Apple accused of seeking ‘the Holy Grail of tax avoidance’

It’s safe to say that Apple CEO Tim Cook won’t be having much fun on Tuesday when he testifies before the Senate about his company’s alleged tax dodging practices. The Hill reports that a new report from the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations has found that Apple has allegedly “funneled money through three offshore companies to dodge billions in taxes,” which some senators say highlights major holes in U.S. tax law. Senator Carl Levin (D-Mich.), for one, said that Apple “sought the Holy Grail of tax avoidance” as it “created offshore entities holding tens of billions of dollars, while claiming that it was a tax resident nowhere.” Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.), meanwhile, said that “a company that found remarkable success by

Read more here: Apple accused of seeking ‘the Holy Grail of tax avoidance’

UK's Cameron committed to ruling in coalition until 2015: spokesman

Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron speaks at the Conservative Party's annual Spring Forum, in central LondonLONDON (Reuters) – British Prime Minister David Cameron is committed to governing as part of a two-party coalition until the next national election in 2015, his spokesman said on Tuesday, days after Cameron raised the prospect of the alliance breaking apart. Cameron has ruled with the Liberal Democrats, his junior coalition partner, since 2010, but the two have taken increasingly different positions on issues such as Britain's role in Europe and Cameron on Sunday for the first time raised the possibility that the coalition might not last until 2015. …

Read more here: UK's Cameron committed to ruling in coalition until 2015: spokesman

Iranians face new Internet curbs before presidential election

By Yeganeh Torbati DUBAI (Reuters) – Iranians are struggling with slower Internet speeds and limited access ahead of an unpredictable presidential election that has put hardline Islamist authorities on alert for possible unrest. Experts and web users say they believe the Internet obstacles are related to the June 14 presidential vote, the first since 2009 polls in which accusations of fraud – denied by the government – kindled months of protests organised in part via social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. …

Read more here: Iranians face new Internet curbs before presidential election