04/04/2017 Outside Source

Hello, I'm Nuala McGovern, this is Outside Source.

A suspected chemical weapons attack has killed at least 58 people,

including women and children, in a rebel-town in northern Syria.

All the victims who arrived at neural stress and yellow saliva

And very soon blood starting coming out of mouths which means

The White House has called the attack reprehensible and blamed

it on the Syrian government, who deny responsibility.

We'll be live in Washington for more reaction.

Donald Trump's administration has said it will stop funding a UN

agency that promotes family planning in more than 150 countries.

The UN Secretary General says the decision could have devastating

effects on the health of vulnerable women.

We'll bring you a report from China where older mothers

who froze their embryos are driving a baby boom

a year after the one-child policy was abandoned.

In OS sport we'll look at why the US National Hockey League

won't be taking part in next year's winter olympics.

And don't forget you can get in touch using the #BBCOS.

At least 58 people have been killed and dozens wounded in a suspected

chemical attack in north-western Syria, a monitoring group says.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights say that the attack

was carried out by either Syrian government or Russian jets.

We had this from the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, he said this

chemical attack shows how sad operates with brittle, unabashed

barbarism. I wanted to find out

The denial by the Syrian government is still the same. The reaction by

the White House combination has flipped everything over. It is quite

strong, as you may know. The description that it is intolerable

and reprehensible is probably the strongest reaction we have at the

moment. I am sure our viewers will have seen some of the pictures that

have come out with children, but difficult to verify those pictures

or know where they came from? Verification is difficult at the

moment so the UN has said probably an independent investigation will

take place from the moment the Security Council will be having an

urgent session tomorrow morning, probably. After this session, an

investigation will take place to be able to verify the pictures since

the investigation is going to be almost impossible to get on the

ground to get those pictures verified. If we go back to Syria in

2013, there was another chemical attack and international

condemnation and some rules were set down and also having inspectors come

in to rid the country of chemical weapons. What happened if, as it is

alleged by some, this could have been the Syrian government? If it is

the Syrian government that permitted the alleged attack today, it will be

a war crime. Since 2013 actually, the chemical weapons organisation

following the UN said that three chemical weapons attacks have been

committed between 2014 and 2016 so if it is proven the Syrian

government is committing that, it will be a war crime. If it is proven

it will be taken to the Security Council afterwards. I suppose

questions would remain wide those inspectors were not able to rid the

country? Of course, yes. The US says it is withdrawing

funding for this, the United Nations

Population Fund - Unfpa. It's an agency that promotes family

planning in more than 150 countries. The US reason is that the agency

supports or participates in a programme of coercive abortion

or involuntary But the Unfpa says "Unfpa refutes

this claim, as all of its work promotes the human rights

of individuals and couples to make their own decisions,

free of coercion or discrimination." It's a big deal because the US

is the fourth largest This is the United States, the

fourth largest donor, the United Kingdom on top. My colleague is in

New York. Some are wondering if this is the

Trump Administration beginning to pull away from the UN? He did

outline he was planning to cut 28% of foreign aid and a large part of

that would be the UN. Said the UN Secretary-General warned at that

time against slash and burn cuts. This is the first time we have seen

an agency directly affected. President Trump reinstated the gag

rule. We have seen strong reaction from the UN Secretary-General to the

US' decision. He said this could have devastating impact on the help

of vulnerable women, girls and families around the globe. He said

he believes the decision is based on inaccurate perception. Is there any

turnaround if the UN Secretary-General puts pressure on

the White House, or tries to? It probably won't move those fronts

over, we heard that they were going to transfer them to US aid which is

a state Department agency which would deal with family planning in

countries abroad? Absolutely. If you have looked in the past, the Unfpa

has had their fronts cut by past Republican administrations. It is

very unlikely during this Administration those fronts would be

reinstated. The UN Secretary-General has told other donors to increase

their fronts so they can prevent women in conflict areas and other

areas having troubled birth is to prevent deaths during pregnancy and

provide life-saving activities that they do around the world. What is

interesting, we have not heard too much criticism from other UN

members. The UK, who is the largest donor, when asked about this, they

said they will continue their support for the UN population front.

But it is a delicate valance that everyone is playing at the UN. The

US is the largest donor to the United Nations. It relies on a

working relationship with the US. I think the Secretary-General is

trying to balance speaking out when these critical fronts are cut, but

trying to maintain a good relationship with their key partner.

Thank you very much. That was a little bit of the political

contacts. I want to bring you a bit more about what the front does.

Jina Moore, is a Buzzfeed reporter specialising

in global women's rights, who gave her perspective

It is important to note that this has been a policy change people have

been expecting. Like the global gag rule and the Mexico City policy,

this is a policy that comes in with the Republican administrations but

tends to go out when Democrats come in. It is a funding cut that was

expected. Unfpa has always said that funding does not support the kind of

policies the Trump administration is pointing to the justified the

funding cut. All this is rooted in a 1985 amendments, whose

interpretation changes with different administrations. Unfpa

said the matter he is in charge in the United States, which party does

not fronts these things, and it does not front the Chinese government. It

does do some work in China, but they support voluntary family planning.

It is a little bit hard to know exactly where and why the Trump

administration has come out apart from the memo they issued about

China and its reproductive policies. Would the Unfpa have any recourse, I

did see the US government is planning to front USAID, which is a

department within the government which also covers family planning

around the world. Is there a way to reverse this decision are to get the

jump administration to backtrack? The backtracking would be a policy

change from the State Department. I have to imagine, although I don't

have a lot of inside information, there has been conversations and

lobbying going on. An important thing to know about the funding

change over to moving the Unfpa fronts by the US government is all

that funding is impacted by the Mexico City policy, which also

requires that any organisation taking US federal funding for any

global health activity, as far as we know right now, not use its other

funding to discuss, promote or perform abortions. There has been a

lot of work that shows it has a detrimental affect on women's health

and lives as well. So it is a Catch-22. Thanks very much.

The American National Hockey League has announced it won't be taking

part in next year's winter olympics in South Korea because of

It means the world's best players won't be able to compete

a Swedish goal keeper for the New York Rangers.

Let's go straight to Tulsen Tollett in the BBC Sport Centre.

How tight are the schedules that they can't even squeeze in a game at

the Olympics? Three weeks of the regular season is what the clubs

don't want to release their players for. They want compensation for the

fact that players will be playing in South Korea during the Winter

Olympics next year. But also it means there will be players like

Sidney Cosby he was with Canada when they won it in 2014. He will not be

available. A Russian player says he will be playing. We could have a

position where players may decide they will boycott the fact the NHL

don't want them to play and play for their countries. It is a big

tournament. The Winter Olympics, might only come along once for some

of these players and maybe the players coming towards the end of

their careers, may feel it is a worthwhile opportunity to go and

play in South Korea. It is certainly going to be a difficult situation. I

suspect there will be more mediation in this between the NHL and the IOC

president has said he is disappointed. I expect there will be

some diplomacy that takes place and maybe his players might go and play

in the Winter Olympics. Always an interesting debate.

The Republic of Ireland women's football team has

threatened to go on strike, after accusing the Football

Association of Ireland of treating them as fifth-class citizens.

11 members of the team fronted a press conference earlier,

saying they've been forced to change in public toilets on the way

to matches as well as share a kit with the youth women's team.

On top of that, they say the FAI warned the players

taking their grievances public could cost them their careers.

I think we need to recognise that the women's international team is

being treated, not as a second classicism, but a fifth class

citizen. They are the dirt of the FIA's shoe. That is how they see

them. It is borderline basics. In the past, we have been getting

changed in the public toilets of Airports the way to matches, been

given market there, having to open personal bags, put our kit in. The

Met the girls en route to our final destination in London. Five had to

go off I get changed in the toilet. And the same on the way back. It

highlights probably the lack of disrespect and that it is not a lot

we are looking for, it is just basics.

College basketball in America is big business.

Arguably bigger than professional basketball.

If you needed any convincing, take a look at this.

These were scenes after North Carolina defeated

Gonzaga University in the "NC-Double A" championship game on Monday.

As you can see hundreds of people flooded the court to celebrate

Those keen basketball followers among us will know North Carolina

was the same university Michael Jordan attended.

But when there's a winner, there must be a loser.

These were the scenes among the Gonzaga fans.

This was just their second loss of the season.

It's also the first time they'd made the championship

A tough pill to swallow for many of their fans.

Stay with us - in a few minutes we bring you a report about why

older mothers have helped drive China's baby boom just over a year

after the government dropped its one-child policy.

The former Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone has been suspended

from the Labour Party for one year, following a disciplinary

hearing over comments he made about Adolf Hitler.

Speaking after the hearing, which was held behind closed doors,

Mr Livingstone said he was surprised he hadn't been expelled but stood

I expected them to expel me. I now have to consider if I challenge this

legally or live with it. You have just been suspended for another

year, how do you feel about that? As I am not seeking to return to

Parliament or stand for the local parliament, it doesn't make much of

a change. It does seem quite lenient because you expecting to be

expelled. It was like sitting in a court in North Korea because nobody

was listening. Mr Livingstone, what is the reason they gave you for a

year-long suspension instead... I did the Vanessa Feltz interview and

that is a crime against humanity and defending Naz Shah in saying she

wasn't anti-Semitic. They dropped the charges of the anti-Semitic. Do

you accept you brought the party into disrepute? Should someone be

disciplined for stating an historical truth? I think that is

important. I will not make an immediate decision but I have to sit

around and think about this with my lawyers. Have they asked you to

retract your comments? They have. Are you angry? I would have been

angry if I had been expelled, but I don't think anyone expected this

result and that is the simple reality. I know you are considering

your options? On the assumption I was going to be expelled, I was

planning a judicial review. But no one should be suspended for stating

the truth. I have been suspended for stating the truth, Labour MPs who

tweeted that I was anti-Semitic, I said Hitler was a Zionist, I said

and that the Nazis, no discipline against them and that is double

standard. MPs cannot be treated differently from ordinary party

members. This is Outside Source live

from the BBC newsroom. A suspected chemical weapons attack

on a rebel-held town in Syria is reported to have killed

at least 58 people - There's been strong

international condemnation. show you what else has been

reported. South Africa's president is under growing pressure to step

down. Influential members of the ANC have told Jacob Zuma, it is time to

go. That is the lead story on BBC Swahili.

A report that a media company paid $30 million to five and he made

harassment accusations against Bill O'Reilly. He denies any wrongdoing.

It's been just over a year since China abandoned its one-child

policy because of concerns about its increasingly elderly

population and the decline in numbers of working age citizens.

It appears to be having the desired effect with nearly

About 45% of babies were born to families that

And many of those were from older mothers, who stored their embryos

after fertility treatment and who are now keen

Here's our China Editor Carrie Gracie.

Heartbeat of an imminent arrival. Last ultrasound scan for 48

mother-to-be. She had her first child through fertility treatment 16

years ago. The hospital kept her frozen embryos and now that China's

one child policy has become a two child policy, she is about to have

her second miracle baby. More good news, it is a boy.

She tells me she is thrilled. She has a daughter and would be happy

with another, but the in-laws want a grandson. Two child family is still

a great novelty here. So a big fuss at the clinic for special visitor.

Especially as this miracle was conceived here in a petri dish and

frozen as an embryo for years. Until China's policy changed and she could

become somebody's little sister. TRANSLATION: As soon as I heard

about the policy change, I was terribly excited. I ran to the

hospital immediately. My second child had been frozen there for too

long. I couldn't wait to take her home. Not everyone is so lucky. This

lady is desperate to have a second child, but there are questions over

whether her embryos are viable. TRANSLATION: I only have three

embryos left and the doctor says one is good, one is average and one is

poor. But I will stay optimistic. I hope heaven will give me this gift.

Blessings born from frozen embryos, many of them second children after

last year's policy change. Older mothers with fertility problems are

now suddenly at an advantage, because they have frozen embryos to

fall back on, were other older women don't. This lady, back home and

getting ready for the new arrival. Baby clothes from the first time

round, 16 years ago. Hospital bag, ready for the birth and she's

already decided if the two child policy becomes a three child policy,

she will go for a third. Scientists in Manchester have made

a remarkable discovery, creating a sieve that can make

sea water drinkable. It's made from graphene,

and raises the tantalising prospect, of helping millions of people around

the world, who don't have easy Well our science correspondent

Pallab Ghosh is at the Graphene It's three times the strength

of steel and incredibly flexible, and that's not all -

graphene has been described Here in Manchester, graphene oxide

has been used to create a filter The aim is to convert sea water

into a form that's drinkable. The potential of this technology

is giving clean water to millions of people around the world and we're

sure that this technology will be available in a couple of years' time

to sell to people around the world. Like any sieve, this graphene paper

has tiny holes in that lets the water through,

but not the salt. In the past though, it's

not worked properly. That's because the graphene weakens

and the holes get bigger. So the researchers here have coated

it with a chemical that stop So the water here is

completely salt-free. According to the UN,

drinking water will be scarce It's hard to believe that countries

don't have water at the moment. If you don't have it, it compromises

everything that you do - your health and the ability

to educate your children. A lot of things rest

on this basic human right, so this is why we

focus a lot on this. Current desalination

plants, such as this one It costs ?270 million to build

and they use a lot of energy, The graphene based filter could be

a much cheaper and greener solution, but the big question is whether it

works just as well in real Pallab Ghosh, BBC News,

at the National Graphene So ending with that good news story

here. We're back again at the same time tomorrow and you can follow up

on any of these stories on the BBC website. From me and the team,

goodbye.