The Cabinet approved visa measures to boost tourism and Thailand’s economy, including special exemptions, a Destination Thailand Visa, and plans for e-Visas, with emphasis on security and eligibility revisions.

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Key Points

• Cabinet Acknowledgment and Short-Term Measures:
  • The Cabinet endorsed visa measures from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to boost tourism and the economy as of May 28, 2024.
  • Short-term actions include a visa exemption for 93 countries, allowing 60-day stays, and an initial Visa on Arrival (VOA) list of 31 nations.
• Medium and Long-Term Strategies:
  • Medium-term plans involve reducing non-immigrant visa categories from 17 to 7 by August 31, 2025, and expanding the e-Visa system to all Thai embassies by January 1, 2025.
  • Long-term initiatives include a digital pre-travel authorization system with the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) introduced from May 1, 2025.
• Ongoing Assessments and Security Considerations:
  • Ongoing measures also involve expanding VOA eligibility to eight more countries and updating retirement visa criteria.
  • The Ministry raised concerns regarding national security related to misuse of visa exemptions, and a re-appointed visa policy committee will review these measures promptly.

The Cabinet has acknowledged visa measures and guidelines proposed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to promote tourism and stimulate Thailand’s economy, in line with the Cabinet resolution of May 28, 2024.

The measures are organized into short-, medium-, and long-term frameworks. The Department of Consular Affairs has summarized progress as follows.

​Implemented short-term measures include designating 93 countries and territories eligible for a special visa exemption, allowing stays of up to 60 days for tourism, short-term work, or business. Thailand has also approved an initial list of 31 countries and territories eligible for Visa on Arrival (VOA).

Thailand has also introduced the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) to attract high-quality visitors, digital nomads, and participants in cultural activities such as Muay Thai, traditional Thai massage, Thai cooking, and other soft-power initiatives.

The Cabinet approved the ED Plus non-immigrant visa for foreigners entering Thailand for study or for study combined with work.

A visa policy committee has been reappointed, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will hold additional meetings.

​Medium-term measures include reducing the number of non-immigrant visa codes from 17 to 7, effective August 31, 2025, and expanding the e-Visa system to all 94 Thai embassies and consulates worldwide, effective January 1, 2025.

Long-term measures focus on developing online pre-travel authorization systems. Immigration authorities introduced the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC), which has been in use since May 1, 2025.

Ongoing measures include a second-phase expansion of VOA eligibility to 8 additional countries and revised long-stay visa criteria for elderly foreigners seeking retirement in Thailand.

The Ministry noted observations regarding potential impacts on national security and Thailand’s image, as some foreign nationals have misused visa exemptions for unauthorized work or illegal activities. The newly appointed visa policy committee will review these measures at the earliest opportunity.

Source : Cabinet Acknowledges Visa Measures to Boost Thailand’s Tourism and Economy

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Operator

Good afternoon. This is the Chorus Call Conference operator. Welcome, and thank you for joining the Banca Generali Full Year 2025 Results Conference Call. [Operator Instructions]

At this time, I would like to turn the conference over to Mr. Gian Maria Mossa, CEO and General Manager of Banca Generali. Please go ahead, sir.

Gian Mossa
GM, CEO & Executive Director

So good afternoon, and thank you for attending our full year results conference call. Before we get into our results, I want to quickly comment the market reaction to the recent announcement of a U.S. initiative called the Altruist. That is basically a tool, an artificial intelligence tool for the automated tax planning that in Italy is largely relevant just because for any investment related taxation, the tax situation is handled directly by the withholding agents. So basically the banks or the financial intermediary and not by the client.

So the volatility on our stock today comes from this U.S.-centric situation. That simply doesn’t fit with the Italian wealth management context and even less with Banca Generali also because we are not a brokerage platform. So as you know, and we said it several times, Italy has a unique economic and social environment where the wealth is still mostly invested in liquid assets, think of real estate kind of companies, not listed equity. And it remains very much sort of, say, family affair.

So in this context, our clients look for discretion, human guidance and not automatic

Operator

Thank you for standing by, and welcome to ReNew’s Third Quarter FY ’26 Earnings Report. [Operator Instructions]

I would now like to hand the conference over for opening remarks. Please go ahead.

Anunay Shahi
Head of Investor Relations

Thank you. Good morning, everyone, and thank you for joining us today. We have put out a press release announcing results for our fiscal 2026 third quarter ended December 31, 2025. A copy of the press release and the earnings presentation are available on the Investor Relations section of our website at www.renew.com.

With me today are Sumant Sinha, our Founder, Chairman and CEO; Kailash Vaswani, our CFO; and Vaishali Nigam Sinha, our Co-Founder and Chairperson, Sustainability. After the prepared remarks, which we expect will take about 30 minutes, we will open the call for questions.

Please note that our safe harbor statements are contained within our press release, presentation materials and materials available on our website. These statements are important and integral to all our remarks. There are risks and uncertainties that could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. So we encourage you to review the press release and the presentation on our website for a more complete description.

Also contained in our press release, presentation materials and annual report are certain non-IFRS measures that we reconcile to the

Home retail giant bought by US investment giant Carlyle last year

Home shopping giant the Very Group has announced a new long-term funding deal under its new owners in a move bosses say positions the company for growth. The Liverpool-based group has extended and renewed its key debt facilities to give it long-term funding to 2029 and beyond.

Very was taken over by American investment group Carlyle last year after 20 years under the ownership of the Barclay family. Very has now completed the refinancing and says the move “leaves the business well positioned for the next stage of its growth”.

All note classes within the group’s UK securitisation facility have been extended, with maturities extended to February 1, 2029. The group says that move secures its funding for the next three financial years.

Very’s £1.77bn securitisation facility has now been operating for over two decades. It says Fitch has confirmed ratings of “AAA” and “A” for the A notes and “BBB” for the B notes, while fellow credit rating agency DBRS uprated the notes “AAA” and “AA” respectively.

Meanwhile Very’s £150m super senior revolving credit facility has been renewed and its maturity extended to February 2030. As the group has met deleveraging conditions set out in the terms of its senior secured notes, their coupon rate has been lowered from 13.5% to 9.75% while maturity has been extended from August 2027 to August 2030.

The company added: “The group’s overall debt has been reduced by £150m with Carlyle’s capital support, which is expected to be positively acknowledged by rating agencies.”

Edward Fry, chief financial officer at The Very Group, said: “Securing this long-term funding reflects the confidence of our lenders in the strength of our business. The combination of extended maturities, improved margins and further deleveraging provides a stable platform for continued investment in our digital and customer proposition, while maintaining a disciplined approach to balance sheet management.

“The £150m capital support from Carlyle is a reflection of their strong and ongoing support for the business. This leaves us in a robust financial position and well placed to support future growth.”

Carlyle confirmed its takeover of Very in November. Announcing the deal, Very Group CEO Robbie Feather said: “This marks an important milestone for The Very Group as we move into an exciting new phase of growth.

“We are delighted to continue to partner with Carlyle and IMI. Their continued backing provides us with a stronger foundation to execute on our strategy, increase investment in technology and the customer experience, and to build on the momentum across the business.”

Very Group has its distribution hub at Skygate in the East Midlands, as well as bases in London, Bolton, Wrexham and Dublin.

New Delhi: The government is finalising a road map to create “champion” central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) that would help India realise its goal to emerge as a developed nation by 2047 through sustained economic growth and technological advancements, senior officials said.

The road map, prepared by the Niti Aayog in close coordination with the finance ministry, would outline steps to bolster their financial muscle, technological prowess, corporate governance, talent pool and overall operational efficiency, the officials told ET. The details would be released soon, they said.

The idea is to create a vibrant, and not intrusive, CPSE ecosystem that would supplement the government’s efforts to catapult India into an even higher growth orbit and play a larger strategic role when required, they added.

These “champion CPSEs” would have greater flexibility in their investment and other corporate decisions, in tapping opportunities abroad that align with the country’s strategic goals and hiring talent from the private sector.

They would be pushed by the government to leverage enablers of the fourth industrial revolution-including the deployment of AI, Internet of Things, Digital Twins and 3D printing-for operational excellence and strategic power, the officials said.
“They will essentially be modern CPSEs for a developed India in every sense,” said one of the officials. The initiative, led by Niti Aayog member Rajiv Gauba, is part of broader government efforts to create future-ready CPSEs, he said. Gauba held a meeting last week for this purpose. “Just like the recent budget announcement on creating MSME champions through targeted government interventions, this is being planned for CPSEs,” he added.

In August last year, ET reported that the Department of Public Enterprises had shortlisted about a dozen entities for systemic and technical reforms. These include Indian Rare Earths, Bharat Electronics, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, Nuclear Power Corporation of India, REC and Central Warehousing Corporation.

The country had 475 CPSEs as of March 2025, of which 291 were operational, according to the latest public enterprises survey.

As the 2026 tax filing season progresses, millions of Americans are anxiously checking for their federal income tax refunds. The Internal Revenue Service opened the season on January 26, 2026, accepting 2025 returns, and early data shows average refunds up 10.9% from last year.

As of mid-February 2026, the IRS has processed millions of returns, issuing over $16.9 billion in refunds with an average of $2,290 per taxpayer—higher than the $2,065 seen at a similar point in 2025. While most refunds arrive within 21 days of e-file acceptance, timing varies based on filing method, credits claimed and any review needs.

Standard Refund Timeline The IRS issues most refunds in fewer than 21 days for e-filed returns with direct deposit. Paper returns take six weeks or longer. Direct deposit remains the fastest and most secure option, especially since the IRS phased out paper refund checks starting September 30, 2025, per Executive Order 14247. Taxpayers without bank details face temporary refund freezes until updated via IRS Online Account or by requesting a paper check (with 30 days to respond, or six weeks for automatic issuance).

For e-filed returns accepted early in the season, the IRS provides approximate deposit dates:

• Returns accepted January 26, 2026: Expected February 6, 2026.
• February 2 acceptance: February 13.
• February 9: February 20.
• February 16: February 27.
• February 23: March 6.
• March 2: March 13.

These dates assume no issues and direct deposit. Some financial institutions add processing time, and weekends/holidays can delay funds. Refunds may appear earlier than projected.

Special Rules for EITC and ACTC Claimants Taxpayers claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) face mandatory delays under the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act. The IRS holds these refunds until mid-February for review to prevent fraud. Most early filers who e-file and choose direct deposit can expect funds by March 2, 2026. Where’s My Refund? will show personalized projected dates for most by February 21, 2026.

How to Track Your Refund Use the IRS’s free Where’s My Refund? tool on IRS.gov or the IRS2Go app. Enter your Social Security number, filing status and exact refund amount from your return. Status updates daily (overnight, unavailable 4–5 a.m. ET). It shows:

• Return Received: IRS processing your return.
• Refund Approved: Refund approved, with expected issue date.
• Refund Sent: Funds issued to your bank or mailed.

Status appears about 24 hours after e-file acceptance for current-year returns, 3–4 days for prior-year e-files, or four weeks for paper returns. If no update appears or the refund seems delayed, verify details match your return.

Why Refunds May Be Delayed Common reasons include:

• Identity verification or errors requiring extra review.
• Claimed credits like EITC/ACTC.
• Amended returns or offsets (e.g., past-due taxes, child support, student loans).
• Missing or invalid direct deposit info (frozen until updated).

Average refunds rose in 2026 partly due to provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB), providing retroactive relief estimated at $91 billion, including $60 billion in refunds. This boosted early amounts.

Tips to Get Your Refund Faster

• E-file and choose direct deposit.
• File accurately to avoid corrections.
• Use IRS Free File or trusted software for early submission.
• Check status regularly via Where’s My Refund? or call 800-829-1954 (automated) if needed.
• Update bank info promptly if notified via CP53E notice.

The filing deadline is April 15, 2026. Refunds unclaimed after three years are forfeited, so file promptly if owed money.

As February 2026 advances, early filers are seeing deposits now, while others await mid-to-late February or March arrivals. Track progress online for the most accurate timeline—your refund could be just days away.

Private equity is on academic probation.

Princeton University is lowering expectations for its endowment’s returns because its private-capital investments have disappointed. Yale trimmed its portfolio of leveraged buyouts for the first time in a decade. Harvard says cashing out of some private-market investments early is now part of a long-term strategy. 

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