14/04/2012 BBC Weekend News

Hello, good afternoon. The Government has insisted it is right

to carry on drawing up plans for a possible fuel strike, despite a

breakthrough in the tanker drivers' dispute. The Unite union said it

would put a potential deal to members. The dispute led to

concerns that there would be strikes and caused panic buying at

petrol stations last month. Here's our political correspondent Alan

Soady. After the petrol panic, signs people may not have needed to

stock pile fuel after all. But despite last night's breakthrough

in the dispute, there's still the possibility fuel tanker drivers

might walk out if the proposals on the table are rejected. Today, the

Government has insisted it will continue to draw up contingency

plans. That has angered the union involved. I've got to be honest,

it's not helpful to me and my members on trying to reach a

negotiated settlement on this possible dispute going forward. The

Government haven't helped. Last night, a proposed deal was

finalised at ACAS, after days of talks. The details are being kept

under wraps. The Unite union delegates will meet next week to

decide whether to accept, reject or call for more changes to the offer.

The Government's contingency plans included training military tranker

drivers. Ministers say they hope a settlement is reached without a

strike. They insist it's sensible to carry on planning for the

possibility of a walkout for now. After advice like stock piling fuel

in Gerry cans, the Government could be accused by opponents of crying

wolf, if in the end, there is no strike.

Talks between six of the world's major powers and Iran have begun to

discuss its nuclear programme. The meeting in Turkey is the first in

more than a year. President Obama called it a last chance for

diplomacy. Our correspondent James Reynolds reports. For the world's

nuclear negotiators, Istanbul marks something of a class reunion. For

the first time in more than a year, six world powers and Iran are

holding talks about the Persian state's nuclear programme. This

morning, the chief negotiators nodded hello to one another. They

have one day of talks to test each other's sincerity. They began by

trying to work out how to get into the main conference hall. This is

what the six powers want to discuss, Iran's actual nuclear activities.

The West suspects that Iran may be learning how to make a nuclear

weapon. But Iran insists that its ambitions are entirely peaceful.

Diplomats here at the talks say they don't expect any immediate

breakthroughs. If Iran engages, they suggest a further round of

talks may be held in a month's time. The central issue at these talks

may be the fundamental lack of trust between Iran and the West.

Neither side is prepared to take the other at its word and this

problem may not be solved in a single day of talks.

Members of the UN Security Council are expected to vote later today on

a resolution to authorise the deployment of an advanced team of

observers to Syria. A fragile ceasefire in Syria appears to be

holding, but both sides have accused each other of breaches.

Syrian opposition activists say Homs was shelled overnight.

Crowds are gathering for the biggest horse race of the year, the

165th Grand National gets under way at Aintree racecourse this

afternoon. Our sports correspondent Joe Wilson is there. What should we

be looking out for? The big news so far is the amount of money which

has been placed on Katie Walsh to win the Grand National, riding

Seabass. That's a reflection on the genuine chance she has of becoming

the first female jockey to win the Grand National. The other thing to

watch out for are the safety measures here, see how much of a

difference they make to the running of the Grand National. The fences

look much the same, they're still and a real challenge. The big

change is that this will be the best field ever assembled for a

Grand National. Just remind us the runners, riders

and the favourite? Yeah, the big favourite is Synchronised, a horse

of undoubted quality because it was good enough to win the Cheltenham

Gold Cup. It is notoriously difficult to win that race and then

the Grand National in the same season. It hasn't been done since

the 1930s. But as AP McCoy refers to Synchronised as the Lionel Messi

of a horse n. Sporting terms there's no higher compliment.

The crews recreating the voyage of the Titanic is due to arrive at the

site of where the vessel sank 100 years ago. MS Balmoral departed

almost a week ago. Jon Kay reports from the ship.

Florists prepare wreaths which will be thrown into the sea at the very

spot where Titanic sank. It's been a long journey, in all, 2,000 miles,

following Titanic's exact route across the Atlantic. Soon, we will

be at the wreck site. This is the spot where I'll conduct the

service... A century after the sinking

directly above the wreck, relatives will gather outside to pray for

those who perished. It will bring healing. It will bring some form of

closure, perhaps, but I hope it will also bring hope. It won't be a

ghoulish and dreadful service, but it will be uplifting. Last night

passengers dressed for an Edwardian dinner, the seven-course meal

faithfully recreated from an original Titanic menu. It includes

quail eggs in aspic with caviar, roast duckling glazed in calvados

and to finish, peaches in jelly. was good. Only six more courses to

go. It's a good start! It was exactly like we were back there,