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Thai Irrigation dept releases water as planned though rainy season comes late
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File online, taxable pension but no tax due. Any docs needed?
But it is not a remittance of "income earned", which is the only thing that can be taxed at this time. A credit card transaction is a loan. It is not income. There is a long list of transactions that constitute "income earned", including royalties, company perks, etc. Loans are not on that list. -
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UK Energy Bills Set to Rise Again in April, Sparking Concern
Households across the UK are bracing for another increase in energy costs as the regulator Ofgem has announced that the energy price cap will rise by 6.4% from April. This means the average annual energy bill will climb to £1,849, a figure that has exceeded analysts’ predictions. The government and campaigners have called the hike “worrying” “You made a promise Energy Bills would come down” Now UK Energy prices set to rise by a whopping 6.4% come April. More business will go bust, more people will be broke & freezing. The repeated price hikes have led to widespread frustration, with campaign groups urging the government to step up support for struggling households. Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, emphasized the importance of targeted assistance, particularly for vulnerable consumers. “Ministers are right to be focused on improving the Warm Home Discount scheme and on energy debt, which continues at record levels because households have to find more even money to use the same amount of energy,” he said. Caroline Simpson, campaign manager at Warm This Winter, called the increase “devastating” and placed blame on energy companies profiting from the crisis. She argued that firms such as Centrica and Norwegian-owned Equinor, the UK’s largest gas supplier, are capitalizing on high prices while millions struggle. “It is therefore crucial that the government presses on with plans to fix this broken system and boost our energy security by rapidly increasing our supply of homegrown clean energy to free us from expensive gas and bring down bills for everyone for good,” she said. Tim Jarvis, Ofgem’s markets director general, acknowledged the difficulties consumers face, calling the rise “very unwelcome.” He explained that the regulator was forced to act due to substantial increases in wholesale gas prices. “This is further evidence, to be honest, that we need to move away from that reliance on international gas and start looking at domestically generated energy,” he told Sky News Breakfast presenter Wilfred Frost. Jarvis reiterated Ofgem’s full support for the government’s target to transition to clean power by 2030, calling the goal “realistic.” “It’s a big push. It’s one of the government’s missions. And so we are putting everything we can into it. We need to move away from being a price taker. And I think being able to rely on our own domestically generated, cleaner energy will mean that we’ll see much more stable prices in the future,” he stated. Looking ahead, Jarvis warned that predicting energy prices for the summer remains uncertain due to market volatility. “We often see quite minor things significantly changing prices because overall there is a shortage of supply on gas,” he said. “So we are hopeful. But it is very dangerous, I think, to make predictions.” As millions of households prepare for higher bills, the debate over the UK’s long-term energy strategy continues, with growing calls for a shift away from fossil fuels and towards more affordable, sustainable power sources. Based on a report by Sky News 2025-02-26 -
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Entirely financed by China Pakistan’s Costly New Gwadar Airport Stands Empty
Pakistan’s latest and most expensive airport, New Gwadar International Airport, stands completed but unused, with no passengers and no planes in sight. The $240 million project, entirely financed by China, remains an enigma, as there is no clear indication of when it will become operational. Located in the coastal city of Gwadar, the airport was finished in October 2024, a striking contrast to the surrounding Balochistan province, which remains one of the country’s most impoverished and volatile regions. Over the past decade, China has invested heavily in Balochistan and Gwadar as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a multibillion-dollar initiative linking China’s western Xinjiang province to the Arabian Sea. Authorities have touted the project as transformational, yet signs of improvement in Gwadar remain minimal. The city still lacks a connection to the national power grid, relying on electricity from neighboring Iran and solar panels. Clean drinking water remains scarce. For a city of only 90,000 residents, an airport designed to accommodate 400,000 passengers annually seems far from a pressing need. “This airport is not for Pakistan or Gwadar,” said Azeem Khalid, an expert in Pakistan-China relations. “It is for China, so they can have secure access for their citizens to Gwadar and Balochistan.” Gwadar is a quiet but charming city, known for its friendly locals and beautiful beaches that see an influx of visitors during public holidays. However, many still perceive it as difficult or unsafe to visit. Currently, only one commercial flight route operates from Gwadar’s domestic airport, offering limited service to Karachi three times a week. There are no direct flights to Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan, or Islamabad, the national capital. The coastal highway, while scenic, has minimal facilities. For decades, the Baloch insurgency has cast a shadow over the region, with thousands reported missing—those who speak out against exploitation or injustice risk being detained on suspicions of ties to armed groups, according to locals. Activists claim forced disappearances and torture are common, though the government denies these allegations. Hashim, a resident of Gwadar, wants to see CPEC succeed and provide opportunities for young people. However, progress has been elusive. “When someone has something to eat, then why would he choose to go on the wrong path,” he said. “It is not a good thing to upset people.” Militant violence in Balochistan declined following a 2014 government counterinsurgency but saw a resurgence after 2021. Attacks have steadily increased since the Pakistani Taliban ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022, emboldening groups like the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army. Security concerns delayed the airport’s inauguration, with officials fearing its mountainous surroundings could serve as a launching point for attacks. Instead of a grand opening, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese Premier Li Qiang hosted a virtual inauguration ceremony. The inaugural flight was kept closed to the public and media. Local frustration over the project has only grown. Abdul Ghafoor Hoth, district president of the Balochistan Awami Party, revealed that not a single resident of Gwadar was employed at the airport—“not even as a watchman.” For now, the gleaming new airport remains a symbol of unfulfilled promises, standing empty while the people of Gwadar continue to struggle with daily hardships. Based on a report by CNN 2025-02-26 -
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Dan Bongino’s Appointment Signals Kash Patel’s Vision for the FBI
Dan Bongino, a vocal podcast host and former Secret Service agent, has been appointed as the FBI’s deputy director, marking a striking departure from tradition. Bongino, who has never worked at the bureau, has long criticized it, frequently calling it "irredeemably corrupt." His selection signals the direction Kash Patel, a staunch Trump ally, envisions for the agency. Following the announcement, Patel took to X to celebrate the appointment, writing, “I am proud to welcome Dan Bongino as the next Deputy Director of the FBI — a warrior and lifelong public servant. With Pam Bondi as our new Attorney General, we are assembling a team focused on restoring public trust, upholding the rule of law, and ensuring justice is served.” Bongino himself has been a controversial figure in conservative media. A former New York police officer, he left the Secret Service over a decade ago, citing dysfunction within the agency. Since then, he has become a high-profile commentator, running unsuccessfully for political office multiple times and launching a widely popular pro-Trump podcast in 2015. Through his platform, Bongino has been a relentless critic of the FBI. He has frequently alleged, without evidence, that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump and has suggested the bureau deliberately failed to identify the suspect behind the January 2021 pipe bomb placements outside the Democratic and Republican National Committee headquarters. “You think there are legitimate people with character running the FBI? Huh? That’s hilarious,” Bongino declared on his podcast in August 2022. “The FBI is entirely corrupted at the management level, and it’s filtering down now even into some at the in the rank and file.” His new role gives him significant influence in an agency he has spent years attacking. Traditionally, the deputy director position has been reserved for career FBI officials with extensive experience within the bureau. Bongino’s appointment breaks that precedent, raising questions about the direction the agency will take under Patel’s leadership. Ray Batvinis, a retired FBI counterintelligence officer and historian, noted the unprecedented nature of the decision. “The bureau has never had someone from the outside come in as a deputy director. Never,” he said. “I believe [Bongino] has a steep — possibly insurmountable — learning curve.” The FBI has not commented on Bongino’s hiring, but his selection strongly signals the kind of leadership Patel intends to implement—one that aligns with Trump’s vision of overhauling the agency from within. Based on a report by WP 2025-02-24
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