Paris, France | AFP | France will introduce its own tax on large internet and technology companies from January 1, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said Monday amid difficulties in finalising a new EU-wide levy. France has been pushing hard for a new so-called “GAFA tax” — named after Google, …
Read More »Fire at Mumbai hospital kills six, injures over 100
Mumbai, India | AFP | At least six people were killed and more than 100 injured when a fire engulfed a hospital in Mumbai on Monday, officials said, in the latest disaster to raise concerns about fire safety in India. The blaze broke out around 4:00 pm (1130 GMT) on …
Read More »France ‘the sick man of Europe’: Polish foreign minister
Warsaw, Poland | AFP | France is “the sick man of Europe” and its problems are hurting the region, Poland’s foreign minister said Monday, citing the “yellow vests” protest movement and last week’s jihadist attack. “France is the sick man of Europe, it is a drag on Europe while Poland …
Read More »Spider-Man is back on screen, but this time he’s black and Latino
Los Angeles, United States | AFP | For what seems like the umpteenth time, Spider-Man is back on the big screen. But this year, when Hollywood is under the microscope on the hot-button issue of diversity, the superhero is half-black and half-Latino. Step aside, Peter Parker. There’s a new Spidey …
Read More »Google joins tech move east, to invest $1 bn in New York campus
Washington, United States | AFP | Google became the latest US tech giant to announce a major expansion plan, unveiling a $1 billion investment Monday to create a new campus that could double its New York City workforce to 14,000. The move by Google comes following Amazon’s announcement of new …
Read More »UN Global Compact: Helping refuges thrive in exile
Global Compact on Refugees: How is this different from the migrants’ pact and how will it help people forced to flee? Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The terms ‘refugee’ and ‘migrant’ have been used interchangeably to describe the millions of people worldwide that are either fleeing conflict or seeking better …
Read More »Miss Philippines wins 2018 Miss Universe crown
Bangkok, Thailand | AFP | Miss Philippines was crowned Miss Universe on Monday in Bangkok after a trailblazing ceremony praised for featuring its first transgender candidate but marred by gaffes about the English-speaking ability of two Asian contestants. Catriona Gray, 24, finished first ahead of the South African and Venezuelan …
Read More »Israeli premier’s son blocked on Facebook for anti-Muslim posts
Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP | Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s eldest, Yair, tweeted on Sunday that Facebook blocked his page for 24 hours over apparent anti-Muslim posts and called the leading social network a “dictatorship”. In a message posted Thursday on his Facebook page after deadly Palestinian attacks, Yair Netanyahu had …
Read More »Sri Lanka reinstates ousted PM, begins uneasy truce
Colombo, Sri Lanka | AFP | Sri Lanka’s president on Sunday reappointed as prime minister the same man he sacked from the job nearly two months ago, ending a power struggle and immediately setting off an uneasy cohabitation government. Ranil Wickremesinghe, whose shock dismissal in late October threw Sri Lanka …
Read More »Thousands protest in Turkey against cost of living
Diyarbakir, Turkey | AFP | Thousands of people turned out to protest the rising cost of living in Turkey at a demonstration in Diyarbakir in the southeast of the country, an AFP journalist reported. There was a significant police presence in the Kurd-majority region for the march, which was organised …
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