Latest news with #TheMetro
NDTV
12 hours ago
- Business
- NDTV
UK Introduced A 75% Tax, But No One's Ever Paid a Penny. Here's Why
The Public Interest Business Protection Tax (PIBPT) is a special UK tax law that was introduced in 2022. It's surprising because it has never actually collected any money since it started, according to The Metro. This tax was created during a chaotic time when energy prices were soaring after Covid and Russia invaded Ukraine. Its main purpose wasn't to raise funds for the government. Instead, it was designed to act as a strong warning to energy companies. The idea was to stop them from making decisions that could cause them to fail, which would then leave the public to deal with the mess and costs. Think of it as a legal threat to prevent big problems, rather than a way to get tax money. Why Was It Introduced? According to The Metro, the 2022 Finance Act introduced PIBPT to prevent large businesses specifically those with over 100 million pounds in turnover-from shifting or cashing in valuable energy contracts just before an energy supplier entered administration. Such practices, according to HMRC, would have pushed massive costs onto the government and consumers and potentially disrupted the energy supply. A Tax Used As A Warning Experts believe the tax filled a gap left by slow-moving regulators like Ofgem. Dan Neidle, founder of Tax Policy Associates, called it "a weird measure" that used taxation in place of timely regulation. Others argue it was easier to introduce a tax than to get fast action from existing watchdogs. Today's quiz. There's a tax on the UK statute book that nobody has ever paid. Not once since it was introduced. What is it? The prize is a lifetime subscription to the Tax Policy Associates newsletter. — Dan Neidle (@DanNeidle) July 25, 2025 Though aimed at energy firms, the law includes provisions to extend its reach to other industries considered vital to public interest. Why No One Ever Paid With a steep rate of 75%, the tax was intimidating enough to work exactly as intended. No major companies crossed the asset-shifting line, and PIBPT was never triggered making it one of the most effective yet unused taxes in UK history.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Ali Carter shows true colours with fresh comments about Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ali Carter and Ronnie O'Sullivan ended their long-running feud after meeting at the World Championship earlier this year, though the Captain still offered his true thoughts on the Rocket's bizarre decision Ali Carter has shown his true colours by hailing Ronnie O'Sullivan 's performance during their World Championship clash this year as 'unbelievable'. Carter suffered a first round defeat at the Crucible on The Rocket's long-awaited return to snooker after several months away from the sport. Their meeting in April was expected to be a fiery one given the pair's recent history of falling outs. But after losing 10-4 to seven-time world champion O'Sullivan, who claimed a hat-trick of century breaks along the way, Carter has had nothing but positive things to say about his rival. 'It was a big game, to be honest, I've had a lot going on behind the scenes, family stuff, and it was probably a game I didn't need,' he told The Metro. 'When I drew Ronnie, I was like oh f***ing hell, but he was good as gold. It's fine between me and him now, but it was the draw no one wanted, wasn't it? 'And despite what people say, in the second half of the match he was unbelievable. I missed the boat in the first half really due to not quite being on it and then he got stronger.' Despite practising together in their younger days, Carter and O'Sullivan had been on frosty terms since a controversial incident seven years ago. During a second-round World Championship tie in 2018, the pair infamously barged shoulders at the Crucible as they walked past each other between table visits. The feud continued six years later at the 2024 Masters when Carter accused O'Sullivan of "snotting all over the floor" during the final, which O'Sullivan won to claim an eighth title. The 49-year-old responded to the claims by saying Carter needed to "sort his f****** life out". But there was no sign of antipathy during their Crucible meeting this year. Following his defeat, the Captain watched O'Sullivan reach the semi-finals, where he lost 17-7 to eventual winner Zhao Xintong. And Carter could not believe that the snooker legend opted to change both his tip and ferrule mid-match with the score at 4-4. Questioning the controversial decision, Carter said: 'He cruised through to the semis really, then he decided to make that decision to change his ferrule and, for me, he couldn't win that match when he'd done that. 'I just can't understand why he did that. You'll have to ask him. He wasn't 8-0 down or 7-1 down, he was 4-4! 'Ronnie plays everything with side, he moves the ball around and that's hard enough to do with a new tip on a new cloth as it is but to throw that in with a new ferrule going from titanium to brass and having all those factors in the semis of the Worlds, you're gonna be a million no matter how good you are! 'Whether he wanted to give himself an easy out if he lost or whatever, I don't know, but it was a very, very strange decision and the people around him, what are they doing? 'The guy who's even done his cue should be saying, listen, I ain't doing it for you. But he's his own man and you make your own decisions and if they go wrong, so be it.' Cue expert Martin Chesworth of Chesworth Cues, Sheffield, was at the barbers when he received a call from the Rocket to conduct emergency surgery on his tip and ferrule. Despite having reservations initially, the cuemaker decided to take on the job. 'He sounded a bit anxious,' Chesworth previously told the Mirror. 'He was adamant he wanted it changing. He wanted the titanium ferrule off and a brass ferrule putting on. I stayed back after the work and did the job. I put him a decent tip on as well. I then dropped it round to where he was staying.' He added: 'I got a text later on from him and he said, 'It's better.' I just wished him well and that was the last I heard from him. When I've done jobs for him in the past, he's always been friendly, upbeat and genuine. What more could you ask for from a customer?'
NDTV
22-07-2025
- Climate
- NDTV
30-Tonne Boulder Crushes Driveway, But Family Dog Miraculously Survives
As a deafening rumble shook their home during a powerful typhoon, a family in the Philippines feared the worst, according to The Metro. A massive 30-tonne boulder had torn loose from a hillside, crashing into their driveway, flattening a parked car, and obliterating the cage where their dog had been moments earlier. But in what can only be described as a miracle, their beloved black aspin, Moana, somehow escaped, emerging from the rubble unscathed and running to safety. The harrowing event unfolded in Benguet province as Typhoon Wipha unleashed deadly force across the region, displacing hundreds of thousands and leaving destruction in its wake. But amid the chaos, Moana's survival has kept everybody surprisingly happy. Her owner, Connie, told The Metro,"We heard a loud rumbling from inside the house. It all happened so fast. I thought it was the end for us." She added, "We were so relieved to find her safe. We really thought we had lost her. She is so smart; her instincts saved her." After emerging from the wreckage of the crash, Moana ran across the road to safety. The front of the home sustained partial damage, while no injuries were reported as a result of the incident. It came as Typhoon Wipha swept across the northern Philippines, displacing tens of thousands and damaging more than 1,200 homes. Its 167 km/h winds and heavy downpours have affected up to 800,000 people and left at least three dead. Power outages occurred across 76 cities, mainly in the Calabarzon region. The storm has since progressed across the South China Sea, towards southern China, Vietnam, and Thailand.
NDTV
19-07-2025
- NDTV
UK's 'Gangster Granny' Jailed For Rs 900 Crore Cocaine Empire Run With Family
A 65-year-old grandmother, nicknamed the 'Queen Bee,' has been jailed for leading a sprawling family drug empire that trafficked nearly 80 million pounds (Rs 924 Crore) worth of cocaine across the UK, according to The Metro. Deborah Mason masterminded the highly profitable operation, recruiting relatives into the network, which moved almost a tonne of cocaine between April and November 2023. Couriers were paid 1,000 pounds a day to ferry drugs from London to cities including Bradford, Leicester, Birmingham, Bristol, and Cardiff, as per the news article. Mason flaunted her wealth, taking photos of bundles of cash and boasting about making 90,000 pounds from the scheme, all while fraudulently claiming 50,000 pounds in benefits. In total, Mason and seven members of her gang were handed sentences amounting to 106.5 years behind bars. Authorities described the operation as "extraordinarily profitable" and a major supplier of cocaine across England and Wales. According to The Guardian, the ringleader spent her profits on designer goods and was looking to travel to Turkey to have cosmetic surgery, while young mothers who were part of the gang took their young children to pick-ups. Mason, who directed other members of the gang and was in contact with an upstream supplier called Bugsy, was found guilty of conspiracy to supply class A drugs and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Judge Shorrock told Mason: "You were effectively the site foreman working under the direction of a site manager." "You recruited members of your own family - as a mother you should have been setting an example for your children and not corrupting them." The judge noted that several of the women have young children but said their involvement in the drug network only "makes it easier for unscrupulous" dealers to seek to recruit mothers.
Leader Live
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Emmerdale icon pays tribute to co-star amid ITV show exit
Amy Walsh, who has played the role of Tracy Shankley on the ITV soap opera for 11 years, has seen a number of actors come and go during her time on set, but none hit harder than this one. Her on-screen husband, Nate (played by Jurell Carter), previously announced that he had taken a job in Shetland and left the village in September of 2024. However, fans were left with many unanswered questions about the way he vanished. After his exit, we learned that John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth) had killed him and then disposed of his body in a lake. According to The Metro, the ITV episode featured flashback scenes and established that the character of John lives with a hero complex, orchestrating terrible situations and then stepping in to fix them. This ended badly for Nate when John gave him some medication after an altercation with Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley). He reacted badly to the medicine and promptly died. His funeral took place this week and caused a great deal of upset and grief. A post shared by Amy (@amyvwalsh) Taking to Instagram to reflect on the departure, Emmerdale actress Amy Walsh said: "'A big man with a big heart' - says it all. "Can't believe this is the end for Nate and Tracy, properly this time. It was a pleasure to share the screen with you @jurellcarter. You're missed by us all. Gone but never forgotten." Taking to the comments, Jurell replied: "Ahhh Amyyyy, you little softie. I miss you." Born on March 27, 1987, in Bradford, Amy Walsh is an English actress who has starred in a number of programmes and other forms of media over the years, according to IMDb. She has played the role of Tracy Metcalfe (Tracy Shankley) since 2014 and has even starred in other popular soap operas like Hollyoaks on Channel 4. Here, she played the role of Jennifique McQueen for one episode in 2011. She has been involved in the podcast series Violet's Shadow and played the role of Jess in a short film called Finding Calm.
