CHAMPIONSHIP LEAGUE snooker is underway with some huge names set to feature today.
Ronnie O’Sullivan, Kyren Wilson and Mark Selby are among the stars in Group 3 action in Leicester.
The Championship League is a non-ranking event and has a small prize pot but players see it as the perfect warm-up after the Christmas break.
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A MAJOR Scots motorway has been closed following a multi-vehicle crash.
Emergency crews raced to Glasgow’s M77 just after 10am this morning.
Traffic Scotland says the motorway’s southbound carriage is currently shut at Junction 2 following the smash.
It said on X: “M77 – Junction 2.
“CLOSED to all southbound traffic at Junction 2 due to a multi-vehicle collision.
“Police and ambulance are at scene.
“Traffic is already very heavy in the area.”
LLOYDS Banking Group, owner of subsidaries Halifax and Bank of Scotland is making a huge changes to services across all its bank branches.
The banking giant has announced plans to enable customers to access services at any branch regardless of which brand they bank with.
For example, this means that a Lloyds Bank customer will be able to access the same services when visiting Halifax and Bank of Scotland branches, and vice versa.
While Lloyds claims this move will provide customers with “access to the UK’s biggest combined branch network” and greater flexibility, trade unions have expressed concerns that this is a precursor to widespread branch closures and job losses.
This announcement comes as Lloyds, like many other UK banks, is experiencing a significant shift towards digital banking.
Lloyds also stated that increasing its mobile app user base is a key priority, and highlighted the development of updated mobile apps for Halifax and Bank of Scotland.
However, unions have argued that the cross-brand branch access strategy is primarily motivated by cost-cutting and streamlining operations, rather than improving customer experience.
Mark Brown, general secretary of BTU, predicts that this change will enable Lloyds to quickly close approximately 233 branches, resulting in thousands of job losses.
Lloyds Bank disputes these claims, stating that BTU is not a recognised union and therefore lacks the necessary insights into the bank’s operations to make such predictions.
Since June 2022, Lloyds Banking Group has shut 493 bank branches across its three brands.
A further 91 branches are set to close in 2025.
The banking group currently operates out of 932 branches across the UK, according to trade union Accord.
A Lloyds Banking Group spokesperson said: “We’re always looking for ways to make banking easier and more flexible for our customers.
“From later this year, we’ll offer customers of Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland the option to use branches of any brand for their in-person banking, alongside our apps, mobile messaging, and telephone services.”
Customers are increasingly turning to online banking to manage their finances while banks and building societies look for ways to cut costs.
Since 2022, UK bank branches have seen widespread closures, with Barclays leading the way with 384, followed by HSBC (180), NatWest (241), and Lloyds Bank (249), according to ATM operator LINK.
Looking ahead to 2025, Halifax has the most planned closures (34), significantly more than Lloyds Bank (43), TSB (8), and Bank of Scotland (14).
Several banks, including HSBC, RBS and Nationwide have no current plans to close further branches in 2025.
There are still a number of ways people can access basic banking services without having to venture to another town with a branch.
You can use one of the Post Office’s 11,684 branches to perform basic banking tasks — but not to open new bank accounts or take personal loans and mortgages.
You can find your nearest Post Office branch by visiting postoffice.co.uk/branch-finder.
Meanwhile, many banks offer a mobile banking service – where they bring a bus to your area offering services you can usually get at a physical branch.
Other banks use buildings such as village halls or libraries to offer mobile banking services.
It’s worth contacting your bank to see what mobile services they have available, and when they might next be in your area.
New super ATMs are being rolled out across the UK where branch closures have left residents unable to access essential banking services.
These ATMs will allow customers to withdraw funds, access their balance, change PIN numbers and deposit cash.
Bank of Scotland, Barclays, Halifax, Lloyds, NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland and Ulster Bank are already signed up to allow deposits, at the super ATMs.
Banking hubs are also being opened across the UK with 250 set to be available by the end of 2025.
These sites typically feature a counter service operated by the Post Office as standard, enabling customers to conduct routine banking transactions conveniently.
Each hub also has a private area where customers can consult with staff representing their banks for more complex matters.
BANKING hubs offer a range of services to bridge the gap left by the closure of local branches.
Operated by the Post Office, these hubs allow customers to perform routine transactions such as deposits, withdrawals, and balance enquiries.
Each hub also features private booths where customers can discuss more complex banking matters with staff from their respective banks.
Staff from different banks are available on a rotational basis, ensuring that customers have access to a wide range of banking services throughout the week.
Additionally, customers can receive advice and support on various financial products and services, including loans, mortgages, and savings accounts.
It Ends with Us was one of the most highly anticipated film adaptations, starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in the leads. The film indeed led to the end of their professional relationship and any personal ties before it was even released. Fans were looking forward to a powerful on-screen partnership, but the reality was […]
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J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece are two different stories, but to the surprise of the fans, both franchises have a number of similarities between them. This similarity goes beyond having the same publishing date, that is, 1997. With the magical world sparking the curiosity of the fans, they have come up […]
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The year 2024 was nothing less than phenomenal in every sense and Dandadan is a perfect example of this. The series topped the charts with its unprecedented views and ratings on several streaming platforms. From visuals and plot to music and animation, Science SARU went the extra mile to carve it into a masterpiece. As […]
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When we pressed play on Squid Game season 2, we did not expect to be hit with one good-looking dude after the other. Whether it was the handsome policeman Hwang Jun-ho or Player 333, the second season had more than just deadly games to offer. However, none of them hold a candle to the one, […]
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EVERTON’S Ashley Young might go head-to-head with his own son, Tyler, in the FA Cup.
This potential father-son clash could be one for the history books as Peterborough travel to Everton in the third round. Here’s what we know about Tyler.
Tyler Young is the son of Ashley Young, who plays for Everton.
Born June 4, 2006, the 18-year-old may face his defender father at Goodison Park on January 9, 2025.
Young Sr’s Everton have been drawn at home against Peterborough, the League One side where his son, Tyler, has been playing since joining from QPR in Summer 2024.
The teenage midfielder has made just one first-team appearance for Peterborough so far, featuring in the EFL Trophy against Stevenage back in October 2024.
Before QPR, he was at MK Dons, and in 2014, he joined the Arsenal Academy.
In a fun joint interview packed with trash talk and playful mind games, Young Sr was asked the big question: who’s his partner and the rest of the family going to be cheering for?
He told talkSPORT: “Let’s put it this way… they’ve not got Everton shirts, so they’ve all gone and leaned towards Tyler’s side.
“I even think my own parents are actually leaning towards Tyler’s side as well. So I’m just out here cheering on myself.”
Young Sr, 39, has been busy this season, making 18 appearances for the Toffees since signing a contract extension in the summer.
In that time, he’s found the back of the net once and set up three goals for his teammates.
The former England international already has an FA Cup win under his belt, having lifted the trophy with Manchester United back in 2016.
But when it comes to potentially facing his son on the pitch, Young admits that moment would top any trophy he’s ever won.
Looking back at last month’s draw, he shared his thoughts: “I saw that we’d been drawn against Peterborough and like I said for years, if there was any way that we could play against each other or play with each other, it would be the pinnacle of my career.
“It would eclipse everything I’ve done.
“So when it finally was drawn I was sat next to my wife and I was like I’ve been drawn against Tyler and she was like, ‘Nah no way,’ and I said, ‘Seriously look,’ and so we was there watching it.
If I was to nutmeg my dad he probably wouldn’t even say I was allowed back in the house.
Tyler Young
“So she rang him, tried to FaceTime him. Tyler being Tyler, any 18-year-old, ‘Did you see the draw?’ ‘No I just come out the shower. What draw?’
“Obviously he didn’t even know the FA Cup draw was on. You know as soon as I saw it, I’m not one that usually is lost for words and for me I just had no words.
“I was saying to my wife, saying to my daughters that I just couldn’t believe it, like I just couldn’t believe it.
“Tyler was getting ready for a game the next day, he couldn’t believe it after he’d obviously seen that I’d said that we’d been drawn against each other.”
Tyler is absolutely buzzing at the idea of going up against his dad, saying that knocking him out of the FA Cup to secure a spot in the fourth round would make the victory even sweeter.
Talking about the chance to face his dad, the former Watford star, Tyler said: “It means a lot, even to be playing against my dad, but even to play in the FA Cup, which has got so much history.
“Just playing in the competition I’ve been watching since I was younger would mean a lot, it’ll be even better that I’ll be playing against my dad.”
His father added: “There’ll be plenty of shoulder barging if it happened, don’t worry about that!
“I’d pinch him or slap him over the head.”
The duo even made an appearance on The One Show to chat about the upcoming match.
During the preview, Tyler reaffirmed that his mum is backing him all the way — but he’s definitely risking some heat from his dad.
He joked: “If I was to nutmeg my dad he probably wouldn’t even say I was allowed back in the house.”