News Headlines - 31 December 2015

▽Happy New Year: World Marks Start Of 2016

New Year celebrations are in full swing across the globe, with Moscow among the latest cities to ring in the start of 2016.

▽A knighthood for Lynton Crosby: government under fire for political honours | The Guardian

The government has been accused of turning the honours system into an “old boy’s club” after Lynton Crosby, the political strategist who ran the Conservatives’ 2015 election campaign, was awarded a knighthood.

▽N.Y. ex-con planned New Year's Eve bar attack for ISIS: Feds | Toronto Sun

An ex-con seeking to prove he was worthy of joining the Islamic State group planned to carry out a New Year's Eve attack at an upstate New York bar using a machete and knives provided by an FBI informant, federal authorities announced Thursday.

▽Dubai skyscraper ablaze near New Year's Eve fireworks | The Guardian

The inferno lit up the side of the Address Downtown hotel near the centre of the city, scattering bystanders and shoppers in a nearby mall. The Dubai government said one person had a heart attack as a result of the smoke and the rush to get out of the building. One person was described as moderately injured and 14 people were said to have suffered minor injuries.

▽Apple Inc. (AAPL) to Pay €318m Tax Bill Owed to Italy - Stock News That Matters

Apple Inc. today has agreed to pay quite a hefty tax bill to Italy. After an investigation which launched back in 2013, the Italians found that the U.S. tech giant failed to decalre approximately $1.3 billion to the taxing authorities within their country. Italian authorities accused Apple Inc. of hiding profits by transferring revenue to a sudsidiary based in Ireland. Ireland is known for their lower corporate tax rates, which Apple tried to take advantage of. While €318m ($347 million) may seem like a lot of dough, it only represents appropximately 1.8% of Apple’s current cash and cash equivalent holdings.