disappointing earnings in the recent quarter profits sunk to roughly one point four billion euros between july and september eleventh percent less than the same period last year germany's largest airline has been hit hard by a combination of soaring fuel prices competition from budget airlines and compensation payments to customers due to flight cancellations. the british government says it will begin taxing large online platforms like facebook that operate in the u.k. by the year twenty twenty the most significant effort yet to reshape tax codes for the digital era the two percent tax will target online firms and in more than five hundred million pounds per year finance minister philip hammond said such companies generate substantial value in the u.k. but pay corporate taxes in low tax jurisdictions where measure is expected to raise four hundred million pounds annually the e.u. has been debating a similar house. when britain leaves the european union not only england scotland