France has approved a digital services tax despite threats of retaliation by the US, which argues that it unfairly targets American tech giants. The 3% tax will be levied on sales generated in France by multinational firms like Google and Facebook. The French government has argued that such firms headquartered outside the country pay little or no tax.

The US administration has ordered an inquiry into the move – which could result in retaliatory tariffs. The new tax was approved by the French senate on Thursday, a week after it was passed by the lower house, the National Assembly. Any digital company with revenue of more than €750m ($850m; £670m) – of which at least €25m is generated in France – would be subject to the levy. It will be retroactively applied from early 2019, and is expected to raise about €400m this year.

The European Commission estimates that on average traditional businesses face a 23% tax rate on their profits within the EU, while internet companies typically pay 8% or 9%. France has long argued that taxes should be based on digital, not just physical presence. It announced its own tax on big technology firms last year after EU-wide efforts stalled. An EU levy would require consensus among members, but Ireland, the Czech Republic, Sweden and Finland raised objections.

France’s new 3% tax will be based on sales made in the country, rather than on profits. About 30 companies will pay it – mostly US groups such as Alphabet, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft. Chinese, German, Spanish and British firms are also affected, as well as the French online advertising firm Criteo.(BBC)…[+]

NEW DELHI- Indian police raided the offices and homes of two top human rights lawyers today in an investigation into foreign funding for their NGO, prompting criticism they were being targeted for political reasons.

The Central Bureau of Investigation conducted searches relating to a case filed against the non-profit Lawyers Collective and its president, Anand Grover, for allegedly violating laws on foreign funds, a police official said.In a statement issued in June, after the CBI registered a complaint against the group, Lawyers Collective said it was being targeted for taking up sensitive cases against Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and some of its leaders.

Founded in 1981 by Grover and prominent human rights lawyer Indira Jaising, Lawyers Collective is among the thousands of foreign-funded charities hit by increased scrutiny by the Narendra Modi government. “The searches are ongoing,” said the CBI official, who declined to be named. Grover told Reuters CBI conducted raids at his offices and homes in Delhi and Mumbai. The CBI alleges that Lawyers Collective and Grover have violated the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA), aside from other wrongdoing, which the group has denied.(Reuters)…[+]

CASSANDRA Brown, after having two daughters, was over the moon when she was told during a prenatal clinic visit that she was having a boy. But that joy turned into sorrow 21 months later when her son, Neymar Facey, perished in a fire that left 14 children and 11 adults homeless on Bay Farm Road in Kingston, Tuesday evening.

Admitting that she had no intentions of having a fourth child, the 38-year-old mother said she was anticipating Neymar’s second birthday in October. “If me did come and see him face mi wouldn’t feel so. If mi come see him alive mi would a walk way and hug him,” she said yesterday as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Insisting that the baby was usually with her, she said shortly after she had given him a bath he had fallen asleep, so she asked her older daughter, now 18, to watch him while she went to a shop. “Mi did plan fi walk wid him go down the road go buy weh mi a buy but you know when baby body cool dem drop asleep, so mi put him on his belly and turn the fan on him and tell mi big daughter to give an eye on him fi mi, please,” she explained.(Jamaica Observer)…[+]