The owner of the ‘xQc’ account on Instagram is demanding the streamer pay them $400K to own the username – and they’re not backing down.
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‘xQc’ Instagram account demands $400K from streamer to buy his own username
British brickies will start building a dozen towns by 2029, pledges Sir Keir Starmer
BRITISH brickies will start building a dozen towns by 2029, Sir Keir Starmer announced last night.
The PM pledged to end England’s housing crisis by unleashing a new towns revolution, inspired by the King.
By the end of this parliament, work is expected to have started on about 120,000 homes.
The towns will be modelled on developments such as Poundbury in Dorset, led by the Duchy of Cornwall.
And not a brick will be laid by new migrant labourers.
At least 40 per cent will be affordable — with Sir Keir saying it will make the often unattainable dream of homeownership a reality for every family.
The new towns, each having at least 10,000 homes, will be spread across England, with 100 sites already put forward by local authorities.
Sir Keir said: “If you don’t own your own home, you’re usually at the mercy of someone else.
“There are a lot of people who want to get their foot in their own door.”
He vowed to confront the nimbys, including those in his party, saying: “In parliament you hear fine words on home ownership but if no one takes on the blockers it won’t happen.”
Watch ‘softest penalty in history’ give Club Brugge ‘disgraceful’ last gasp Champions League win over Atalanta
FANS have slammed a huge Champions League refereeing blunder as the “worst decision of the season”.
Club Brugge scored a 94th minute penalty to beat Atalanta 2-1 in a first leg play-off round clash.
The controversial penalty awarded to Club Brugge in the 91st minute
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 12, 2025
The Atalanta players are fuming with the referee@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/GpBydqZnB0
But the decision to award the last-gasp spot-kick for a foul on eventual goalscorer Gustaf Nilsson was highly controversial.
The striker chased down a loose ball in the box, only for Atalanta defender Isak Hien to get there first and hold him off.
His right arm ended up brushing his Swedish compatriot, who went down clutching his face theatrically.
Turkish referee Halil Meler pointed to the spot and the decision was surprisingly not overturned by VAR.
Fuming Atalanta stars surrounded the referee, with Rafael Toloi, ex-Chelsea man Juan Cuadrado and Hien all getting yellow carded.
Nilsson kept his cool amid the chaos and scored to take a one-goal advantage to Italy next week.
Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini stormed down the tunnel as the ball hit the back of the net, ripping his coat off as he went.
Fans were left shocked by the decision, with one saying: “Might be the worst decision I’ve seen all season.”
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Another added: “Disgraceful decision.”
A third wrote: “Worst penalty decision ever. Absolutely embarrassing.”
Ref Meler is no stranger to being at the centre of controversy after being punched by Ankaragucu’s club president Faruk Koca at full-time of a game just over a year ago.
Kyle Walker suffers AC Milan Champions League debut to forget with England star run ragged by Brazilian ace
KYLE WALKER may have left Manchester City, but just like his old club he suffered a rough night in Europe on his Champions League debut for Milan.
The England defender, who has made three domestic appearances for the Italian side since ditching Manchester City, was run ragged by match-winner Igor Paixao.
Defeat at De Kuip leaves Milan on the back foot ahead of next week’s play-off second leg at San Siro, the winner of which could face Arsenal in the last 16.
Feyenoord, who sacked Arne Slot‘s successor Brian Priske on Monday, took the lead after just three minutes.
Paixao, who was being watched by a number of Premier League admirers, cut inside and unleashed a powerful shot at the near post which slipped past Mike Maignan.
Feyenoord’s electric Brazilian winger gave 34-year-old Walker a torrid time, beating him time and again with direct runs down the left.
Rafael Leao should have equalised in the first half but fluffed a golden chance on the break.
Milan, who dropped Tammy Abraham to the bench in favour of ex-Feyenoord man Santiago Gimenez, plugged away in the second half but could not find a way through.
Paixao almost doubled his tally with an audacious effort from the half-way line after robbing loanee Walker on the ball as he continued to torment.
Nigerian wideman Samuel Chukwueze then blasted a shot through a crowd of players straight at Maignan.
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Gimenez got a round of appreciation from fans of his old club when Milan replaced him with ex-Chelsea hitman Abraham eight minutes from time.
But the Serie A giants rarely threatened seriously.
In fact, Milan defender Strahinja Pavlovic had to block sharply to thwart a lively late raid from Anis Hadj Moussa.
Nonetheless, a narrow loss means the Italians will fancy their chances of a return-leg revival.
Dunelm slashes prices of home furniture and winter gadgets in HUGE winter clearance sale with up to 75% off
DUNELM has a huge clearance sale on with discounts of up to 75% on hundreds of items.
Home furniture and winter gadgets are among the items reduced in the sale online.
Shoppers can often land massive discounts in end of season sales.
Many shops are currently clearing old winter stock from shelves to make way for new spring and summer products.
But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t good deals to be had on items that can be used at any time.
You should also still compare prices to make sure you’re getting the best deal – we explain how in the box below.
There are nearly 2,000 items discounted on the Dunelm website, though bear in mind that you’ll pay for delivery on top.
Just keep in mind that as it’s a clearance sale, the discounts are only available as long as stocks last and in stores this can vary.
Tumbler
- Was: £2.50, Now: 62p, Saving: £1.88 (75%)
A star glass tumbler that can be used all year round is now 62p, down from £2.50 – a 75% discount and saving of £1.88.
It has a gold star design and rim and is made from 100% glass. It’s recommended you hand wash to maintain the design.
The glass also comes in a reindeer design that could be worth putting away for next Christmas.
Both measure 8.6cm by 8.6cm by 9cm.
At 62p this is the cheapest we could spot similar style tumblers with a gold rim.
Dunlem also has them without that star design for £2 and at Sostrene Grene they are £8.16.
Blackout curtains
- Was: £105, Now: £26.25, Saving: £78.75 (75%)
Dorma blackout pencil pleat curtains are now reduced from £105 to just £26.25 – another 75% off deal and massive saving of £78.75.
They come in a pretty white and green botanical garden design and measure 168cm by 182cm.
Blackout curtains are not only good at keeping out light, but can be thicker too which helps keep out draughts.
This is the cheapest we could find curtains of this style. Next has a similar style with prices starting at £50.
Luxury dressing gown
- Was: £30, Now: £7.50, Saving £22.50 (75%)
There’s a luxury dressing gown priced at £7.50, down from £30. That’s a £22.50 saving with 75% off.
It comes in pink and is currently available in sizes 8-10, 12-14 and 16-18.
Made from faux fur it comes with thick ribbed wrist to keep the warm in and pockets.
It’s machine washable and comes with five-star reviews praising the quality, colour and value.
Asda is selling a similar style dressing gown for £12, down from £25, as is Yours Clothing for £26.99.
Borg heatable foot warmer
- Was: £15, Now: £3.50, Saving: £11.50 (75%)
Dunelm is also selling a borg heatable foot warmer for £3.75 instead of £15, a 75% reduction and saving of £11.50.
The white fluffy gadget comes with a microwavable heat pack and has a machine washable cover.
Measuring 33cm by 37cm the gadget can be a useful and cheaper alternative to cranking up the heating.
This is the cheapest we spotted this style and other designs of footwarmer.
The Range has similar furry ones for £31 and £44 that plug in to a USB.
How to bag a bargain
SUN Savers Editor Lana Clements explains how to find a cut-price item and bag a bargain…
Sign up to loyalty schemes of the brands that you regularly shop with.
Big names regularly offer discounts or special lower prices for members, among other perks.
Sales are when you can pick up a real steal.
Retailers usually have periodic promotions that tie into payday at the end of the month or Bank Holiday weekends, so keep a lookout and shop when these deals are on.
Sign up to mailing lists and you’ll also be first to know of special offers. It can be worth following retailers on social media too.
When buying online, always do a search for money off codes or vouchers that you can use vouchercodes.co.uk and myvouchercodes.co.uk are just two sites that round up promotions by retailer.
Scanner apps are useful to have on your phone. Trolley.co.uk app has a scanner that you can use to compare prices on branded items when out shopping.
Bargain hunters can also use B&M’s scanner in the app to find discounts in-store before staff have marked them out.
And always check if you can get cashback before paying which in effect means you’ll get some of your money back or a discount on the item.
Soap dispenser and storage
- Was: £12, Now £3, Saving: £9 (75%)
A handy soap dispenser and storage caddy for the bathroom is reduced from £12 to just £3, a discount of 75% and saving of £9.
It comes in a vivid green colour and can be filled with liquid soap, while also offering space for your toothbrush or other essentials.
We couldn’t see a similar caddy on sale right now.
B&M is selling toothbrush holders in other colours for £5 and separate soap dispensers from £1.50.
Meanwhile Primark has solo soap dispensers from £4.50.
Dunelm is also selling a matching soap dish for £1.25, down from £5, and towel ring for £3.50 instead of £14.
Boots shoppers are clearing shelves after the retailer slashed prices by 90%.
And over at Morrisons there is 75% off clothing in stores.
How to compare prices to get the best deal
JUST because something is on offer, or is part of a sale, it doesn't mean it's always a good deal.
There are plenty of comparison websites out there that’ll check prices for you – so don’t be left paying more than you have to.
Most of them work by comparing the prices across hundreds of retailers.
Here are some that we recommend:
- Google Shopping is a tool that lets users search for and compare prices for products across the web. Simply type in keywords, or a product number, to bring up search results.
- Price Spy logs the history of how much something costs from over 3,000 different retailers, including Argos, Amazon, eBay and the supermarkets. Once you select an individual product you can quickly compare which stores have the best price and which have it in stock.
- Idealo is another website that lets you compare prices between retailers. All shoppers need to do is search for the item they need and the website will rank them from the cheapest to the most expensive one.
- CamelCamelCamel only works on goods being sold on Amazon. To use it, type in the URL of the product you want to check the price of.
Inside Man City legend Sergio Aguero’s new career as a racing driver – and the famous faces he’ll be competing against
THIS guy needs no introduction – it’s Sergio Agueroooo.
Man City legend. Premier League icon. Messi’s mate. Maradona’s son-in-law (previously). And now . . . Porsche racing driver.
Turns out the Argentinian striker is a bit handy behind the wheel and will race a 200mph Formula E car in Miami next month.
He’s now busy preparing with Porsche, practising in sports cars, on the sim, and generally getting match-fit.
Aguero told me: “Football is with your feet, racing is with your hands. But in both racing and football, you have to be very focused and not make mistakes.”
Too right.
I’m not sure anyone’s told him a Porsche 99X accelerates faster than an F1 car.
Which brings me neatly to the headline.
Aguero loves Lewis Hamilton as much as Noel Gallagher loves Sergio Aguero. So, a lot.
Does that mean he’ll be supporting Ferrari red from now on? He said: “Yes! I hope Hamilton wins all the races and all the championships — this year, next year, every year. For me, he is the best.
“I was at Abu Dhabi in 2021 when Verstappen and Hamilton were fighting for the championship. I didn’t like how it ended. The decision that was taken was not fair. Hamilton should have won it.”
Scroll down Aguero’s Instagram account and you’ll see a video of him — in a Man City racesuit — charging around a track in a Mini Cooper with Valtteri Bottas.
He said: “When I was the co-pilot, it was fun. When I was the pilot, Bottas looked scared.
“It was really good fun. It was a good day.”
Aguero will battle ten other personalities in the “Formula E Evo Sessions” in Miami, including Brooklyn Beckham, Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter films, and Lucien Laviscount.
And he fancies his chances in the timed shootout.
Will Messi come to watch?
He said: “We won’t be all together on the track, one or two of us maybe, but I will be checking the times of the other drivers to see if I need to push harder or not.
“I want to learn as much as possible and to represent the team as well as possible.”
I have a Cayenne Turbo in grey with gold wheels. It’s top. It’s good. I like big cars. I also have a Panamera Turbo S — but that’s in Spain. That one is a bit more powerful.
Aguero
Will Messi come and watch?
“If he’s available, I hope he can come. He’s not a big car fan but maybe he can come and support his good friend. Hopefully he’s there.
“I am good friends with a lot of the guys at Inter Miami. I sometimes train with them privately. Different speed, but I am there when I can.”
Now let’s talk road cars. What’s in your garage at home?
“I have a Cayenne Turbo in grey with gold wheels. It’s top. It’s good. I like big cars. I also have a Panamera Turbo S — but that’s in Spain. That one is a bit more powerful.”
We have to discuss THAT goal. The stoppage-time winner for City against QPR, the title clincher, forever immortalised by Sky TV commentator Martin Tyler screaming: “Agueroooo”.
Everyone still says it, 13 years on. Everyone except Man United fans, obviously, one of them being the Porsche PR guy.
Aguero said: “I remember perfectly that commentary. It was the most beautiful moment of my life. I will always remember it. We won the Premier League with that goal.
“For me, Manchester was like my second home. I hope that City will always do well and continue to win titles because it is a club that I love a lot.”
Aside from the goals and the trophies, Aguero became even more of a legend the day he left City by giving the kit man his Range Rover. Aguero said: “I gifted him a Range Rover and also some watches to the staff.
“I told him he could do whatever he wanted with the car. He later asked me if he could sell it, and I said yes because it was his car. He was very grateful for it.”
Last question. Does his teenage son Benjamin have the attributes of Sergio Aguero and his grandad Diego Maradona rolled into one?
“Yes, he is playing for Independiente, he’s doing his own path, under his own name.
“He’s doing well. Hopefully he continues his own way and makes a career. Little by little.”
Sounds like the great Aguero loves Oasis too.
KEY FACTS: PORSCHE 99X ELECTRIC
- Power: 476hp
- 0-62mph: 1.82 secs
- Top speed: 200mph
- Weight: 862kg (inc driver)
- Cool stuff: 4WD Attack Mode, half the energy needed for a race comes from braking regen
Emmy award-winning Hollywood actor John Lithgow in talks to play Dumbledore in new Harry Potter series
THE celebrated actor, known for his diverse range of work from Interstellar to Shrek, has been revealed to be in contention to play Dumbledore.
J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter series first took the world by storm in the late nineties with the subsequent films holding a grip on the fantasy genre ever since.
HBO has confirmed the high-profile star John Lithgow is in final talks to play Albus Dumbledore in the upcoming adaptation.
The character has previously been portrayed by the late Richard Harris and Michael Gambon.
Jude Law also depicted a younger version of the role in the Fantastic Beasts prequel films.
Dumbledore is the elderly yet powerful wizard who mentors Harry throughout his fight against the Dark Lord Voldemort.
He is also the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
While the trio of young protagonists are expected to be played by new faces, fans of the series have been eagerly awaiting the news of Hollywood additions.
It is thought that over 32,000 children sent audition tapes for a chance to be one of the lead roles.
Lithgow could be the first notable actor to garner interest following months of speculation over who could play the iconic characters.
The two-time Oscar nominee and two-time Tony winner, Lithgow recently appeared as Roald Dahl in the sold-out run of Giant at the Royal Court Theatre.
A spokesperson for HBO told Variety: “We appreciate that such a high-profile series will draw a lot of rumor and speculation.
“As we make our way through pre-production, we will only confirm details as we finalize deals.”
The series has been set to run over a decade with Francesca Gardiner acting as the writer and showrunner.
When first announced, the show was promised to be a “faithful adaptation” which will “dive deep into each of the iconic books”.
As parents have grown up with the books and film series, some have passed the fandom down to their children.
One mum recently revealed she threw her three-year-old daughter a Harry Potter inspired birthday for just £80.
Using Temu bargains, Emma Watts revealed the cute touches that were her favourite part.
Watch moment Everton star sparks mass Goodison brawl by goading Liverpool fans before furious Curtis Jones wades in
THE final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park finished with a dramatic late Everton equaliser and a brawl in front of the away end.
Liverpool had been on the brink of beating the Toffees, only for James Tarkowski‘s 98th minute thunderbolt to earn a 2-2 draw.
Tensions flare at full-time between Liverpool and Everton
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 12, 2025
Confrontation between both sides sparks multiple red cards…
After the final whistle, a joyous Abdoulaye Doucoure celebrated in front of the Liverpool supporters.
Local lad Curtis Jones immediately took issue with Doucoure’s gesture, racing over to confront the midfielder.
Jones, 24, furiously grabbed Doucoure’s shirt, with Ashley Young and Carlos Alcaraz immediately trying to pull him off their team-mate.
Darwin Nunez and Alexis Mac Allister swiftly ran over to back up their man, attempting to pull Doucoure away.
Several more players joined the brawl before police officers stepped in to try to calm the confrontation.
As the pair were eventually separated, Reds players including Ibrahima Konate tried desperately to calm Jones down, with the England international still angrily trying to get at Doucoure.
Goalscorer Tarkowski did his best to get his team-mate as far away from the confrontation as possible.
Jones, meanwhile, was pulled away and spoken to by Liverpool first team coach Johnny Heitinga, ironically formerly of Everton.
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شاهد المشاده كامله بين لاعبي ايفرتون وليفربول يساتر
— تغطيه 1 (@XzugxbxyhP89316) February 12, 2025- لمشاهدة مباريات اشترك وتابع هنا:@NiNjA_4K1
– تابع حسابي الأساسي: Via : @AZiiHD pic.twitter.com/9CWWOBj9Y1
Having been booked during the match, Jones was then shown a second yellow card by referee Michael Oliver, meaning that he’ll miss this Sunday’s Anfield clash with Wolves.
Doucoure, 32, was also brandished a second yellow, ruling him out of Saturday’s trip to Crystal Palace.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot exchanged words with Oliver as the pair shook hands.
The frustrated Dutchman was subsequently also shown a red card by the referee as was his assistant Sipke Hulshoff.
Everton had gone 1-0 up on 11 minutes courtesy of Beto, only for Mac Allister to equalise barely five minutes later.
Mo Salah restored Liverpool’s lead in the 73rd minute, before Tarkowski’s last-gasp leveller.
The draw sees Liverpool extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table to seven points.
Everton, meanwhile, are up to 27 points – level with West Ham and Tottenham.
After the game, frustrated Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk called the encounter Everton’s “cup final”.
‘VERY DISAPPOINTING’
He told TNT Sports: “Intense, it was always going to be intense. A lot of battles.
“Very disappointing to concede in the last second of the game, or even over extra time, but it is what it is. It isn’t easy to accept it, especially in the manner how, but we take it and move on.
“I think the referee had a big part in the game today in terms of certain challenges were given as fouls and similar weren’t.
“In the end it is just disappointing to concede a very good strike, but a disappointing one.
“This is their cup final and they would try to do everything in their power to make it difficult for us. It is a big boost for them but a blow for us.”
Five budget-friendly ways to get your romance on this Valentine’s Day
A ROMANTIC Valentine’s date needn’t break the bank.
Heading out tomorrow evening can be pricey, but with a little planning you can have a special time at home with your love or just a few special friends.
Here are budget-friendly ideas to try out . . .
SHOW YOUR ART: Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to let your inner artist run free.
Create your own card to give your love something extra-special. If you’re stuck for ideas, try cutting a heart-shaped stamp out of a potato and dipping in paint.
Or for an activity guaranteed to create laughs, try buying a couple of canvases and painting portraits of one another.
DINE IN: Light some candles, add twinkly fairy lights and put on your favourite music to create some special atmosphere.
Then get dressed up as if you were going out, and tuck into a supermarket dine-in meal deal.
COCKTAIL CREATIONS: Buy a cocktail mixing kit and have a fab time creating fancy drinks for each other.
This is especially perfect if you still have bottles of sprits left over from Christmas.
Or make use of other ingredients that need using up. For example, strawberries on the turn are perfect mixed up in daquiris.
GET COSY: Have an extra-luxe movie night by creating a cosy retreat in your living room. Push together your sofas, and pile on pillows, cushions and blankets.
Then line up a huge bowl of popcorn, and other movies snacks, before settling down for a romcom marathon.
GAME TIME: A little light-hearted competition can be fun. Pull out a couple of board- games or play a quiz — there are plenty of questions you can find online to suit all interests.
Or ahead of time, you could answer Mr And Mrs-style questions and see if your partner can guess your responses.
- All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability.
Deal of day
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SAVE: £21.50
Cheap treat
SHOW some love with this bunch of Poundland artificial roses, £2.
WHAT'S NEW
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The Mimo Moutinho Vinho Verde is a fusion of fizz and Portugal’s green wine, featuring crisp citrus notes.
Top swap
ACTIVATE your senses with Lancome’s La Vie est Belle eau de parfum, £93.75 from lookfantastic.com.
Or hit similar scent notes with B&M’s La Beaute shimmer, £3.99.
SAVE: £89.76
LITTLE HELPER
ANYONE who goes to see Bridget Jones movie Mad About The Boy at a Vue cinema tomorrow to Sunday, dressed in pyjamas, will get a free sweet or savoury treat.
Shop and save
BOOST your wellbeing with the Innocent Super Smoothie Berry Energise drink, down from £4.50 to £2.50 with a Clubcard at Tesco.
SAVE: £2
Hot right now
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Celtic fans fume at baffling defensive tactic as Harry Kane nets stunning goal for Bayern Munich
HARRY KANE was presented with a gift of a goal as Bayern Munich took advantage of “schoolboy defending” from Celtic.
The England striker, 31, doubled Bayern’s lead in their Champions League clash with Brendan Rodgers’ men on Wednesday night.
https://twitter.com/footballontnt/status/1889784245679186232
Michael Olise gave Bayern a first-half advantage in Glasgow as Celtic struggled to get into the contest.
And they inexplicably gifted England’s top marksman with a free pass early in the second half.
Three minutes after the restart, Bayern swung a corner into the Celtic box.
Kane lined up deep inside the area, off to the far right corner by the byline.
He walked slowly in towards the six-yard box as the corner was taken – with no Celtic player paying him any attention.
England’s record goalscorer received the ball in acres of space at the far post, with no Bhoys player within five yards of him.
Kane met the cross on the volley, smashing first-time past a stricken Kasper Schmeichel.
One fan raged on X: “At least they didn’t leave the most prolific striker in Europe unmarked.”
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Another said: “Who was supposed to be marking Harry Kane? Basic schoolboy football, & apparently these are pros getting paid.”
While a third added: “Not marking Harry Kane in a UCL knockout game is actually just quite funny.”
And a fourth commented: “I might have just seen the worst ever marking at a corner. Celtic left Harry Kane alone on the edge of the 6 yard box. Harry Kane. No one within yards of him.”
Celtic may have been careless from the corner, but kept plugging away for the remainder of the game.
And a late strike from Daizen Maeda helps keep the tie alive at 2-1 ahead of the second leg on February 18.
Kane has enjoyed yet another prolific season for Bayern.
The ex-Tottenham striker joined the German giants for £104million in August 2023.
Since arriving in Munich, he’s struck a remarkable 73 goals in 73 games.
Earlier this month, Kane refused to deny he has a release clause in his contract that could signal a sensational Premier League return.
Asked about the situation, Kane, 31, said: “What I can say is that I’m very happy at FC Bayern.
“No comment on the clause.“