24/11/2013 BBC Weekend News

Tonight at ten, a landmark deal with Iran over the future of its nuclear

programme. There is leaf in Geneva as the ten year deadlock is broken,

but the agreement is only for six months. These are substantial

limitation, which will help prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon.

Simply put, they cut off Iran's most likely paths to a bomb.

Iran will curb its nuclear active the, the west will ease sanction,

Israel calls it a misfor rick mistake. We will have leave reaction

from Washington. Also in the programme. The Government is accused

of interference by favouring the Co-op bid to buy part of Lloyds

Banking Group. Syria's Civil War has claimed 11,000 children, the latest

findings suggest may have been tortured.

And defeat for England in the first Ashes Test to Australia, after

another battle collapse. -- batting collapse.

Good evening. After four days negotiation and a decade of

wrangling, a landmark deal has been reached with Iran. The country's

promised to curb its nuclear programme, the west has promised to

ease some sanctions in exchange. The US says it will make the Middle East

a safer place but Israel says it a mistake, here is what has been

greed. Iran will neutralise its stockpile of enriched uranium. It is

promised to stop enriching uranium beyond 5%, the level it can be used

for weapons research. In return, there will be no new nuclear related

sanctions for six months. This report from our Tehran correspondent

contains flash photography. Iran, wants to be treated as a an equal.

Not an outcast. At three in the morning in Geneva,

it began to reach its goal. Iran's foreign minutester Javad

Zarif signed his country's most important agreement with world

powers in a decade. Iranian negotiators wanted to

celebrate. Here, they invite the EU's Catherine

Ashton to join their group photo. Javad Zarif manages a half hug with

France's Foreign Minister, an early sceptic of a deal.

Javad Zarif seemed to enjoy himself in Geneva.

The temporary deal he takes back home gives Iran's sanctions leaf and

allows it to continue enriching uranium to a low level.

We believe that the current agreement, the current plan of

action as we call it, intwo distinct places, has a very clear reference

to the fact that Iranian enrichment programme will continue and will be

a part of any agreement. Now and in future. For the next six month,

Iran's nuclear programme will have official limits.

The restrictions are designed to make it much harder for Iran to make

an accuse shul nuclear weapon. An ambition its Government denies.

These are substantial limitations which will help Superintendent Iran

from building a nuclear weapon. Simply put, they cut off Iran's most

likely paths to a bomb. But this doesn't reassure Israel.

This morning, in Jerusalem the Prime Minister Netanyahu accused the world

powers of making a bad deal. What was concluded in Geneva last

night is not an historic agreement. It is an historic mistake. It is not

made the world a safer place. We cannot and will not allow a regime

that calls for the destruction of Israel, to obtain the means to

achieve this goal. It may be that the deal was reached

here in this city, because the US and Iran had their own secret back

channel. It proves an important point. The nuclear agreement is

largely about Iran, and the United States, overcoming their own three

decades of mistrust. So as you were hearing the US and

Iran are said to have engaged in months of secret high level

negotiations, that paved the way for the deal in Geneva. Our world

affairs correspondent examines the background to the agreement. His

report contained flash photography. In public this 15 minute phone

conversation in September between President Obama and Iran's newly

elected President Hassan Rouhani raised the hope that progress might

be possible towards ending the seemingly intractable nuclear

dispute between Iran and the west. But it merges behind the scene, the

US and Iran have been engaged for months in secret, face to face talk,

about the controversial nuclear facilities and sanctions.

A key channel has been the Gulf state of Oman, which earlier helped

in bringing about the release of these three American hiker, who were

detained in Iran. But it has been a high stakes diplomatic gamble.

And this afternoon, in London, now, the emphasis was on the challenges

ahead. Now the really hard part begin, and that is the effort to get

the comprehensive agreement, which will require enormous steps, in

terms of verification, transparency and Ku accountability. As a good

deal, it a good deal for the Middle East, and for the world, it is a

very important opportunity for the future and I think it vindicates the

policy of pressure through sanctions.

But it was an important part of Hassan Rouhani's election platform

his Government would ease the lives of Iranians in its first 100

dayings, almost on target he claims that is what the Geneva deal will

deliver. Through implementing this agreement the regime of sanctions

will be broken. Cracks have been made in the regime. There is

anothers task, convincing the sceptics Iran will not end up able

to produce nuclear weapons, Israel is is not alone. Saudi Arabia and

most of Iran's Arab neighbours are uneasy too. To pull it off may

require even more intense diplomacy. Our North America editor join us

now. How important is this to America and Obama? Very important

indeed. It has loomed across his entire presidency, this question of

what to do about Iran. On one hand his promise they will never get the

bomb, on the other hand, his desire not to get into a conflict in this

region, that the country is war weary, it I don't want it. This is

possibly a way of squaring the circle, but there are huge

difficulties, the distaste for the deal in Israel, it is really

important. President Obama has just spoken to the Israeli Prime

Minister, he says he understands Israel's scepticism, he will still

sure they will not allow Iran to get the bomb. They will have talks to

make sure they are on the same page about this. As soon as the Ray --

Israeli Government is worried. Politicians in America are

concerned. So they are saying as well, this is not the right time to

lift sanction, indeed some are saying we want new, fresh sanction,

and the White House has said if they do that it could derail the deal. So

President Obama is taking a very big gamble, with a very big prize.

Thank you. There are new development in the

continue controversy surrounding the Co-op. The government's been accused

of directly favouring the Co-op in the sale of part of Lloyds Banking

Group. Lord Levine who headed up a rival bid to buy 632 branches said

he was told by the former governor of the Bank of England a political

decision was made to back the Co-op'sed by, which was ultimately

doomed. -- bid. It was the deal which all be ruined

the Co-operative Bank and shone a light on inexperienced people in the

most senior jobs in British banking the bid to quite a quarter of Lloyds

Banking Group branches would have tripled it in size and created mew

force on the high street. But it was a bid too far and it failed. Within

a year, the bank was told it needed more capital to survive and was

downgraded to junk status. Now the man whose own bid to buy the

Lloyds branches says that the Government had decided that only the

Co-op would win in the end. Lord king advised me that we would not be

the winners in this bid, because a political decision had been made to

favour the Co-op. And that the only way, the 11th hour

we could do this would be to talk directly to the politicians about

this, which we did. And they told us it wasn't true.

The Government said that the sale of Lloyds branches was a commercial

matter nor regulators, and the companies involved. Lloyds denied

they were under any political pressure There There would be some

people say it is sour grapes because you lost money If you have a bid and

the other puts a better bid you have to put it to experience. You win

some, you lose some. The other bid was not a credible bid. If you say

how do you know? You only have to look at what happened. After the

bail out in 2008 Lloyds was ordered to sell 632 branches. In June 2011

the Co-op was confirmed as the preferred bidder for those branches.

But there were plenty of warnings, including from the Bank of England

saying the Co-op might not be able to become a major bank. The role of

the Government and indeed the city regulator as come under the

microscope into how the Co-op was allowed to grow so Dickly a and why

a man like Paul Flowers was allowed to become chair of the bank. Today

the boss of the new city regulator said there was little that the old

Watchdog could have done differently. We wouldn't happen in

the same way, but the truth is that was the system at the time, that was

the system that the FSA operated, he was challenged. We challenged him

and said you don't have the right experience, but at the time we

wouldn't have opposed the appointment, what we needed was to

have additional reputation on the board of people who did have banking

experience. The Chancellor announced an

independent inquiry, there might end up being seven different probes and

investigation into the Co-operative Bank and its ex chairman. For

Britain's most ethical bank a year that started with promise is ending

with anything but. Tighter controls on benefits that can be claimed by

new EU migrants are being considered by the Government. David Cameron

wants to ensure new imgrans spend longer in the country before they

can access benefit, a move that could put him at odds with the EU

More than 11,000 children have been killed in the conflict in Syria

since 2011 according to a new report which examines the extent of human

suffering there. The Oxford Research Group says many children were not

random victim, may have been tortured. You may find some of the

images in the report disturbing. This northern area of Aleppo was

where the most Syrian children have died. In a war where the youngest

are caught in cross fire, they are targeted and tortured. This report

is an effort to establish how and where Syria's children are dying.

The vast majority it says were killed by bombs or shells, in their

own neighbourhood. But many were singled out. 389 cases

of sniper fire. 764 summary execution, and it found

112 recorded deaths by torture. Some were just infants.

But most were teenage boys. The report says they are at greatest

risk. They are out in the streets more.

And they are old enough to fight. The report stresses these figures

are incomplete. Access is impossible in some areas but it still lights

the horrors. Children are targeted because it destroys a community, it

destroys a Tam, when you know your child has been tortured, has been

murdered, has been brutalised you lose the will to live. The world

took notice during the chemical weapon attacks in August, but it

didn't stop the war, this war on childhood.

Across this region, Syria's children face an uncertain future, this

report is also a plea to all sides of this conflict, to spare the most

vulnerable. And it calls for the threat of

prosecutions against those who continue to commit the worst of

atrocities, in a war that just keeps getting worse.

With all the sport now, here is Lizzie. Hello. Thank you. Good

evening, there is a war of words taking place in Australia, following

England's opening Ashes Test defeat. They lost by the huge margin of 391

runs and the home side are enjoying every minute of it. Our

correspondent joins us from Brisbane. No-one expected this to be

friendly but it is turning into an ugly battle. I think you are right.

People certainly here going to work with a spring in their step,

remember, this was the fifth day of the first Ashes Test, instead, we

are reflecting on that overwhelming victory for Australia, but more than

that, what about that ugly mood between the two sets of players?

Remember, this is a relentless year of back-to-back Ashes cricket.

Basically there is no time for the dust to settle, or for wounds to

heel. -- heal.

This is an image that will linger from Brisbane, Australia's Dane in

the face of England's James Anderson, but even if on field

banter strays into talk of breaking bone, both sides accept it. England

can only admit they were outplayed. Bowled out for 179 in their second

innings for a crushing defeat. What troubled Alastair Cook were earlier

comments from Australia's David warning suggesting England and

Jonathan Trott were scared. The comment by David Warner was

disrespectable to any professional. Any professional cricketer. On the

pitch it is pretty much a war, so there is going to be a few words on

the pitch, think that is the way people want to watch cricket being

played. Tough hard cricket. On the pitch is fine. Cook's own batting

contribution was England's own real resistance, the only man to make a

half century. England promised to fight, even in pursuit of certain

defeat but when Cook was out the game he was up. It was too much for

Matt Prior. He is a big part of England's engine room who seems to

have lost the key. Mitchell Johnson tore in at 90mph and England held

bats like candles in the gale. There is a fee some fast bowler to contend

with. But as Australia's captain defends the way his team operates

There is always banter on the field, two teams that play tough, hard

fought cricket on the field, I still believe there is a very good a

mutual respect off the field. That is in this unprecedented year of

non-stop ash, the players know each other very well and familiarity does

not breed affection. So what next? Ten days until the

Second Test, before then some of England's players will go to Alice

springs for a practise match. They will cool down with the temperatures

reaching 40 degree, Lizzie, the point is this, you can understand

that England object to being called scared, but really in cricket the

only way to counter words, is by scoring runs.

Thank you. Now there have been plenty of goals

in the two Premier League games. Match of the Day followings the news

so if you don't want to know the scores leave the room now.

Manchester City put an incredible six past Tottenham in a game the

Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas said his side should be ashamed of. City

go above Manchester United who were held to a 2-2 draw at Cardiff. Sir

Philip craven has been re-elected as chairman of the Paralympic team.

Ireland were denied their first ever victory over New Zealand conceding a

last gasp try in Dublin, having led their final autumn international for

the whole match they were beaten 24-22 by a New Zealand try and

conversion in added time. The All Blacks are the first side in Rugby

Union's professional era to go a whole year unbeaten.

And Formula One's four time World Champion Sebastian Vettel has

rounded off another commanding season by making history again. The

German won the Brazilian Grand Prix. His ninth race win and 13th of the

season. Equally two long-standing records in the sport. Second place

went to his team-mate Mark Webber, driving in his last ever F1 Grand

Prix. That the sport. -- that is the sport. And you can

see more on today's stories on the BBC News channel, that is all from

me, stay with us on BBC One, it is time for the