|
Tax law is rarely the first thing people will want to read about on a sunny spring morning. But the non-domiciled status of Akshata Murthy, the wife of Rishi Sunak, is dominating water-cooler conversations at the moment and contributing to a horror month for the chancellor of the exchequer. To better inform your tax chatter, then, we asked Ronen Palan, an expert in tax havens, to explain what exactly “non-dom” status is and why it might be causing tensions for the residents of 11 Downing Street.
French voters go to the polls tomorrow in the first round of a presidential election that looks less and less comfortable for incumbent Emmanuel Macron. What had looked an easy win has been upset by a late poll surge from Marine Le Pen on the far right. There are 12 candidates splitting the vote and causing Macron more stress than he’d wanted – but France’s recent economic performance could boost his chances.
I’d love to say our household has spent Lent in quiet and abstemious contemplation, but that would be untrue. Nevertheless, we’ll be getting together with family next weekend to celebrate Easter. As the designated chef for Easter lunch, I’m taking some guidance from medieval historian Giles Gasper who has given us a rundown of Easter food traditions.
This week we also asked asked what Will Smith's Oscars slap might tell us about the role of “benevolent sexism” in film, reminded job seekers that their digital footprint might be affecting their employment prospects, and explained to our cohort of Curious Kids whether other versions of Earth might exist in a parallel universe.
From around the world, meanwhile, we have the usual abundance of great stories. I can particularly recommend this piece from our colleagues in Africa about the first book-length history of black people written in isiZulu, which was published in 1922. From our colleagues in Australia, we have a brilliant essay about the science and politics of storytelling. And, from the US, where a black woman, Ketanji Brown Jackson, was confirmed
as a Supreme Court justice for the first time, we have four essential reads about why this is such a significant appointment.
And do try to listen to our podcast, The Conversation Weekly. This week’s episode looks at the centuries old tradition of using lead in make-up for women – and just how dangerous it was.
|
