England dominated Group K in Uefa qualifying to book their place at next summer’s World Cup, winning all eight games without conceding a goal. But they disappointed in March’s international friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, and now the manager has to finalise his squad to take to USA, Canada and Mexico in June.
Late on Thursday, Harry Maguire revealed that he has not been named in Tuchel’s final 26. The Manchester United defender, back in the squad in March after a strong run of form, said he is “shocked and gutted” by the decision.
Tuchel made clear that he wants to build a squad with clearly defined roles, and two players for every position on the pitch, plus a third goalkeeper and three versatile outfield players to round out the 26. He sees his midfield comprising a No 6, a No 8 and No 10, and wants each player to know their specific role in the side.
So who will Tuchel select in his 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup? While you can find everything you need to know about the announcement here.
Not selected
Harry Maguire: A stalwart of England’s last two World Cup campaigns, the Manchester United defender has been left out of Tuchel’s final squad. The 33-year-old is “shocked and gutted” by the decision, which comes as something of a surprise, given his strong club form and his call-up to the squad in March. Maguire also missed out on a spot at the last tournament, Euro 2024, in which England reached the final.
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In a statement on social media, Maguire said: “I was confident I could of played a major part this summer for my country after the season I’ve had. I’ve been left shocked and gutted by the decision. I’ve loved nothing more than putting that shirt on and representing my country over the years. I wish the players all the best this summer.”
On the plane
Jordan Pickford: The Everton keeper was Gareth Southgate’s No 1 and has maintained top spot under Thomas Tuchel, with an impressive season for his club.
Dean Henderson: The Crystal Palace goalkeeper is set to be Pickford’s back-up.
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England will take a 26-player squad to the 2026 World Cup (Getty Images/The Independent)
Nico O’Reilly: The Manchester City left-back was excellent in November’s World Cup qualifiers after impressing under Pep Guardiola this season, and his two-goal show in the Carabao Cup final only further secured his place in the England squad.
John Stones: The Manchester City defender has endured a difficult season with injury but, if he is fit, the experienced centre-back will play a role at the World Cup.
Marc Guehi: Stones’ fellow City centre-back is perhaps the most certain defender to start England’s first World Cup game.
Ezri Konsa: The Aston Villa centre-back has cemented his place as one of Tuchel’s most reliable options, having played more minutes under the German manager than any other defender.
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Elliot Anderson: Tuchel has made clear that Anderson is the leading candidate to play in the holding role position, and his performances for Nottingham Forest and England have been outstanding. Anderson’s defensive instincts will help free up Declan Rice in midfield.
Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson is in Thomas Tuchel’s plans (PA)
Declan Rice: Part of Tuchel’s leadership group and essential to any success at the World Cup in England’s box-to-box No 8 position.
Jude Bellingham: The Real Madrid man has won back his place in the England squad, although there remains tension with the manager. Yet England need their best players firing to have any chance of winning the World Cup, and Bellingham is undoubtedly one of them.
Morgan Rogers: Tuchel turned to Rogers in Bellingham’s absence during qualifying, and the Villa midfielder looks poised to earn a place in the squad as an option at No 10.
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Bukayo Saka: The 24-year-old winger has been under a little bit of pressure to refind his very best form for Arsenal, but he will certainly be in the squad and is the most likely starter on England’s right wing this summer.
Anthony Gordon: The Newcastle winger is contention to start on the left wing, and has regularly featured there for Tuchel so far. He has racked up more than 20 goal contributions this season, making him one of the few England forwards in form.
Marcus Rashford: Goals and assists for Barcelona have pushed Rashford’s cause and Tuchel likes him, although the manager has also had cautionary words about wasting his talent. Rashford’s versatility, able to cover both wing and striker should Kane need it, helps his selection cause.
Marcus Rashford has featured regularly in Thomas Tuchel’s England side (Mike Egerton/PA)
Harry Kane: It is easy to forget that plenty of pundits and fans wanted Kane dropped for the Euro 2024 final. He has been phenomenal ever since, surpassing 50 goals this campaign, and the big question now is whether England’s captain can translate his sensational club form at Bayern Munich into dominating an international tournament.
In contention
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Aaron Ramsdale: Looked to have regained his place as England’s third-choice goalkeeper, but will Tuchel prefer to give James Trafford the experience of a major tournament?
James Trafford: Included in England’s March squad, but the goalkeeper’s lack of game time for Manchester City this season is the reason why he may miss out.
Reece James: Tuchel adores the Chelsea captain and there is no doubt James will be at the World Cup if he is fit, most likely as the starting right-back. But his fitness in itself is such an uncertainty – he has only recently recovered from a hamstring injury – that he doesn’t make our on-the-plane list, yet.
Tino Livramento: The Newcastle full-back is liked by Tuchel and his ability to play both sides adds to his appeal – but a thigh injury makes him a doubt to make the tournament.
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Reece James, centre, celebrates his goal against Latvia (Mike Egerton/PA) (PA Wire)
Dan Burn: Burn is a popular squad player who adds something different with his towering physical presence. He is currently battling to be Tuchel’s fourth choice at centre-back behind Stones, Guehi and Konsa, but faces competition from Harry Maguire.
Djed Spence: Much like Livramento, Tuchel likes that Spence has experience playing both full-back roles for his club, Tottenham. But it may be that only one of the two full-backs goes to the World Cup, and Livramento has had the edge when both are fit.
Lewis Hall: The defender has been excellent for Newcastle this season and has a chance of making the World Cup squad after his involvement in recent internationals.
Myles Lewis-Skelly: Tuchel loves the Arsenal youngster, but he has barely featured at left-back for the Gunners this season, with Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie both preferred by Mikel Arteta – which cost him his place in November’s squad. Yet a recent, impressive run in central midfield could give Lewis-Skelly a route into England’s plans.
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Myles Lewis-Skelly faces a fight for minutes at Arsenal this season (The FA via Getty)
JamesGarner: One of the few players to come away with any credit from England’s dismal March internationals, and could snatch one of the fringe places in the squad as back-up midfielder.
KobbieMainoo: Back in the squad after strong performances for a rejuvenated Manchester United under Michael Carrick, but looked a little sluggish defensively in the March friendly against Japan.
Jordan Henderson: Henderson has been a regular inclusion by Tuchel during qualifying and it is very possible he will be in the squad as the back-up to Anderson in the No 6 role.
Adam Wharton: The Crystal Palace midfielder was something of a surprise inclusion by Gareth Southgate at Euro 2024 but has since established himself as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, with the ability to play as a deep-lying playmaker as well as in a box-to-box role. He played in November’s match against Albania as the No 6.
Eberechi Eze: Tuchel has spoken in glowing terms about Eze as a player who offers something different, creatively, from Bellingham and Rogers. His ability to play wide and as a No 10 would be a useful asset in the squad, although he still faces huge competition for a spot.
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Morgan Gibbs-White: Gibbs-White was initially given minutes by Tuchel before being edged out by the sheer number of options in central roles. But his sensational late-season form for Forest has seen him climb back up the pecking order.
Cole Palmer: It seems incredible not to list Palmer on the plane, but the sheer intensity of competition for attacking spots makes his position uncertain, and his poor performance against Japan only increased the doubt over his place. Bellingham, Rogers and Eze can all play in that role, while Saka and Madueke appear likely to be first-choice options on the right flank. Palmer will probably be at the World Cup, but Tuchel has made no guarantees.
Cole Palmer struggled to impose himself on Japan at Wembley (John Walton/PA Wire)
Phil Foden: Foden, like Palmer, is another supremely talented England player who could be left behind. The City midfielder has barely featured under Tuchel so far and has lost his place in Pep Guardiola’s team. He struggled playing as a false nine against Japan in the March internationals, and his spot in the England squad is in serious doubt.
Noni Madueke: Madueke is Saka’s deputy at Arsenal and should fill the same role for England, having performed well in September’s thrashing of Serbia, the highlight of Tuchel’s reign so far.
Jarrod Bowen: The West Ham captain seems to be third choice on the right wing behind Saka and Madueke, but his league form has been good and he has a chance of squeezing onto the plane. Bowen’s ability to play as No 9 could also play in his favour, if Tuchel decides not to take a back-up striker.
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DominicSolanke: The Tottenham striker has struggled for fitness this season, and is injured again, but was given gametime in the March friendlies. Could he be England’s back-up No 9?
Ollie Watkins: A sluggish start to the Premier League season saw Watkins left out of the squad for November’s internationals. But a late surge in form for Aston Villa has lifted him back into contention for a spot on the plane.
Outside bets
Trevoh Chalobah: A badly timed injury playing in the Champions League for Chelsea may have scuppered Chalobah’s hopes of making the World Cup, although he is back to fitness now.
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Levi Colwill: The 23-year-old appears to have put his injury troubles behind him, and is known to be highly rated by the England hierarchy.
Ben White: Back in the fold for the first time since leaving the World Cup in Qatar, Tuchel was considering White as a right-back option. But a medial ligament injury sustained against West Ham earlier this month is likely to have ended his hopes.
FikayoTomori: The AC Milan defender was back in the squad for March, but faces stiff competition for a centre-back place.
Luke Shaw: Didn’t make the March squad, with Hall and O’Reilly preferred as left-back options.
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Trent Alexander-Arnold: Tuchel has been frank about his preference for James and Livramento in the pecking order at right-back, hinting at concerns about Alexander-Arnold’s defensive concentration. Time seems to have run out for the Real Madrid defender to win back his place.
Trent Alexander-Arnold must impress at Real Madrid to be at the World Cup (PA)
Dominic Calvert-Lewin: An impressive goalscoring campaign for Leeds has seen Calvert-Lewin push himself into the reckoning. But he was sent home from the March camp while Solanke was retained, hinting at his true place in the pecking order.
The CastleCourt store closed its doors in recent days
Henry Saker-Clark, Press Association Deputy Business Editor
17:54, 21 May 2026Updated 18:03, 21 May 2026
Clothing chain Quiz is set to shut its remaining 37 stores by the end of June, administrators said.
The fashion retailer hired administrators from advisory firm Interpath in February after suffering a “tough start” to 2026.
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On Thursday, the insolvency specialists said the business would implement a closure plan for its final stores over the coming weeks.
It confirmed that three other stores, in Castlecourt, Belfast, Leeds and Romford, shut their doors for good in recent days.
The timing of the closure of the remaining stores has not yet been confirmed.
Quiz has also not confirmed how many workers will be impacted by the closures.
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More than 100 head office and warehouse jobs were put at risk when it entered administration.
It marked the second time Quiz had fallen into administration in a year, having collapsed in February 2025 before immediately being bought in a so-called pre-pack deal by a subsidiary of the founding Ramzan family.
Quiz concessions in New Look and Matalan stores in the UK are not included in the administration and remain unaffected.
Remaining stock is being delivered to its stores, with heavy discounts of at least 60% as administrators seek to sell off as much as possible to help pay the collapsed firm’s outstanding debts.
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Alistair McAlinden, head of Interpath in Scotland and joint administrator, said: “As we head into the May bank holiday weekend, we would encourage shoppers to visit their local store as we commence our final closing down sale.”
Geoff Jacobs, managing director at Interpath and fellow joint administrator, said: “We’d once again like to say a huge thank you to Quiz staff who have shown such dedication and professionalism under difficult circumstances.”
The bank holiday is forecast to be a very sunny one for Cambridgeshire
The bank holiday is set to be a hot one with temperatures reaching highs of 31 degrees in certain parts of Cambridgeshire, according to BBCWeather. The good weather will start tomorrow (Friday, May 22) with it expected to be dry “with plenty of sunshine”.
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The temperature is expected to reach highs of 28 degrees in Cambridge and Ely and 27 degrees in Peterborough. The county could see some rain in the morning on Saturday, May 23, but it should clear up before the afternoon with the temperature reaching 27 degrees.
Sunday, May 24, and Monday, May 25, are expected to be quite similar with lots of sunshine. The temperature will reach highs of 29 degrees on Sunday and will be even hotter on Monday with it reaching 31 degrees in Cambridge and Ely and 29 degrees in Peterborough.
BBC Weather said: “Saturday may see the odd shower in the morning locally, but it will turn drier in the afternoon with warm sunshine. Sunday and Monday will be very warm, or even hot, with plenty of sunshine as high pressure remains in control.”
The good weather is set to continue throughout next week with plenty of sunshine and temperatures staying above 25 degrees for most of the week. The temperatures are currently forecast to drop to around 23 degrees in Cambridge and Ely and 21 degrees in Peterborough on Saturday, May 30.
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A huge fire has broken out in Rochdale this evening, with thick smoke plumes seen for miles. The blaze has erupted at the site on Ashworth Road, beside Rochdale Old Road in Heywood.
Pictures and videos shared on social media show the area being covered in smoke amid the ongoing blaze. Police and fire crews remain in attendance.
It is thought the fire has broken out near to the Simpson Clough Mill. No further details have yet been confirmed.
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The Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service have been approached for a comment on this ongoing incident.
Emily in Paris fans, I’m gonna hold your hands when I tell you this. It’s officially coming to an end.
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That’s right, Netflix’s most bonkers show about an American parachuting into the cutthroat world of corporate Paris with nothing but enthusiasm and a pipedream will return for a sixth and final season.
It feels like only yesterday that our titular marketing executive Emily (Lily Collins) rocked up to a random arrondissement in Paris without any French to her name and an, at best, ramshackle social media plan.
When she wasn’t pitching her wacky ideas to her unimpressed boss, Sylvie, the Chicago native was hop, skip and jumping her way through various romantic entanglements and supporting her best friend Mindy’s burgeoning singing career.
Needless to say, there are few words to capture the show’s chaotic yet endearing spirit.
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But that will all soon be behind us, with lead star Lily confirming Emily’s Europe-traversing chapter is coming to a close – this time with our plucky protagonist in Greece.
Filming has started in Greece for the final season (Picture: Giula Parmigiani/Netflix)
Fans are gutted (Picture: Giula Parmigiani/Netflix)
What has Lily Collins said about the final season?
In a message to fans, she said in a video: ‘After six unforgettable years of playing Emily Cooper, I am here to share that this upcoming sixth season will be our final.
‘Season six will bring you everything you love about the show and serve as a final chapter in Emily’s adventure of a lifetime. Our entire cast and crew are pouring our hearts out into making this a fantastic farewell season, which we’re now filming.
‘I can’t wait for all of the magic ahead and to celebrate our final season with you in the most chic way yet. We’re so incredibly grateful, and we love you all. À bientôt.’
Creator Darren Star added: ‘Making Emily in Paris with this extraordinary cast and crew has been the trip of a lifetime.
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‘As we embark on the final season, I am so grateful to Netflix, Paramount, and, most importantly, the fans who have taken this incredible journey with us. We can’t wait to share this last chapter with you.
‘Thank you for letting us be a part of your lives, inspiring your dreams of travel and your love of Paris. We will always have ‘Emily in Paris!’
Fans are making their thoughts on what should happen at the end clear (Picture: Caroline Dubois/Netflix)
How are fans reacting?
Given that this series is a firm comfort show for the masses, following Emily’s silly, goofy life and shenanigans, the news has inevitably come as a blow.
‘ This show was my refuge during the pandemic. I’ll miss the cast, the outfits, Paris, and all the glamour. Thank you, Lily, for giving us Emily and her Parisian adventures,’ collinsupdatez wrote.
‘I could have watched this show forever!! Going to miss it,’ theclassybrunette agreed.
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‘This show could last for 27 seasons and I’d watch it every time,’ jeremyyrayy echoed.
But there’s one request fans have for the last season. For Emily to finally get together with her one true love, Gabriel (Lucas Bravo), whose romance has been hot and cold for five seasons now.
The question on everyone’s lips is – who will Emily end up with? (Picture: Caroline Dubois/Netflix)
‘Hoping Emily and Gabriel’s story ends with the happiness they’re looking for,’ madhurismita shared.
‘Gabily better be endgame,’ anushka_aura added.
‘I will be LIVID if she ends up alone like they did on “and just like that” …it’s Emily & Gabriel OR BUST!’ mrskatherinejohnson shared.
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‘Better be Emily and Gabriel at the end,’ emaelmoghanny agreed.
In fact, you can hardly move for fan pleas to give the couple we all want together their happy ending.
The consensus? Emily and Gabriel must be endgame (Picture: Stephanie Branchu/Netflix)
After restaurateur Gabriel’s aborted attempt to win her heart back at the start of the season, Emily was dating the dashing Marcello (Eugenio Franceschini), for several episodes while in Rome.
After they break up, Emily returns to Paris, where she helps Gabriel secure a gig for the Greece-bound billionaire Thomas Heatherton and they share a bittersweet goodbye.
Now chilling in a yacht in Greece, after finding out that Emily is single, he invites her to join him.
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Although we don’t know Emily’s reaction, the fact that the new season is set in Greece (and France, of course) looks positive for the Gabily truthers.
Although after the conclusion of season five, Lily had said: ‘I don’t know what the future holds for Gabriel and Emily. I appreciated that they were able to say goodbye gracefully, without knowing what comes next.
‘Emily is supportive of his adventures and career, and she respects his journey without interfering. That kind of graceful goodbye felt deserved for the characters, and I’m not entirely sure where it will go from here.’
Emily in Paris seasons one to five are available to stream on Netflix now. Season six currently has no release date.
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Barthélémy, 5, and Zacharie, 3, were crying for their father (Picture: GNR)
Two young boys were found wandering alone down a country path hundreds of miles away from home.
Barthélémy, 5, and Zacharie, 3, were crying for their father when police found them between the popular seaside resort towns of Alcácer do Sal and Comporta in Portugal.
Artur Quintas was driving along the remote track with his wife when he spotted the boy’s blonde hair at just before sunset on Tuesday.
‘The oldest one told me that he and his brother had gotten lost in the forest and that their father and mother had left without taking them.’
Their hands were covered in dirt, and one of them had a knee injury.
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Portuguese police ask the kids some questions as they try to track down their parents (Picture: GNR)
He added: ‘I saw that they were each carrying a backpack. I immediately realised they had been abandoned.’
Their backpacks had nothing more than a change of clothes, an apple, an orange and two bottles of water.
The French brothers told authorities their mother, 41-year-old Marine, and stepfather Marc had driven them to remote woodland and told them they were going to play a game to ‘drive away the devil.’
The belongings found on the two boys (Picture: GNR)
Blindfolding the boys, they told them that they could only remove their eye covers once they had found a knife they had buried in the soil.
The elder brother Barthélémy dug around the dirt trying to follow their instructions before finally removing both their blindfolds, only to realise they had been left in the woods.
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Still believing they were part of a game, the children wandered the desolate area, which can reach 30C in Spring, before finally being found by the driver.
It is thought the siblings were living in Colmar, eastern France, before their mother vanished with them around two weeks ago driving them to Portugal.
Marine’s mother reported their disappearance to police, telling the officers they had been abducted by their mother.
It has since emerged that their birth father, who is separated from Marine, had also filed a child abduction report to French police. Colmar prosecutor Jean Richert told Le Parisien: ‘He’s like everyone else, he doesn’t understand.’
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French police have said they are already aware of stepfather Marc, who is believed to suffer from a psychiatric disorder.
Portuguese police have not formally confirmed that the children were kidnapped and abandoned, with a spokesperson saying: ‘All possibilities are being considered.’
One of Mani’s favourite bands will perform at the one-day musical extravaganza in honour of the Stone Roses legend.
More Manchester music stars have been announced to take part in the huge one-day tribute concert to Stone Roses legend Gary “Mani” Mounfield. The music world was left in mourning after the death of much-loved musician Mani, aged 63, in November.
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But a host of friends and fellow music stars who knew and loved Mani are now pulling together for an extra special one day music event to be held at Manchester’s Diecast venue on Saturday, May 30. The sold out gig will pay tribute to Mani’s legacy in both life and music, while raising money for his teenage twin sons.
Organisers have today announced that one of Mani’s favourite bands, the reunited Manchester rockers Puressence, have joined the bill at the personal request of his family. Mani was close pals with the band, who share the same hometown of Failsworth where a huge mural to the star has just been revealed.
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Mani produced music with the band, and has previously appeared in their music videos. At Puressence’s recent Manchester Academy gig, they paid their own tribute to their friend during the song Walking Dead which Mani had co-produced with the band.
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Puressence will play a special featured set on the day, which will also see a rock ‘n’ roll supergroup come together on stage to perform a number of songs in honour of Mani. It has also been revealed today that the show will close with a one off spectacular performance featuring a rock ‘n’ roll supergroup to the sounds of Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart” arranged by Mani’s friend and fellow bass legend Peter Hook.
A statement from organisers said today: “Manichester is a one-day celebration of Mani’s life, music and legacy, created in close collaboration with his family and a community of artists connected to his story and influence.
“Today sees a band closely connected to Mani’s journey join the bill — Puressence, a longtime favourite of Mani’s and a band he worked with as a producer, will perform a special featured set as part of the day.”
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Mani’s brother, Greg Mounfield, said: “Having Puressence involved is a personal request — our kid not only produced records with the lads, he toured China with them and even popped up in a few of their videos.
“For me it’s a no-brainer, and I know our kid would’ve loved it.” He added cryptically: “Word’s gone out as well… so who knows who might turn up on the day.”
The event continues to evolve, with more names added to the bill today – including The Smiths drummer Mike Joyce and Back to Basics DJ Dave Beer. Across the day, Manichester will bring together an extraordinary cast of artists connected through friendship, influence and Manchester music culture.
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They include Damon Minchella (Ocean Colour Scene), Peter Hook (Joy Division / New Order), Zak Starkey (Mantra of the Cosmos), Aziz Ibrahim (The Stone Roses), Tom Hingley (Inspiral Carpets), Mick Rossi (Slaughter and the Dogs), Dave McCabe (The Zutons), Baz Fratelli (The Fratellis), James Walsh (Starsailor) and Jon McClure (Reverend and the Makers).
Also performing are Dalbir ‘Tabla Jedi’ Singh (Paul Weller) Adam Ficek (Babyshambles), Alan Leach (Shed Seven), Tom Manning, Osian String Quartet, Danny Connors (Tom Grennan Band), Rowetta (Happy Mondays), Jon Dasilva (Haçienda), Tom Meighan (Kasabian), alongside Cast, Purple Hearts, the Kowloons and further special guests.
Organised by Madchester.com and rock ‘n’ roll fashion label GIOGOI, the event has had the blessing of Mani’s family, including his younger brother Greg Mounfield. Organisers say the closing performance of Love Will Tear Us Apart will “mark the first — and only — time this collective of artists will perform together making this a unique one off moment in time”.
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After the main event at Diecast on the Saturday night, there will be an official after-party from 11pm at Gorilla, where more surprises are set to be in store. While Manichester has already sold out, tickets are available to buy now for the Gorilla after-party.
Recently, the Pensions Commission said that 15 million people in the UK aren’t saving enough for an easy retirement. That figure could rise to 19 million over time, they added.
Up to 45% of working-age adults aren’t paying into a pension at all, they added, risking a financial “cliff edge” for ageing populations.
Scottish Widows found that just under a third of UK adults are at risk of “pension poverty”, too.
Here, we asked Brian Byrnes, director of personal finance at Moneybox, whar the term means, as well as how to lower your odds of “pension poverty” from your 20s up to your 60s.
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What is pension poverty?
Bynes said that it’s not always as easy to measure as you might imagine.
“Pension poverty is often associated with falling below a fixed income threshold in retirement, but in reality, it is broader than that. Charities such as Age UK define pension poverty as not having sufficient resources in later life to meet basic needs or participate fully in society,” he said.
He thinks the chances of Brits facing this in older age might be rising “with declining home ownership, lower pension participation and increasing financial pressure all contributing to poorer long-term retirement outcomes”.
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Still, he added, “there are simple steps people can take throughout their lives to improve their financial resilience later on”.
How can I lower my chances of “pension poverty”?
1) In your 20s
If you’re thinking about your pension in your 20s, Byrnes said, you’re already doing better than most.
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“If you’re in full-time employment, take the time to fully understand your workplace pension. You’ll usually be automatically enrolled when you start a job, where, at a minimum, you’ll contribute 5% and your employer 3% of your salary,” he explained.
“However, many people never check what they’re paying in, and whether their employer offers matching contributions above the minimum. Increasing your contributions can be one of the most effective ways to boost your retirement savings early on.”
He said it’s a good rule of thumb to contribute a double-digit percentage of your income as soon as it’s viable.
“Some people even like to target a total contribution percentage equivalent to roughly half your age when you start saving. Small increases in your 20s can make an enormous difference later in life due to the compounding potential.”
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2) In your 30s
This can be an expensive time of life, where you may be “buying a home, climbing the career ladder, starting a family or juggling rising monthly costs. Retirement can easily slip down the priority list, but this is often the decade when good habits start to really matter,” the financial expert said.
You can also experience a phenomenon called “lifestyle creep,” where any extra income gets swallowed up by day-to-day improvements, in this decade, too.
“A simple tactic to avoid some of this is to increase your pension contributions by 1% every time you receive a pay rise. You still take home more money overall, while also paying more towards your future self in the process,” he explained.
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“For those moving between jobs, make sure you are staying on top of old workplace pension pots. Many people build up multiple pots over their careers and can easily lose track of them.”
A Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) can consolidate pensions, making them easier to manage, cutting provider costs down to one service, and giving you a clearer view of your long-term savings.
3) In your 40s
You might be earning more in this decade, but demands might be higher too, said Brynes. Think: supporting children and older parents and covering mortgage and debt costs, while still saving for retirement.
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“These are the years to perform a proper financial ‘health check’. Make use of free online financial planning tools, like retirement calculators, to check if you are meeting your financial targets while there’s still time to meaningfully course correct if needed,” he said.
And yes, consolidating your pensions is “a key one in this decade as the better the understanding you have of the fees you’re paying across your retirement savings, the more easily and accurately you can get an understanding of where you are financially, and more importantly, where you are likely to end up.”
That way, he said, you can “amend any small mistakes that become expensive later on before it is too late in the career game”.
4) In your 50s
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Now’s the time to put the pedal to the metal. “Your 50s are for many, the final opportunity to meaningfully accelerate retirement savings before stepping back from full-time work,” the expert told us.
“While retirement may start to feel more real, it’s also the point where many people become far more engaged with their finances.”
You might want to do a pension audit in your 50s, too.
“Catch up on contributions, review your investment risk, and make sure your retirement plans still reflect the lifestyle you actually want. It is also important to check your National Insurance record and State Pension forecast to ensure you are on track to receive the State Pension, as gaps in contributions can materially impact retirement income later on,” said Byrnes.
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“Seeking guidance or regulated financial advice before accessing your pension can therefore be hugely valuable, particularly as decisions made in your 50s can shape your financial security for the rest of your life”.
5) In your 60s
Now’s the time to protect your wealth, Byrnes advised.
“Here, it’s important to think realistically about future spending – such as household costs, outstanding mortgage payments, or healthcare costs. Tools such as Pensions UK’s Retirement Living Standards can provide a helpful overview of what average costs look like in retirement, and can give a good basis to work from for your planning.
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“At this stage, you may want to consider gradually starting to shift your portfolio into safer, lower-volatility investments to prevent all your hard work over the years from being wiped out by a sudden market downturn.”
West Coats Primary School in Cambuslang has won the Climate Action Project of the Year in the Eco-Schools Scotland awards, run by environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful.
A South Lanarkshire primary school has won a national prize for its efforts to stop pumpkin guts going to landfill.
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West Coats Primary School in Cambuslang has won the Climate Action Project of the Year in the Eco-Schools Scotland awards, run by environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful.
The school was inspired to tackle pumpkin waste after learning about the 18,000 tonnes of pumpkin wasted annually in the UK.
Every class at the school, from P1 to P7 and The Treehouse, were given a pumpkin with one clear mission: use every part.
Each class got creative: P3 used pumpkins for cooking, P4 turned them into bird feeders and made pumpkin loaf and P6 transformed pumpkins into vases and much more.
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Across the school the seeds were eaten, planted, composted and given to birds – no part was wasted.
Andrea Gabriel, Education Manager at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “Our annual Eco-Schools Scotland awards are the perfect opportunity to highlight and celebrate those who go above and beyond to protect and care for environment.
“West Coats Primary School’s project has highlighted how easy it is to make the most out of something that is so often wasted and can actually cause harm to the environment.
“The fact that pupils from all ages have got involved makes it even more special, an excellent example of a whole-school approach to learning for sustainability. Congratulations to everyone who took part.”
Jeanie Robin, class teacher at West Coats Primary, said: “We are absolutely thrilled that our Pumpkin Power Challenge has been recognised with the Climate Action Project of the Year Award.
“The project encouraged every class across the school to think differently about food waste by finding creative and sustainable ways to use pumpkin innards that would otherwise have gone to landfill.
“Pupils worked together to cook, share recipes with families, support local wildlife and engage the wider community in conversations about sustainability.
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“A huge thank you must go to our Eco Committee, whose vision, creativity and determination drove the project from start to finish. We are incredibly proud of the enthusiasm, teamwork and environmental awareness shown by our learners, and delighted that such a simple idea created such a positive impact across our whole school community.”
Three awards were given out this year; the other winners were Harrysmuir Primary School in West Lothian, who won Eco-Committee of the Year, and Jo Wright from Dumfries and Galloway’s Hardgate Primary School, who won Eco-Coordinator of the Year.
Eco-Schools is the largest sustainable schools programme in the world with almost 20 million children, young people and educators engaged worldwide in 73 different countries.
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In Scotland almost 900 schools currently fly the Green Flag proudly while hundreds of others are on their own journey, through our Climate Action Schools framework, to achieve one.
Eco-Schools is one of five programmes operated internationally by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and delivered by Keep Scotland Beautiful in Scotland as part of its Climate Action Schools framework, which supports schools towards achieving Target 20230 and is supported by funding from the Scottish Government.
Mediators in both the Iran and Ukraine wars have struggled to achieve meaningful ceasefires. Although the US and Iran reached an initial two-week truce on April 7, brokered by Pakistan, the agreement has been fragile from the beginning.
Meanwhile, the latest temporary ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine from May 9 to 11 seemed over before it had begun – a now familiar pattern in the four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion. Ukraine accused Russia of violating the US-mediated pause throughout the three-day period, which ended with drone attacks on Ukrainian civilian and energy infrastructure.
So why do temporary truces in Iran, Ukraine and elsewhere so often fail to last? Ceasefires are diverse in terms of what they aim to achieve, how long they are intended to last and how they try to constrain the use of force. For instance, not all ceasefires are supposed to last forever.
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Agreeing to halt conflict for a period of time can keep channels of communication open and build trust and momentum for more substantive conversations. This was the aim of the April 7 ceasefire in Iran. That agreement enabled the US and Iranian delegations to come together for talks in Pakistan over a peace proposal covering Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
That those talks failed to reach a more substantive agreement was not unexpected. The two parties only held one 21-hour negotiation session, and the inexperience of the US negotiating team has been widely reported. There is also a severely low level of trust between the US and Iranian administrations. But the existence of a ceasefire, although limited, has enabled further exchanges of peace proposals between the two parties.
However, temporary ceasefires are likely to remain so unless parties can eventually agree to something that requires greater commitment. Research drawing on the University of Edinburgh’s PA-X Peace Agreements Database of written ceasefire agreements shows that ceasefires containing longer-term commitments aimed at reducing the capacity for violence are associated with violence being suspended for longer.
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These commitments could include demobilisation – the disbanding or standing down of an armed group from combat-ready status. They may also include the establishment of demilitarised zones, or the acceptance of external guarantees, international monitoring and dispute resolution mechanisms. These mostly require the involvement of mandated third parties.
Full texts of the ceasefires in Ukraine and Iran have not been published. But public statements from people involved suggest that neither agreement included strong compliance or demobilisation mechanisms, and did not involve extensive consideration of longer-term security guarantees.
When announcing the initial April 7 ceasefire, for example, Trump said the US had agreed to a limited two-week suspension of force in exchange for the Iranian reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. But he made no reference to how compliance would be monitored or enforced by a third party, or what military actions would be mutually considered a violation.
Many analysts have noted Trump’s preference for reaching quick, transactional “deals” over sustainable agreements. Others have argued that his eagerness to announce conflicts as being solved is reducing ceasefires from being a tangible step on the exit route out of conflict to “performative diplomacy”.
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The US president, Donald Trump, has repeatedly threatened to resume military action in Iran. Samuel Corum / EPA
It is also hard to see how the international system can enforce compliance with ceasefires in the Iran and Ukraine wars. The US and Russia’s membership of the UN Security Council means either country can veto attempts by the UN to constrain their conduct by, for example, deploying an international peacekeeping force.
Indeed, the refusal of key US allies in the Gulf such as Saudi Arabia to facilitate a recent American operation to escort oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz, seems to be what has sustained the April ceasefire rather than agreed ceasefire terms or official compliance mechanisms. Iran had warned that it would respond to the operation with escalation and attacks.
Complex modern conflicts
The number and type of armed groups involved in many modern conflicts also makes sustaining ceasefires complicated. The temporary April ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, for instance, did not formally include Hezbollah – one of the key protagonists in the conflict.
Hezbollah is a non-state armed group that prevents the Lebanese state from having a monopoly on force, and has repeatedly rejected calls from Israel and the US for it to disarm. Israel claimed that airstrikes following a May 15 agreement with Lebanon to extend the ceasefire did not violate its terms. The Israelis argued that Hezbollah was not a party to the ceasefire, allowing them to target the group’s facilities.
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Adding another layer of complexity is the fact that the Israel-Lebanon conflict is intimately connected to events in Iran. The Iranian regime has explicitly made reaching a peace agreement with the US conditional on there being a “lasting ceasefire in Lebanon”.
The combination of these political factors – limited agreement terms, weak third-party enforcement and complex conflict networks – suggests that the current pattern of short-term ceasefires with fragile extensions is likely to continue until the costs of conflict become too much for parties to withstand. For affected civilians, such a tipping point cannot come too soon.
Newsboy fancies his Nap, Tilani, to win at Bath and also hopes Orionis can score at Goodwood and complete his Daily Double
TILANI looks ripe for a quickfire hat-trick in the Download The Fairplay App Now Handicap (6.15) at Bath on Friday.A one-time winner when trained in Ireland – Tilani was 0-4 for Mick Halford before landing one of his seven attempts for Dermot Weld – Tilani moved to Ian Williams for the 2026.My selection was beaten at Wolverhampton and Musselburgh on his first two outings for Williams but came good at Newbury last Thursday, landing an apprentice handicap over a mile.Williams turned Tilani out at Great Yarmouth on Wednesday and, partnered by this afternoon’s jockey Jack Dace, the four-year-old son of Belardo followed up with a length-and-three-quarter call from Kamaway.Tilani shoulders a 5lb penalty for the latter success but is thriving in Williams’ care and, with Dace’s 5lb claim coming in very handy, he’s expected to carry on the good work.
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At Goodwood, ORIONIS is the choice to make the perfect return for William Haggas by beating nine opponents for the British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies’ Handicap (3.42).Sea The Stars’ daughter progressed throughout 2025, tasting success at Ripon, Windsor and Newbury.A British Horseracing Authority mark of 90 demands a personal best on her first outing for 230 days but Cieren Fallon’s partner can prove up to the job.FRIDAY’S SELECTIONSGOODWOOD1.57 LOVE IS2.32 LAZURITE3.07 ST MAWES3.42 ORIONIS (NB)4.17 ENFJAAR4.52 CRIMSON SPIRIT5.27 NOGO’S DREAMHAYDOCK1.45 NOCHEBUENA2.20 MINZELLE2.55 ROSY AFFAIR3.30 TIME FOR THE MOON4.05 GOLSPIE4.40 KOKOLUNA5.15 YORKSHIRE QUEENBATH2.08 BASILETTE2.43 MADRISA3.18 FLIGHT SIGNAL3.53 SILVER WRAITH4.28 CONTROL ROOM5.03 SECRET HANDSHEIKH5.40 NEWYORKSTATEOFMIND6.15 TILANI (NAP)PONTEFRACT6.20 STONACRE JOE6.52 TOO MANY SPIRITS7.22 BETWEEN THE STICKS7.52 TROJAN SOLDIER8.22 BLONDINA8.52 POWERFUL RESPONSEWORCESTER4.57 BONGO MAN5.32 JET SMART6.06 CLOSING TIME6.41 PREMIER TENOR7.11 CREST OF ARMS7.41 NOBLE BLUE8.11 ICE JET8.41 SACCARYDOUBLE: TILANI and ORIONIS
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