Akshata Murty, the chancellor’s wife, has potentially evaded up to 20 20m in British tax because she has no home, leading Labor to accuse Rishi Sunak of “breathtaking hypocrisy”. The heiress has amassed about 5.4 billion Indian rupees (54 54.5 million) in dividends from Infosys, the Indian-based IT company founded by her father over the past seven and a half years, a period for which there are public data. Homelessness for the entire period could have saved her around 20 20 million in taxes in the UK. Anger threatens to further damage Sunak’s public image, which has already been hit by a mini-budget forecast that will lead to the biggest drop in living standards since the archives began in the 1950s. Labor wrote to Sunak, saying it was “in the vital public interest” to provide clarity on issues such as whether he had benefited from his wife’s status, how long he had claimed it and how much he had saved. “As chancellor, it is important that you follow both rules and set an example,” said James Murray, the shadow finance minister. Murty’s spokeswoman initially described her tax status as a function of her Indian citizenship, but tax experts said the non-household status was not automatic but optional. Professor Richard Murphy, who founded the Tax Justice Network, said the claim was “simply wrong. He does not live only because he asked for it “. Murty’s spokeswoman said she had no comment on the 20 20million other than reiterating that she had paid income taxes in the UK and abroad. They acknowledged that some of the tax cuts could be made in the near future, but said they had no say in whether Murty did so. Murty has in the past received other dividend income through the Mauritius tax haven, which does not tax dividends. If the off-site tax regime is not a priority in your personal tax affairs, here is a helpful guide to what it is. Also a guide to the wealth of a woman richer than the Queen. Ukraine – Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peshkov said Russia had suffered “significant” troop losses in its war against Ukraine, describing them as “a huge tragedy for us”. Volodymyr Zelenskiy foreshadows more atrocities, saying the situation in Borodyanka was “much more catastrophic” than in Bucha. A new attack is expected in the east, and Kyiv has demanded more heavy weapons from its Western allies and “catastrophic” sanctions against Moscow, saying the attack on eastern Ukraine would remind NATO members of World War II. “I think the deal offered by Ukraine is fair,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba told a meeting of his coalition counterparts in Brussels on Thursday. You give us weapons, we sacrifice our lives and the war is limited to Ukraine. That’s it. “Benjamin Hall, a British reporter for Fox News, said he felt” very lucky “to be alive after suffering serious injuries in a bomb blast in Kyiv that killed two of his colleagues. Boris Johnson is set to host German Chancellor Olaf Soltz on Downing Street on Friday amid discussions on how to help Europe move away from Russian gas imports. You can find our guide at a glance here and the latest events on our liveblog. Refugee Education – Charity workers in Manchester say hundreds of children of asylum seekers and refugees are being taught in hotel parking lots because no school has been found for them. Dr Rhetta Moran of the Refugee and Asylum Participatory Action Survey said: “Many of these children have been victims of war and persecution; and when they arrive they face long delays in their asylum and immigration systems.” He said some of the lessons involved learning math on the ground using chalk. Manchester City Council said it had placed more than 400 such children in schools and colleges and that hotel staff had been informed of the need for families to apply for schooling. Stuck in the waist – Health authorities are urging people to ensure that their waist size is less than half their height, amid growing concerns about obesity rates. The National Institute for Excellence in Health and Care today calls on adults with a body mass index (BMI) under the age of 35 to help them prevent health problems and save a troubled NHS. Using the ratio along with BMI, people can tell if they are carrying too much fat around their waist, which is known to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. Justice for All – Ketanji Brown Jackson led a vicious US Senate approval process to become the first black woman to serve on the Supreme Court in more than 200 years. At 51, Jackson is young enough to serve on the floor for decades. Its rise, however, will do little to upset the ideological balance of the Supreme Court, where the conservative majority is 6-3. But it means for the first time in court history that white men are a minority. Joe Biden called it “a historic moment for our nation. “We have taken another step to make our supreme court reflect the diversity of America.” You can find more reactions here, as well as an analysis of the controversial controversy faced by some Republicans. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. Photo: Stefani Reynolds / AFP / Getty Images Holiday Rush – Passengers have been warned of delays as airlines and inter-channel services prepare for the busiest weekend since the pandemic began. Transport hubs are already struggling to cope with the Easter holiday boom and staff shortages caused by Covid. Eurotunnel expects an increase in traffic in both directions and P&O Ferries’ routes remain suspended. Rival P&O DFDS is also fully reserved. Airports are relocating licensed security staff to front-line roles, and passengers have been advised to give extra time. EasyJet, which had to cancel hundreds of flights this week, said it would preemptively cancel another 50 flights a day over the weekend to minimize disruption.
Today on the Focus podcast: The week that people woke up to Russian war crimes in Ukraine
Following the rapid withdrawal of Russian forces from the suburbs around Kyiv, the full scale of the atrocities they committed was revealed to the world this week. The Guardian’s Daniel Boffey was one of the first reporters to witness the multiple Bucha war crimes scene. Today at Focus
The week that people woke up to Russian war crimes in Ukraine
Sorry your browser does not support audio – but you can download it here and listen https://audio.guim.co.uk/2020/05/05-61553-gnl.fw.200505.jf.ch7DW.mp3
Read Lunch Time: How Hillsong Deals an Account Day
Several years of scandals and a culture of secrecy have led to calls for a review of the world Pentecostal cathedral. Here, Elle Hardy takes a look at whether it can function as a church and not as a brand after its recent problems. Hillsong Concert in Florida. Photo: Larry Marano / Rex / Shutterstock
Sport
Tiger Woods says he is “exactly where I need to be” with a junior lap 71 at the Masters after a remarkable recovery from a serious injury. Woods had tremendous support at the Augusta National Gallery after not playing competitive golf since November 2020 and 14 months after a serious car accident left him fearing his lower right foot might need to be amputated. Among the signs of old magic, more are coming, writes Andy Bull. Serena Williams has hinted that she will return to tennis at this year’s Wimbledon. She has not played professionally since last year, where she left early in her first round match with a thigh injury. Emails have been released that appear to indicate that the state of Abu Dhabi is facilitating payments to Manchester City, rekindling the controversy that led to the club being barred from European competitions and eventually overturned in the sports arbitration tribunal. City did not comment on the allegations, but sources close to the club said the new reports were a continuation of an “orchestrated campaign” and part of an “endless effort to harm us”. Once his anger over Felix Zwayer’s refereeing has faded, David Moyes will look back at West Ham’s draw with Lyon and conclude that her Europa League dream is far from over. He will have a good place in West Ham when the quarter-finals continue at the Stade de Gerland next week. In the Premier League, here are 10 things to look out for this weekend.
Business
Boris Johnson was “held for ransom” by his benches after failing to support onshore wind farms in his energy plan, said shadow Energy Minister Ed Miliband. Energy experts and environmental groups have called the plan – which sets targets for long-term nuclear, offshore wind and solar capacity – “insufficient”, warning that it would do little to address gas imports. Russia. The energy crisis has led to customer service levels among providers falling to their lowest level since 2017. The pound buys $ 1,306 and € 1,203.
The papers
Anger over the tax regime of Akshata Murty, Rishi Sunak’s wife, continues on many headlines today. The Guardian says it could have avoided 20 20m in taxes, while the Mirror says it has benefited from 50 50m in UK public sector contracts. The Daily Mail quotes Murty as saying she chose not to live in the UK, but her main story is that Sajid Javid talks about hospital wards “for women only”. Photo: The Guardian The counterattack is led by the leaves and the Sun. The Times focuses on Sunak’s concerns that the tax history was timed to coincide with rising national insurance premiums. “Sunak is afraid that the revelations about their wife are a” hit job “” is …
