Amazon passes on French taxes to its sellers; should profits always come first? and more top news

The news professionals in Europe are talking about now, curated by LinkedIn’s editors. Join the conversation on today's stories in the comments. 

Amazon is passing on new French digital services tax costs to its small- and medium-size sellers in France. The French government slapped the 3% digital tax on roughly 30 major tech companies, including Google, Facebook and Amazon, in July in an attempt to level the playing field between the tech giants and local businesses. Amazon has announced that from October 1, it will be raising seller fees by 3% to compensate. The Trump administration has launched an investigation into the policy, which it says unfairly targets US companies. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Norwegian Air is selling its stake in its profitable bank subsidiary to boost its finances. The carrier announced yesterday it is offloading its 17.5% shareholding in Norwegian Finans Holding, which owns Bank Norwegian, for 2.2 billion crowns ($246.7 million). The deal with Nordic Capital and Finnish insurer Sampo will shore up the finances of Europe’s third-largest budget airline as it struggles to overcome industry-wide overcapacity issues. Last week, the company announced it was cutting certain unprofitable transatlantic routes. ? Here’s what people are saying.

The world’s largest e-ferry has completed its maiden voyage between two Danish islands. The all-electric “Ellen”, which can carry 30 vehicles and 200 passengers, runs off a 4.3-megawatt hour battery supplied by Swiss firm Leclanché. It says the ship, expected to be fully operational within a few weeks, will save over 2,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide and 1.4 tonnes of sulphur dioxide each year. The international global shipping sector has agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2050. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Should shareholders always come first? A group of powerful corporate leaders is now challenging that long-held view. The Business Roundtable, chaired by JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, has released a statement suggesting corporations need to balance shareholder interests against the needs of all stakeholders, including its workers and broader society. Economist Milton Friedman’s position that companies’ only goal is to maximise value for shareholders has been criticised for leading to growing inequality and a fixation on short-term results. ? Here’s what people are saying.

When we’re livid, many of us opt to calm down first before making any kind of decision. But research on consumer behavior from Northwestern’s Kellogg School suggests that anger can help us focus. Anger can push us to act with greater certainty. The resulting decisions are often more clearly based on our goals and we are more likely to feel satisfied with our choices, the researchers found. One key thing to keep in mind? Make sure the anger is directed productively. Otherwise, things can get ugly. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Idea of the Day: Workers in large organisations should not misinterpret scale for stability, says Merck Group Chairman Stefan Oschmann.

“In today’s fast-paced environment, the size of an organisation is losing a lot of its relevance. It’s the speed of learning that counts.”

—  Capucine Yeomans