http://www.youtube.com/v/elW4iDfh71U?version=3&f=videos&app=youtube_gdata Original source - Nigel Farage on Corporate Taxes in the Corrupt E.U
Major businesses call for climate change laws
Several major companies issued a joint call Wednesday for the United States to enact legislation to battle climate change, saying that the issue was critical to their businesses. Thirty-three firms including online retailer eBay, tech giant Intel, coffee leader Starbucks and sportswear makers…
Swedish coffee beats Starbucks in US test
US coffee drinkers prefer to drink Swedish brand Gevalia ahead of Seattle chain Starbucks, according to a recent survey promoted by Gevalia producer Kraft Foods. … Read More
‘Pay fair share’: Over 100,000 Britons sign Amazon tax petition
Now the petition has hit the 100,000 mark they plan to take itto 10 Downing Street, where they will be accompanied by a largecrowd of authors.The action was launched by Frances and Keith Smith, who own twosmall bookshops in Warwick and Kenilworth, in the UK.On learning about the accusations against Amazon last November,the Smiths launched their petition on Change.org.They write in their petition that small book retailers havealready been “pushed to the brink” by the huge discountsoffered by the online multinational, against which it is nearimpossible to compete. “What’s even worse is that Amazon, despite making sales of£2.9 billion in the UK last year, does not pay any UK corporationtax on the profits from those sales,” said theSmiths. “We are happy with competition in the market but it must beon level terms and by dodging corporation tax in this way, Amazonstarts with an unfair advantage,” the petition said.Frances Smith said they were determined to keep the pressure upso the government does something about it.“We have to keep on banging on about it so the government knowsit is important to people, and that there are votes in it,” shetold the Guardian.MP Margaret Hodge who was chair of the public accountscommittee, which grilled Amazon, alongside Starbucks and Googleover their UK tax arrangements last year, is among theirsupporters, as is the author Charlie Higson, who wrote the YoungBond series of novels.Higson agreed that the current arrangement gives Amazon acompletely unfair advantage, “How can anyone else possibly hopeto compete? And for the government to have let them set up in thisway is also bordering on the criminal,” he said.However, everything that companies like Amazon are doing iscompletely legal, its tax avoidance, not tax evasion.But there are signs that shaming corporations in the public eye isthe best way to make them change their ways and the governmentchange the law. “As the public have got to understand better what corporatetax avoidance is, there is a clear sense of outrage that is goingwell beyond a small group of protestors,” Murray Worthy,a tax justice campaigner for the NGO War on Want, told theBBC.There is also evidence that social media boycotting campaignshave been effective, such as the #boycottstarbucks campaign, wherea small group of people instilled dissent among a far largernumber.In a report published last Monday, Hodge said the amount of taxtaken from some multinational companies in the UK was“outrageous” and that HM Revenue and Customs (the UK taxcollecting authority), must be “more aggressive and assertive inconfronting tax avoidance”. However, Simon Walker, director general of the Institute ofDirectors said tax rules must be simpler if tax avoidance is to bereduced. While John Cridland, the director general of theConfederation of British Industry (CBI) believes that if thegovernment wants a different result from the tax system they mustchange the law.For its part Amazon released a statement denying they were doinganything wrong saying it “pays all applicable taxes in everyjurisdiction that it operates within.” … Read More
A Start-Up Aims to Upend E-Commerce by Selling Nail Polish
Julep, a nail polish e-commerce company started by a former Starbucks executive, has attracted attention from top venture capitalists. … Read More
G20 leaders agree to avoid ‘Currency Wars’
G20 leaders agree to avoid ‘Currency Wars’Get short URLLink copied to clipboardemail story to a friendprint versionPublished: 16 February, 2013, 23:40
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Participants of G20 states finance ministers and central bank governors meeting pose for family picture in Moscow, on February 16, 2013 (AFP Photo / Yuri Kadobnov) While the ‘Currency War’ debate headlined the agenda at the G20 Summit, financial leaders in Moscow failed to reach a debt agreement, but managed to outline plans to crack down on corporate tax loopholes.On the other hand, the projected goal of striking an agreement on budget deficit levels was left up in the air. The Toronto 2010 G20 summit resolved to cut annual budget deficits in half by 2013 and this pact expires in September. Russia’s Finance Minister Anton Siluanov is confident the G20 will have reached an agreement by that time, while forum host Vladimir Putin expressed hopes Moscow can serve as a model for other debt-stricken nations.Russia has one of the world’s lowest state debt levels… and the country’s lo
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west inflation rate for the past 15-20 years. We hope we’ll continue this strategy this year and in the medium term. We’ll abide by a very weighted and responsible conservative approach to state finances,” Putin said.The debt-deficit limit was set up after Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Spain, and Cyprus required Eurozone assistance dealing with their overblown budget deficits. All the five countries (and Italy could very well be on the heel of this trend) tapped into the Eurozone’s monetary rescue fund.G20 states finance ministers and central bank governors’ deputies attend their meeting in Moscow, on February 16, 2013 (AFP Photo / Yuri Kadobnov) Eliminating tax havens and loopholes Meanwhile, British, French, and German finance ministers led the crusade against tax-avoidance at the forum. The cash-strapped European heavyweights have joined forces to ensure big business pays their fair share in taxes. As the recession drags on, Finance Ministers have ramped up efforts to abolish tax havens such as Bahamas, Cyprus, Monaco, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, and the Cayman Islands. The campaign is being backed by the Organisation for Cooperation and Economic Development (OECD) which is working together with European governments to crack down on companies that exploit tax structures for profit. ”We want businesses to pay the taxes that we set in our countries. And that cannot be achieved by one country alone,” George Osborne, UK finance minister, said pointing out that companies that transfer profits internationally to avoid higher taxes will be more heavily scrutinized. Amazon, Google, Starbucks, Google raked in billions of profits, but have paid miniscule amounts in taxes. In Britain last year, Starbucks paid just $13.8 million in corporate taxes. “We are determined to develop measures to address base erosion and profit shifting, take the necessary collective action and look forward to the comprehensive action plan the OECD will present to us in July,” the summit communiqué reported. Russia is the 2013 G20 chair, and the Leader’s Summit will be held in St. Petersburg on September 5-6, 2013. The G20 is a forum of the world’s largest economies that was established after the 2008 economic crisis. Russia’s agenda for the summit is international financial reform, world trade, investment, energy, and job creation.International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde (C) attends a meeting of G20 states finance ministers and central bank governors’ deputies in Moscow, on February 16, 2013 (AFP Photo / Yuri Kadobnov) “We want businesses to pay the taxes that we set in our countries. And that cannot be achieved by one country alone,” George Osborne, UK finance minister, said pointing out that companies that transfer profits internationally to avoid higher taxes will be more heavily scrutinized. Amazon, Google, Starbucks, Google raked in billions of profits, but have paid min
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iscule amounts in taxes. In Britain last year, Starbucks paid just $13.8 million in corporate taxes. “We are determined to develop measures to address base erosion and profit shifting, take the necessary collective action and look forward to the comprehensive action plan the OECD will present to us in July,” the summit communiqué reported. Russia is the 2013 G20 chair, and the Leader’s Summit will be held in St. Petersburg on September 5-6, 2013. The G20 is a forum of the world’s largest economies that was established after the 2008 economic crisis. Russia’s agenda for the summit is international financial reform, world trade, investment, energy, and job creation.”);
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Currency manipulations, dubbed as ‘currency wars’ dominated conversation at the G20 conference. Though Friday’s program was set to target austerity and economic stabilization strategies, it derailed with ‘overblown’ talks of currency manipulation.”We will refrain from competitive devaluation. We will not target our exchange rates for competitive purposes,” announced top finance officials after late night discussions. “Currencies should not be a tool for competitive devaluation,” stressed British chancellor George Osborne.The Japanese Yen and Chinese Yuan have recently come under fire for intentionally reducing value in order to gain a market advantage. The Yen has dropped over 7 percent under Abe Shinzo’s aggressive monetary and fiscal policies to battle deflation, Bloomberg reports. In a joint statement, leaders reinforced their opposition to such tactics, and echoed the G7 – which includes Japan – statement issued earlier this week declaring their commitment to “market-determined exchange rates”. European countries and the US worry that devaluations of currencies like the yen will make their exports less competitive and impede economic recovery at home.US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke attends a meeting of G20 states finance ministers and central bank governors’ deputies in Moscow, on February 16, 2013 (AFP Photo / Yuri Kadobnov) On the other hand, the projected goal of striking an agreement on budget deficit levels was left up in the air. The Toronto 2010 G20 summit resolved to cut annual budget deficits in half by 2013 and this pact expires in September. Russia’s Finance Minister Anton Siluanov is confident the G20 will have reached an agreement by that time, while forum host Vladimir Putin expressed hopes Moscow can serve as a model for other debt-stricken nations.Russia has one of the world’s lowest state debt levels… and the country’s lowest inflation rate for the past 15-20 years. We hope we’ll continue this strategy this year and in the medium term. We’ll abide by a very weighted and responsible conservative approach to state finances,” Putin said.The debt-deficit limit was set up after Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Spain, and Cyprus required Eurozone assistance dealing with their overblown budget deficits. All the five countries (and Italy could very well be on the heel of this trend) tapped into the Eurozone’s monetary rescue fund.G20 states finance ministers and central bank governors’ deputies attend their meeting in Moscow, on February 16, 2013 (AFP Photo / Yuri Kadobnov) Eliminating tax havens and loopholes Meanwhile, British, French, and German finance ministers led the crusade against tax-avoidance at the forum. The cash-strapped European heavyweights have joined forces to ensure big business pays their fair share in taxes. As the recession drags on, Finance Ministers have ramped up efforts to abolish tax havens such as Bahamas, Cyprus, Monaco, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, and the Cayman Islands. The campaign is being backed by the Organisation for Cooperation and Economic Development (OECD) which is working together with European governments to crack down on companies that exploit tax structures for profit. ”We want businesses to pay the taxes that we set in our countries. And that cannot be achieved by one country alone,” George Osborne, UK finance minister, said pointing out that companies that transfer profits internationally to avoid higher taxes will be more heavily scrutinized. Amazon, Google, Starbucks, Google raked in billions of profits, but have paid miniscule amounts in taxes. In Britain last year, Starbucks paid just $13.8 million in corporate taxes. “We are determined to develop measures to address base erosion and profit shifting, take the necessary collective action and look forward to the comprehensive action plan the OECD will present to us in July,” the summit communiqué reported. Russia is the 2013 G20 chair, and the Leader’s Summit will be held in St. Petersburg on September 5-6, 2013. The G20 is a forum of the world’s largest economies that was established after the 2008 economic crisis. Russia’s agenda for the summit is international financial reform, world trade, investment, energy, and job creation.International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde (C) attends a meeting of G20 states finance ministers and central bank governors’ deputies in Moscow, on February 16, 2013 (AFP Photo / Yuri Kadobnov) “We want businesses to pay the taxes that we set in our countries. And that cannot be achieved by one country alone,” George Osborne, UK finance minister, said pointing out that companies that transfer profits internationally to avoid higher taxes will be more heavily scrutinized. Amazon, Google, Starbucks, Google raked in billions of profits, but have paid miniscule amounts in taxes. In Britain last year, Starbucks paid just $13.8 million in corporate taxes. “We are determined to develop measures to address base erosion and profit shifting, take the necessary collective action and look forward to the comprehensive action plan the OECD will present to us in July,” the summit communiqué reported. Russia is the 2013 G20 chair, and the Leader’s Summit will be held in St. Petersburg on September 5-6, 2013. The G20 is a forum of the world’s largest economies that was established after the 2008 economic crisis. Russia’s agenda for the summit is international financial reform, world trade, investment, energy, and job creation.
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Rosneft gets access to $100bn gas and oil field in AlaskaRosneft has reached an agreement with Exxon Mobil to acquiring a 25% stake in the Point Thompson Alaska oil and natural gas field. The deal is part of the larger cooperation on exploring the Russian Arctic shelf.
Lesbian Muslim Unveiled: Moving Forward For Progressive Islam Values
A good friend of mine and I were in a heated debate at Starbucks—naturally—over whether or not it’s possible to reconcile Islam with the LGBTQ community. My friend Zara was outed by her strict Muslim Pakistani family at the age of 19 when they read through her diary while she was away at work one evening. The scene awaiting her arrival was ugly. No longer able to see a place for herself in Islam, she broke ties with her beloved religion—and with her family. Why do so many gay Muslims self-segregate themselves rather than modify their interpretation of their faith to be more inclusive?
Back at Starbucks, Zara struggled to explain that letting go of her faith was the right thing to do. Irritation crept into my voice as I judged her for defending her family’s stance against her “lifestyle choice.” Don’t get me wrong—Zara is not self-loathing by any means. She has lived her life openly and proudly for the past nine years. But whatever made Zara feel like she wasn’t allowed to practice her religion struck sadness in her she has never been able to shake.
