>> this is "bbc world news america." funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation, newman's own foundation, giving all profits from newman's own to charity and pursuing the common good, kovler foundation, pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs, and aruba tourism authority. >> planning a vacation escape that is relaxing, inviting, and exciting is a lot easier than you think. you can find it here, in aruba. families, couples, and friends can all find their escape on the island with warm, sunny days, cooling trade winds, and the

crystal blue caribbean sea. nonstop flights are available from most major airports. more information for your vacation planning is available at aruba.com. >> and now, "bbc world news america." this is "bbc world news america." reporting from washington, i am katty kay. the white house is not happy about the massive tax bill the eu handed down to apple. it says it is unfair. taking a dangerous plunge for a better life in europe after one of the biggest migrant rescues in memory. we look at the wave of people heading north. and the serious side of clowning. a famous french theater director walks us through the points of the white faced clown.

katty: welcome to "world news america." the u.s. treasury says the european ruling that apple must pay billions in back taxes is unfair, not just to apple but to american taxpayers. the white house has also expressed concern and so has apple itself. even ireland, which would get the money, doesn't think it is a good idea. why did the european commission order the world's most profitable company to pay more than $14 billion in tax? the bbc's business editor starts our coverage. reporter: apple is one of the world's richest companies. >> hello. >> bonjour. >> hola. >> konichiwa. reporter: earning revenue around the globe, and much of that revenue ends up in ireland, where it pays next to nothing in textured after an investigation into its affairs, the european commission ruled the arrangements were illegal.

>> this decision sends a clear message. member states cannot give unfair tax benefits to selected companies. no matter if they are european or foreign, large or small, part of group or not. reporter: money that apple makes across the eu and beyond gets funneled to ireland, which already has a low tax rate of 12 15%. that is on profits made in ireland. international profits are not taxed at all, bringing apple's overall rate to zero. . the commission ruled it needs to pay back taxes on international profit. you might think any country would welcome such a massive windfall, but you would be wrong. apple has a long history in ireland. steve jobs brought the company here in the early 1980's and it now employs nearly 6000 people. it is an important corporate

citizen and the irish government rejects that it should be the text please. >> if the company was not paying appropriate taxes in the european union are internationally, it is not for ireland because the company operates in the country to be the tax master for the entire world. our responsibility is to collect the tax owed to us and we do that in a transparent and consistent way fully in accordance with laws of the country. the commission is overreaching into a matter of national competency. reporter: u.s. authorities are concerned that american companies are being targeted unfairly and that u.s. taxpayers could lose out. >> we are concerned about the unilateral approach in stated negotiations to undermine progress. -- that threaten to undermine progress that we've made collaboratively with europeans to make the international taxation system fair. reporter: ireland has many

attractions command for international business, it's low tax rates are one. the companies compete with each play and multinationals them off against each other to their own advantage. what is needed, most people say, is a coordinated global approach. what today's ruling and the ensuing outcry has proved as we are a long way from that. by the banks of the river in dublin, there was consensus that something needs to be done. shouldn't be getting sweetheart deals. >> i think it is good essentially for ireland to attract all the companies here. the colonies get compensated -- companies get compensated. fromy be a good be reduced 13 billion to something a little bit lower to keep apple here as well. reporter: hunting down the

world's missing tax may require global authorities to pull together. on today's evidence, they are still out of sync. katty: for more on the ruling i'm joined by professor at georgetown law. he served in the office of international tax counsel at the u.s. treasury department. first of all, let's start with a bit of history. how did apple get away with paying so little tax when the european commission says it does this much? advantage ofe took the mismatch that existed between various legal regimes. so they -- they did things that were illegal but that advantage ofook the way that different rules don't line up to ensure the tax rate they paid was relatively low. katty: and did ireland also take

advantage of tax regimes that, as you put it, didn't line up in order to give apple a good deal and make it, there? >> this is exactly the commission's accusation. the interesting thing, though, is it is true and ireland may have given apple a good deal, but that deal was virtually on offer to every multinational. it wasn't special to apple. and apple was not the team -- not the behemoth we think of it now. it was the early 1990's. apple was struggling. it was a midsize company. this was not a special deal for one of the world's largest companies. katty: how can the commission then claim that something is various, illegal -- something nefarious, illegal happened? >> from my perspective, even under eu law it can't.

regimes are intended to deal with special deals. this is not selective. it might be a sweetheart deal but ireland basically offered video to everyone who wanted it. katty: who suffers when companies pay as little tax as apple did in ireland. one'sl, it depends on perspective. arguably the revenue that could have been generated should be in the hands of the u.s., in which case the cost was borne by u.s. taxpayers. position of the european , is irelandoddly is the one who suffered, even though they were the ones who gave the sweetheart deal. and interestingly, the commission's idea of a remedy is that the country that acted illegally should return the money. katty: which ireland says it

doesn't want. thanks for coming in. complicated. thanks very much. calm weather is forecast in the southern mediterranean for the next few days authorities predict a means a flood of migrants will risk the journey from libya to europe. thousands were rescued on monday alone, the most in a single day in years. this year more than 100,000 people have arrived in italy and thousands more have died trying. reporter: if you thought this crisis had gone away, think again. ,he desperate swing to safety the first sign of hope. stranded off the coast of libya, men, women, and children are packed into smugglers' boats. the youngest are twins, just a week old, and they are the lucky ones. in 24 hours the waters here have been overwhelmed.

rescues.ne of 40 more than 7000 have been saved. it means frantic days like never before. about 5:30 in the morning. rescued overme we , according to the information we got from the authorities. calmer weather has tented thousands to make the journey from libya to italy. eritrea, are from others somalia, escaping war and poverty hoping for something better. and still the people traffickers are paid. this year alone more than 100,000 have used this route to

cross into italy, and again this journey has claimed the lives. more than 3000 drowned or lost in the mediterranean. as day turns tonight, dry land in italy, the risk has paid off. these people are exhausted. they have no possessions for the clothes -- but they're close. but still, they are alive. >> we saw about 40 people, women and children and families, from western african countries. beginning of this year, arrived by sea in italy more than 30,700 children. reporter: and how many more are still to come? one estimate is that a quarter million people are waiting in libya, willing to gamble everything for a new life in europe. katty: ed thomas reporting there

. images of people struggling to get european as the migrants try to make it to europe, in libya itself, pro-government forces say they are advancing on the last holdout of islamic state in the city of sirte. i.s. took the city last year and there were fears they would use it as a base to attract europe. fighting has been centered on two districts of sirte. the bbc is one of the few journalists to reach the front lines. he sent us this report. they begin to advance, the militants of so-called islamic state. forces loyal to the libyan unity are in position and

close to gaining control of sirte. the last districts still under isis control. islamic state hopes the headquarters in sirte will provide a base to launch attacks .nto your -- into europe but now the estimates are about three pushed out. -- about to be pushed out. the commander here says i.s. no longer has the manpower to hold the city. >> all the area in front of us is under i.s. control. you can see them from here. districts number one and three. within a few days we will take over all this area. reporter: but the fight isn't over yet. i.s. militants reply with sniper fire and suicide bombs, stopping

the advance. the military spokesman told us that they had expected these attacks, and he is confident with his men's progress. >> now in control of 75% of fighters3, and i.s. have retreated towards the coast. the fighting in district one is still intense, but we will a lot stop -- we will not struggle to get the job done. reporter: the gains here have come at a price. on the day we visited, over 30 fighters were killed. are forced out of sirte, the threat continues. there is a strong feeling i.s. will regroup and return, causing more devastation in a struggling country with 2 governments and

hundreds of militias competing for power. bbc news, sirte. katty: reporting from the front line in libya. meanwhile, the so-called islamic state group confirmed the death of its spokesman, abu muhammad al-adnani, in aleppo, syria. it did not specify when he was killed. and why is this significant? reporter: he was a charismatic leader of the group, katty. the overall leader, i'll baghdadi, isal- reclusive. adnani was not. he disobeyed the voters of the al qaeda leader and drew a whole set of younger fighters to the crisis brand. -- isis brand. he was also propaganda specialist and used social media in a way al qaeda had it.

crucially, he was the one who articulated the new jihad. not the spectacular attacks of al qaeda, but remember, yet the famous statement in 2014, kill members of the coalition with whatever means you have, be itas rock, knife, vehicle. katty: he spent time at the pentagon and -- you spent a lot of time at the pentagon and you know they were particularly interested in getting adnani. how much will this help in the battle against the islamic state? reporter: probably not much in the short term because there are those who can take his place. but he is one of the last founding members and there are those who will vie for that kind of authority and perhaps we will see cracks down the road. if he was killed in a targeted american strike, there is suggestions he might have been, we don't know for sure, then that is significant because it

means the americans were able to penetrate the top leaders of the islamic state. katty: ok, thanks very much for coming in. a quick look at other news from around the world. the united states says it still intends to complete negotiations on a transatlantic trade agreement with the eu before the end of the year. the u.s. trade representative will travel to europe in september. leading european politicians including the french president and the eu trade commissioner have expressed doubt, however. a state funeral for victims of last week's italian earthquake has taken place in one of the worst affected towns. the coffins of 37 people included 2 children. prime minister matteo renzi and a representative of pope francis were among the mourners. many of the medieval buildings collapsed. the uzbek president remains in intensive care in hospital after suffering from a brain hemorrhage. the news was confirmed by his

daughter's instagram post. authorities confirm he is stable. he is the only president of the former soviet republic. -- since gaining independence 25 years ago. celebrations to mark the anniversary have been canceled. in somalia, a car bomb has exploded outside a hotel in central mogadishu, close to the presidential palace gates. 20 people are reported to have been killed. the islamist group al-shabaab says it carried out the attack. more than 30 people were injured, including politicians and journalists. a security conference was to take place at the same hotel. you are watching "bbc world news america." still the come on tonight's program can we take a ride through america's rust dealt to find out what people really think about hillary clinton and donald trump. minister, economy emmanuel macron, has resigned from francois hollande's

government amid speculation he could run for president. mr. macron establish a new political movement in april. reporter: the big story in france for the big story around the world, too, because emmanuel macron has become perhaps one of the most recognizable figures in the french government. he is young come he is freshfaced, he looks like the boy at the top of the class, and he is a social and economic liberal, and that is the key point. since he came to his post a couple years ago, he has tried to pioneer a number of measures to open up the french economy could increasingly he has run into opposition from parts of the government. francois hollande one of them. the key point is that we are eight months from the presidential election. does this mark emmanuel macron's bid to enter the presidential race? that is the big question. katty: president obama will join

hillary clinton on the u.s. election campaign trail next month in the crucial state of pennsylvania. the area is a mainstay of american politics, and a victory there can significantly help a candidate's chances of winning the white house. but both secretary clinton and her rival donald trump have problems with pennsylvania voters. nick bryant has been traveling through the state and he has this report. nick: welcome to the town of clinton, pennsylvania, where the senate greets you greets donald trump. it gets a nod of approval from a working-class voter who lost his job at the beginning of the year. he likes donald trump, he loathes hillary clinton. >> he speaks what he says and speaks to people from the heart. nick: what about hillary? >> she should be in prison. >> we are senior citizens and we are voting for trump. [laughter] nick: this billboard has become

something of a tourist attraction, and what makes it more noteworthy, it was erected by a longtime democrat. >> for the last 30 years she has not spoken a truthful word. nick: for many american voters it is like a lesser of two evils election. he doesn't trust her. >> i don't care what happens. if the dog catcher was running against hillary clinton, i would vote for the dogcatcher. nick: further down the road is one of the fated steel towns where hillary clinton is vulnerable. more than one third of the voters here are black, and it helps her. donald trump has recently reached out to african-americans after a poll suggested just 1% support him. what about his appeal to african-americans? >> absolutely no. no no no no. if i see a black guy voting for trump, i would have to go like this and rub his skin and make

sure and then you would see the truth, because you wouldn't be black. nick: a local man reckons that donald trump's outreach to black voters is mainly meant to persuade whites he is not racist. he sees it as a deathbed conversion that doesn't ring true. >> he is not preaching those things that ring people together. he is preaching things that divide us and america can ill afford to be divided right now. nick: river is pittsburgh, a city fromous where you see evidence of an education gap opening up in the american electorate. donald trump has done well with white working-class voters but has had a harder time attracting the support of whites with college degrees. he is in danger of becoming the first republican presidential candidate the years not to win a majority of white graduates. baseball, the

pittsburgh pirates, and a high school band blasts out a high decibel version of aretha "respect," something both candidates have struggled to command. in of 2 unpopular contenders what has often been a cartoonish election, it is hillary clinton who for many in the pricier seats of the stadium passes the basic presidential plausibility test. >> she is a qualified candidate and she is not crazy. >> i could not believe he could get the nomination of the republican party. it is a disgrace to >. >> i cannot stand donald trump. i think everything that comes out of his now is a disaster. nick: the questions of trust and ethics be devil hillary clinton, and that is why donald trump is still in the game. nick bryant, bbc news, pittsburgh. katty: this is an extra ordinary

election that looks increasingly divided among class and race lines and not traditional party allegiance. from a story go about presidential politics to a story about clowns without pointing out that both involve a little bit of circus. most highlynd regarded of all, archetypes, the work is serious business. the bbc caught up with a director in singapore who told us about the craft. makeup, i'mt the not the same. hide myself. my clown is my devil, and the ghost. the work of the white clown is

not only to make the audience laugh. it is to give to the audience poetry and emotion. the beautiful laugh is also a beautiful cry. everything with your body that physically is hard. you have to be intense on each movement. , two minutes, ok. a problem, andr, if you lose the intensity, you lose the audience. disappear, ok, but i think they will never disappear. somebody, perhaps one of the will beudents, they

this clown. katty: just in case you thought clowns were meant to be funny. we would like to tell you about a rock 'ny pairing, roll animal and a real animal. that is coco, the famous gorilla, playing a guitar with flea, bassist for the international rock band the red hot chili peppers. it turns out the musician, the human one, is a big fan of coco's has wanted to meet her for years. he got the chance in woodside, company. signs tonown for 1000 communicate with humans. flea is famous for playing loud

music. that is it for "bbc world news america." i can't top it. thanks very much for watching the program. >> make sense of international news at bbc.com/news. >> funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation, newman's own foundation, giving all profits from newman's own to charity and pursuing the common good, kovler foundation, pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs, and aruba tourism authority. >> planning a vacation escape that is relaxing, inviting, and exciting is a lot easier than you think. you can find it here, in aruba. families, couples, and friends can all find their escape on the island with warm, sunny days,

cooling trade winds, and the crystal blue caribbean sea. nonstop flights are available from most major airports. more information for your vacation planning is available at aruba.com. >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet, los angeles.

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