this is t.v. news live from berlin a big windfall at gold's a european court over rules the decision for firing the tech giant to pay for 13000000000 years in back taxes to ireland it's a blow to e.u. efforts to crack down on tax deals for big business also coming up. an issue for speaking out for the rights of russian accident shares her story with the deputy after she was jailed for protesting the claimant's crackdown on so toward gay propaganda.

i'm christine want to welcome to the program the irish government and apple have won their appeal against its 116 e.u. decision that's it apple had to pay the irish government 13000000000 euros in back taxes money that ireland didn't even want so ireland took the case to 2nd highest court devon has a long denied that its tax arrangements with apple amounts to illegal states the european commission is expected to appeal the ruling to the european court of justice. the ruling has a big legal victory to apple the e.u. general court said the e.u. commission did not succeed in showing that the tech giant had received an illegal economic advantage in ireland over its low taxes. the decision is a major blow to competition commissioner margaret or vested his efforts to crack

down on low tax regimes in the block the commission hooley behind the objective that all companies should pay their fair share of tax if member states gives certain multinational companies tax advantages not available to their rivals this harms fair competition in the e.u. the e.u. commission has 2 months time to decide if it wants to challenge the ruling in need use highest court the core of the problem is that the e.u. does not have one common tax code at the moment firms officially pay 12.5 percent corporate tax in ireland that's compared with the e.u. average of 21.3 percent officially companies in germany have to cough up at least 30 percent. that alone has attracted many companies to ireland and in fact apple paid far less tax at times for example as little as 0.005 percent in 2014 when the tech giant paid just 50 euros tax on every 1000000 euros in profit.

it's the 2nd ruling that either commission has lost last year the institution lost a case against starbucks which was accused of owing $30000000.00 euros in back taxes to the netherlands it all shows how difficult it is to crack down on cases of alleged corporate tax avoidance. and i'm now joined by clinton from business this is a very interesting defense so the e.u. has been trying to clamp down on the low tax policies like what you have in ireland where does this leave the commission's fight against texas well i think i think the fight has changed over the last few years for one and we've had a covert pandemic i think change a lot of things but it puts. a major setback to the way that they're trying to clamp down on big companies getting these low taxes but at the same time the irish would argue that they're a small country and they need to compete against countries like germany within this

block i'm one of their ways of competitive advantage is by offering tax rates so overall i think it's a blow for the e.u. efforts but at the same time i think a lot of the smaller countries in europe and eastern european countries for example would be looking at this is a kind of a victory for those who don't have the great volume and strength that countries like germany and france are right and that is another thing right how is this news likely to go down. i think if you go down very well in dublin. a lot of people in dublin are obviously upset that they they were not getting the money that they're not getting the money but at the same time i think the way the r.'s are presenting it as they've they've stuck with aapl on this and that's been seen as a bonus for them in terms of their relationship with apple and it would also maybe attract more people to look at a countries like arland rather than going for the big manufacturing centers as we say of france and germany that's right yeah because the point you're making is

ireland joined apple in appealing the decision essentially. so is this the end of the if they put it well i think is interesting we've had because of the pandemic for example we've had things like you have towns are getting a massive bailout from the e.u. right and that's brought a lot of questions about competition monopoly and all of these things are being brought into court into play now so a lot of the rules that we used to have the new you are no longer in place so i think we're going to see a lot more thinking about how these how these rules are in acted and about the best way to get through what is a difficult situation and then ultimately then to see how countries like arlen and deal with companies like apple here you know it's competition business tax avoidance is the kind raging debate read waiting for the next tip it could and from a business case thank you for that. russian lawmakers have begun the process of formally outlawing same sex marriages late on tuesday they submitted draft legislation to explicitly ban gay marriage and adoptions including those

transgender people but changes way championed as part of president vladimir putin's constitutional reforms which russians voted overwhelmingly to support any of this month it's part of the claimants why i've been cracked out on the rights you're you were shipped to reports of hostile. behind this barbed wire activists who've dared to publicly criticize the kremlin's policies. one of them is honest. she spent 15 days in what's officially called special detention facility number 2 her crime protesting the trial of an l g b t activist. the activist is charged with spreading homo sexual propaganda after publishing an image of gay couples accompanied by the subtitle family is where love is. in some cities people took to the streets to support the activist.

and its does you know who was among them. that landed her behind bars. in the detention center i lay on the floor and cried i was desperate because the accusations against me were false but the arrest report says for instance that i took part in a mass protest with 50 people that and then 5 30 pm. i was in fact alone and this happened there an hour later the judge just ignores. you yet. there are many others like anastasio who have suffered from what seems to be openly arbitrary policing russia has been rocked for months by waves of intimidation of political critics but it doesn't seem to be doing the kremlin any harm a referendum to change the constitution to allow president vladimir putin to potentially stay in office until 2036 passed overwhelmingly with an official 78

percent of votes. the results seem to have emboldened putin. here in moscow last week dozens of people protested in individual single person protests against the arrest of a journalist many ended up detained themselves. single person protests did not require a police permit. yet human rights observers say that in the last 4 and a half weeks 270 russians have been arrested for demonstrating peacefully. this is the state's answer to the civil courage of its citizens who dare to resist restrictive and repressive measures citizens are showing their rage and the state of press is the 4th. pole of this the silencing of political activists the

jailing of government critics and of protesters is nothing new but what is striking is that such cases are becoming increasingly frequent again yet activists like i understand you have refused to let these repressive tactics shut them down. issue just on you to be rude if we don't organize ourselves or to have some influence over the situation you see if we don't decisively say no when you can i don't want to he do nothing he'll change then we'll be stuck in prison cells again after our statements and our posts are like some tweets. this week the police cracked down again with maximum force when protesters gathered outside a detention center in moscow. despite the crackdown the push going on also today and standing by for us in our spine and even a child even gets to see you tell us what's happening there. so these are the 1st

protests in moscow since the constitutional reform passed exactly 2 weeks ago today behind my shoulder it may be hard to see what it looks like as a sea of umbrellas because it's a rainy night here in central moscow but protesters are lining up to sign up a petition to an older constitute constitutional reforms that could see president vladimir putin still in power until 2036 there's also a host of other amendments to that cost sure for including a ban on gay marriage and over my shoulder there's also we're seeing in the past few minutes activists why rainbow flags are gave gay pride flags in protest of. yet given us this crackdown even do people feel that it's risky taking pawson gatherings like this. absolutely over the past 2 weeks leading up to this protest we've seen people come out for

a single person pickets on multiple occasions these are whatever sensibly legal forms of protesting in russia while those big group gatherings are not and each time people come out for the single person protests they've been immediately bundled the way you spit you might spend a night over in jail you might get fined it's quite risky today however. we've only seen several 100 people come out partly because people might be scared and police while they're standing by they're letting things go on calmly. and so that might be that is a bit of a surprise it might be because they want things just to be not so you know not make the headlines tonight all right that's evan task of h. in moscow for us thank you evan. the british city of bristol has a new skull and paste a statue. pulled down last month a sculpture of black players who helped topple him now stands in his place the all clear was installed without permission and the on wednesday. if.

if the moment that sparked a nationwide to pay supposed head to deal with britain's colonial past. the 17th century slave trader at work colston was pulled down by black lives matter protesters in bristol and june. and tackling the face of many of his victims thrown into the sea. the print he once looked down from now has a new occupant local resident chen read. the artworks inspired by a viral instagram post but read the and picturing her shortly after the coast and statue was toppled you know for me it will not play you know i raise my fist and i raise my fist to give power back to the people back to the slaves who died at the hands of pollsters and titled a surge of power at the sculpture was installed without the local councils approval

and intervention dreamed up by our says mark quinn you know we had to keep it secret because this is a debate to really really clear this is a temporary installation it's not saying this is what should be on the plate forever it's a this conversation is in the public realm and i want this count 3 part of the conversation. they hope to start she will inspire more action to tackle racism it's definitely coast news no more and it's time for change it's time to move on it's time to people to keep educating themselves and i just think it's you know really important. christos mare has not come firmed if and when to stop she will be removed but she says the future of the plant must be decided in a process that includes everyone in the city even those who would have preferred that were colston to remain. disciplined have to date with other stories making news around the world u.s. secretary of state michael preparing new sanctions against

a russian gas pipeline projects that see any firms that help construct an old stream to face penalties the top administration says the pipeline from russia to germany would make europe more dependent on russian energy. new satellite images show that ethiopia has started selling its controversial grand when a song stand on the river nile the move is likely from both egypt and sudan which depend on bolted on the nile talks between the 3 countries on the issue deadlocked in the in this week. and iran say's at least 7 ships have been damaged in a blaze that broke out at a shipyard in the southern pole it's all bullshit there has been a string of unexplained fires and explosions at military nuclear and industrial sites across the country since late june. the watching news from berlin you're up to date but don't forget you can also visit our website . you can also follow us on twitter and on instagram were added every news it's

been great having your company see you next hour about. to. come reading the corona pandemic. where does research stand. what are scientists learning. background information and. our corona. covert 19 special and next on d.v.d. .