Quick notes: Digital tax, Train-18...

• Britain’s new “digital services tax”: The new tax is expected to raise an additional £400m a year by targeting tech giants such as Facebook, Google, and Amazon... India was the first country to implement such a tax.



• Facebook, Google Face Billions in New Taxes Across Asia, Latin America: Inspired by EU proposals to impose a tax based on the revenue of tech companies rather than their profit, South Korea, India and at least seven other Asian-Pacific countries are exploring new taxes. Mexico, Chile and other Latin American countries too are contemplating new taxes aimed at boosting receipts from foreign tech firms. Such taxes are separate from corporate income taxes many companies already pay.



• India's 1st Engine-Less Train Said To Be Faster Than Shatabdi: Driven by a self-propulsion module sans a separate locomotive, Train 18 will cut travel time by 15% compared to the Shatabdi.



• Aircraft-like pressurised coaches for world's highest track in Leh:  The 465-km strategically significant line to be built at a cost of Rs 83,360 crore, will see railways' first pressurised coaches which are currently used only in the Quinghay-Tibet Railway Line.



• HAL: Outright purchase of Rafales without local manufacture would end up in an enormous life cycle cost which may drain out the exchequer.



• Letting Sunlight Indoors Kills Disease-Causing Bacteria:  Lit rooms had about half the viable bacteria (those that are able to grow), compared with dark rooms. Rooms that were exposed only to UV light had just slightly less viable bacteria than ones exposed to daylight.



• Paper Airplane Designs: A database of paper airplanes with easy to follow folding instructions.



• e-scooter: Ford is the next company to join the electric scooter craze.

1/ @Ford is entering the e-scooter rental business, through a subsidiary called "Jelly". Their website is in pre-launch mode as of now: https://t.co/viYOgryshd Their iOS app is not live on the app store yet, but the website lists they are active on @LifeAtPurdue campus.

— Sameer K (@thesameerk) October 23, 2018