Global crude prices continue to climb, with Brent benchmark hitting $117.30 a barrel to build on four-year highs as market fears grow over a potential resumption of the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Published On 24 Oct 202624 Oct 2026
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EASYJET is allowing parents to claim back the cost of their baby’s first passport from today.
Simply book an easyJet holiday, use the promo code and the £66.60 will come off the price of the break.
The new initiative starts from today after research showed that almost four in five parents said a baby’s first holiday was a landmark family moment.
Usually when Brits apply for a baby passport online, it costs £66.60 – a paper application sent by post increases the price to £80.
But with the airline, this cost will be paid for by easyJet when families book their next holiday.
Use the promo code FIRSTPASSPORT when making the booking to get the extra discount.
There’s no minimum spend on the holiday and children must be two-years-old or younger at the time of travel.
The offer ends on November 26 at 11pm – for more information, head here.
Stuart Wright, Customer Director at easyJet holidays, said: “Travel has a unique way of bringing families together, and a baby’s very first holiday is often one of those moments parents remember for years to come.
“By covering the cost of a baby’s first passport, we’re helping more families start making those memories that little bit sooner.
“Combined with our great-value packages, family-friendly hotels and thousands of Free Kids Places, it’s another way we’re making family holidays easier and more affordable.”
If you need some inspiration on where to book, easyJet recently announced it would be launching six new routes from UK airports in time for autumn.
One of these flights will be from Newcastle to Fuerteventura which will start on October 25, and operate twice a week – on Thursdays and Sundays.
Easyjet’s Luton-Ljubljana flights start on October 26 three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
There are 18 new routes launching next summer too with a choice of city breaks to island escapes.
Two of these routes will be to Girona which will be a first for easyJet.
One will take off from Liverpool on March 28 and operate twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays.
Girona will also take off from Gatwick starting on June 3, operating three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
Robert Way
Best Buy (BBY) announced the launch of its Best Buy Gamers hub in beta. The free online hub was highlighted as putting gaming content, gear, special offers, sweepstakes, and events all in one place, with the goal to save gamers from checking several sites for
Japan has launched a five-year uncrewed mission to collect samples from Phobos, one of Mars’ two moons, and return them to Earth by 2031. If successful, it would be the first mission to bring back samples from a moon of Mars for scientists to study.
Published On 20 Oct 202620 Oct 2026
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BUTLIN’S is continuing its all-inclusive family breaks into summer 2026 and 2027 – and absolutely everything is included.
From food and drink to waterparks and swimming pools to the adventure playgrounds – there are no hidden surprises.
Called the ‘All Inclusive Bundles‘ these include accommodation, breakfast, dinner, and drinks, Splash Waterworld, unlimited fairground rides, live shows, playgrounds and soft play.
The price starts from £125 per person for a family of four – or £41.50pppn.
When it come to the bundle, families have four different dining plans to choose from.
There’s the Food Court Dining & Drinks which has an all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast and dinner, DineAround, which offers a choice of restaurants across each resort.
Premium Buffet Dining Plan which is the best of the buffets including live cooking stations and themed nights, and Hotel Dining Plan which has the variety of the premium plan but at your own hotel restaurant.
Meanwhile, the drinks package includes unlimited soft drinks, spirits, wines, cocktails, draught beers and ciders, as well as non-alcoholic choices and Costa Coffee.
In 2027, there will be eight brand-new shows to enjoy too including Britain’s Got Talent which will take place during all school holiday breaks.
It will be hosted by a celebrity presenter and performers will take to the stage in an attempt to get the Golden Buzzer.
During February half-term, there will be the new DreamWorks’ Madagascar – A Musical Adventure on stage.
Other new performances include K-Pop Forever! which has hits from groups like BTS and Blackpink.
Animals Magnified by the Animal Guyz which is a family show perfect for anyone who loves animals from hippos to tiny insects.
A Billion Streams will be its new concert-style show where guests can hear some of the world’s biggest hits from the likes of Harry Styles and Dua Lipa.
The Skyline Gang will compete in a Battle of the Bands competition so get ready to hear incredible drum solos and guitar riffs.
The price of an all-inclusive bundle starts from £499 for a family of four – or £41.50pppn.
This is based on two adults and two children in a Comfort Room on an October Half Term three-night break with Food Court buffet breakfast and dinner, and the All Inclusive Drinks Package.
During the 2027 summer holidays, a three-night break to Skegness from August 13-16 with a Food Court Dining & Drinks bundle costs £739.98 – or £61.66pppn.
Travel Writer Helen Wright checked out the all-inclusive last year where she enjoyed cocktails, including a ‘Butlin’s on the Beach’.
While her kids headed to all the free activities from go karting to the fairground and outdoor playground.
Jon Hendry Pickup, CEO at Butlin’s, said: “The cost of a family holiday doesn’t stop at the booking price.
“Meals and drinks can be harder to budget for in advance, so extending our All-Inclusive bundles to school holiday breaks gives families a much clearer picture of the overall cost before they arrive.”
Two years ago, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) relaunched Jaguar into a blizzard of controversy. Its bizarre teaser ad was described as “woke” and its “Barbie pink” concept car was ridiculed.
Now, the first of its new models has appeared in public for the first time. The all-electric Type 01, unveiled in New York, represents a radical new direction for the classic brand.
The car itself is an imposing four-door “Grand Tourer”, with a long bonnet that deliberately harks back to Jaguar’s emblematic 1960s E-Type.
But it marks a gamble for JLR, which has invested billions reinventing Jaguar and is facing mixed reactions over the new car’s design and the brand’s all-electric strategy.
The new model’s electric motors are potent, producing about 1000 horsepower and allowing it to accelerate from 0-62mph in 3.2 seconds. JLR says it has a range, at “sustained highway speed”, of up to 320 miles.
The company describes it as the “most technically advanced, powerful and aerodynamic Jaguar ever engineered”.
However, it comes at a hefty price tag, with a minimum cost of £130,000 ($172,426). In the US, the Type 01 has a starting price of $130,500.
Under normal circumstances, the launch of a car like this might generate few headlines. But in this case the attention has been much greater, and for good reason.
The experience takes place in your own lodge and includes personal touches(Image: Center Parcs)
Center Parcs has always had a premium image, which comes with premium prices. However, fans of the lakeside holiday parks have taken to social media to complain about one of its new activities on offer for the festive season.
The Twilight Elf Visit is billed as “New and exclusive, an unforgettable Christmas experience awaits” on Center Parc’s website. It goes on to describe the experience: “As dusk begins to settle over the forest, gather in the comfort of your lodge for a surprise visit from two magical elves. Bringing an enchanting tale to tell, they’ll lead your family on a truly personal Christmas adventure filled with storytelling, festive surprises and magical moments.”
One Center Parcs guest, who was considering booking the experience, took to a Facebook page to question the price. They asked: “Has anyone seen on the website the new Twilight Elf visit to your lodge…. Surely no one is paying that sort of price £300+ for just one child!?!” She went on to post a screenshot of the prices she’d been quoted for the elf visit on Thursday, December 22. For one child, the activity costs £310, £360 for two, £410 for three, and £460 for four kids.
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When contacted about the cost of the activity, a spokesperson for Center Parcs said: “This is a private, personalised Christmas experience, with two elves visiting the family’s own lodge for 45 minutes. The visit brings a festive adventure into the place where families are spending their holiday together, with stories inspired by and tailored to the guests themselves and opportunities for children to become part of the magic.
“Throughout the experience, the elves reveal the special connection between the forest and the North Pole through storytelling, interactive moments and festive surprises. Children also create a Christmas wish to send to Santa, and families have the opportunity to capture photos with the elves.
“What makes Twilight Elf Visit special is the combination of time dedicated exclusively to the family, personal touches woven into the storytelling, and the intimacy of having the experience brought to their own lodge, so each experience for our guests is unique to them. It goes beyond a traditional festive meet and greet, giving children an active role in a story that feels personal to them, with the whole family sharing the experience in our unique forest setting.
“It’s a new, optional addition to our wider Winter Wonderland programme, which also includes favourites such as Santa’s Parade and the Enchanted Light Garden. We want families to have a choice of ways to enjoy the season together, with Twilight Elf Visit offering something particularly personal for those who choose it.”
The cost of the experience also includes a “beautifully engraved wooden family keepsake box filled with exclusive mementos to treasure long after your adventure ends. From a cuddly toy carrying each child’s Christmas wish to magical keepsakes inspired by your visit, each item is thoughtfully chosen to help your family relive the wonder of the season for years to come.”
But not everyone was convinced the activity would be worth the money. One poster noted: “This has to be the most expensive activity I have ever seen at [Center Parcs] …and I’ve been going years.” Another wrote: “This has to be a wind up?”. While a third commented: “That’s disgusting.”
However, many posters defended the cost of the experience. One said: “Yes, It’s a lot of money but I don’t see why everyone is so outraged about it, it’s obviously a very luxury thing they are offering, like the treehouses, If someone can afford them then they can afford the cost for the private elf visit.”
Others pointed out that other premium Christmas activities with kids can be just as expensive. “To be honest, people who go to Lapland UK are paying £300 sometimes more. So yes, there are people who will pay it.”
Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com
Vodafone TV delivers live and on-demand TV channels from Freely.
Vodafone has launched a new TV streaming service to rival major brands like Sky. The mobile network has already expanded to the home broadband market and has now gone one step further with the rollout of Vodafone TV.
This new WiFi-powered platform brings together hundreds of TV channels and streaming apps like Netflix and HBO Max from £10 per month – equal to roughly 33p per day. Each Vodafone TV subscription also provides more than 300 video games available to play over a Cloud service without a console.
The entry-level Vodafone TV plan delivers more than 200 live channels and on-demand TV with Freely for £10 per month. The £17 Vodafone TV Essential plan includes the same perks, plus Netflix and HBO Max subscriptions, worth a combined £13.98, at no extra cost.
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Mobile customers can combine Vodafone Entertainment with Vodafone TV Essential to create Vodafone TV Ultimate, which adds Disney+ or Prime Video to the package for a total of £25.50. All this is available through a plug‑in entertainment hub that delivers 4K content without a satellite dish or aerial.
The compact device has Freely built in, which unlocks access to more than 70 live channels and thousands of hours of on‑demand content from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, and more. Viewers can also stream more than 150 additional live TV channels, while apps like Disney+, Prime Video and DAZN are also available with paid subscriptions.
Get Vodafone TV from £10 per month
Vodafone TV delivers hundreds of TV channels plus Netflix and HBO Max from £10 per month.
There’s a caveat, though, as customers must commit to a 24-month contract to secure Vodafone TV, during which time monthly prices will increase by £1.50 each April. This means the £10 subscription will cost £11.50 from April 2027 and £13 from April 2028.
Vodafone TV is available to Vodafone customers with a mobile or broadband plan, including existing customers and those signing up for a new contract. Until October 28, the brand is giving away Vodafone TV Essential free for 24 months when new customers take out Pro Broadband package from £39, saving £408 over the contract term.
Sky is giving away freebies too, with its own TV and broadband bundles, including the Essential TV and 900Mbps Full Fibre Gigafast Broadband. This £35 plan now delivers 12 times faster speeds (vs 75Mbps) at no extra cost.
Elsewhere, Virgin Media’s £32.99 Entertainment bundle includes more than 200 channels and free Netflix, but slower 516Mbps broadband. Announcing the launch of Vodafone TV, the firm’s Consumer Director, Rob Winterschladen, said it brings together customers’ entertainment while helping them cut unnecessary costs.
He said: “Households are dealing with a TV set‑up that’s become far too complicated – juggling multiple apps, long channel bundles and services they often don’t use. Our research shows that more than a third of people haven’t changed their TV provider in the last five years, with the perceived hassle of switching a big blocker and, as a result, they are still paying for features that should be standard.
“Vodafone TV gives customers a smarter alternative: one simple, intuitive experience that brings their favourite entertainment together and helps them cut out unnecessary costs. With Netflix and HBO Max included for £17 per month, it delivers exceptional value from day one.”
Former Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is seeking to extend his hold on power through a parliamentary vote.
Published On 4 Oct 20264 Oct 2026
Former Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has launched his campaign for prime minister ahead of a pivotal election on October 25.
Thousands of supporters of the populist politician packed the largest indoor arena in Belgrade on Saturday, as Vucic pledged a “comprehensive” victory in the upcoming parliamentary vote.
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The snap election, which polls suggest could be tight between Vucic’s party and a group of candidates fielded by a student-led protest movement, was called before Vucic resigned as president on September 27, cutting short his second term by more than seven months.
Dozens of buses from across Serbia clogged streets around Belgrade Arena on Saturday, as supporters arrived at the rally in the capital carrying Serbian flags and banners bearing Vucic’s picture.
The event, televised by dozens of channels across Serbia, capped a week of Vucic touring towns and villages in an apparent bid to shore up his popularity, which has been shaken after almost two years of sustained antigovernment protests.
Vucic, on the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) ballot, has dominated Serbian politics as president or prime minister since 2014. Barred from seeking a third presidential term, he is now seeking to extend his hold on power through the parliamentary vote.
If the SNS wins a majority of seats, the parliament is expected to elect Vucic as prime minister.
The youth-backed movement that led the protests has demanded accountability for the November 1, 2024, train station canopy collapse that killed 16 people in the northern city of Novi Sad.
The movement’s quest for justice over the tragedy and against corruption has grown into a nationwide political force whose electoral arm, the Student List, will attempt to oust Vucic’s government.
The Student List includes university professors, teachers, experts and others from across the political spectrum. Vucic accused those behind the movement of seeking to “bring Serbia to a halt” and claimed, without providing evidence, that it is backed by unspecified foreign agents.
On Saturday, Vucic told his supporters: “Absent an intervention of some [foreign intelligence] service, we will defeat them. And they know that.”
United States President Donald Trump has kicked off a 32-day campaign tour ahead of the November midterm elections that could see his Republican Party hurt by his handling of the war on Iran and the economy.
On Thursday, Trump travelled from Washington, DC, for back-to-back rallies in Texas and Oklahoma.
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At his first stop in Denton, Texas, Trump sought to shift the narrative around his drooping approval ratings, offering a personal assessment of his administration’s performance.
“I give us an A+ on the government, on economics, on everything,” Trump told a crowd of supporters at the Peterbilt Motors Company, a truck manufacturer.
The president also blamed unfair media coverage for his growing unpopularity, arguing that his pre-election rally blitz was necessary to set the record straight.
“We’re doing an extremely poor job of promotion and an extremely great job of running the country,” Trump said.
But Trump’s poll numbers have raised concerns about Republican prospects ahead of the November 3 midterm election.
Trump himself is not on the ballot, but Republican candidates across the country are seeking to defend the right-wing party’s majorities in both chambers of Congress, as well as key state and local offices.
The economy and Trump’s war on Iran are expected to weigh heavily on the election outcome.
On Thursday, The Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research released new poll results showing that 71 percent of Americans disapprove of the war, which has driven up the price of fuel.
About half of survey respondents also said they were worried they would not be able to afford food and petrol. Only 26 percent approved of Trump’s handling of the economy.
Still, despite record low approval ratings, Trump has positioned himself as key to the Republican midterm strategy.
At a first-of-its-kind Republican midterm convention in September, Trump encouraged voters to consider his record while at the ballot box. “I’m asking you to pretend that I’m on the ballot,” he said.
During Thursday’s tour, he touted the impact of his tariff campaign, which he credited with creating thousands of manufacturing jobs.
“For decades, you were heartlessly betrayed by politicians, lousy politicians, who let foreign trade cheaters plunder your wages, loot your factories, close up your jobs,” Trump told Peterbilt workers. “They’d still be doing it if I wasn’t here, believe me.”
Trump’s tariffs, however, have been highly controversial, prompting a series of court challenges. Critics have argued that the sweeping import taxes surpass the president’s constitutional powers.
Trump also used his stump speech to ease concerns about the US-Israel war on Iran, which began on February 28. Both sides have declared victory, though a ceasefire remains elusive.
“Just as I promised, I’m ensuring that Iran will be very quickly ended. I will tell you the energy prices are going to be rapidly, rapidly coming down,” Trump said.
“We’ll win very easily right now,” he added. “I believe right after the election we’ll win, but maybe before the election.”
The war, however, resulted in Iran stopping commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for the global fuel trade.
The price of diesel — the fuel the trucks built at the plant use — soared to record highs of more than $6 per gallon (3.8 litres) last week. Petrol prices have similarly skyrocketed.
Trump, however, has acknowledged that the stakes are high for his presidency in the upcoming midterms.
All 435 seats in the House of Representatives are up for grabs, as are 35 seats in the 100-member Senate.
Losing Republican control of either chamber could create roadblocks for Trump’s legislative agenda during the final two years of his second term.
But Trump has also expressed concern that he could be impeached for a third time, after two prior impeachments during his first presidency.
At Thursday’s second stop, in Durant, Oklahoma, the Republican leader repeated that fear. “Pretend I’m running, please,” he told the crowd. “If we don’t win, they’ll end up impeaching me.”
Many of the places Trump is scheduled to visit this month are perceived as reliably Republican voting districts. Following his stops in Texas and Oklahoma on Thursday, Trump will be heading to Alabama, Ohio and Nebraska in the coming days.
Still, some elections that ordinarily would be considered shoo-ins for Republicans have grown more competitive in recent months.
In Texas, for instance, no Democrat has won a statewide race since the 1990s. But this year, Republican Ken Paxton, the state’s attorney general, is struggling to win a Senate contest against Democrat James Talarico.
During both of Thursday’s stops, Trump sought to bolster Paxton’s prospects. At the Peterbilt factory, for instance, he called Paxton “the greatest attorney general in the United States of America”.
“We gotta get this guy elected,” Trump said, before pivoting to criticisms of Talarico, whom Republicans have sought to paint as out of touch with Texas’s large beef industry.
“He’s a vegan,” Trump said of Talarico, repeating an unsubstantiated rumour. “And vegans don’t do well in Texas.”
But leaked audio appeared to show Paxton lamenting the negative impact Trump had by holding the Republican midterm convention in Texas last month.
“It dropped our numbers. Everybody’s numbers dropped,” Paxton reportedly said.
Trump has nevertheless used his pre-election tour to highlight social issues he feels will help rally voters to the Republican cause.
On Thursday, he returned to familiar subjects like immigration and transgender rights, which he depicted as a part of the Democrats’ “radical” agenda.
“They want women in men’s sports. They want open borders. They want transgender mutilation for your children,” Trump said. “What the hell are you thinking about, you liberals?”
The president also used his Texas appearance to push back against critics of data centres, despite bipartisan concern.
Critics worry that the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) has fuelled the proliferation of data centres, which require large amounts of electricity and water to process mass data quantities.
While Trump has dismissed fears about AI as largely unfounded, a poll last month found 53 percent of Americans are “extremely” or “very” concerned about the technology’s environmental impacts.
Even fellow Republicans in Texas are responding to public pressure about the growing number of data centres, more than 300 of which are operational, with hundreds more in progress.
In August, Governor Greg Abbott called for an audit of all data centres to map their water and electricity usage, and the following month, Paxton in his role as state attorney general launched an investigation into whether they were complying with water reporting requirements.
Trump nevertheless used his Texas rally to tout the expansion of such enterprises.
“It’s a huge thing. It’s bigger than the industrial revolution,” he said, dismissing the concerns as part of a “scam”. He then explained he had urged AI companies to “take care of the people”.
“They’re making a fortune for the communities,” he added.
E_Y_E/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
To capitalize on growing demand for products developed for sensitive skin, Bath & Body Works (BBWI) launched Essentials, a new line of hypoallergenic body washes and lotions developed exclusively for sensitive skin.
The Essentials line was launched on September 28
