up Israel’s military muscle, hit Iran where it hurts, and get Arab nations to play nice with Israel. Sounds like a neat fix, right? But it’s slammed headfirst into a wall of troubles: the never-ending Palestinian crisis, the boiling rage of people across the region, and the flat-out refusal of countries like Saudi Arabia and Turkey to let Israel call the shots. Those recent strikes on Iran’s nuclear plants? They haven’t brought peace; they’ve just cranked up the odds of a full-blown disaster.
Where “Peace Through Strength” Comes From
Trump’s whole Middle East game plan boils down to one idea: flex enough muscle, and diplomacy will follow. He’s got Israel pegged as the region’s anchor, betting that backing it to the hilt while smacking Iran’s nuclear sites will somehow calm the storm. That’s why he’s cheering on Israel’s fights against groups like Hezbollah and Hamas and pushing hard to spread the Abraham Accords. But here’s the kicker; this plan’s all about brute force, not sitting down to talk, and it’s turning a blind eye to the Middle East’s messy politics and deep-rooted feelings. Israel’s dependence on Uncle Sam’s cash and weapons just shows how wobbly this idea is from the start.
This strategy, born from the alliance between America’s hard-right and Israel’s leadership, mistakenly believes military might can forge peace; a brutal approach that ignores the region’s history and heart. By dismissing the people’s realities and internal politics, the plan is inherently fragile. It hasn’t cooled tensions; it’s ignited them, proving you can’t bully your way to calm.
The Palestinian Challenge
The biggest snag in Trump’s big vision is Palestine. The war in Gaza’s been a gut-punch to the region, breaking hearts and making it tough for Arab states, especially Saudi Arabia, to buddy up with Israel. Gulf leaders are under fire from their own people; they can’t just sign deals that leave Palestinians in the dust. Without a real ceasefire and a promise to give Palestinians a state of their own, any talk of peace is just hot air. Netanyahu’s crew, egged on by hardliners, keeps betting on bombs over talks, digging everyone into a deeper hole. With no real plan for what’s next in Gaza, the region’s spiraling toward chaos and new waves of defiance.
This war’s not just hurting Israel’s rep in the Middle East; it’s tanking it worldwide. Israel’s operations, with their heavy toll on civilians, have lit a fire under Arab anger and slashed global support for Israel. Even countries that got on board with the Abraham Accords are feeling the heat at home to back off. It’s plain as day: without tackling Palestine head-on, no peace plan’s got a shot. Leaning on military might hasn’t steadied the region; it’s kicked it into a tailspin.
Big players like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt aren’t about to roll over for Israel’s power grab. Saudi Arabia laid it out straight: no Palestinian state, no deal with Israel. Turkey, which used to be on decent terms with Israel, is now one of its loudest critics, thanks to Gaza and Israel’s chummy ties with Greece and Cyprus. Turkey’s bulking up its military and missiles, carving out its own path in the region. Egypt and other Arab states are also holding back, scared of the blowback if they jump on Israel’s bandwagon. This pushback screams one truth: you can’t force peace at gunpoint.
Even Gulf states like the UAE and Bahrain, who signed onto the Abraham Accords, are getting jittery. They’re worried that sticking too close to Israel without progress on Palestine could spark trouble at home. Turkey’s stepping up in Syria and playing peacemaker, trying to cut Israel’s influence down to size. These rivalries show that banking on Israel to run the show doesn’t bring folks together; it splits them apart. Real peace? It’s still a distant dream.
Striking Out on Iran
Those recent hits on Iran’s nuclear sites, part of Trump’s go-hard-or-go-home strategy, didn’t land the way he hoped. Reports say only one of three targets got knocked out, and the others are set to fire back up soon. Iran’s digging in, moving its nuclear work to underground hideouts, proving bombs alone can’t stop them. Worse, these strikes have trashed any chance of Iran trusting talks, jacking up the risk of a bigger fight. Instead of breaking Iran’s spirit, this move’s just made it more stubborn.
The plan’s fallout is chaotic. Fearing a collapsed Iran would mean disaster and refugees, Gulf states are balking at the U.S.-Israel warpath. They’re keeping ties with Tehran to avoid a bigger blowup, proving the region isn’t buying a “peace through strength” doctrine. By juggling relations with both sides, they’re pulling the rug out from under a strategy that puts Israel first and ignores the complex realities on the ground.
The Shaky Ground of the Abraham Accords
The Abraham Accords, once Trump’s shiny trophy from his first term, are wobbling in 2025. They’ve warmed things up between Israel and some Gulf states, but good luck getting Saudi Arabia or Qatar to join without a fix for Palestine. Public fury over Gaza’s bloodshed has Arab leaders walking a tightrope; they can’t afford to get too cozy with Israel without paying a steep political price. This shakiness proves one thing: a plan that bets everything on Israel’s clout can’t pull the region together.
Trying to grow the Accords has hit a brick wall too. Countries like Oman and Qatar, who were once open to chatting, are backing off, squeezed by their own people and the region’s vibe. It’s a loud wake-up call: without real movement on Palestine, the Accords won’t turn into some grand regional love-fest. They’re more like quick deals for cash and military perks, not the deep roots needed for lasting peace. It’s another strike against forcing things through.
Israel’s Lonely Road
Israel’s moves, especially in Gaza, have left it standing alone on the world stage. Even old pals like the European Union are pulling back, though they’re not ready to throw punches. By scoffing at international law with a “rules are for losers” attitude, Israel and the U.S. have dented Israel’s cred as a regional heavyweight. This isolation, plus the crushing cost of war, is wearing down Israel’s staying power.
This global cold shoulder’s also messing with Israel’s ties to big players like China and Russia, who are calling out U.S. and Israeli military stances while eyeing their own slice of the Middle East pie. This global rivalry, paired with fading support for Israel in world forums, has kneecapped its regional swagger. Without legitimacy at home or abroad, a plan built on firepower can’t deliver lasting peace. It’s a screaming case for real diplomacy and regional teamwork.
Inside Israel, Netanyahu’s got a firestorm on his hands. Failing to lock in a full Gaza ceasefire or free all hostages has folks fed up, exposing deep cracks in the country. Israel’s die-hard belief that guns can bring peace doesn’t match the region’s reality. The war’s brutal cost, for Palestinians and Israelis alike, shows this road’s a dead end. Without a clear plan for Gaza’s future or a legit Palestinian setup, Israel’s just asking for more trouble and upheaval.
These homegrown woes are tangled up with money and social struggles. Crazy-high war spending, shrinking foreign cash due to global isolation, and political knife-fights between hardliners and moderates are tying Netanyahu’s hands. This mess, plus pushback from the region and the world, shows that Israel running the show isn’t just a long shot; it’s a one-way ticket to more chaos.
Trump’s big dream for Middle East peace, riding on Israel’s military might and a chokehold on Iran, has gone up in smoke because it ignored the real issues—Palestine above all. This muscle-over-talks approach hasn’t brought the region together; it’s lit a match under people’s anger and sparked pushback from local governments. Hitting Iran might’ve scored a few points for a minute, but it didn’t stop their nuclear plans; it just killed any hope of sitting down to talk. Countries like Saudi Arabia and Turkey, by saying no to Israel’s grip, have made it crystal clear: peace won’t happen without justice and respect for Palestinian rights. Israel’s growing loneliness, the wobbly Abraham Accords, and its own internal fights all shout that “peace through strength” has only churned up more trouble. A calm, steady Middle East needs real diplomacy, respect for people’s rights, and the guts to face the root of the fight, not just leaning on force and control.
‘Stop killing children, Stop killing civilians’ banners shown at match after criticism over tribute to Palestinian footballer Suleiman al-Obeid who was killed by Israel.
UEFA has unfurled a banner with the message “Stop Killing Children. Stop Killing Civilians” on the pitch before the Super Cup football match between Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham in Udine, Italy, in the wake of heavy fallout over its meek tribute to a Palestinian player killed by Israel.
“The message is loud and clear,” European football’s governing body said in a post on X om Wednesday. “A banner. A call.”
Nine children refugees from Palestine, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Iraq carried the banner onto the field of play before the game began.
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah last week criticised a UEFA tribute to the late Suleiman al-Obeid, known as the “Palestinian Pele”, after European football’s governing body failed to reference the circumstances surrounding his killing.
The Palestine Football Association said al-Obeid, 41, was killed by an Israeli attack on civilians waiting for humanitarian aid in the southern Gaza Strip.
In a brief post on X, UEFA called the former national team member “a talent who gave hope to countless children, even in the darkest of times”.
Salah responded, “Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?”
Speaking to Al Jazeera last week, Bassil Mikdadi, the founder of Football Palestine, said he did not expect the football body to respond to the criticism.
“UEFA have not issued a follow-up, and frankly, I’d be surprised if they do,” he said, citing the “complete silence” of football and players’ bodies since the start of the war on Gaza.
Even UEFA’s tribute to al-Obeid “was a bit of a surprise”, Mikdadi said.
“Suleiman al-Obeid is not the first Palestinian footballer to perish in this genocide – there’s been over 400 – but he’s by far the most prominent as of now.”
Salah, one of the Premier League’s biggest stars, has advocated for humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza during the nearly two-year-long war.
But some responding to Salah’s post asked why it had taken the 33-year-old Egyptian so long to weigh in on Israel’s genocidal war.
The banner move came a day after the UEFA Foundation for Children announced its latest initiative to help children affected by war in different parts of the world – a partnership with Medecins du Monde, Doctors Without Borders (known by its French initials MSF), and Handicap International.
They are charities “providing vital humanitarian help for the children of Gaza,” UEFA said in a news release on Tuesday.
UEFA has supported projects regarding children affected in conflict zones in Afghanistan, Lebanon, Sudan, Syria, Yemen and Ukraine.
‘Stop killing children, Stop killing civilians’ banners shown at match after criticism over tribute to Palestinian footballer Suleiman al-Obeid who was killed by Israel.
UEFA has unfurled a banner with the message “Stop Killing Children. Stop Killing Civilians” on the pitch before the Super Cup football match between Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham in Udine, Italy, in the wake of heavy fallout over its meek tribute to a Palestinian player killed by Israel.
“The message is loud and clear,” European football’s governing body said in a post on X om Wednesday. “A banner. A call.”
Nine children refugees from Palestine, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Iraq carried the banner onto the field of play before the game began.
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah last week criticised a UEFA tribute to the late Suleiman al-Obeid, known as the “Palestinian Pele”, after European football’s governing body failed to reference the circumstances surrounding his killing.
The Palestine Football Association said al-Obeid, 41, was killed by an Israeli attack on civilians waiting for humanitarian aid in the southern Gaza Strip.
In a brief post on X, UEFA called the former national team member “a talent who gave hope to countless children, even in the darkest of times”.
Salah responded, “Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?”
Speaking to Al Jazeera last week, Bassil Mikdadi, the founder of Football Palestine, said he did not expect the football body to respond to the criticism.
“UEFA have not issued a follow-up, and frankly, I’d be surprised if they do,” he said, citing the “complete silence” of football and players’ bodies since the start of the war on Gaza.
Even UEFA’s tribute to al-Obeid “was a bit of a surprise”, Mikdadi said.
“Suleiman al-Obeid is not the first Palestinian footballer to perish in this genocide – there’s been over 400 – but he’s by far the most prominent as of now.”
Salah, one of the Premier League’s biggest stars, has advocated for humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza during the nearly two-year-long war.
But some responding to Salah’s post asked why it had taken the 33-year-old Egyptian so long to weigh in on Israel’s genocidal war.
The banner move came a day after the UEFA Foundation for Children announced its latest initiative to help children affected by war in different parts of the world – a partnership with Medecins du Monde, Doctors Without Borders (known by its French initials MSF), and Handicap International.
They are charities “providing vital humanitarian help for the children of Gaza,” UEFA said in a news release on Tuesday.
UEFA has supported projects regarding children affected in conflict zones in Afghanistan, Lebanon, Sudan, Syria, Yemen and Ukraine.
The United States brokered the agreement, giving it leverage and business opportunities.
There is a peace deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia, after nearly four decades of conflict.
The final stage was brokered by US President Donald Trump in the White House.
Crucial to the deal is a corridor to connect the main part of Azerbaijan with another part of its territory, which is cut off because it is on the other side of Armenia.
But how long will it take before the corridor becomes a reality?
And what will Washington’s growing presence in the South Caucasus mean for the region?
Presenter: James Bays
Guests:
Vasif Huseynov – Head of department at the Center of Analysis of International Relations (AIR Center)
Jamila Mammadova – Research assistant at the Henry Jackson Society
ANT McPartlin’s ex-wife posted a thinly veiled swipe at I’m A Celebrity host – amid a fallout over their beloved pet dog Hurley.
Strictly make-up artist Lisa Armstrong, 48, shares custody of the 12-year-old chocolate labrador with the ITV star.
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Ant McPartlin seen here with the dog he shares with ex-wife Lisa ArmstrongCredit: Alamy
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Lisa and Ant share custody of Hurley ever since their divorceCredit: Instagram
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Lisa often posts pictures of her beloved dog when he is staying with herCredit: Instagram
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The former couple were married for 11 yearsCredit: Getty
But sources say the ageing pooch is currently in Portugal with Ant as he holidays with wife, Anne-Marie, and their family.
Fuming Lisa posted a video of “My Boy” Hurley on Instagram – before following it up with a photograph of him lying down in the middle of a golf course.
In an dig apparently aimed at Ant she wrote: “And now he’s taken from his mama. Poor old boy…”
Ant jetted off to Portugal last month and has been spotted playing golf with pals and frolicking on the beach.
Read more on Lisa Armstrong
A source said: “Lisa is worried about Hurley in that kind of heat because of his age.
“They both adore him and have shared custody of him ever since they split up.
“Lisa is concerned about the temperatures in Portugal.”
Goodsprings, Nevada, is a ghost town located just 30 minutes outside of Las Vegas – and it’s proving incredibly popular with tourists, with thousands flocking in each year
The ghost town of Goodsprings has a surprisingly high tourism appeal(Image: Dimitrios Spanos via Getty Images)
Located in the middle of nowhere and allegedly haunted, the ghost town of Goodsprings is far from the most obvious tourist destination.
Coupled with its proximity to the dazzling lights of Las Vegas, it would be easy for Goodsprings to be overlooked. But, despite its spooky history and sparse amenities, the town finds itself subject to thousands of visitors every year.
Just half an hour away from the city’s bustling strip and vibrant nightlife, life in Goodsprings could not be more different. Home to around 200 residents, this quiet town at the base of the Spring Mountains in the Nevada desert was once a bustling mining hub.
In its heyday in the early 1900s, it housed 800 inhabitants and boasted amenities such as a hospital, hotels and a school – which remarkably still operates today, albeit with only two pupils on its roll. However, as the ore reserves in the Goodsprings mines dwindled, so did its populace.
Goodsprings lies at the foot of the Spring Mountains(Image: J Gillispie via Getty Images)
In 1942, the town served as the base for a special search mission following the tragic plane crash that claimed the life of actress Carole Lombard. Her aircraft crashed into Potosi Mountain, and her husband, Hollywood legend Clark Gable, anxiously awaited news at Goodsprings’ Pioneer Saloon.
It’s said that Gable’s cigar burns can still be seen on the Saloon’s bar to this day. Consequently, there’s a memorial room at the Pioneer honouring its connection to the iconic couple.
Today, Goodsprings has a somewhat eerie aura. A drive through the town on its dusty roads evokes a spooky feeling.
The historic Pioneer Saloon has been the site of many fascinating tales(Image: Darrell Craig Harris via Getty Images)
Often the subject of folk tales and ghost hunts, Reddit users have shared their experiences of visiting the town. One stated: “When I went to Goodsprings a few years back with my wife, it was completely dead.
“No one was outside or driving around, it looked like a wild west ghost town that time had forgotten”.
Despite its remote location, the owners of the Pioneer Saloon are eager to provide a warm welcome to visitors. Stephen Staats, also known as Old Man Liver, purchased the iconic pub in 2021 and discovered Goodsprings’ unique place in pop culture.
The town serves as the starting point for the cult classic video game Fallout: New Vegas, which features the main character revived after being buried alive in Goodsprings cemetery. Many of the game’s characters are based on real-life residents, and the Pioneer itself is featured in the game, rebranded as the Prospector Saloon.
Different factions pretend to face off during the Fallout Fan Celebration on Saturday, November 16, 2024(Image: Sam Morris/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Recognising the town’s popularity, Staats hosted a Fallout-themed event on National Video Game Day, July 8, in 2022. He expected “maybe 100 in a crazy world”, but was taken aback when more than a thousand fans showed up.
Since then, it has grown year on year, and following the launch of the acclaimed Amazon Prime Video series based off the game, 6,420 people visited Goodsprings in 2024. Fallout fans have praised the town’s atmosphere and welcoming spirit on Reddit, with one saying: “The locals love it, and it’s kind of their only form of tourism.”
Brian McLaughlin from Los Angles touches up his “Vault Boy” head during the Fallout Fan Celebration (Image: Sam Morris/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Another, who visited before Staats took over the Pioneer, said: “They were incredibly friendly and welcoming both times I went, and there’s even a marble wall inscribed with the town’s residents since it’s founding, movies and TV shows that have filmed there, all sorts of stuff.”
With a second season of the Amazon Prime show greenlit and likely to be set in and around ‘New Vegas’, Goodsprings could become an unlikely destination to rival the dazzling city that casts its wide shadow over the Nevada desert.
The US has hit many countries with new levies, causing shock and confusion.
Around the world, countries are scrambling to cope with the latest wave of tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump.
More than 60 countries are on the list, some with levies as high as 50 percent.
The move has unleashed shock, confusion and financial volatility. The US also stock market took a hit and a jobs report revealed slower than expected economic growth.
Trump didn’t take the news well: He promptly fired the head of the US Labour Statistics agency – accusing her of “manipulating” the data.
But beyond that, how will these tariffs affect the global economy? And will this controversial foreign policy tool backfire on Trump?
Presenter: Adrian Finighan
Guests:
Harry Broadman – Economist at RAND Corporation and a former US assistant trade representative and chief of staff of the president’s Council of Economic Advisers
Seijiro Takeshita – Professor of management at the University of Shizuoka in Japan
Steve Hanke – Professor at Johns Hopkins University, distinguished senior scholar at the Mises Institute, and a former senior economist on President Ronald Reagan’s Council of Economic Advisers
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department and FBI are struggling to contain the fallout and appease the demands of far-right conservative personalities and influential members of President Trump’s base after the administration’s decision this week to withhold records from the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation.
The move, which included the acknowledgment that one particular sought-after document never existed in the first place, sparked a contentious conversation between Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino at the White House earlier this week — threatening to shatter relations between the two law enforcement leaders. It centered in part on a news story by a conservative outlet that described divisions between the FBI and the Justice Department.
The cascade of disappointment and disbelief arising from the refusal to disclose additional, much-hyped records from the Epstein investigation lays bare the struggles of FBI and Justice Department leaders to resolve the conspiracy theories and amped-up expectations that they themselves had stoked with claims of a cover-up and hidden evidence. Infuriated by the failure of officials to unlock, as promised, the secrets of the so-called deep state, Trump supporters on the far right have grown restless and even demanded change at the top.
Tensions that simmered for months boiled over on Monday when the Justice Department and FBI issued a two-page statement saying that they had concluded that Epstein did not possess a “client list,” even though Bondi had intimated in February that such a document was sitting on her desk. The statement also said that they had decided against releasing any additional records from the investigation.
The department did disclose a video meant to prove that Epstein killed himself in jail, but even that raised eyebrows of conspiracy theorists because of a missing minute in the recording.
It was hardly the first time that Trump administration officials have failed to fulfill their pledge to deliver the evidence they expected.
In February, conservative influencers were invited to the White House and provided with binders marked “The Epstein Files: Phase 1” and “Declassified” that contained documents that had largely already been in the public domain.
After the first release fell flat, Bondi said officials were poring over a “truckload” of previously withheld evidence she said had been handed over by the FBI.
But after a months-long review of evidence in the government’s possession, the Justice Department determined in the memo Monday that no “further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted,” the memo says. The department noted that much of the material was placed under seal by a court to protect victims and “only a fraction” of it “would have been aired publicly had Epstein gone to trial.”
The Trump administration had hoped that statement would be the final word on the saga, with Trump chiding a reporter who asked Bondi about the Epstein case at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
But Bondi and Bongino had a contentious exchange the following day at the White House, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a private conversation.
Part of the clash centered on a story from NewsNation, a right-leaning news organization, that cited a “source close to the White House” as saying the FBI would have released the Epstein files months ago if it could have done so on its own. The story included statements from Bondi, Deputy Atty. Gen. Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel refuting the premise, but not Bongino.
The news publication Axios was first to describe the conversation.
Blanche sought to stem the fallout Friday with a social media post in which he said he had worked closely with Patel and Bongino on the Epstein matter and the joint memo.
“All of us signed off on the contents of the memo and the conclusions stated in the memo. The suggestion by anyone that there was any daylight between the FBI and DOJ leadership on this memo’s composition and release is patently false,” he wrote on X.
Also on Friday, far-right activist Laura Loomer, who is close to Trump, posted on X that she was told that Bongino was “seriously thinking about resigning” and had taken the day off to contemplate his future. Bongino is normally an active presence on social media but has been silent since Wednesday.
The FBI did not respond to a request seeking comment and the White House sought in a statement to minimize any tensions.
“President Trump has assembled a highly qualified and experienced law-and-order team dedicated to protecting Americans, holding criminals accountable and delivering justice to victims,” said spokesman Harrison Fields. “This work is being carried out seamlessly and with unity. Any attempt to sow division within this team is baseless and distracts from the real progress being made in restoring public safety and pursuing justice for all.”
Tucker writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed to this report.
European equities tumbled when the market opened on Friday and oil prices surged, as investors reacted to Israel’s large-scale air strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, fuelling fears of a broader Middle East conflict.
The operation, named Rising Lion, marks the most extensive Israeli military action on Iranian soil to date, targeting over 100 facilities including the Natanz complex and missile sites near Tehran.
As of 9.15am CEST, the Euro STOXX 50 had dropped 1.5%, extending weekly losses to 2.7% — the worst performance since early April.
Financials led the downturn among Eurozone blue chips. Deutsche Bank fell 2.73%, UniCredit 2.56%, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria 2.48% and Banco Santander 2.46%.
Germany’s DAX lost 1.34% to 23,453, France’s CAC 40 dropped 1.35% to 7,660, Italy’s FTSE MIB retreated 1.68% to 39,271, and Spain’s IBEX 35 fell 1.70% to 13,849.
Oil prices surged following the Israeli strike, as markets began to price in a higher geopolitical risk premium. Brent crude jumped over 5% to trade at $73 (€68) per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate rose to $71.5 (€66.60). For the week, oil prices are up more than 10%, on track for the strongest weekly gain since October 2022.
As energy prices rallied, oil majors such as Italy’s Eni and Spain’s Repsol gained 2%.
German defence powerhouse Rheinmetall also rose 2% as investors turned to military and security-exposed stocks.
Dutch TTF natural gas futures climbed 2% to €37.12 per megawatt hour, amid concerns over potential disruptions to energy flows.
The Israeli campaign involved over 200 fighter jets, according to the IDF, and reportedly resulted in the death of senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders Hossein Salami and Mohammad Bagheri.
Gold eyes new record, dollar rebounds
Demand for safe-haven assets surged. Gold rose 1% to $3,430 (€3,200) per ounce, nearing its all-time high of $3,500. Silver also held ground, hitting $36.5 per ounce overnight.
The dollar gained strength following days of steady declines. The euro fell 0.5% to $1.1540 after touching a three-year high of 1.16 on Thursday. On the data front, Germany’s final inflation reading for May was confirmed at 2.1% year-over-year. Spain’s annual inflation was upwardly revised from 1.9% to 2%.
The pound also slipped 0.5% to $1.1350.
The Israeli shekel tumbled 1.8% against the dollar, heading for its steepest daily loss since the Hamas attack of October 2023.
Analysts see upside risks for oil prices
“The Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities has sent oil prices spiking and has offered the oversold and undervalued dollar a catalyst for a rebound,” said Francesco Pesole, currency strategist at ING.
While there are currently no confirmed disruptions to oil production, analysts warn that the situation could escalate rapidly.
“The key difference from previous standoffs is that nuclear facilities have now been targeted,” Pesole added.
Warren Patterson, head of commodities research at ING, noted: “In a scenario where we see continued escalation, there’s the potential for disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Almost a third of global seaborne oil trade moves through that route.”
He warned that up to 14 million barrels per day could be at risk, with oil potentially surging to $120 per barrel in the event of a prolonged disruption — levels not seen since 2008.
California National Guard troops arrived in Los Angeles on Sunday in a show of force following scattered clashes between immigration agents and protesters and amid a widening political divide between California and the Trump administration.
The move by President Trump to activate nearly 2,000 guardsmen marked the first time since 1965 that a president has deployed a state’s National Guard without a request from that state’s governor. The decision was met with stern rebukes from state and local officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom who said the deployment was “not to meet an unmet need, but to manufacture a crisis.”
Newsom’s office on Sunday afternoon sent a formal letter to the Trump administration asking them to rescind their deployment of troops.
“There is currently no need for the National Guard to be deployed in Los Angeles, and to do so in this unlawful manner and for such a lengthy period is a serious breach of state sovereignty that seems intentionally designed to inflame the situation, while simultaneously depriving the state from deploying these personnel and resources where they are truly required,” the letter reads.
On Sunday afternoon, there were tense moments outside a federal detention center in downtown L.A., with officers firing tear gas and nonlethal rounds at protesters.
But other areas that had seen unrest over the last few days, including the Garment District, Paramount and Compton, seemed calm.
It was unclear exactly how many troops were deployed to Los Angeles as of Sunday afternoon. The National Guard’s 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, based in San Diego, said Sunday that 300 personnel were on the ground to protect federal property and personnel.
Trump administration officials have seized on the isolated incidents of violence to suggest wide parts of L.A. are out of control. On Sunday, Trump took to social media to claim “violent, insurrectionist mobs are swarming and attacking” federal law enforcement.
“A once great American City, Los Angeles, has been invaded and occupied by Illegal Aliens and Criminals,” he wrote, blaming Democratic politicians for not cracking down earlier.
While officials have not said how long the immigration enforcement actions will continue, Trump told reporters Sunday, “we’re going to have troops everywhere. We’re not going to let this happen to our country.”
Many California officials, who have long been at odds with Trump, say the president was trying to exploit the situation for his political advantage and sow unneeded disorder and confusion.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the deployment of federalized troops a “chaotic escalation” and issued a reminder that “Los Angeles will always stand with everyone who calls our city home.”
While most demonstrators have gathered peacefully, some have hurled objects at law enforcement personnel, set garbage and vehicles on fire and defaced federal property with graffiti.
Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin and Republican politicians who support Trump’s immigration actions have characterized the protests as riots intended to “keep rapists, murderers and other violent criminals loose on Los Angeles streets.”
Representative Maxine Waters speak to the media at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles on Sunday.
(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
On Sunday morning, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) addressed roughly two dozen National Guard soldiers posted outside the Metropolitan Detention Center on Alameda Street. She had arrived at the center to inquire about Service Employees International Union California President David Huerta, who was injured and detained while documenting an immigration enforcement raid in downtown Los Angeles on Friday.
“Who are you going to shoot?” Waters asked the solders. “If you’re going to shoot me, you better shoot straight.”
Remnants of tear gas used by law enforcement during protests Saturday lingered in the air around the building, at times forcing Waters to cough. Waters, an outspoken critic of the president, called the deployment of National Guard troops an unnecessary escalation of tensions and accused Trump of “trying to make an example” out of Los Angeles, a longstanding sanctuary city.
Leonard Tunstad, a 69-year-old Los Angeles resident, rode his bike up to the edge of the loading dock where troops were stationed and asked them if they really wanted to be loyal to a president that “had 34 felony convictions.” He said he felt compelled to shout facts about Trump at the guardsmen because he feared the young men have been “indoctrinated against their own citizens.”
Tunstad said he believed the deployment was a gross overreaction by the Trump administration, noting the city has been home to far more raucous protests that were handled by local police.
“This is just a show. This is just a spectacle,” he said.
A Department of Homeland Security officer approached one of the louder demonstrators saying that he “didn’t want a repeat of last night” and didn’t want to “get political.” He told protesters as long as they stick to the sidewalk and don’t block vehicle access to the loading dock there wouldn’t be any problems.
Later, DHS and California National Guard troops shoved dozens of protesters into Alameda Street, hitting people with riot shields, firing pellets into the ground and deploying tear gas to clear a path for a caravan of DHS, Border Patrol and military vehicles to enter the detention center.
Jose Longoria struggled to breathe as clouds of tear gas filled Alameda Street. He pointed to a white scuff mark on his shoe, saying that a tear gas canister had hit him in the foot, causing him to limp slightly.
“We’re not armed. We’re just peacefully protesting. They’re acting out,” Longoria said of the officers.
Julie Solis, 50, walked back and forth along Alameda Street holding a Mexican flag and urging the crowd to make their voices heard, but to keep the scene peaceful. She said she believes the National Guard was deployed solely to provoke a response and make Los Angeles look unruly to justify further aggression from federal law enforcement.
People march toward the Metropolitan Detention Center during an immigration march in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday.
(Luke Johnson/Los Angeles Times)
“They want arrests. They want to see us fail. We need to be peaceful. We need to be eloquent,” she said.
National Guard troops were last summoned to Los Angeles and other Southern California cities in 2020, during the George Floyd protests. Those deployments were authorized by Newsom.
However, the last time the National Guard was called on by a president without a request from a state governor was 60 years ago, when President Lyndon B. Johnson sent troops to Alabama to protect civil rights demonstrators.
Antonio Villaraigosa, former speaker of the California Assembly and a former L.A. mayor, said Trump’s move was “meant to incite more fear and chaos in our community.”
“Trump’s military-style mass deportation ICE raids in California have gone too far, tearing families apart and threatening public safety,” he said in a statement. “The raids at stores and workplaces are wrong, just as it’s wrong to separate families with raids at schools, graduations, and churches.”
In Paramount, a group of camouflaged National Guard troops were stationed in a business park with armored vehicles where a Department of Homeland Security office is located.
Jessica Juarez walked along Alondra Boulevard with a trash bag full of spent tear gas canisters on Sunday morning. Her voice grew hoarse as she helped a group of volunteers clean up after clashes between protesters and law enforcement the day before.
United States Attorney Bill Essayli told NBC in an interview that an officer suffered a broken wrist and others were injured by rocks and cement block pieces that were thrown at them during Saturday’s protest. He said it was “an extremely violent crowd,” but officials are “undeterred.”
An acrid odor still hung in the air from the gas and flash bang grenades law enforcement fired on protesters Saturday, while scorched asphalt marked the intersection outside a Home Depot where federal authorities had staged.
“I’m proud of our community, of the strength we showed,” said Juarez, 40. “It’s like they put so much fear into Paramount and for what? These guys didn’t even clean up after themselves.”
The images of Paramount shrouded in smoke and flanked by police in riot gear are unusual for this community of about 50,000 residents. In many ways, the city became the starting point for the escalating federal response.
“What else do you call it but an attack on Paramount and the people who live here?” said resident and union organizer Alejandro Maldonado. “People in the community were standing up to unjust immigration policies.”
For some, the fight between Los Angeles residents and the federal government is akin to David and Goliath. “It really does seem like they wanted to pick a fight with the little guy,” union organizer Ardelia Aldridge said.
Staff writer Seema Mehta and Brittny Mejia contributed to this report
With Prime Video’s “Fallout,” HBO’s “The Righteous Gemstones” and now Season 3 of “The White Lotus” (also HBO), Walton Goggins’ fame has exploded. With his buzzy portrayal of Rick, a man obsessed with avenging his father’s death, in “Lotus,” an Emmy might finally be in the cards for the actor, a veteran of many critically beloved shows.
6
“Lotus” is the sixth Goggins show, after “The Shield,” “Justified,” “Gemstones,” “The Unicorn” and “Fallout,” to receive an …
85%
… or better aggregate Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score. Yet Goggins has never won an Emmy and has received only …
2
… nominations: supporting drama actor (2011) for his charismatic criminal Boyd in “Justified” and drama lead (2024) for bounty hunter the Ghoul on “Fallout.” It could be …
14
… his material that’s the issue. Goggins’ gritty and/or Southern-fried shows are not the kind that inspire Emmy voters’ rapture. Despite its secure place in the TV pantheon, “The Shield” drew three fewer nominations over seven seasons than …
17
… the more awards-friendly “Fallout” — a stylish, thoughtful video game adaptation often helmed by Jonathan Nolan — did in its first season. But love for “Fallout” …
44
… is a trickle compared with the tsunami of nominations for “Lotus” over its first two seasons. The show already has won …
15
… Emmys. Although …
4
… all that attention means Goggins might share this year’s drama supporting category with co-stars Jason Isaacs, Sam Nivola and Sam Rockwell. But …
3
… that does not necessarily mean splitting “Lotus” votes. Murray Bartlett won a limited series supporting Emmy for Season 1 against fellow “Lotus” actors, and Jennifer Coolidge prevailed twice in supporting categories crowded with co-stars. Indeed …
100%
… of nominated “Lotus” performers whose characters, much like Rick, faced extreme challenges have won.
