EU: Big tech-cos pay more taxes
European Union on Wednesday unveiled plans to make big tech companies pay more taxes. The move could, if endorsed, hit online US firms like Google and Facebook, AP reported. The European Commission says that digital companies must pay their fair share, adding that EU member countries should be able to tax firms that make profits on their territory even if they aren’t physically present. It would concern any country where a firm’s annual revenue exceeds $8.6 million, or which has more than 100,000 users or more than 3,000 digital service business contracts in a tax year. The commission estimates that up to 150 companies could be affected, around half of them from the US.
Peru’s president offers to resign
Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski has submitted his resignation to Congress. The move comes as his center-right administration faces an impeachment vote on Thursday. Kuczynski denies allegations of corruption, and promised an orderly, constitutional transition of power. Congress may accept his resignation or proceed with its plan for a vote to force him from office.
Mark Zuckerberg :Facebook’s security force would be doubled.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg cited, acknowledged a breach of trust over the Cambridge Analytica scandal but failed to apologize. Lessons have been learned, he said, pledging to do better in future. Further he admitted Cambridge University researcher Aleksandr Kogan’s 2013 personality quiz, which mined data on some 300,000 Facebook users and their contacts, saying Facebook changed its data use rules in 2014, in response to this.
In 2015 Facebook banned Kogan’s app after learning from Britain’s Guardian newspaper that he had sold data on to Cambridge Analytica (CA), the London-based political strategy firm which worked for a string of US politicians’ election campaigns, including that of President Donald Trump.
The firm certified that it had deleted that data, in response to demands from Facebook, but last week the Guardian and Britain’s Channel 4 News alleged that that had not been done. Channel 4 covertly filmed CA CEO Alexander Nix boasting of fixing elections around the world, using prostitutes and blackmail to control politicians. He has since been suspended by the firm.
Zuckerberg claimed Facebook had already had most of the security measures needed to prevent a repeat of the data breach in place for years. Zuckerberg eventually uttered the s-word in an interview with CNN on Wednesday evening. “This was a major breach of trust, and I’m really sorry that this happened,” he said.
CEO also said Facebook would testify before Congress on the scandal, but did not commit to appearing in person. “What we try to do is send the person at Facebook who will have the most knowledge,” he said. “If that’s me, then I am happy to go.”
Zuckerberg said he was willing to consider outside regulation of Facebook, within limits. “I’m not sure we shouldn’t be regulated,” he said. “There are things like ad transparency regulation that I would love to see.”
He told the New York Times Facebook’s security force would be doubled. “We’ll have more than 20,000 people working on security and community operations by the end of the year, I think we have about 15,000 now.”
Media agencies
On WaterDay tell us what can India do
With rainfall in India being highly seasonal and 50% of precipitation falling in just 15 days, #India continues to be water-stressed and is faced with the challenge of managing its water needs amidst recurring floods and drought.
On #WaterDay tell us what can India do to manage its fast-depleting groundwater resources? #IndiaWeWant
On #WaterDay tell us what can India do to manage its fast-depleting groundwater resources? #IndiaWeWant
The Top 10 Most Welcoming Countries for Expats
Feeling at home abroad comes easy to foreign residents when being surrounded by warmhearted locals.
- Portugal, Taiwan, Mexico, Cambodia, and Bahrain are the most welcoming countries for expats.
- Between 81 and 94 percent of expats rate the attitude of the local population towards foreign residents positively in the top-10 destinations, compared to 67 percent globally.
- Expats continue to feel unwelcome in Kuwait, Austria, and Switzerland with up to 46 percent negative ratings.
Munich, 21 March 2018 — For the first time ever, Portugal claims the top position as the world’s most welcoming country for expats: close to every expat living there (94%) states to be satisfied with the attitude of locals towards foreign residents. In fact, the general satisfaction with this factor is far above average across all top-10 destinations, as the latestExpat Insider survey reveals. Based on the insights of close to 13,000 expats from 188 countries and territories in the annual survey, InterNations, the world’s largest network for people who live and work abroad, compiled a so-far unpublished ranking of the world’s friendliest countries for foreign residents. Expats in living in these destinations also find it easy to make local friends, and the majority feels at home in the local culture.
1. Portugal
- Friendly attitude towards expats: 94%
- Ease of making local friends: 58%
- Expats likely to stay forever: 47%
Climbing nine places since 2016, Portugal claims the title of the most welcoming country for expats. “The local population is friendly and helpful,” states an Australian, while a Dutch expat values that “people look after each other” here. In fact, close to four in five expats (79%) describe the Portuguese as welcoming, and about three in ten (29%) state that locals make up most of their social circles (vs. 19% globally).
2. Taiwan
- Friendly attitude towards expats: 86%
- Ease of making local friends: 61%
- Expats likely to stay forever: 30%
Close to three-quarters of expats living in Taiwan agree that the Taiwanese are welcoming (73%) rather than distant (8%). “The people are wonderfully friendly and welcoming to foreigners,” states a US American expat. Maybe it is this friendly attitude that makes it easy for the majority of expats to settle down in the country (74%) and feel at home in the local culture (69%).
3. Mexico
- Friendly attitude towards expats: 87%
- Ease of making local friends: 73%
- Expats likely to stay forever: 39%
Considering how easy expats find it to make local friends in Mexico, it comes as no surprise that 30 percent say their friends are mainly locals. Moreover, four in five expats find it easy to settle down in the country (81%) and to get used to the local culture (80%). A US American expat especially likes “how easy it is to adapt, and the people are incredibly friendly”.
4. Cambodia
- Friendly attitude towards expats: 92%
- Ease of making local friends: 59%
- Expats likely to stay forever: 23%
Moving to Cambodia does not seem to be worrisome for expats: more than four in five find the local population welcoming (85%) and think that it is easy to settle down here (83%). This might be one of the reasons why 39 percent felt at home nearly straight away, which is the highest share across all surveyed countries and more than twice the global average (19%).
5. Bahrain
- Friendly attitude towards expats: 86%
- Ease of making local friends: 55%
- Expats likely to stay forever: 11%
Close to seven in ten (69%) find the Bahrainis welcoming, and another 73 percent feel at home in the local culture. This might be thanks to the lack of a significant language barrier: 91 percent find it easy to live here without speaking the local language. “Bahrain is a beautiful melting pot of many different cultures,” states an expat from the USA. In fact, only one percent believes that they will never feel at home here.
6. Costa Rica
- Friendly attitude towards expats: 87%
- Ease of making local friends: 78%
- Expats likely to stay forever: 48%
Out of 65 countries, Costa Rica is the number one destination when it comes to making local friends. This might be due to the fact that 85 percent of expats describe Costa Ricans as welcoming rather than distant (9%), which is 30 percentage points above the global average (55%). Moreover, it might have contributed to more than four in five expats saying they feel at home in the local culture (81%), compared to a global average of 60 percent.
7. Oman
- Friendly attitude towards expats: 86%
- Ease of making local friends: 60%
- Expats likely to stay forever: 12%
“Oman is very expat friendly. The locals are warm and welcoming,” says an Indian living in Oman, and most expats in the country seem to agree: close to three-quarters describe the locals as welcoming (73%). Despite that positive attitude, only three percent state to be mainly friends with locals — however, the majority (58%) is part of a quite mixed social circle.
8. Colombia
- Friendly attitude towards expats: 87%
- Ease of making local friends: 62%
- Expats likely to stay forever: 33%
Out of the top 10 most welcoming countries, expats in Colombia are the most likely to be mainly friends with locals (34%). In fact, more than four in five expats describe the Colombians as welcoming (86%) and find it easy to settle down in the country (81%). A US American finds the Colombians “open, warm, and friendly”, and an expat from the Netherlands adds that they “are always willing to help”.
9. Vietnam
- Friendly attitude towards expats: 83%
- Ease of making local friends: 56%
- Expats likely to stay forever: 16%
More than four in five expats describe the Vietnamese as welcoming (81%), and 73 percent find it easy to settle down in the country. “I love the friendly vibe in the city,” states an expat from South Korea about life in Ho Chi Minh, “people are mostly nice and gentle.” Despite that welcoming attitude, more than half the expats in Vietnam (51%) plan to stay up to five years at most, which is quite above the global average (35%).
10. Canada
- Friendly attitude towards expats: 81%
- Ease of making local friends: 43%
- Expats likely to stay forever: 45%
Canadians are perceived as welcoming by 62 percent of expats in the country, or as a French expat puts it: they are “open-minded, tolerant, and benevolent”. In fact, close to three in ten expats state to be mainly friends with locals (27%), which might contribute to their ease of settling down in the country (70%). Although many expats (45%) find it likely that they will stay forever, the share of expats not yet feeling at home in the country (15%) is the highest out of the top-10 destinations.
Where Expats Feel the Most UnwelcomeOn the opposite end of the spectrum, Kuwait stays firmly in last place for the fourth year in a row when it comes to the friendly attitude of the local population towards foreign residents. An expat from India reports an “increasing anti expat sentiment from locals” in the country. In fact, about half the expats in Kuwait (46%) rate the attitude of locals towards foreign residents negatively, which is nearly three times the global average (16%). Switzerland (63rd) and Austria (64th) do not shine with improved ratings either, as 30 and 35 percent, respectively, rate the attitude negatively. An Italian expat found Austrians to be “uninterested in making new friends”, while a Mexican expat describes Swiss locals as “closed and uneasy”.
Read More about Feeling Welcome Abroad
 | The Top 10 Most Welcoming Countries Portugal, Taiwan, and Mexico top the table when it comes to the friendliness of the local population towards foreign residents, but expats can expect a frosty welcome in Switzerland, Austria, and Kuwait, according to the respondents of the Expat Insider survey. |
| The Expat BubbleExpats often struggle to completely adjust to living in another country. But sticking exclusively with the expat community may ultimately prevent you from really understanding and immersing yourself in the local culture. InterNations helps you leave your comfort zone! |
| Ten Ways to Make a Country Feel Like HomeBefore a move abroad, excitement is usually high. You are probably imagining all the great things you will learn at your new job and how they will advance your career. You are probably already dreaming of all the delicious local foods you will get to try and the wonderful friends you are about to make, but then you arrive and feel out of place. |
| Seven Reasons Why You Aren’t Fitting in With the LocalsYou took a huge step by moving to a new country! However, it doesn’t quite feel like home yet without the right people by your side. Making new friends through cultural barriers can be a struggle, but thankfully there are ways to make it easier. |
About the InterNations Expat Insider 2017 SurveyFor its annual Expat Insider survey, InterNations asked about 13,000 expatriates representing 166 nationalities and living in 188 countries or territories to provide information on various aspects of expat life, as well as their gender, age, and nationality. Participants were asked to rate 43 different aspects of life abroad on a scale of one to seven. The rating process emphasized the respondents’ personal satisfaction with these aspects and considered both emotional topics as well as more factual aspects with equal weight. The respondents’ ratings of the individual factors were then bundled in various combinations for a total of 16 subcategories, and their mean values were used to draw up six topical indices: Quality of Life, Ease of Settling In, Working Abroad, Family Life, Personal Finance, and Cost of Living Index. Except for the latter, all indices were further averaged in order to rank 65 expatriate destinations around the world. In 2017 the top 10 were Bahrain, Costa Rica, Mexico, Taiwan, Portugal, New Zealand, Malta, Colombia, Singapore, and Spain.
For a country to be featured in the indices and consequently in the overall ranking, a sample size of at least 75 survey participants per country was necessary. The only exception to this is the Family Life Index, where a sample size of more than 40 respondents raising children abroad was required. In 2017, 65 and 45 countries respectively met these requirements. However, in most countries the sample size exceeded 100 participants.
About InterNationsWith 3 million members in 390 cities around the world, InterNations (http://www.internations.org/) is the largest global network and information site for people who live and work abroad. InterNations offers global and local networking both online and face-to-face. At around 6,000 monthly events and activities, expatriates have the opportunity to meet other global minds. Online services include country and city guides created by a team of professional writers, guest contributions about life abroad, and discussion forums to help members with topics such as the local job or housing search. InterNations membership is by approval only to ensure we remain a community of trust.
The InterNations app is available for Android and iOS and can be downloaded for free onGoogle Play and the App Store.
Find more information about InterNations on our press pages, company website, Facebook,LinkedIn, Twitter, or in our Expat Magazine.
Press ContactVera Grossmann
Media Spokesperson
Media Spokesperson
InterNations GmbH
Schwanthalerstraße 39
80336 Munich, Germany
Schwanthalerstraße 39
80336 Munich, Germany
Tel: +49 (0)89 461 3324 79
Fax: +49 (0)89 461 3324 99
Email: press@internations.org
Homepage: www.internations.org/press
Fax: +49 (0)89 461 3324 99
Email: press@internations.org
Homepage: www.internations.org/press
Agrarian Crisis, Assault on Cattle Economy and Lynching of Dalits and Minorities
Bhumi Adhikar Andolan resolved to the following action during the two-day National Convention and Photo Feature on Agrarian Crisis, Assault on Cattle Economy and Lynching of Dalits and Minorities (held on 20-21 March,2018) at Constitution Club of India, New Delhi.
- On 3rd April, a protest meeting will be organised at Parliament Street Police Station.
- On 23rd May, a rally is to be organised with Jan Ekta Jan Adhikar Andolan in Delhi.
- Alternate policy formulations, for making demands to political parties to include these concerns with the central and state governments, and raise these issues with the State legislatures and Parliament.
- Intensify struggle against forced and illegal land acquisition at the state level.
- The fact finding report into the mob lynching cases in Rajasthan would be furhter released in various languages.
- The Bhumi Adhikar Andolan (BAA) would be expanded to form state committees in newer states, and carry on work where these committees are already formed.
- Legal aid and support would be provided to families of victims of violence.
For Bhumi Adhikaar Andolan : Krishna Prasad, Madhuresh, Sanjeev, Shweta
The Identification Revolution and Development
CPR is pleased to invite you to a seminar on The Identification Revolution and Development Alan Gelb Thursday, 22 March 2018, 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. Conference Hall, Centre for Policy Research
 |
| Image Source |
Driven by multiple factors, digital ID systems are rapidly increasing in numbers, coverage and precision, and legal identity has been recognised as an SDG target. Will the increasing reach and effectiveness of ID technology and systems support the SDGs more widely? Will they improve state capacity to implement policies and programs, and open up opportunities for people? What can be learned from leading cases? What risks are created or aggravated by the new systems? The seminar will provide an overview of this new, emerging area.
Alan Gelb is a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development. His recent research includes the development applications of biometric and identification technology, the special development challenges of Africa and resource-rich countries and results-based aid. He was previously director of development policy at the World Bank and Chief Economist for the bank’s Africa region. His recent book, Identification Revolution: Can Digital ID be Harnessed for Development? was published in January.
|
Saudi Arabia is revamping its education curriculum
Saudi Arabia is revamping its education curriculum to eradicate any trace of Muslim Brotherhood influence, the country’s education minister said. Anyone working in the sector who sympathizes with the banned group will be dismissed, Reuters quoted Ahmed Al-Issa as saying. Promoting a more moderate form of Islam is one of the promises made by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman under plans to modernize the kingdom.
The Education Ministry is working to “combat extremist ideologies by reviewing school curricula and books to ensure they do not reflect the banned Muslim Brotherhood’s agenda,” Al-Issa said in a statement. It would “ban such books from schools and universities, and remove those who sympathize with the group or its ideology from their posts,” he added. In September, a large Saudi public university said it would dismiss employees suspected of ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Dynamic duo from Shri Ram College of Commerce emerge as city champions
Dynamic duo from Shri Ram College of Commerce
emerge as city champions of Tata Crucible Campus Quiz 2018
Vipraw Srivastava and Sushant Adlakha from National Institute of Technology (NIT) Kurukshetra along with Rajenki Das and Soham Banerjee from Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology, Patiala were the top two teams at the Zone 1 finals of Tata Crucible Campus Quiz 2018, held in Delhi. They will now compete with the other four zones at the National finals to be held in Mumbai.
A total of 84 teams battled it out in the city level finale for the top honours, held at Vivanta by Taj.Hari and Ashik took home a cash prize of Rs. 75,000* and will compete in the zonal round to qualify for the national finale. Bramhdeep Singh Jakhar and Ankit from Delhi Technological University were declared runners-up, winning a cash prize of Rs. 35,000*. Mr. Rohit Khosla, Senior Vice President – Operations, The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) was the Chief Guest at the finale.
This year, the theme of the quiz revolves around 150 years of business to mark the 150th year of the Tata group. In keeping with tradition, renowned quizmaster ‘Pickbrain’ Giri Balasubramaniam hosted the quiz in his masterful, inimitable style of presenting clever questions with equal humour.
The fourteenth edition of India’s biggest campus quiz will run for a little over two months, traversing 38 cities, with five zonal rounds leading to the grand national finale in Mumbai. The winners of the National Finals will receive a Grand Prize of Rs. 5,00,000/-* along with the coveted Tata Crucible trophy.
Explain Why Debt-Ridden DSGMC Splurged on Celebrations
Explain Why Debt-Ridden DSGMC Splurged On Your Father’s Birthday Celebrations, SADD Asks GKGK’s Narcissism Coming at a Heavy Price
NEW DELHI — Already driven to the verge of financial collapse, the DSGMC carried out-lavish spending to celebrate birthday of its president’s late father in what has been a criminal waste of Sangat funds, SADD secretary-general Harvinder Singh Sarna regretted Tuesday. Twenty-two buses were dispatched from the committee budget to the Punjab village of Jathedar Santokh Singh, the late father of DSGMC chief Manjit Singh GK recently.
“Was the jathedar a national hero? Was he a Sikh hero who fought for any movement in Punjab?” asked S. Sarna. “What was his stature in bigger scheme of things? Can he, under any situation, be compared with stalwarts of Punjab in independent India?
The answer to all these questions is one word and this ‘no’,” the SADD leader said.Still, GK chose to glorify himself by celebrating his father’s birthday at the expense of community resources, S. Sarna noted.“On the one hand you are preparing to beg for a huge loan and mortgage DSGMC estates.On the other, you continue to splurge gurdwara resources to satisfy your sick ‘I-me-my’tendencies.
Your narcissism is coming at a heavy price,” S. Sarna told GK.The SADD demanded the DSGMC president immediately reimburse every penny he orderedthe committee to spend on the event.“It was your personal program and agenda not even remotely linked to the Panth. You haveto refund every paisa you took out from the DSGMC treasury to advertise and celebrate yourfather’s birthday. Be warned, this shouldn’t happen again,” S. Sarna asked GK
Cyclone Marcus move to Perth
Tropical Cyclone Marcus into a category five system 950 kilometres northwest of Port Hedland and is tracking west, well away from the WA mainland. Trees are quite literally rolling down roads as appear in videos.
Cyclone Marcus slamming the Australian coast. Australian soldiers and US Marines help remove debris. Marcus storm blasted heavy rain and strong winds to Australia’s Northern Territory this weekend: There’s a chance for a second cyclone to threat Darwin within the next days as we’re seeing the monsoon trough starting to get more active now through the eastern Arafura Sea as per the weather reports.
Cyclone has the strongest category rating possible for a cyclone and is generating winds of 205 kilometres per hour, with gusts of up to 285kph.
Experts say that level or possibly strengthen even further uptil Thursday, when it should start weakening and moving south along the coast, then turn east towards Perth on the weekend.
The cyclone after battered Darwin, passing over the Northern Territory capital as a category two system on the weekend and causing widespread damage.Media agencies
Experts say that level or possibly strengthen even further uptil Thursday, when it should start weakening and moving south along the coast, then turn east towards Perth on the weekend.
The cyclone after battered Darwin, passing over the Northern Territory capital as a category two system on the weekend and causing widespread damage.Media agencies
