IN BRIEF (Page 12)

France

Govt to tax tech giants despite US anger

France on Thursday became the first major economy to impose a tax on digital giants, with parliament passing the legislation in defiance of a probe ordered by US President Donald Trump that could trigger reprisal tariffs. The new law - dubbed the GAFA tax - an acronym for Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon - aims at plugging a taxation gap that has seen some internet heavyweights paying next to nothing in countries where they make huge profits. The French move drew an angry response from Trump even before the legislation was passed, with the US president ordering an investigation that the French economy minister said was unprecedented in the history of French-US relations.

Greece

6 killed and at least 23 injured in fierce storms

Six people died and at least 23 were injured as a fierce storm tore through a beachfront in one of Greece's top tourist areas, terrifying thousands of holidaymakers caught in the open, authorities said on Thursday. Six tourists including two children were killed on Wednesday - two each from the Czech Republic, Russia and Romania - after storms hit the northern region of Halkidiki, near Greece's second city Thessaloniki. There were reports on Thursday that a seventh body had been recovered, but they have not yet been confirmed.

United States

Couple sue over 'living hell' IVF mix-up

A California couple have filed a lawsuit over what has been described as one of the worst IVF mix-ups that led to another woman giving birth to their baby boy. Anni and Ashot Manukyan, of the Los Angeles suburb of Glendale, said their life was upended after their embryos as well as those of two other couples were mishandled by CHA Fertility Center. As a result, they said a complete stranger in New York gave birth to their child in March after two embryos - theirs and one belonging to another unidentified couple - were mistakenly implanted into the woman's uterus. The New York woman, who is of Korean-American descent, was expecting to give birth to twin girls but wound up with two boys.

Russia

Eight injured in power station fire in Moscow

Eight people were injured in a major fire that broke out at a heat-and-power plant in the Moscow region on Thursday, Russian media quoted sources in the emergency services as saying. The fire took place at a high-pressure natural gas station in the plant in the city of Mytishchi, north of the Russian capital, spreading to an area of 200 square meters and causing flames that were 50 meters high, RIA Novosti news agency reported, citing a spokesman of the regional emergency services. Firefighters are on their way to the scene. Employees of a car shop located near the plant were reportedly hurt in the fire, according to Interfax news agency.

AFP - Xinhua

(China Daily 07/12/2019 page12)