Latest news with #Sounds
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Yahoo
Man charged with murdering shopkeeper
A man has been charged with murdering a shopkeeper on Merseyside. Nilani Nimalarajah, 44, died in hospital after being found with stab wounds at Low Cost Food and Wine on Stanley Road in Bootle on 20 June. Nimalarajah Mathiyadaranam, 47, of Warrington Road in Widnes, Cheshire, has been charged with murder and possession of a knife or pointed item in a public place, as well as two breaches of restraining orders, Merseyside Police said. He was remanded in custody to appear at Liverpool Magistrates' Court on Thursday. Det Ch Insp Alan Nuttall urged people not to share material related to the incident online and said the force continued to appeal for anyone with information to come forward. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230. Related internet links HM Courts and Tribunals Service
North Wales Live
16-07-2025
- Business
- North Wales Live
HMRC may target state pensioners who breach £597 annual limit
State pensioners have been cautioned they may face bills from HMRC if their earnings exceed £597 annually. Following April's rise, the State Pension climbed by 4.1 per cent under the Triple Lock mechanism, which lifts payments in line with inflation, wage increases or 2.5% - whichever is highest. The complete new State Pension rate now stands at £230.25 weekly, equivalent to £11,973 yearly. However, this leaves pensioners collecting this sum merely £597 short of the £12,570 Personal Allowance threshold. Any income above £12,570 faces 20 per cent tax - rising to 40 per cent beyond £50,270. The Low Incomes Tax Reform Group is now urging the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HMRC to alert pensioners nearing this limit. The organisation stated: "We think that DWP and HMRC should work together to ensure that pensioners are warned about possibly needing to pay tax on their State Pension in future. This should include setting out how the tax will be collected and the likely tax liability." It added: "Some words of warning could, for example, be included with the State Pension notification letters that DWP send out each spring in advance of the April pension increases," reports Birmingham Live. BBC and ITV star Martin Lewis was asked on his recent Sounds podcast: "Explain to me why any pensioner would want to increase their pension? "You will be taxed 20 per cent over £12,570, which means you'll be worse off and you'll be asked to pay more in, you'd then have your benefits stopped if you're below the limit and that takes you below the limit and that takes you over the limit even by 10p." Martin responded: "Let me split that into two. Without being rude, on the first bit you're talking nonsense. Okay, look, tax in this country is marginal. You only pay 20 per cent on the amount above the threshold. "The State Pension has always been taxable if you have other income, it counts as taxable income. So look, let's say you add £1,000 a year to what you earn and that £1,000 is above the threshold. "Yes it's taxed so you only get £800 of it. But you still get £800 more! Tax is marginal, you always want to earn more, you always receive more if you earn more. "You might not get every pound more that you're being given but you're still, the more you earn the more you get, so the tax thing, that's a red herring." He added: "The other one isn't - for those on very low incomes if you may be eligible for Pension Credit and you don't have any other income, the Pension Credit effectively tops you up to the full State Pension anyway so if you're gonna buy years to top you up to the full State Pension as it is possible that you would have simply got it via pension credit anyway."
Daily Mirror
15-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
HMRC warning for Brits who receive state pension as they could owe money
The full rate of the new State Pension is now £230.25 per week or £11,973 a year, meaning some pensioners who receive this amount may need to consider their tax position State pensioners may need to keep an eye on their coffers as earnings over £597 a year could lead to owing money to HMRC. Owing to April's 4.1 per cent increase under the Triple Lock - which adjusts payments according to inflation, wage growth, or a minimum of 2.5 per cent, whichever is higher - the state pension saw a bump. Now, the full new State Pension stands at £230.25 weekly, totalling £11,973 annually, leaving recipients just £597 below the Personal Allowance threshold of £12,570. Any income over this allowance will be subject to a 20 per cent tax, climbing to 40 per cent beyond £50,270. The Low Incomes Tax Reform Group is calling upon the DWP and HMRC to flag potential tax liabilities to pensioners nearing the threshold. They've urged: "We think that DWP and HMRC should work together to ensure that pensioners are warned about possibly needing to pay tax on their State Pension in future. This should include setting out how the tax will be collected and the likely tax liability." Suggestions have been made to incorporate these warnings within the annual State Pension notification letters dispatched by the DWP each spring before the April pension increases take effect, reports Birmingham Live. BBC and ITV star Martin Lewis was questioned on his recent Sounds podcast: "Explain to me why any pensioner would want to increase their pension? "You will be taxed 20 per cent over £12,570, which means you'll be worse off and you'll be asked to pay more in, you'd then have your benefits stopped if you're below the limit and that takes you below the limit and that takes you over the limit even by 10p." Martin said: "Let me split that into two. Without being rude, on the first bit you're talking nonsense. Okay, look, tax in this country is marginal. You only pay 20 per cent on the amount above the threshold. "The State Pension has always been taxable if you have other income, it counts as taxable income. So look, let's say you add £1,000 a year to what you earn and that £1,000 is above the threshold. "Yes it's taxed so you only get £800 of it. But you still get £800 more. Tax is marginal, you always want to earn more, you always receive more if you earn more. "You might not get every pound more that you're being given but you're still, the more you earn the more you get, so the tax thing, that's a red herring." He added: "The other one isn't - for those on very low incomes if you may be eligible for Pension Credit and you don't have any other income, the Pension Credit effectively tops you up to the full State Pension anyway so if you're gonna buy years to top you up to the full State Pension a it is possible that you would have simply got it via pension credit anyway."
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jeff Lynne's ELO gig called off at last minute
Jeff Lynne's ELO concert at Co Op Live Arena was called off just before it was due to start. Fans said they were told the performance would not be going ahead just before the band was due to take to the stage. In a statement posted on X, Jeff Lynne's ELO page said the show had been cancelled "due to illness". "Unfortunately due to illness, tonight's scheduled performance of Jeff Lynne's ELO at the Co-op Live will not be going ahead. Jeff is devastated he cannot perform this evening," the statement said. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Otago Daily Times
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
St Kilda triumphs on national stage
The St Kilda Brass Band have played their purest notes yet and tasted success at the National Brass Band competition. The band played in Christchurch over the weekend, walking away as B-grade champions — their best result since they last won at a national contest in 1992. It has been the culmination of weeks of hard work for the band, which featured several players who had never participated in the competition before. Percussionist Ella George joined the band in the past year, and said everything had gone beyond her expectations. "It's heaps of fun and we've worked really hard. We've done many, many hours in the last couple of weeks, but it all paid off." The performances at the Christchurch Town Hall were "nerve-racking", but entertaining, she said. "I think we all came off the stage knowing that we'd done a good job and that's a really good feeling. "Even before we knew the results, we came off thinking 'Yeah, we played our best'." Trombonist Nikhil Rawat said it was his first time competing at the national contest. "It's quite a difficult instrument to play. "It's not so much the weight, although it is heavy, but the control you need with your breathing." The band had to play three pieces of music at the finals — a set test piece ( Sounds , by John Golland), a sacred item and something of their own choice ( St James , by Phil Harper). They were the top-placed band in the set test and own choice, making them the B-grade champions. Soprano cornetist Jessie Abelia won best soloist in the set test, and principal cornetist Harry Porthouse won best principal cornet in the own choice. Conductor and recently-retired University of Otago music lecturer Prof Peter Adams said the result was "quite a big deal" for the band. "It's a band that is full of students, and so every two or three years we've got this sort of wave of rebuilding. "People come, they study, they leave, they play with us while they're here. "This year we had five new members show up, which was just terrific, and in three years' time they'll have gone and there will be other people coming." Prof Adams described the competition as "intense". "So it was a big deal, particularly for some of the older members, who have been a long time between victories, and also for those young guys. "It's a terrific sort of confidence booster. "I think the repertoire appeals to the players. "There's a lot of percussion and a lot of technical stuff to get their chops around. It's exciting. "Finally, it's quite a social scene, a bit like the pipe bands as well. The pipe bands like to drink their whisky. We just have a few beers afterwards." Next year, the band celebrates its 125th anniversary, he said.
