BlueScouse

I met a dyslexic Yorkshireman today. He was wearing a cat flap.

PEPF is Private Education Policy Forum https://www.pepf.co.uk/

The magistrate who sentenced her has previous form. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tan_Ikram [edit] On 13 February 2024 Ikram, presiding over a case of three demonstrators carrying or wearing images appearing to glorify Hamas (the political and military movement governing in the Gaza Strip, and designated in the UK as a terrorist organization), found them guilty but let them off with conditional discharges, saying that "emotions ran very high on this issue". This judgement was subject to extensive criticism in the press.[10][11] Contrast was drawn to a 20-week sentence he handed down against a man for sharing memes mocking George Floyd, the severity of which he boasted about in a talk to visiting American law students

DWP Fraud, Error and Debt Bill. Statement from Liz Kendall on 8 October. https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2024-10-08/hcws114 The Eligibility Verification measure will not give DWP access to any bank accounts, nor any information on how claimants spend their money. The proposed new power instead helps verify benefit eligibility, using very limited information from banks and financial institutions. A human being will always be involved in any investigations and any decisions taken afterwards that affect eligibility or benefit awards, as they do now. This measure will not be used on the State Pension.

Chong Mek is a border crossing into Laos, not Cambodia,

No. Have to walk a little bit.

Go to Ubon bus station. Plenty of vans go to Chong Mek. Takes about an hour. Then go across to Laos, return and get the van back. Don't know the cost for the van. About $40 for the Laos visa. Can also go to the duty free shop and bring back a bottle of spirits or wine or 6 cans beer.

Bob & Joe are sitting in the stands watching their favourite team play. "Do you realise it is 60 years today we first met on the terraces at the old ground. We have supported the same team together for 60 years. We have been going every season together since. We given each other a pint alternatively. We now play the game in the Over 50's league. I have a great ideas. Whoever get's to Heaven first must let the other know if there's football there". Joe agrees. A few months later Joe sadly passes on. At midnight a couple of nights later, Bob is awakened from a sound sleep by a blinding flash of white light and a voice calling out to him. “Bob…Bob!” "Who is it?” "it's me, Joe. You know how you said whoever passes on first would let the other know if theirs football in Heaven? I have some really good news and a little bad news. The good news is that there's football in heaven. Better yet, all of our old friends who died before us are here, too. Better than that, we're all young again. Better still, it's always spring time and it never rains or snows. Our wives are there too, and young and pretty as ever! And best of all, we can play football all we want, and we never get tired!!" That's fantastic," says Bob. "It's beyond my wildest dreams! So what's the bad news?” "You're in the team for this Saturday".

Record number. 44 on the one flight.

Lammy offers support for Ukraine. In a letter to government colleagues, Mr Lammy urged troops and members of the emergency services to record themselves showing support for Ukraine. Soldiers were told to 'make some noise like playing an instrument, singing, chanting, clapping, stomping your feet or honking your car horn'. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13771003/David-Lammy-mocked-support-Ukraine.html

Containers will be unloaded at Singapore and returned to Albania. Maersk said none of the containers were declared to contain hazardous waste, otherwise it would have declined to carry them. Bloomberg News couldn’t independently verify what the ships are carrying. The companies exporting and receiving the containers haven’t been identified. https://gcaptain.com/toxic-waste-bound-for-thailand-on-maersk-msc-cargo-vessels-set-to-return-to-europe/

Nothing to do with bribes to Thai officials. It is undeclared cargo, a big problem in container shipping and a major cause of fires on the ships. Below is an article from a shipping website. https://gcaptain.com/thailand-races-to-stop-toxic-waste-cargo-on-ships/

The lads bought me this when I retired from my last ship.

How many years have you paid? I had a payment not taken, and when I asked why I was told that once I had 35 years contributions they stopped taking money.

State pension. If you delay taking your pension for less than one year then you can take the back payment as a lump sum. More than one year and a lump sum not allowed, but must take the increase payment. Deferring for one year means you must stay alive for about 16 years to get back the missing one years amount.

As mentioned on a radio phone in programme, if the painting was done by the graffiti artist known as Banksy, would the council be so keen to get it removed?

From the HMRC website https://community.hmrc.gov.uk/customerforums/pt/d0f9057b-3d87-ee11-a81c-000d3a86dfe6#:~:text=Individuals who are non resident,is known as disregarded income).

I retired last year, from the merchant navy. Never filled in a tax form for more than 30 years. I consulted a tax accountant who completed a tax form for me. I expected to pay tax due to state pension and dividend payments, and bank interest on cash. However, somehow the HMRC said they owe me-79p, I have searched for info on this. I asked google if non residents have to pay tax on dividends or interest. Found the following- Individuals who are non resident in the UK are not taxable in the UK on UK interest or dividends received. However, if tax is deducted at source from the interest and/ or dividends, then some or all of the tax may not be refundable ( this is known as disregarded income) Also this https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/non-residents-and-investment-income-hs300-self-assessment-helpsheet/hs300-non-residents-and-investment-income-2022 Seems it is called disregarded income for non residents. I am off to UK early April so will contact my tax accountant and check with him, then I will be able to stop paying him.