:00:00. > :00:00.Hello, I'm Kasia Madera with BBC World News.
:00:00. > :00:11.Michael Flynn says he'll talk to investigators examining
:00:12. > :00:13.ties to the Kremlin, as long as he won't be
:00:14. > :00:18.As guidelines are issued for the European Union's Brexit
:00:19. > :00:24.strategy, it warns the UK of tough times ahead.
:00:25. > :00:34.The talks, which are about to start, will be difficult, complex and
:00:35. > :00:37.sometimes even confrontational. There is no way around it.
:00:38. > :00:40.Europe and Australia announce a sweeping probe into tax evasion,
:00:41. > :00:43.as they coordinate raids across several countries.
:00:44. > :00:52.And could love be in the air for Pamela Anderson and Julian Assange?
:00:53. > :01:13.He's very sexy. LAUGHTER
:01:14. > :01:16.A witch hunt - that's how Donald Trump has described
:01:17. > :01:19.a congressional investigation into alleged Russian
:01:20. > :01:23.interference in last year's presidential election.
:01:24. > :01:27.It comes after a lawyer for his former National Security
:01:28. > :01:30.Adviser Michael Flynn said he is prepared to testify,
:01:31. > :01:34.but only if he is granted immunity from prosecution.
:01:35. > :01:51.Live to Washington in a moment, but let's first remind ourselves
:01:52. > :01:56.of what's been a turbulent six months for Michael Flynn.
:01:57. > :01:58.Back in November, he was controversially appointed
:01:59. > :02:02.as Donald Trump's national security adviser, having once been fired
:02:03. > :02:07.He's also been criticised for dabbling in conspiracy
:02:08. > :02:13.In February, he was sacked by the Trump administration,
:02:14. > :02:17.after it was revealed he'd lied about discussing sanctions with
:02:18. > :02:23.Now, his links to Russia are under scrutiny.
:02:24. > :02:26.In asking from immunity to testify, Mr Flynn's lawyer said
:02:27. > :02:41.We're joined now by Gary O'Donoghue in Washington.
:02:42. > :02:47.So, by asking for immunity, there's so much speculation about what
:02:48. > :02:51.Michael Flynn, what that story has is?
:02:52. > :02:55.Usually, people ask for immunity when they think they need it. That's
:02:56. > :03:02.why people are speculative and quietly about what he might have to
:03:03. > :03:06.say what he's prepared to say, that this is something that is trying to
:03:07. > :03:10.keep him out of the spotlight of the big prosecution, potentially. If you
:03:11. > :03:14.look at the words of the man himself, back in September last
:03:15. > :03:18.year, he was talking about the Clintons and he said, you only
:03:19. > :03:22.usually look for unity when you've committed a crime. Those White House
:03:23. > :03:27.suddenly come back to haunt him in the last -- those words have
:03:28. > :03:33.certainly come back to haunt him in the last few days. The Senate
:03:34. > :03:36.intelligence committee may have turned that requests for immunity
:03:37. > :03:41.down for the time being, that has not been confronted by them, nor has
:03:42. > :03:47.it been confirmed by Michael Flynn's lawyer. The difficulty is that there
:03:48. > :03:52.is this FBI investigation also going on. The question is has he asked
:03:53. > :03:58.them for immunity humour we don't absolutely know that. They would
:03:59. > :04:01.only be really interested in granting immunity, the FBI, if there
:04:02. > :04:09.were bigger fresh to thrive. For instance, if they wanted access or
:04:10. > :04:13.get someone further up the food chain, they might grant someone
:04:14. > :04:17.immunity in order to cooperate. Now, it doesn't get much higher up the
:04:18. > :04:22.food chain than Michael Flynn, in terms of where he was in the Trump
:04:23. > :04:27.administration. He was national security adviser, so the suggestion
:04:28. > :04:32.or the thought is, as these things start to emerge, thereby bits,
:04:33. > :04:38.step-by-step, it will get closer and closer to the Oval Office.
:04:39. > :04:40.There is lots to watch out for, but thank you very much for the time
:04:41. > :04:42.being frame us the latest. Authorities in Europe
:04:43. > :04:44.and Australia have announced There have been a series
:04:45. > :04:51.of internationally coordinated raids in several countries including
:04:52. > :04:53.Britain, France and the Netherlands. Dutch investigators said they'd
:04:54. > :04:55.received information about some 50,000 suspect accounts
:04:56. > :04:59.at a Swiss bank. They reported the seizure
:05:00. > :05:02.of paintings, a gold bar and jewellery and had
:05:03. > :05:06.arrested two people. The authorities haven't named
:05:07. > :05:09.the bank, but Credit Suisse of Switzerland said its offices
:05:10. > :05:11.in London, Paris and Amsterdam When the British Prime Minister,
:05:12. > :05:19.Theresa May, triggered the UK's departure from the European Union
:05:20. > :05:23.two days ago, she stressed that Britain was keen on a trade deal
:05:24. > :05:26.to protect its exports Today, the European
:05:27. > :05:30.Union has responded. In draft guidelines for negotiating
:05:31. > :05:35.Brexit, the EU ruled out trade talks before outstanding issues
:05:36. > :05:38.were cleared up. Speaking in Malta, the president
:05:39. > :05:41.of the European Council Donald Tusk made citizens' rights
:05:42. > :05:44.the top priority. Our Europe correspondent
:05:45. > :06:03.Damian Grammaticus has more. After the Shadow books and, now
:06:04. > :06:16.coming into focus the EU's terms of the Brexit. Donald Tusk will insist
:06:17. > :06:20.the UK sorts out its excitons first. Once and only once we have achieved
:06:21. > :06:24.sufficient progress on those developments, can we discuss the
:06:25. > :06:30.framework for our future relationship. Starting parallel
:06:31. > :06:39.talks on all these issues at the same time, as suggested by some in
:06:40. > :06:42.the UK, will not happen. So, if the EU is explicitly
:06:43. > :06:48.rejecting Theresa May's positions. No talks at first, future ties only
:06:49. > :06:54.outline to June two phase of investigations. No special access
:06:55. > :06:57.with things like as banking, the EU excludes a sector by sector approach
:06:58. > :07:04.to the single markets, and the transition period will be under EU
:07:05. > :07:13.clause, as it would require... In our book, participation means
:07:14. > :07:17.your sole member, or have access to a membership situation. If you have
:07:18. > :07:23.such an access, it is obvious, it goes without saying, that the
:07:24. > :07:26.institutions will have sent to agreed upon the governments of that
:07:27. > :07:30.period. Inside the EU, there had been months
:07:31. > :07:35.of preparations and lobbying to draw up these guidelines. UK citizens
:07:36. > :07:42.living in the EU, EU said since living in the UK, all worried about
:07:43. > :07:51.losing their rights, have the air of the EU's get-go shooter. Ireland has
:07:52. > :07:55.been pressing its case over its border. In Gibraltar as a surprise
:07:56. > :07:58.inclusion, the result of Spanish lobbying. The EU says no future
:07:59. > :08:04.trader can be applied to Gibraltar unless Spain agrees. The EU will
:08:05. > :08:08.defend the interests of its 27 after Brexit. And that was a shock for the
:08:09. > :08:17.Foreign Secretary, it didn't show as he arrived for a meeting at Nato HQ.
:08:18. > :08:20.He sought to calm EU fears that the EU might tie security and trade
:08:21. > :08:27.together. The commitment to security of this
:08:28. > :08:32.region is unconditional, and it is not some bargaining chip to be used
:08:33. > :08:35.in any negotiations that may take place.
:08:36. > :08:38.But now that Article 50 has been triggered, it is the EU side that
:08:39. > :08:44.can determine much about these negotiations. In the guidelines they
:08:45. > :08:50.want control not only the sequence, but what the UK can negotiate too.
:08:51. > :08:53.In other news - at least 22 people have been killed and more than
:08:54. > :08:56.70 injured in a blast outside a mosque in in northwest Pakistan.
:08:57. > :09:00.The explosion happened in the city of Parachinar,
:09:01. > :09:04.a mainly Shia muslim area on the Afghan border.
:09:05. > :09:06.Reports say a car packed with explosives was left
:09:07. > :09:10.near the women's entrance of the mosque.
:09:11. > :09:12.The Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has praised the US
:09:13. > :09:20.Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for his strong commitment
:09:21. > :09:22.to the transatlantic alliance, as Nato foreign ministers gathered
:09:23. > :09:24.in Brussels for their first meeting with him.
:09:25. > :09:27.The US is calling on all Nato states to meet their
:09:28. > :09:31.Research conducted here in Britain suggests that western countries
:09:32. > :09:35.are losing the battle against online extremism.
:09:36. > :09:38.The study estimates that each month there are nearly half a million
:09:39. > :09:43.Google searches for results dominated by extremist material.
:09:44. > :09:46.And it concludes that people are not just being radicalised
:09:47. > :09:52.on social media but also during their online searches.
:09:53. > :09:55.The salvaged wreck of South Korea's Sewol ferry has reached port,
:09:56. > :10:00.nearly three years after it sank, killing more than 300 people.
:10:01. > :10:03.The vessel was raised from the sea floor in one piece
:10:04. > :10:12.President Trump's administration has not criticised Israel's announcement
:10:13. > :10:14.that it's to build the first new Jewish settlement
:10:15. > :10:19.in the occupied West Bank in more than 20 years.
:10:20. > :10:22.But a White House official said further unrestrained settlement
:10:23. > :10:25.activity would not help advance peace between
:10:26. > :10:31.The settlement near the Palestinian city of Nablus was approved
:10:32. > :10:34.at a meeting of Israel's security cabinet on Thursday.
:10:35. > :10:38.Palestinian officials have bitterly condemned the new building project,
:10:39. > :10:43.and the UN Secretary General said it threatened the prospects for peace.
:10:44. > :10:45.The BBC's Yolande Knell is in Jerusalem and told us how
:10:46. > :10:51.this plan breaks away from established policy.
:10:52. > :10:54.Suddenly, it has a lot of symbolic significance.
:10:55. > :10:58.Although we don't expect this to be such a big settlement.
:10:59. > :11:02.Israel, as we know, has continued with settlement construction,
:11:03. > :11:05.settlement expansion, but it hasn't made an announcement
:11:06. > :11:12.There's also been another law passed recently that retroactively
:11:13. > :11:15.legalised outposts that were built originally without
:11:16. > :11:21.Dozens of those legalised under this law, which is yet to be
:11:22. > :11:26.So it is something that's very significant.
:11:27. > :11:32.That's why the Palestinians have reacted to it very angrily.
:11:33. > :11:35.Their leader coming out saying this is a violation of Palestinian
:11:36. > :11:40.human rights and calling on the international community to act.
:11:41. > :11:43.We've the statement from the spokesman of the
:11:44. > :11:47.UN Secretary General saying he notes with disappointment
:11:48. > :11:56.But here in Israel, the council that is one of the main
:11:57. > :12:00.settler bodies has welcomed this decision.
:12:01. > :12:04.It comes as there are concerns, basically within the settler
:12:05. > :12:07.community, that the talks currently ongoing between the Israeli
:12:08. > :12:10.government and the Trump administration could lead
:12:11. > :12:13.to restrictions on settlement building on the future.
:12:14. > :12:17.This after President Trump asked Prime Minister Netanyahu
:12:18. > :12:21.when he visited the White House last month to hold back
:12:22. > :12:26.He told an Israeli newspaper that they may not be helpful
:12:27. > :12:33.as he tries to reboot the peace process.
:12:34. > :12:40.Stay with us on BBC News, still to come:
:12:41. > :12:41.President Trump supports his former national security adviser
:12:42. > :12:44.as he seeks immunity from prosecution in exchange
:12:45. > :12:51.for testifying about alleged Russian interference in the US election.
:12:52. > :12:55.The European Union has insisted it won't negotiate its future
:12:56. > :12:58.relationship with Britain until there's been sufficient
:12:59. > :13:03.progress towards agreeing the terms of Brexit.
:13:04. > :13:06.The Indian state of Gujarat has passed a law making
:13:07. > :13:09.the slaughter of cows punishable with life imprisonment.
:13:10. > :13:13.Under the new law, India's strictest ever on the issue,
:13:14. > :13:17.cow slaughter will also become a non-bailable offence.
:13:18. > :13:20.Until now it carried a penalty of seven years' jail.
:13:21. > :13:25.Cows are widely considered to be sacred by India's Hindu majority,
:13:26. > :13:37.and a state minister said the animal symbolised Indian culture.
:13:38. > :13:44.The US Navy has accused Iran of harassing its warships as they enter
:13:45. > :13:52.the Gulf. The Navy claims that as many as 20 rainy and vegetables --
:13:53. > :14:04.vessels approached his warship. Iran denies acting improperly.
:14:05. > :14:08.This warship on its way to the Gulf to continue bombing missions against
:14:09. > :14:14.so-called Islamic state. But first it must run the gauntlet of Iran.
:14:15. > :14:22.This, the first US carrier to pass through the strait since President
:14:23. > :14:28.Trump took office. As they approach, the Iranians are already watching.
:14:29. > :14:33.At some point, at some time, there could be a miscalculation. Do we
:14:34. > :14:38.need to take evasive action? Could this be the time that something
:14:39. > :14:41.really happens? Those are the things that each ship's captain and crew
:14:42. > :14:47.have to a sire every time they come through.
:14:48. > :14:52.This is what they have to go through, ran's revolution I guard
:14:53. > :14:56.Corps practice and publicise. Swarming and attacking a larger foe,
:14:57. > :15:05.in this case, a replica of the US carrier. Heavily armed helicopters
:15:06. > :15:10.take to the air and escort as all ships close in. This will be a test
:15:11. > :15:15.of the new administration that signalled a harder line on Iran.
:15:16. > :15:20.This carrier and the warships behind me are making the transit through
:15:21. > :15:23.the Strait. In the distance, we can see a number of small vessels
:15:24. > :15:24.approaching us. We are told they are from the Iranian Revolutionary
:15:25. > :15:42.guard. In total, they spot more than a
:15:43. > :15:46.dozen fast attack boats. Some of which then threaten the helicopters
:15:47. > :15:50.above. We had some boat that uncovered
:15:51. > :15:57.their machine guns and loaded their weapons. It was a little
:15:58. > :16:04.nerve-racking. A bass boat coming towards you with guns uncovered and
:16:05. > :16:08.loaded, any miscalculation could cause catastrophic results.
:16:09. > :16:12.Last year, Donald Trump claimed the TV became president, any Iranian
:16:13. > :16:18.boat harassing the US Navy would be shot out of the water. That hasn't
:16:19. > :16:21.happened, but there are signs of growing frustration over Iran's
:16:22. > :16:25.behaviour. They had all of those weapons man's,
:16:26. > :16:29.and we had video taped that they were arming everyone of those
:16:30. > :16:34.weapons as we were flying in. It was malign activity, Iranian activity,
:16:35. > :16:40.to come out and harass, essentially, an international coalition that was
:16:41. > :16:46.in a area of international transit as we were going through the Strait.
:16:47. > :16:52.Iran sees this as US sabre rattling, but these are international waters.
:16:53. > :16:57.And with neither side backing down, there's always a danger that this
:16:58. > :17:04.brinkmanship could become a more serious confrontation. They're
:17:05. > :17:07.It may be one of the most significant steps ever taken
:17:08. > :17:09.in the fight to save the African elephant.
:17:10. > :17:12.China has closed down almost half of its official ivory carving
:17:13. > :17:14.factories and shops, and by the end of this year
:17:15. > :17:16.will force the remaining legal businesses to shut.
:17:17. > :17:18.Conservationists say today's move is a game changer,
:17:19. > :17:24.as our Beijing correspondent John Sudworth reports.
:17:25. > :17:29.Chinese ivory carving dates back hundreds of years.
:17:30. > :17:33.But these craftsmen will be the last.
:17:34. > :17:39.The UN's top wildlife official is on hand to witness the shutdown.
:17:40. > :17:42.This is a momentous day in China, where we see this decision
:17:43. > :17:47.We are here, in the marketplace, we have seen a shop that has
:17:48. > :17:52.We're in another one that is going to close
:17:53. > :17:55.This is a momentous decision and a momentous day,
:17:56. > :18:02.China's move comes not a moment too soon.
:18:03. > :18:08.The African elephant is teetering on the brink of extinction.
:18:09. > :18:12.And the majority of the slaughter, perhaps as much as 70%,
:18:13. > :18:24.This business is one of those being forced to close today.
:18:25. > :18:28.The owners shows off the system of markings and certifications meant
:18:29. > :18:35.to prove that his supply comes only from China's authorised
:18:36. > :18:40.TRANSLATION: I feel sad, I love this art.
:18:41. > :18:42.And even if you abolish it, it won't necessarily
:18:43. > :18:52.But campaigners, including Prince William, who has personally
:18:53. > :18:59.lobbied China's leaders on the issue, disagree.
:19:00. > :19:04.Factories like this one, they argue, it sent a signal to consumers
:19:05. > :19:07.that ivory is OK to buy, and they provide criminals
:19:08. > :19:15.Certifications for pieces like this one can, in fact, easily be forged.
:19:16. > :19:18.And the reality is, however inadvertently,
:19:19. > :19:22.China's legal ivory trade has acted as cover for a much larger,
:19:23. > :19:29.So that's why the stand being taken here is so important.
:19:30. > :19:31.The complete closure of China's officially
:19:32. > :19:44.It is already illegal to sell ivory in China over the internet.
:19:45. > :19:48.And yet it took us just a few clicks to find it.
:19:49. > :19:58.Our investigation suggest that China's new restrictions won't stop
:19:59. > :20:06.Nonetheless, it is a bold and important step.
:20:07. > :20:09.China is sacrificing this ancient art in order
:20:10. > :20:20.Hollywood film stars Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac
:20:21. > :20:25.are taking on new roles set against the backdrop of a little
:20:26. > :20:28.known historical event, the Armenian Genocide.
:20:29. > :20:31.The Promise, directed by Terry George - who won
:20:32. > :20:35.an Oscar for Hotel Rwanda - depicts the last days
:20:36. > :20:40.of the Ottoman Empire in 1914 and the eventual massacre of one
:20:41. > :21:12.Where were you? We just took a walk.
:21:13. > :21:20.You see the German battleships? A gift from the Turkish navy. A
:21:21. > :21:26.perfectly innocent gift. Richard tonic friends.
:21:27. > :21:29.Turkey has every right to have a strong Navy.
:21:30. > :21:39.That was a short segments, Terry Jones, the director, joins us now.
:21:40. > :21:43.This is a hugely sensitive subject, Armenians described the event as
:21:44. > :21:49.genocide, the Turks say it shouldn't be. You are making a Hollywood film
:21:50. > :21:58.about it, how did that happen? We received finance from a Armenian
:21:59. > :22:02.businessman who was anxious to have the story told. I co-wrote and
:22:03. > :22:08.erected what is essentially a love story, set against the Armenian
:22:09. > :22:17.genocide. -- co-wrote and erected. Most historians recognise it as a
:22:18. > :22:22.genocide, and Turkey and others do not for strategic reasons. We wanted
:22:23. > :22:29.greater from on epic scale, similar to Dr Zhivago or Ryan's Daughter.
:22:30. > :22:34.That was the intention. That was something you are very keen
:22:35. > :22:37.to do, make a love story at the centre. Is that what humanises what
:22:38. > :22:45.is historically a very difficult time you?
:22:46. > :22:49.That has been my strategy and modus operandi in doing the rind and
:22:50. > :22:53.genocide with Hotel Rwanda and the troubles in Northern Ireland with In
:22:54. > :22:56.The Name Of The Father. I like to pick characters the audience can
:22:57. > :23:00.identify with and work them through these tragic events.
:23:01. > :23:05.Your films do have such difficult subject matter is, it's just
:23:06. > :23:09.extraordinary that so few people really know about this. We had the
:23:10. > :23:15.100th anniversary of the Armenian massacres around two years ago, and
:23:16. > :23:19.yet it's still not that well known? Is big still success of the Turkish
:23:20. > :23:23.Government in denying this and having it suppressed. Draxler two
:23:24. > :23:28.films try to be made, one of the 30s, and one in the 70s about the
:23:29. > :23:33.subject. The Turkish Government intervened on both times. Luckily,
:23:34. > :23:37.we were inserted from that. Years are saying this is 1.4 million
:23:38. > :23:41.people lost their lives, the Turks are disputing that, they say it
:23:42. > :23:46.wasn't as many people as that. The agreement is that it was an
:23:47. > :23:51.uprising and Asa Boer War, they had to drive the Armenian community out
:23:52. > :23:56.of that region. If you presented that argument in the Second World
:23:57. > :24:01.War, the Nazis said there was an uprising in the Warsaw ghetto, and
:24:02. > :24:07.we had to move these Jews to a area where we could handle them, it is
:24:08. > :24:13.this period is argument. This was a genocide by any definition.
:24:14. > :24:17.You spoke about hotel Rwanda, you have such difficult films, historic
:24:18. > :24:21.moments that you have encapsulated. How are the audience reacting to
:24:22. > :24:24.something that is good to be a hard watch, no matter how beautifully
:24:25. > :24:29.filmed it is? I always try to make it not a hard
:24:30. > :24:35.watch in terms of the visuals. You can't recreate the horror of these
:24:36. > :24:40.events, and therefore, I zoned in on the characters and allow the
:24:41. > :24:44.audience to imagine what took place. And at the same time find characters
:24:45. > :24:46.that are inspiring. Terry George, it has been a
:24:47. > :24:55.privilege to speak to you, thank you. Staying with celebrities,
:24:56. > :24:57.swelling back American actress Pamela Anderson
:24:58. > :25:01.when asked about a rumoured romance with
:25:02. > :25:02.Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.
:25:03. > :25:04.The former Baywatch actress has been seen visiting
:25:05. > :25:06.London's Ecuadorian Embassy where Mr Assange took refuge
:25:07. > :25:08.to avoid extradition to Sweden over rape allegations.
:25:09. > :25:12.On Swedish television, Anderson was asked about their relationship.
:25:13. > :25:15.If he's imprisoned, it would make it difficult.
:25:16. > :25:19.Is that why it's difficult to answer?.
:25:20. > :25:23.Let's see what happens when he's free.
:25:24. > :25:27.I probably spend more time with him than any other man socially.
:25:28. > :25:34.I don't want to go into any private details, but I don't know.
:25:35. > :25:47.there you go. Pamela Anderson speaking on Swedish
:25:48. > :25:51.television. I is bringing to date with our top story -
:25:52. > :25:54.Michael Flynn says he will talk to investigators examining ties to the
:25:55. > :26:01.Kremlin, as long as he won't be prosecuted for it. As always, thanks
:26:02. > :26:15.We're changing our month and changing our weather at least
:26:16. > :26:17.temporarily. As we head into April, April showers,