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Ulster's home ground to be renamed Affidea Stadium

Ulster's home ground to be renamed Affidea Stadium

BBC News7 hours ago
Ulster Rugby's home ground has been renamed the Affidea Stadium after a "long-term" sponsorship agreement with the healthcare company.The Belfast ground, originally known as Ravenhill, had been called Kingspan Stadium since 2014.An Ulster statement said the new deal will provide "a strong platform to invest in the development of players, facilities and fan experience"."Together, we will continue to invest in elite and grassroots rugby, and we look forward to seeing the Affidea Stadium become a beacon for sport and community pride in Ulster," said the province's chief executive officer Hugh McCaughey.Ulster's 11-year naming rights deal with construction firm Kingspan concluded at the end of last month, while the association went back to 1999.The commercial relationship with the Cavan-based company had been questioned in the wake of the firm's links to the Grenfell Tower fire.Seventy-two people died in the fire in London in 2017 and Kingspan's business practices were criticised during an inquiry.The company, however, said its products made up only 5% of the insulation at Grenfell and that they were used without its recommendation.
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Chocolate lovers rejoice as new Cadbury chocolate bar scanning at B&M tills for just 89p
Chocolate lovers rejoice as new Cadbury chocolate bar scanning at B&M tills for just 89p

The Sun

time39 minutes ago

  • The Sun

Chocolate lovers rejoice as new Cadbury chocolate bar scanning at B&M tills for just 89p

SHOPPERS are filling their basket with a new Cadbury chocolate bar as it scans for just 89p at B&M. Fans went wild for the delicious goodies when they launched last month - and now they're being snapped up at a discounted price. 3 3 3 The Twirl White Dipped impressed chocolate lovers after being teased by the company in June. They are very similar to Cadbury's iconic Twirls - but are coated with white chocolate instead. "OK but we've really outdone ourselves with this one," they told shoppers. They described the flavour as "unreal, indulgent, smooth, swirly, creamy, melty, new, and mouthwatering". And now B&M have announced the sweet treat has arrived at their stores. A spokesperson for the budget retailer penned on Facebook: "Calling all White Choccy Fans!! "The Twirl White Dipped has landed in B&M - and it's a NEED!! 89p "Who's snapping this up?" Excited shoppers hailed the new snack: "I want one!!!" Another commented: "They are so good." Cadbury's New UK Bar, Nationwide's 5% Deposit Boost, and River Island's 33 Store Closures – Money News Today "These look very yummy," echoed someone else. A fourth agreed: "Really lush, had one on Saturday." Other Cadbury customers previously compared the latest launch to the Cadburys Flake Snowflake. Launched in 2000, the now discontinued bar featured white chocolate flakes coated in milk chocolate. The chocolate bars have also been spotted in local convenience stores, with Newfoodsuk post stating: "Wow, these are outstanding - closest bar you'll ever get to a Cadbury Snowflake! "We spotted these at our local convenience store!" Katya Savelieva, Brand Manager for Twirl at Mondelez International, said of the new bars: 'Cadbury Twirl has always been a fan favourite, so it's no surprise that limited editions like Cadbury Twirl Orange and Cadbury Twirl Mint had everyone talking. "With smooth white chocolate surrounding our iconic milk chocolate swirls, the new Twirl White Dipped is an indulgence you won't want to miss - grab it as soon as you can and experience Twirl like never before.' The bar first hit shelves on June 2, and since it won't be around for ever, sweet-toothed fans should consider stocking up whilst they're still on shelves. Twirl bar were first released in Ireland in 1985, as a single finger bar. They hit UK shelves two years later in its classic double finger form. Eventually the Twirl bar solidified itself as a fan favourite among Cadbury customers. It has since earned its place in the coveted Cadbury's Heroes tin, available at Christmas. The news comes as Cadbury officially announced it has discontinued a popular bar. This product axe was all the more shocking as it occurred just two years after the bar's launch. Cadburys fans recently shared their excitement after finding an item that is similar to another discontinued favourite. How to save money on chocolate We all love a bit of chocolate from now and then, but you don't have to break the bank buying your favourite bar. Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how to cut costs... Go own brand - if you're not too fussed about flavour and just want to supplant your chocolate cravings, you'll save by going for the supermarket's own brand bars. Shop around - if you've spotted your favourite variety at the supermarket, make sure you check if it's cheaper elsewhere. Websites like let you compare prices on products across all the major chains to see if you're getting the best deal. Look out for yellow stickers - supermarket staff put yellow, and sometimes orange and red, stickers on to products to show they've been reduced. They usually do this if the product is coming to the end of its best-before date or the packaging is slightly damaged. Buy bigger bars - most of the time, but not always, chocolate is cheaper per 100g the larger the bar. So if you've got the appetite, and you were going to buy a hefty amount of chocolate anyway, you might as well go bigger.

Sport stars pay tribute to late Doddie Weir in birthday video
Sport stars pay tribute to late Doddie Weir in birthday video

ITV News

time42 minutes ago

  • ITV News

Sport stars pay tribute to late Doddie Weir in birthday video

Rugby stars Kenny Logan and Rob Wainwright and other sporting legends have paid tribute to the late Doddie Weir in a video released on what would have been his 55th birthday. The video has been created to honour the memory of Weir, and the legacy of the foundation he set up to find effective treatments for motor neurone disease (MND) after he was diagnosed with it in 2016. Weir founded the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation in 2017, and died in November 2022 aged 52. Those in the video include Olympic swimming medallist Duncan Scott, Olympic curling medallist Eve Muirhead, broadcaster and ex-footballer Ally McCoist, former England rugby player Mike Tindall and British and Irish Lions fly-half Fin Smith. Supporters from across the UK will wear Doddie tartan to work on Friday July 4, as part of a tradition marking what would have been the former rugby player's birthday. Kenny Logan, who played alongside Doddie as part of the 1999 Five Nations-winning Scotland side, said: 'Doddie was a leader in life, and he remains a leader in death. 'His memory inspires thousands of people, both inside and outside of the MND community, to take action and help bring an end to this devastating disease. 'We all know Doddie should still be here with us. He brought light and laughter into every room, even in the darkest days. It's up to all of us to dig deep, keep fundraising and finish what he started. 'We do it because we miss him. We do it because we love him. And we do it because nobody else should have to go through what he and his family did.' The My Name'5 Doddie Foundation has now committed almost £20 million to targeted research projects and launched a Catalysing A Cure strategy to speed up the search for effective treatments. Earlier this year it pledged £4 million to the MND Discovery Network, a new UK-wide initiative connecting leading scientists to accelerate progress. The film also features Jennie Starkey, who is living with MND and is part of the Foundation's Discovery Network board. The video comes after the end of the Doddie's Lions Challenge, in which a team led by Logan and including Ally McCoist, Gabby Logan, and Doddie's widow Kathy, cycled 555 miles around the island of Ireland in five days to deliver the match ball for the British and Irish Lions vs Argentina fixture in Dublin. The ride has so far raised almost £650,000 for MND research. My Name'5 Doddie Foundation chief executive Nicola Roseman, said: 'Doddie's spirit continues to galvanise the MND community. 'The outpouring of support and emotion on what would have been his 55th birthday shows just how many lives he touched and how much his story still matters. It also reminds us that there is still work to be done. 'Every birthday that passes without Doddie is another reminder of the urgency of our mission.'

Which? reveals best supermarket Magnum ice cream dupes
Which? reveals best supermarket Magnum ice cream dupes

Daily Mail​

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mail​

Which? reveals best supermarket Magnum ice cream dupes

Stocking up the freezer with ice cream is an absolute must to get us through the scorching summer days, and who can say no to the satisfying crack of a chocolate-covered number? Of course, the top chocolate-covered ice cream brand in the UK is Magnum. However, you could make some savings by buying supermarket own-label ice creams instead - but how do they stack up against a Magnum Classic? Consumer champions Which? tested nine supermarket own-label ice creams in a blind-tasting that involved 60 people, and found that while none of them trumped a classic Magnum, one supermarket did hold a candle to it. A close runner-up came from a budget supermarket, giving ice cream fans more bang for their buck. In fact, two budget supermarket ice creams got higher ratings for flavour and value compared to posh supermarkets like Waitrose. Jessica Carson, Which? Food and Health Editor, said: 'Cooling down with a delicious ice cream on a hot day is the stuff that summer holidays are made of, so having a box full in the freezer is bound to please - whether you are entertaining or if you've got kids. 'While the Classic Magnum wasn't beaten in our test, one supermarket brand matched it and a bargain alternative from Lidl wasn't far behind - and is less than half the price.' The supermarket own-brand ice cream that matched Magnum's rating was none other than the M&S Chocolate Sticks. Both ice creams were rated at 82% and tasters said they loved the balance of chocolate and vanilla flavours, as well as the creamy texture of the ice cream within its chocolate shells. Which? advised customers to look out for deals on the Classic Magnums, which cost £3.50 for a pack of three, making them the most expensive of the lot. However, they are frequently on some kind of deal, so it's best to keep an eye out for special offers to get the most value for money. Classic Magnums are currently £2.75 for three for loyalty card holders at Tesco and Sainsbury's, according to the consumer website. It can also be cheaper to buy Magnums in bigger multipacks of six, if you have the freezer space for them. Here's how Which? rated the nine supermarket Magnum dupes. M&S Chocolate Sticks £2.40 for three 110ml ice creams (80p per stick) These were the only supermarket own-brand ice creams that matched up to Magnums in the Which? taste test, with tasters loving the sweetness and strength of the chocolate flavour, as well as the vanilla flavour. They are the most expensive own-label ice cream tested, but are still over a pound cheaper than full-price Magnums. Lidl Gelatelli Classic Ice Cream Sticks Rated at 79% for great value, Lidl's ice creams are cheap and cheerful. Tasters said they had 'just the right sweetness, creaminess and vanilla flavour'. These ice creams are slightly bigger than Magnums (120ml vs 100ml) yet are less than half the price of Magnum Classics, so customers will be getting more bang for their buck. Aldi Gianni's Milk Chocolate Ice Creams £1.69 for four 100ml ice creams (42p per stick) German budget supermarket Aldi offers the cheapest ice cream tested by Which? and received a decently high rating for flavour. It came in at a 77% rating. While the flavour was good, tasters said they weren't creamy enough, but at just 42p per ice cream, they're a good budget-friendly alternative to Magnums. Iceland Belgian Milk Chocolate Majestics The frozen food specialists' ice cream treat rounds off the Which? top five list, scoring well at 77% for looking great and offering a satisfyingly creamy texture. However, nearly a third of tasters complained they were too sweet. £2.25 for three 100ml ice creams (75p per ice cream) Waitrose has a reputation for being posh and expensive, but their ice creams are 5p cheaper than M&S - however, nearly half of tasters thought the vanilla flavour was far too weak. Morrisons Classic Milk Chocolate Amour Sticks £2.25 for three 110ml ice creams (75p per ice cream) Half of the tasters thought Morrison's Magnum dupes 'weren't bad', but they also were not creamy enough. £2.10 for three 110ml ice creams (70p per ice cream) Asda scored decently for sweetness and strength of chocolate flavour, but the vanilla ice cream within let it down by not being creamy enough. Tesco Milk Chocolate Ice Creams £1.39 for three 110ml ice creams (46p per ice cream) Whilst this was among the cheapest ice creams that Which? tested, over half of the tasters thought the vanilla flavour was too weak. Despite being more expensive than three of the top five ice creams, Co-op's Magnum dupes ranked the lowest because the ice cream wasn't creamy enough and the chocolate wasn't chocolatey enough. 'A bit of a letdown, but not terrible,' Which? said.

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