News Politics

Donald Tump has raised an order for investigation on the planned taxation of tech giants, which would seriously affect the American tech companies. This could be a move that results in retaliatory tariffs.

Robert Lighthizer, the US representative said, “The United States is very concerned that the digital services tax… unfairly targets American companies”.

The unfair trade practices could pave the way for Washington to impose punitive tariffs. Trump had repeatedly done this since taking office.

The parliament of France would be approving the tax implementations on Thursday.

Reports said that the tech giants like Google and Facebook will be charged with a 3% levy on revenue made inside France.

An estimated amount of around half-a-billion euro a year would be brought in with the new tax rule.

The new tax rule insists that any digital company with a revenue of more than €750m – of which at least €25m is generated in France – would be subject to the tax.

Republican Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Senator Ron Wyden, the senior Democrat on the panel have welcomed the latest inquiry.

In a joined statement, they said, “The digital services tax that France and other European countries are pursuing is clearly protectionist and unfairly targets American companies in a way that will cost US jobs and harm American workers”.

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Health News Technology

France becomes the first country to ban a type of breast implant that has been linked to a rare form of cancer. The implants produced by six manufacturers are being banned. The ban includes different models of the implants (macro-textured and polyurethane implants), with a textured surface.

It is reported that these implants are linked to a rare cancer which affects the immune system. Last month, the Food and Drug Administration in US have conducted public hearings on breast implants. The meeting said that a decision will be announced “in the coming weeks”.

In a statement, the National Agency for Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) said that the ban was a “precautionary measure” taken in light of the “rare but serious danger” posed by the implants.

As France had taken decisions to ban theses implants, several other nations like Canada and the Netherlands are reportedly announcing similar plans that halts the production and usage of these textured breast implants.

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News

Nasser Al-Khelaifi , the PSG president has been questioned in France by
by investigating magistrates regarding a corruption probe over the awarding to Doha of the World Athletics championships, as per reports.

Al-Khelaifi was questioned on Wednesday. The investigating magistrates termed him a “person of interest” since the case examined also looks at the circumstances in which the Olympic Games were awarded to Rio de Janeiro for 2016 and Tokyo for 2020.

The AFP had requested for comment, but Francis Szpiner, Al-Khelaifi’s lawyer did not respond for this. A company named Oryx Qatar Sports Investment, is jointly owned by Al-Khelaifi and his brother Khalid.
The magistrates were looking specifically at two payments of $3.5 million in 2011 given to a sports marketing firm run by Papa Massata Diack by this company.

Al-Khelaifi is also the head of the TV network BeIN sports in Switzerland. He is in the crosshairs of an investigation into “private corruption “, concerning the attribution of the broadcasting rights to two football World Cups.

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Accidents News

After an Italian cargo ship, carrying 45 containers of “dangerous materials” sank in the Atlantic, an oil slick was heading towards the French coastline on Thursday. The Italian-registered ship had also carried 2,200 tons of fuel.

The oil slick was 10 kilometres (six miles) long and one km wide in size. This could hit the southwest region near the port city of Bordeaux this weekend.

Francois de Rugy, the environment minister said on Wednesday : “According to our forecasts, fragments could reach some areas of the coast in Nouvelle-Aquitaine by Sunday or Monday owing to bad weather, which also risks making the anti-pollution operation more difficult”.

Four ships will be send by France to help battle the oil slick at sea. Francois said that a clean-up operation on land will also be arranged.

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News

France got shocked as the Dutch government suddenly purchased a stake in Air France-KLM. This was in attempt to counter French influence. France has reacted frostily to this.

Shares in the airline company was down by 11% as the Netherlands government announced that it was acting to protect “Dutch interests”.

France owns a share of 14.3% and to match with this, the Dutch bought a stake of 14%. Bruno Le Maire, the French Finance Minister insisted that the company should be “managed without national public interference”.

Dutch finance minister, Wopke Hoekstra said “Buying this stake ensures we have a seat at the table,”. This indicated a desire to have more influence over Dutch economic interests and jobs, and the status of Schipol airport, in Amsterdam.

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News

Thousands of protesters march under the slogan ‘That’s enough’ across France against a spate of anti-Semitic attacks on Tuesday night. Officials said that around 80 graves were defiled using spray-paint with blue and yellow Nazi symbols and swastikas in a Jewish cemetery in eastern France, and this caused the protest.

In the French capital, former presidents Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy joined a rally led by Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on Republic Plaza. President Emmanuel Macron paid respects at one of the desecrated graves in the village of Quatzenheim.

“It is a plague that endangers everyone, not just us, and it must be condemned wherever and whenever it rears its head,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He had called on leaders in France and Europe to “take a strong stand against anti-Semitism.”

Sunaya Paison
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Entertainment News

French film ‘By the Grace of God’ has overcome all efforts aimed to prevent its release, as the judicial system of the country has been successfully convinced that the release of the film would not affect the judgment of any case pending before the system.

Why the film has been subjected to the legal tug-of-war

French cleric Bernard Preynat has approached the judicial system against the film, saying that the film could prejudice the trial of a case against him pending in the system.

Why the film is so controversial

The film discusses the story of three people who have been sexually abused by a Catholic cleric. In other words, it is the cinematic version of the chargesheet filed against Mr Preynat.

How serious is the issue of sexual abuses in the Catholic Churches

Recently, Pope Frances indirectly admitted that the issue of sexual abuse in the church cleric community was one of the serious issues faced by the community.

The Pope is set to convince a global meeting of church community members to discuss the issue in the near future.

Recently, a senior cleric was defrocked over the charges of sexual abuse.

The timing of the film is very crucial. It comes at the time the world discusses the issue of sexual abuses in the Catholic Churches, and at the time the French society discusses the rare case of Mr Preynat.

It is the blind faith of some that embolden many to commit crimes in the name of that faith. A crime is a crime. No criminals should be protected under the shield of faith.

Vignesh. S. G
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News Technology

Several French journalists have invited serious criticism from across the world over their anti-female comments. The criticism has been raised against the comments published in a secret group run by the journalists. The news regarding the secret group has been initially publicised by a French media, named ‘Liberation’. Interestingly, one of the media’s senior journalists has also been implicated in the undignified act.

Strict action has been initiated against all those involved in the act. Almost all journalists who have been found to have involved in the act has been suspended by their respective media houses.

The French media sees this as a serious issue. It is the first time that a French journalist has been found to have involved in this kind of act of serious nature.

Several veteran journalists have come out publically against the suspended journalists. They have remained the journalistic community that these kinds of unjustifiable activities would damage the trust the public places over the highly respected journalistic community.

The objectionable comments which have put the journalists under serious trouble have been published in the social media platforms. From the little that has been leaked in the social media platforms itself, it can be declared that all those involved in the act are senseless peoples.

Vignesh. S. G
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News Politics

The demand for snap election is active in Spain, which is at present in the hands of leftists. Hours before, the rights have successfully organised a protest in Madrid demanding the resignation of the ruling leftists. Through it has been triggered by the ruling’s lenient stand towards the Catalonian separatists’ demand (that is, the independence of Catalonia), all efforts have been directed solely towards the destruction of the political base of the leftists in the country.

The tread is not different elsewhere in Europe. It is evident in Italy (with the presence of the Five Star Movement and Northern League), France (with the presence of Marine Le Pen), the UK (with the victory of Brexit), and even in Germany (with the emergence of far-rights voices in the country).

Europe MarineLePen France EuropeTimes

Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the UK are the four biggest economies in the continent. It is on these economies the entire European Union stands. With the UK’s proposed departure and the ongoing friction between France and Italy, the union at present already has a buddle of problems to deal with.

It is sure that the union cannot survive another big blow. It is high time to articulate a applicable strategy to counter the emerging threat of euroscepticism.

Vignesh. S. G
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International Relations News

The relation between France and Italy has moved from bad to worse as the Italian Deputy Prime Minister, Luigi Di Maio, has met the representatives of yellow-vest movement.

France, earlier, warned Italy not to interfere in its internal affairs. The warning was made when the Italian leaders started speaking in favour of the ongoing Yellow-vest moment, which France considers as a serious threat to its political stability.

It was the induction of an eurosceptic government in Italy that made the first blow to the relation between Paris and Rome.

Since then, the relation between these two founding members of the European Union has been steadily worsening.

In the recent past, France and Italy found over a range of issue, primarily over the issue of immigration.

This is the first time in the modern history that France and Italy have come out strongly against each other.

The development is not favourable to the existence of European Union. Germany, the UK, France and Italy are the four largest markets in the biggest economic union of the world. This four will soon be reduced to three as the UK will leave the market within months. The union is less likely to survive another big exist.

Vignesh. S. G
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