>> "bbc world news" is presented by kcet, los angeles. funding for this presentation is made possible by -- the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, newman's own foundation, the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation, and union bank. >> union bank has put its financial strength to work for a wide range of companies, from small businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you? >> and now, "bbc world news."

>> after a two-year gap, face to fake -- face-to-face talks are going on between the israelis and palestinians. the american the vice-president said baghdad is close to forming a new government. and no regrets from tony blair about his decision to invade iraq. very warm welcome to "bbc world news," broadcast to our viewers in the states on pbs and also around the globe, with me, peter dobbie. coming up later for you -- how your name and postcode can affect your chances of getting a job in france. and of film actors it talks about her work with an iranian director -- and a film actor talks about her work with an iranian director.

the israeli prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, has described the palestinian residents as his partner for peace and says he is seeking to end the conflict for once and for all. but leaders have had preliminary discussions with president obama in washington before talks on thursday. mr. obama says the peace initiative is making progress. there have not been direct israeli-palestinian talks for 20 months. barack obama also condemned the killing of four israelis who were killed on the west bank yesterday. >> there are going to be extremists to, rather than seeking peace, are going to be seeking destruction. and the tragedy that we saw yesterday where people were gunned down on the streets by

terrorists who are purposefully trying to undermine peace talks is an example of what we are up against. >> benjamin netanyahu thanked the u.s. president for his efforts and described the talks says "open and productive." >> id president's statement is an expression of our -- i think the president's statement is an expression of our determination to fight and you have talks that are open, productive, and serious in the quest for peace, also centered around the need for security arrangements that are able to roll back this kind of terror and threats to security. and that is a fundamental element, an important foundation of the peace we seek, and i appreciate, mr. president, your efforts to advance this beast --

peace for us and our neighbors and, i think we can say, the world. >> mr. obama also welcomed the leaders of the palestinian and the israelis. king abdullah and other leaders will join the talks. but is there it now and new commitment to achieve peace? our correspondent reports from the west bank on what are the unresolved tensions. >> on a hill overlooking the city of jerusalem, hundreds of jewish settlers came to bury the dead. the symmetry is on the most sacred place -- the cemetery is on the most sacred place any jew can be buried. they were struck dead by palestinian gunmen on tuesday. it was the worst attack in the west bank in four years.

in an emotional farewell, and 19-year-old -- a 19-year-old promise to look after the children. the question is, what will be the fallout of these murders? jewish settlers are saying they will unilaterally break a ban on new construction in the occupied west bank. and hamas, the palestinian group that carried out these killings, say that will not be allowed. if either of those things are true, the peace talks in washington will be further jeopardized. this afternoon in a palestinian village near hebron, the first incident. the jewish settler being wrestled to the ground is one of 50 who attempted to attack

palestinian house. bbc news. >> staying in the middle east, the united states has brought a formal into its combat role in iraq, seven years after toppling saddam hussein, although there are no agreements on a government after elections. thousands were seriously injured. only one -- one of the thousand iraqi civilians died as well. from baghdad, we have this. >> at victory base camp near baghdad airport, an american military band played the iraqi national anthem. there were very few iraqis in this former palace. the passing of the flag was an overwhelmingly american affair. the flood of operation iraqi freedom headed for the -- the flag of operation iraqi freedom

headed for the storage cabinet of history. the american vice-president, joe biden, paid homage to the iraqis as well as the americans who had been killed since 2002. >> i pray that all those scarred by this war in iraq, no the -- come to know the balm of lasting peace. i truly believe there darkest days are behind them. >> commander general raley odierno praised the continue activities -- a rate or odierno -- ray odierno praised the continued activities. al-qaeda only arrived in iraq after the americans came here. the final speaker was the new u.s. commander, general loy austin. >> because of your service, the

iraqis have been able to participate in two free and fair national elections. the incidence of violent attacks have steadily declined, and iraq has begun constructive new relationships with its regional allies. >> this was just the handover ceremony. the real change will be at the end of next year when all american forces have to leave. meanwhile, as the vice president pointed out, the 50,000 american troops to remain are as combat ready as any in the u.s. military. bbc news, baghdad. >> another aspect of the aftermath in iraq. former prime minister tony blair says he deeply regrets the loss of life, but stands by his decision to invade. in his newly published memoir, he also lays bare his relationship with gordon brown, his former friend who took over.

here is our political correspondent. >> it has been a year since tony blair left downing street, and still is the war in iraq that it casts a shadow over his time in office. his book talks about how he did not foresee the nightmare that would unfold and all the anguish it would bring. >> how can you not feel sorry about people who have died? he would be in human if you did not think that. but when i am asked whether i regret the decision, you do not have to say -- i cannot regret the decision. i take responsibility for. if i was to say that to you, i would not be saying what i think. >> blair remains a fan of intervention in the middle east if necessary, but his book is full of warnings about iran. >> i think we have to be

prepared to confront them. >> militarily? >> i think there is no alternative to that if they continue to develop nuclear weapons. they need to get that message, loud and clear. >> in britain, interest in the book revolves around his relationship with gordon brown. tony blair betrays his chancellor as a bully with zero emotional intelligence. gordon brown hit back, arguing the book is a one-sided account of their relationship. but tony blair as made clear he has been his tongue on the subject for too long. >> the relationship with gordon was difficult. it was also very close. it was hard, going on impossible. for a large part of time we were in government, and he was an immense source of strength. his contributions were clear. >> one revelation that will

surprise many as tony blair's admission that he used alcohol as a prop to cope with the job. his publishers will be hoping insides like that will make his book a best seller across the world. bbc news. >> three bombs have exploded in the pakastani city of lahore, said buying shi'a muslims. the pakastani prime minister attacked the attacks as cowardly and said the perpetrators would be punished. the miners in chile are having their first hot meal in weeks. lunch was piped through a tube 700 meters underground. rescuers are consulting and nutritionist that helped compile the menu. a book 60 anonymous -- get into

the of the anonymous racing driver called the stig. for rory recalled one of its newest models after reports of -- for raw recalled one of its newest models after reports of it -- for robbery recalled one of its newest models after reports of it catching fire. pakistan's prime minister says the floods mean it that the country's growth will slump by 2.5% and inflation will rise by 20%. children are especially badly affected. 10,000 school buildings have been destroyed. chris morris and this report. >> flying into the flood zone, the head of the united nations children's fund. how many children are suffering down there, and when can they go back to school? at the relief camp on the

ground, people are waiting patiently for supplies as the visitors from the u.n. arrived. this is a school that has been taken over by the emergency relief effort. from the himalayas to the sea, there are thousands of school buildings that have been damaged or destroyed. even those that survive have been turned into a temporary relief camps. there are very few places where children can go to school. inside, there is one room where children can be themselves, playing games or drawing pictures about what they have just been through. "this is my house," the boy says. alongside these child-friendly spaces that help deal with trauma, there is the need to create a new school to replace and perhaps improve upon what has been lost in the flood. >> here and in other places in

the world, this is not just concerning the children, but especially the girls. [unintelligible] we need the facilities to help fight the diseases. >> for now, thousands of children will do their learning in the open. these are some of the lucky ones. many still have nothing. chris morris, bbc news, pakistan. >> you were watching "bbc world news." still to come, taking a look at a high tech tool that can shine a light on one of the world's most famous shipwrecks. a team of divers has begun to salvage dozens of bottles of what is thought to be the world's oldest champagne. the shipwreck is at the bottom of the baltic sea. on the a very few select people

will never taste the wine. each bottle costs tens of thousands of dollars. >> not the usual place to pick up a case, but at least there is no danger the wine will be warm. 15 meters straight down, bottles of champagne lie covered in the dust of two centuries. but the pressures of vintage should still be drinkable. for the diverse collecting them with infinite care, it is more treasure. >> this is the first real box. it seems ok. >> freed from the pressure of the deep, there was a risk the antique corks might pop. they allowed a tantalizing with

of the aroma to escape, but not enough to answer the question -- what does it taste like? >> we will know when we opened some real soon. i am very looking forward to tasting the wind. >> the rack and its unique cargo lay just off the islands. the authorities have yet to determine what to do with it, but each bottle could sell for tens of thousands of dollars. meaning anyone wanting to buy it would need to be as rich almost as the original recipients, said to be the russian imperial court. bbc news. >> you are watching "bbc world news." these are the top stories. palestinian and israeli leaders prepare for their first talks in two years.

mission change, if not accomplish. the u.s. ends its combat role in iraq. 50,000 troops remain. in the suburbs, those without a job in france are at 50%. if you are an immigrant, that is considerably worse. now a new french film shows how some from immigrant backgrounds are getting around the problem. it is during a lively debate. we have this from christian fraser. >> meet and italian car salesman. successful and it seemed to be married. is a lie.o's life he was born a frenchman, he changed his name to get a job. >> you have to change -- you

have to change his name. because this is the reality here. north of africa is arabic. >> even the man who play ed dino changed his own name to lend more acting roles. others have faced a similar choice. this actress is a third- generation french algerian. her grandfather came to france to work in the construction industry. how many have you sent out? >> 100. >> how many responses? >> [unintelligible] >> so you have not had one positive feedback? that is extraordinary. >> she suspects it isn't her arabic name -- it is her arabic name. so she is going to change its aomi.naima to n

if he were from this suburb, otherwise known in paris as 93, you might be lucky if your cv even gets a second look. whereas if you're from these rather more salubrious surroundings, your resume and is likely to get a more favorable response. this author has written about racism in the workplace. he understands why people feel the need to change their name. >> if you have to be very, very good. and there is something wrong still. >> of few companies are now -- a few companies are now receiving where the cv's,

candidates do not have to supply name or address. this is a huge leak encouraging for those who are thinking of applying. the density and immigration are the biggest names in french life. at the film is not accusing france of being racist, but it can describe how complicated relations can be, even when you are french. story is aino's frustrating reality. christian fraser, bbc news. >> she won the best actress award at cannes. it was the first film shot at in europe for an acclaimed iranian director. we discussed the turbulent background in iran at the time

of the filming and the the film. >> with the finest stars of the international screen, acclaimed but unpopular film and our house movies. her priority is to seek out the world's great directors, such as this. >> of course, people think he will move to america and you were going to start a new career. but for me, my choice of being an actress in this role was to work with great directors from the whole world, not just one country. even though a lot of people from other worlds are coming to america, it is still the idea of working with people, coming from very specific cultural places. it appeals to me. >> certified copy -- this was

the first film for this iraqi -- iranian director in europe. he has of his hallmarks. >> he loves -- he loves women. i think he has studied and directed. as you can see in spielberg -- there is the whole wanting to understand, and the planning of that. also coming he raised his children by himself after he divorced, and so, he knows the dilemma of being working and having children. which is a great dilemma. >> the film is a grand platform for the actress. is it all about juliet? >> at the end of the screening at cannes, i said to the

director, "i hope people do not think it is me." because she is so strong. she is so, you know, needy and all that. and he said, "no, i you -- no, you have to make them believe it is completely new." >> he went on stage to campaign for the jailed iranian director. soon after he was released. >> i knew i had to say something. i thought, you know, if i can do something, that is the right time to do it. at the end of the day, the iranian government made the decision. that should not be forgotten. it can make the difference. at least they heard something.

it does something. it is hopeful. >> there is nothing original at all? >> she will move onto other top lawmakers, but this was special. -- filmmakers, but this was special. >> we shared something in this film that does not belong to any of us, but that we shared. which is all of this back-and- forth between male and female in the world. in a way, we are so different. the woman exposes herself, you know, emotionally and takes the risk of being whenever. ridiculous and all the emotions we can let go of in order to make a connection. and the other one says, hey, hey, hang on a minute.

that may come at my own pace. i thought it was a very generous film for women. >> juliet binoche talking to david hammer. new pictures of the titanic have been taken. more than 1500 passengers and crew died when it sank in india atlantic. now the use of robots and high- tech equipment, all of its secrets are being revealed. >> these pictures show in great detail the current state of the titanic, slowly deteriorated into a half miles beneath the water's surface. scientists are filming the wreckage in a high definition with three-dimensional imaging technology. they have virtually razed the titanic. this is a legacy for future

generations. in its day, the titanic was a luxury cruise liner. more than 1500 people died when it sank. the images that are clearest so far show the iconic about. its railings and anchors are still intact, despite more than a century over -- under water. these were made by bacteria eating away. by studying these, scientists can work out the rate at which the ship is disintegrating. they thought she was on the verge of collapse and were amazed at how well she has been preserved. they hope that cameras can return next month to finish the job. bbc news. >> our top story again for your this hour, the reopening of a new round of middle east peace talks. president obama has denounced

the killing of four jewish settlers on the west bank. >> hello and welcome. >> see the news unfold. get the top stories from around the globe and click to play video reports. go to bbc.com/news to experience the in-depth, expert reporting of "bbc world news" online. >> funding was made possible by -- the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, newman's own foundation, the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation, and union bank. >> union bank has put its financial strength to work for a wide range of companies, from

small businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you? >> there is one stage that is the met and carnegie hall. >> o, that this too, too solid flesh -- >> it is the kennedy center -- >> check, one, two. >> and a club in austin. [woman vocalizing] >> it is closer than any seat in the house, no matter where you call home. >> ♪ the top of the world, and i'm there, i'm home ♪ >> pbs -- the great american stage that fits in every living room. your support of pbs brings the arts home. >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet, los angeles. presented by kcet, los angeles.