30/08/2016 BBC News at Ten

A furious response from Apple, the computer giant, after a record

tax payment is ordered by the European Commission.

Apple, whose European HQ is in Ireland, is accused

of benefitting from an illegal tax deal, which was agreed

Member states cannot give unfair tax benefits to selected companies.

Apple says it's done nothing wrong and will appeal against the ruling,

Our responsibility as the Irish authorities is to collect

We do that in a consistent way, in a transparent way and fully

in accordance with the laws of this country.

We'll have the latest from Dublin, where Apple has been accused

of paying corporation tax of less than 1%.

6,500 migrants rescued yesterday in the Mediterranean.

The Italian coastguard says it was the busiest

In Libya, government forces say they're now close to expelling

all IS fighters from the city of Sirte after three

The controversial badger cull in England is being extended

to prevent the spread of tuberculosis in cattle.

And we meet the former Royal Marine training hard

And coming up in Sportsday on BBC News: England post a world record

total of 444 to crush Pakistan in their one-day international

and take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.

The computer giant Apple and the Irish government have both

-- has been accused by the European Commission of enjoying an illegal

deal which has produced huge tax benefits. The commission has ordered

apple, Hughes European HQ is in Ireland, to pay ?11 billion in back

taxes to the Irish government. Apple says it will appeal against

the decision as will the Irish government. Apple made a net profit

of more than ?40 billion in the financial year 2015.

Our business editor Simon Jack reports from Dublin.

Apple is one of the world's richest companies.

Earning revenue around the globe. Much of that revenue ends up in

Ireland, where it pays next to nothing in tax. After a three-year

investigation into its tax affairs, today the European Commission ruled

those 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 a

group or not. Money that Apple makes across the EU and beyond gets

funneled to Ireland, which has an already low tax rate of 12. 5%.

That's on profits made in Ireland. The international profits are not

taxed at all, bringing Apple's overall rate to nearly zero, which

is why the commission now wants Ireland to collect ?11 billion in

back-dated taxes from those international profits. You might

think that any country would welcome such a massive windfall. You'd be

wrong. Apple has a long history in Ireland. Steve Jobs brought the

company here in the early 1980s. Now it employs nearly 6,000 people. It's

an important corporate citizen and the Irish government rejects the

notion that it should be the tax police. If there was a case that a

company was not paying its appropriate taxes in a region like

the European Union or internationally, it's not for

Ireland, because part this afternoon company operates in this country, to

be the tax collection master for the world. Our responsibility, as the

Irish authorities is to collect the tax that is owed to us. We do that

fully in accordance with the laws of this country. What the commission

seems to be doing here is overreached into a matter of

national competency, which is taxation. US authorities are

concerned that American companies are being targeted unfairly and that

US taxpayers could lose out. We are concerned about a unilateral

approach in state aid negotiation that's threaten to undermine

progress that we have made collaboratively with the Europeans

to make the international taxation system fair. Ireland has many

attractions. For international business its low tax rates are

definitely one. As countries compete with each other to attract that

business with lower tax rates, multinationals can play them off

against each other to their own advantage. What's needed, most

people say, is a coordinated, global approach. What today's ruling and

the ensuing acrimony has proved is that we're a long way from that just

yet. By the banks of the river in Dublin, there was consensus that

something needs to be done. I think it's deserved. They should pay it

back really. I don't think anyone should get deals the way they V if

it was me, probably locked up in jail. I think it's good essentially

for Ireland to attract those companies here. The low tax of the

companies is compensated by good tax of the employees of the company.

Maybe a compromise could be made, it could be reduced from 13 billion to

something lower maybe. To keep Apple here as well. Hunting down the

world's missing tax will require global authorities to pull together.

On today's evidence, they are still out of sync.

Well, in a moment, we can speak to our business correspondent,

Michelle Fleury, who is in New York, but first to Simon Jack in Dublin.

Simon, when we see the entrenched positions on both sides, do you see

any way of resolving this in the short or medium term? Well, they are

entrenched positions. Talking to ministers today, the Irish

government are adamant they don't want this money. They don't think

they are owed it. They will appeal this decision. They've got

two-and-a-half months to appeal to the European Court. I think we

should look at today as not just an attempt to take a bite out of

Apple's enormous offshore cash pile, it's the opening of a new frant in a

battle to track down and tax appropriately offshore profits. What

we've learned today is that this new get-tough approach from the European

Commission is not going down at all well with the company, Apple, which

is probably not a surprise. But not going down well here in Ireland and

also not well on Apple's home turf in the US. US companies, remember,

have 1. $1.2 trillion of money parked overseas.

And Michelle, in New York, what's the reaction from there been today?

US politicians rarely agree on much, especially not in this election

year. We are seeing politician as growing to hate, essentially, the

EU's actions regarding Apple. The White House says the EU has

overstepped its authority. We heard from President Obama's spokesperson

talking about the need for the US and EU to act together, to work

together on how to tax multinationals, not engage in

unilateral action as we've seen from the EU. The US Treasury department

made dark pronouncements with regards to the crack down on foreign

firms, basically saying that it threatens the business climate in

Europe. Perhaps even more dramatic, one senior senator here in the

United States accused the US, accused the EU of a cheap money grab

targeting US businesses. The irony in all of this is that the White

House has had its own issues with companies, American companies,

relocating their headquarters overseas to cut their tax bill. But

in this instance, American corporations and the US government

see their interests as being aligned. As for the US and the EU,

well tax is not the only area that's hit a rocky patch. The two sides are

in the process of negotiating an international trade deal. American

politicians here say they intend to complete those negotiations by the

end of the year, but the word coming from Europe is very different. The

French president, Francois Hollande, saying he doesn't see it happening

in that time scale. Thanks very much.

The Italian coastguard is predicting that calm weather conditions

are likely to encourage more migrants to risk the crossing

from northern Libya in the next few days to try to reach Europe.

6,500 people were rescued yesterday by the coastguard off

the coast of Libya - the biggest number in one

So far this year, more than 100,000 people have arrived in Italy,

and the latest estimate is that more than 2,700 people have died

Our special correspondent Ed Thomas is in the Sicilian port

of Messina, where new arrivals are being registered.

If you thought this crisis had gone away, think again.

The desperate swim to safety with 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're the lucky

ones. Because in just 24 hours, the waters here have been overwhelmed.

This is one of 40 rescues since Monday. More than 7,000 have been

saved. It means frantic days at sea, like never before. About 5. 30am, in

14 hours we rescued over 5,000 people according to the information

we got from the authorities. It seems that calmer weather has

tempted thousands to make the journey from Libya to Italy. Many

here are from Eritrea, others Somalia, escaping war and poverty,

hoping for something better. And still, the people traffickers are

paid. This year alone, more tan 100,000 have used this route to

cross into Italy. Again this journey has claimed lives. With more than

3,000 drowned or lost in the Mediterranean. As day turns to

night, dry land and Italy, the risk has paid off. These people look

exhausted. They have no possessions but their clothes, but still,

they're alive. A few minutes ago we saw about 40 people, women and

children and families, from western African countries. This year, the

beginning of this year, arrived by sea in Italy more than 40,700 lone

children. And how many more are still to come? One estimate is that

a quarter of a million people are waiting in Libya, willing to gamble

everything for a new life in Europe. The British and French governments

have promised to work more closely together to deal with the problems

in Calais, where thousands of migrants are living in the camp

known as The Jungle. The Home Secretary, Amber Rudd,

met her counterpart in Paris today, amid growing calls from some

opposition figures in France to terminate the agreement,

which allows UK border officials In the Libyan city of Sirte,

pro-government forces say they are advancing on the last

strongholds of so-called IS took control of the city last

year, and there were fears they'd Fierce fighting has been taking

place in two districts of the city. Militia groups aligned

to the Libyan Government of National Accord have been

supported by US airstrikes. BBC correspondent Feras Kilani

and cameraman Jamie Bowles are one of the few international teams

to have reached the front line. The tanks begin to advance,

the militants of so-called Forces loyal to the Libyan

unity government are now pounding their positions

and are close to regaining The unity government forces have

mobilised all their ability already to retake the last two districts

still under Isis control. Islamic State hoped their

headquarters in Sirte would provide a base to launch attacks

into Europe, but now the extremists The commander here tells me IS no

longer have the manpower TRANSLATION: All the area in front

of us is under IS control. You can see them from here,

it's the districts number Within a few days we will take over

all this area, by the help of God. IS militants quickly reply

with sniper fire and suicide bombs, The military spokesman told us

that they had expected these attacks and he's confident,

with his men's progress. TRANSLATION: We are now in control

of 75% of District Three and IS fighters have retreated

towards the coast. The fighting in District One

is still intense, but we will not On the day we visited this hospital,

over 30 fighters were killed and we watched as medical staff

battle to treat almost 200 men. Even if IS are forced out of Sirte,

their threat continues. There is a strong feeling

IS will regroup and return causing more devastation in a struggling

country with two governments and hundreds of militias

competing for power. The so-called Islamic State

militant group says that one of its senior leaders,

its spokesman, Abu Muhammad A website affiliated to IS, Amaq,

says he was killed while surveying operations to repel the military

campaigns against Aleppo in Syria. Frank you mentioned this man before.

Underlining the fact he was a big fish. What difference will this

make, his death? Quite a lot. If it's true. The reason I give that

caveat, IS, in the past, occasionally has pretended that some

of its significant people are dead to kind of call off the hundred for

them to put up a false flag. It probably is true. It's significant.

I don't think I can think of anybody since the death of Jihadi John who

is probably more significant for the West who has been killed. This is a

very significant blow for them because IS, is an organisation that

blends pop beganed da in the heart of its strategy. It's party of its

global operations. He was in charge of external operations and pop

beganed da. In May this year he issued a strident call for attacks

both on the He West and their enemies. It was the bloodiest

Ramadan anybody can think of in living memory he has been targeting

Britain and France and other countries. He will be replaced with

someone without the track record of military expertise. It's a big below

for IS. Thank you very much. Katrina Percy has reigned

as chief executive of the Southern Health NHS Trust -

one of the biggest mental health trusts in the UK -

which has been heavily criticised for failing to fully investigate

the deaths of hundreds of patients. But Ms Percy will continue

with the Trust in a different role, Our social affairs correspondent,

Michael Buchanan, who broke the story of the Trust's

failings, has the latest. For five years she had led Southern

Health, once named NHS Chief Executive of the Year. Today she

resigned after months of criticism of the Trust. People died following

care failings by southern health. The victims include Connor

Sparrowhawk whose brother publicly confront her. I thought it was

extremely inappropriate that you might have added grief to our family

when you piled it on, all of you. All of us are incredibly sorry...

Today, Connor's mother told me she welcomed Katarina Persie's

resignation. It's good she's gone. It allows fresh air. I don't know

how she could go to work every morning given everything that

unfolded. The buck stops at the top. Problems at the Trust have mounted.

There were unexpected deaths that were not investigated. A failure of

leadership was blamed. In April the inspector found problems, again

management was criticised. Throughout it all the Chief

Executive refused to go, until today. In a statement Katrina Percy

said: She will however keep her near

?250,000 annual pay and benefits working as an adviser at the Trust.

The deal gives taxpayers the best value for money. This is someone who

has failed in her leadership role. I find it absolutely scandalous. It

beggars belief I think the public would be horrified that the NHS is

behaving in this way. For the family of Connor Sparrowhawk, the child

nicknamed, Laughing Boy, today's resignation after a campaign of

justice is a cause for satisfaction. He had such a strong sense of

justice himself that he would have been outraged that she stayed in

position for so long. So, yeah, thinking about Connor, yeah, there

is a bit of justice, I suppose. Michael Buchanan, BBC News, Oxford.

President Obama is to join Hillary Clinton on the election

campaign trail next month in one of the states that could determine

the outcome of the presidential election, Pennsylvania.

It's a state that both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump

must win if they're to get to the White House, but they're both

facing a challenge convincing many of the state's voters.

Our correspondent, Nick Bryant, has been travelling

across Pennsylvania talking to voters, with just 70

Welcome to the town of Clinton Pennsylvania

where the sign that greets you reads - Vote Donald Trump.

It gets a nod of approval from Ron Sanski, a working-class

voter, who lost his job at the beginning of the year.

He likes Donald Trump, he loathes Hillary Clinton.

I think he means what he says and he speaks for a lot of people,

you know, from the heart, and I think that's pretty important.

We're senior citizens and we're voting for Trump.

This billboard has become something of a tourist attraction

and what makes it all the more noteworthy, it was erected

For the last 30 years she hasn't spoken a truthful word.

In the back of his pick-up truck another sign reads -

Like two-thirds of American voters, in what often feels like a lesser

of two evils election, he just doesn't trust her.

If the dog catcher was running against Hillary Clinton,

Further down the road is Aliquippa, one of those faded steel towns

where Hillary Clinton is vulnerable, but more than a third of voters

Donald Trump has recently reached out to African-Americans

after a poll suggested just 1% support him.

What about his appeal to African-Americans?

If I seen a black guy voting for Trump, I'd have to do like this

Then you'd see the truth because he wouldn't be black.

The local Mayor, Dwan Walker, reckons Donald Trump's outreach

to black voters is primarily intended to persuade whites

He sees it as a deathbed conversion that doesn't ring true.

He's not preaching about stronger together.

He's not preaching those things that bring people together,

he's preaching things that are dividing us

and we can ill afford, America can ill afford,

Up river is Pittsburgh, a thrusting prosperous city

where you find evidence of what's being called 'an education gap'

opening up in the American electorate.

Donald Trump has done well with white, working-class voters,

but he's had a harder time attracting the support of whites

In fact, he's in danger of becoming the first Republican presidential

candidate in 60 years not to win a majority of white graduates.

Monday night baseball at the Pittsburgh Pirates and a high

school band blasts out a high decibel version of Aretha Franklin's

Respect, something that both candidates have

But of two unpopular contenders, in what's often been

a cartoonish election, it's Hillary Clinton who for many,

in the pricier seats in the stadium, passes a basic

She's the most qualified candidate and she's not crazy.

I can't believe that he could actually obtain the nomination

I think everything that comes out of his mouth is a disaster.

The questions of trust and ethics bedevil Hillary Clinton and that's

partly why Donald Trump is still in the game.

Nick Bryant, BBC News, Pittsburgh.

The controversial badger cull in England is being extended

to try to prevent the spread of tuberculosis in cattle.

Some 1,500 badgers were killed last year, but now the aim is to cull

Ministers say it is necessary to deal with Bovine TB,

but critics say the policy is inhumane and ineffective

as our rural affairs correspondent, Claire Marshall, has more details.

Tonight, after darkness falls on these Dorset hills,

trained marksmen are likely to be at work shooting badgers.

Their exact location is being kept secret for security reasons.

This is a new target area, part of a major expansion

of the controversial policy announced today.

The badger cull will now take place in new areas in Cornwall,

Herefordshire, Devon, Gloucestershire,

In 2015, around 1,500 badgers were shot, but this

year the target is much higher, 10,000 animals are to be culled

Conservationists say it flies in the face of scientific evidence.

It's a huge scale compared with previous years and the problem

It's unlikely, based on the Government's own advice,

But the Government believes that killing badgers is a vital part

of fighting Bovine TB, almost 30,000 cows had to be

slaughtered last year as a result of disease, and it's

Wiltshire farmer, Stephen King, has lost cows and a year's worth

of business after TB was found in his herd.

Months of testing by vets and, finally, he has a clear.

Stephen doesn't hate badgers, but can't see another way forward.

It shows that perhaps, you know, the Government ministers

are trying to take things forward for us.

I don't think really not doing anything just isn't sustainable

because the problem will only get worse.

Badgers do carry TB, but so do other mammals,

such as deer and the infection can remain in the ground

One of the key problems though is how easily infected cows pass

The Government says that eradicating this reservoir of the disease

Claire Marshall, BBC News, in Dorset.

A scheme to raise money to buy tickets for thousands of Brazilian

children to watch events at the Paralympic Games

in Rio has already hit the first target of $25,000,

The Games start in just over a week and Britain is sending a team

This week we'll be hearing from some of them.

We start with Joe Townsend from Eastbourne, who'll be competing

He was injured while serving with the Royal Marines in Afghanistan.

Our reporter, Kate Grey, herself a former paralympian,

In February, in 2008, when I stepped on the improvised explosive device,

I didn't really know what I was ever going to do with my life.

I just remember sitting there on the battlefield

in Afghanistan thinking - yeah, what am I going to do now?

Six weeks in intensive care, three years in rehabilitation

The road to recovery hasn't been easy for Joe.

Even daft things like carrying a cup of tea whilst being in a wheelchair

So, for me, it's just been a steep learning curve and trying to find

ways around doing mundane, everyday tasks.

I know a lot of guys kind of really struggle and dwell in the past

I mean, it's fully understandable if you've been, sort of, young,

fit and active and have something horrendous happen to you,

then it's easy to look back and think - oh, why me?

But I could just look forward in life and look to see

what I could strive to achieve and move forwards, really.

Once I was maybe six months into my rehabilitation

at Headley Court, I started trying different adaptive sports.

You're kind of free and your disability becomes irrelevant.

I kind of got that competitive edge back, that spark and I was like,

actually, I like this and it gives me the opportunity

Despite the fact his sport, a triathlon, was not included

in the London 2012 Paralympics, he still found a way to be involved.

That day there and actually coming into the stadium with all those

That, kind of, really set it in my head that, actually,

I want to be there in Rio, but not for a theatrical piece,

Joe's spent the last four years preparing for Rio and believes he's

Triathlon's one of those sports where anything

If I can deliver my best race on the day and give 100%

of what I know I've been doing in training, then, yeah,

I've definitely got the option of getting on the podium.

I've served my country as a Royal Marine in Afghanistan

and being able to fly the GB flag again and represent my country

as an athlete, yeah, it's gone from one life to another.

Just a fantastic experience, and I can't wait.

Joe Townsend who'll be competing in the Paralympics next week

It's been a record-breaking day at Trent Bridge

where England's cricketers have been playing Pakistan

England recorded the highest-ever score in one day cricket

and Alex Hales broke the scoring record by an English batsman

Our sports correspondent, Patrick Gearey, was watching.

Later summer in Nottingham, the kind of afternoon where you'd be

more likely to see a cricket ball in the Trent Bridge sky

than a cloud, particularly with Alex Hales out there.

Hales had 100 halfway through England's innings,

Here was a chance to witness history.

England's highest individual score in a One Day International stood

at 167, this was the moment Hales set the mark higher.

Hales and Joe Root both went, but others took on the record book.

Jos Buttler needed 22 balls to smash England's fastest One Day 50 -

In a dizzying swirl of sixes and fours, England were headed

to a total no team had previously managed, with the last ball

Well, Pakistan never got close to chasing the unprecedented.

They were all out for 275 and England wrap up the series

This has been one-day cricket with only one team in it.

Newsnight is coming up over on BBC Two, here's Evan.

Those stonking big multinational companies have had a good

The world has worked in their favour.

So does the EU's get tough policy on Apple today tell us

something's changing, that the party is over

Here, on BBC One, it's time for the news where you are.