Category News

‘Comfortable’ Ryman office chair with ‘fantastic back support’ perfect for home working

By in Entertainment News, News

As working from home is on the rise, customers are prioritising high quality chairs for back support

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

The Vega chair combines style and function to form a useful addition to any home or office.(Image: Ryman)

With working from home on the rise, it is important that workers have a sturdy, supportive chair on standby to aid them on a daily basis. Finding a chair that is comfortable and offers decent support can often take more time than needed.

Shoppers may now be in luck however as they can grab a range of deals from Ryman as it has several Pago International chairs on offer. After launching in the UK in 2024, the Pago range which was founded in Australia has grown to 10 chairs rolling into Ryman stores across the country.

In the range, shoppers can grab several chairs including the Pago Vega Office Chair in Black for £79.99 which is said to combine style and function to form a useful addition to any home or office. Vega boasts several adjustments, a high quality seat and comes in professional styling designed to fit in with and enhance any space.

Jay, of Pago, said: “We’re thrilled to be bringing Pago’s commitment to exceptional value, comfort and ergonomic support to the UK market through our partnership with Ryman. Both our companies share core values of quality, customer satisfaction, and delivering products that genuinely improve people’s daily lives.”

READ MORE: ‘Absolutely beautiful’ and ‘very comfy’ rattan furniture set has a whopping £150 saving

READ MORE: Ted Baker fans can get ‘elegant’ earrings as low as £14 in Amazon Prime sale

Features of the chair include a high-quality swivel tilt mechanism with tension control, a moulded foam seat with waterfall front edge, a breathable air-flow mesh back and fixed armrests to support posture – everything one could want in a chair.

For specific heights and ranges, there is also the Pago Matrix Mesh High Back Ergonomic Office Chair for £129.99 which has a heavy duty build – suitable for eight plus hours of sitting, a three lever ratchet back mechanism, a thick moulded foam seat and a features a high back profile. There is also the Pago Matrix Mesh Medium Back Ergonomic Chair for £109.99 which has a mesh medium back, offers supreme support and a three lever mechanism.

If this isn’t the chair for everyone, there are a number of alternatives for shoppers, including the Barker High Back Fabric Operator Chair with Adjustable Arms, priced at £105 from Furniture Work. It comes in the shade grey, has an ergonomic high back operator chair, a contoured backrest and a large posture-curved seat. It also features a gas height adjustment, back rake and is available with or without fixed arms. Another option is the Argos Home Read Mesh Office Chair for £50 from Argos, which comes in the shade Black, has a metal frame with mesh seatpad, backrest, a swivel feature and weighs a light 6.7kg.

Pago Vega Office Chair - Black
As working from home is on the rise, customers are prioritising high quality chairs for back support(Image: Ryman)

However, shoppers have rated the Pago chairs highly on their website. One shopper said, “Great chair. I have only had it a couple of weeks, and it is great. Back support, especially lower, is fantastic.”

Another said: “Comfortable. Easy to assemble. Easy glide on carpet.”

“I bought the chair a few weeks ago and have found the hair very comfortable and it meets my needs working at my desk and on my computer,” said another.

Some other shoppers did leave some suggestions however as one person said: “One improvement if I may suggest is the back of the chair, if using it on the tallest extension for us who are on the taller side, does tend to pop and slot back down.”

Article continues below

Another said: “Only downside is the fabric does not last as long as the structure of the chair.”

Superman’s American football collection drops as James Gunn film hits cinemas

By in Entertainment News, News

James Gunn’s Superman reboot has finally landed in cinemas, with David Corenswet starring as the eponymous Man of Steel

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

David Corenswet is Clark Kent/Superman in the latest DC blockbuster(Image: PR)

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Superman. The Man of Steel is back today (July 11) as DC’s latest superhero blockbuster finally lands in cinemas.

The new adaptation sees Twisters star David Corenswet take on the role of Clark Kent/Superman, alongside Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. It marks the first feature release since the formation of DC Studios, overseen by former Marvel man James Gunn.

The Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker now serves as co-CEO of the studio, as well as writer and director of Superman. To celebrate the film’s release, Fanatics and Warner Bros. DC have joined forces to launch a Superman clothing line consisting of t-shirts, American football jerseys and more, each inspired by college football.

READ MORE: Amazon’s Oasis merchandise sale launches ahead of Manchester Heaton Park shows

READ MORE: Eczema sufferers save £27 on travel set that features derm-approved ‘skin salvation’ balm

Among the items is the Superman American Football Jersey (£65). Ideal for Superman and NFL fans alike, this Clark Kent jersey is designed in the style of a classic college football jersey, emblazoned with ‘38’ on the chest and back, celebrating Superman’s 1938 debut.

There’s also a rival Lex Luthor American Football Jersey (£65) for fans of Superman’s archenemy. The Superman Varsity Jacket (£150) draws on classic US college heritage with its Superman-inspired design, featuring sewn-on ‘Metropolis Athletics’ lettering.

Superman x Fanatics Collegiate American Football Jersey
Superman x Fanatics Collegiate American Football Jersey

Again, those with a villainous streak may prefer the black Lex Luthor Varsity Jacket (£150) with its textured Lexcorp logo. Fans can represent Superman’s city with the grey Superman Collegiate T-Shirt (£30) or red Superman Collegiate Hoodie (£55), both featuring college-style sewn-on Metropolis Athletics text.

Fanatics isn’t the only place to pick up Superman merchandise, with Amazon stocking items such as the Superman S-Shield T-Shirt (£14.39) and Funko POP! Superman Collectable Vinyl Figure (£15.40). There’s also the nifty Fortress of Solitude Light (£49.99) from tech and toy retailer I Want One of Those.

But Fanatics has won over shoppers on Trustpilot, where one five-star review says: “Great quality products, great price and impeccable customer service.”

Superman x Fanatics Collegiate Varsity Jacket
Superman x Fanatics Collegiate Varsity Jacket
Article continues below

Another says: “First experience with Fanatics and I’m impressed. Good quality and good communication. I’ll definitely use Fanatics again.” A more mixed review says: “Ordering really easy, however, I did ask for the fastest delivery but this still took four days.”

US sanctions Cuban president, ‘regime-controlled’ luxury hotels

By in News, World News

The US State Department has imposed sanctions on senior Cuban officials, including President Miguel Diaz-Canel, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced as he marked the fourth anniversary of a brutal crackdown on historic antigovernment protests.

In a post on X, Rubio said the State Department would be “restricting visas for Cuban regime figureheads”, including President Diaz-Canel, Defence Minister Alvaro Lopez Miera, Interior Minister Lazaro Alberto Alvarez Casas, and their “cronies” for their “role in the Cuban regime’s brutality toward the Cuban people”.

Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, also announced that the State Department has added the Torre K hotel to its restricted list of entities in order to “prevent US dollars from funding the Cuban regime’s repression”.

The Cuban government has promoted the luxury high-rise Torre K in central Havana as a symbol of modernisation. But the government has faced criticism for its large investment in luxury hotels amid a severe economic crisis in the nominally socialist one-party state.

“While the Cuban people suffer shortages of food, water, medicine, and electricity, the regime lavishes money on its insiders,” Rubio said.

Ten other “regime-linked properties” were also added to the State Department’s List of Prohibited Accommodations, it said in a statement.

The statement said the sanctions were being enacted in “solidarity with the Cuban people and the island’s political prisoners”, citing the Cuban government’s brutal crackdown on the July 2021 demonstrations – the largest since the Cuban revolution in the 1950s.

The police crackdown resulted in one death and dozens of wounded protesters.

“Four years ago, thousands of Cubans peacefully took to the streets to demand a future free from tyranny. The Cuban regime responded with violence and repression, unjustly detaining thousands, including over 700 who are still imprisoned and subjected to torture or abuse,” the State Department said.

Rubio also accused Cuba of torturing pro-democracy activist Jose Daniel Ferrer, whose bail was revoked as he was taken into custody alongside fellow dissident Felix Navarro in April.

“The United States demands immediate proof of life and the release of all political prisoners,” Rubio said.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez slammed the latest measures as part of a “ruthless economic war” being waged by the administration of US President Donald Trump.

“The USA is capable of imposing migratory sanctions against revolutionary leaders and maintaining a prolonged and ruthless economic war against Cuba, but it lacks the ability to break the will of these people or their leaders,” he said on X.

In January, then-US President Joe Biden had removed Cuba from the blacklist of countries sponsoring terrorism.

US State Department begins layoffs in Trump’s shake-up of diplomatic corps

By in News, World News

More than 1,350 US State Department employees have been fired in a major diplomatic shake-up ordered by President Donald Trump, in a move critics predict would curb the United States’ influence around the world.

Friday’s mass layoff, which affect 1,107 civil service and 246 foreign service officers based in the United States, come at a time when Washington is grappling with multiple crises on the world stage: Russia’s war in Ukraine, the almost two-year-long Gaza conflict, and the Middle East on edge due to high tension between Israel and Iran.

Diplomats and other staff clapped out departing colleagues in emotional scenes at the Washington headquarters of the department, which runs US foreign policy and the global network of embassies.

Some were crying as they walked out with boxes of belongings.

“It’s just heartbreaking to stand outside these doors right now and see people coming out in tears, because all they wanted to do was serve this country,” said US Senator Andy Kim, a New Jersey Democrat who worked as a civilian adviser for the State Department in Afghanistan during the administration of former President Barack Obama.

The layoffs at the department came three days after the Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to begin carrying out its plan to gut entire government positions.

The conservative-dominated top court lifted a temporary block imposed by a lower court on Trump’s plans to lay off potentially tens of thousands of employees.

The 79-year-old Republican says he wants to dismantle what he calls the “deep state”. Since taking office in January, he has worked quickly to install fierce personal loyalists and to fire swaths of veteran government workers.

Trump’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the foreign policy department is too cumbersome and requires thinning out of some 15 percent.

“It’s not a consequence of trying to get rid of people. But if you close the bureau, you don’t need those positions,” Rubio told reporters on the sidelines of his ASEAN meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. “Understand that some of these are positions that are being eliminated, not people.”

The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) – the union representing State Department employees – condemned the “catastrophic blow to our national interests”.

“We oppose this decision in the strongest terms.”

The State Department employed more than 80,000 people worldwide last year, according to a fact sheet, with about 17,700 in domestic roles.

The US Agency for International Development (USAID), long the primary vehicle to provide US humanitarian assistance around the world, has already been mostly dismantled.

According to The Washington Post, State Department employees were informed of their firings by email.

Foreign Service officers will lose their jobs 120 days after receiving the notice and will be immediately placed on administrative leave, while civil service employees will be separated after 60 days, the newspaper said.

Ned Price, who served as State Department spokesman under former Democratic President Joe Biden, condemned what he called haphazard firings.

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,234

By in News, World News

Here is how things stand on Saturday, July 12:

Fighting

  • Nine people were injured in Kharkiv, and an apartment building was also damaged in Russian attacks over the past day, while one person was killed and five others injured as a result of various Russian attacks in the surrounding region, governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
  • Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces had taken the village of Zelena Dolyna in Donetsk, northeast of the cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, as their troops move westward.

Politics and diplomacy

  • After North Korea, Lavrov is expected to travel to China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting, which is set to take place on Monday and Tuesday.
  • Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has described as “unacceptable” French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal to send a peacekeeping force to Ukraine should Moscow and Kyiv agree to an elusive ceasefire. He also accused European leaders of a “pattern of militaristic anti-Russian sentiment”.
  • The United Nations trade and development agency, UNCTAD, has announced that its agreement with Moscow to facilitate exports of Russian foodstuffs and fertiliser to international markets in a bid to rein in global food prices “will not be renewed” when it expires on July 22, citing disagreements.

Weapons

  • Germany has no plans to procure additional F-35 fighter jets, a Federal Ministry of Defence spokesperson said on Friday, denying a Politico report that the country planned to grow its planned fleet to 50 amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
  • NATO will need more long-range missiles in its arsenal to deter Russia from attacking Europe because Moscow is expected to increase production of long-range weapons, US Army Major-General John Rafferty told the Reuters news agency.
  • Kyiv will allocate 260 million hryvnias ($6.2m) for a drone interceptor programme to defend the capital’s skies from Russian drones, city authorities said.

Oasis Heaton Park: Greater Manchester Police arrest six fans and issue drone warning

By in Entertainment News, News

Greater Manchester Police said the first of the Oasis homecoming gigs at Heaton Park has passed “without incident” – but there were a number of arrests and drone incidents

More than 2,000 police officers are working at the Heaton Park show(Image: Manchester Evening News)

Greater Manchester Police have reported that the first Oasis homecoming concert at Heaton Park went off ‘without incident’.

Last night Oasis kicked off the first of their Heaton Park comeback shows. The five nights are the Gallagher brothers first time playing in their hometown since 2009. The gates of Heaton Park opened yesterday afternoon and fans made the most of the booze and sunshine.

The police force have now confirmed the arrest of six individuals, with offences ranging from drunk and disorderly conduct to suspicion of fraud and intent to supply cannabis. The arrested men, whose ages span from 20 to 55, are currently being held in custody. Officers equipped with drone technology responded to several violations of the air space restrictions set from 11am to 11.59pm during the Oasis gigs.

The no-fly zone extends one-and-a-half nautical miles around the venue, and violators risk facing legal action. GMP officers tracked down seven drone pilots, confiscating five drones and giving a cautionary talk to two others.

READ MORE: Two men charged after elderly women die in Sunderland care home crash

Police stood outside Heaton Park
Police stood outside Heaton Park(Image: Manchester Evening News)

A GMP spokesperson warned: “Anyone thinking of attempting to get their drone ‘Up In The Sky’ within the restricted air space should be warned that we will not hesitate to act against you,” reports Manchester Evening News.

Assistant Chief Constable Matt Boyle expressed satisfaction with the event’s security, stating: “We are really pleased to say that fans attending the concert tonight have been able to do so safely and without incident.” He added that the police maintained a strong and visible presence to ensure public safety and that a dispersal order covering Heaton Park is effective until 2am the following day to address any potential disturbances.

“We would advise all fans travelling to and from the coming events to ensure they keep an eye out for information from our partners about transport options and road closures, allow enough time to get to the concert, keep hydrated and look out for each other.

“As always, if you notice anything that looks suspicious, report this to security staff or police immediately. This operation sits alongside resources there for anyone in need of police assistance across the whole of Greater Manchester.”

The legendary Manchester outfit, fronted by Liam and Noel Gallagher, launched the opening night of their Heaton Park residency last night (July 11) with nearly 80,000 supporters in attendance – including locals and devotees who’ve journeyed from across the globe for this momentous performance.

The Manchester dates, running through to July 20, follow the opening pair of nights from the Live ’25 tour in Cardiff last week. Initially revealed last summer, the tour represents the brothers’ first shared stage appearance in almost 16 years – sparking a frenzy of excitement and nostalgic euphoria amongst supporters.

Article continues below