Apple Ordered To Pay €13bn In Irish Taxes

US technology giant Apple has been ordered to pay up to €13bn (£11bn) in back taxes to Ireland after a European probe.

Apple faces the record bill after the European Commission (EC) ruled that a special scheme to route profits through Ireland was illegal state aid.

The tech giant's tax arrangements enabled it to pay a tax rate of as little as 0.005% on its European profits in 2014, according to the probe.

That is just €50 (£43) in taxes on every €1m (£850m) of profit.

Ireland's finance minister Michael Noonan said he disagreed "profoundly" with the decision and would seek Cabinet approval for an appeal.

The sum to be paid by Apple is 40 times bigger than any previous demand by the EC in such a case.

It could be reduced if other countries seek more taxes themselves from the US tech giant.

Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said: "Member states cannot give tax benefits to selected companies - this is illegal under EU state aid rules..

"The Commission's investigation concluded that Ireland granted illegal tax benefits to Apple, which enabled it to pay substantially less tax than other businesses over many years."

Apple said it was confident of winning an appeal and that the ruling would have a "profound and harmful effect on investment and job creation in Europe".

The EC's tax crackdown on multinationals has prompted criticism in Washington, which accuses it of targeting US companies.

Online retailer Amazon and fast food giant McDonald's face probes over their tax arrangements in Luxembourg while coffee chain Starbucks has been ordered to pay up to €30m (£26m) in the Netherlands.

Calls To Improve Diabetes Care As Amputations Hit Record High

The number of diabetes-related amputations in England has reached an all-time high of 20 a day, according to new analysis.

Diabetes UK says there is an alarming difference in quality of care seen across the country and while the best-performing areas have consistently reduced their amputation rates, the worst-performing areas have made no improvements.

Experts estimate that up to 80% of diabetes-related amputations are preventable. Most are caused by foot ulcers, which are avoidable and easy to treat if detected early.

Using Public Health England figures, the charity discovered there are now 7,370 amputations a year - considerably more than the earlier figure of 7,042.

Diabetes UK wants the Government and the NHS to improve diabetes foot care, especially in areas where amputation rates are stagnant or getting worse.

Data suggests some NHS trusts are 10 times more likely than others to resort to an amputation than others.

Apple May Be Fined Billions In Europe's Largest Tax Penalty

American tech firm Apple is expected to be hit with Europe's largest tax penalty later following claims it received preferential treatment from Ireland.

The company could be forced to pay back billions of euros to Dublin as state tax aid is illegal under European Union rules.

Last week the US Treasury attacked Europe's tax avoidance crackdown - which also includes firms such as Amazon and Fiat Chrysler.

It said the probe by the European Commission (EC) undermines the international tax system, while the companies under investigation say their arrangements are legal.

If Europe recovers billions in taxes from US firms it could mean less revenues collected by Washington.

Robert Stack, the US Treasury's deputy assistant secretary for international tax affairs, said: "US taxpayers could wind up eventually footing the bill."

The US acknowledged the problem of alleged state aid being given by countries such as Ireland, Belgium and Luxembourg in the form of lucrative tax breaks.

But it criticised the EC's approach in planning to apply new rules to companies retroactively, and also accused it of overstepping its powers.

The EC denied it was targeting US companies and said it was a "standard feature" of European rules that companies would have to pay any benefits from tax breaks found to be illegal.

Ireland has stood by its actions.

Junior finance minister Eoghan Murphy said on Sunday: "We don't believe we gave any state aid to Apple."

He reiterated the government's stance that it would appeal any decision that found against Ireland in the matter.

Explosion reported near Chinese embassy in Kyrgyzstan

An explosion has occurred around the Chinese embassy in the Kyrgyzstan capital of Bishkek, reports Interfax news agency citing a local emergency ministry's representative.

There are no confirmed casualty figures yet.

"The exact number is being verified," the representative said.

AFP news gency reports that a car exploded after ramming into gate at the embassy, according to local police.

Local medics said the driver of the car was killed while two embassy staff and a woman were injured in the blast.

Home Secretary Rejects Calls To Scrap Calais Border Deal

The Home Secretary will bluntly reject calls to scrap the border deal between Britain and France when she meets her French counterpart in Paris later.

Amber Rudd is meeting interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve for scheduled talks on co-operation on counter-terrorism and security following the spate of terror attacks in France.

But border security has been propelled to the top of the agenda following calls by senior French politicians, led by former president Nicolas Sarkozy, to move checks on migrants from Calais to the UK.

Mr Sarkozy, who hopes to make a comeback in the French presidential election next year, said the controversial "Jungle" migrant camp should be shut down and moved to Britain.

But Ms Rudd, who succeeded Theresa May in July, will tell the President that Britain will not agree to renegotiating the border agreement between the two countries.

A Home Office spokesperson told Sky News: "We remain committed to working together to protect our shared border in Calais and to maintain the juxtaposed controls. 

"The French government have repeatedly made it clear that removing the juxtaposed controls would not be in the interests of France. 

"The French President reiterated this again at a joint press conference with the Prime Minister on 21 July.

"We firmly believe in the established principle, enshrined in the Dublin Regulation, that those in need of protection should seek asylum in the first safe country they enter."

At their meeting in Paris back in July, Mrs May said she had won a pledge from the President on the existing deal despite the UK's vote to leave the EU.

President Francois Hollande agreed, and said the agreement was useful to both countries. 

"We consider it as our duty ... to apply it and also to improve it," he added.

Under the Treaty of Le Touquet, British immigration officials check passports in Calais and their French counterparts do the same in Dover.

A source close to Mrs Rudd told The Daily Telegraph that discussing an end to this agreement was a "complete non-starter". 

The problem for the British government is that if President Hollande loses the presidential election next year, the existing treaties and agreements could be in jeopardy.

Charlie Elphicke, Conservative MP for Dover, said: "Axing the treaty altogether would be a disaster for France and Britain. 

"It would simply force the ferries and Tunnel to become border guards - meaning higher ticket prices and longer queues."

Keith Vaz, chairman of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, added that the crisis in Calais was due to the failure of successive French presidents to deal with the issue of illegal migration - and branded Mr Sarkozy's proposal "irresponsible".

The former president's controversial call has also provoked a furious attack from Tim Farron, leader of the Liberal Democrats.

He claimed Mr Sarkozy was "trying to grub around the gutter for votes to win his presidential primary", adding: "It won't work and trying to mimic the nasty rhetoric of Marine Le Pen is not a recipe for success. He just looks like a hypocrite."

British Backpacker Tom Jackson Stabbed In Australia Dies From His Injuries

A British man who was stabbed in Australia as he tried to save another backpacker has died from his injuries, police have said.

Tom Jackson sustained critical head injuries when he intervened as fellow Briton Mia Ayliffe-Chung was stabbed to death in north Queensland last Tuesday.

Queensland Police confirmed the 30-year-old passed away in Townsville Hospital.

His father, who had flown from the UK to be by his bedside last week, said in a statement before his son's death: "There are many and varied reasons why we are, and always will be, immensely proud of Tom.

"His actions in response to this horrific attack only add to that sense of pride."

Mia Ayliffe-Chung was stabbed to death at a hostel in north Queensland

Detectives plan to upgrade a charge of attempted murder against suspect Smail Ayad, a 29-year-old Frenchman, when he next appears in court at the end of October.

Ayad also faces another count of attempted murder, one count of serious animal cruelty and 12 counts of serious assault. He remains in custody.

The alleged knifeman is said to have shouted the Arabic phrase for "God is greatest" - both during the attack and while being arrested - but police said there was no evidence he had been radicalised or was motivated by politics.

Reports Ayad was "obsessed" with Miss Ayliffe-Chung, a 21-year-old from Derbyshire, are being investigated.

Flowers have been left at the scene of the attack

Ms Ayliffe-Chung was only a few days into a three-month trip working on a farm when she was attacked, according to social media.

Her boyfriend, Jamison Stead, said she was a "beautiful soul" who had "fallen in love with the country and its people".

Writing in a blog on Monday for The Independent, her mother, Rosie Aycliffe, said: "At the moment the only way I can really cope with our loss is to think Mia's time had come and what happened in that hostel on Tuesday was her fate."

She revealed her plans to scatter her daughter's ashes around the world in places she will never discover.

British Backpacker Tom Jackson Stabbed In Australia Dies From His Injuries

A British man who was stabbed in Australia as he tried to save another backpacker has died from his injuries, police have said.

Tom Jackson sustained critical head injuries when he intervened as fellow Briton Mia Ayliffe-Chung was stabbed to death in north Queensland last Tuesday.

Queensland Police confirmed the 30-year-old passed away in Townsville Hospital.

His father, who had flown from the UK to be by his bedside last week, said in a statement before his son's death: "There are many and varied reasons why we are, and always will be, immensely proud of Tom.

"His actions in response to this horrific attack only add to that sense of pride."

Mia Ayliffe-Chung was stabbed to death at a hostel in north Queensland

Detectives plan to upgrade a charge of attempted murder against suspect Smail Ayad, a 29-year-old Frenchman, when he next appears in court at the end of October.

Ayad also faces another count of attempted murder, one count of serious animal cruelty and 12 counts of serious assault. He remains in custody.

The alleged knifeman is said to have shouted the Arabic phrase for "God is greatest" - both during the attack and while being arrested - but police said there was no evidence he had been radicalised or was motivated by politics.

Reports Ayad was "obsessed" with Miss Ayliffe-Chung, a 21-year-old from Derbyshire, are being investigated.

Flowers have been left at the scene of the attack

Ms Ayliffe-Chung was only a few days into a three-month trip working on a farm when she was attacked, according to social media.

Her boyfriend, Jamison Stead, said she was a "beautiful soul" who had "fallen in love with the country and its people".

Writing in a blog on Monday for The Independent, her mother, Rosie Aycliffe, said: "At the moment the only way I can really cope with our loss is to think Mia's time had come and what happened in that hostel on Tuesday was her fate."

She revealed her plans to scatter her daughter's ashes around the world in places she will never discover.