Author: RT

Keeping an eye on Silicon Valley: RT’s Boom Bust explores Big Tech tricks to minimize tax bills A number of European countries have been lately pushing their own digital taxes for tech giants. The Czech Republic is now seeking to introduce a seven percent digital sales tax. RT’s Boom Bust and Hilary Fordwich of the British-American Business Association talk about Europe’s tech tax proposals.The practice of the Big Tech to shift their profits around the world in order to minimize tax bills is “so common that it’s actually known as a double Irish Dutch sandwich,” she says. Fordwich takes as an example Google, which is paying 26 percent taxes worldwide as a result of using such a scheme. The practice of taxing offshore royalty accounts results in a sin...

US to provide Vietnam with coastguard ship to patrol S. China Sea – Esper The United States said on Wednesday it will provide Vietnam with another coastguard cutter, boosting Hanoi’s ability to patrol the South China Sea amid tensions with Beijing. US Defense Secretary Mark Esper disclosed the decision during an address in Vietnam, which has emerged as the most vocal opponent in Asia of Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea. At a meeting with students at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, Esper said that China’s efforts “to assert illegitimate maritime claims threaten other nations’ access to vital natural resources… and increase the risk of conflict,” Reuters reports. US to provide Vietnam with coastguard ship to patrol S. China Sea – Esper &#...

‘Incredible sh*thousery’: Gareth Bale trolls Real Madrid with flag after Wales book spot at Euros Welsh winger Gareth Bale risked the wrath of club team Real Madrid as he trolled the La Liga giants after helping his country book a spot at the UEFA European Championships on Tuesday. Wales beat Hungary 2-0 in Cardiff thanks to a double from Aaron Ramsey – the first of which was assisted by winger Bale. But amid jubilant scenes in the Welsh capital Bale took time to take a dig at club team Real, where he has endured an unhappy few months after being deemed surplus to requirements by manager Zinedine Zidane only to see a mega-money move to China fall through. Among the barbs aimed at the injury-prone Welshman by the Madrid press has been that he prefers...

NATO foreign ministers gather to prepare summit amid tensions with France NATO foreign ministers gathered in Brussels to prepare a leaders’ summit in two weeks amid tensions over French President Emmanuel Macron’s statements about the alliance’s role. France is concerned about a lack of US leadership at NATO, the unpredictability of Turkey after its invasion of northern Syria and the need for Europe to take on more security responsibilities, AP said. Wednesday’s meeting at NATO headquarters is aimed at finalizing the “summit deliverables.”  The results will be announced at the December 3-4 leaders’ gathering near London. The ministers will endorse a confidential report laying out NATO’s new policy toward China. They will announce space as the “fifth domain” of security, follow...

Back to the future? 120-year-old photo of Greta Thunberg doppelganger sparks jokes about ‘time traveling’ climate activist A 19th-century photograph of a young girl with an uncanny resemblance to Greta Thunberg has led to joking accusations that the climate activist is a time traveler. Surprisingly, no one asked if her time machine is eco-friendly. Taken from the picture archives of the University of Washington, the black-and-white snapshot shows three children hard at work in the Yukon Territory in Canada, circa 1898. A girl standing in the foreground of the photo shares a remarkable similarity to the 16-year-old Swede, who is currently making a carbon-free sea voyage from North America back to Europe. This can mean only one thing, according to fac...

Rafa to the rescue: Nadal leads Spain to victory over Russia in Davis Cup Spanish tennis icon Rafael Nadal led his squad to its first win in the revamped Davis Cup tournament, beating Russia 2-1 in their group stage encounter, to the delight of the home crowd in Madrid. The world number 23 Andrey Rublev brought Russia hope to advance to the quarterfinals after he won a hard-fought victory over Roberto Bautista-Agut 3-6, 6-3, 7-6. READ MORE: Flying start: Russia stun defending champions Croatia in Davis Cup opener But it was the 19-time Grand Slam champion Nadal who revived Spain’s chances to celebrate an overall win after he defeated Karen Khachanov in two sets 6-3, 7-6. In the decisive doubles match, Khachanov and Rublev could offer nothing to thei...