07/04/2016 World News Today

This is BBC World News Today with me, Tim Willcox.

The headlines - more fallout from the Panama Papers.

President Putin dismisses them as western propaganda as his close

associates are linked to offshore accounts.

In Argentina, President Macri is now under criminal

investigation after revelations from the leaked documents.

Brussels police release new security footage of the man in the hat -

the surviving prime suspect in last month's terrorist bombings.

Also coming up - French prostitutes criticise a new law making it

But its backers say it will help tackle trafficking.

Finding the Bard in unexpected places.

Why the discovery of a new First Folio in Scotland has

With the Panama papers continuing to cause global embarrassment

for many of the world's richest - and political death

for some like the former Prime Minister of Iceland -

focus has now shifted to Argentina, where a federal prosecutor has

opened an investigation into this man - President Mauricio Macri.

According to local media, Mr Macri is listed as the director

of an offshore company in the Bahamas.

He denies it, saying he has no shares in the company.

Well, another leader distancing himself from allegations

is the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.

He has denied any element of corruption over the leaks,

dismissing it as Western propaganda, accusing his opponents of trying

It's the first time Putin has spoken since it was revealed close

associates of his owned a number of offshore accounts.

Do you know what a product of the news means? They tackled the

offshore accounts and your humble servant was not clear. There is no

topic to discuss. They made a product for the news. They found

some of my acquaintances and friends, dug into something and put

it together. I saw those pictures and many unspecified people in the

background. The photo of myself is placed in the foreground. The idea

has been developed that the president of Russia has a friend who

did something with possibly an element of corruption but which

element? Beard is none. The fact that the establishment, for example

the USA, are behind the story, was already shown by Wikileaks.

The practice of off-shore banking has been thrust into the spotlight

Tax authorities in Germany, Spain, Britain and France have all said

But what about Panama, the country where this all started.

With me to discuss what is being done there is Daniel Fabrega,

Ambassador of Panama to the United Kingdom.

Thank you for joining us. You have announced an independent commission,

too little, too late? First of all, thank you for having me. I would

like to start by saying it is unfortunate that the title of the

news is Panama News because it is not only about Panama but 21

jurisdiction is. Panama has made significant advancements in

transparency and tackling corruption. Is that correct, because

when you look at the actual banking laws, these have been entrenched in

recent legislation in terms of secrecy and confidentiality? It is

not as if Panama has gone out of its way for transparency but laws have

been changed to create even more secrecy. We have actually, first of

all on this issue in particular, the Attorney General started a formal

investigation and the president stated twice this week, first that

he is hoping for the international community to do any investigation on

Panama, and also for the international community to work

together, and second, in the state of the rain address, he appointed a

special committee of legal and financial world experts who will

help evaluate this crisis. So it is a crisis? Any reform that needs to

be done will be shared with the international community. It is a

crisis not for Panama but the entire world, and President Obama stated

clearly this week it is not unless issue about Panama but about the

world. Countries need to lead by example. But Panama doesn't have any

tax treaties with other countries so that stiffens the treaties? We

actually have nearly 30 double taxation agreements with countries

such as the UK and France and we believe in transparency. We have

done an unprecedented set of reforms. But there is only one court

order as I understand that the first the Panamanian main court to

actually look into and breakdown this, and that is associated with

terrorism but nothing else. It is directly they waited to this

particular law firm which has the allegation at hand. But any law firm

or any irregularity in the legal or financial system will not be

tolerated by this particular administration, and we have been

clear what the international community. And yet, Panama is one of

just a handful of countries that didn't sign up to the full CCD

commitment to transparency, why not? We believe in exchange of

information and that goes on hand with double taxation agreements that

we have with members of the OECD. But why didn't you sign up to that?

Every other country it seems has and the others are countries like

Vanuatu and Bahrain. First, we are sovereign country, we believe in

competitiveness, and also the US has not signed up to the reporting

standards. Isn't the problem that Panama has made a lot of money and

this is very important to the GDP of your country, and to lose that would

cause a severe dent in the economy. I think Panama has made major

advancements. We were recently added to the list of the service industry

representing a large part of our economy like it does in the UK. The

legal and financial sector is very important, but in these

investigations for allegations that have arisen this week, none of the

money that was used in this company was challenged by the financial

system. Panama is actually a role model in terms of its economy. It

has the fastest-growing economy Latin America and we have been able

to build the hub of the Americas, and actually we are country of

honest, hard-working folks, and we are in June inaugurating the

expansion of the canal which represents nearly 6% of the world

economy. And yet the OECD said recently that people who want to

hide their money offshore, Panama is still the place people believe they

can do that without found? That is not true because Panama is a

responsible citizen of the world and they will demonstrate to the entire

world that we can handle this issue in a very responsible manner. But

there are no limits on the funds involved. If some dictator comes to

you with billions of dollars, it appears no questions asked. The

issue at hand is not about Panamanian corporation. The 21

jurisdiction is under financial system was not used to follow this

money. It is not a thing about Panama but about the international

community and it is an indicator that Panama together with the

international community needs to work together in order to avoid this

happening again. And the Chinese, any concerns about that coming

through Panama as well? We are open and working closely with the

international community and have made major advancements since the

previous administration in order to raise any irregular activity or

money laundering and financial terrorism activities, and this has

been done in an unprecedented manner. So we'll Panama sign up to

the OECD rules? If there's a legacy we want to leave, it is but back yes

or no? Will you sign up or not? Right now we're looking at that and

are having a diplomatic approach and we are sovereign country and we

believe in automatic exchange and we will not today comply with CRS

standards. The US has not done the same. The vast majority of the

jurisdiction is being investigated are not from Panama. Is it

complicated also by the fact the president of Panama is close friends

and said in a TV interview he was a friend of Fonseca. It does not

complicate things at all. We are transparent country, the judicial

system is very different from the executive and legislative branch and

Mr Fonseca is a part of the same political party as the president

which has the hundred 50,000 members and was a miniature adviser until a

couple of weeks ago and he presented his resignation which was accepted

by the president and the president has put full force into this

investigation which was handled by the Attorney General. But of the

214,000 offshore companies that are registered, 48,000 are registered on

Panama. Does that not suggest Panama is a very keen player in this world?

You have to take into account that these leaks that took place were

almost half a century ago. The world has changed tremendously. Not all

have a century ago, some go back just a few years? Most of the leaks,

the companies that have been leaked in this investigation, are almost

half a century at all. The vast majority again are not from Panama.

The world, the entire world together with Panama is trying to avoid this

happening, and we have been clear about this and have made significant

process. Just a couple of things. Mr Fonseca is the fourth-largest firm

doing this sort of work, what else is there to, there are leaks from

the other three? Again, we will not tolerate any kind of corruption. The

Attorney General has started this investigation and I am here on the

half of the government of Panama. Are you angry about the way this is

being portrayed? Of course, because the image of Panama is being painted

and we are country that believes in diplomacy and that is the way to

handle this. This is not an issue about Panama, it is an issue about

the international community together and it is a call for everyone to

work together for the same cause. Thank you very much indeed. If you

could just a funny moment we will carry on with some other news.

Iceland's new cabinet has formally assumed power in Reykjavik.

The new Prime Minister, Sigurour Ingi Johannsson -

a former minister for agriculture - is set to take Iceland

His predecessor stepped down after being linked

to offshore accounts in the Panama papers scandal.

Public protests were led by the libertarian Pirate Party,

which is calling for an immediate election to capitalise

Prosecutors in Belgium have made a fresh appeal for help in the hunt

for the man in the hat -the prime suspect seen on CCTV

footage in the Brussels airport attack last month.

He's seen alongside the two suicide bombers and then, after the blasts,

running among people trying to escape from the scene.

Newly-released video and still images show him walking

into central Brussels, talking on the phone.

Residents are being urged to come forward with any more

pictures they may have which would help identify him,

as James Reynolds reports from Brussels.

These are the moments after the airport explosions.

Amid the confusion, the only surviving attacker got away.

The police have now put together this video of his escape,

a security camera picks him up on the outskirts

He is wearing a distinctive hat and pale jacket.

At this point, no-one has any reason to notice him, but he

The authorities are desperate to find more footage

We especially appeal to people who may have filmed are taken

a photograph of the suspect if they can provide

An hour after the explosions, a security camera films they suspect

Later in town he crosses a busy road.

At 9:49 a.m., almost two hours after the bombs went off,

he is seen again, possibly talking on the phone.

The cameras lost the third man at about this point

This is a quiet neighbourhood near the centre of town.

He could have gone anywhere from here.

This is the best shot the police have of their suspect's face.

But they still don't know his name nor where he may be hiding.

The French parliament has voted to make it illegal to pay for sex.

People caught buying the services of a sex worker could be fined up

Supporters of the new law say it will offer protection to sex workers

But many women who work in the industry say it will drive

Taina Bien-Aime Executive Director of the international NGO

Coalition Against Trafficking in Women based in New York,

The organisation advocates for the same type of law that has been

introduced in France and yet it seems a lot of French sex workers

don't want it? Thank you for having me on, and the question is, who are

these self identified sex workers? Not a term that we use. What the

French government did yesterday was following in the footsteps of

Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Canada to some extent and Northern Ireland and

the number of other jurisdictions that recognise the systems of

prostitution as a system of violence and degradation and discrimination

against women and girls. And yet I have been speaking to a member of

the Norwegian groups that represent prostitutes and they say they are

against it as it derives it underground and makes men more

reluctant to show the appearance because they face a bigger risk of

being caught out and find, and it leads to more violence because the

men obscure their identities. They are there's absolutely no evidence

of that and prostitution itself is stigmatising. It is itself violence.

We are looking at a transaction where one individual has the power

and the money. This transaction happens in a private space, Web of

the back of a car or a hotel. There is nothing that guarantees safety

and prostitution. What the law does and what France is doing is looking

at the systems of exploitation, the systems of trafficking. There is a

link between the sex trade and trafficking and it is a simple

economics issue. Every country that has legalised or decriminalise

prostitution, Germany and the Netherlands, has seen an exponential

increase in sex trafficking. Countries like Sweden, in the last

16 years, during which the law has been in action, there has not been

one more Dorothy prostituted woman by a client. In Germany, you have

organisations counting women's bodies, women who are being

murdered, mutilated and tortured by purchasers of sex. Other people

would claim that the New Zealand model is perhaps the best one which

is the legalising of all things to do with prostitution, just bringing

it out into the open? Prostitution is never brought out into the open.

It is a system of oppression and the exchange of money is not consent to

sexual harassment, to sexual violence, to denigration. The system

in New Zealand is called the criminalisation which is the worst

form of legalisation because basically there are no restrictions.

Everything in the sex trade has a green light to exploit women, the

most marginalised women in New Zealand are in prostitution, and if

you look at brothels in Europe, up to 80, 90% of women in brothels come

from the poorest countries of Eastern Europe and the global South

and Asia. You are looking at a multibillion-dollar sex trade that

preys on the most vulnerable individuals on the planet and what

the government of France has done is really coached this in the framework

of human rights and dignity which is a fundamental principle of the

universal declaration of human rights, and in the framework of

democracy and equality. I think that is the self identified sex workers

very often either have an interest in the sex trade or our supporters

of the sex trade and the represent 2-3% maximum of the prostituted

population. We inform our work on international law and more

specifically on survivors of the sex trade to informing us about the

violence of the sex trade and the violence they have suffered. Sorry

to cut you short but I am afraid we're out of time.

It is being reported that militants in Syria abducted people this week

just west of Damascus. The factory says as many as 250 workers are

still missing. Let's get the latest. Let's take you live to the BBC's

Lina Sinjab who is following They are saying officially know that

at least 300 workers and contractors have been abducted by an Islamic

state militants. The Observer for human rights said contact was lost

with the dozens of workers this Monday after IS attacked the area.

There had been heavy fighting. They had managed to escape but still were

not able to confirm from a second source and they are waiting for more

confirmation from the Syrian government. In another breaking

story. In northern Syria, rebel fighters have managed to push IS out

of a strategic town, a town in Northern Aleppo. It is a crossing

between Syria and tacky and this is a very big piece of news in pushing

IS forces out while the Syrian government is still continuing to

battle IS in the South. Now a look at some of

the day's other news. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko

has insisted his country will continue its movement

towards the EU despite a rejection of the partnership deal

by the Dutch voters. Voters in the Netherlands rejected

the EU partnership deal to remove Prime Minister Mark Rutte said

the government may have to reconsider the deal,

although the vote is not binding. Here in the UK, two teenage girls

have been been given life sentences with minimum terms of 15 years

for the torture and murder The girls, then aged 13 and 14,

used weapons including a shovel, a TV and computer printer to inflict

more than 100 injuries on Angela They were found guilty of murder

following an eight week trial. Nelson Mandela's ex-wife Winnie has

lost her legal bid for ownership of the former president's rural

home in South Africa. A High Court dismissed

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela's application and ordered her to pay

all legal costs. She argued that the house

in Qunu village belonged One of the world's rarest and most

sought after books has been discovered in a private library

on the Scottish island of Bute. The First Folio of William

Shakespeare, published in 1623, contains copies of some

of his most famous plays. When shall we three meet again,

in thunder, lightning or in rain? When the hury-burly's done,

when the battle's lost and won. Verses from Macbeth,

one of the many plays that would have been lost

but for the first collection A rare copy of the first Folio

came to light. Rebound in three volumes in 1932,

it is one of the most valuable books in the world and has remained

here undiscovered for more They are in our climate controlled

stores which is where we keep most But obviously we had no way

of knowing at that point Dost thou forget from

what a torment I did free thee? The Tempest, another play that

would have been lost, performed recently at

the Globe Theatre in London. As part of the national

commemorations to mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death,

the Globe Theatre is producing ten minute versions of every

one of his 37 plays, but it is probable that had it not

been for the first Folio in 1623, Shakespeare would have remained

so unknown we would not even be It is often errors that

are important marks of authenticity. Professor Emma Smith identified

the Bute copy by identifying She says it was the act of gathering

Shakespeare's work in one volume Folio means the size of a book,

a big book, and it is the size of book that we associate

more with Bibles, really important significant works

you will not throw away. If you publish plays in a format

like this you are saying it is going to last,

these are worth keeping. Another edition of the first Folio

sold recently for ?5 million. Its cultural value is

impossible to calculate. We have just been speaking to the

Panamanian ambassador of the UK and he says Panama is being unfairly

maligned for the so-called Panama papers Revelations. He said it was a

global problem and Panama is transparent and will co-operate with

other authorities to remove the stigma of offshore banking and

people moving billions of dollars around the world without any

transparency. That is our main story. See you soon.