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The Global Retirement Report has named the best country for pensioners in 2025, with Europe coming first in quality of life and healthcare

New research from The Global Retirement Report has unveiled the top destination for pensioners in 2025. The comprehensive study assessed 44 nations across the globe that provide passive income visas or retirement residence permits, examining key elements including economics, taxation, quality of life, safety and integration.

Whilst European nations dominated in quality of life and healthcare provision, American countries proved strongest for tax efficiency. Meanwhile, Asian destinations earned praise for their warm climates and budget-friendly cost of living.

Patricia Casaburi, CEO at Global Citizen Solutions, commented: “This year’s ranking is led by Portugal, Mauritius, Spain, Uruguay, and Austria, countries that excel across our six sub-indexes and set the gold standard for international retirement migration”, reports the Express.

10. Chile

Chile has incredible natural beauty and an immersive culture, which makes it an attractive option for many pensioners. The country is also considered one of the safest in South America and has low levels of corruption.

9. Latvia

Latvia is an increasingly popular destination for British expats due to its affordable cost of living and healthcare system. The country offers beautiful coastal towns, historic cities and gorgeous natural landscapes.

8. Malta

Retiring in Malta is a popular choice for those looking for a peaceful and beautiful place to enjoy their retirement. Malta offers cheap property prices, friendly locals and a warm climate.

7. Slovenia

According to International Living, Slovenia is a hidden gem in Europe. It offers a fantastic balance of affordable living, stunning natural beauty, rich culture, and welcoming people. The country has “everything an expat could want at a price that won’t break the bank”.

6. Italy

Italy is also a popular country for British expats, with warm weather, delicious food, and excellent healthcare. Pensioners looking for a slower pace of life will find it in some of Italy’s most stunning regions, which offer a relaxed and balanced way of life.

5. Austria

Experts at Expatica explained: “With its high quality of life, low crime rate, and excellent social security system, it’s hardly surprising that nearly a third of expats living in Austria consider staying there for life and spending their retirement there. All in all, for those retiring in Austria, life is pretty sweet.”

4. Uruguay

Uruguay has a wonderful culture, beautiful beaches, an affordable cost of living, and a subtropical climate, making it an attractive destination for thousands of expats who choose to retire there every year.

3. Spain

Spain often ranks among the top five international retirement spots. Experts at Immigrantinvest explained: “Its warm climate, rich culture, affordable cost of living, and high-quality healthcare system make Spain an attractive option for retirees.”

2. Mauritius

According to the Global Retirement Report, Mauritius is the second-best country to retire abroad, with a score of 89.24.

Dr Laura Madrid Sartoretto, Research Lead at GCS’ Global Intelligence Unit, said: “Mauritius has a very reliable procedure. It’s fast, transparent, and one of the countries that has the best options for tax optimisation. People who don’t want to have any fiscal risk when moving abroad with their pensions choose countries like Mauritius because it doesn’t have a worldwide tax system.”

1. Portugal

Portugal has been crowned the most attractive destination in the world for retirees, offering “high standards of living and quality healthcare with relatively low day-to-day expenses”.

Portugal has a pleasant climate, charming cities and idyllic rural and coastal scenery. Christina Hippisley, General Manager of the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce in the UK, said: “Portugal is an outstanding destination for retirees and well-deserving of being crowned the world’s top retirement location.”

WASHINGTON — The Navy admiral who oversees military operations in the region where U.S. forces have been attacking alleged drug boats off Venezuela will retire in December, he and the Defense Secretary announced Thursday.

Adm. Alvin Holsey became the leader of U.S. Southern Command only in November, overseeing an area that encompasses the Caribbean Sea and waters off South America. These types of postings typically last between three and four years.

The news of Holsey’s upcoming retirement comes two days after the U.S. military’s fifth deadly strike in the Caribbean against a small boat accused of carrying drugs. The Trump administration has asserted it’s treating alleged drug traffickers as unlawful combatants who must be met with military force.

Frustration with the attacks has been growing on Capitol Hill. Some Republicans have been seeking more information from the White House on the legal justification and details of the strikes, while Democrats contend the strikes violate U.S. and international law.

Holsey said in a statement posted on the command’s Facebook page that it’s “been an honor to serve our nation, the American people and support and defend our Constitution for over 37 years.”

“The SOUTHCOM team has made lasting contributions to the defense of our nation and will continue to do so,” he said. “I am confident that you will forge ahead, focused on your mission that strengthens our nation and ensures its longevity as a beacon of freedom around the globe.”

U.S. Southern Command did not provide any more information beyond the admiral’s statement.

In a post on X on Thursday afternoon, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth thanked Holsey for his “decades of service to our country, and we wish him and his family continued success and fulfillment in the years ahead.”

“Admiral Holsey has demonstrated unwavering commitment to mission, people, and nation,” Hegseth wrote.

Officials at the Pentagon did not provide any more information and referred the Associated Press to Hegseth’s statement on social media.

The New York Times first reported on Holsey’s plans to leave his position.

Toropin and Finley write for the Associated Press.

A recent study has pinpointed the perfect spot to enjoy some sea air and unwind after decades of work

After years of toiling away in bustling towns and cities, it’s no surprise that many retirees crave a more peaceful existence. A recent study has pinpointed the ideal spot to enjoy some sea air and unwind after decades of graft, with a Welsh seaside town being hailed as the best place for a tranquil retirement.

This year’s list, compiled by Taking Care, is topped by the Victorian seaside destination of Llandudno. This charming town, nestled on the North Wales coast, clinched the top spot, outshining Glossop, Tynemouth and Ilfracombe.

The study took into account factors ranging from life expectancy to property prices to average care home costs, should they ever be needed.

Beyond the core statistics, the study also factored in the amount of green spaces, bingo halls, English Heritage properties and other amenities that contribute to an entertaining lifestyle.

With a population of just 19,700 according to the 2021 census, the town offers ample opportunities for socialising, but also plenty of quiet spots when you need a breather.

The town’s seafront is its heart, boasting a two-mile stretch of Victorian terraces intermingled with grand hotels, reports Wales Online.

There are numerous lovely shops, restaurants, churches, and museums to discover, and the pier boasts a selection of slot machines and a pub with views across the beach – something that residents are delighted to say feels like stepping back through time.

Ray, 80, who moved to Llandudno nearly three decades ago, told The Telegraph: “Living here is like going back 50 years.

“The older ladies still dress nicely. You can go out for walks after dark. There are no rough gangs going around swearing and fighting.”

Adjacent Conwy can also provide a delightful day trip to explore additional retailers and boutiques offering a much wider selection.

Helen Parkes, who relocated to the town with her family, added: “It’s [Llandudno] lacking in terms of retail and culture – Conwy next door has had more spent on it and has more independent shops – but living here, you do realise life’s not all about spending.”

While picturesque North Wales might be the perfect location for retirement, Scotland seems to have surfaced as one of the worst options, particularly its capital.

Amongst all the places evaluated, Edinburgh came last with an average life expectancy of 79 and an overall lifestyle score of 3.8/10, proving that city living can come at a cost.

The capital also proved to be expensive, with annual care costs in the city hitting nearly £40,000 on average, with just one care home for every 778 elderly residents.

If you’re thinking of relocating for retirement, you have some big decisions to make! First you should weigh the pros and cons to see if relocating is really your best move. Yes, you can end up with a lower cost of living, but will you be far from loved ones, and can you handle that?

Next, you’ll need to choose your destination. Once you choose it, it can be smart to just try living there for a few months or a year, to see how good a fit it is.

Image source: Getty Images.

We’ve got reports on the best states to retire in and the cheapest states, as well. The best states include Florida, Nebraska, Maryland, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The least costly states include Pennsylvania, Iowa, Tennessee, Nevada, and Texas. Remember, though, that the most affordable states could have features you don’t like, like poor access to good healthcare or tough winters or summers. And the best states might cost a little more than you’d like.

If you’re wondering which cities to consider, you might focus on the states that seem best for you and then check out which towns in them get the highest marks. Or search online for lists of great retirement cities.

One such list, from U.S. News and World Report, featured the following top five cities for retirees: Naples, Florida; Virginia Beach, Virginia; New York City, New York; Sarasota, Florida, and Boise, Idaho. I’ll state the obvious here: They are very different places. Virginia Beach’s recent median home value was $376,063, while Naples’ was $1.2 million. Sarasota has a population of 56,000, while New York City’s tops 8 million.

Make a list of your most important factors — such as climate, affordability, healthcare access, taxes, crime, recreational opportunities, etc. — and see which cities best fit your needs.

Luc Robitaille knew his hockey playing career was over when it took him longer to get his battered body ready for a game than it did to play it.

“It became harder and harder physically,” said Robitaille, whose next stop was the hall of fame. “I think I knew at that point.”

And once his mind was made up, there was no turning back.

For Anze Kopitar, who is in the peak of good health, the decision was a little different. The Kings’ longtime center announced last month that, at 38, he will retire after this season and spend more time with his family. But, like Robitaille, there will be no turning back.

“I’m not going to change my mind,” he said.

In fact, he’s not going to change anything. Kopitar said he’s approaching this season, his 20th with the Kings, the same way he approached the first 19.

“The last few years, I told myself that I have to enjoy it because you don’t know when the ending is com[ing],” he said. “So I’ve been enjoying it. I’m obviously having a lot of fun, still playing the game. This year won’t be any different.

“The focus is still on this season.”

A season that kicks off Tuesday when the Kings host the Colorado Avalanche. But while Kopitar is starting the season the same way as always, he’s hoping for a different ending since the Kings’ last four years have ended with first-round playoff losses to the Edmonton Oilers.

Another Stanley Cup title would be a nice parting gift, especially since Kopitar, entering a team-record 10th season as captain, would be the first man to hoist the trophy, an honor that went to Dustin Brown when the Kings won in 2012 and 2014.

“I’d like to win every year. I’d like to win this year,” he said.

“My kids weren’t born when we won, so I’d like to win so they can experience that feeling too.”

Kings captain Anze Kopitar skates during a game against the Chicago Blackhawks in March.

(Michael Reaves / Getty Images)

However Kopitar’s season finishes, his career will end with him joining Robitaille, now the Kings president, in the Hockey Hall of Fame. He is the Kings’ all-time leader in games (1,454), assists (838) and winning goals (78) and ranks in the top three in goals, points, plus-minus and power-play scores.

And just nine players in NHL history have played more games with one team than Kopitar, who has spent his entire career with the Kings.

Unlike Robitaille, he’s hardly hobbling off into retirement. He led the Kings with 46 assists and was second with 67 points last season, playing in 81 of 82 games. He also won his third Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, which goes to the player exhibiting the best sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct in the NHL.

But his two children — daughter Neza, 10, is a talented figure skater and son Jakob, 9, plays hockey — deserve more of his time and attention, he said.

“I still love to be in hockey and I’m still productive,” Kopitar said. “But on the flip side, the kids need their dad to be more present and be a dad, not a hockey player. I can walk away on my own terms and not be forced to retire because of injuries and because the body’s not holding up.”

Anze Kopitar and his wife, Ines, attend a Lakers game at Crypto.com Arena in January 2024.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

That wasn’t Robitaille’s experience. A fractured ankle late in career and lower back pain so severe he could hardly get out of bed, led to his retirement in 2006, less than six months before Kopitar’s NHL debut.

“It kind of felt to me that I had squeezed everything out of the lemon. There was nothing left,” Robitaille said. “I was really at peace.”

As for what advice he’d give his captain, Robitaille said he’ll tell Kopitar to make time to stop and smell the roses on his last trip around the league.

“If you listen to 99% of the guys that retire in any sport, the one thing they miss is the [locker] room,” he said. “So when you know you’re near the end, you’ve got to make sure you pay attention to every one of those little moments that you’re going to miss for the next 50 years of your life.

“You’re playing a game. You’re 30 years old or 40 years old — 38 for Kopi — and he’s playing a game. It’s amazing. Most people don’t get to do that in their life, you know?”

Kopitar’s decision comes with the Kings at a crossroads. They tied team records for points (105) and wins (48) last season while going a franchise-best 31-6-4 at home in Jim Hiller’s first full season as coach. That earned the team second place in the Pacific Division, its best finish in a decade.

Kings captain Anze Kopitar, left, speaks to defenseman Drew Doughty during a game against the Winnipeg Jets in December 2023.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The postseason was déjà vu all over again, however, with the Oilers eliminating the Kings.

General manager Rob Blake resigned four days later and was replaced by Ken Holland, who won four Stanley Cups as GM of the Detroit Red Wings. The Kings’ core is also in transition because when Kopitar steps aside, only defenseman Drew Doughty will remain from their Stanley Cup-winning teams.

“Passing the torch, [we]’ve been trying to for the past few years, been trying to mentor some of the kids in this locker room,” Kopitar said. “Maybe that’s what it is.”

Holland had mixed results in his first summer with the Kings, adding forwards Corey Perry (who will miss the first month of the season because of a knee injury) and Joel Armia, defensemen Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci and goalkeeper Anton Forsberg, and re-signing winger Andrei Kuzmenko to a club-friendly contract.

Also back are leading scorers Kevin Fiala and Adrian Kempe, who had 35 goals each, wingers Warren Foegele and Quinton Byfield and goaltender Darcy Kuemper, who had a career-best 2.02 goals-against average and finished third in Vezina Trophy voting.

But Holland lost veteran defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov to the New York Rangers and failed to land Mitch Marner, the summer’s most-sought player, who wound up in Las Vegas.

And now he’s the team’s first general manager in two decades who has been forced to ponder a future without Anze Kopitar.

Anze Kopitar takes the ice before a game against the Winnipeg Jets in December 2023.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

“We’re really going to enjoy having Kopi in the lineup this year. But next summer it’s going to be a big void,” Holland said on the Canucks Central podcast. “He’s big and strong. And it’s hard to find big, strong, talented centermen.

“He’s very intelligent. And I think the team follows his lead.”

As for Kopitar, he’s not thinking past the next nine months. He has the rest of his life to figure out what comes next.

“I haven’t really given too much thought of what’s going to happen [next], except for being home for my kids,” he said. “I’ll take my time and then see what, see what life throws at me.

“I’m going to miss the game of hockey. What I’m not gonna miss is working out, getting ready for the season, all the hours you’ve got to put in. But the game itself, of course, I’m going to miss it. It’s been here for the better part of 35 years. But listen, the summers are going to be more enjoyable.”

The S&P 500 has continued to notch new record highs this year, thanks in large part to soaring interest in artificial intelligence (AI) technology, which is fueling massive spending on both hardware and software. But as impressive as the S&P 500’s 17% gains over the past year have been, they pale in comparison to AI data analytics company BigBear.ai Holdings‘ (BBAI 9.63%) 273% climb over that period.

When a stock delivers returns like this in such a short amount of time, it’s understandable that some investors might start to think that buying and holding it could help them retire as millionaires. We’re in the early innings of AI, after all, so why can’t brighter days still be ahead for this stock?

Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s the right way to think about BigBear.ai. In fact, it might be best not to own this stock right now at all. 

Image source: Getty Images.

Why BigBear.ai stock is soaring

There’s a lot of optimism among investors right now surrounding artificial intelligence stocks, as companies and governments invest in AI data center infrastructure and increase their use of AI software. One way BigBear.ai is tapping into this demand is by offering AI logistics and analytics, which can improve the efficiency of everything from supply chains to national security.

Management says the company’s total addressable market was $80 billion in 2024, but it forecasts that it could grow to $272 billion by 2028 for the combined private and public sectors. Part of the enthusiasm for the company’s shares comes as the U.S increases its spending on AI defense, a market that could be worth up to $70 billion by the mid-2030s. BigBear.ai makes a “significant portion” of its revenue from government contracts, and AI defense is an important component of its potential.

Also, because AI stock enthusiasm is sky high right now, BigBear.ai has at times surged for no obvious reason. Case in point: Last week, after trending down over a period of a couple of months, it jumped by more than 10% in a single session on no news at all.

Why BigBear.ai won’t help you retire a millionaire

If the good news is that BigBear.ai’s stock has made impressive gains over the past year (albeit quite bumpy ones), the bad news is that the company has little to show in the way of growth. Revenue fell 18% year over year to $32.5 million in Q2, following another decline in Q1.

With sales slipping, management recently cut its revenue guidance for the year to about $132 million — 22% lower than the midpoint of its previous forecast. Lower sales volumes from some government contracts were the problem during the quarter, but upon closer inspection of the details, BigBear.ai’s situation doesn’t look much better.

The company’s gross margins slid to 25% in the quarter, down from nearly 28% in the year-ago period. That continued a pattern of inconsistency over the past year. Worse, BigBear.ai is nowhere near profitable. Its non-GAAP (adjusted) earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) came to a loss of $8.5 million in the quarter, significantly worse than its adjusted loss of $3.7 million in Q2 2024.

The picture that should be coming into focus here is that BigBear.ai isn’t much of a growth stock. A temporary slowdown in business could be forgivable, but that’s not happening with the company. Instead, its sales continue to slide, and its losses are widening.

With all that in mind, I have serious doubts that BigBear.ai stock could grow from here in a way that would help its shareholders retire as millionaires. The stock is riding the AI wave right now, but financial reality will eventually catch up with it.

Anze Kopitar, widely considered the greatest player in Kings franchise history and poised to become the team’s all-time leading scorer, announced Thursday he will retire at the end of the 2025-26 season.

Entering his 20th season with the Kings and the final year of his contract, the decision was somewhat expected from the 38-year-old team captain. He told KCAL News last month he was thinking about retirement and that it could be his last NHL season.

Kings general manager Ken Holland told NHL Network Radio in July that Kopitar indicated he wasn’t seeking a contract extension this summer and was intending to take things a “year at a time.”

Kopitar’s announcement came only hours after Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw announced he would retire at the end of the season.

Kopitar’s Hall of Fame credentials have already been established. The greatest player ever from Slovenia, he helped lead the Kings to the franchise’s Stanley Cup victories in 2012 and 2014 as part of a core four that included Dustin Brown, Jonathan Quick and Drew Doughty.

Kopitar is second all-time in franchise scoring, with 1,278 points in a franchise-leading 1,454 games played. He is 30 points away from breaking Marcel Dionne’s team record for most points (1,307). He ranks third all-time in franchise goals (440) behind Luc Robitaille (557) and Dionne (550) and leads in assists (838). He is a two-time Selke trophy winner (best defensive forward) and three-time Lady Byng trophy winner (gentlemanly play).

Drafted 11th overall by the Kings in 2005, Kopitar made an immediate impact during his 2006-07 rookie season, finishing with 20 goals and 61 points for a downtrodden team that was in the middle of a six-year playoff drought.

Kings center Anze Kopitar celebrates with the Stanley Cup after the Kings defeated the New Jersey Devils to win the franchise’s first title in 2012.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Eventually, with Doughty joining the team in 2008 coupled with steady growth from Brown, Quick and Kopitar, the Kings returned to the playoffs in 2010 before capturing the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in 2012.

Kopitar has stood out on a team that has had many greats, including NHL all-time leading scorer Wayne Gretzky.

“It’s really hard for me to sit here and say I’m the greatest King. That’s just not my personality. Far from it,” Kopitar told The Times’ Helene Elliott in 2023. “There’s been great Kings in this organization, with Marcel, Luc, Dave [Taylor], Wayne, Blakey [Rob Blake]. The list can go on for a little bit. Brownie. Individually, yes, but it’s about collective wins.”

With Kopitar’s decision, the biggest roster question facing the Kings remains whether they can re-sign Adrian Kempe to a long-term deal. Kempe, who has led the team in points the last two seasons, is in the final year of his contract.

The Kings open the preseason Sunday against the Ducks in the Empire Classic at Toyota Arena in Ontario. They begin the regular season against the Colorado Avalanche at Crypto.com Arena on Oct. 7.

This is a developing story. The Times will have more on Kopitar’s decision to retire at the end of the season soon.

Stacy Lewis, the captain of the United States’ 2024 Solheim Cup-winning team, says she will retire from golf at the end of the LPGA season.

The 40-year-old won 13 LPGA titles, including two majors, and led the United States to victory over Europe in last year’s Solheim Cup.

She also spent 25 weeks as world number one and was named LPGA Player of the Year in 2012 and 2014.

Lewis’ achievements came despite being diagnosed with curvature of the spine at the age of 11 and spending the next seven years wearing a back brace for 18 hours a day.

“Never in a million years would I have thought this journey playing golf would still be going in 2025, but the time has come to put the clubs away,” Lewis wrote on social media.

“I am going to miss the LPGA Tour family and this part of my life, but my body has told me it’s time.”

Lewis’ two major victories were at the 2011 Chevron Championship and the 2013 women’s British Open.

She represented the United States four times at the Solheim Cup as a player and twice as captain – including last year’s dramatic 15½-12½ victory in Virginia – as well as finishing in a share of fourth place at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The UK offers plentiful options for people looking to relocate, with the possibility to embrace a new lease of life for soon-to-be-retiree

Whilst numerous Britons reach retirement contentedly settled in their ‘forever home’, others may discover they fancy relocating somewhere fresh – whether that’s seizing the chance to downsize, relocate nearer to relatives, or experience a different rhythm of life, reports the Express.

The UK provides abundant choices for those considering a move, with the prospect of different surroundings, the opportunity to release some equity when downsizing, and the capacity to embrace a fresh start all thrilling possibilities for the approaching retiree.

“Identity is a big issue in retirement, and when you move house, you can reinvent yourself,” wrote Celia Dodd, author of Not Fade Away: How to Thrive in Retirement. “People don’t know you as the person who used to go off to work on their bike every day, they don’t have preconceptions of you. Your new surroundings will encourage you to think differently about things.”

So where might the over -60s consider relocating to ‘shake things up’? Have a look at our compiled selection below.

Amersham and Chesham

Legal and General this year named verdant Amersham and Chesham as the premier destination for retirement, drawing on information concerning six ‘pillars’ of contented living, encompassing accommodation, wellbeing, social connections and community, financial circumstances, countryside and facilities. The Buckinghamshire area topped the list in a study by a financial services group, scoring an impressive 93 out of 100 for health.

This reflects the high number of over-65s in good physical and mental health, as well as excellent access to GPs. All other ‘pillars’ scored over 60, making this constituency a well-rounded environment for later life.

Tucked away in the picturesque Chiltern Hills, these towns offer a mix of rural charm and city convenience. The market town of Beaconsfield and Surrey Hills towns Dorking and Horley took 2nd and 3rd place in the rankings, respectively.

Llandudno

For those seeking a peaceful seaside retirement, the Welsh coastal town of Llandudno came out on top in a study conducted by personal alarm supplier Taking Care this year.

The research considered various factors, from life expectancy and property prices to the average cost of care homes if needed. In addition to these key statistics, the study also looked at the amount of green spaces, bingo halls, English Heritage properties and other leisure facilities.

This Victorian resort features a delightful promenade overlooking a breath-taking peninsula between the Great and Little Orme headlands. Other locations that made the cut were Glossop, Tynemouth and Ilfracombe.

Exeter

The Telegraph – alongside estate agents Savills – compiled a ranking this year of the top 10 retirement destinations, taking into account various crucial elements such as ‘the number of hospitals, GPs and dentists per 10,000 people and the availability of shops and green spaces nearby’.

Leading their rankings was the south coast gem Exeter. ‘Compact and convenient’, yet brimming with natural splendour, the historic city offers heritage at its doorstep, boutique retailers and independent coffee houses, plus a lively social atmosphere.

Regularly hailed as amongst the finest places to reside, work, and learn in the UK, there’s abundant choice for pensioners seeking to embrace a fresh chapter in life. Runner-up in the survey was Merton, South West London, whilst nearby Richmond-upon-Thames claimed third spot.

Wimborne

Analysis by retirement community developer McCarthy Stone reveals growing appetite for developments in more obscure towns, with Wimborne, Dorset leading their rankings.

Chrissy Fice, Marketing Director at McCarthy Stone, commented: “With access to local amenities being named as the top ‘must-have’ by three quarters of over 65s, other things people are looking for include good transport links, handy supermarkets, a central location within a 15-minute walk, and either a coast or country backdrop.”

Market town Wimborne fulfils those criteria – and beyond – offering waterside serenity, cultural attractions, independent retailers and dining establishments, plus a thriving retired population. Other hidden treasures that made the list by McCarthy Stone include the verdant Sutton Coldfield, the historic Stratford-upon-Avon and the medieval Waltham Abbey.

There’s a lot to think about when you’re moving for retirement, like healthcare access, chances to make new friends, being close to nature, local facilities and financial stability.

For those considering a move, Rangeford Villages, a retirement village firm, offers the following advice:

• Research and visit prospective areas – chat to locals already living there to get a well-balanced picture of a place
• Review your budget – if necessary, consult a financial advisor to ensure fiscal planning is thorough
• Assess your desired lifestyle – does the area you’re looking at provide the opportunities you need?
• Location evaluation – consider proximity to family and friends, healthcare, shopping and nature.

If you want ideas and inspiration to plan your next UK adventure plus selected offers and competitions, sign up for our 2Chill weekly newsletter here

Sept. 1 (UPI) — Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler, the longest-serving congressional member from New York, announced he has decided not to run for re-election next year in order to make room for a younger generation.

Nadler, 78, who serves New York’s 12th Congressional District — which includes Midtown and the Upper West and Upper East sides of New York City — told the New York Times in an interview published Monday that it is time, after 34 years, for a generational change.

“Watching the Biden thing really said something about the necessity for generational change in the party, and I think I want to respect that,” Nadler told The Times, adding that someone younger “can maybe do better, can maybe help us more.”

In December, Nadler said he was forced to step down as the leading Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee in favor of a younger colleague. He threw his support behind Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., as his replacement.

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as chairman and ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee these past seven years,” Nadler wrote last year in a letter to his colleagues.

“I am grateful to have had the opportunity to help lead our party’s efforts to preserve the rule of law and to provide for a more just society that respects the civil rights and civil liberties of all Americans,” he said. Nadler served as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee from 2019 to 2023.

Nadler was also preparing to face a much younger primary challenger in next year’s election. Liam Elkind, 26, who created an organization during the COVID-19 pandemic to deliver food and medicine, said his election challenge was a way of “respectfully asking” Nadler to retire.

While Nadler did not discuss who might replace him, he urged other aging Democrats to follow his lead.

“I’m not saying we should change over the entire party,” Nadler said. “But I think a certain amount of change is very helpful, especially when we face the challenge of Trump and his incipient fascism.”

On Labor Day, Nadler honored “the generations of working people who built this country and the unions that won us safer workplaces, fair wages and the weekend.”

“I will always stand with workers and their unions. And I will continue fighting back against the Trump administration’s unprecedented attacks on labor, attacks on the right to organize, on workplace protections and on the dignity of work itself,” Nadler wrote Monday in a post on X.

“Because when organized labor is strong, America is strong.”

Aug. 29 (UPI) — Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, will not seek re-election when her term ends next year, people familiar with her decision have said.

Multiple sources have confirmed the decision to NBC News, CBS News and Politico.

Democrats’ hopes for a win in the state could be lifted, though they haven’t won a Senate race in Iowa since 2008.

Ernst, 55, won re-election by more than six points in 2020, and President Donald Trump won the state by 13 points in 2024. But the state elected President Barack Obama twice.

Democrats already have joined the race for Senate, including state Rep. Josh Turek, state Sen. Zach Wahls, Des Moines School Board Chair Jackie Norris and Marine and Army veteran Nathan Sage.

Senate Republicans and their leadership already were worried about her planning to retire and have been lobbying for her to run again, Politico reported. Rep. Ashley Hinson also has expressed interest in running if Ernst retires. She will announce her bid by the end of September, another anonymous source told Politico.

NATO Ambassador Matt Whitaker may also run for the seat, according to NBC News.

Ernst has faced political setbacks, including backlash from MAGA allies over her hesitation to confirm Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. In May she made headlines when she said, “We all are going to die,” when a town hall participant said the cutbacks to Medicaid in the “Big Beautiful Bill” would cause people to die.

Ernst, a former Army Reserve and National Guard officer, first ran for Senate in 2014 to replace retiring Democrat Tom Harkin. She won the office and had promised to only serve for two terms.

The country tops the list for travellers looking for top-quality healthcare abroad, with an overall healthcare score of 78.72. The UK didn’t make the top 10 and ranked 27th out of 110.

Almost half of Brits are planning a winter getaway, with one in six jetting off to Asia, the Middle East, Central and South America, according to Scott Dunn Travel. However, health concerns while abroad are a worry for some holidaymakers.

New research from 1st Move International Removals has delved into healthcare options overseas. The study evaluated factors such as medicine availability and cost, government readiness, and medical infrastructure and professionals.

Shockingly, the UK didn’t even make it into the top 10, coming in at 27th out of 110 countries. The UK scored 47.15 out of 100 on the Healthcare Index, but did best in the Medical Infrastructure and Professionals category with 78.03, reports the Express.

So, which country offers the best healthcare for travellers?

Taiwan takes the top spot for those seeking high-quality healthcare abroad, boasting an overall score of 78.72.

With an impressive infrastructure rating of 87.16, Taiwan’s efficient medical system ensures easy access to top professionals and facilities. Its highly praised National Health Insurance (NHI) system caters to both nationals and expats, making Taiwan an ideal destination for health-conscious travellers.

South Korea takes the second spot, providing peace of mind for tourists with a robust healthcare score of 77.7. Renowned for its state-of-the-art hospitals and skilled staff, South Korea’s infrastructure scores 79.05, ensuring dependable care for visitors.

The nation’s healthcare system, which operates on a national health insurance model, also benefits expats who are eligible to enrol after six months.

Australia ranks third, offering reliable healthcare to tourists with an overall score of 74.11. With an infrastructure rating of 90.75, the country boasts some of the world’s top hospitals and professionals.

Australia offers comprehensive medical coverage for its residents through Medicare, including GP appointments and hospital visits. For expats, a two percent Medicare Levy is applicable.

Here are the top 10 countries offering the best healthcare for travellers:

1. Taiwan – 78.72

2. South Korea – 77.7

3. Australia – 74.11

4. Canada- 71.32

5. Sweden – 70.73

6. Ireland – 67.99

7. Netherlands – 65.38

8. Germany – 64.66

9. Norway – 64.63

10. Israel – 61.73

Countryfile star John Craven is a well-known face on TV, but the presenter is notoriously private about his personal life

Countryfile presenter John Craven has remained a television favourite for more than five decades since landing his breakthrough role hosting Newsround in 1972, the BBC’s dedicated children’s news programme.

Armed with his warming approach and natural passion for broadcasting, John has built a remarkable television career, including his stint presenting Countryfile from 1989.

Away from the cameras, John retreats to his Oxfordshire home, where he’s resided for many years. The broadcaster shares his life there with wife Marilyn, and the pair have been together for more than half a century.

The dedicated television personality is also a proud dad to two daughters and a loving grandfather to their offspring, reports the Express.

The duo are believed to have first crossed paths before 1970 whilst John was stationed at the BBC in Newcastle upon Tyne, with Marilyn working as a production secretary on Look North.

The couple have cultivated a solid relationship and deliberately keep their family life away from the public.

During a 2019 interview with the Daily Mail, John expressed his satisfaction with his present career path and dismissed any desire for celebrity events, declaring bluntly: “I have no need. My career isn’t faltering.”

Looking back on his enduring marriage to Marilyn, the broadcasting stalwart disclosed his formula for marital longevity.

He told the publication: “It helped that she worked in TV. She knew how it was.”

John continued: “We hadn’t been together that long when I was asked to move to Bristol and I wasn’t sure if she would say yes, but she did, and it was the best thing that ever happened to me.

“She keeps me grounded. She’s been my rock. Without being too soppy, she was always there for me, which is the main thing in my business because it can be precarious.”

Born in 1940, John, 85, originates from Leeds, Yorkshire and, after departing school at sixteen, began an apprenticeship at the Yorkshire Copperworks where his passion for journalism blossomed when he started writing for the company publication.

He was then catapulted to fame on Newsround during the 1970s, but at 85 years old, he displays no indication of slowing down and has previously mentioned that whilst he assumed he would have retired by now, he doesn’t wish to abandon doing what he adores just yet.

John voiced his concerns about being labelled a legend on BBC’s The One Show, declaring: “I don’t really like being called a legend because, yeah, I’m getting on a bit, but I still feel quite useful.”

When questioned by the host why he remains so popular with audiences, John responded: “I think it’s because I’m regarded as almost a friend.

“To this day, people come up to me and say, ‘Thank you for being part of my childhood. Thanks for telling me what was happening in the world‘.”

The broadcaster, who recently celebrated 35 years presenting the documentary series, had previously revealed his desire to have his ashes scattered at his beloved Yorkshire spot, reports the Express.

He admitted: “Still one of my favourite places in the world is Wharfedale and Otley Chevin, where I used to cycle with my mates.

“I love the coast too, especially Whitby, though we had family holidays in Bridlington because I suspect it was a bit cheaper.

“I’d like to come home and have my ashes scattered in Yorkshire, maybe on the top of Otley Chevin,” he revealed to The Yorkshire Post back in 2019.

Countryfile is available for viewing on BBC One and iPlayer

Dividend investing allows you to have the best businesses in the world automatically send cash to your account on a regular basis. Investors looking to boost their passive income can find attractive dividend yields right now in the consumer goods sector.

To give you some ideas, read why three Motley Fool contributors recently selected Home Depot (HD 3.84%), JD.com (JD 2.17%), and Target (TGT 1.98%) as strong buys right now.

Image source: Getty Images.

A clear industry leader

Jeremy Bowman (Home Depot): Long a leader in dividend growth, Home Depot could also regain its reputation for steady price appreciation soon.

The home improvement retailer has struggled over the last few years due to a sluggish housing market, but the business could reaccelerate soon. First, the company is delivering steady growth with comparable-store sales up 1.4% in the second quarter, and revenue up 4.9% to $45.3 billion. Earnings growth was flat.

Adjusting for one fewer week in the fiscal year, it sees full-year revenue up about 5%.

On the macro front, bets are increasing that interest rates could come down soon. As the labor market cools, investors have gotten more confident that the Federal Reserve will cut rates at its meeting in September, and mortgage rates have hit a nine-month low.

While Home Depot is showing that it can grow without help from the housing market, it would certainly benefit from a recovery in home demand.

Over the long term, the company has shown it can be consistently profitable as the leader in the huge home-improvement retail segment, with little direct competition aside from Lowe’s, and that duopoly seems to benefit both companies.

Home Depot should also benefit from pent-up demand related to the national housing shortage, which is now estimated at about 4 million homes.

It now offers a dividend yield of 2.3%, and its competition between growth and income is a great feature for any long-term investor.

A dividend stock with tremendous upside potential

John Ballard (JD.com): JD.com is China’s second-largest e-commerce company, behind Alibaba. Macroeconomic headwinds over the past few years have weighed on consumer spending and sent JD.com shares down 71% from their previous highs. But this has driven its dividend yield up to an attractive 3.21% based on its last annual payout in April.

JD.com distinguishes itself from its larger competitor by using a direct-sales model. Unlike Alibaba, it invests in its own inventory that it can deliver through its extensive warehouse network to nearly anyone in China within one day.

It is investing in artificial intelligence to improve its supply chain efficiency, which could lead to margin expansion and benefit the stock. Management credited improving supply chain capabilities for increasing its operating margin from 3.9% in the second quarter of 2024 to 4.5% a year later.

Revenue is growing at healthy rates. The company reported a top-line increase of 22% year over year in the second quarter, with quarterly active customers growing 40%.

The improving financials of the retail business only make the stock’s yield more attractive. It pays a dividend only once per year, but the recent $1 payment could increase over the next few years if margins and revenue continue to rise, which is likely in a growing economy.

With JD.com trading at a low forward price-to-earnings multiple of 12, investors could see exceptional returns just from the stock climbing to a higher earnings multiple. The 3% yield is a nice bonus while you wait for the market to re-rate the shares with a higher valuation.

Low price, high yield

Jennifer Saibil (Target): Target stock continues to slide, and it fell further after results for the 2025 fiscal second quarter (ended Aug. 2) were reported last week. Revenue dropped less than 1% from last year, but comparable-store sales fell 1.9%. Earnings per share (EPS) of $2.05 were down from $2.57 last year, but they beat Wall Street expectations by $0.01.

The main disappointment for the market, though, wasn’t the quarterly report. CEO Brian Cornell had announced a few months ago that he was ready to step down, and along with the second-quarter report, the company announced the incoming CEO as current chief operating officer Michael Fiddelke. He’s a Target lifer, having started as an intern when he was in business school. The market was looking for an outsider to breathe new life into the company, not more of the same.

Fiddelke says that Target has fallen behind in leading with style, leaning into core categories without the extra touch that has always made it stand out. In addition to his goal of bringing back that magic, he noted that operations have become a bit messy, with stores often out of merchandise due to acting as delivery hubs. While that’s been great for its digital program, which continues to thrive, it’s been less so for the store experience.

Can Fiddelke bring Target back to growth? That remains to be seen. But it has nearly 2,000 stores, a successful digital business, and many loyal fans. So its turnaround chances are strong, especially once the economy becomes more hospitable. Over the long term, it offers excellent potential for the patient investor.

In the meantime, shareholders can enjoy an amazing dividend. Target is a Dividend King, having raised its dividend annually for the past 54 years, an impressive track record that means it’s super reliable. At the shares’ current low price, Target’s dividend yields a high 4.5%, making this an excellent entry point for years of passive income and wealth generation.

Rob Gronkowski first retired from the NFL in 2019 as a member of the New England Patriots.

The future Hall of Fame tight end retired again in 2022 as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

And even though he hasn’t played in the league since then, it appears that Gronk will retire one more time, again as a member of the Patriots.

The idea of Gronkowski signing a ceremonial one-day contract with the team that he helped win three Super Bowls was floated publicly Tuesday by Susan Hurley, the founder and president of the CharityTeams fundraising firm for nonprofits.

Hurley was speaking at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly built “Gronk Playground” on the Charles River Esplanade in Boston when she threw in a personal plea toward Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who was sitting behind Hurley next to Gronkowski.

“Can we just make it official and sign [Gronkowski] for a day so he can retire as a Patriot?” Hurley asked before looking in Kraft’s direction and adding, “What do you say?”

Gronkowski applauded and nodded while looking in Kraft’s direction. The owner, who was off camera at the time, apparently gave his approval, as Gronkowski later confirmed to reporters.

“[Kraft] gave her a thumbs up, so we’re going to make it happen in the future and it’s gonna be a special moment,” the five-time Pro Bowl selection said. “Come back for a day, a weekend, whatever it is. So we’ll make it happen and it will be a really, really cool moment. It’s gonna happen, we just don’t know when.”

The Patriots have not announced such a move and did not respond immediately on Thursday to The Times’ request to comment. On Wednesday, a somewhat less official announcement came on the Instagram account of the “Dudes on Dudes” podcast hosted by Gronkowski and former Patriots teammate Julian Edelmen.

“Gronk will sign a one day contract and retire a New England Patriot,” read the post that was accompanied by a video that featured Gronkowski speaking on the podcast about being drafted by the Patriots. The video doesn’t mention anything about him signing a one-day contract with the team, but it does feature a graphic that reads: “Breaking — Gronk will retire a New England Patriot.”

New England selected Gronkowski in the second round of the 2010 draft. He became a key and beloved member of the team’s dynasty under coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. After Brady left for Tampa Bay before the 2020 season, Gronkowski came out of retirement to join him and ended up winning his fourth career Super Bowl that year.

LYING in bed at night 68-year-old Melanie O’Reilly lay awake worrying about how she couldn’t afford to quit her £23,500 a year, 37.5-hour a week job working in a call centre. 

She was £13,000 in debt and knew she couldn’t afford to pay the £500 a month repayments to the bank – but she was desperately unhappy in her job.

1

Her days were spent fielding angry calls from Hounslow residents complaining about council tax and housing benefit. 

She had moved from South Africa to England in September 2019 with no savings but found a job quickly due to her past career in office furniture sales. 

However, the pandemic hit and in October 2020 she was made redundant before struggling to find a job at a call centre in the local council in Hounslow, West London in February 2022. 

“I couldn’t stand it anymore. I was sitting there most days in full-blown migraine feeling like I had sandpaper in my eyes, until I couldn’t see the screen anymore,” Melanie, now 69, said.

“I had been very good at my job in South Africa, and I was excellent at sales.”

“Suddenly I was being micromanaged by a 26-year-old, who would count how many times I went to the toilet in a day, and tell me off if I took 31 seconds on a call instead of 30 seconds.

“The staff turnover was ridiculously high and it started to affect my physical and mental health.”

Melanie, who had previously worked as an insurance PA in London before the move to South Africa, was utterly fed up, and knew she had to retire – but had no idea how she could do so with her mounting debt.

She had lent her son and daughter-in-law, who had also moved to the UK, money for a deposit on a home in Colne, Lancashire – but then disaster struck. 

Suddenly her daughter-in-law was made redundant shortly after they had their first child, meaning they couldn’t pay Melanie back as quickly as they’d planned. 

Melanie was also dealing with the financial fall out of splitting from her partner and she took out a £15,000 personal loan and she had mounting credit card debt of £3,000. 

Worryingly one in three people approaching retirement now have debt, with the average over-65 borrower owing £17,000, according to Money Wellness. 

Financial anxiety among the 65 to 74 age group has more than doubled since 2021.

“I had the personal loan, but I was not behind in my payments and I just knew, ‘I’ve got to leave. I have to retire.

“If I don’t, I am going to have a breakdown’,” Melanie said. 

“I decided to retire and I did, in April 2024. I called up Lloyds Bank and I said, ‘I’ve got this personal loan with you and I know that a few months from now I’m going to end up not being able to pay you.’

“I knew I had to take preventative measures before I got behind in any of my payments.

“I was hugely concerned about how to get Lloyds Bank to agree to a reduced monthly payment. 

“I knew I couldn’t pay them back £500 a month, and I knew they wouldn’t negotiate a new loan with me because I was unemployed, as I was now retired with no real income.”

Lloyds put Melanie in touch with Money Wellness, one of the largest providers of debt advice and debt solutions in the UK.

Money Wellness provides free, confidential support to anyone struggling with money or debt, with support available online 24/7 or over the phone, so people can get help in the way that suits them best.

Melanie still owed £13,000 of the £15,000 personal loan. She called Money Wellness, and they asked her to draw up an income and expense statement.

Advisors went through her statement in detail, making allowances for everything from clothing to haircuts, and calculating how much she could afford to pay back each month to help Melanie put a debt management plan in place.

“They were so empathetic and professional,” Melanie explains.  

“We revised the budget down to a manageable figure that I could pay Lloyds Bank back and by the end of it, it felt like this was too good to be true.

“They took the burden of negotiations off my shoulders and it was all done seamlessly for me without me having to worry about anything.”

The adviser told Melanie that they would negotiate the figure she had to pay back directly with Lloyds Bank, to the extent of setting up a debit order.

“After the call, I sat back and wept,” Melanie remembers. 

“I was hugely concerned because when I was working at the council, I had people calling me up saying, ‘I’ve got the bailiffs at my door. They’re bashing my door down. What do I do?’

“I did not want to be in that position, and I knew that that is a reality that can and does happen.

“I did not want to go anywhere near being that person who’s got the bailiff bashing at your door. That is why I nipped it in the bud before it became a problem.”

From paying £500 a month back, Melanie now pays back £134 a month, with no added interest. 

She lives in a HMO in Burnley so she doesn’t pay utility bills or council tax and receives housing benefits and pension credit.  

Her repayments come from a small state pension, pension credit and housing benefits.

She receives £456.64 state pension, £451.56 pension credit and £368.20 housing benefit every four weeks.

She’d had to spend her small private pension on replacing her car after a car accident, and buying essentials like furniture. 

Money Wellness reviews her plan annually, adjusting the amount if her income changes.

Melanie feels positive about the future and says the debt advice she received from Money Wellness is “the best decision I ever took”.

“For so long, I’d sat with this worrisome burden, thinking ‘I need to retire but I’ve got this debt. What do I do?’ Then these angels from heaven stepped up and helped me,” she adds.

“I feel as though a mountain had been lifted off my shoulders.”

The news seemed routine.

The ramifications could be resounding.

Late last month, LeBron James exercised his $52.6 million player option with the Lakers for next season. It was an expected transaction that, at first weary glance, appeared to be no big deal.

Of course he would take the guaranteed money, more than anyone else in the league besides Brooklyn could give him.

Of course he would stay in Los Angeles, where son Bronny sits on the bench and his home sits on a hill and his myriad businesses are sitting pretty.

Of course, of course, of course … but …

Bronny James (9) leaves the court ahead of father LeBron after a win over Minnesota, during which they became the first father and son to play together in the NBA on Oct. 20, 2024.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Wait a minute. There was a catch.

For the first time since James arrived here seven years ago, there was no second or third or fourth year attached to his contract.

The Lakers didn’t offer him an extension. They refused to guarantee him a spot here after next spring.

For the first time in his Laker career — actually, the first time in his entire 23-year career — James will thus play this season on an expiring contract.

In NBA speak, that means two words.

Trade bait.

Except James has a no-trade clause, and it’s unimaginable he would agree to go to another team that would have to gut their roster to match his salary.

So for the first time, the wiley, elusive, flexible LeBron James is stuck.

He’s stuck on a team clearly catering to the needs of a different superstar in Luka Doncic.

He’s stuck on a team that might be viewing his contract not as an asset but an albatross.

He’s stuck on a team that might be looking to get rid of him but can’t.

He’s stuck on a team where he said he wants to end his career, but where that ending might eventually be out of his control.

He could perhaps free himself by thinking about Nov. 29, 2015.

That is the date that Kobe Bryant, a month into his 20th season, officially announced his retirement.

You remember it, right? What happened next was the most surprisingly delightful farewell season-long tour in the history of sports.

“I thought everybody hated me,” Bryant said at the time. “It’s really cool, man.”

Hate him? America loved him, and showed him that love in every NBA arena across the country, standing ovations from coast to coast as he cruised his way toward that stunning 60-point career finale.

The Lakers were generally terrible, the hobbled Bryant was mostly awful, but the nights were wholly magical, the stone-faced bad guy opening himself up to a national respect and admiration that he never knew existed. It was important that he saw this before he retired. It became infinitely more important that he saw this before he died.

LeBron James flexes for the crowd during a game against the Hornets.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

At the end of the tour I wrote, “… a final act that, in typical Kobe Bryant fashion, was unlike any other in the history of American sports. Opening up to a world he never trusted, becoming accessible and embraceable after years of stony intensity, Bryant used the last five months to flip the narrative on his life and career, erasing the darkness of a villain and crystallizing the glow of a hero.”

Bryant had said before the season that he would never do a farewell tour, that he didn’t want to be lauded like baseball fans lauded the prolonged retirement journey of the New York Yankees’ Derek Jeter.

“We’re completely different people; I couldn’t do that,” he said.

Yet saddled with an expiring contract just like James, Bryant ultimately wanted to do something that James might consider, giving the organization a head start at rebuilding while controlling his own narrative.

Before Bryant’s decision could be leaked, he announced it himself in an open letter to basketball that was so touching it became an Oscar-winning film. He even arranged for a copy of the letter, sealed in an envelope embossed with gold, to be placed on the seat of every fan attending that night’s game at then-Staples Center against the Indiana Pacers.

Not exactly a T-shirt, huh? It was elegant, it was classy, it was perfect, just like the tour, initially criticized in this space as being selfish before your humbled correspondent finally realized that Bryant was right, it was really, really cool.

“It’s fun. I’ve been enjoying it,” Bryant said. “It’s been great to kind of go from city to city and say thank you to all the fans and be able to feel that in return.”

You hear that, LeBron?

This is not a call for James to retire, but a call for James to begin considering how that will happen, and how the classy Lakers would nail it if it happened here.

Lakers star LeBron James battles three-time MVP Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets for rebounding position during a playoff game in Denver.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Granted, the James and Bryant situations are not comparable. Even though James is 40, and Bryant was 37, James is still one of the league’s best players while Bryant was statistically one of its worst. And while James is still physically powerful, Bryant never fully recovered from his torn Achilles and was battered and broken.

James might have more gas in the tank while Bryant was clearly done.

But James himself has indicated that he probably has, at most, two years left. And every season his injuries become more insistent and debilitating.

And now that the Lakers are under new ownership with no ties to James, and now that current management has already given this team to Doncic, James doesn’t have much of a future here.

He has made noise about going back to Cleveland, and maybe after this season he’ll want to return to where his career started.

But if he’s even thinking about retirement after this year — a legitimate option for the first time — he shouldn’t wait to do so while walking off the court following an early-round loss by a mediocre Laker team.

Nobody does retirement tours like the Lakers. And nobody has ever done one like Kobe Bryant.

Decidedly in the twilight of his career, LeBron James can learn from both.

A July 5 CNN article reported on three incidents in Melbourne, Australia: attempted arson at a synagogue, a confrontation at a restaurant and three cars set on fire near a business. The piece was scant on the details of the alleged crimes and the identities of the perpetrators, but it did clarify that the business “has been targeted by pro-Palestine protesters in the past”.

That the author chose to conflate activism in support of the Palestinian cause with violent acts that are low on facts and high on conjecture is indicative of how Western media have come to operate. Media reports are increasingly linking by default acts of aggression to activism they call “pro-Palestinian”.

Here are more examples: Before his name was released, we learned that a gunman shouted, “Free, free Palestine,” in a shooting rampage that killed two Israeli embassy staff members outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, on May 21. Reports linked the suspect to what news outlets described as “pro-Palestinian” advocacy.

When on June 1 an Egyptian national attacked demonstrators voicing support of Israel in Colorado, the media also linked the incident to “pro-Palestinian protests”.

Softly landing on the term “pro-Palestinian” allows reporters to meet editorial standards for brevity. But brevity is not a fixed journalistic value. Accurately informing the public is.

The word “pro-Palestinian” has become political shorthand for a well-worn and misleading coupling: Palestinian advocacy and violence. Stripped of critical context, the term offers news consumers a reductive explanation – a violent act distilled and opaquely linked to “Palestinian” entities as imagined and understood through a narrow and distorted lens.

A failure to engage with contexts is not neutral omission. Rather, it is an affront to knowledge processes and a bow to power structures that govern mainstream journalistic storytelling.

What historical, cultural and religious claims do Palestinians make? Most news consumers in the West are unprepared to answer this question. In a closed information ecology, they rarely encounter these claims in full – or at all.

Like many who have followed the historical arc of all things Palestine or reported on it, I’ve used the term pro-Palestinian myself. It felt functional at the time: concise and seemingly understood.

Now, however, that shorthand misleads. Any word that is prefaced by “pro-” demands honest re-examination. When circumstances shift and new meanings emerge, the hyphenation clanks as anachronistic. We’re in one of those moments – a circumstance that is the epicentre of global opprobrium, humanitarian collapse and spectacular moral failure.

To describe activism and peaceful protests against the genocidal violence in Gaza as “pro-Palestinian” is disparaging. Opposing the strategic starvation of a trapped population is hardly pro-Palestinian. It is pro-humanity.

Is it “pro-Palestinian” to call for the end of violence that has claimed the lives of more than 18,000 children? Is it “pro-Palestinian” to call for the end of starvation that has killed dozens of children and elderly? Is it “pro-Palestinian” to express outrage at Gaza parents forced to carry body parts of their children in plastic bags?

The term “pro-Palestinian” operates within a false linguistic economy. It flattens a grossly unequal reality into a story of competing sides as if an occupied, bombarded and displaced people were an equal side to one of the most advanced armies in the world.

Gaza is not a side. Gaza is, as one UNICEF official put it, a “graveyard for children”. It is a place where journalists are killed for bearing witness, where hospitals are obliterated and universities reduced to rubble, where the international community is failing to uphold minimal standards of human rights.

In an era of impatience with rigour, “pro-Palestinian” is the rhetorical crutch that satisfies the manufactured need for immediate alignment (fandom) without critical thought. It permits bad-faith actors to stigmatise dissent, dismiss moral clarity and delegitimise outrage.

To call Elias Rodriguez, who carried out the shooting in Washington, DC, a “pro-Palestinian” shooter is a framing device that invites readers to interpret words of Palestinian solidarity as potential precursors to violence. It encourages institutions, including universities, to conflate advocacy with extremism and put a chill on free expression on campus.

Obfuscations in the conventions of reportage, euphemism or rhetorical hedging are the last things we need in this catastrophic moment. What’s needed is clarity and precision.

Let us try something radical: Let us say what we mean. When people protest the destruction of lineage and tillage in Gaza, they are not “taking a side” in some abstract pro-and-con debate. They are affirming the value of life. They are rejecting the idea that one people’s suffering must remain invisible for another’s comfort.

If people are advocating for human rights, then say so. If they believe that Palestinian life is worthy of dignity, safety and memory, say so.

And if they are calling for the “liberation” of Palestine and use phrases like “free Palestine” – phrases charged with decades of political, historical and emotional weight – that too deserves clarity and context. Liberation and freedom in most of these calls do not imply violence but a demand for freedom from occupation, siege, starvation, statelessness, and killing and imprisonment with impunity.

Collapsing these diverse expressions into a vague label like “pro-Palestinian” blurs reality and deepens public misunderstanding.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

He bowed out with a massive gig at his beloved Villa Park this weekend but pals reckon Ozzy won’t stop making music amid fears he’ll die if he retires

Ozzy Osbourne is plotting to continue working despite his huge Birmingham gig being declared his farewell night, a pal has revealed. The Black Sabbath frontman has told friends he sees a future for him in the music industry even though the Back To The Beginning gig at Villa Park was promoted as the Brummie’s career finale.

The 76-year-old cannot see himself retiring despite his neck, back and Parkinson’s issues – because of what happened to his dad when he retired.

One friend – who has known Ozzy for several decades – said he “always thinks about his dad when it comes to retirement” because his father died just a few days after giving up work.

READ MORE: Bob Geldof tells why Live Aid’s rock ‘n’ roll romance wouldn’t work 40 years on

Already, Ozzy is said to be secretly plotting a new album for later in the year and is hoping to reunite with award-winning producer Andrew Watt. His old friend teased: “I would not be surprised if, knowing Ozzy, he would do something around a stage to promote that.

“Oz has made it clear many many times that he doesn’t want to simply retire and stop making music or feeling the love from live audiences.

“He feels that he will wither away and pass if he stops altogether. His biggest worry – and he has said this often – is that the same thing happens to him as his father. That haunts him.

“He has told us many times about how his father told him, ‘I have always wanted to dig the garden’. Ozzy then revealed he dug up the garden and died. Working is what keeps Ozzy going.

“There is a sense that he needs to be in the spotlight no matter how challenging his medical conditions. He loves the buzz of getting love from his fans – it’s in his DNA.”

That insight comes as the self-styled Prince Of Darkness wowed fans after reuniting with the original Black Sabbath members for the first time in 20 years at the weekend, also performing five solo songs during his star-studded Back To The Beginning.

The supershow included sets from Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer and Tool. Ozzy belted out solo hits including Mr Crowley, Mama I’m Coming Home and Crazy Train plus War Pigs, Iron Man and Paranoid with Black Sabbath, as the fans went wild.

He was sent a video message from Sir Elton John, played out on the giant screens, in which he told Ozzy: “You are one of the most remarkable singers of our time. You are the king, you are the legend. You’ve been through so much crap in the last few years – I hope this is the best day of your life so far.”

Fans saw the reality of Ozzy’s medical woes as he performed on stage while seated on a winged throne. He had spent months working with physios and trainers to be able to stand fully, but “just could not make it.”

Speaking a few months ago, the rocker said he was struggling to walk more than a few feet unaided, explaining: “I am 70 f***ing six and even being over 70 is f***ing doing my brains in.”

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