The wind has dropped, the sky is blue and almost cloudless, and the sun is shining. All in all a fine spring day.
Mr Trump would like to UK to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz, the strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, the strait which provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and is one of the world's most strategically important choke points. Mr Trump would like the UK to help keep the strait open. We shall see where that goes!
Meanwhile, some wealthy British nationals are trying to get out of the Gulf states. According to one report some of them are trying to bypass the UK, where they might find themselves liable to pay UK taxes, by going to Ireland or France, hoping to stay there until the conflict is over. With only about three weeks remaining in the current financial year, many overseas residents have already “spent” their allocation of days in Britain without incurring tax liabilities. Some are seeking guidance from HMRC on whether they would be granted 60 extra days under an “exceptional circumstances” provision. “Exceptional circumstances’ during the Covid lockdown allowed some people to remain in the UK longer than their allocated time without paying tax because they were not able to travel. Oh! It must be hard having all that money and being expected to contribute to your country of birth, or at least the country whose passport you hold.
One wealthy man, hiding away in Dublin, commented: ““I’m happy to pay income tax and tax on investments next tax year, but I don’t want the sale of a business that I sold years ago to fall within UK capital gains tax.” He added, “I paid for my own travel home, by the way.”
How nice of him to pay his own travel!
It’s understandable that people want to escape from conflict zones. They should consider themselves lucky that they didn’t have to pay huge amounts to escape in a flimsy dinghy! Clearly a different class of refugees!
I read that the thing to do if you go on holiday in Brazil is to visit the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. Apparently tens of thousands of tourists have flocked to a specific terrace, known locally as the ‘’Porta do Céu (Gateway to Heaven), since last year, when favela entrepreneurs began making viral drone videos showing visitors swaggering or dancing through a metal door and across the roof to a euphoric Brazilian soundtrack, before the camera zooms out, revealing the favela’s place in the heart of Rio’s awe-inspiring landscape.
I was reminded of the film City of God (2002).
Description: This iconic film captures the brutal reality of life in the Cidade de Deus favela in Rio de Janeiro, following the lives of two boys who take different paths amidst the rise of gang violence.
Fact: The film was shot on location in Rio's real favelas, and many of the actors were non-professionals from those communities
I suppose it’s a bit like visiting the old quarter of some Spanish cities, except that most of those are not still occupied by the poor.
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone.
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