EU wants big companies to reveal national tax bills
Thu, 23 May 2013 08:44:05 -0400

By John O'Donnell BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Europe's top regulatory official is seeking to force large companies to disclose how much tax they pay in each country where they operate, a measure some politicians say could curb tax avoidance. Michel Barnier, the European commissioner in charge of drafting business regulation, said in a speech in Amsterdam that rules which will force banks to report their profits, taxes and subsidies by country from 2015 should be extended to cover other companies. "We will expand these reporting obligations to large companies and groups," he said on Thursday. ...

Twitter beefs up security after hacking spree on media
Wed, 22 May 2013 17:45:21 -0400

By Jim Finkle (Reuters) - Twitter Inc unveiled technology to boost security for its users, following a spate of attacks on accounts of prominent media outlets including the Associated Press, the Financial Times and The Onion. The micro blogging site, which transmits some 400 million messages a day, said on Wednesday that it had begun rolling out an optional "login verification" service to thwart hackers seeking to hijack accounts with stolen passwords. ...

Pearson agrees $75 million settlement in U.S. e-books case
Wed, 22 May 2013 12:41:24 -0400

By Kate Holton and Nate Raymond LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - British publisher Pearson's Penguin unit said on Wednesday it would pay $75 million in damages plus costs to U.S. states and consumers as part of an agreement over alleged price-fixing in the e-book market. Pearson, which will take an extra provision on its accounts this year after setting aside $40 million in 2012, had already reached an agreement with the U.S. Justice Department in the e-book pricing case. ...

British opposition leader says Google tax behavior 'wrong'
Wed, 22 May 2013 11:56:12 -0400

By Andrew Osborn and Costas Pitas LONDON (Reuters) - Google Inc's tax affairs came under renewed scrutiny in Britain on Wednesday when the leader of the opposition Labour party accused the Internet company of wrongly going to "extraordinary lengths" to avoid paying tax. In comments designed to politically outflank Prime Minister David Cameron ahead of next month's G8 summit on what has become a high-profile issue, Ed Miliband, the Labour leader, said he was disappointed that Google paid so little tax. "I can't be the only person here who feels disappointed that such a great company as Google ...

Young faces enliven Kuwait's faded art scene
Wed, 22 May 2013 11:47:31 -0400

By Sylvia Westall KUWAIT (Reuters) - After two lackluster decades, Kuwait is experiencing a quiet revival of an arts scene once known as the most avant garde in the Gulf, thanks to a new generation eager to tackle sensitive issues using cutting-edge art forms. The artists have been exhibiting works in the graphic arts, photography, animation and fashion in private galleries but also bypassing traditional venues and arts groups - and possible censorship - by showing their work online to reach an audience beyond the 3.7 million people in Kuwait. ...

Disgraced ex-congressman Weiner announces candidacy for NYC mayor
Wed, 22 May 2013 09:45:06 -0400

By Edith Honan NEW YORK (Reuters) - Two years after resigning from Congress in a lewd photo scandal, former U.S. Representative Anthony Weiner announced in a video message early on Wednesday he is running for New York City mayor. "I made some big mistakes and I know I let a lot of people down, but I also learned some tough lessons," Weiner said in the video. "I'm running because I've been fighting for the middle class and those struggling to make it my entire life. ...

The Irish loophole behind Apple's low tax bill
Wed, 22 May 2013 08:23:26 -0400

By Tom Bergin LONDON (Reuters) - Apple's ability to shelter billions of dollars of income from tax has depended on an unusual loophole in the Irish tax code that helps the country compete with other countries for investment and jobs. A U.S. Senate investigation revealed Tuesday that Apple, maker of iPhones, iPads and Mac computers, channeled profits into Irish-incorporated subsidiaries that had "no declared tax residency anywhere in the world. ...

China charges six in sex video "extortion" case
Wed, 22 May 2013 01:46:54 -0400

BEIJING (Reuters) - A court in the city of Chongqing has charged six people with working together to blackmail government officials by recording videos of them having sex, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday. The six were charged with extortion on Monday, Xinhua said, citing a statement from judicial authorities in Chongqing, where they are slated to be tried. Investigators said the group "lured officials into having sex with women and secretly recorded their encounters to blackmail them from 2008 to 2009", Xinhua said. ...

Microsoft unveils Xbox One with Spielberg, Activision tie-up
Tue, 21 May 2013 19:22:29 -0400

By Bill Rigby and Malathi Nayak REDMOND, Washington (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp unveiled the "Xbox One" on Tuesday, its first new gaming console in eight years, and its strongest push so far to dominate consumers' living rooms with an array of exclusive media content. The Xbox One took four years to develop and will be the launchpad for a "Halo" live-action video series produced by Steven Spielberg. It will be sold worldwide "later this year," games unit chief Don Mattrick told reporters at an event at the software company's campus near Seattle, without providing details on timing or pricing. ...

Iranians face new Internet curbs before presidential election
Tue, 21 May 2013 08:27:12 -0400

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. ...

Amazon wins key cloud security clearance from government
Tue, 21 May 2013 00:08:55 -0400

By Alistair Barr SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc has been given a security clearance by the U.S. government that will make it easier for federal agencies to use its cloud computing services. Amazon Web Services, known as AWS, was certified to operate as a cloud service provider for three years under the government's new FedRAMP program. The accreditation covers all AWS data centers in the United States, the company said on Tuesday. "This will cut the cost and time for agencies to deploy our systems," said Teresa Carlson, vice president of Worldwide Public Sector at AWS. ...

Parents turn to Internet to help daughter charged with sex with girl minor
Mon, 20 May 2013 19:47:20 -0400

By Barbara Liston ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - Thousands of people have protested against the prosecution of an 18-year-old Florida high school senior after her parents launched an Internet petition claiming she was charged with sex crimes only because her lover, a then 14-year-old schoolmate, was another girl. By late Monday afternoon, almost 100,000 people had signed a Change.org petition or joined a Facebook group called "Free Kate" in support of Kaitlyn Hunt. ...

Toronto mayor urged to step down if crack allegations true
Mon, 20 May 2013 17:39:36 -0400

By Julie Gordon TORONTO (Reuters) - The mayor of Canada's largest city, facing allegations that he smoked crack cocaine, and made racial and homophobic slurs on video, must either refute the accusations or step down, fellow city politicians say. "If the allegations are false, then the mayor is owed some apologies," said Councillor Josh Matlow, who has clashed with Ford on transit issues, but who usually takes a centrist line in a polarized city council. "If the allegations are proven true beyond a reasonable doubt, then the mayor should resign." An editor from U.S. ...

Online takeout companies GrubHub and Seamless to merge
Mon, 20 May 2013 13:42:04 -0400

By Sarah McBride SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Two of the nation's biggest online food delivery businesses said they are merging in a deal that they hope will drive more orders, in more cities, through their platforms. GrubHub and Seamless, which allow consumers to easily order online from various restaurants, are part of a group of fast-growing businesses that standardize local services under a national umbrella. Think restaurant reservations, where OpenTable dominates, or car services, where privately held startups such as Uber are making significant inroads. ...

Websense to go private after years of slow growth
Mon, 20 May 2013 10:32:57 -0400

(Reuters) - Websense Inc said it had agreed to be taken private by Vista Equity Partners in a deal that values the online security firm at about $907 million, a move that should come as a relief to investors after years of weak sales from its legacy business. The offer of $24.75 per share represents a roughly 29 percent premium to Websense's Friday close. Websense shares rose to just above the offer price to a near two-year high in morning trading on the Nasdaq. ...

New Xbox more than a game console for Microsoft
Mon, 20 May 2013 07:30:23 -0400

By Malathi Nayak and Bill Rigby SAN FRANCISCO/SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp is set to make a splash this week with the eagerly awaited unveiling of its new Xbox game console, eight years after the last version, as it seeks a larger share of the $65 billion a year global computer gaming industry. But the small device faces some big competition from the PlayStation 4 by Sony Corp and the Wii U by Nintendo Co Ltd in a shifting market. ...

China trying to manage exposure of corruption online
Mon, 20 May 2013 07:28:51 -0400

By Terril Yue Jones BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Internet is brimming with disclosures of officials collecting bribes, homes and luxury accessories as casually as they do mistresses. But while the government tolerates such anti-corruption vigilantism, it is also extremely leery of the threat the Internet can pose to Communist Party rule. The Internet is the new tool in the fight against corruption - a cornerstone policy of new President Xi Jinping, who has pledged to tackle the problem head-on. ...

Jon Stewart's humor a hit with millions of envious Chinese
Mon, 20 May 2013 02:39:37 -0400

By Jane Lee SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Humor may not always translate well, but Jon Stewart is picking up millions of fans in China, where his gloves-off political satire is refreshing for many in a country where such criticism is a rarity - especially when directed at their own leaders. A recent segment on North Korea scored over 4 million views on microblogger Sina Weibo, and even stodgy state broadcaster CCTV has used Stewart's "The Daily Show" in a report, though they wouldn't let a Chinese version of him near their cameras. ...

Infosys to challenge latest tax demand of $105.3 million
Mon, 20 May 2013 00:47:41 -0400

BANGALORE (Reuters) - Infosys Ltd, India's No. 2 software services exporter, said on Monday it would challenge a 5.77 billion rupees ($105.3 million) income tax demand raised by Indian authorities earlier this month. The demand relates to certain tax benefits on income from software development done overseas at the clients' location and revenue from special economic zones in India, Infosys said in a statement. It said the latest tax demand disregards a clarification by the government in January. ...

Cricket-Warner to face disciplinary hearing over Twitter rant
Sun, 19 May 2013 02:23:51 -0400

May 19 (Reuters) - Australia opening batsman David Warner will face a disciplinary hearing for his Twitter outburst against two senior Australian cricket journalists, the country's cricket board said on Sunday. The flamboyant left-handed batsman criticised News Limited journalists Robert Craddock and Malcolm Conn in an expletive-filled tirade, which grabbed headlines in Australia. The 26-year-old has been charged with breaking the code of behaviour which pertains to "unbecoming behaviour, regarding comments posted on his Twitter account," Cricket Australia said in a statement. ...

Cricket-Australia to investigate Warner's Twitter rant
Sat, 18 May 2013 01:17:08 -0400

May 18 (Reuters) - Cricket Australia is to investigate an extraordinary Twitter outburst by opening batsmen David Warner that attacked two senior Australian cricket journalists. The 26-year-old Warner criticised News Limited journalists Robert Craddock and Malcolm Conn in an expletive-filled tirade, which has created headlines in Australia. "Cricket Australia is aware of comments made on David Warner's Twitter account overnight," Cricket Australia said in a statement on Saturday. "Cricket Australia is attempting to contact Warner and will continue to investigate the matter. ...

Syria government supporters hack Financial Times
Fri, 17 May 2013 16:59:27 -0400

By Jim Finkle and Jennifer Saba (Reuters) - The Financial Times' website and Twitter feeds were hacked on Friday, renewing questions about whether the popular social media service has done enough to tighten security as cyber-attacks on the news media intensify. The Syrian Electronic Army, an online group that supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, was behind the incident which followed a phishing attack on the company's email accounts, FT reported on its website. The attack is the latest in which hackers commandeered the Twitter account of a prominent news organization to push their ...

U.S. authorities seize accounts of major Bitcoin operator
Fri, 17 May 2013 12:34:08 -0400

By Brett Wolf ST. LOUIS, May 17 (Thomson Reuters Accelus) - U.S. authorities have seized two accounts linked to a major operator in the booming Bitcoin digital currency market, Tokyo-based exchange Mt. Gox. The move may prevent the firm from facilitating the purchase and sale of Bitcoins in U.S. dollars at a time when use of the currency and its value has mushroomed. Bitcoin, which unlike conventional money is bought and sold on a peer-to-peer network independent of any central authority, has grown popular among users who lack faith in the established banking system. ...

After Google, Amazon to be grilled on UK tax presence
Fri, 17 May 2013 09:17:37 -0400

By Tom Bergin LONDON (Reuters) - Internet retailer Amazon.com Inc. will be called back to the British parliament to clarify how its activities in the UK justify its low corporate income tax bill, two lawmakers told Reuters. Amazon will follow search giant Google, which attended another grilling by parliament's Public Affairs Committee (PAC) over its tax affairs on Thursday. A Reuters report earlier this month raised questions over Google's earlier assertions that its UK-based staff don't sell to customers. ...

Rivals get longer to comment on Google EU antitrust offer: source
Fri, 17 May 2013 08:55:37 -0400

By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU antitrust regulators have given some of Google's rivals more time to study its proposals to settle anti-competitive complaints, which could provide more leverage to pry further concessions from the Internet search giant. The European Commission last month told interested parties they had until May 26 to say if they are satisfied with the offer by the world's most popular search engine to mark out its services from rival products in Internet search results. ...

Soccer-Oceania club final showcases future of broadcasting
Fri, 17 May 2013 02:29:53 -0400

By Greg Stutchbury WELLINGTON, May 17 (Reuters) - The possible future of sports broadcasting will be further highlighted on Sunday when New Zealand's Auckland City and Waitakere United play the Oceania Champions League final, with the winner qualifying for the lucrative FIFA Club World Cup. The match in Auckland, reduced to a winner-takes-all final after the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) streamlined the competition this year, will be broadcast not only on television but also live over the Internet on the OFC's YouTube channel. "The coverage will be screened live in New Zealand ... ...

China cracks down on over-the-top anti-Japan dramas
Thu, 16 May 2013 22:25:22 -0400

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's television regulator has ordered a crackdown on dramas about the country's battles with Japan during and before World War Two and demanded they be more serious, state media said on Friday, following viewer complaints about ludicrous storylines. Ties have been shadowed for years by what Beijing says has been Tokyo's refusal to admit to wartime atrocities committed by Japanese soldiers in the country between 1937 and 1945, something taught to every Chinese school child and a staple of television dramas. ...

LulzSec hackers who "wreaked havoc" at Sony jailed in UK
Thu, 16 May 2013 13:50:42 -0400

By Li-mei Hoang LONDON (Reuters) - A group of British hackers who "ran riot" causing millions of dollars of damage to computer networks run by Sony, the CIA and other agencies were sentenced to jail terms on Thursday. Police said four men, members of the hacking collective known as "LulzSec", put thousands of internet users' personal data at risk through their high-profile cyber attacks in 2011. ...

UK politician sues for defamation in high-profile Twitter case
Thu, 16 May 2013 09:13:04 -0400

By Estelle Shirbon LONDON (Reuters) - A retired British politician sued the wife of the House of Commons Speaker for defamation on Thursday, accusing her of implying in a tweet that he was a pedophile guilty of sexually abusing boys living in a care home. Alistair McAlpine, an associate of the late former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, is seeking damages from Sally Bercow in Britain's most high-profile Twitter defamation case to date. ...

Cricket-'Jeeks', 'nuffies' and moms targeted by cricketing Facebook
Thu, 16 May 2013 02:59:52 -0400

By Greg Stutchbury WELLINGTON, May 16 (Reuters) - Hunched over desks staring at computer screens paid for in part by New Zealand cricket captain Brendon McCullum, employees at a small Wellington company are hard at work laying the foundations for what they hope will be the next social media revolution. Targeting the estimated billion players and fans of the English bat-and-ball game around the world, CricHQ aims to build an online community which could be crudely described as Facebook for cricket. ...

YouTube adds first paid channel for horror films
Wed, 15 May 2013 21:30:01 -0400

By Lucas Shaw NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - YouTube has a new paid channel for horror junkies, adding Screampix as the first subscription channel dedicated to frightful fare. It launched on Wednesday in the US and Canada for $2.99 a month, and will rollout to the U.K., France and Brazil later this year. The channel features more than 200 hours of horror footage, including full-length features, trailers and interviews. Movies are grouped into categories such as "Women on a Rampage" and "Zombiepalooza. ...

Orlando Jones on why Machinima's geek culture works for 'Tainted Love'
Wed, 15 May 2013 21:14:46 -0400

By Brent Lang LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Orlando Jones is a self-described comic book nerd, so when it came to finding the perfect venue for "Tainted Love," his gritty and profane love letter to graphic novels, the actor and comedian said Machinima immediately sprung to mind. The popular YouTube channel is a gathering spot for fans of geek culture and it's a destination for Jones when he wants to get his inner fanboy on. "Tainted Love" debuted two weeks ago on Machinima Prime and the third episode airs Thursday. ...

Newegg, Overstock win patent fight with Alcatel-Lucent
Wed, 15 May 2013 17:08:39 -0400

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The online shopping sites Newegg and Overstock Inc won a patent battle on Wednesday with telecom equipment maker Alcatel-Lucent SA, which had accused the companies of infringing its patented technology. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which hears all patent appeals, upheld a lower court decision which found that Newegg and Overstock did not infringe on a software patent that allows computers to adapt the shopping web sites to their own screen size rather than having a server do the work. ...

Battered networks blow up traditional TV schedule to take on cable, streaming rivals
Wed, 15 May 2013 15:10:13 -0400

By Tim Molloy NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - One of the biggest television shows next season won't air until the season is nearly over - and that should tell you something about broadcasters' wavering loyalty to the traditional September-May broadcast season. Fox plans to debut its 12-episode "24" revival in May, and use it to launch another much-hyped, limited-run series, M. Night Shyamalan's "Wayward Pines." The network is following the lead of NBC, which used an unconventional April launch date for "The Voice" in 2011 to build it into a hit. ...

Why YouTube cover sensation Sam Tsui turned down record labels for his debut album
Wed, 15 May 2013 15:03:30 -0400

By Lucas Shaw NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Michael Jackson landed Sam Tsui on Oprah, but now Tsui must rely on someone else's music - his own. A 24-year-old Pennsylvania native, Tsui blossomed into one of the most popular cover artists on YouTube while at Yale, covering everyone from Jackson to Britney Spears to Adele. His channel amassed more than 500,000 subscribers with the help of childhood friend and producer Kurt Schneider, who helped deliver Tsui's covers and mash-ups to millions of fans. ...

LulzSec hackers "at cutting edge" of cyber crime, court told
Wed, 15 May 2013 09:58:23 -0400

By Estelle Shirbon LONDON (Reuters) - Four British hackers who took part in 2011 cyber-attacks on targets ranging from the CIA to Sony were audacious, arrogant men whose motivation was "anarchic self-amusement", a court heard on Wednesday. The men, who have pleaded guilty to a variety of offences, were members of the hacking collective LulzSec that caused millions of dollars of damage to corporate and government computer networks during an online crime spree they boasted about on Twitter. ...

After ATM heist, India's IT sector again in unwelcome spotlight
Wed, 15 May 2013 02:06:20 -0400

By Swati Pandey and Harichandan Arakali MUMBAI/BANGALORE (Reuters) - A breach of security at two payment card processing companies in India that led to heists at cash machines around the world has reopened questions on the risks of outsourcing sensitive financial services to the Asian nation. Global banks that ship work to be processed in India, either in-house or to big IT services vendors, were already under pressure to step up oversight of back-office functions after a series of scandals last year. Last week, U.S. ...

GM says new data centers will improve vehicles, margins
Mon, 13 May 2013 12:35:27 -0400

By Deepa Seetharaman WARREN, Michigan (Reuters) - General Motors Co said it is investing $546 million in two new Michigan data centers in hopes it will free up millions of dollars to boost vehicle quality more quickly. The largest U.S. automaker unveiled a $288 million data center in the Detroit suburb of Warren on Monday, which went online in January. Construction of a $258 million companion center at the GM vehicle proving grounds in Milford, Michigan, will begin this summer. ...

London's Unruly snaps up viral video firm Shareifyoulike
Mon, 13 May 2013 10:40:18 -0400

LONDON (Reuters) - Unruly, one of London's hottest tech companies, has made its first acquisition, buying Germany's Shareifyoulike to gain the leading position in viral video marketing in the country. Unruly and Shareifyoulike work with advertisers and their agencies to create viral campaigns, whereby ads are viewed, shared and talked about on social networks, creating millions of pounds worth of marketing for brand owners. "Germany is a key market for us, it's the largest advertising economy in Europe," Unruly co-founder Sarah Wood told Reuters in an interview. ...

Disney's ABC to start first streaming of live broadcast shows
Sun, 12 May 2013 20:23:51 -0400

By Ronald Grover LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Disney's ABC network will become the first broadcast network to stream its shows live online through an ongoing service, starting with viewers of its TV stations in New York and Philadelphia on May 14 and expanding to its other stations by the end of the summer. To promote its WATCH ABC service, through the end of June Disney is allowing all viewers of its WABC station in New York and WPVI station in Philadelphia to watch live ABC programs online or on mobile devices by downloading the WATCH ABC app, Disney said in a statement. ...