SIR David Beckham celebrated his knighthood with a champagne knees-up — and jam roly-poly.
Best pal Gordon Ramsay hosted the bash at his flagship restaurant in Chelsea, whipping-up a three course meal including a Michelin-star take on Becks’ favourite pud.
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Sir David Beckham celebrated his Knighthood with wife Victoria in LondonCredit: Darren FletcherThe bash was hosted by Gordon Ramsay at his flagship restaurant in ChelseaCredit: Darren FletcherHarper Beckham attended in a pink satin dressCredit: Darren Fletcher
Guests including his three youngest children Romeo, Cruz and Harper joined his parents, Ted and Sandra, and sister Joanne for beef Wellington — while wife Lady Victoria, who avoids red meat, had sea bass.
They then tucked into roly-poly and custard.
A friend said: “It was a super-lovely, very chilled sit-down dinner with David’s inner circle.
“Becks’ favourite Chateau Margaux — plus a lot of champagne — was flowing.
“Obviously everyone kept making a big deal of calling him ‘Sir David’ and that was the running gag of the night.”
After the Windsor Castle ceremony Sir David, 50, changed into a dapper black velvet tux while Lady Victoria, 51, opted for a slinky black floor length number from her own fashion range.
But there was still no sign of estranged eldest son Brooklyn.
Cruz Beckham was seen at the bash holding his bowtieCredit: Darren FletcherRomeo was all smiles for his dad’s big partyCredit: Darren Fletcher
HomeAwardsAward WinnersWorld’s Best Investment Bank and Best Bank for Cash Management 2025: Bank of America
Bank of America has been recognised in 2025 as The World’s Best Investment Bank and the World’s Best Bank for Cash Management in this year’s Global Bank Awards.
Brian Moynihan, Chairman & CEO
World’s Best Investment Bank 2025
BofA Securities
Against the backdrop of thriving global stock markets and rising debt-finance activity, Bank of America (BofA) Securities’ global operations achieved an impressive 43% year-over-year jump in investment banking fees as of the fourth quarter of 2024.
The numbers were buoyed mainly by the bank’s three big areas of operations: North America, Latin America, and Europe, where the bank controlled a commanding 8.3%, 9%, and 4.4% of total investment banking fees, respectively. That boosted revenue for the full year to nearly $5.5 billion, according to Dealogic, representing around 6.2% of the global investment banking market.
BofA also scored big on M&A despite somewhat subdued activity in the field, serving as lead buy-side advisor on the $1.9 billion acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines by Alaska Air. The bank also acted as sole buy-side financial advisor on Keurig Dr Pepper’s $990 million acquisition of energy beverage company GHOST.
World’s Best Bank for Cash Management 2025
Bank of America
Reflecting the demand for consistent global visibility and control, Bank of America saw the app version of its CashPro platform surpass $1 trillion in payment approvals in 2024. CashPro allows clients to manage treasury operations across multiple channels: online, app, APIs, and file-based interfaces.
“One thing that distinguishes CashPro is its global consistency,” says Tom Durkin, head of CashPro at BofA’s Global Payments Solutions, “so that when a company’s finance team has team members in different countries, they’ll all have access to the same tools, views, and processes. The advantages are obvious: better visibility and control and no additional financial outlays.”
Much of CashPro’s success is due to BofA’s close engagement with clients, Durkin notes, particularly those who participate in client board meetings.
“This dialogue is so important,” he says. “We do deep dives into our clients’ priorities and challenges, we present options for new functionality and discuss whether those innovations are going to solve their real-world issues.”
The bank’s strategic vision for CashPro “will always be to provide a best-in-class platform that is personalized, predictive, and proactive,” he adds. “One recent demonstration is how we’ve embedded CashPro into our clients’ own systems through the CashPro Network, a collaboration with third-party providers allowing quick, easy connection to the bank with little to no investment.”
Christopher Berry (left) and Christopher Cash (right)
Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry were accused of collecting insider information about UK politics and government policy, and passing it to a Chinese intelligence agent, who then forwarded it to Cai Qi, one of the most senior politicians in China. Cai is often referred to as President Xi Jinping’s right-hand man.
Both Mr Cash and Mr Berry completely denied the charge under Section 1 of the Official Secrets Act 1911. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dropped the case against the pair last month after deciding the evidence did not show China was a threat to national security.
The two men met while teaching in China.
Mr Berry stayed behind, but Mr Cash, whose other love was politics, got a job in the House of Commons – first as a researcher and then as the director of the China Research Group, working closely with MPs like Tom Tugendhat, Alicia Kearns and Neil O’Brien.
Christopher Berry
Christopher Berry in China
In a statement released through his solicitor, Mr Cash told the BBC: “I have, for a long time, been concerned by the influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the United Kingdom and, prior to these false allegations, was working to inform Parliamentarians and the public about those risks.”
Mr Cash and Mr Berry would talk and exchange messages between Westminster and China, according to the first of three witness statements by the deputy national security adviser Matt Collins to the CPS – released by the government on Wednesday.
For example, according to Mr Collins’ statement, Mr Cash told Mr Berry in June 2022 that he thought Jeremy Hunt would pull out of the Tory leadership race.
In July 2022, he allegedly sent a voice note saying that Tugendhat would almost certainly get a job in Rishi Sunak’s cabinet. Both these pieces of information ended up in reports that Mr Berry submitted to a man called “Alex”, who the prosecution said was a Chinese intelligence agent.
In his statement, Mr Cash said he was aware “a small amount of the information” he was sending to Mr Berry was being passed on. But he thought Mr Berry was working for “a strategic advisory company” helping clients “invest in the UK”.
Mr Cash said the information he gave Mr Berry was publicly available or “just political gossip that formed part of the everyday Westminster rumour mill”.
In a statement given to BBC News via his lawyer on Thursday, Mr Berry gives a similar account.
He said his reports were “provided to a Chinese company which I believed had clients wishing to develop trading links with the UK”.
Those reports “contained no classified information”, Mr Berry said, and “concerned economic and commercial issues widely discussed in the UK at the time and drew on information freely in the public domain, together with political conjecture, much of which proved to be inaccurate”.
Council on Geostrategy
Christopher Cash (far right) in a meeting in the House of Commons with Alicia Kearns MP
Some of the information was not for passing on. In the note to Mr Berry about Hunt, Mr Cash wrote: “v v confidential (defo don’t share with your new employer)”. Despite that, it was included in one of Mr Berry’s reports, according to one of Mr Collins’ statements.
Mr Cash and Mr Berry communicated using encrypted messaging apps.
Mr Collins’ first statement says that, after one exchange in December 2022, Mr Berry told “Alex” that the Foreign Secretary James Cleverly did not think sanctions would be effective in blocking imports from Xinjiang, the province where there are human rights abuses of the Uyghur population.
There were also a series of exchanges about meetings between Tugendhat, Kearns and Taiwanese defence officials, according to Mr Collins.
All of these exchanges ended up in a series of reports that Mr Berry submitted to “Alex” with titles like “Taiwan-perception-within-parliament” and “Import_of_Products_of Forced_Labour_from Xinjiang”.
Those reports then ended up with Cai Qi, and he seems to have been so pleased about the information that, in July 2022, Mr Berry met Cai. Mr Cash sent him a message saying: “You’re in spy territory now.”
According to Mr Berry, Cai asked “specific questions about each MP within the Conservative leadership election one-by-one”, Mr Collins said in his statement.
Reuters
Cai Qi, seen waving, is sometimes referred to as President Xi’s right-hand man
At times – according to Mr Collins – “Alex” “tasked” Mr Berry with collecting specific information. On one occasion, the turnaround time was just 13 hours, he said in his first statement.
But both men categorically deny knowingly spying for China.
“I routinely spoke [to] and shared information with Christopher Berry about Chinese and British Politics,” he said in the statement given to BBC News on Wednesday night.
“He was my friend and these were matters we were both passionately interested in. I believed him to be as critical and concerned about the Chinese Communist Party as I was.
“It was inconceivable to me that he would deliberately pass on any information to Chinese intelligence, even if that information was not sensitive.”
Mr Cash said he had been “placed in an impossible position” by the release of Mr Collins’ statements, which were “devoid of the context that would have been given at trial”, where they would have been subject to a “root and branch challenge”.
He insisted that the assessments “would not have withstood the scrutiny of a public trial”.
Mr Berry said he had “consistently denied any wrongdoing” but had found himself “subjected to a trial by media” and caught in the middle of various groups seeking “to use the case to their political advantage”.
He said he did not accept that, by making the reports, he was “providing information to the Chinese intelligence services, nor is it tenable that the provision of such material could, in any sense, be considered for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the state”.
He added: “This would have been one of many issues raised with the jury during a trial.”
LIFE is better together – and that goes for your bank balance, too.
Buddying up can mean all sorts of savings, from everyday bills to days out.
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We have three tips on how you can buddy up with your friends to save cash – from referrals to bulk buyingCredit: Getty
Here’s how to get a cash boost by sharing the love . . .
REFERRALS: If you’ve had great service from a company, why not let your pals know?
Many firms will reward you if you refer someone as a new customer.
This is true for most utility providers, as well as credit card firms.
Even just referring a mate to cashback site TopCashback will net you £20.
So next time you’re telling someone about a great offer, check if you can get something for the recommendation.
Just make sure you get sign-ups through your own unique links or codes to get the reward.
BULK BUYS: If you’re buying tickets for an event, always try to buy with friends and then split the total between you.
This means that if there are booking fees you’ll only pay one between you.
Plus, many venues offer multi-ticket savings that are worth looking for.
PAY DAY Watch Martin Lewis reveal three ways to get cashback on Christmas spending, ITV
For example, you can pay £24.50 to visit the Minecraft Experience in London, but this reduces to £18.50 each if there are seven or more tickets bought through a group bundle.
FRIEND FOR THE ROAD: Travelling can be expensive but you can ease the pressure with others in tow.
Ride app Uber easily allows you to add extra pick-ups on the way to a destination and divide the bill with contacts who also have an account.
If you have a pal who you frequently travel with, the Two Together railcard is £35 a year but gives you a third off off-peak fares when you travel together.
Or with GroupSave, groups of three or more adults can get a third off off-peak train fares when travelling together.
For regular journeys, such as to the office, why not ask work friends if they fancy lift sharing and you can take it in turns to drive.
You’ll save on petrol and get a little added company too.
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If you’re buying tickets for an event, always try to buy with friends and then split the total between youCredit: Getty
All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability.
Deal of day
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This Bosch silicone kettle is now £49.99 at CurrysCredit: Bosch
UPGRADE your kettle to the Bosch silicone model with a covered heating element so you don’t have to descale as often.
It’s down from £79.99 to £49.99 at Currys.
SAVE: £30
Cheap treat
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This Terry’s caramel ball is £1.98 from AsdaCredit: Asda
TERRY’S is about more than its famed chocolate orange.
This caramel ball, £1.98 from Asda, is just as tasty.
WHAT’S NEW?
HEINZ has launched a range of bean and pulse-based pouches for an easy, nutritious lunch.
You can get them for £2 from Sainsbury’s with a Nectar card (£2.50 without).
Top swap
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Body Shop’s sugar pumpkin shower cream is £8.50Credit: Body Shop
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Wilko’s pumpkin spice pie shower cream is just £1.99Credit: Wilko
LATHER up with the seasonal sugar pumpkin scent of Body Shop’s shower cream, above, £8.50.
Or sniff out a bargain with Wilko’s pumpkin spice pie shower cream, below, £1.99.
SAVE: £6.51
Shop & save
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This pack of three claw clips is down to 50p at MatalanCredit: Matalan
GIVE yourself an easy hairdo with this pack of three claw clips, down from £4.50 to 50p at Matalan.
SAVE: £4
LITTLE HELPER
STORE kids’ toys or clothes with the help of this ottoman.
It’s £7.99 with a Lidl Plus card or £9.99 without.
Hot right now
SAVE £5 on selected box sets of books at The Works.
Titles include Diary Of A Wimpy Kid and A Court Of Thorns And Roses.
PLAY NOW TO WIN £200
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Join thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle
JOIN thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle.
Every month we’re giving away £100 to 250 lucky readers – whether you’re saving up or just in need of some extra cash, The Sun could have you covered.
Every Sun Savers code entered equals one Raffle ticket.
BRITAIN’S banks are giving away free cash payments of up to £200 each – and customers need to do one thing to be eligible to claim the money.
The extraordinary deals are being offered by major UK banks such as Lloyds and NatWest as part of the fight to boost customer numbers.
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Lloyds Bank are offering free cashCredit: Getty
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NatWest are offering new customers free moneyCredit: Reuters
Nationwide is also among the list of banking giants handing out the free cash payments for changing bank accounts.
The deals are part of switching incentives, and also come with extra perks like cashback and savings rates well above the average.
Nationwide Building Society
The first bank on the list is giving out a handsome sum of £175 to customers who complete a full switch through the Current Account Switch Service (CASS).
Those joining can pick from three accounts: FlexPlus, FlexFirect or FlexAccount.
The FlexDirect account offers 5 per cent AER interest on balances up to £1,500 for the first 12 months.
It also offers 1 per cent cashback on debit card spending with a maximum of £5 per month.
Combining this with the switching bonus, cashback and interest, smart savers could horde up to £400 in free payments in the first year of joining.
Nationwide’s Director of Group Retail Products Tom Riley said: “It’s never been more rewarding to be a Nationwide member and that’s why we want to help more people benefit by offering this switching offer.”
The building society consistently ranks top for customer service and has already attracted over a million new customers through CASS since 2013.
Lloyds Bank
For a £200 free cash payment, Lloyds Bank is giving away bonuses to customers who make a switch.
People who move their existing account to a Club Lloyds or Lloyds Premier account can get the free cash.
But the payment comes on condition they set up three or more direct debits.
Lloyds Bank is one of the UK’s largest financial services organisations and serves tens of millions of Brits.
NatWest
For account holders switching with NatWest, customers can get up to £175 on one condition.
Those choosing a Select or Reward account can get the free cash.
But they must pay in £1,250 first.
And customers also need to login to the mobile app within 60 days.
Other major banks
RBS, part of NatWest Group, is also offering £175 for switching to a Select or Reward account, as long as they pay £1,250 and login to the app in 60 days.
First Direct is offering £175 for switching to its popular 1st Account.
Customers must pay in £1,000 minimum, set up two direct debits or standing orders, and make five debit card payments within 45 days.
The Co-operative Bank’s switch deal stands at £100, with customers able to make another £75.
Customers need to meet the same requirements as First Direct switchers over the next three months.
What energy bill help is available?
There’s a number of different ways to get help paying your energy bills if you’re struggling to get by.
If you fall into debt, you can always approach your supplier to see if they can put you on a repayment plan before putting you on a prepayment meter.
This involves paying off what you owe in instalments over a set period.
If your supplier offers you a repayment plan you don’t think you can afford, speak to them again to see if you can negotiate a better deal.
OUR wardrobes are stuffed with 1.6billion unworn clothes.
So it is best for the planet — and your bank balance — to stop buying new and instead swap your old stuff for other people’s cast-offs.
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It’s best for the planet — and your bank balance — to buy second-hand clothesCredit: Oxfam
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Oxfam is having Second Hand September to encourage people to buy in charity shopsCredit: Oxfam
During Second Hand September, Oxfam is encouraging people to hunt down a bargain and find unique pieces that will make you stand out from the crowd.
TREASURE HUNT: Trawling high street charity shops is a great way to spot a gem.
Abi Owen, online shop merchandiser for Oxfam, says: “Charity shops are full of wonderful, unique finds, so it’s worth having an open mind to see what might catch your eye.
“As autumn begins, timeless items such as cable-knit jumpers and checked shirts are the perfect pre-loved find.”
READ MORE MONEY SAVING TIPS
WONDERS ON THE WEB: If you can’t get to a second-hand shop, or you have something specific in mind, look online.
Lose yourself on Vinted or eBay and, to support a good cause, search for charity shops on the internet. Many also have their own online shops.
SEPTEMBER SURPRISES: At Oxfam’s online store (onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk) you can narrow your search by price, size or designer.
We found Ralph Lauren sunglasses for under £9.99, a Tommy Hilfiger jumpsuit for £12.99 and a wedding dress for £30.
During Second Hand September, there is also a range of offers, including free delivery until Tuesday and ten per cent off when signing up for Oxfam’s newsletter.
BEST BUYS: Make the most of your money and bag a second-hand bargain that you will wear lots of times.
Here’s how to do festival looks on a budget – and save the planet
Denim will never go out of fashion and is stacked up in charity shops.
Abi says: “Whether it is a pair of jeans or a classic jacket, they are perfect for styling up or down.
“Plus, they’re better when they’ve been worn in.
“Accessories are a brilliant second-hand item to shop for, too. A good belt or some gorgeous earrings can complete a look.
“Keep your eyes peeled for details like a tartan scarf to pull an outfit together.”
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Accessories are a brilliant second-hand item to shop for to complete a lookCredit: Oxfam
All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability
Deal of the day
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The Hot Wheels Track Creator Triple Loop Speed Kit is reduced to £30.98 at direct.asda.com
KIDS will go loopy for the Hot Wheels Track Creator Triple Loop Speed Kit, reduced from £40.98 to £30.98 at direct.asda.com.
SAVE: £10
Cheap treat
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Morrisons milk chocolate digestives are down from £1.25 to 89pCredit: Morrisons
ENJOY a cheeky nibble with Morrisons milk chocolate digestives, 300g, down from £1.25 to 89p.
SAVE: 36p
What’s new?
THRILL-SEEKING grannies and grandads can enjoy the rides at Drayton Manor for free this weekend.
The Staffordshire theme park is giving free entry to over-70s until Monday.
Top swap
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A six-pack of Quavers is £2.13 from Asda, working out at 36p for a 16g bagCredit: Asda
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Asda’s own Cheesy Curls six-pack is just £1.25, or 21p for a 16g bagCredit: Asda
CHEESE Louise!
Snack on a six-pack of Quavers, £2.13 from Asda, working out at 36p for a 16g bag.
Or enjoy the store’s own Cheesy Curls six-pack, £1.25, or 21p for a 16g bag.
SAVE: 15p per bag
Little helper
COTE Brasserie is offering a different “icon” dish for £10 each week day when you say “I’m an Icon” to staff.
Save the most on Thursdays when the beef bourguignon, usually £21.95, is a tenner.
Shop & save
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Save £3.50 on Nescafe Azera coffeeCredit: Tesco
GET tea sorted for less with Young’s Gastro two tempura battered fish fillets, down from £5.25 to £2.50, with a Tesco Clubcard.
SAVE: £2.75
Hot right now
IKEA Family members can get a small cooked breakfast for £1 or regular one for £1.50 on Saturdays until 11am. Save up to £2.35.
PLAY NOW TO WIN £200
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Join thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle
JOIN thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle.
Every month we’re giving away £100 to 250 lucky readers – whether you’re saving up or just in need of some extra cash, The Sun could have you covered.
Every Sun Savers code entered equals one Raffle ticket.
The more codes you enter, the more tickets you’ll earn and the more chance you will have of winning!
NEW YORK — Former U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez’s wife told a judge that her husband was “not the man I thought he was” before she was sentenced Thursday to 4½ years in prison for selling the powerful New Jersey politician’s influence in exchange for bribes of cash, gold bars and a luxury car.
U.S. District Judge Sidney H. Stein sentenced Nadine Menendez, 58, after she was convicted in April of colluding from 2018-23 with her husband, the former Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in a variety of corrupt schemes, some involving assisting the Egyptian government.
Sobbing as she addressed the judge shortly before she was sentenced, Nadine Menendez described her husband as a manipulative liar.
“I put my life in his hands and he strung my like a puppet,” she said. “The blindfold is off. I now know he’s not my savior. He’s not the man I thought he was.”
Stein told the defendant that she wasn’t the person she was portrayed as during last year’s trial of her husband and two New Jersey businessmen, when the judge said she was painted “as manipulative, hungry for money and the true force behind the conspiracies.”
But he said she also wasn’t the “innocent observer of what was happening around you,” as she was portrayed by her lawyer at her trial.
“You knew what you were doing. Your role was purposeful,” he said.
When she spoke, Nadine Menendez partly blamed her husband, saying she was duped by his power and stature and that she felt compelled to do whatever he wanted, such as calling or meeting with certain people.
“I would never have imagined someone of his ranking putting me in this position,” she said, though she acknowledged that in retrospect, she was a grown woman and should have known better.
Before the hearing, Bob Menendez submitted a letter to the judge saying he regretted that he didn’t fully preview what his lawyer said about his wife during his trial and in closing arguments.
“To suggest that Nadine was money hungry or in financial need, and therefore would solicit others for help, is simply wrong,” he wrote.
In addition to prison time, Stein sentenced Nadine Menendez to three years of supervised release. He said he granted her leniency in part because of the trial she endured, her difficult childhood in Lebanon, her abusive romantic partners, her health conditions and her age.
Stein said a prison term was important for general deterrence purposes: “People have to understand there are consequences.”
Nadine Menendez won’t have to surrender to prison until next summer. Stein set a reporting date of July 10, accommodating a defense request that she be allowed to remain free to complete necessary medical procedures before she heads behind bars. Federal prosecutors did not object to the request.
Prosecutors had sought a prison sentence of at least seven years.
Her lawyer, Sarah Krissoff, asked that she serve only a year behind bars, citing her difficult recovery from breast cancer, which was diagnosed just before last year’s trial, when she was to be tried along with her husband. She ended up being tried separately.
Bob Menendez, 71, is serving an 11-year sentence after his conviction on charges of taking bribes, extortion, and acting as an agent of the Egyptian government.
Prosecutors say Nadine Menendez played a large and crucial role in her husband’s crimes, serving as an intermediary between the senator and three New Jersey businessmen who literally lined his coat pockets with tens of thousands of dollars in cash in return for favors he could deliver with his political clout.
During a 2022 FBI raid on the couple’s New Jersey home, investigators found $480,000 in cash, gold bars worth an estimated $150,000 and a luxury convertible in the garage.
Prosecutors said that, among his other corrupt acts, the senator met with Egyptian intelligence officials and speeded that country’s access to U.S. military aid as part of a complex effort to help his bribe-paying associates, one of whom had business dealings with the Egyptian government.
Sisak and Neumeister write for the Associated Press.
Right now, we’re in a rare window where both high-yield savings accounts (HYSAs) and certificates of deposit (CDs) are offering APYs over 4.00%. That’s nearly 400x what most big bank savings accounts still pay (seriously — some are stuck at 0.01%).
But things are changing. The Federal Reserve is expected to cut rates very soon, and when that happens, we’ll be saying bye bye to today’s high rates.
As someone who tracks APYs for a living, I can tell you: now is the time to make a move.
What to know about high-yield savings accounts
A high-yield savings account (HYSA) works just like a regular savings account. But it pays significantly more interest.
Some top online banks are paying right around 4.00% APY, and you can access your money at any time.
Full disclosure: I’m an HYSA fan myself. Here’s why others love them too:
Liquid and flexible: You can move money in and out without penalty, any time.
They’re safe: Banks are typically FDIC-insured up to $250,000, per person, per account ownership category.
No or low fees: Junk fees are a pet peeve of mine. But many online banks don’t charge any, which is nice!
HYSAs are great for emergency funds, travel savings, and short-term goals. Basically any money you want to grow but still keep handy.
A great option to check out right now is the SoFi Checking and Savings (Member FDIC) account, which has a top-tier APY and no account fees. Read our full review here and see if it’s right for you.
What to know about CDs
A fixed rate can be a major win if and when the Fed starts cutting rates. You’ll continue earning today’s peak APY while new CDs drop lower.
Of course, the tradeoff is that your money is locked while earning that rate. And there are penalty fees for early withdrawals.
HYSA vs. CD: Which one should you pick?
It’s tempting to think there’s only one perfect fit for your money.
But the truth is, you can choose both! In fact, most people do well with a combo approach, assigning portions of their money to different goals.
Use an HYSA for cash you might need to access soon. This would be like your emergency fund, travel savings, or big expenses in the near horizon.
Use a CD for money you can set aside for a while. Things like your future tax bill, next summer’s wedding, or a big purchase you’re planning months ahead.
This way, you’re earning a solid return without sacrificing flexibility.
If you’re still unsure, start small. Just move a portion of your cash into each and see how it feels.
Most CDs have low minimums, and shorter terms available.
Tyrrell Hatton has revealed how he got hopelessly drunk – and violently sick! – after qualifying for his fourth Ryder Cup.
Hatton said he went on a “bit of a tear-up” with Jon Rahm – the player he teamed up with in Rome two years ago – when European captain Luke Donald rang to confirm he was definitely on the team.
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Tyrell Hatton has revealed how he celebrated qualifying for the Ryder CupCredit: Getty
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He got hopelessly drunkCredit: Getty
That came as a surprise to the English ace. He feared he would be knocked out of the six automatic spots on the team by some of the European stars in action at last month’s Tour Championship.
He explained: “Luke called me to say the guys weren’t earning points in Atlanta, and I’d actually made the team automatically. That was a very nice phone call to receive, and I was over the moon.
“Jon had just won the LIV individual title, so we had a bit of a tear-up. Yeah, that was a messy night. I don’t ever want to get into that state again to be honest.
“When I actually got back into my hotel room, I fell across the bed sideways, face down and fell asleep in that position.
“Then I woke up throwing up in that same position.
“Then I fell back asleep, and when I woke up again, I had gotten sick all down my arms, both sides, all down my shirt.
“I get off the bed and walk around to the bathroom, look in the mirror, and I’ve got sick on my face, and in my beard.
“How I set an alarm to make a flight in a few hours’ time, I don’t know.
“But yeah, waking up in a slightly more sober state was horrendous, and having to clean up that mess. I ended up calling my wife, Emily, and saying: ‘I don’t know what to do’.
“I was rushing to make the room somewhat more acceptable before leaving.
Sky Sports commentator slams Ryder Cup star Tyrrell Hatton as a ‘terrible influence’ for snapping a club in anger
“So I ended up stripping the bed, leaving some cash and a note, saying I was really sorry, I was sick in the bed in the night, please throw it in the trash.
“I feel like I did the right thing but I was obviously in a pretty bad state. I do not ever want to feel as bad as I did that next day. Yeah, that was aggressive.”
Hatton, 33, who is one of the star attractions at this week’s BMW PGA Championship, proceeded to give details of just how much he had drunk – admitting the episode was like a remake of the hit film The Hangover.
He added: “I had like six glasses of wine at dinner, and then I had a double gin and tonic.
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Hatton will be in action at the PGA Championship this weekCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
“Drunk that at a very normal rate, and then Jon was deciding what he wanted and he said Disaronno Sours.
“And I was like, perfect, go on them. They go down very easily.
“Then I was starting the chant of basically getting someone to down it, and then every cocktail that then followed was a shot.
“So we then ran out of Disaronno Sour. The guy at the bar made some hazelnut sour which wasn’t great, but we still had a few of them.
“Then there was a margarita and then there was a strawberry vodka thing.
“God, it was aggressive. It was horrible. But I mean, it was funny at the time. Not so much the next day.”
Ryder Cup line ups
Here are the players who will be competing in the Ryder Cup…
As cyberattacks and privacy breaches mount, Nordic nations are leading the move to recalculate how digital-dominant economies operate.
The global shift toward cashless payments—a shift driven by speed, convenience, and digital innovation—has gained significant momentum in recent decades. The Covid-19 pandemic and the preference of younger generations for digital transactions have led many to consider a cashless society inevitable.
However, recent wars, natural disasters, and other crises have revealed vulnerabilities in fully digital systems. This has prompted a global reassessment of the significance of physical cash. Increasingly, governments, central banks, and technologists are endorsing a hybrid payments model that combines the benefits of digital transactions with the resilience, privacy, and inclusivity offered by physical money.
No region has embraced the cashless future quite like the Nordic nations. Sweden, in particular, has developed a largely digitalized economy. Sweden and Norway have the world’s lowest amount of cash in circulation as a share of GDP, according to Sweden’s Riksbank. Currently, about one-tenth of in-store purchases in Sweden are made with cash, compared to about one-half in the euro area.
Magnus Lageson, chief product officer at Sweden’s Crunchfish Digital Cash, has not used cash for over 10 years, he tells Global Finance. “The younger generations, like my kids who are 17 and 19, have never used cash in Sweden—and it’s the same for everyone in their generation,” he says.
Recently, however, the Nordic countries have begun to reassess their nearly cashless societies. One immediate concern is the Ukraine-Russia war and the threat of Russian hybrid warfare that might include cyberattacks and assaults on power grids and telecom infrastructure. In situations where electricity is lost, digital payment systems may fail.
Last November, Sweden’s government distributed a brochure entitled “In Case of Crisis or War” to all households. This brochure advised Swedes to keep on hand “enough cash for at least one week, preferably in different denominations.”
Norway has similarly advised its citizens to maintain a supply of physical cash, because digital payment systems are vulnerable to cyberattacks from abroad. Last year, legislation was passed to make it easier for Norwegians to use cash. Finland has also encouraged its citizens to prepare an “emergency home kit” that should include a small amount of cash in case of disruptions to payment systems.
There are several reasons why Sweden, Norway, Finland, and other nations may want to retain a cash option. Cash transactions are private, whereas digital payments, especially within a central bank digital currency (CBDC) framework, may allow for government monitoring, such as tracking purchasing habits and locations.
Additionally, marginalized groups, including low-income individuals, still rely on cash for their daily transactions. Not everyone owns a smartphone or has a bank card.
New Zealand Flips The Switch
In February 2023, Cyclone Gabrielle knocked out power and telecom systems across vast areas of New Zealand. Many bank ATMs and other electronic payment infrastructure went dark, leaving people unable to pay for essential items like water and food for days in some regions.
The impact of Cyclone Gabrielle highlighted the importance of cash as a reliable payment option during community-level or national emergencies, as Karen Silk, assistant governor at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ), tells Global Finance. The country is proceeding with a pilot program aimed at developing digital cash for citizens and businesses. This would function similarly to traditional physical cash.
India, concerned about its unbanked population, has developed an offline digital payment system called UPI 123PAY, which allows users to perform transactions without an active internet connection. However, the system still requires at least a feature phone.
A study published by the European Central Bank (ECB) in December revealed that most euro-area consumers still consider having cash as a vital payment option. This sentiment has increased over the past few years, rising from 60% in 2022 to 62% in 2024. Remarkably, even among young people aged 18-24, 55% consider the option to pay with cash at least “fairly important.”
“The march toward a cashless society is not inevitable,” says Jay Zagorsky, a professor at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business and author of The Power of Cash: Why Using Paper Money Is Good for You and Society, in an interview with Global Finance. “I think that once people understand that paper money has many benefits—from ensuring privacy to reducing the price people pay to protecting them from natural disasters—cash will enjoy a rebound.”
Ignazio Angeloni, a former ECB official and current fellow at Milan’s Bocconi University, expresses his satisfaction with the renewed respect for cash. “I was always convinced that physical cash should be part of a diversified and robust payment ecosystem,” he says. “I am glad to see that an increasing number of people and institutions share this view.”
‘Only Elderly People Still Use Cash’
Tory Jackson, Head of Business Development and Strategy, Galileo Financial Technologies
Not all economists, policymakers, and central bankers share Zagorsky’s optimism about cash use. Paul De Grauwe, a professor at the London School of Economics and a former member of Belgium’s Federal Parliament, notes, “The use of coins and paper money is declining inexorably. Only elderly people still use cash. I think this trend is not going to stop.”
The convenience of digital payments cannot be overlooked. For instance, 29 out of 30 professional football stadiums in the US have gone cashless. The growing length of concession lines largely drove this decision. Handling cash—making change and counting bills—was slowing down service, leading many fans to forgo food and drinks rather than wait. By banning cash, stadiums created a win-win for fans and vendors alike.
In Latin America, digital payments are increasingly the preferred option for many consumers, both online and offline, according to Tory Jackson, head of business development and strategy for Latin America at Galileo Financial Technologies. Cash accounted for 57% of consumer-payment volume in the region in 2022, including the informal economy, reports Payments and Commerce Market Intelligence (PCMI). That figure has since dropped to 37%.
There is a prevailing sense of inevitability regarding the shift toward digital payments. As Crunchfish’s Lageson puts it, “The future is cashless; there is no turning back.”
But maybe it’s not so inevitable.
Are Digital Systems Too Fragile?
The Nordic countries were pioneers in digital payments, but they may be reaching the limits of a cashless society.
Vitalik Buterin, a co-founder of Ethereum, recently commented, “[The] Nordics are walking back the cashless society initiative because their centralized implementation of the concept is too fragile. Cash turns out to be necessary as a backup.”
Currently, digital payments rely on three legs: electricity, communications, and computers. All three must work all the time for digital transactions to occur, Zagorsky points out. In a cashless system, adversaries can disrupt the economy by targeting any one of these legs—whether by attacking the power grid, cutting telephone cables, or hacking payment-system servers.
Arina Wischnewsky, Economist, Research and Teaching Associate, Trier University
A more practical solution that many central banks are advocating is a hybrid system: using digital transactions as the default option while maintaining cash as a parallel system to ensure privacy, accessibility, and contingency planning, says Arina Wischnewsky, an economist and a research and teaching associate at Trier University in Germany.
“A completely cashless society has always been more of a theoretical ideal than a realistic short- to medium-term goal,” Wischnewsky says. “The idea of completely abandoning physical cash is increasingly viewed as both risky and exclusionary, particularly in light of financial-inclusion and crisis-resilience concerns.”
Are Offline Digital Payments Viable?
In April, the Bank of England (BoE) released a report evaluating the feasibility of implementing offline payment functionality for a yet-to-be-created digital pound sterling. This option “might provide additional resilience in the event of network disruption or outage of telephony services, and support financial inclusion and certain payment use cases, such as transportation,” the central bank proposed. Several technology companies, including Thales, Secretarium, Idemia Secure Transactions, Quali-Sign, and Consult Hyperion, submitted prototypes to the BoE.
In a similar vein, the ECB issued a substantial tender in 2024 for fintech companies to develop a digital euro with offline capabilities.
Piero Cipollone, a member of the ECB executive board, emphasizes the importance of maintaining payment options. “The inability to use physical cash in online transactions or for digital payments at the point of sale deprives us of a key payment option, reducing resilience, competition, sovereignty, and ultimately, consumers’ freedom to choose how to pay,” he stated in a recent speech to the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs of the European Parliament.
New Zealand’s projected digital cash solution would be Bluetooth-powered, enabling store purchases even when the power grid or wireless towers fail. Today, New Zealanders can’t make instant payments electronically to each other “unless they are both with the same bank,” says Silk.
None of these solutions has been implemented at scale, however. The BoE project demonstrated that while an offline digital pound might be technically feasible, there are questions about “security, performance, and user experience challenges which need to be explored further,” and particularly “security challenges related to double spending and counterfeiting.”
Keir Finlow-Bates, CEO and founder of blockchain research and development firm Chainfrog, says that the technical challenges of offline electronic cash aren’t dissimilar to those faced years earlier by cryptocurrency developers. In a 2024 blog post, he references the “double-spend” problem. “How does one make a digital construct behave like a physical object so that only one person can own it at a time? That is the core problem when designing and implementing offline digital cash.”
Wischnewsky acknowledges that offline private digital transfers are technically possible and that many projects, including offline CBDCs, show promise. Still, “These solutions are not yet mature, widely scalable, or secure enough for full deployment in a [national] payment system.”
The benefits could be tantalizing, though. “Choosing to pay with an ‘offline digital euro’ would allow you to maintain a level of privacy that is close to cash,” writes Maarten G.A. Daman, data protection officer at the ECB, in a post on The ECB Blog. “You could pay a friend for your share of a dinner, and only you and your friend would know the payment information. How? You would simply both have the digital euro app on your smartphones and hold them next to each other to transfer the money.”
Not only could the offline option allay privacy concerns, it could also ensure that the poor, elderly, or geographically isolated members of society aren’t further disadvantaged. This last group is of particular concern for China’s government, whose digital yuan is nearing full rollout.
“Cash remains an integral component of consumer payments, especially among China’s rural and semiurban population,” Kartik Challa, senior banking and payments analyst at GlobalData, tells Global Finance. “Offline payments could be a key bridge for inclusivity in a cashless society.”
A MUM is ho-ho-home and dry for Christmas already — with £2,000 of gifts all set to go under the tree.
Charlotte Chandler started buying presents for her children Harley, 14, Evie, 13, and six-year-old Myles in June.
The 36-year-old says stocking up early takes off the pressure during the festive period.
She said: “Getting organised early makes a massive difference.
“I usually start in June but sometimes I start earlier.
“This way, I can spread the cost but also be less stressed nearer Christmas and have spare money for activities.
“Going through a busy shopping centre in December and fighting for a parking space is a no thank you.”
And she resists any urge to keep adding to her stockpile.
Charlotte said: “I don’t keep going until Christmas. I’m done now.”
The well-organised content creator, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, hides the presents in two 7ft cupboards with locks on them.
Besides the £2,000 on gifts, single mum Charlotte will add about £10 a week to her food shop to buy festive treats such as crisps, nuts, chocolates and fizzy drinks.
She said: “Anything to keep those stress levels down and enjoy Christmas.”
Christmas Eve boxes are out – the new trend parents are gifting kids instead, it’s cheaper & they’ll enjoy it more too
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Charlotte Chandler started buying presents for her children in JuneCredit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia
TSMC has been one of the biggest under-the-radar AI winners.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing(TSM 0.24%) is far from the flashiest artificial intelligence (AI) name out there. It doesn’t design chips like Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices, and Broadcom, and, as such, it doesn’t tend to get the same hype.
However, all these chipmakers hand their designs to TSMC for large-scale manufacturing, turning them into real products. That’s why it’s not only one of the best, but one of the safest ways to invest in the AI infrastructure buildout. It wins no matter which chip designer takes the lead, and it’s generating a ton of cash doing it.
Even Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang went out of his way to praise the company. He called TSMC “one of the greatest companies in the history of humanity,” adding that “anybody who wants to buy TSMC stock is a very smart person.” That is not the kind of praise Huang throws around lightly.
Image source: Getty Images.
TSMC has a foundry nobody can catch
TSMC is the top foundry in the world, producing most of the world’s advanced chips. Rival Intel(INTC 2.20%) has been trying to build its own foundry business, but it is losing money and hasn’t been able to gain any ground. In fact, the U.S. government recently made a large investment in the struggling company, reportedly to help bolster it.
Samsung, meanwhile, has struggled with production yields. It also recently lost one of its advanced chip designs, as Alphabet switched to TSMC for its Tensor G5 chip used in its Pixel smartphones. Neither Intel nor Samsung has shown that they can match the scale or reliability of TSMC.
That’s why TSMC has locked in almost every large AI chipmaker as a customer. Chip designers are constantly looking to shrink node sizes, and TSMC is the only foundry that has shown it can consistently produce advanced nodes with strong yields. Nodes are a reference to the size of the transistors used on a chip, measured in nanometers. With smaller nodes, more transistors can be packed onto the chip, which improves performance and power efficiency.
Smaller nodes are becoming an increasingly larger part of TSMC’s mix. Chips built on 7-nanometer or smaller nodes are already nearly three-quarters of TSMC’s revenue, while its 3nm chips alone are almost one-quarter. Meanwhile, it is already preparing to move into 2nm.
TSMC is a cash flow machine
One of the most overlooked parts of TSMC’s story is its cash generation. In 2024, it produced more than $26.5 billion in free cash flow. That was after spending heavily on building new fabs. So far this year, it’s already generated over $15 billion in free cash flow despite continued heavy capex spending. It’s also paying a growing dividend off that mountain of cash.
Most people think of foundries as low gross margin businesses; however, TSMC is changing that narrative. Its leadership in advanced nodes has given it strong pricing power over the years. Nobody else can deliver chips at the same density and yield, so customers are willing to pay up. That’s why its margins have stayed strong and have been increasing.
TSMC is an under-the-radar stock
Investors don’t talk about TSMC with the same excitement they talk about Nvidia or AMD. That could be because it’s not a brand consumers recognize, or perhaps because the foundry business isn’t just quite as exciting. It’s also not a U.S.-based company, with its headquarters in Taiwan.
However, TSMC has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the AI buildout, and it should continue to be a big winner moving forward. Last quarter, its revenue climbed 44% to $30 billion, while its profits soared. Meanwhile, management expects AI chip demand to grow more than 40% annually through 2028. The company is working closely with its largest customers to increase capacity, so it should have good visibility into this growth.
Overall, TSMC is one of the most important companies in the AI supply chain. Without it, the current AI infrastructure buildout wouldn’t be possible. It’s growing rapidly, expanding margins, and generating a boatload of cash.
Despite that, the stock is one of the most attractively valued AI plays in the market, trading at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 24.5 times based on analysts’ 2025 estimates and a price/earnings-to-growth ratio (PEG) of less than 0.65. Stocks with PEG ratios below 1 are generally considered undervalued.
Investors would be smart to heed Jensen Huang’s advice and be a buyer of TSMC.
Geoffrey Seiler has positions in Alphabet. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Alphabet, Intel, Nvidia, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: short August 2025 $24 calls on Intel. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
A MUM who swindled more than £75,000 in benefits to pay for a boob job and luxury holidays then turned to running an illegal puppy farm to make more cash.
Tammy Hart, 48, made at least £35,000 from her criminal farm after being released from jail for wrongly claiming tax credits to fund her plush lifestyle.
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Tammy Hart, 48, swindled more than £75,000 in benefits to pay for a boob jobCredit: WNS
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After being released from jail, she then started an illegal puppy farm to make even more cashCredit: WNS
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She was found holding 29 dogs which were cooped up in pens covered in faeces and urineCredit: WNS
Hart had also lied that she was single – when she was secretly married to the father of her two children.
A court heard she and her husband Neil Hart, 53, lived a “lavish” lifestyle after wrongly pocketing taxpayers’ money.
After being jailed for two years, she then turned back to crime, becoming an unlicensed dog breeder following her release.
Hart’s illegal puppy farm was busted, and the benefit swindler was ordered to pay more than £40,000 as a result.
The mum-of-two – then going by the name of Tammy Gunter – had already been ordered to pay back £23,358 from her benefits fiddle.
At the earlier hearing seven years ago, prosecutor Nuhu Gobir said Hart was granted tax credits by saying she was a single mother – and also made false claims for student finance and a £2,000 NHS bursary to train as a nurse.
Overall, Hart was handed £76,008.63 in tax credits between 2007 and 2016, the court heard.
She also took out a loan of £22,000 at one point for a holiday home in the US.
Mr Gobir said: “They were already in a relationship and had been living together as a family since 5 December, 1997.”
Forced to sleep next to rotting pig carcasses & left starving in faeces-smeared caravan… the puppy farm from hell that reveals true horrors of vile trade
He said Hart claimed tax credits for nine years when she was working part-time in a shop and a garage.
Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard Hart even forged a letter purporting to be from HMRC.
Mr Gobir said: “Tammy Gunter made a claim that she was a single person working at least 16 hours per week.
“She stated that she had two children and no other income. The defendant dishonestly maintained she was single. She enjoyed a lavish lifestyle.”
Describing her false claim, Mr Gobir said: “She stated that she was separated and was a single parent with two dependent children.
“Neil Hart lied about his address to assist Tammy Gunter with the application. The total loss to the public purse in effect is £87,450.”
The DWP, HMRC and the HS Counter Fraud Service Wales began a joint investigation in January 2015 and the couple were arrested.
Hart admitted being knowingly concerned in fraudulent activity undertaken with a view to obtaining tax credits, one count of forgery and four counts of fraud.
Byron Broadstock, defending Hart, of Blackwood, South Wales, said the couple had a “tumultuous” relationship.
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Hart and her husband Neil Hart, 53, lived a ‘lavish’ lifestyle after wrongly pocketing taxpayers’ moneyCredit: WNS
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She was ordered to pay more than £40,000 after being found illegally selling the puppiesCredit: WNS
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Hart was given a suspended prison sentenced for unlicensed dog breeding and now ordered to pay back the money in a Proceeds of Crime hearingCredit: WNS
He said: “Many of the purchases that have been described as extravagant, they are out of the ordinary. They were often gestures in reconciliation.”
He said the plastic surgery “wasn’t simply for purely cosmetic reasons. It was psychological reasons.”
Hart was jailed for two years, while her husband was jailed for six months.
But when she was released she set up her dog breeding business.
Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard between September 2021 and May 2022 Hart had advertised 17 litters for sale, with puppies sold at upwards of £1,500 each.
She was found with 29 dogs cooped up in pens which were covered in faeces and urine. The animals were found to have serious health conditions with one puppy suffering from deformities.
Hart was given a suspended prison sentenced for unlicensed dog breeding and has been ordered to pay back the money in a Proceeds of Crime hearing.
She was sentenced to a 16-week custodial sentence suspended for 52 weeks for charges including causing unnecessary suffering to one of the 29 dogs.
She also admitted three counts of a banned practiced under The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 for not declaring selling puppies in course of business, two counts of unlicensed dog breeding and three counts of failing to look after the needs of animals.
Hart was also disqualified from dealing in all animals for a period of seven years under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Hart was ordered to pay a Confiscation Order of £35,639.43, to be paid within three months or face a custodial sentence of 12 months at Cardiff Crown Court.
She was also ordered to pay costs of £8,000, to be paid within three months after the confiscation order is paid.
Cllr Philippa Leonard, Caerphilly council’s Cabinet Member for Public Protection, said: “Unlicensed dog breeding is a serious matter, and it is hoped that the outcome of this case will serve as a strong deterrent to those who operate illegally.
“This case serves as a reminder of the importance of adherence with dog-breeding regulations and the necessity to obtain the required licences so that we as a council can monitor and safeguard animal welfare at dog breeding establishments.”
“Whenever possible Caerphilly County Borough Council will use the provisions of the Proceeds of Crime Act to deprive convicted unlicensed dog breeders of their ill-gotten gains.
“If anyone is concerned or suspicious of illegal dog breeding, please contact our Trading Standards or Licensing teams. Your information will help us tackle illegal puppy breeding in Caerphilly and will help stop animals being exploited by unscrupulous breeders.”
SOME people enjoy netball or cross-stitch, but my hobby is booking holidays – and I’m really good at it.
I know a lot of people hate searching for a family holiday, working out what resort is best and whether it’s good value for money, but I enjoy it and it can save you A LOT of money.
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Helen says family holidays are her favourite hobby.
I treat it like a sport, and as a family of four, with two children aged 8 and 5, we have been on some brilliant budget breaks.
There is no better feeling than getting a really great deal for a week in the sun, and I’ve got some great tips to help you do the same.
I go through the flights, hotels and dates with a fine-tooth comb, working out little ways to save.
It’s even easier to do this at the end of the school holidays or in the shoulder season, such as the October half term, because there are some great deals around.
I have been doing this since my early 20s, after picking up the habit from my dad – back then, the best bargains were on last-minute deals.
We used to pack our suitcases, and my dad would be on the phone to Teletext Holidays, nabbing a same-day bargain.
His greatest achievement was booking a flight that had already started boarding. Although we’d never be able to do that now.
However, it’s still a thrill when you lock in a trip for a bargain price. It makes the holiday instantly better.
Sometimes it’s a small saving, like finding a cheaper airport transfer and saving £20, but sometimes my research pays off, saving hundreds, and nowadays it all adds up.
Getting a package deal
Last year, I got my biggest saving yet on a family holiday to Greece.
The Peloponnese penninsula – an underrated Greek holiday destination
By booking everything individually, instead of going for a package deal, I saved over £1000 – which was a third of the price.
I couldn’t believe it!
Having just moved house, we hadn’t booked anything for the summer, hoping to utilise the garden.
But the end of term was approaching, and after months of grey skies and drizzle, I decided we needed a proper holiday.
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Dad, Simon, on pool duty with the kidsCredit: Helen Wright
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The best deals were in Greece.Credit: Louis Apostolata Island Resort
Heading first to a popular holiday provider, I browsed the best deals across all six weeks of the kids’ school break.
I didn’t have a set departure airport or destination in mind, and I kept the dates and length of time we’d be away flexible, which meant I had a wide range to choose from.
The deal was pretty good. Flights from London, a week’s half-board in a four-star resort, a suitcase each and transfers to and from the airport in Greece for £3400.
But, since we hadn’t planned on a summer holiday, it was still over budget.
That’s when I started looking into each aspect separately. I discovered that instead of flying with the designated airline, we could fly with Ryanair for half the cost.
Flights were £140 return on the budget airline.
Since we didn’t need four suitcases, we just booked one between us for the week, immediately saving another £150 on the Ryanair flights.
Going onto the hotel’s own website, I noticed that I could book directly with them, and the price was coming up a lot less.
They also had an offer on a room upgrade if you signed up for the mailing list. We actually ended up with a nicer room while paying less.
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Louis Apostolata had a great dealCredit: Louis Apostolata Island Resort
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Helen’s family ended up getting two trips for almost the same amountCredit: Helen Wright
The only thing that wasn’t covered was transfers. On the package deal, a coach transfer was included, but it also stopped at a number of other hotels.
When I looked it up, a taxi to the resort was only £80 return.
However, even with this on top, we still saved a whopping £1001 on the whole trip, which in total cost £2300.
We used the money we saved to book a weekend in Disneyland Paris in October.
Again, I booked everything separately, using the Eurotunnel to drive to France and booking a hotel close to the theme park with 2-day tickets for just £440 for all of us.
Our trip only cost £1300.
After saving money on our Greece trip, I told people that Disneyland only cost us £300!
Book carefully
My advice would be to always book with reputable suppliers, because you could end up forking out more if they are not legitimate.
If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is.
I do like DIY holidays, but I am not against booking a package deal, and sometimes they are so good, I can’t beat them.
Our favourite places to shop for a package holiday are Jet2holidays and TUI.
Booking a package means you get extra protection for your holiday through regulators like ABTA, ATOL and ABTOT.
This means you’ll get your money back on all aspects of the package in the event of any holiday disasters, like flight cancellations or issues at the hotel – which I wouldn’t have had with my DIY version.
For peace of mind, some people prefer to pay extra and not have to think about that, but massive holiday disasters are rare so I am happy to take the risk.
A SUPERMARKET giant has made a huge change to its shops, in a boost for customers who want to pay with cash.
Morrisons has introduced 40 cash machines into its supermarkets across the UK, making it the UK’s largest non-bank network.
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Morrisons has made a huge change to shops in a boost for customersCredit: Getty Images – Getty
A further 13 ATMs are set to launch in the coming months to make it even easier for customers to access cash.
Shoppers can use the ATMs to withdraw and pay in money as part of their regular shop.
The ATMs are now available in the following Morrisons supermarkets:
Acocks Green
Speke
Eccles
Witham
Aldershot
Swadlincote
Failsworth
Blyth
Bideford
Swinnow Road
Grays Buxton
Bishop Auckland
Wednesbury
Hull (Holderness Road)
Colwyn Bay
Bromsgrove
Kirkby
Ilkeston
Dover
Cardonald
Bellshill
Leyland
Letchworth
Carmarthen
Castle Bromwich
Malton Nelson
Chippenham
Coalville
Oswestry
Redcar
Crossmyloof
Hyde
Partick
Oxted
Ebbw Vale
Sidcup
Small Heath
New Milton
Read more on supermarkets
So far, more than £1million a month has been paid into banks using these ATMs.
The machines are operated by NoteMachine and were delivered thanks to a partnership with Cash Access UK, a company funded by major high street banks to bring cash services to communities.
Ben Mildred, treasury manager at Morrisons, said: “We’re proud to be helping make banking more accessible by offering cash deposit services in our stores.
“Customers have told us they like the flexibility and convenience the cash deposit ATMs offer and so we are pleased to be rolling them out to more stores in the coming weeks.”
The news comes after UK banks closed more than a third of branches over the past five years, leaving customers without access to banking services.
Many banks also offer a mobile banking service, which is when they bring a bus to your area to provide services you can usually get at a physical branch.
Other banks use buildings such as village halls or libraries to offer mobile banking services.
You should check your bank’s website to see what mobile services are available and when they might next be in your area.
New super ATMs are being rolled out across the UK where branch closures have left residents unable to access essential banking services.
These ATMs will allow customers to withdraw funds, access their balance, change PIN numbers and deposit cash.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
Imogen Farmer was taken shopping in London as a reward for her A-level grades last year
Hundreds of thousands of GCSE students are nervously waiting for their results this week – and for some, a shiny, often expensive reward might be at stake.
Ahead of results day on Thursday, BBC News has spoken to students and parents about whether the promise of jewellery, gifts or cash for grades can actually motivate teens to do better in their exams.
Imogen Farmer, from Essex, was taken with her twin sister to London by their parents after they got their A-level results last year and given some money to spend as a reward.
“I bought Vivienne Westwood jewellery and then they took us to quite a fancy restaurant that we’d always wanted to go to,” Imogen says.
“But I think I knew in the back of my head if I did well or even if I didn’t do well, I’m sure our parents would have taken us out anyway for working hard.”
Imogen doesn’t think the reward would have made a difference to the amount she studied as she was always “quite ambitious” – and her parents didn’t mention it until after her exams were over.
Jess Cooper, from Birmingham, jokes that her reward was “not getting kicked out of the house”.
“Good grades were a reflection of how hard you tried at school,” she says.
“My parents are very proud of me and tell me all the time. I’m very working class, we have the grit and we try our hardest.”
Both Imogen and Jess both say some students in their classes were offered money for each top grade they achieved – while others were even promised “first cars” if they got the results they needed.
Jess Cooper
Student Jess Cooper believes for those that don’t like school, rewards could make them more motivated
Some parents believe the offer of a reward or financial incentive can help with motivation.
Leon Smith, from Surrey, has given his children a £50 reward for passing their exams, saying it helps them get into the right mindset beforehand.
“It means that, when they revise, they have the motivation and they will spend an extra hour looking at their books rather than playing video games”, the father-of-six explains.
He says his son Isiah, who has just finished Year 6 and took his Sats earlier this year, was particularly motivated to do well after watching his older sister Reah receive the £50 prize the year before.
“It gives them some form of incentive and the ability to work towards something,” Leon says.
He now plans to offer rewards for his children at GCSE and A-levels too.
Leon Smith
Leon Smith plans to offer a financial reward to his children at GCSE and A-levels to help their motivation
Mum-of-two Elaine Dean, from Manchester, says the promise she made of cash-for-grades ended up costing her “more than anticipated”.
The former primary school teacher decided to give her son Zach between £5 and £15 based on each grade for his GCSE exams two years ago, but she says she was really rewarding his effort.
“You don’t want to build up too much pressure on them, praise and parental involvement throughout their school years is far more important,” she says.
Zach received his A-level exam results on Thursday.
“I think his reward is going to be a city break with his brother but he hasn’t decided yet.”
Do rewards for good grades work?
Experts say the effectiveness of rewards very much depends on the student and their relationship with learning.
Rewarding effort rather than grades can be a far more long-term and sustainable strategy for parents, according to psychologist Natasha Tiwari.
“Cash or big-ticket treats can work in the short term,” she says, but they also risk making students think of achievements as “transactional”.
She believes a special day out, or being allowed to redecorate their bedroom or host some family or friends can be a far more powerful reward than “cash in an envelope”.
Different rewards – or none at all – can create tension within friendship groups too, she says.
“There is a distinction to be made between a reward for good grades and a treat to acknowledge their effort,” says Manny Botwe, president of the Association of School and College Leaders.
Secondary school head Manny says he is sceptical of the long-term benefits of trying to reward performance.
“I worry about the youngsters who don’t get good results, it’s ‘deal or no deal’,” he says.
“My advice for parents would be not to make their children feel their value is directly related to the grades they get. From very early on, I like to emphasis the intrinsic value of education.
Officials in US President Donald Trump’s administration made comments saying the equity stake was not to run the firm.
United States Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has said the US government wants an equity stake in Intel in exchange for cash grants approved during the administration of former President Joe Biden.
Separately, also on Tuesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said any US investment in Intel would be aimed at helping the troubled chipmaker stabilise.
Asked about reports that the US was considering taking a 10 percent stake in Intel, Bessent told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” programme: “The stake would be a conversion of the grants and maybe increase the investment into Intel to help stabilise the company for chip production here in the US.”
Bessent gave no details about the size or timing of any US stake in Intel, but said any investment would not be aimed at forcing US companies to buy chips from Intel.
Bessent’s comments were the first official response from the Trump administration after Bloomberg News reported on Monday that the US government is in talks to take a 10 percent Intel stake in exchange for $7.9bn in grants that were approved for the US chip company during the Biden administration.
‘Not governance’
“We should get an equity stake for our money,” Lutnick told CNBC. “We’ll get equity in return for that … instead of just giving grants away.”
Lutnick said the US does not want control of the company.
“It’s not governance, we are just converting what was a grant under Biden into equity for the Trump administration for the American people.” He suggested any stake would be “non-voting,” meaning it would not enable the US government to tell the company how to run its business.
He made his comments a day after SoftBank Group agreed to invest $2bn into the chipmaker, which has struggled to compete after years of management blunders.
“The Biden administration literally was giving Intel money for free and giving TSMC money for free, and all these companies just giving the money for free, and Donald Trump turned it into saying, ‘Hey, we want equity for the money. If we’re going to give you the money, we want a piece of the action for the American taxpayer,’” Lutnick said.
Intel and TSMC, a Taiwan-based chipmaker, did not immediately comment.
Intel helped launch Silicon Valley, but has fallen behind rivals like Nvidia Corp and Advanced Micro Devices Inc and is shedding thousands of workers and slashing costs under its new CEO, Lip-Bu Tan. It recorded an annual loss of $18.8bn in 2024, its first such loss since 1986.
Intel plans to end the year with 75,000 “core” workers, excluding subsidiaries, through layoffs and attrition, down from 99,500 core employees at the end of 2024. The company previously announced a 15 percent workforce reduction.
Trump recently said Tan, who was made CEO in March, should resign. But after meeting with him last week, Trump relented, saying Tan had an “amazing story”.
BRITS could receive as much as £2,500 in free cash to spend in the likes of Greggs, M&S or Waitrose, thanks to a scheme run by a major energy supplier.
E.ON has relaunched its ‘refer a friend’ scheme and the company will hand out £50 in retail vouchers for customers and their friend, if there is a successful referral.
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E.ON customers could find themselves better off to the tune of £2,500 thanks to the company’s ‘refer a friend’ schemeCredit: EPA
So under the new, improved scheme both the existing customer and the new one will both receive the voucher.
Both parties will receive their voucher once the new customer has paid their first direct debit.
Julian Lennertz, Chief Commercial Officer, E.ON Next, said: “We know our customers have really valued the £50 credit they received on their energy account under our previous scheme.
“We’ve also learned that our customers want more choice over where and how they spend their £50 thank you, so they can get the best value for them.
“That’s why they can now choose from hundreds of retailers.
“And because we appreciate all of our customers, old and new, we have expanded the scheme to reward our new customers as well as the existing ones who are making the referrals.”
E.ON Next’s new scheme has been launched in collaboration with its new referral partner, MentionMe.
To be eligible, all existing customers have to do it simply sign up to the scheme.
‘It’s a no brainer’, says Martin Lewis as he reveals ‘easy win’ way to slash energy bills with swap
There are some strings attached though.
To be eligible for the voucher, the new customer must transfer from another supplier and sign up to through the existing customer’s unique MentionMe link.
Customers can make up to five referrals a day, with an overall total of 25 referrals each year.
Which means that both the customer and friends could be better off to the tune of £2,500.
Last month, millions of households were urged to apply for free energy grants worth up to £1,700.
Families who have fallen behind on their gas and electricity bills qualify for help through a little-known fund.
TheBritish GasIndividual and Families Fund is open to prepayment meter customers who are in up to £1,700 worth ofenergydebt.
If you can’t get help through British Gas’ Individual and Families Fund, you might be able to knock money off your energy bill through the Household Support Fund.
The fund is a giant £742million pot of money that’s been shared between councils in England.
These local authorities are now distributing their share of the fund and can set their own eligibility criteria.
That means what you’re entitled to depends based on where you live, but you will likely qualify for help if you’re on benefits or a low income, and may be able to get energy vouchers or cash.
Speak to your local council about what help is on offer. You can find your nearest by visiting – www.gov.uk/find-local-council.
HomeAwardsAward WinnersBest Treasury and Cash Management Providers 2025: Central and Eastern Europe
TCM banks are beefing up their commitment to the region with innovative offerings and enhanced client services.
In a dynamic financial landscape, leading banks serving Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) are distinguishing themselves by offering innovative strategies in cash management, payments, and liquidity. Underlying these achievements is an industrywide focus on digital transformation, enhanced client services, and regional market leadership.
The continuous evolution of the banks’ offerings underscores a collective commitment to supporting businesses in CEE with robust and innovative financial solutions. From leveraging advanced digital platforms to expanding cross-border capabilities and prioritizing sustainability, this year’s TCM honorees are setting new benchmarks in transaction banking, promising to ensure that their clients in the region are equipped to navigate the complexities of the global financial environment.
Best Bank for Transaction Banking | UniCredit
UniCredit, is a triple honoree as Best Bank for Transaction Banking, Best Bank for Long-Term Liquidity Management, and Best Corporate Cross-Border Payments Solutions, sees the CEE region as a crucial strategic pillar.
“Fully relying on our well-established Group Payments Solutions organization, we apply a global-local approach, ensuring every CEE client is serviced with suitable and advanced solutions, supporting regulatory transitions,” says Alessandro Soru, head of payments and cash management for CEE. “For example, following recent announcements, we support Bulgaria moving to the euro, Serbia joining SEPA, and multiple other regulatory initiatives through the region.”
UniCredit is also implementing multiple payments innovations in the CEE markets. Since June, the bank’s corporate and retail clients in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Romania can make direct payments worldwide in exotic currencies from all channels via the bank’s UC PayFX platform.
“The same applies for knowledge sharing regarding other industrial developments,” Soru adds, “such as the digital euro and central bank digital currencies, which we constantly investigate for potential business opportunities that can be diffused across our group.”
Best Bank for Cash Management | Raiffeisen Bank International
Raiffeisen Bank International prioritizes innovation and collaboration, enhancing digital offerings and streamlining international processes such as SEPA Instant Payments (under the EU’s Single Euro Payments Area) and Swift ISO 20022 migration through its new cash management digital ecosystem.
Best Bank for Financial Institutions, Best Bank for Payments & Best Bank for Collections | ING
ING is a full-service, pan-European payment and cash management provider, boasting a strong euro-clearing position and a robust presence in CEE that makes the bank a regional gateway. Annelinda Koldewe, global head of Payments and Cash Management, emphasizes ING’s “leading positions in transaction and universal banking. We offer extensive local services to consumers and large corporations, with each client receiving a dedicated global support team.”
Via ING’s proprietary network and global partners, the bank provides broad traditional trade and working capital solutions. In trade commodity finance services, ING enhances fronting structures, structured letters of credit, export letter-of-credit confirmations, and discounting to reduce risk-weighted assets and boost competitiveness. ING’s Sustainable Supply Chain Finance solution helps buyers achieve their sustainability goals by linking performance to discount rates.
“ING actively standardizes and digitalizes processes to increase straight-through processing and reengineers customer journeys to minimize manual steps for standard offerings, allowing focus on tailor-made products for large corporates,” says Koldewe. “We’ve also developed an account bank proposition for structured finance clients.”
In 2022, Komgo Konsole became available at ING Germany and Komgo Trakk through ING Italy. ING and Komgo jointly launched an enhanced market solution, expanded to include asset distribution. Throughout 2024, ING developed and enhanced its OneWeb channel for small to midsize enterprises, substantially completed the OneWeb bank guarantee module for Belgium, and achieved same-day processing on the bank’s proprietary supply chain finance platform.
Best Provider of Short-Term Investments/Money Market Funds | Erste Group
Erste receives praise for its strong digital capabilities and comprehensive transaction-banking solutions for short-term liquidity, along with an active asset management arm.
Digitalization has accelerated a move toward real-time payments for Latin American banks, along with a host of new capabilities and offerings.
The global pandemic accelerated a digital transformation across Latin America. Since then, businesses have increasingly embraced online portals and mobile apps for payments, collections, and reporting.
This shift has fueled a significant trend toward real-time payment systems. Pix, the Central Bank of Brazil’s instant-payment platform, exemplifies this transformation, inspiring Colombia, Chile, and Peru to develop their own real-time capabilities. Accordingly, banks are stepping up to provide immediate processing, reconciliation, and liquidity updates, ensuring seamless financial operations for their clients.
Best Bank for Transaction Banking & Best Corporate Cross-Border Payment Solution | Santander
Santander, a pan-Latin American powerhouse in transaction banking, earns titles as Best Bank for Transaction Banking and for providing Best Corporate Cross-Border Payments Solutions. Operating across Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay, the bank effectively covers 80% of the region’s GDP.
Prioritizing customer service, Santander invests heavily in cutting-edge technology and digital infrastructure, particularly in cash management, to deliver innovative solutions. These include strategic alliances with SAP, API instant bank position tools, and visibility of incoming and outgoing cross-border payments directly from the Swift’s G4C tracker, as well as significant enhancements to the bank’s own Nexus Global Collections and Nexus Global Portal.
“Latin America is a key region for Santander,” says Mencía Bobo, global head of Global Transaction Banking at Santander Corporate and Investment Banking, “and we continue to invest in strengthening our competitive offerings and digital capabilities. Our commitment to innovation and deep market knowledge helps us stay close to our clients, supporting them through this period of rapid technological disruption.”
Best Bank for Cash Management & Best Bank for Financial Institutions | Citi
Citi boasts a high-return business with revenue exceeding $19.6 billion in 2024: a 9% increase from 2023 and a remarkable 16% annual growth rate since 2021. Citi’s offerings include Spring by Citi for seamless online payments, an instant-payments network with Pay by Bank, and sophisticated liquidity-management tools including Real-Time Liquidity Sharing and Virtual Accounts.
Payment Exchange further streamlines both business-to-business and business-to-customer flows. Recent additions include a white-label, cross-border payment tracking solution; CitiDirect Digital Onboarding for rapid account opening; and DocuSign for secure e-signatures.
Best Bank for Long-Term Liquidity Management | BBVA
BBVA maintains a strong presence across Latin America, including Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela. BBVA is consistently recognized for its digital transformation efforts and for its innovative treasury and liquidity management solutions, leveraging its robust regional network to facilitate efficient cross-border cash management.
Best Bank for Payments & Best Bank for Collections | Scotiabank
Scotiabank offers Telebanking, an intuitive digital platform that streamlines cashier’s checks, transfers, and mass payments. Recent innovations include an in-house payment button, a dynamic online-payments dashboard, and customized reporting functionalities.
“Our client-centric strategy has driven the development of innovative digital solutions that simplify and optimize treasury operations across Latin America,” says Chad Wallace, the bank’s executive vice president of Global Transaction Banking. “From real-time cash visibility and automated collections to integrated payment platforms and advanced reporting tools, we are helping clients manage complex financial ecosystems with greater security and efficiency.”
Scotiabank’s deep regional presence gives it a nuanced understanding of local market dynamics, Wallace says, enabling the bank to deliver highly effective solutions. “Digitization and personalized service are key to meeting and exceeding client expectations,” he says. “By combining technology with deep transaction banking expertise, we work to deliver a consistent and exceptional banking experience across our footprint in the Americas.”
Best Provider of Short-Term Investments/Money Market Funds | Itau Unibanco
Itau Unibanco distinguishes itself for technological innovation and sophisticated treasury solutions that are essential for effective short-term investment management. Itau also boasts a significant asset management arm, further solidifying its position on the financial playing field.
