The Africa exception: the slavery reparations debate was once ‘unthinkable’. Now it is unavoidable | Race

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Last month, at commemorations marking the 25th anniversary of France’s Taubira law recognising the trafficking of enslaved Africans as a crime against humanity, Emmanuel Macron did the unthinkable: he became the first French president to publicly utter the word “reparations”. Since 1825, when France punished Haiti for daring to declare itself the western world’s first … Read more

Orbán’s media slop spread poison beyond Hungary. Luckily, fearless, fact-based reporting endures | Beata Balogová

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For 16 years, Viktor Orbán’s government poured millions of euros of public money into thinktanks, institutions and media outlets sympathetic to its illiberal views – not only in Hungary but beyond its borders. In Slovakia, for instance, where a sizeable Hungarian minority lives, Budapest is alleged to have sent millions of euros to favoured media … Read more

A good life for the 99% isn’t a pipe dream: it can be done. Here’s how | Thomas Piketty, Lucas Chancel, Cornelia Mohren, Rowaida Moshrif, Moritz Odersky and Anmol Somanchi

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Imagine a future in which everyone enjoys high levels of wellbeing; where 90% of the world’s population doubles their income but works half the hours we work today. A world in which the bottom half of humanity sees its share of global wealth rise from just 2% today to 30%; a world where we consume … Read more

What the Hellenic! Why is Christopher Nolan’s new Greek epic entirely devoid of Greeks? | Film

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There are the American accents, gleaming body suits and a muddy Dunkirk palette. And then there is Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy, a casting choice that recently drew racist attacks from the usual moaners of the internet, including Elon Musk, who complained it wasn’t authentic. Authenticity matters. He’s just focusing entirely in the wrong … Read more

‘Catastrophic for creative industries’: Brexit barriers shut UK actors out of EU jobs | Brexit

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From blacklists for UK passport holders to being asked to work illegally while on holiday, the plethora of extra costs and red tape thrown up post-Brexit are restricting opportunities for British actors seeking work in the EU. Mainland Europe has always been a springboard for those in the creative industries, from gaining crucial first credits … Read more

The EU should fast-track Ukraine’s membership of the club – it has the most to gain | Mujtaba Rahman

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Russia’s war on Ukraine is now in its fifth year and a ceasefire remains elusive. The US’s attention is divided, limiting external pressure for compromise, while Moscow and Kyiv both still believe they can strengthen their respective negotiating positions through battlefield gains. At some point, however, a deal will have to be done. The parameters … Read more