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>> and now "bbc world news." >> welcome to "bbc." the headlines this hour. the u.s. says it remains committed to afghan reconciliation despite the ceasing of talking. the attorney for the soldier who killed 16 afghans says he doesn't expect his client to be charged for weeks. >> and a humanitarian mission led by the government. a gunman on a scooter. it's 11:00 here in singapore. and 3:00 a.m. here in london broadcasting to viewers all around the world this is -- all

around the world. this is news day. >> hello and welcome. nato's military mission in afghanistan has suffered two setbacks. the taliban is suspending peace talks with the americans almost before they started. the group objects to the involvement of hamid karzai's government. and president karzai has called on forces to end patrols in afghan villages. that's because of the killing of 16 villagers. but there will be no change in strategy. >> it all began here. almost 7,000 miles from afghanistan, a place where once twin towers stood. now a memorial to the 2,983 who died on a single day. david and samantha cameron remember 9/11.

she was in new york. he, in london. for hours he had no idea whether she was save. katherine wolf was not. her death and all the others remembered today triggered a war a decade old and not yet over. >> do you understand why some people seeing you here may say so much has been sacrificed apparently for so little. of course, we made big sacrifices and britain in particular losing over 400 of our soldiers. it is worth remembering why we're there. and it is the right place to remember, including 67 british nationals died right here on 9/11. that terrorism was coming straight out of afghanistan and pakistan that area of the world and we had to make sure that afghanistan was no longer a haven of terror and terrorists. >> but in afghanistan today another setback for hopes of a political solution. the taliban announced they were no longer prepared to talk with

the united states. the reason they claimed, not the burning of the koran, not the slaughter of 16 civilians by an american soldiers but conditions they said were put down by american negotiators. and the afghan president hamid karzai added to the pressure telling the u.s. defense secretary to pull all international troops back to their bases. does it depress you that the talks between the united states and the taliban seem to be at an end as a consequence of what happened last week? >> we have a plan which is to hand over to the afghan police at the end of 2014. we'll do that without a political settlement or with a political settlement. afghanistan has been the substance that is laid beneath the white house splendor. last week the obama's hosted a dinner attended by the special

relationship great and good. they dined on bison and they tracked on the praise of one leader of another. >> he's just the kind of partner that you want at your side. i trust him. he says what he does. and he does what he says. and i've seen his character. >> there are three things about barack obama that really stand out for me -- strength, moral authority, and wisdom. he has pressed the reset button on the moral authority of the entire free world. >> a conservative praising of obama's strength in a country where conservatives derive his weakness. it was his spread saysors that began the war that started here. it is fitting that david cameron ends his tracy: the united states here -- ends his trip to the united states here in all that is left

of the twin towers. it is a reminder of the roots of the war which the president and vice president are still struggling to end and to find an end with honor. nick robinson, "bbc news" ground zero. >> we have more details on the suspended peace talks. we heard from jay carney who says the united states remains committed to their aim which is achieving some kind of political resolution in afghanistan. he said that there's no likely resolution to the confront in that country without some sort of political settlement. he didn't respond directly to what the taliban had said and their accusations that the u.s. has taken a fickle position. we also heard some sort of damage limitation if you'd like in response to what the afghan president hamid karzai has said in terms of u.s. troops withdrawing from remote villages

and concentrating more on the larger military bases in afghanistan. so that may have taken people something by surprise but certainly the spin that officials on the pentagon was putting on that, that is the aim the u.s. forces have. it's just a question of how quickly that could be achieved. >> jonathan, the lawyer for the u.s. soldier acused of killing 16 civilians has been speaking. what does he have to say? >> we heard from john henry brown who is the wlure has been employed by the soldier accused of those killings in kandahar. he spoke to his client in cue wait. he said he's concerned for his safety and the safety of his family who have been moved to washington state which is where this soldier was based. and they're living there now.

he suffered a con cussive brain injury. and the lawyer raised some concerns about how his client had been treated by the military when he spoke to reporters in seattle earlier on. >> i mean, it's a tragedy all the way around. i think it's of interest that we have a soldier who has an exemplary record, deck ratted sodier who were injured in -- decorated sold kwlore was injured in -- soldier who was injured in iraq. i think that's an issue of concern. i think the message for the public in general is that he's one of our boys. we need to treat him fairly. >> so the reason that the soldier in question has not been named is because there are fierce of potential reprizals, possible revenge attacks against him or his family. the department of defense say the soldier will be named when

charges are brought against him. and john henry brown, the lawyer you heard there says he plans to travel to cue wait to meet with his client in the coming days and form part of his legal team along with a military lawyer if and when a trial begins. >> in other news, more than 8,000 people have died in the syrian uprising during the past eight years. that's according to the estimate from the united nations. it's 12 months since the protest began in the southern city of derah. the boy's family said he was tortured to death. our correspondent has spoken to his relatives. this report contains some distressing images. early march 2011, the first large protest against the assad regime. there, people learned to

overcome fear. march 18 at the mosque, focal point of the demonstration and cars of the secret police were chased away. but freedom's ecstasy was short. on the same day the regime hit back. these sisters witnessed its brutality. [speaking foreign language] >> one injured person fell to the ground. he tried to escape by calling to safety. but they apprehended him and beat him up severely with backtons. i was watching all of this from my window. >> the girl's father filmed the incident. in the weeks that follow, children would be at the forefront of demonstrations. derah was placed under sage by the state and became a symbol of resistance.

the 13-year-old joined a march to try to reach the city. it was attacked. hamsah was wounded and arrested. his body was returned a month later. >> when i looked at his body which was inches away from us, the small body that was treated to horrific treatment, i felt pain and aching in every cell. he was subjected to the most horrific torture. they had even cut off his penis. >> government denies he was tortured by the child became the icon of syria's revolution. a year later, he's among hundreds of dead children. many others are are in detention or scattered into exile. those fateful days in derah established a pattern in syria of a people no longer afraid challenging a government that would resort to ever more

ruthless violence to stay in power. a year on, the news is of a city locked into permanent siege. >> there's been another fateful gun attack on soldiers in france. >> that's right, the french defense ministry said a gunman riding a motorbike has shot dead two soldiers and left a third injured. the killings followed the shooting to death of another french soldier also by an asai lent on a motorcycle. -- asai lent on a motor cycle. this is the spot where two french power troopers were shot. a third soldier who's with them who's critically wounded,

earlier reported said he was dead. the three were withdrawing cash from a bank machine not far from their banks in southwest france when the unknown asai lent opened fire in broad daylight. >> i heard the series of three shots. then we saw the firemen arriving and that's it. >> the gunman reported fled the scene at speed. forensic teams are searching for clues as who the attackers are are. they're considering a number of possibilities including that the shooting was the result of a personal dispute. last sunday, another paratrooper was shot dead. his attacker was also on a motorbike and wearing a helmet when he opened fire and fled. officials have not yet linked the two shootings. but the southwest of the country when both these attacks happened, it's all north of

france. >> argentina says it will take legal action in the dispute offal k land islands. they are british territory but claimed by argentina. the foreign minister said it was illegal. he warns that any companies providing support to british prospect tors could face sanctions. >> victor orpan has launched an outspoken attack on the european union of which his country is a member. he denoin nounsed what is the foreign powers and likened it to post war soviet domination. the -- an organization that handles most international payments between banks said it will cut off sanctions on saturday.

they're aimed at stopping its nuclear program. >> you're watching news day on "the bbc life requests. -- "the bbc live." >> a review of conditions in england and wealth has reck mended far-reaching changes including the dismissal of officers if they fail annual fitness test. a new pay structure was needed because police work had become more complex and specialized. rank-and-file officers have accused the government of deliberately targeting them. >> the bbc has seen leaked documents in which a senior police officer blamed drunken fans.

>> the welch national party has elected another leader. she describes herself as a welch socialist, a republicans and a real independent from wales. he was in government with labor until the national assembly election last year. >> our headline this is hour. another set bank for the nato-led mission in afghanistan. the taliban withdraw from peace negotiations with the americans. >> the united nations will join a humanitarian mission led by the syrian government this weekend. >> let's get more on the latest developments in afghanistan. let's go to washington now and speak to our correspondent who is from the american enterprise

policy research. you advised the u.s. army on afghanistan and on military groups operating there. would you be advising them to heed president karzai's advice and stop patrolling afghan villages? >> well, the issue of it is a very critical element of the army and also nato forces, counter insurgency in afghanistan. so i don't think that at this point, the insurgency remains strong especially in eastern afghanistan. it will put an end to it. i read president karzai's statement. it's doesn't call for withdraw of troops. but it's only us and the use and also nato forces to threeve combat out for strong villages and con fine themselves within

the major military bases across the country. but there seems to be a break down of communication of some sort when the taliban say they're suspending preliminary peace talks. they say because of the standpoint of the americans. what advice would you be giving the americans to overcome that erratic standpoint? >> i think taliban were never sincere in negotiations or finding a political solution to the afghan con flict. i think there are only two reasons that this january, the taliban accepted to start negotiations. first of all, to get one-sided concessions on the united states especially the release of their top commanders, guantanamo bay and also opening a political fraufs qatar where they can be recognized, a legitimate political entity not the terrorist organization that would help them with their

fundraising from the gulf region. and they can better communecate the international media. but recent -- today's suspension of the talks with the united states, i think there are similar reasons for that. the primary reason is that the united states was insisting that the afghan government should be part of the talks but the taliban does not recognize the government. and president karzai does not want to negotiate with that. but the recent fate of it created a widespread anger in afghanistan and it's hard for the taliban to continue talks with the united states. there are reports that many taliban field commanders were angry at the continuation of talks. this could be an effort to keep

the unity of their movement within afghanistan. >> thank you very much for your insight. belgium is holding a national day of mourning on friday toing the bus crash in switzerland on tuesday. a minute silence will be observed at 11:00 and flags will be at half mass. eight of theless severely wouldn'ted children who had been released from hospitals are now back home in belgium. in all 24 passengers survived. some are still in a critical condition. while earlier a memorial was hold the remember the 22 children and six adults who died in the accident. christian reports from zit zerland. -- switzerland. >> incomprehensive that such a fun holiday could end this way.

>> the mountain village of st. luke has been welcoming this group for 30 years at the same hotel in which they had stayed. another belgium party was boarding a coach, same company, similar age. >> local mountain guide saw the children on that last fateful day of their holiday. >> they were clattering through the village, he said, returning from the slopes in a small village like this one. every child feels like one of your own. >> the coach crashed at the owned of the winding mountain road and in the first tunnel. it has been a brutal 24 hours for the parents. they left their hotel today for the grim task of identifying the bodies. and then the crash sight where the children had died. >> we too were taken through the tunnel to the spot where the coach had plowed head-on into a concrete pillar. there were the flowers laid by

the families and on the wall the tributes. we've identified 19 of the 28 victims said the policemen, but we're still trying to identify the remaining nine. the course of the accident is unknown. the investigation is focus odd tennessee post more tum of the driver and what is left of the vehicle. >> in the hhangar investigators are trying to find out why. there was no liquid on the road, no ice, no other vehicle, the bus was new. was it the driver who suffered a catastrophic heart attack or was it just plain and simple driver error? >> one feeling that was emerging is that the driver may have been handling a d.v.d. at the time. if true, it will only intensify the relief. and there was plenty of that at the service.

the church was packed. and the congregation where the policemen who were the first to arrive at the scene. the children prayed. the parents hugged them a little closer. and they cried. >> christian fraser, "bbc news" switzerland. >> chevron says it's detected a small new leak of crude off the coast of brazil. the leak from the seabed is near the well where there was a substantial oil spill in november. they failed to implement safety measured. they stopped production from the field while this investigating. -- this investigating. >> in the last six months thailand has rescued 2,000 dogs that were destined to the dinner table.

>> home at last, our incredible journey has more than a touch of hollywood about it. just before christmas a picture on the mobile phone is all that he has to remind him of his pet. a fireworks display that scared tel-tel. and after a week of sirging he almost gave up hope. >> he's like a member of the family. the first week he went missing, we couldn't sleep at all whenever we heard dogs barking hoping he'd come home. weeks laters his hopes return again when he saw a report on a successful mission by the thai report. the dogs destination the dinner plates where dog meat is

considered a delicacy. in some cases extremely sick animals were brought to to this shelter in the thai country side. there are already more than 2,000 rescue dogs here. some of them were originally stray, picked up off the streets but looking at the condition, the collars even on some of them, it's clear that at least a quarter are stolen domestic pets. in hope rather than expectation he traveled to the shelter. the manager clearly remembers the emotion of his visit. he found his dog down there and came back carrying him in his arms, he says. his wife said is that tow-tow and he couldn't answer her because he was crying so much. it's amazing, tow-tow is the

only dog who was found by his owner. all is not lost, thailand is a buddhist country and many believe in reincarnation between animals and humans. >> his epic trip is over. but his fear of dognappers are thinking twice before letting their dog off the leash. >> i'm sharon from singapore and i'm casha madera. a another setback from afghanistan. the taliban withdraw from peace negotiations with the americans and the lawyer for the american soldier acused of shooting in afghanistan says his client fears for his safety an his family's.

thanks for watching "bbc news day." >> make sense of international news at bbc.com/news. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york. stowe, vermont and honolulu, newman's own foundation and union bank. at union bank, our relationship managers use their exer tease in global finance to guide you through the business strategies and opportunities of international commerce. we put our extended global network to work for a wide range of companies from small

businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you? >> "bbc world news" was >> "bbc world news" was presented by