>> 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. >> it's a deal. after eight months of stalemate, iraq's main parties say they have agreed on a party-sharing government. tensions in seoul as the g-20 leaders gather to fight their case for trade and growth. a self-help guide for pedestrian fills on sale on amazon. welcome to "bbc world news." i'm david eades. also coming up in the program -- hostile ritual or colorful tradition? why pakistan refuses to tone down a nightly ceremony on the border with india. and honoring the dead of the world's wars, an iconic london landmark tells the story of remembrance day.

>> thanks for joining us. eight months of deadlock could be over. iraq seems to be on the verge of getting a new government after inconclusive elections way back in march. the iraqi parliament is due to meet after an apparent breakthrough in negotiations. the leader of the kurdish region called the agreement a national partnership. he said the current prime minister's faction will retain the prime minister's post after gaining the support of the sunni coalition, led by the former prime minister, iyad allawi. jim muir is in baghdad, and he told me my deal will clearly be severely tested in the coming weeks and months. >> well, certainly on paper, it seems to, but it really depends, in fact, how it works out and whether they really do feel that they've got an effective slice of power. the focus is very much on this new body. i think all the national council for strategic policy, which is being offered to iyad

allawi, the challenger who kind of lost out to mr. maliki, who has gradually gained ground over the last few months, whether he will personally accept it or not is not clear at the moment, but his coalition should be allocated it under this division of power. the question is, will that body turn out to ben effective power-sharing instrument whereby they can influence policy, especially in the realm of security, which is mr. allawi's main concern and that of some other people, who believe mr. allawi went out on his own on a lot of security decisions over the past four years. so that is the nub of it. but meanwhile, there is a deal with the kurds in the shape of mr. talabani. he wouldn't mind me saying that. they will have the presidency, the shiites in the shape of mr. maliki will have the prime minister's job and the sunnis in the shape of one of mr. allawi's allies would have the speakership of parliament. that's the basic deal.

whether it will work, we'll have to wait and see. it's like any national unity government, it could be a government of national paralysis. that we'll have to wait and see. >> very briefly, you've got parliament which will be gathering shortly. do you see this as a rubber stamp, jim? >> once a deal has been struck, it will be almost a formality for it to be acted out in parliament. they will elect their own speaker and his two deputies. after that, theoretically they could take a month to elect a new president, but i suspect it might be done straight away because everybody has agreed on mr. talabani. he theoretically has 15 days to nominate a new prime minister, while they do that straightaway too because it's all been agreed. so i suspect things will move quickly. then the prime minister would have 30 days, a month, to actually put together the government. that's where there might be a delay while the details are sorted out. but if the basis of the deal is agreed, things should move pretty quickly.

>> that's jim muir in baghdad. now i'm going to take you over to seoul. that is, of course, the venue for the g-20 summit, which the world leaders, of course, the 20 leading industrialized nations all form part of that. this is, of course, president obama as he arrives for the welcome dinner at the start of the summit itself. the united states very much in the spotlight, this time as china and a number of other countries accused the u.s. of keeping its currency, the dollar artificially low to try to bolster its own exports. it's an accusation passed by. there will be plenty of hard talk ahead. the meeting here of president lee and president obama, a warm handshake, no doubt, a very, very important moment, it's worth bearing in mind, for the

south korean nation as it's taking on the host for the g-20 and the gesture that it now stands shoulder to shoulder, as you see in this picture, with the greatest nations on earth. plenty of discussion to go, of course. john sudworth, our correspondent, is in seoul and brings us this report. >> everybody who's anybody is here, of course, but the question is, will this latest round of g-20 leaders talks lead to any kind of meaningful agreement? the memorial ceremony for the united nations troops who lost their lives here 60 years ago was a reminder of the old cold war divisions of the past, a stark contrast with the business of this summit supposed to be all about overcoming divisions. >> the risk that we face is that there's a wave of

protectionism. countries start putting up trade barriers, countries start pursuing begger my neighbor policies, start using currencies as a weapon. that would be bad for britain, bad for the world, and i'm going to fight it very hard. and that's what, to me, this g-20 is all about. >> but amongst the demonstrators gathered outside the conference venue, there's concern that the reality will be very different, and this will be a summit marked by squabbling and self-interest. it's not just the chinese who stand accused of manipulating their currency to help their export industries. the americans are also in the dark for printing bank notes to weaken the dollar and boost their economy, although, of course, no one admits their actions are harming others. >> the most important thing that the united states can do for the world economy is to grow, because we continue to be the world's largest market and a huge engine for all over

countries to grow. >> optimists, though, will point to the value of dialogue itself, as well as progress on technical issues toughening up the regulation of the banking system, for example, and reform of the i.m.f. but a breakthrough on the currency dispute seems unlikely. two years on from the credit crunch, the sense of financial crisis is now less acute, and there's a worry that the leaders gathered here are beginning to put their own national interests once again ahead of the health of the world economy. and that doesn't bode well for the fragile recovery. john sudworth, bbc news, seoul. >> that's the backdrop. aaron is with me now to talk through some of the ooshes now. as we do that, let's have another look at the red carpet scene, because after obama comes medvedev, the russian president, following in th footsteps of mr. obama and, indeed, many of the other leaders of the g-20 nations as he arrives for this evening

dinner ahead of the summit itself. but aaron, interestingly, china right at the forefront of most people's minds, and indeed, inflation is out as well, which will have its own little bearing to play here. >> absolutely l. have its own bearing, considering we've been talking about it for many, many days now that the focus of the g-20 summit will be the trade gaps and, of course, this whole currency war that's going on at the moment. and in terms of currency and in terms of inflation in china, china has come out today and said latest inflation numbers up 4.4%, it's over a two-year high, and that is certainly going to be putting a lot of pressure on beijing to possibly increase interest rates. in real terms, china has next to zero interest rates. so to increase interest rates, which would, of course, typically strengthen the yuan, and there would be many people, including the united states, that would like to see that. that's part of the tension between the u.s. and china at the moment, is the assaulted

undervalued yuan. but then, of course, china is worried, because if they do see a strengthening yuan, then that will hit the factory floors in china. that will hit the manufacturing, of course, and then the exports, and that's where china's growth, of course, is coming from and has been coming from, from the incredible growth numbers. just yesterday we were talking about the latest trade numbers of china. they had a surplus in october of something like $27 billion. >> and, of course, all the talk about china is very very good reason, and accident of course, the united states, they're a big power. but the effect on developing countries of decisions taken at g-20 is also more than considerable, isn't it? i suppose there is a concern at key stages like this that that gets should notted to one side in terms of their thinking. >> well, it does. interesting to note in terms of the developing role, because we heard from the president of the

world bank who was telling us that, you know, the developing world, we need to see, you know, important restructuring, particularly in the financing side of the developed world, and if they get that on the roll, then that would help the private sector start investing once again. and private sector investing is absolutely critical to global recovery. yes, they'll say that all these stimulus measures have helped global growth, but that's not sustainable. for sustainable organic growth, you need the private sector. and robert zole he can was saying not only that, but you've got other issues going on at the g-20 summit, in particular for the developing economies. food prices is one of them. interesting to note, the inflation surge we saw in china was pretty much off the back of soaring food prices, and he says that is a trend that's not going to go away. food security is another essential topic they should be covering, he says. >> a lot of talk to be done. let's hope it results in more walk. aaron, thanks very much.

ok, let's get other news for you now. in moscow, authorities have taken -- are permitting public demonstration in support of a journalist. the journalist is in a coma after he was attacked at the weekend. it's just the latest in a series of assaults on journalists. 200 writers and bloggers will be allowed to the rally. russia's parliament is already considering plans to toughen punishment for attacks on journalists. the number of people killed by the cholera epidemic in haiti has risen to more than 640. aid agencies are now trying to slow the spread of the disease in the capital, where doctors are alarmed at the speed with which cases are emerging. the pan-american health organization said there was now real risk of the epidemic crossing the border into the neighboring dominican republic. and prominent human rights campaigner from the disputed region of western sahara has accused morocco of deliberately provoking clashes with protesters in the territory in order to block talks on its

future. the woman told the bbc that at least 20 people have been killed in two days of clashes between troops and inhabitants of a protest camp. a self-published guide giving advice to pedophiles that is on sale through the online retailer, amazon, is stirring up quite some controversy. some are threatening to boycott the website itself. the availability of this guide has led to questions over scrutiny on the site. appear zone has said it does not promote -- amazon has said it does not promote criminal act, but it avoids censorship. our correspondent is here. jane, extraordinary story. just talk us through what this is. >> well, ok. the latest development, as you said, it has been withdrawn. you cannot get it on amazon now. they've put up a -- if you google it or put it in their site, the title of this book, you can't get it. it says it's not a functioning page. now, yesterday, they were quite

defiant. they put out a press release saying that amazon does not support or promote hatred or criminal acts, however, we do support the right of every individual to make their own purchasing decisions. so they allow authors who are self-published to go on their site. it may take a share of the revenue, and they do have guidelines. >> these are interesting, these guidelines. >> yes, a sense of material, but it doesn't define what that is. it is probably what you would expect, which is a bit loose. so, yes, people are raising questions about it. i have been on to amazon's press office, or public relations and their press offices, but as yet, i have not had a statement on this latest development. >> well, it seems one would assume they have bowed to public pressure, one would think. >> yes. yes, there's been some fairly critical comments posted on

their site. >> thanks very much indeed. you're watching "bbc world news." still to come -- back from the dead. how the current craze for vampire movies is breathing new life into an iconic brand. the supreme court in burma has rejected an appeal by the pro-democracy leader, aung san suu kyi, against her house arrest. her sentence formally ends on saturday, at which time she's expected to be released. but her supporters had hoped that an acquittal would prove her innocence. the court gave no reason for its decision. aung san suu kyi has been kept under house arrest for 15 of the past 21 years. more than two million people are about to begun their journey to the holy city of mecca in saudi arabia to perform the hag, the annual muslim pill grillage. all muslims who are fit and financially able are expected

to perform the handle at least one in their lifetime. this is a huge undertaking for the saudi authorities, and they aren't taking any chances. >> from every corner of the earth, millions of people descend upon mecca for a journey of a lifetime. but with a different national and ethnicities all in one place comes the threat of diseases and injuries. this has always been a major issue with the haj, with so many people gathered in a limited space, inif he cans spread quite easily. last year's worldwide swine flu was an unprecedented threat to one of the most anticipated events on the muslim calendar. this year the haj season is off to a slow start. the saudi health ministry is better prepared. these ambulances are going right across locations where the pilgrims gather to perform the haj ritual. >> as regarding the injuries

resulting from epidemics of whatever the casualties and injuries can take place, we are fully prepared to deal with the qualified team on the team and by the qualified team operating. >> last year's swine flu was the main concern for the saudi authorities. the threat of an outbreak loomed over the haj season. this year, extra precautionary measures have been put in place to make sure emergencies are dealt with to prevent disease from spreading across crowds. one other major issue is that of language. many pilgrims who do not speak arabic or english find it very difficult to explain their ailings to medical staff. >> we have provided together with the coordination of the other organizations and also government organizations here to provide as much as we can so the -- for the translators so

we have this issue of language sorted out. >> this year saudis feel they're better prepared. the real test is when the haj season begins and when pilgrims start coming through the doors. >> you can get more on that story on the website, bbc.com/news. you're watching "bbc world news." and these are the headlines. after eight months of stalemate, roc's main parties say they have agreed on a power sharing government. president obama has walked into a war of words as g-20 leaders gather for a summit. countries are split over how best to promote continuing global economic growth. millions of people will fall silent during the course of the day to remember the dead of many wars, past and present. armistice day, or veterans day in the united states, marks the anniversary of the end of the first world war. in london, 2010 is the 90th

anniversary of the burial of the unknown warrior in westminster abbey, also the anniversary of a permanent memorial. greg woods reports. >> two years to the day after the end of the first world war, king george v unveiled the nation's new war memorial. on the same day, the body of the unknown warrior, chosen from among the unidentified dead at battle, was drawn in procession. the carnage of the great war left over a million dead from what was then the british empire. thousands lay undiscovered or in unmarked graves. the -- this commemorates them and all those from later conflicts right down to afghanistan today who lie buried elsewhere. devoid of any religious symbol, it combodse the universality of

loss. its designer was sir edwin, renowned for his country houses in prewar days. his war memorial was an instant success. >> the public took it to their heart immediately after the procession had ended, and people just flooded to it and put flowers and wreaths. and it was just as if it had been four years of pnt-up grief anhere was no expression or place to actually put wreaths or anything like that. >> it was originally a temporary structure of foster, only later being re-created in stone. today it marks the permanent focal point for the nation's annual act of remembrance. when veterans stage their march past the staff this coming remembrance sunday, it will stand for all generations, mourning the loss of their loved ones in battle.

greg wood, bbc news. >> paverpbings says it has refused -- pakistan says it has refused to tone down the ceremony at the border crossing with india. earlier this year, india suggested some of the judges were becoming too hostile. while thousands of people come to watch the enthusiastic ceremony just before dusk every day. alimb mack bull reports from the pakistan side of the process. >> the most extraordinary ceremony behind me has been going on for decades. this is the lowering of the flat ceremony, the only real land border between india and pakistan. through those gates is india, and you see the indian border guards over there. it's very close to the city. on this side, worry very close to lahore, and these are pakistani rangers. hundreds of people on both sides of the border attend every day in a ceremony that symbolizes a lot of pride for

both nations. but there has been some controversy about the ceremony in the last couple of months, and that's because the indian border guards have suggested that the ceremony be toned down because it was a bit too aggressive, and it was hurting the legs because of the two-stepping and stomping, hurting the legs of some of the border guards. now it says it is not going to tone down the ceremony, it will keep the aggression and the stomping, and so it would seem that this ceremony very much symbolizes just a little bit of one-upman shp between the two countries is set to continue. >> certainly an attraction. aleem maqbool there reporting. mike is here now, having a look, interestingly, at pakistan as the new story in the sport at the moment. >> the haider, who has now settled, it seems, in england for the time being. in the. k., he is claiming asylum after he fled the team in dubai ahead

of their latest match against south africa, all because he basically said he was running for his life, and he feared for the safety of his life, also his family's life. his family is still back in pakistan under protection. because this was after the one-day match which pakistan won last friday. haider claims he was threatened by a bookie and told to lose the match, but, of course, he hit the winning run to win the match, and he came to england. he's not naming who it was in this clip. >> he said, if you work with us, you know, we will give you a lot of money. if you can't, we will not select the game in cricket, and , you know, if you go back home, we will kill you and your family also. >> so, of course, it raises more questions about the whole betting allegations in cricket that surround the game, casts a huge shadow. he wouldn't play for pakistan again. he's intent on settling -- he's only 24, but he's intent on

settling in england and not playing anymore internationally. >> the whole thing is a mess. terrible. mike, thanks very much indeed. now, arguably the most iconic brand in british cinema, its name is synonymous with a horror genre. and you guessed it, hammer films are back. the franchise has been resurrected. filming is currently underway on the reproduction, and we found on the if there is still a place for hammer in today's cinematic landscape. >> it began in the 1930's. vintage horror hammer gained legendary status with the release of cult cinema classics like these. but in the 1980's, british production has faced a crest of its own. the market for horror movies became saturated, audiences appeared to be losing their hunger for hammer, and the

final nail in the coffin came when the company lost its u.s. investors. >> basically what happened was the formula, in a sense, ran out. the hammer approached film making became quite outdated, albeit in its own time. >> but now a surge in vampire movies appears to have whetted our appetite once more, and it's a trend which hammer films are hoping to capitalize on. with this. let me in. >> i had to go away. >> and there are more hammer films in production right now. we've come down to this tiny island just off the east coast of england because this is where they're shooting the latest hammer film. it's a remake of the classic english novel, "the woman in black," and it features harry potter star daniel radcliffe in the lead role. >> he's going to be proper, proper films rather than just being things to scare people, kind of imm

>> i think there's room for somebody to take us back to a good, well told ghost story. >> and that's exactly what hammer films are hoping to do. >> and when you come out from behind the sofa, you can go to our website, bbc.com/news, for more on all the stories thatty seen in this bulletin. got a summary on the main stories. just click on the link you can see there at the very top of the page. but if you do want tve a look, particularly at the makeup of the new power sharing arrangement for iraq, well, we've got it all laid out for

you there in detail and the views of our correspondent, jim muir, who's in baghdad, bbc.com/news. >> 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.

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