Latest news with #LTA
BBC News
an hour ago
- General
- BBC News
Olympian turns hand to padel as new court opens in East Grinstead
An Olympic gold medallist who played club hockey in West Sussex is vying to reach the top of another sport - Bray, who was part of the Great Britain hockey side which won gold in the 2016 Rio games, retired from hockey in has swapped the hockey stick for a racket by taking up padel, which she plays on a new four court facility which will be fully open to the public in East Grinstead from this years on from her Olympic gold, Bray has risen the rankings and currently sits in the top 20 women's padel players in the country. She said it has been a "great replacement for playing hockey"."It's super social and there's more enjoyment as the improvement curve goes up," she said."I think while I was still playing both sports, the girls used to laugh at me that I was playing padel on the hockey pitch."Played in doubles on an enclosed court, padel - considered a blend of tennis and squash - is on the rise in the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) estimates that there will be more than 1000 padel courts in the UK by the start of 2026 - up from just 50 back in enthusiastic about competing, Bray has taken part in LTA tournaments and is keen to see where this journey takes for East Grinstead's new facility, she believes it makes an "amazing club" even better.
New Paper
6 hours ago
- Business
- New Paper
High Court upholds acquittal of Chinese company accused of bribing ex-LTA deputy group director
The High Court has upheld the acquittal of a Chinese company that was charged with bribery after two of its employees gave loans totalling $220,000 to a Land Transport Authority (LTA) deputy group director. In a written judgment on May 29, the court said there was insufficient evidence to show that the company's top management was aware of or somehow complicit in the illegal acts. The Singapore branch of China Railway Tunnel Group was first acquitted of three corruption charges by a district judge in March 2024 on grounds that the two employees' acts could not be attributed to the company. Xi Zhengbing, who was the general manager and head representative of the branch, and Zhou Zhenghe, who was a deputy general manager, gave the loans to Henry Foo Yung Thye between January 2018 and August 2019. The district judge said Xi did not have a sufficiently high level in the chain of command. The Singapore branch is only one of the sub-departments within the company's overseas department, which is in turn only one department in the company's corporate structure. The prosecution appealed to the High Court against the acquittal. On May 29, the appeal was dismissed by a panel comprising Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, Justice Tay Yong Kwang and Justice Andrew Phang. The court also noted that Xi and Zhou had resorted to defrauding the company with false invoices to obtain the $200,000 that was given to Foo as loans in 2018. Zhou then had to borrow $20,000 to provide the subsequent loan. "All these showed clearly that the respondent was never involved in its employees' illegal activities and neither did it give its tacit approval (nor) pretend to be ignorant of what the Singapore branch's employees were doing," said the court. In September 2021, Foo, then 47, was sentenced to 5½ years' jail for taking about $1.24 million in bribes in the form of loans from contractors and sub-contractors. Foo, who resigned from LTA in September 2019, was also ordered to pay a penalty of about $1.16 million, equivalent to the amount he had not returned. Xi and Zhou were arrested in September 2019 by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau. After being released on bail, they absconded to China, where they were arrested and subsequently convicted by a Guangzhou court. Xi was sentenced to a five-year jail term and a fine of 300,000 yuan (S$57,400). Zhou was sentenced to two years' jail and a fine of 100,000 yuan. China Railway Tunnel Group has 24 branches, eight of which are overseas. The Singapore branch was a sub-contractor for two different projects on the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL), and was awarded the main contract for a project on the Circle Line. At the time of the offences, Foo was involved in the project management of the main contractors in respect of TEL projects. Between 2016 and 2019, he reached out to the company's employees, including Xi, to ask for loans. No loan was given as a result of Foo's first request. Subsequently, Xi agreed to give him a loan upon his second request in the hope that Foo would refer more job opportunities to the company. Zhou then arranged for false invoices to be issued to the company and prepared supporting documents with forged signatures. These documents were presented to the company's finance department, which disbursed the payment. After receiving the money, Xi and Zhou passed $200,000 to Foo. In 2019, Foo made a third request. Xi agreed to give him another loan, in the hope that Foo would expedite the company's payment claims and help the company to win the tender for another project. On Xi's instructions, Zhou borrowed $20,000 from a friend and passed the money to Foo. The prosecution alleged that in 2016, Mr Liu Chenyu, who was based in China, was told of the discussions to pay Foo a bribe and approved his request for a loan. Mr Liu was then the deputy general manager of the company's overseas department, which was in charge of all the overseas branches. The prosecution presented text messages, including one from another employee of the Singapore branch telling Foo that Mr Liu was grateful for his support. But the High Court panel said the prosecution had not presented the necessary evidence to prove that Mr Liu was involved. The messages did not prove that Foo's request for a loan was actually conveyed to Mr Liu, said the judges. Lawyer Paul Loy of WongPartnership, who acts for the company, said his client will continue to respect the laws of countries in which it operates.
Straits Times
20 hours ago
- Business
- Straits Times
High Court upholds acquittal of Chinese company accused of bribing ex-LTA deputy group director
Henry Foo Yung Thye, who was in financial difficulties from gambling, had reached out to two senior employees from China Railway Tunnel Group's Singapore branch and asked for loans. PHOTO: ST FILE SINGAPORE – The High Court has upheld the acquittal of a Chinese company that was charged with bribery after two of its employees gave loans totalling $220,000 to a Land Transport Authority (LTA) deputy group director. In a written judgment on May 29, the court said there was insufficient evidence to show that the company's top management was aware of or somehow complicit in the illegal acts. The Singapore branch of China Railway Tunnel Group was first acquitted of three corruption charges by a district judge in March 2024 on grounds that the two employees' acts could not be attributed to the company. Xi Zhengbing, who was the general manager and head representative of the branch, and Zhou Zhenghe, who was a deputy general manager, gave the loans to Henry Foo Yung Thye between January 2018 and August 2019. The district judge said Xi did not have a sufficiently high level in the chain of command. The Singapore branch is only one of the sub-departments within the company's overseas department, which is in turn only one department in the company's corporate structure. The prosecution appealed to the High Court against the acquittal. On May 29, the appeal was dismissed by a panel comprising Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, Justice Tay Yong Kwang and Justice Andrew Phang. The court also noted that Xi and Zhou had resorted to defrauding the company with false invoices to obtain the $200,000 that was given to Foo as loans in 2018. Zhou then had to borrow $20,000 to provide the subsequent loan. 'All these showed clearly that the respondent was never involved in its employees' illegal activities and neither did it give its tacit approv al (nor) prete nd to be ignorant of what the Singapore branch's employees were doing,' said the court. In September 2021, Foo, then 47, was sentenced to 5½ years' jail for taking about $1.24 million in bribes in the form of loans from contractors and sub-contractors. Foo, who resigned from LTA in September 2019, was also ordered to pay a penalty of about $1.16 million, equivalent to the amount he had not returned. Xi and Zhou were arrested in September 2019 by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau. After being released on bail, they absconded to China, where they were arrested and subsequently convicted by a Guangzhou court. Xi was sentenced to a five-year jail term and a fine of 300,000 yuan (S$57,400). Zhou was sentenced to two years' jail and a fine of 100,000 yuan. China Railway Tunnel Group has 24 branches, eight of which are overseas. The Singapore branch was a sub-contractor for two different projects on the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL), and was awarded the main contract for a project on the Circle Line. At the time of the offences, Foo was involved in the project management of the main contractors in respect of TEL projects. Between 2016 and 2019, he reached out to the company's employees, including Xi, to ask for loans. No loan was given as a result of Foo's first request. Subsequently, Xi agreed to give him a loan upon his second request in the hope that Foo would refer more job opportunities to the company. Zhou then arranged for false invoices to be issued to the company and prepared supporting documents with forged signatures. These documents were presented to the company's finance department, which disbursed the payment. After receiving the money, Xi and Zhou passed $200,000 to Foo. In 2019, Foo made a third request. Xi agreed to give him another loan, in the hope that Foo would expedite the company's payment claims and help the company to win the tender for another project. On Xi's instructions, Zhou borrowed $20,000 from a friend and passed the money to Foo. The prosecution alleged that in 2016, Mr Liu Chenyu, who was based in China, was told of the discussions to pay Foo a bribe and approved his request for a loan. Mr Liu was then the deputy general manager of the company's overseas department, which was in charge of all the overseas branches. The prosecution presented text messages, including one from another employee of the Singapore branch telling Foo that Mr Liu was grateful for his support. But the High Court panel said the prosecution has not presented the necessary evidence to prove that Mr Liu was involved. The messages did not prove that Foo's request for a loan was actually conveyed to Mr Liu, said the judges. Lawyer Paul Loy of WongPartnership, who acts for the company, said his client will continue to respect the laws of countries in which it operates. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Economic Times
a day ago
- Business
- Economic Times
LTA exemption in new tax regime: Can you claim leave travel allowance exemption in new tax regime or is it taxable?
From April 1, 2025, the new tax regime has become more attractive than the old tax regime for a larger number of taxpayers. This is because zero tax is payable on net taxable income up to Rs 12 lakh for FY 2025-26 under the new tax regime. Taxpayers often look for deductions from their gross income to reduce taxable income to Rs 12 lakh or below in order to pay zero tax under the new tax regime. Many would like to know if they can claim leave travel allowance (LTA) deduction via travel bills under the new tax regime or Wealth online tells you if you can claim exemption on leave travel allowance for the FY 2025-26 under the new tax regime. According to income tax rules, LTA exemption is not available under the new tax regime. An individual opting for the new tax regime for FY 2025-26 and getting LTA from their employer cannot claim exemption using it. The tax exemption on LTA is not available under the new tax regime. Hence, if you have received LTA as a part of Cost-to-Company (CTC) and opt for the new tax regime for TDS on salary for FY 2025-26, then LTA will be taxable even if you submit bills of travel. For private sector employees, LTA tax exemption is available if they opt for the old tax regime for FY 2025-26 to pay tax. However, specific rules prescribed under the Income Tax Act, 1961, must be followed to claim LTA exemption under the old tax regime. In the old tax regime, LTA exemption is available under Section 10(5) of the Income Tax the LTA exemption is available twice in a four-year block. The current block extends from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2025. A taxpayer can claim LTA exemption on a maximum of two journeys in this an employee is unable to undertake a journey/claim LTA in the block, then one journey/LTA can be carried forward to the first year of the next block. Abhishek Soni, CEO, - an ITR filing website, says, "The LTA exemption rules for government employees are not different vis-à-vis those for private sector employees. The income tax laws allow government employees to claim LTA exemption twice in a block of four years, either to visit their hometown or to any place in India. Further, this exemption will be available if the government employee opts for the old tax regime in a particular financial year. No LTA exemption can be claimed under the new tax regime."Soni explains the conditions that a taxpayer must meet to claim LTA exemption under the old tax regime. a) LTA part of salary: An employee must be receiving LTA as part of his/her salary from his/her employer. b) Submission of travel bills: Employees must submit the bills and other travel documents to their employer before the date specified by the employer for doing so, to claim tax exemption in a particular financial year. c) No international vacation: The LTA exemption is available for travel within India and cannot be claimed for international travel. d) Cost of travelling for specific family members: The LTA tax exemption can also be claimed for cost of travel of accompanying family members. For this purpose, family members can include spouse, children, dependent parents, and dependent siblings. e) Covers only mode of travel: LTA exemption rules cover only cost incurred for actual transportation for travel, including by air, train, or road. LTA exemption is not allowed for cost of hotel bookings and food expenses during the trip. The maximum LTA exemption that can be claimed depends on the actual cost incurred on transportation and the LTA amount allowed by the employer. Soni says, "The LTA exemption is allowed for the cost of the shortest journey (either by bus, train or air) from the employee's place of residence to the travel destination and back. If the LTA offered by the employer is less than the actual cost incurred on transportation, the exemption would be limited to the LTA allowed by the employer and not the actual costs incurred."
Leader Live
a day ago
- Sport
- Leader Live
Jack Draper battles past local favourite Gael Monfils in French Open
Draper, the British number one, survived being tied up in knots at times by the tricky veteran and emerged with a 6-3 4-6 6-3 7-5 victory on Court Phillippe-Chatrier. The 22-year-old from London will face teenage Brazilian Joao Fonseca on Saturday for a place in round four. Jack Draper had to get his socks dirty to get past night session Gael Monfils 🌃#RolandGarros — Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 29, 2025 With Cameron Norrie and Jacob Fearnley also through, Britain has three men in the third round for the first time since 1968. 'First off, I have to acknowledge Gael,' said Draper. 'It's my first time on this court. What a battle against someone I admire. He is a joker, a magician, he does everything. 'Huge respect to him. I hope he is able to play here one more time again in the future. 'This is why I play tennis, to play in front of big crowds and to play in matches like this whether the crowd are with me or against me.' Monfils is now 38 but still remains such a handful, especially at Roland Garros in front of a boisterous French crowd. Too often Draper, now the world number five, allowed himself to be dragged around the court rather than taking the initiative and moving his opponent around. He had kept the locals quiet by taking the first set but Monfils, who proved he should never be written off after coming through a bruising five-setter against Hugo Dellien on Tuesday night, surged away with the second. Draper was certainly unsettled, and the error count on his forehand side was beginning to rise alarmingly. But that set took a lot out of Monfils as Draper took control of the third, wrapping it up with a deft drop volley. In the fourth Draper had his head in his hands after a bad miss on another break point, Monfils quickly wriggling out of trouble with a hold for 3-2. Things reached crisis point for the Brit moments later when a double-fault gave away a break. Monfils stood grinning at the crowd after swatting away two break-back points, and then tried to look apologetic when a double net cord dropped on Draper's side. Huge respect ❤️@jackdraper0 🤗 @Gael_Monfils — LTA (@the_LTA) May 29, 2025 But Monfils was flagging and Draper made the break point count in the next, eventually taking the final four games for a memorable victory, 'My brain was fried out there,' added Draper. 'I'm not sure if I am going to go to sleep because my brain is just all over the place with what he was doing out here. 'There were times where I was very frustrated but I reminded myself that this is why I put in the hard work to play on courts like this. It is something I enjoyed while I was playing – even though it didn't look like it.'
