0:00:10 > 0:00:16This is BBC World News. Our top stories. Moscow summons the UK
0:00:16 > 0:00:16ambassador to
0:00:16 > 0:00:17stories. Moscow summons the UK ambassador to confirm it is
0:00:17 > 0:00:22expelling 23 British diplomats as the row over the nerve agent attack
0:00:22 > 0:00:32on a double agent continues.US officials investigate allegations
0:00:32 > 0:00:37that they mishandled Facebook data in an effort to support President
0:00:37 > 0:00:40Trump's vision campaign put thousands flee violence in Syria.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43Aid agencies say almost a quarter of a million people have been driven
0:00:43 > 0:00:47from loans this week. And the campaign to clean up Mount Everest
0:00:47 > 0:00:53begins. 1200 kilos of waste that behind by tourists and climbers is
0:00:53 > 0:01:12elevated from the world's highest mountain. -- is airlifted from.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16Welcome to World News Today. Russia has hit back at the UK in the row
0:01:16 > 0:01:20over poisoning of a former double agent. The British ambassador was
0:01:20 > 0:01:24called into the Foreign Ministry in Moscow and given a list of measures
0:01:24 > 0:01:26Moscow intends to take in retaliation for British actions
0:01:26 > 0:01:32against Russia which Russia -- London holds responsible for the
0:01:32 > 0:01:36attack.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39He had been expecting the telephone call and today it came.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41Britain's ambassador was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44And in the skyscraper that Josef Stalin built
0:01:44 > 0:01:50as a symbol of a superpower, the ambassador was told how Moscow
0:01:50 > 0:01:58would retaliate to UK sanctions. A note of defiance when he left.
0:01:58 > 0:02:07We will always do what is necessary to defend ourselves,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10our allies and our values against an attack of this sort.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12Which is an attack not only on the United Kingdom
0:02:12 > 0:02:14but upon the international rules-based system
0:02:14 > 0:02:16on which all countries, all countries including Russia,
0:02:16 > 0:02:21depend for their safety and security. Thank you.
0:02:21 > 0:02:22The ambassador headed into work,
0:02:22 > 0:02:24to tell embassy staff about the Russian sanctions.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26Moscow says they are a response to British provocation,
0:02:26 > 0:02:27Russia has expelled 23 British diplomats.
0:02:27 > 0:02:32The UK had expelled 23 Russians over the nerve agent attack in Salisbury.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35The authorities here are shutting down the British Consulate
0:02:35 > 0:02:41in St Petersburg and the British Council
0:02:41 > 0:02:42which promotes UK culture abroad
0:02:42 > 0:02:44will now be forced to end all activity in Russia.
0:02:44 > 0:02:50Moscow says the language coming out of London was a factor in deciding
0:02:50 > 0:02:53what sanctions to announce.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57TRANSLATION: The British Prime Minister insults
0:02:57 > 0:02:58us and threatens us.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00Her foreign and defence secretaries insult us.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03They talk to Russia as if they are drunk in a pub.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06So what the UK got from us today is the result of this loutishness
0:03:06 > 0:03:08and their groundless accusations.
0:03:08 > 0:03:14Not so, said Theresa May.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16Russia's response does not change the facts of the matter.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19The attempted assassination of two people on British soil,
0:03:19 > 0:03:23for which there was no alternative conclusion
0:03:23 > 0:03:27other than that the Russian state was culpable.
0:03:27 > 0:03:34Relations between Moscow and London have not been this
0:03:34 > 0:03:36fractured since the Cold War.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38The expulsion of 23 British diplomats, that was expected.
0:03:38 > 0:03:43That is traditional tit-for-tat.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46But the shutting down of the consulate and the
0:03:46 > 0:03:47activities of the British Council,
0:03:47 > 0:03:49that feels like a challenge to the British Government.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51And the Russians have said that if Britain responds
0:03:51 > 0:03:54with more measures against Moscow, then Russia will respond with
0:03:54 > 0:03:55more sanctions against the UK.
0:03:55 > 0:04:05The danger now is a spiral of confrontation.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Let's get more now on where this diplomatic stand-off
0:04:10 > 0:04:11might be going next.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13James Sherr, is Associate Fellow
0:04:13 > 0:04:15with the Russia and Eurasia Programme at the international
0:04:15 > 0:04:17affairs policy institute, Chatham House - and he
0:04:17 > 0:04:23joins me from Oxford.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26Welcome to the programme. Theresa May and the British government say
0:04:26 > 0:04:31that they will look at their next steps in the coming days.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33Realistically, what options do you think are open to the British
0:04:33 > 0:04:39government? I think the key steps are the ones she has already
0:04:39 > 0:04:49outlined.What really matters now is the extent to which we would give
0:04:49 > 0:04:56practical thought to steps already outlined to increase security and
0:04:56 > 0:05:03increase the clearest -- these of mess of our effort, primarily with
0:05:03 > 0:05:05regard to domestic security, including protecting those people
0:05:05 > 0:05:10including Russian citizens, who are lawfully resident here, and other
0:05:10 > 0:05:19domains as well, which must include financial security and the
0:05:19 > 0:05:22privileges that dubious Russian entities have enjoyed so far, in
0:05:22 > 0:05:28making use of all the privileges and services of the City of London and
0:05:28 > 0:05:32the openness of the London property market. The Kremlin is still waiting
0:05:32 > 0:05:46to see whether we actually wavered. This is this serious story, not the
0:05:46 > 0:05:50tit-for-tat, and the exchanges that are taking place publicly.Do you
0:05:50 > 0:05:55think the British government have been hesitant to fully implement
0:05:55 > 0:05:57laws on legislation that they could've done over the last few
0:05:57 > 0:06:03years?Over the past two years definitely, and this is part of the
0:06:03 > 0:06:08problem. For main reasons the Russians have seen the UK has
0:06:08 > 0:06:13relatively weak and three unintentionally have reinforced this
0:06:13 > 0:06:19in a number of ways, not least of all by failing to vigorously pursue
0:06:19 > 0:06:27a whole raft of unexplained and macabre murders of Russian citizens
0:06:27 > 0:06:34in this country. The Home Secretary now says that all of this is going
0:06:34 > 0:06:41to be investigated. Well, good. Will this also apply to the financial
0:06:41 > 0:06:49sector, which is vital for a country like Russia, whose system, the
0:06:49 > 0:06:55system that President Putin has constructed is based on a merger of
0:06:55 > 0:06:59money and power at the very highest levels, and a lot of this money
0:06:59 > 0:07:04comes from very dubious Celsius and from some extremely dubious
0:07:04 > 0:07:11purposes. So we have on the table some mechanisms on place that can
0:07:11 > 0:07:14adjust this and the Prime Minister has also said, quite rightly, we
0:07:14 > 0:07:20would be looking at those to see whether these measures need to be
0:07:20 > 0:07:27stiffened and consolidated.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29The Attorney General in the US state of Massachusetts,
0:07:29 > 0:07:31is to begin an investigation, into claims that information
0:07:31 > 0:07:34from millions of Facebook users, may have been used by a data
0:07:34 > 0:07:37company, during the 2016 US presidential election.
0:07:37 > 0:07:42A former employee of Cambridge Analytica,
0:07:42 > 0:07:43claims that 50 million profiles were accessed.
0:07:43 > 0:07:51The two companies deny any wrongdoing.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55With me now is our business correspondent, Joe Lynam.This seems
0:07:55 > 0:08:01very complicated. Please bear with me as I try to explain it. This is
0:08:01 > 0:08:04about the protection of personal data. It started with the creation
0:08:04 > 0:08:08of an app by the University of Cambridge. That harvested lots of
0:08:08 > 0:08:16data from Facebook users, 70,000, in fact, but in addition to that, their
0:08:16 > 0:08:20friends as well so you can see how it gets into millions. That very
0:08:20 > 0:08:24personal information was then given to accompany called Cambridge
0:08:24 > 0:08:29Analytica, unfortunate that the name is confusingly similar and they were
0:08:29 > 0:08:33ordered to breach that personal information because it was in breach
0:08:33 > 0:08:37of their rules. In the last 24 hours Facebook said it did not delete that
0:08:37 > 0:08:41so they are now suspending them from Facebook pending an investigation.
0:08:41 > 0:08:49In the meantime, it is said that -- a whistle-blower has come forward
0:08:49 > 0:08:52and said 50 million profiles were harvested from this app and used to
0:08:52 > 0:08:59target specific messages in relation to the 2016 US presidential
0:08:59 > 0:09:04election, pro-president Trump and anti-Hillary Clinton messages. So we
0:09:04 > 0:09:06have the Attorney General in the state of Massachusetts saying that
0:09:06 > 0:09:10she's going to watch an investigation. She said the
0:09:10 > 0:09:14residents of that state deserve answers immediately. On the side of
0:09:14 > 0:09:18the Atlantic the Information Commissioner's office has said it is
0:09:18 > 0:09:24investigating the circumstances that Facebook data may have been
0:09:24 > 0:09:29illegally acquired and used for political purposes.So obviously
0:09:29 > 0:09:33some big legal and political consequences, potentially. It puts
0:09:33 > 0:09:36Facebook in a potentially difficult position as well, doesn't it?They
0:09:36 > 0:09:43said they have suspended the accounts and able not tolerate abuse
0:09:43 > 0:09:46of data. They have flatly denied any huge data breach which this
0:09:46 > 0:09:53whistle-blower has alleged. And they said users knowingly provided all of
0:09:53 > 0:09:58that information when they clicked that box to agree. And that its
0:09:58 > 0:10:04systems had not been breached. Also, the rules are changed from four
0:10:04 > 0:10:09years ago. Before then you could, by taking that box, allow the app to
0:10:09 > 0:10:12use your friends friends. Now it is just you and your data that can be
0:10:12 > 0:10:19provided. Cambridge Analytica has denied that any of the information
0:10:19 > 0:10:23garnered from this app was used on the 2016 US presidential election
0:10:23 > 0:10:26and that it only receives and uses data that has been obtained legally
0:10:26 > 0:10:42and fairly.Some stories the news now.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46The former FBI deputy director, Andrew McCabe,
0:10:46 > 0:10:48has accused the Trump administration of acting with political malice
0:10:48 > 0:10:51after he was fired, just days before he was due to retire.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53An internal review said that Mr McCabe leaked information
0:10:53 > 0:10:55and misled investigators - claims he has denied.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57President Trump called his sacking "a great day for democracy".
0:10:57 > 0:11:00An engineer left a voice mail two days before a bridge collapsed in
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Miami warning that some cracking had been found in the structure but he
0:11:03 > 0:11:06added that there are no concerns. Officials say that the voice mail
0:11:06 > 0:11:10was not picked up until after the accident on Thursday, in which six
0:11:10 > 0:11:21people were killed.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24The government of Monaco has warned the public to be wary
0:11:24 > 0:11:26of money-making scams - by crooks impersonating top figures
0:11:26 > 0:11:27from the principality.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29Last September, a local newspaper reported that a person
0:11:29 > 0:11:32resembling Prince Albert II, Monaco's ruler, tried to con
0:11:32 > 0:11:45a journalist into contributing funds towards a ransom.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Syrian civilians at both ends of the country have been facing
0:11:55 > 0:11:57intense fighting over the last few days, and the UN says
0:11:57 > 0:11:59there is likely to be more to come.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03A few miles from the capital Damascus, regime backed forces have
0:12:03 > 0:12:05nearly captured the rebel held Eastern Ghouta,
0:12:05 > 0:12:09and it is thought up
0:12:09 > 0:12:16to 50,000 people are trying to escape the area.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18And in the north, as many as 150 thousand people
0:12:18 > 0:12:21are fleeing a military operation by Turkey, aiming to push out
0:12:21 > 0:12:27Kurdish forces in the town of Afrin.
0:12:27 > 0:12:32Now, civilians are stripping out of the city, desperate to escape.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36TRANSLATION:As you can see this war has displaced people. We are hungry
0:12:36 > 0:12:39and we have been walking for three days. Thank God we have arrived
0:12:39 > 0:12:46here. TRANSLATION:We cannot sleep, we
0:12:46 > 0:12:50cannot eat, people are afraid. We cannot sleep because of planes and
0:12:50 > 0:12:57artillery.Further south on the outskirts of Damascus it is Russian
0:12:57 > 0:13:04backed government was not fighting rebels. Eastern Ghouta is Syria's
0:13:04 > 0:13:08last rebel stronghold. Thousands are leaving before it is too late.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12TRANSLATION:Wanted to leave three months ago but the rebels did not
0:13:12 > 0:13:16allow us, they start us.This shelter to the North East of
0:13:16 > 0:13:20Damascus is overwhelmed. Mohammed and his family fled as the Russian
0:13:20 > 0:13:27backed forces approached. TRANSLATION:People were hungry,
0:13:27 > 0:13:30they had been in good health and then they became thin. The rebels
0:13:30 > 0:13:41have a lot of money.70% of Eastern Ghouta has been retaken by President
0:13:41 > 0:13:43Assad's forces. TRANSLATION:According to the
0:13:43 > 0:13:50information we have individual units have laid down their arms and left
0:13:50 > 0:13:53Eastern Ghouta but they are waiting for the command from the Western
0:13:53 > 0:13:59patrons.As a Syrian conflict is into its eighth year, the end cannot
0:13:59 > 0:14:03come soon enough for thousands of ordinary civilians, who have lost so
0:14:03 > 0:14:12much already. Stay with us, still to come, clean clean-up in the clouds.
0:14:12 > 0:14:17A new campaign is launched on Mount Everest to remove some 100 tonnes of
0:14:17 > 0:14:20rubbish, human waste and old equipment left behind on the world's
0:14:20 > 0:14:30highest mountain.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39The headlines:
0:15:39 > 0:15:43Moscow summons the UK ambassador to confirm it's expelling
0:15:43 > 0:15:4623 British diplomats, as the row over the nerve agent
0:15:46 > 0:15:51attack on a double agent continues.
0:15:51 > 0:15:57US officials investigate allegations a company mishandled Facebook
0:15:57 > 0:15:58users' data in an effort to support
0:15:58 > 0:16:00President Trump's election campaign.
0:16:03 > 0:16:10Pregnant women exposed to a chemical found in common everyday items may
0:16:10 > 0:16:12find their sons' fertility and that of future generations
0:16:12 > 0:16:14has been harmed - that's according to a study.
0:16:14 > 0:16:20Researchers found that male mice prenatally exposed
0:16:20 > 0:16:23to the chemical DEHP, found in consumer products ranging
0:16:23 > 0:16:25from toys to medical devices, had less testosterone and fewer
0:16:25 > 0:16:29sperm than mice that weren't.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32Their male offspring also experienced similar abnormalities.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35I'm now joined by the lead author of the study,
0:16:35 > 0:16:40Radwa Barakat, who's in Chicago.
0:16:40 > 0:16:47Thank you for joining us here on BBC World News. Can you explain what
0:16:47 > 0:16:50this chemical is and where it is found?Thank you for meeting with
0:16:50 > 0:17:00me. This chemical is called DEHP. It is used in ducks like and cosmetic
0:17:00 > 0:17:11products. -- in products like. If it enters our body it disrupts our home
0:17:11 > 0:17:21on balance. So there are reason for such phenomena is considerable, but
0:17:21 > 0:17:28we focused on DEHP as one of those making the deposits. The main study
0:17:28 > 0:17:37focused on prenatal exposure to DEHP in mice, and we found the fertility
0:17:37 > 0:17:44affected in the next generation of the mice sweep round that the next
0:17:44 > 0:17:47generation of male mice has remarkably less testosterone in
0:17:47 > 0:17:58their blood. And the most interesting part was that the male
0:17:58 > 0:18:08mice bought this next-generation had shown also similarly abnormalities
0:18:08 > 0:18:17and lower fertility than the normal mice so it is really important.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21Obviously, that might cause concern for pregnant women. What can they do
0:18:21 > 0:18:29to protect themselves and their unborn children?We need to support
0:18:29 > 0:18:33a policy calling for a reduction of this chemical. This is so important
0:18:33 > 0:18:40for the public to try to reduce its exposure to this chemical and
0:18:40 > 0:18:53similar chemicals.We will leave it there. Thank you very much. Sports
0:18:53 > 0:19:01news now, and James Pearce has the details.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03It's been a busy day of sport, but we're going to start
0:19:03 > 0:19:06at Twickenham and a brilliant victory for Ireland over England
0:19:06 > 0:19:08in the Six Nations which gives them the Grand Slam.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11The 24-15 win was the perfect end to the Irish campaign,
0:19:11 > 0:19:13winning their third Grand Slam on St Patrick's Day.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17Catherine Rory Best was one of two players who remain from the Irish
0:19:17 > 0:19:23Grand Slam triumph in 2009. It was a winning streak that started with
0:19:23 > 0:19:28last year for flag win over England. And it was 70 yesterday week since
0:19:28 > 0:19:33their first grand slam in the old five Nations.I don't think I could
0:19:33 > 0:19:37be much prouder of the group in the way that they committed themselves.
0:19:37 > 0:19:45Some of the work in the 22, in that eight minutes at the start of the
0:19:45 > 0:19:49second half, it was almost to the pump and they managed to fight their
0:19:49 > 0:19:54way through that period. That was the point, really. At 21-5, if they
0:19:54 > 0:20:00suddenly get momentum, there were times when they had huge momentum,
0:20:00 > 0:20:06England, they are a super site. Deserved grand slam champions. They
0:20:06 > 0:20:12are well coached, well led team, discipline, tough, they stick to
0:20:12 > 0:20:21what they know, and real credit to Ireland.Wales finish second, just
0:20:21 > 0:20:25three points scored in the fall of the second half, 14-13 between Wales
0:20:25 > 0:20:30and France. Italy ended the tournament with a wooden spoon,
0:20:30 > 0:20:41finishing bottom of the group after losing 29-27 to Scotland. Despite
0:20:41 > 0:20:46leaving for much of the match they conceded a last-minute penalty and
0:20:46 > 0:20:54suffered a seven successive defeat in all competitions. So this is how
0:20:54 > 0:20:59the final table looks. Ireland had already wrapped up the title. They
0:20:59 > 0:21:04sit pretty at the top. Confirmation of Wales in second. If you are in
0:21:04 > 0:21:10England supporter, look away now. They set about Italy in both place.
0:21:10 > 0:21:18-- they sit above Italy in fourth place.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20Mohamed Salah scored four goals as Liverpool thrashed Watford 5-0
0:21:20 > 0:21:22to move up to third in the Premier League.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25Salah has now scored an incredible 36 goals this season
0:21:25 > 0:21:26in all competitions.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29He also set up Roberto Firmino for Liverpool's other goal at Anfield.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33The day's earlier matches all impacted the lower end of the table.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37West Brom remain rooted to the bottom following
0:21:37 > 0:21:38defeat to Bournemouth.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41Stoke remain a place above them after defeat to Everton.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43But Palace move out of the bottom three after
0:21:43 > 0:21:44a much-needed win at Huddersfield.
0:21:44 > 0:21:49Christian Eriksen scored twice as Tottenham reached
0:21:49 > 0:21:52the semifinals of the FA Cup for a second successive season.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54They beat Swansea 3-0 at the Liberty Stadium.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56First-half goals from Eriksen and Erik Lamela put
0:21:56 > 0:21:58Mauricio Pochettino's side a step closer to what would be
0:21:58 > 0:22:04a ninth win in the competition.
0:22:04 > 0:22:09Manchester United currently lead Brighton 1-0 in the day's other FA
0:22:09 > 0:22:14Cup tie. That's all the sport. A new campaign to clean up Mount Everest
0:22:14 > 0:22:20has started with 1200 kg of waste taken to the Nepalese capital,
0:22:20 > 0:22:26Kathmandu. The aim is to lift 100 tonnes of waste from the world's
0:22:26 > 0:22:30highest mountain and surrounding region which is visited by more than
0:22:30 > 0:22:34100,000 people last year. A private airline said it would continue to
0:22:34 > 0:22:38transport recyclable waste like bottles and metal throughout the
0:22:38 > 0:22:48year. I'm joined by British mountaineer, who has been to Everest
0:22:48 > 0:22:54from multiple exhibitions and has climbed all of the world's peaks
0:22:54 > 0:22:58over 8000 metres, Alan Hinkes. He joins me from the Lake District in
0:22:58 > 0:23:07England. Is it really that littered? Not really, most climbers take only
0:23:07 > 0:23:15photos, and leave only footprints. But lots of trek actually go. Most
0:23:15 > 0:23:20of the climbers who go there are environmentally aware. But there is
0:23:20 > 0:23:23quite a lot of rubbish on the way to base camp. Not vast amounts but
0:23:23 > 0:23:29there is some. The Nepalese Sherpa is in that area are very
0:23:29 > 0:23:36environmentally aware, so they clean it up.1200 kg is a lot. I don't
0:23:36 > 0:23:39drop litter in my local park, I would not think about doing it in
0:23:39 > 0:23:43this incredible mountain range. Unfortunately, there has not been a
0:23:43 > 0:23:49proper disposal system there like we have in first world countries so
0:23:49 > 0:23:52they are getting to grips with it now. There are lodges on the trek up
0:23:52 > 0:23:58to Everest base camp, it is eight days from the airstrip from where
0:23:58 > 0:24:02they are flying this rubbish and on that eight-day trek, trekkers will
0:24:02 > 0:24:07drink bottles of beer and soft drinks and eat things in wrapping,
0:24:07 > 0:24:11and all that rubbish has to be taken up. And at the moment a lot of it is
0:24:11 > 0:24:17just piled up.Do you find it quite heartening that the Nepalese and the
0:24:17 > 0:24:23Sherpas take this so seriously?The Sherpas are lovely people. All
0:24:23 > 0:24:28Nepalese are lovely people. It is a brilliant place, as nice as the Lake
0:24:28 > 0:24:33District, where I am now! It is a lovely country and I would recommend
0:24:33 > 0:24:38anyone to go there, the Nepalese are lovely people, and Kathmandu is a
0:24:38 > 0:24:44fabulous region, worth visiting, it really is.A slight change of
0:24:44 > 0:24:51subject, a Polish climbing expedition gave up climbing the
0:24:51 > 0:24:58mountain, K2, amid difficulty caused by bad weather. Why is K2 so tough?
0:24:58 > 0:25:02It is more difficult than Everest, it is steeper terrain, worse
0:25:02 > 0:25:09weather, more avalanches. It is known as The Savage Mountain. It is
0:25:09 > 0:25:14the only one of the big mountains that has never been climbed in
0:25:14 > 0:25:19winter. It is so remote, in northern Pakistan on the border with China.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23This was one of the strongest ever expeditions led by a friend of mine.
0:25:23 > 0:25:28I have been on expeditions with him in the past, and if they can't do
0:25:28 > 0:25:31it, it does not bode well, we don't know who's going to be able to do
0:25:31 > 0:25:43it.Thank you for your company, Alan K. Finally, from Las Vegas to
0:25:43 > 0:25:46Australia, more than 250 iconic landmarks across the globe are
0:25:46 > 0:25:49turning a shade of green this weekend to celebrate St Patrick's
0:25:49 > 0:25:56Day. What else? Violin's National Day is celebrated in more countries
0:25:56 > 0:26:01than any other festival. This is Dublin, hosting the biggest parade.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04You are