Katie Price has been subject to a brutal swipe by animal charity PETACredit: GettyThe organisation has created the Grim Reaper of Pets costume seemingly based on the starCredit: X/PETAShe has a chequered history with pets – which has sparked a petition to stop her owning animalsCredit: Splash
To complete the spooky look, there’s a black and silver scythe included within the Grim Reaper for Pets get-up.
Talking of the significance of the October outfit, PETA Vice President for UK and Europe Mimi Bekhechi told MirrorOnline: “Too many animals have met a grim fate under Katie Price’s ‘guardianship.’
“This Halloween costume may be a joke – but the message is not: being responsible for lives and needs of animals who are entirely dependent on you is serious business.
“And anyone who doesn’t treat it as such needs to stick to stuffed toys.”
They added of the costume: “All proceeds support work to promote responsible animal guardianship, as well as spay/neuter surgeries to help fight the homeless-animal overpopulation crisis!”
The parent of five was branded ‘grim’ and ‘grim reaper’ by the charityCredit: SplashKatie has been struck by a series of pet tragedies, including many animal deathsCredit: SplashPETA has urged her to ‘stick to stuffed animals’Credit: Splash
Hamas and allied Palestinian factions have reiterated that any decision on the future governance of Gaza is “an internal Palestinian matter” as the ceasefire in the territory takes effect.
In a joint statement on Friday, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) joined Hamas in lauding the steadfastness of Palestinians, which they said foiled Israel’s plans for mass forced displacement in Gaza.
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“We renew our rejection to any foreign guardianship, and we stress that the nature of the administration of the Gaza Strip and its institutions are an internal Palestinian matter to be determined by the national component of our people directly,” the statement said.
The groups added that they are working on an “urgent comprehensive national meeting” to discuss next steps after the ceasefire.
“This will unify the Palestinian position, formulate a comprehensive national strategy, and rebuild our national institutions on the foundations of partnership, credibility, and transparency,” they said.
It is not clear whether Fatah, the faction that dominates the Palestinian Authority, has agreed to be part of the meeting.
United States President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan includes the creation of a new international body, dubbed the “Board of Peace”, that would be tasked with overseeing an interim authority of technocrats to govern Gaza.
According to the scheme, Trump himself would chair the board, which would also include former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
The first stage of the ceasefire, to which both Hamas and Israel agreed, is linked to Trump’s plan, but it remains unclear how Gaza will be governed going forward.
Captive releases; aid trucks for Gaza
Al Jazeera obtained a copy of the stipulations of the agreement, which calls on Hamas to hand over the Israeli captives within 72 hours without any public celebrations or media ceremony.
The deal also would ensure that at least 600 aid trucks reach Gaza daily, as well as the rehabilitation of water stations and the establishment of camps to shelter people in the enclave.
Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians began their journey to their homes in the north of the territory on Friday as the Israeli military started to withdraw from coastal areas.
The Palestinian Civil Defence said it retrieved 63 bodies from the streets of Gaza City after the truce came into effect on Friday. Thousands of Palestinians remain missing amid difficulty in pulling victims from under the rubble and reaching areas under Israeli military control.
Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud described near total destruction in Gaza City after weeks of intense Israeli bombardment.
“On the way to Gaza City, as we approached the main entrance on the coastal road, it was already unrecognisable by the vast destruction and devastation of many of the buildings,” Mahmoud said.
“During our displacement journey, when we left the city, we counted 15 buildings either partially standing or still fully intact, inhabited by some of the displaced families. On our way back, we did not see them.”
Later on Friday, the Gaza Government Media Office stressed the need for a comprehensive reconstruction plan for the territory.
The first phase of the agreement calls for the entry of equipment to remove the rubble – a first step towards reconstruction.
The deal also says that United Nations agencies and other aid groups would distribute the humanitarian assistance, effectively sidelining the controversial Israel and US-backed GHF.
Hundreds of Palestinians were killed over the past months as they tried to reach GHF sites deep inside Israeli lines of control. Rights groups have described the mechanism as a death trap.
But GHF announced on Friday that it will continue to operate despite the ceasefire.
“GHF’s team on the ground continues to provide humanitarian aid and food to all those who need it,” GHF executive director John Acree said in a statement.
“We will not rest so long as there are Gazans in need. It’s our mission, and it continues on.”
GHF whistleblowers have documented horrific abuses committed in and around the private foundation’s sites.
Thousands of displaced Palestinians have begun returning to their abandoned and mostly destroyed homes, as the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas takes hold, with Israeli forces withdrawing from parts of Gaza.
Families started moving from western residential areas on Friday back towards Gaza City’s main districts, areas from which they were previously forced to flee.
Several Israeli military brigades and divisions have pulled out from central Gaza regions as well.
At the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, families have begun travelling northward, though many remain waiting to enter areas in the Netzarim Corridor, where Israeli forces were stationed. They are holding there until the final Israeli tank departs the area.
Concerning developments include heightened activity of Israeli drones, fighter jets, and warships since early morning. Multiple attacks were reported in the morning at locations where people were gathering to return home.
A huge procession of displaced Palestinians moved northward through dust-filled roads towards Gaza City, the territory’s largest urban centre, which had experienced intense Israeli military operations just days earlier.
“Thank God my house is still standing,” said Ismail Zayda, 40, in the Sheikh Radwan area in Gaza City. “But the place is destroyed, my neighbours’ houses are destroyed, entire districts have gone.”
The Israeli military announced the ceasefire agreement took effect at noon local time (09:00 GMT). Israel’s government ratified the ceasefire with Hamas early Friday, setting in motion a partial troop withdrawal and complete suspension of hostilities in Gaza within 24 hours.
Israeli captives are scheduled for release within 72 hours afterwards, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.
The first phase of United States President Trump’s plan to end the two-year Gaza conflict requires Israeli forces to withdraw from major urban centres, though they will maintain control of approximately half the enclave’s territory.
Once the agreement takes effect, aid trucks carrying food and medical supplies will enter Gaza to assist civilians, hundreds of thousands of whom have been living in tents after their homes were destroyed and entire cities reduced to rubble.
Strictly Come Dancing’s spin off show It Takes Two came to a halt on Wednesday evening as Fleur East was forced to apologise for professional dancer Alexis Warr swearing live on air
Strictly Come Dancing’s spin off show It Takes Two came to a halt tonight, as Fleur East was forced to apologise halfway through George Clarke and Alexis Warr’s interview.
The pair took to the sofa to discuss their Strictly journey so far, and what they have coming up for this week’s Movie Week, but it seemed that Alexis got a little too excited, accidentally swearing live on air.
Speaking about their Paso Doble to Game Of Survival during week one, George opened up about how he felt during the nail biting first show.
“I feel like the enjoyment came after it,” he said. “I feel like I blacked out throughout it. We got to the end of the routine, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, that was the best we’ve done it!'”
His professional dance partner Alexis added: “At the beginning, he hit his beginning position, and I knew right away he was locked in. I was like, ‘Yes George, yes George,’ and I almost forgot to go.
“I was like, ‘Oh wait, oh c***p, I have to move!’ I just noticed he was immediately locked in, in character. Yeah.”
Amid all the excitement, Alexis didn’t even realise she let the swear word slip, but of course, Fleur was on the ball, and apologised to viewers straight away.
“Sorry about the language we just had there,” the former X-Factor star said. “We just get very excited!” she laughed.
George’s appearance on the BBC Two spin-off show comes after he revealed that he was rushed to a physiotherapist last week after injuring his back in rehearsals.
The influencer opened up about hurting his back on his podcast, The Useless Hotline Podcast – inviting on Strictly professional dance partner Alexis Warr for the first time.
“I didn’t want it to be a thing on the night,” he said. “That’s why they asked in the VT, they were like, ‘Do you want to mention your back?’ and I said, ‘I don’t want it to be a thing.'”
He added: “I had a pinched nerve all week in my back. I had acupuncture half way through the week. I went to physio four times.” As for how he did it, George admitted that the injury happened after a handstand went wrong.
“I was like, ‘I’ll throw in a handstand or something.’ I like doing a handstand, if I keep my legs together I’d probably be better at it but it doesn’t feel fun when you do it that way,” he said.
President Trump has often locked horns with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, with the once left-leaning court putting a persistent drag on his first-term agenda.
And now, even after remaking the bench with his own appointees, the president is still tangling with the West Coast’s federal appellate court — a situation poised to boil over as the circuit juggles multiple challenges to his use of the National Guard to police American streets.
“I appointed the judge and he goes like that — I wasn’t served well,” Trump told reporters Sunday, lashing out at U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut of Portland after she temporarily blocked the deployment federalized troops.
“To have a judge like that, that judge ought to be ashamed of himself,” Trump said, referring to Immergut, who is a woman.
The president has long railed against judges who rule against him, calling them “monsters,” “deranged,” and “radical” at various points in the past.
Trump has also occasionally sniped at conservative jurists, including U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, whom he called “disgraceful” after the court rejected his bid to overturn the 2020 election.
But this weekend’s spat marked a shift in his willingness to go after his own appointees — a turn experts say could become much sharper as his picks to the appellate bench test his ambition to put boots on the ground in major cities across the U.S.
“The fact that a pretty conservative judge ruled the way she did is an indication that some conservative judges would rule similarly,” said Ilya Somin, a law professor at George Mason University and a constitutional scholar at the Cato Institute.
The 9th Circuit handed the administration an early victory in the troop fight this spring, finding that courts must give “a great level of deference” to the president to decide whether facts on the ground warrant military intervention.
That ruling is set to be reviewed by a larger appellate panel, and could ultimately be reversed. The circuit is also now set to review a September decision barring federalized troops in California from aiding in civilian law enforcement, as well as Immergut’s temporary restraining order blocking the deployment over the weekend.
In the meantime, the 9th Circuit’s June decision has served as a guidepost for states seeking to limit what Oregon called a “nationwide campaign to assimilate the military into civilian law enforcement.”
“That decision is binding, and it does require a substantial degree of deference on the factual issues,” Somin said. “[But] when what the president does is totally divorced from reality, that limit is breached.”
Immergut appeared to agree, saying in her ruling that circumstances in Portland this fall were significantly different than those in L.A. in the spring. While some earlier protests did turn violent, she wrote, recent pickets outside Portland’s ICE headquarters have featured lawn chairs and low energy.
“Violence elsewhere cannot support troop deployments here, and concern about hypothetical future conduct does not demonstrate a present inability to execute the laws using nonmilitary federal law enforcement,” the judge wrote, addressing the 9th Circuit decision.
“The President is certainly entitled ‘a great level of deference,’” Immergut continued. “But ‘a great level of deference’ is not equivalent to ignoring the facts on the ground. … The President’s determination was simply untethered to the facts.”
But exactly where the appellate court may draw the line on presidential fact-finding is tricky, experts said.
“How much deference is owed to the president? That’s something we’re all talking about,” said John C. Dehn, a professor at Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
Whether courts can review the president’s judgment at all is a matter that splits even some of the president’s most conservative judicial picks from his current justice department attorneys.
So far, Trump has relied on an esoteric subsection of the U.S. Code for the authority to send soldiers on immigration raids and to control crowds of protesters.
Dehn and others have characterized that reading of the code as semantic and divorced from its legal context.
“They’re looking at the words in a vacuum and arguing the broadest possible meaning they could can think of,” Dehn said. “The administration is not engaged in good faith statutory interpretation — they’re engaged in linguistic manipulation of these statues.”
Immegur agreed, quoting Supreme Court precedent saying “[i]nterpretation of a word or phrase depends upon reading the whole statutory text.”
For some conservative legal scholars, Trump appointees’ willingness to push back on repeated deployments could signal a limit — or a dangerous new escalation in the administration’s attacks on jurists who defy them.
“It’s obvious the administration is trying to do this on a bigger scale,” Somin said. “Ideally we would not rely on litigation alone to deal with it.”
Strictly Come Dancing professional Nadiya Bychkova – who is partnered with rugby player Chris Robshaw – has spoken out about celebrity contestants with prior dance experience
08:46, 05 Oct 2025Updated 08:55, 05 Oct 2025
Nadiya Bychkova has hit out at Strictly stars with previous dance experience(Image: Getty Images)
Strictly Come Dancing star Nadiya Bychkova has said that it’s “really sad” to see celebrities with no dance experience leave the competition early, adding that it “helps a lot” if they’ve danced before.
The 36-year-old is currently partnered on Strictly with rugby union player Chris Robshaw, with the pair on the lower end of the scoreboard after their first two dances. Last year, Nadiya was paired up with Olympic diver Tom Dean, who was the first star to be eliminated on the 2024 series.
Speaking ahead of tonight’s results show, Nadiya said that Strictly is for “people who have never danced”. She told The Sun: “We often don’t see it because people who don’t have experience would sometimes leave the show earlier, which is really sad as there’s so much talent.
“It’s nice for the audience to see that it’s possible to learn, but you do need to put in the work, which Chris is doing every day.” She added that that doesn’t apply only to Chris but any contestant who doesn’t have “performance experience”.
She continued: “When you’re trained to be in the moment, to tell the story, you know how to show something — that helps a lot.” As for how Chris is finding the experience, Nadiya said that he’s absorbing all the information and needs a few more weeks to get to a comfortable level of performing which “you can’t get overnight”.
It comes after West End performer Amber Davies topped the scoreboard in last night’s show after wowing the judges with her Samba to Camila Cabello and Ed Sheeran’s Bam Bam. The judges awarded her a score of 29, giving her a one-point lead when combined with the 27 she received for her Waltz last weekend.
Just behind her on the scoreboard is Emmerdale’s Lewis Cope – who also has dance experience – after his high-scoring Viennese waltz to Teddy Swims’ Lose Control. Meanwhile, TikTok star and surprise frontrunner George Clarke is in third place after scoring a 30 for his Paso dobe to Game of Survival by Ruelle.
Chris Robshaw’s wife Camilla Kerslake took to social media earlier this week to brand letting those with dance experience compete as “unfair”. Love Island winner Amber Gill posted on social media her “unpopular opinion”, writing: ” I think having people with so much dance experience is unfair.”
Camilla then responded by commenting: “The experience differences are absolutely wild. Definitely.”
After the first live show, she praised her rugby star husband on Instagram, writing: “Proud forever. Up against people with years of experience when you’ve never even done a 2 step, opening the whole season and starting with one of the hardest dances going.
“They tested you HARD. You and [Nadiya] blew me, and the crowd away. Definitely some lessons for next week but you were absolutely astonishing. I couldn’t hold it together at all. We love you [Chris]. Team #SeeQuins. Let’s GOOOOOO #Strictly #StrictlyComeDancing. Slide 5 of my first time meeting [Vicky Pattison] is something special.”
MAX VERSTAPPEN blasted Formula One title rival Lando Norris for getting in his way after failing to land a maiden pole position at the Singapore Grand Prix.
George Russell denied old rival Verstappen the front row seat with a lightning-quick lap of 1:29.158 – a new record at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
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Max Verstappen blasted Lando Norris for getting in his way during Singapore GP qualifyingCredit: X / SkySportsF1
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Lando Norris bit back at the hot-tempered commentCredit: Getty
Verstappen, 28, is eyeing a first-ever win in Sunday’s race to complete the career set of winning at every F1 track on the 2025 calendar.
The raging Red Bull driver replied: “Yeah, that’s what happens when there’s a car two seconds in front of you cruising in front.
“So that’s noted, will be remembered as well.”
When pressed on the identity of the culprit, Verstappen replied: “Not Oscar [Piastri]. So yeah, that was a bit of a shame. Otherwise, I think it could have been close for a pole.
“It’s very exciting here in qualifying. A little bit disappointed not to be first but for us this weekend the car has been really good.
Briton Russell was delighted with his top spot, a first-ever pole for him in Singapore after a “challenging day” on Friday following a crash in FP2.
He said: “It’s good to come back and get a good result today.
“There’s a long sweaty race tomorrow but I knew there was potential in the car because Kimi [Antonelli] was doing an amazing job all weekend and I gained quite a lot from seeing what he was capable of doing.”
George Russell forced to abandon Singapore GP qualifying after smashing into barriers and mangling Mercedes
On the prospect of keeping four-time world champion Verstappen behind him going into Turn 1, Russell added: “Yeah, I mean Singapore’s not always been the kindest to me in the past.
“That’s been through my own doing the majority of the time. I’m not going to get carried away with this pole position. But it’s the best place to start.
“There’s a good pole side advantage here so I like to think I can hold the lead into Turn 1, but obviously this guy on my left is pretty good at race starts and sending it down the inside.”
Such a claim seemed off-beat considering Verstappen is 69 points behind McLaren championship leader Oscar Piastri, who scored third in Saturday’s qualifying.
Yet wins in Italy and Azerbaijan and a strong result in qualifying is threatening to split the drivers’ title race wide open despite the comparative dominance of McLaren for most of the season.
Piastri said: “I obviously would have wanted more but I don’t think we had four-tenths in it to go and get pole.”
Team-mate Norris, who will start P5 in the race, addressed Verstappen’s claim after the session.
He said: “Red Bull always complains. There was no problem with Max driving behind me. Yes, he was riding behind me. But there was such a huge distance, so no problem.”
There was early hope for Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari in qualifying as he topped the first session, but he ultimately ended up in P6 with team-mate Charles Leclerc in P7.
Amanda Holden has stepped up on Britain’s Got Talent after Simon Cowell’s illness forced him to miss the Birmingham auditions, with Stacey Solomon drafted in as a temporary replacement on the panel
Amanda Holden’s major role shake-up on BGT amid Simon Cowell’s health woes
Producers turned to Holden, 53, as the natural choice to lead the panel, given that she is the only judge who has remained on the show since its launch in 2007. Although Stacey Solomon was drafted in at short notice to replace Cowell during this week’s auditions at the Hippodrome, insiders stressed that Holden had earned the senior role.
A source revealed: “The producers were hugely grateful to Stacey for stepping in, particularly as it was at such short notice. What she did helped ensure the hundreds of audience members were not disappointed.
“But they also thought she shouldn’t just go straight into Simon’s seat as head judge and that Amanda had very much earned that right. And she seamlessly filled the role during the first batch of auditions on Friday, with Stacey slotting right in with fellow judges KSI and Alesha Dixon,” they told The Sun.
It is not the first time Cowell’s sudden departure has led to a reshuffle. When the music mogul left the panel last year after learning of the tragic death of former One Direction star Liam Payne, the then-newcomer Bruno Tonioli stepped in as head judge.
Tonioli has since departed from the programme altogether, replaced this year by KSI, after filming clashes with his role on Dancing with the Stars. Cowell’s absence was first confirmed on Thursday when production cancelled the initial day of auditions.
There were hopes he might recover quickly enough to return on Friday, but he remained unwell. Instead, Solomon took his seat on the panel – a full-circle moment given that Cowell himself auditioned her on The X Factor back in 2009. She finished third in that series but has since become a well-known TV presenter.
And Stacey has shared her excitement after her dream of becoming a judge on Britain’s Got Talent has come true. The Sort Your Life Out star took to Instagram on Friday to share a glimpse of the iconic set of the long-running ITV show after she was asked to step in as a guest judge last minute.
The mum-of-five, 35, took to her Instagram stories to post a picture of the iconic BGT stage with her name in lights. Instead of Simon Cowell’s name, Stacey’s name could be seen on the iconic stage. Alongside the picture, Stacey wrote: “What in the alternative universe is going on. A dream.”
Cowell’s condition has not been disclosed publicly, and it remains uncertain whether he will be fit enough to appear on the third and final day of Birmingham auditions.
Filming is scheduled to resume next week in Blackpool, with producers optimistic that Cowell will be well enough to reclaim his place at the judging desk.
Until then, Holden is firmly established as the figure leading the panel in his absence.
Linsey Smith takes the wickets of Laura Wolvaardt, Tazmin Brits and Marizanne Kapp, as South Africa fall to 19-4 in just the sixth over of England’s opening match of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.
As he manages his own amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, actor Eric Dane is also advocating for the continuation of the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act, which is set to expire in 2026.
The actor, along with the nonprofit organization I AM ALS, spoke with U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin) on Tuesday about the importance of the legislation, which provides funding for research and gives patients early access to treatments.
“So often, it takes all this time for these people to be diagnosed. Well, then it precludes them from being a part of these clinical trials,” Dane told Swalwell. “That’s why ACT for ALS is so, so great, and it’s because it broadens the access for everybody.”
Since then, the “Euphoria” actor has changed his approach to fighting his condition.
During an interview with “Good Morning America” in June, Dane expressed anger at the thought of being taken from his two young daughters. He said he was mad that history might repeat itself, as his father died when the “Grey’s Anatomy” alumnus was 7.
Months later, his frustration has turned into a fight to see his daughters’ lives play out.
“I want to see [my daughters], you know, graduate college, and get married and maybe have grandkids,” Dane told Swalwell. “You know, I want to be there for all that. So I’m going to fight to the last breath on this one.”
In the video posted on TikTok by the representative, Dane speaks with a slight slur but his words echo his fight to live on.
About 5,000 people are newly diagnosed with ALS each year in the U.S., according to the National ALS Registry. It affects the nerve cells in the brain that control movement, which eventually leads to the loss of the ability to speak, move, swallow and breathe.
Times staff writers Christie D’Zurilla and Kaitlyn Huamanicontributed to this report.
The Home Secretary has vowed to do whatever it takes to secure the UK’s borders as she unveils a Farage-style crackdown on migrants.
The government will slap tough new conditions on migrants requiring them to prove they are valuable to society or face the boot, Shabana Mahmood MP said during a speech at Labour conference on Monday.
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Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood vowed to bring in much tougher requirements on migrantsCredit: PA
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Migrants will need to jump through more hoops in order to gain permanent citizenshipCredit: Reuters
The plans are Labour’s latest attempt to wrestle ownership of the immigration issue off Reform, which has led the debate and gained huge popularity.
In order to earn indefinite leave to remain (ILR), migrants will have to learn to speak a “high standard” of English, Mahmood said on Monday.
Most migrants can currently apply for ILR after five years of living in Britain – handing them the right to live here forever.
But that may soon double to ten years and be limited to those who pay National Insurance, Mahmood revealed in her first Labour Party conference speech.
Migrants will also be required to have a clean criminal record, not claimed benefits and prove a record of volunteering in local communities.
The Home Secretary promised to “do whatever it takes to secure our borders”.
She said: “Time spent in this country alone is not enough. You must earn the right to live in this country.”
Meanwhile, Mahmood slammed Mr Farage as “worse than racist… it’s immoral”.
Officials say the new “earn it” system will allow migrants to “earn down” the ten-year wait through positive contributions – or “earn up” if they fail to pull their weight.
But the crackdown does not apply retrospectively, meaning the so-called “Boriswave” of approximately 1.3million who arrived between 2021 and 2024 can still qualify for ILR after just five years.
The Sun’s Politics Editor Jack Elsom on Starmer saying Labour got it wrong on migration
It is understood Ms Mahmood is weighing a separate emergency fix just for them, though it may not be the same model.
One source close to the Home Secretary said: “For anybody who is in the country now, the new conditions don’t apply.
“But she is looking closely at what to do about the Boris wave, because she is concerned about what happens when that group passes beyond the five-year mark and automatically receives ILR.”
Lawyers have warned any retrospective move would spark fierce legal challenges.
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Mahmood unveiled a doubling of the time for migrants to receive indefinite leave to remain
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A Border Force vessel arrives at the Marina in Dover carrying migrants picked up at seaCredit: AFP
Ashley Stothard, Immigration Lawyer at Freeths, said on applying the ten-year rule retrospectively: “I think that change would be challenged by judicial review on the basis that it’s unfair.
“We saw a similar situation back in 2008 when the Government attempted to retrospectively change the criteria for the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme.
“That challenge was successful, and the new criteria were not applied to those already in the UK.
“The case upheld the principle that immigration policy should be fair and transparent. Migrants in the UK have a legitimate expectation that they can qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain under the rules in place when they entered.”
Ms Mahmood yesterday warned Labour members they might not like her migrant crackdown.
She said: “In solving this crisis, you may not always like what I do. We will have to question some of the assumptions and legal constraints that have lasted for a generation and more.
“But unless we have control of our borders and until we can decide who comes in and who must leave, we will never be the open, tolerant and generous country that I know we all believe in.”
Nigel Farage’s anti-immigration Reform UK, which is leading in opinion polls, said last week it was considering scrapping “indefinite leave to remain”, and replacing it with a five-year renewable work visa.
Starmer accused Reform on Sunday of planning a “racist policy” of mass deportations, although he clarified he did not think Reform supporters were racist.
You can count on these ultra-reliable dividend stocks to boost your passive income no matter what the stock market is doing.
As companies mature, they often choose to implement a dividend as a way to directly reward shareholders. On the other hand, smaller up-and-coming companies will want to put all the dry powder possible into their ideas to make them succeed.
Coca-Cola(KO -0.52%), Procter & Gamble(PG 0.23%), and Sherwin-Williams(SHW 0.58%) are three industry-leading companies that have been around for over 100 years. Their track records have earned them spots among the 30 components in the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI 0.65%).
Dividends have been an integral part of their capital allocation plans for decades. And because all three companies have steadily grown their earnings over time, they have also been able to increase their quarterly dividends.
Investing $15,000 into each stock could help you generate over $1,000 in passive dividend income per year. Here’s why all three dividend stocks are great buys in October.
Image source: Getty Images.
This beverage behemoth is also a passive income powerhouse
Coca-Cola was one of the few stocks that held up when the market was tanking in response to tariff woes and geopolitical uncertainty in April. That same month, it hit an all-time high. But since then, Coke has been steadily falling while the S&P 500(^GSPC 0.59%) has been gaining. And after a hot start to the year, Coke is now underperforming the Dow and the S&P 500.
Coke’s fundamentals remain intact. The company is generating solid organic growth and diversifying its beverage lineup by leaning into healthier options. Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Diet Coke are performing well, and Coke is shifting from high-fructose corn syrup to cane sugar in the U.S.
Coke has the beverage lineup, supply chain (through its bottling partnerships), and brand power to adapt to changing consumer preferences. In the meantime, the stock has gotten much cheaper, sporting a 23.6 price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio compared to a 10-year median P/E of 27.7.
Coke yields 3.1%, making it a solid source of passive income. And it has raised its dividend for 63 consecutive years, earning it a coveted spot on the list of Dividend Kings.
P&G is a great value for long-term investors
P&G is in a similar boat to Coke. It has great brands, but consumers are getting hit hard by inflation and cost-of-living pressures.
In June, P&G announced plans to cut 7,000 jobs and exit certain brands and markets as part of a restructuring effort. In July, it announced that its chief operating officer, Shailesh Jejurikar, would take over as CEO on Jan. 1, 2026. These major shakeups, paired with relatively weak results and guidance, may be why P&G is hovering around a 52-week low at the time of this writing.
P&G has essentially three levers it can pull to grow its earnings. It can sell higher volumes of products, it can raise prices, and it can repurchase stock, which increases earnings per share. Volume growth is the most sustainable option because it has fewer limits compared to price increases, which are subject to consumer constraints. And there’s only so much free cash flow P&G generates to buy back its stock (it usually reduces its share count by 1% to 2% per year).
Unfortunately, P&G has been relying heavily on price increases in recent years. And consumers are pushing back, as P&G’s organic growth has drastically slowed.
P&G now sports a P/E ratio of 23.4 and a forward P/E of 21.8 compared to a 10-year median P/E of 25.5. Like Coke, P&G is a Dividend King with a high yield at 2.8%. It’s a great buy for risk-averse investors looking for a reliable source of passive income who don’t mind giving the company time to restructure.
Sherwin-Williams’ recent pullback is a buying opportunity
The paint and coatings giant had been a steady market outperformer to the point where it earned its spot in the Dow last year, replacing commodity chemical giant Dow Inc. But Sherwin-Williams’ stock has underperformed the major indexes this year largely due to high interest rates, which are impacting many of its end markets.
Sherwin-Williams benefits from increases in consumer spending and economic growth. Higher borrowing costs have been a drag on the housing market and home improvement projects, as evidenced by Home Depot‘s lackluster earnings growth over the last couple of years.
Still, Sherwin-Williams has the makings of an excellent dividend stock for long-term investors. It has 46 consecutive years of dividend raises, but its yield is just 0.9% because the stock price has outpaced its dividend growth rate — gaining 352% over the last decade, which is even better than the S&P 500’s 244% increase.
Sherwin-Williams has an excellent business model. It sells its products through its own retail stores, online, and partnerships with retailers like Lowe’s Companies. It also has a sizable coatings business and industrial and commercial paints business. Coatings are used to protect surfaces across various industries, including automotive, aerospace, and marine.
Add it all up, and Sherwin-Williams is a great buy in October.
Quality companies at attractive valuations
Coke, P&G, and Sherwin-Williams may not light up a growth investor’s radar screen. But all three companies pay growing, ultra-reliable dividends.
Coke and P&G have discounted valuations compared to their historical averages, whereas Sherwin-Williams is roughly in line with its 10-year median valuation.
Add it all up and these are three picks ideally suited for investors looking to round out their portfolios with non-tech-focused ideas.
The prime minister has warned Reform UK “will tear this country apart” ahead of the Labour party conference.
Arriving in Liverpool on Saturday, Sir Keir Starmer said Reform’s plans to abolish indefinite leave to remain (ILR) for legal migrants was one of “the most shocking things” Nigel Farage’s party had said.
Sir Keir said the conference would be an opportunity to show Labour’s alternative to the “toxic divide and decline” offered by Reform.
He is under pressure after opinion polls show Labour trailing Reform UK, alongside speculation Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham could mount a leadership challenge.
But in an interview with the Sunday Times, Sir Keir insisted Labour could still “pull this round”, and said it was time for Labour to put in the “hard yards, roll up our sleeves and get on with it”.
Farage told the Telegraph, Sir Keir’s language “smacks, frankly, of total desperation” after the prime minister referred to Reform as an “enemy” in an interview with the Guardian.
“To call somebody in politics an enemy is language that is bordering on the inciteful,” he added.
Arriving at the conference centre in Liverpool, Sir Keir said it would be a “big opportunity to make our case to the country, and make it absolutely clear that patriotic national renewal is the way forwards – not the toxic divide and decline that we get with Reform”.
He continued the attacks as the conference got under way, telling the Sunday Mirror Farage was “grubby“, and that the Reform leader was “unpatriotic” for pretending he would fix problems that mattered to voters.
“Add to that that he spends more time grubbing around in America, trying to make money for himself than he does representing his constituents,” he said.
“He goes there not just to make money, but to talk our country down. The leader of a political party going to another country to talk his own country down. Grubby.”
Comparisons with Reform could be a theme of this conference, as Sir Keir tries to portray his party as a patriotic alternative to Reform, who continue to lead opinion polls.
Last week, Reform announced it will replace ILR with visas and force migrants to reapply every five years, if the party wins the next election. That includes hundreds of thousands of migrants currently in the UK.
Applicants would also have to meet certain criteria, including a higher salary threshold and standard of English. ILR is a key route to gaining British citizenship and allows people to claim benefits.
According to a YouGov poll published on Saturday, abolishing indefinite leave to remain divides the public, with 58% of Britons opposed to removing it from those who already hold it.
But more than 44% say they support ending ILR as a policy, while 43% are opposed to the idea.
During a visit to the office of newspaper Liverpool Echo, Sir Keir said: “These are people who have been in our country a long time, are contributing to our society, maybe working in, I don’t know, hospitals, schools, running businesses – our neighbours, and Reform says it wants to deport them in certain circumstances.
“I think it is a real sign of just how divisive they are and that their politics and their policies will tear this country apart.”
In an interview with the Sun on Sunday, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said legal migration was a “good thing” and the UK had “always welcomed people who want to come and work here”.
However, she said migrants should make a “contribution to their wider community”.
“So I am looking at how to make sure that settlement in our country – long term settlement, Indefinite Leave to Remain – is linked not just to the job you are doing, the salary you get, the taxes you pay, [but] also the wider contribution you are making to our communities,” she added.
Speaking to teenagers at the Liverpool Echo visit, Sir Keir also insisted the government would not legalise cannabis, and defended his plans to lower the voting age to 16 in general elections.
“It already happens in Scotland, already happens in Wales, and the sky didn’t fall in,” he said.
Ahead of the Labour conference, backbench MPs and unions renewed calls to end the two-child benefit cap.
Several MPs from Liverpool were among those who wrote to Sir Keir ahead of the conference insisting the cap “is one of the most significant drivers of child poverty in Britain today”.
Two MPs – former shadow chancellor John McDonnell and Apsana Begum – have had the whip restored, after a year-long ban for voting against the government on the cap.
McDonnell told the BBC: “If this is a signal the government is going to scrap the two-child limit I’m really pleased.”
The prime minister’s plans for a new digital ID system, revealed on Friday, will also likely face scrutiny at the conference.
Senior Labour figures are meanwhile expected to set out the details of a fresh tranche of “New Towns” at the event.
DIANNE Buswell took to the Strictly floor for the first time tonight after hitting back at a troll who said her dancing while pregnant on the show made them ‘uncomfortable’.
The Strictly pro announced the happy news she is expecting her first baby with partner Joe Sugg earlier this month.
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Dianne Buswell took to the Strictly dance floor for the first time since hitting back at a troll
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The pregnant pro danced a foxtrot with her partner Stefan Dennis
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The couple danced to the Neighbours theme tune
Her pregnancy hasn’t stopped Dianne taking part in the 2025 series, where she has been paired with Neighbours legend Stefan Dennis.
Tonight, the duo danced their first routine in the Strictly studio, a foxtrot to the Neighbours theme tune.
The couple scored one of the better scores of the night with 22, and Dianne then received a ’10-second baby shower’ from her Strictly family.
Neil Jones – dressed as a stork – brought on some gifts for her.
Dianne replied: “I love you all so much and thank you for being so supportive.”
While the majority of people have been supportive, some trolls have taken aim at Dianne for dancing while pregnant.
The message said: “I don’t want to see her dance being pregnant, it’s already feeling uncomfortable and she’s only starting to show. It’s really not appropriate.”
Shocked by the remark, Strictly favourite Dianne hit back: “I can’t believe in 2025 things like this are still being said.”
But while one troll tried to bring her down, another fan rushed to lift her up.
Strictly’s Dianne Buswell expecting first baby with partner Joe Sugg as they reveal gender in sweet video
The flame-haired dancer proudly reposted a heartfelt message from a supporter who praised her for inspiring millions.
The world is a confusing and scary place right now. Many of us are anxious wanderers in the wilderness, looking for answers. Is it any wonder that the wellness industry is booming? Into this strange new world comes Jade Chang’s funny and poignant novel “What a Time to Be Alive,” whose protagonist Lola is broke and aimless — until a leaked video transforms her into an instant self-help guru.
Chang, whose first novel, “The Wangs vs. The World,” was a sharp satire on class and ambition, has now turned her gaze to the promise and peril of self-actualization through social media. I sat down with Chang to discuss spiritualism for profit, tech bros and trucker hats.
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✍️ Author Chat
Book jacket of “What a Time to Be Alive” by Jade Chang
(Los Angeles Times illustration; book jacket from Ecco)
This book almost didn’t make it, as you physically lost it.
I started it years ago. I was writing in longhand in a notebook, entire chapters of the book. I lost the notebook and I was devastated. Then I moved on and wrote “The Wangs vs. The World.” It took a long time to get back into writing this new book. By the time I circled back to it, the world had changed so much. I think I have become more generous about things, and the story benefited from it.
Lola, your protagonist, unwittingly becomes an online self-help guru on the basis of a leaked video that is posted on social media. She becomes a sort of accidental wellness expert.
As someone who didn’t grow up with religion, I have always been really fascinated by belief. Why do we want to believe, and how are we compelled to certain beliefs? And it was just kind of fascinating and amazing that people could find so much life in religious stories. As I was developing the story of this novel, I realized that everyone in the digital world takes a page from this book as well, using stories to convert listeners into believers. I think Lola starts out sort of thinking she is in above her head, but by the end, her sincerity shines through. She wants to believe what she is telling others to believe.
Do you think the internet breeds cynicism and has turned us all into an angry mob?
I don’t. The digital world doesn’t make us any different from who we are, but it can throw a lens on certain aspects of our behavior. I think the internet allows us to be our best and worst selves. Think about all those strangers who might contribute to a GoFundMe campaign because someone has had a serious injury and needs to pay their medical bills, which can yield tens of thousands of dollars in some cases. That’s the mob functioning at its best.
But isn’t it a little too easy to pull a con job online?
Yes, it’s easy to be inauthentic online, but it’s important to remember that online performance is a tiny percentage of someone’s life. That’s why I was so interested in writing about the rise of this self-help guru, because usually when these stories are told you only see it from the acolyte’s point of view or the skeptic’s point of view. But we all have to make money, and we all are pulling a little something over on someone at some point — it’s part of surviving in the world.
Lola cauterizes the pain in her personal life by offering panaceas to pain for strangers online, but she affects a false persona to do so.
It’s easy to assume that anything we do, whether it’s on social media or elsewhere online, is performative or fraudulent in some way. RuPaul has a great quote where he says gender is drag. Everything is drag, a performance. Every choice we make is often not reflective of our essential self. You can’t codify identity in clothes or that trucker hat you’re wearing; anything you’re going to choose is going to be influenced by the times in which you live and who you surround yourself with. I can only speak from experience, but I think it’s almost impossible to suppress your true self.
You mentioned how self-help gurus and tech bros have a similar public worldview.
As research for the book, I attended one of Oprah’s Super Soul Sundays at Royce Hall. Every single person that spoke had the same arc: “I was down in the dumps, and then I looked up from that hole and I saw a glimmer in the form of CrossFit,” or drumming, or whatever it was that pulled them up from the brink. Then I went to a TED talk, and these tech gurus are saying the exact same thing. It’s the narrative of our time. I saw that crossover, and I knew I had something to say. I was interested in this internal push and pull of, how much do you give in to this tactic, and how much do you not.
📰 The Week(s) in Books
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Hamilton Cain has mixed feelings about Patricia Lockwood’s autofictional account of the COVID-19 lockdown, “Will There Ever Be Another You,” praising Lockwood’s “rich and kinetic” prose but bemoaning her “self-indulgent and repetitious” narrative.
Steve Henson has a chat with tennis legend Björn Borg about his new memoir, “Heartbeats,” which delves into his heavy cocaine and alcohol use that began shortly after he walked away from the sport at age 26.
Karen Palmer’s harrowing memoir, “She’s Under Here,” “details forgery, a child’s kidnapping, a mental breakdown, struggles to stay afloat — and joy,” writes Bethanne Patrick.
And David A. Keeps reports on the fiscal inequities of the booming audiobook industry: “Many actors are vying for audiobook roles at a time when the talent pool is expanding and casting is becoming a growing topic of debate.”
📖 Bookstore Faves
The Book Jewel, located in the city of Westchester, is just minutes from LAX.
(The Book Jewel)
The Book Jewel is a welcome addition to the neighborhood of Westchester, an expansive bookstore with an excellent selection of fiction and nonfiction titles for locals, or those who might stop by there before catching their flight at nearby LAX. We talked with general manager Joseph Paulsen about the store.
Your store is serving a community that hasn’t had a general interest bookstore in quite some time.
The Book Jewel opened smack-dab in the middle of the global COVID-19 pandemic in August of 2020. Our Westchester community has supported us from Day 1, and we recently celebrated our fifth anniversary. We are the only bookstore in Westchester, and we are locally owned and independent. I live here in Westchester and have raised both of my sons here.
What’s selling right now?
Right now we’re selling tons of children’s literature and graphic novels (“InvestiGators,”Dav Pilkey, etc.). Of course, the ABA Independent Bestsellers. Lots of romantasy.
You are pretty close to LAX. Do you sell a lot of books to travelers?
The travelers give themselves away with their roller bags, and we catch ’em heading out of Los Angeles on the reg! They like long books for long flights. Lots of souvenirs too! We have some unique, local non-book items as well and offer a better vibe than the international terminal.
The Book Jewel is located at 6259 W. 87th St, Los Angeles, CA.
Leclerc’s crash made it another dire day for Ferrari after Hamilton failed to make the top-10 shootout.
The session ran for two hours and the six red-flag stoppages broke a record that had previously been tied by the 2022 Emilia-Romagna and 2024 Sao Paulo Grands Prix.
The first person to crash was Williams’ Alex Albon, who hit the inside apex at Turn One, causing the first of three red-flag stoppages in the first session.
Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg caused the second, by crashing at Turn Four, and the session ended a few seconds early after both Alpine drivers made mistakes at the same corner after the restart.
Pierre Gasly first sped up the escape road, before his team-mate Franco Colapinto misjudged his entry into the same corner, despite waved yellow flags, and crashed on the exit.
Haas driver Oliver Bearman then brought out the next red flag when he oversteered into the wall on the exit of Turn Two early in the second session. The session then ran to the end without incident, although Piastri hit the wall on the exit of Turn 15 but was able to carry on with his lap.
The excitement was increased during the stoppages in the final session because light rain was starting to fall, which may have influenced the crashes of Leclerc and Piastri.
Leclerc, who had been on pole in Baku for the past four years, went straight on into the tyre barrier at Turn 15, before Piastri did the same thing at Turn Three on the restart.
“It feels amazing,” said the Liverpool-born midfielder afterwards. “It takes the pressure off a little bit. Now I can get flowing into the season.
“The main thing for me was getting on to the pitch, making those connections with the girls and getting stuck in.
“I really enjoyed it out there and I am really happy with my debut.”
When Clinton switched Manchester clubs just hours before the transfer window closed, she stated on Instagram, external that she and United “weren’t on the same page”.
“She looked happy when she came on and looked like she enjoyed the game,” said Chelsea goalkeeper Becky Spencer, who played with Clinton at Spurs during her loan spell during the 2023-24 campaign.
Clinton undoubtedly adds further depth to a stacked squad of players at new City manager Andree Jeglertz’s disposal.
“I’m so happy for her because she has been working very good since she’s been with the team and deserved to get minutes,” said the Swede.
“Grace is a great player with the ball, she is working on finding the ball in different spaces and engaging the backline.
“But she is also working very hard to fit into the group and the team, and how we play – that will take some time for her.
“She wanted to be on the ball, she’s playing with a lot of confidence so I’m happy for her.”
JoJo Siwa has taken a savage swipe at Chris Hughes’ ex Olivia AttwoodCredit: Splash
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JoJo said there are ‘two sides to every story’Credit: Splash
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JoJo and Chris have been inseperable after meeting this yearCredit: Instagram
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Chris and Olivia haven’t seen eye to eye since their splitCredit: PA:Press Association
While it’s been seven years since the pair dated, according to a pal, Chris feels especially slighted by several comments Olivia made about him while he was in the CelebrityBig Brother house – particularly concerning his relationship with JoJo Siwa.
Chris hasn’t spoken out about Olivia’s claims, despite her also suggesting he was being fake for the cameras.
She added: “[Some] people, they go on reality TV, they are one person and when you experience them off camera… It’s like shapeshifters.”
And when asked directly on the social media platform what she thought of Chris’s romance with JoJo once they left the house, Olivia hinted Chris was leveraging the relationship for publicity, simply saying “she’s really famous”.
Now, Chris’ girlfriend JoJo, who he met in the Celeb Big Brother house, has appeared to take aim at Love Island star Olivia, while appearing on Radio Andy’s Smith Sisters Live.
The conversation on the podcast heard JoJo heaping praise onto her beau Chris, and adding: “Honestly he is such a good guy that his mouth has stayed shut.
“Always know that there are two sides to every single story – I don’t even know every side to every single story.
JoJo Siwa looks incredible in gold mini dress after hinting at MARRIAGE plans with Chris Hughes
“I love him to death but I met him a few months ago, I don’t know every single thing about his past.”
JoJo went on: “There’s a lot to be said about the good guy in the story who keeps his mouth shut.
“And Chris is a simple guy who loves his family, his golf, his horses and his sports.
“And one thing we have in common is that we’ve got wrath from our past online and I could easily shut every single person that has said any single thing down with text proof, and he could do the same, but it’s not worth it.”
Olivia Attwood’s Career History
From Monster grid girl and Love Island star to daytime telly panellist and respected documentary maker, Olivia Attwood has made a huge career pivot in recent years…
Olivia first started as a Monster grid girl at motorsport events in 2012 when she was 19-years-old, and did it right up until she went into Love Island in 2017.
After placing third in the reality show with then-boyfriend Chris Hughes, she starred in their own spin-off series, Chris & Olivia: Crackin’ On, in 2018.
Later that year, she appeared on Celebs Go Dating and then joined the cast of The Only Way Is Essex in 2019, where she had a number of fiery on-screen rows.
In 2020, the reality TV veteran began starring in her own reality series on ITVBe titled Olivia Meets Her Match, which followed her wedding preparations with footballer Bradley Dack.
In 2021, the tide started to turn.
Olivia made appearances on household shows Lorraine, Tipping Point: Lucky Stars and Loose Women.
Then, in 2022, ITV commissioned her for her first ever documentary series.
She presented Olivia Attwood: Getting Filthy Rich, which explored women selling sexual content online.
In June 2023, ITV commissioned Olivia Marries Her Match and made her a regular guest panellist on Loose Women.
Her most recent docu-series, Olivia Attwood: The Price of Perfection, aired in January this year where she sensitively explored the cosmetic industry.
She added: “By doing that you’re just feeding that beast, you’re feeding that monster and you don’t need to. It’s your past, and what is beautiful about Christopher is that he’s not living in that past.”
During the chat, JoJo also said that Chris had made her a nicer person, as she detailed the way he greets people when he walks into a room.
Olivia and Chris’ ‘toxic’ split
Their split in March 2018, just seven months after falling in love the previous summer, is the stuff of Love Island lore.
The pair had filmed a spin-off reality show, Chris and Olivia: Crackin’ On, which was intended to document their romance in the real world.
But instead, filming was dogged with rows; they split during the production and the number of planned episodes was slashed.
Indeed, Olivia even admitted she “hated” Chris once they were out of the villa bubble.
She said at the time: “I moved him into my own home, I mean like a week after leaving the villa. And we weren’t even getting on.
“So he moved in with a bag and was like, ‘I hate you.’ And I was like, ’I f***ing hate you.”
She later called the relationship “toxic” and admitted they were “horrible together”.
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The couple met on Celeb Big BrotherCredit: Instagram / chrishughesofficial
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Chris hasn’t spoken out about Olivia’s claimsCredit: Rex
