0:00:20 > 0:00:22Good evening.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25Russia says it will expel 23 British diplomats
0:00:25 > 0:00:27in response to Britain's decision to throw out the same number
0:00:27 > 0:00:29of Russian officials, following the nerve agent
0:00:29 > 0:00:32attack in Salisbury.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34Theresa May says the government had anticipated the Kremlin's move,
0:00:34 > 0:00:37and is considering its next steps.
0:00:37 > 0:00:45Our correspondent, Steve Rosenberg, is live in Moscow now.
0:00:45 > 0:00:50It is three days since Theresa May stood in the House of Commons and
0:00:50 > 0:00:55concluded that the Russian state was culpable for the attempted murder of
0:00:55 > 0:01:01Sergei and Yulia Skripal. Three days since the UK announced sanctions
0:01:01 > 0:01:09against Russia. And today Moscow retaliated.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11He had been expecting the telephone call and today it came.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13Britain's ambassador was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16And in the skyscraper that Josef Stalin built
0:01:16 > 0:01:18as a symbol of a superpower, the ambassador was told how Moscow
0:01:18 > 0:01:23would retaliate to UK sanctions.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26A note of defiance when he left.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29We will always do what is necessary to defend ourselves,
0:01:29 > 0:01:33our allies and our values against an attack of this sort.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35Which is an attack not only on the United Kingdom
0:01:35 > 0:01:38but upon the international rules-based system
0:01:38 > 0:01:40on which all countries, all countries including Russia,
0:01:40 > 0:01:41depend for their safety and security.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44Thank you.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47The ambassador headed into work, to tell embassy staff
0:01:47 > 0:01:52about the Russian sanctions.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54Moscow says they are a response to British provocation,
0:01:54 > 0:01:57Russia has expelled 23 British diplomats.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01The UK had expelled 23 Russians over the nerve agent attack in Salisbury.
0:02:01 > 0:02:07The authorities here are shutting down the British
0:02:07 > 0:02:10Consulate in St Petersburg and the British Council
0:02:10 > 0:02:12which promotes UK culture abroad will now be forced to end
0:02:12 > 0:02:15all activity in Russia.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18Moscow says the language coming out of London was a factor in deciding
0:02:18 > 0:02:23what sanctions to announce.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25TRANSLATION: The British Prime Minister insults
0:02:25 > 0:02:27us and threatens us.
0:02:27 > 0:02:32Her foreign and defence secretaries insult us.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35They talk to Russia as if they are drunk in a pub.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39So what the UK got from us today is the result of this loutishness
0:02:39 > 0:02:40and their groundless accusations.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42Not so, said Theresa May.
0:02:42 > 0:02:47Russia's response does not change the facts of the matter.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50The attempted assassination of two people on British soil.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52For which there was no alternative conclusion other
0:02:52 > 0:02:57than that the Russian state was culpable.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59Relations between Moscow and London have not been this
0:02:59 > 0:03:05fractured since the Cold War.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07The expulsion of 23 British diplomats, that was expected.
0:03:07 > 0:03:12That is traditional tit-for-tat.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14But the shutting down of the consulate and the activities
0:03:14 > 0:03:16of the British Council, that feels like a challenge
0:03:16 > 0:03:20to the British Government.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23And the Russians have said that if Britain responds with more
0:03:23 > 0:03:25measures against Moscow, then Russia will respond with more
0:03:25 > 0:03:27sanctions against the UK.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31The danger now is a spiral of confrontation.
0:03:31 > 0:03:36Steve Rosenberg, BBC News, Moscow.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39And police in Salisbury have renewed their appeal for witnesses,
0:03:39 > 0:03:41following the poisoning of Sergei Skripal
0:03:41 > 0:03:43and his daughter Yulia.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45Around 400 people have been interviewed so far,
0:03:45 > 0:03:50and investigators are trawling through 4000 hours of CCTV footage.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52Health officials say Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey,
0:03:52 > 0:03:55who was exposed to the nerve agent, is making progress in
0:03:55 > 0:03:56hospital.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00Duncan Kennedy has the latest from Salisbury.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04The tempo and scope of the police operation across Salisbury remains
0:04:04 > 0:04:07intense and widespread.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11Today police issued their first official photo of Sergei Skripal's
0:04:11 > 0:04:14BMW whose movements they want to trace.
0:04:14 > 0:04:19In their most comprehensive timeline to date, the police now say the car
0:04:19 > 0:04:22was first seen at 9:15am on Sunday, March the 4th, in the London
0:04:22 > 0:04:26Road area of the city.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30At 1:30pm it is spotted on Devizes Road.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33Ten minutes later the car arrives at Sainsbury's and Sergei
0:04:33 > 0:04:36and Yulia go to the Mill pub.
0:04:36 > 0:04:41At 2:20pm they visited Zizzi restaurant.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43And then nearly two hours later they're found violently
0:04:43 > 0:04:47ill on a nearby bench.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49It's nearly two weeks since the Skripals left their home
0:04:49 > 0:04:52here and today the police revealed the full extent of
0:04:52 > 0:04:53their investigation.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56They've interviewed around 400 witnesses, gathered nearly
0:04:56 > 0:04:59800 pieces of evidence, and trawling through 4000
0:04:59 > 0:05:04hours of CCTV footage.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07Today the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was in Newcastle
0:05:07 > 0:05:13and repeated his call for more information on the nerve agent.
0:05:13 > 0:05:18The origins of the nerve gas appear to be Russian, yes.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21That is why I have said the issue should be referred
0:05:21 > 0:05:23to the Chemical Weapons Convention and we should challenge
0:05:23 > 0:05:26the Russian government on it.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30The nerve agent was identified at Porton Down near Salisbury.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34The Russians have denied involvement.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36But Downing Street has now invited chemical weapons experts to carry
0:05:36 > 0:05:40out independent tests.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43It is likely that the team will come over to Porton Down.
0:05:43 > 0:05:48Theoretically they could do the analysis at Porton laboratories.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50I suspect what is more likely is they will take
0:05:50 > 0:05:51samples back to The Hague.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Health officials said today they welcomed the progress
0:05:53 > 0:05:56being made by Sergeant Nick Bailey who was affected by the nerve agent.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59Sergei and Yulia Skripal remain in a critical but stable condition.
0:05:59 > 0:06:04Duncan Kennedy, BBC News, in Salisbury.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07The Attorney General in the US state of Massachusetts
0:06:07 > 0:06:10is to begin an investigation into claims that information
0:06:10 > 0:06:13from millions of Facebook users may have been used by a data company,
0:06:13 > 0:06:17during the 2016 US presidential election.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20A former employee of the firm, Cambridge Analytica,
0:06:20 > 0:06:23claims that 50 million profiles were accessed.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25The two companies deny any wrongdoing.
0:06:25 > 0:06:30With me is our Business Correspondent, Joe Lynam.
0:06:30 > 0:06:36What is the background to this. All a bit confusing, there with me. It
0:06:36 > 0:06:41started with an app developed at Cambridge University which harvested
0:06:41 > 0:06:46Facebook profiles and that of all Facebook friends and then at that
0:06:46 > 0:06:50information to Cambridge Analytica and Facebook over the company to
0:06:50 > 0:06:54delete personal information a few years ago. Facebook is that in the
0:06:54 > 0:06:59past 24 hours that all that information was not deleted. Now a
0:06:59 > 0:07:01whistle-blower has come forward saying that 50 million Facebook
0:07:01 > 0:07:06profiles were used in the US presidential election to target very
0:07:06 > 0:07:10specific messages to specific people in favour of Donald Trump and
0:07:10 > 0:07:13against Hillary Clinton. So now we have the Attorney General of
0:07:13 > 0:07:19Massachusetts saying their residence deserved answers immediately. In
0:07:19 > 0:07:22parallel the Information Commissioner office here has
0:07:22 > 0:07:25launched an investigation and says they may be circumstances in which
0:07:25 > 0:07:27Facebook data may have illegally been acquired and used for political
0:07:27 > 0:07:33purposes. Facebook denies any breach and say that its users knowingly
0:07:33 > 0:07:37provided all that information. Cambridge analytical also denied
0:07:37 > 0:07:41wrongdoing saying it only receives and uses data that has been obtained
0:07:41 > 0:07:47legally unfairly put up - legally and fairly.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49Forecasters say snow could cause further problems, across large parts
0:07:49 > 0:07:50of the UK this weekend.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53Amber weather warnings have been issued in England and Wales,
0:07:53 > 0:07:55and more than 70 flights have been cancelled today at Heathrow.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58The so called "mini beast from the east," swept in overnight.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01This was the scene in Yorkshire today, and the Met Office says snow
0:08:01 > 0:08:04showers will become more frequent later, and weather warnings
0:08:04 > 0:08:11will remain in place until tomorrow afternoon.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13Ireland beat England 24 points to 15, to win rugby's
0:08:13 > 0:08:18Grand Slam at Twickenham.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22And in the other final Six Nations games, there were wins
0:08:22 > 0:08:23for Scotland and Wales.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25Joe Wilson now reports on a very happy St Patrick's
0:08:25 > 0:08:30Day, for Irish rugby.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33If you missed Ireland's progress here is a recap.A last-minute drop
0:08:33 > 0:08:40goal and then we thrashed Italy. Ireland and Wales in Dublin.We
0:08:40 > 0:08:48scored four tries to beat Scotland. That just left Twickenham. And here
0:08:48 > 0:08:53we where aiming for the grandson, Arnott left the ball towards the
0:08:53 > 0:09:01London snowflakes. Anthony Watson was under the, or was he. Try for
0:09:01 > 0:09:08Ireland and followed. England had to respond. And here it came. The home
0:09:08 > 0:09:15side had something. Something. But watch Jacob Stockdale. The island
0:09:15 > 0:09:19super-clean. He had to reach the ball for the blue line, coloured in
0:09:19 > 0:09:26case of snow. England had extended the pitch, perfect for this.
0:09:26 > 0:09:32Stockdale, his seventh try of the Six Nations, and that is a record.
0:09:32 > 0:09:38England added tries in the second half and never got close to winning.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40Ireland, their Grand Slam, a perfect Six Nations completed here, never
0:09:40 > 0:09:46better.It is a special day for everyone involved with Irish rock
0:09:46 > 0:09:50and to be here and celebrate that and to top it off with winning
0:09:50 > 0:09:55somewhere like this. This is a really tough place to go and it is a
0:09:55 > 0:09:59sign of a champion team to coming here and do this.Irish Rugby union
0:09:59 > 0:10:03is now the envy of Europe and not just because of these scenes of
0:10:03 > 0:10:07celebration at Twickenham. A challenge for these players is to be
0:10:07 > 0:10:10world champions next autumn. Standing here right now, that seems
0:10:10 > 0:10:16very possible. Joe Wilson, BBC News, at Twickenham.