5 hours agoNews TvComments Off on Xi’an Grand Prix snooker 2025 LIVE RESULTS: Ronnie O’Sullivan ON NOW after champ Wilson’s EMBARRASING defeat – updates
RONNIE O’SULLIVAN is on a quest to win his first ranking title in 21 months at the Xi’an Grand Prix – and he is back in action RIGHT NOW!
O’Sullivan whitewashed Scotsman Stephen Maguire to progress to the last-16, having lost just one frame in this tournament so far.
And he’ll be hoping to avoid an embarrassing defeat like champion Kyren Wilson, who was on the wrong end of a whitewash from Shaun Murphy.
This means there will certainly be a new champion come the conclusion of Monday’s final!
5 hours agoNews TvComments Off on Costa has quietly hiked the price of a popular menu item and customers are not happy
COSTA Coffee has been slammed for quietly hiking the cost of its popular Breakfast Bundle Bap deal by a whopping 50p in move set to hit latte fans in pocket.
The hefty eight per cent price hike means the popular Breakfast Bap deal including a bacon roll and coffee will now set punters back a wallet-busting £6.49 rather than £5.99.
AFP or licensorsCosta fans aren’t happy with the 50p increase for the Breakfast Bundle Bap[/caption]
The price “adjustment” was sneaked in under the radar in May with no public announcement but was picked up by eagle-eyed Sun spotters monitoring high street price hikes.
Back in 2022 the same promotion, then called a “bacon roll and coffee” meal deal, set punters back just over £5 depending on the choice of brew.
Last night Costa regular Martina Bailey, 42, of Buxton, Derbyshire, said the latest price increase came as a real blow.
She explained: “It seems every time you go down the high street one thing or another has gone up in price.
“I used to love treating myself to Costa’s Breakfast Bap deal once in a while but now it looks like I’m not going to be getting much change out of a tenner.”
The penny-pinching move comes just two months after Costa Coffee owners Coca-Cola announced they were in talks to offload the café giant – which has 2,000 UK outlets – in a cut-price £2 billion deal.
The American soft drinks behemoth had high hopes for the Costa brand when it bought it from Whitbread in 2018, owner of the Premier Inn hotel chain, for £3.9 billion, but the chain has struggled with rising costs and high street competition.
In June we reported Costa had whacked increases of as much as 15p on brew prices with hospital branches hit the worst thanks to a 20p “sickness surcharge” – just four months after the last hike.
The cost of caffeine blow meant coffee fans working, visiting or laid up in hospital could end up shelling out upwards for £4 a pop for their favourite tipple.
While in March last year we told how Costa has silently imposed a 5p price hike on its popular pour-it-yourself machine brews meaning some DIY drinks were almost £4 a pop.
The cost surge came just 18 months after the café giant levied a previous 18% increase.
Costa is not the only high street café outfit battling surging costs.
Last week Greggs announced another round of price hikes slapping a 20p rise on its three-item breakfast deal taking the price from £3.95 to £4.15.
While the two-item breakfast deal has also been increased from £2.95 to £3.15.
The bakery chain’s chief executive, Roisin Currie, blamed the increases on rising wages being baked into prices.
Meanwhile critics have described Costa’s latest price hike as an attempt to combat spiralling costs and wage bills.
Sarah Coles, Head of Personal Finance at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: “This isn’t the only meal deal to have risen in price recently, as food inflation means even the deals designed to get people through the door are getting more expensive.
“Costa is facing the double whammy of rising wage bills – thanks to the National Insurance increase – alongside soaring prices.
“The most recent figures show coffee prices are up 15.4% in a year. It’s easy to see why prices have been creeping up to protect margins.”
And Martyn James, independent consumer champion, added: “This major price hike means people will choose to go hungry rather than fork out for overpriced options from Costa.
“Regular users of breakfast deals are usually incredibly tired and busy and don’t have the time to prep a good breakfast at home with all their responsibilities.
“But they aren’t just time-poor, they are facing very real financial pressures – and this price rise means that for thousands, there will be no break, but all fast.”
Costa Coffee said: “Like all retailers, we are navigating unprecedented inflationary pressures that have led to increased costs.
“Earlier this year, we made a small adjustment to our Breakfast Bundle Bap deal at a majority of our stores, increasing the price by 50p from £5.99 to £6.49.
“We remain committed to offering great value and delicious breakfast options for our customers, as well as continuing to offer lunch and afternoon bundles.”
How to save money on your food shop
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save hundreds of pounds a year:
Odd boxes – plenty of retailers offer slightly misshapen fruit and veg or surplus food at a discounted price.
Lidl sells five kilos of fruit and veg for just £1.50 through its Waste Not scheme while Aldi shoppers can get Too Good to Go bags which contain £10 worth of all kinds of products for £3.30.
Sainsbury’s also sells £2 “Taste Me, Don’t Waste Me” fruit and veg boxes to help shoppers reduced food waste and save cash.
Food waste apps – food waste apps work by helping shops, cafes, restaurants and other businesses shift stock that is due to go out of date and passing it on to members of the public.
Some of the most notable ones include Too Good to Go and Olio.
Too Good to Go’s app is free to sign up to and is used by millions of people across the UK, letting users buy food at a discount.
Olio works similarly, except users can collect both food and other household items for free from neighbours and businesses.
Yellow sticker bargains – yellow sticker bargains, sometimes orange and red in certain supermarkets, are a great way of getting food on the cheap.
Super cheap bargains – sign up to bargain hunter Facebook groups like Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK where shoppers regularly post hauls they’ve found on the cheap, including food finds.
“Downshift” – you will almost always save money going for a supermarket’s own-brand economy lines rather than premium brands.
The move to lower-tier ranges, also known as “downshifting” and hailed by consumer expert Martin Lewis, could save you hundreds of pounds a year on your food shop.
6 hours agoNews TvComments Off on STC Blackboard login – www.southtexascollege.blackboard.com
Official South Texas College (STC) Blackboard login We are pleased to inform you about STC Blackboard login – www.southtexascollege.blackboard.com Blackboard Learn is the South Texas Colleges’ online platform and learning management system. Blackboard Learn gives instructors the opportunity to design online course sites that are highly optimized for online learning and integrated with STC’s enrollment […]
6 hours agoNews TvComments Off on Israel Says Ceasefire Is in Effect as Troops Pull Back From Gaza
The Israeli military announced a ceasefire is in effect and say that troops have pulled back from parts of the Gaza strip to agreed lines, starting the first phase of President Donald Trump’s peace plan to end the war in Gaza. Now, Hamas has three days to gather and free all of its hostages, 20 believed to be alive and 28 bodies, and eventually give up power. NBC’s Richard Engel reports for TODAY.
6 hours agoNews TvComments Off on The ‘underestimated’ 65p trick that saves your carpet from stain disasters – it works in an hour
pinstock
SPILLING something on the carpet can feel like a proper disaster.
That moment of panic is universal – whether it’s coffee, wine or even dreaded pasta sauce, it always seems to be right in the middle of the lightest patch of floor.
Mukhina1Coffee can be tricky to remove[/caption]
But there’s no need to reach for expensive cleaners or start Googling ‘how to replace carpet’.
The experts at online retailer The Rugs say you can tackle most spills with simple, everyday items already sitting in your cupboards – and for just pennies.
And they have pulled together five quick DIY hacks to banish stubborn carpet stains – including a 65p trick that clears fresh spills
Emre Eser, Director at The Rugs, said: “People assume you need fancy products to fix a spill, but you’d be surprised what works.
“A few quick tricks can rescue your carpet before a stain ever sets in. The key is not waiting too long – act fast and you’ll almost always save it.”
Here, Eser shares five tried-and-tested hacks.
A DROP OF BEER
It might sound like something your mates would dare you to do, but a small splash of beer can actually lift stubborn tea and coffee stains.
Eser says: “Beer works a bit like a gentle cleaning agent,.
“It helps break down the tannins in tea and coffee – those are the pigments that leave behind that yellow-brown ring.”
Pour a tiny bit of beer onto the mark, then gently rub it in with a clean cloth.
If the stain’s been sitting for a while, you may need to repeat the process or add a little extra elbow grease.
He added: “You’ll usually see the colour start to lift straight away. Then rinse with water, pat it dry and you’re done.”
GET SALTY
If there’s one thing you should do immediately after a spill, it’s reach for the salt.
Eser explains: “Salt acts like a sponge – it pulls up moisture before it sinks into the carpet fibres.
“The faster you get it on there, the better your chances are of avoiding a permanent stain.”
Simply cover the wet patch with a generous layer and leave it for about an hour. The salt will absorb most of the liquid and stop it spreading.
Once it’s dry, vacuum or brush it away to reveal a clean patch underneath.
Bambu ProductionsOnce the salt has soaked up the stain, simply hoover[/caption]
He added: “It’s a 65p fix, tops. And the best part is, it’s probably already sitting in your kitchen.
“People underestimate how powerful simple table salt can be when it comes to rescuing carpets.”
SPRAY SOME WD-40
That trusty blue can most people keep in the shed has more uses than you think.
Eser says: “WD-40 is great for lifting oily marks and sticky residues.
“It’s especially good for make-up, candle wax or wine spills – anything that leaves a greasy or waxy texture.”
To use it, spray a little directly onto the stain and let it sit for about half a minute.
Then dab it with a damp sponge before wiping dry with a clean towel.
The expert added: “It breaks down the bond between the stain and the fibres, so you can literally wipe it away.
“It only takes a few minutes, which makes it a great emergency fix before guests arrive.”
But less is more.
Eser warned: “A quick spritz does the job – don’t drench it. You just want enough to loosen the mark without overdoing it.”
IRON MAN
Some stains refuse to budge, especially those that have had time to settle in.
But Eser says your household iron might just be the secret weapon you need.
He explained: “Heat can actually help lift the stain out of the carpet and into a towel. It’s simple science, but it feels like magic when you see it work.”
Start by mixing two cups of warm water with a few drops of washing-up liquid. Dip a clean towel into the solution, wring it out, and lay it flat over the affected area.
Getty ImagesUsing an iron can help on stubborn stains[/caption]
Then gently iron on a low steam setting.
Eser said: “You’ll start to see the stain transfer into the towel. It’s oddly satisfying – like watching the mark disappear in slow motion.”
It’s also one of the few hacks that works well on older stains, the cleaning pro says.
He added: “If you’ve got a patch that’s been bugging you for months, this is the one to try.
“Just remember to test a small area first, and don’t use high heat – the gentle approach wins here.”
ICE IS NICE
Nothing tests your patience quite like chewing gum stuck to carpet.
The natural instinct is to pick or scrape it, but that usually just makes a bigger mess.
Eser says the secret is to freeze it solid first.
Pop a few ice cubes – or a bag of ice – over the gum and leave it there for several minutes.
Once it’s hardened, it should peel away easily.
The expert said: “You can use your fingers or a dull knife to lift it off.
“And when it’s gone, just give the area a quick clean with warm water and mild soap. No tearing, no damage, no drama.”
Eser says this trick works just as well on upholstery too.
6 hours agoNews TvComments Off on John Lodge dead: Moody Blues singer dies aged 82 as family say he was ‘suddenly and unexpectedly taken from us’
MOODY Blues legend John Lodge has tragically died aged 82.
In a statement, the star’s heartbroken family confirmed he was “suddenly and unexpectedly taken from us”.
GettyJohn Lodge and Mike Pinder of The Moody Blues attending the 33rd Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony[/caption]
Moody Blues pictured in 1971, Graeme Edge, Ray Thomas, John Lodge, Mike Pinder and Justin HaywardGetty
Lodge was best known as a musician and songwriter for the iconic rock band, the Moody Blues
In 2018, the rock star was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame.
GettyJohn Lodge has tragically died aged 82.[/caption]
More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online
Thesun.co.uk is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.
6 hours agoNews TvComments Off on South African Revenue Service Register For VAT 2025-2026-www.sars.gov.za
Official South African Revenue Service Register For VAT 2025-2026 | www.sars.gov.za We are pleased to inform you about the South African Revenue Service Register For VAT 2025-2026 Register For VAT : ** Value-Added Tax is commonly known as VAT. VAT is an indirect tax on the consumption of goods and services in the economy. ** […]
