29/07/2013 World News Today

This is BBC World News Today with me, Zeinab Badawi.

Back to the negotiating table. Palestinians and Israelis prepare

for their first face-to-face talks in three years. With a push from

the US secretary of state John Kerry, can the two sides really

make it different this time after all those failed attempts? And of

the negotiations are going to be tough. But I also know that the

consequences of not trying could be worse.

Highway tragedy in Italy. What caught a coach to correct -- plunge

into a ravine killing 38 people? Also coming up, surprise remarks

from Pope Francis to says gay people should not be marginalised.

Is it a sign the Catholic Church will soften its stance on

homosexuality? And the sun is out, but our

economic ills in the air? We reveal while many Germans are holiday at

Hello, and welcome. The Palestinian, Israeli dispute has been one of the

most intractable conflict anywhere in the world. For decades, it has

not only defied a resolution but has also fuelled conflict in the

entire Middle East. Now the two sides are preparing to attend a

dinner in Washington this evening hosted by the US secretary of state

John Kerry. This will be the first time that such talks will have been

held for several years. Mr Kerry himself however was at pains to

stress that the path ahead would be long and fraught. Going forward, it

is no secret that this is a difficult process. If it were easy,

it would have happened a long time ago. It is no secret therefore that

many difficult choices lie ahead for the negotiators. And for the

leaders. As we seek it reasonable compromises on tough, complicated,

emotional and symbolic issues. I think reasonable compromises have

to be a keystone of all of this effort. I note the my decisions are

going to be tough. But I also know that the consequences of not trying

will be worse. There is a long way to go but there are many issues

that will present huge challenges. Let us remind you of the key so

extensive obstacles that have derailed peace efforts in the past.

The Israeli government is afraid that an independent Palestine might

one day be hostile to Israel. It is insisted that any future Palestine

be largely demilitarised which the Palestinians said of the ordination

of their sovereignty. The Israelis maintain that Jerusalem is there

indivisible and eternal capital, but the Palestinians want East

Jerusalem to be the capital of their future state. But the

Palestinian leadership wants the right of the Cern -- writer return

of all Palestinian refugees which Israel says will lead to the

Palestinians out numbering them. The man nominated as the key

mediator for the talks today is the former ambassador or to Israel

Martin Indyk and he described it as a difficult role. I am deeply

grateful to you and to President Obama for interestingly with the

mission of helping you take this breakthrough and turn it into a

full-fledged Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement. It is a daunting

and humbling challenge but one which I cannot desist from. I look

forward with great excitement working with you, President Abbas

and Prime Minister Netanyahu and their teams to do their best to

achieve President Obama's vision of two states living side by side in

peace and security. I have been joined in the studio by

a Daniel Levy, a former Israeli air investigator or and joining us from

Ramallah on the West Bank is Khaled Elgindy, a former Palestinian

negotiator. We have been here before, obviously, are you

sceptical optimistic? Well, I would probably have to count myself among

the sceptics. At this point, our visit, it is still largely a

process which is talks about talks. The Palestinian and Israeli

negotiators who are coming are primarily going to tackle this

legal issues. And even before getting into the very, very

difficult substantive issues that divide them, have divided them for

many decades. Do you share that, I would have to say, pessimism? It is

talks about talks, not even discussing those as it stands at

issue. Yes, there is very little reason to be popping any champagne

bottles of this latest element. It almost feels ritualistic.

Nevertheless I do not think we have to be cynical. First of all, a

piece of good news perhaps for people who are sick of hearing this

story about talks starting and never getting anywhere, it looks

like there might be not more iterations of efforts to get to

state. That option is vanishing and that will soon not be something to

realistically talk about. They will talk -- stop talking about eight to

state solution and talk about the one state solution? For all the

complexity, there is something is really -- something quite simple,

there are Jewish Israelis, or Palestinian Arabs. Either there

will be to States or everyone will live together in a by national

democracy. The majority seem to prefer the first option but there

is quite simple. Either Israeli settlements will be withdrawn and

there will be the territory for a Palestinian state, or there will

not be too reckless days. I think John Kerry's challenge, and the new

envoy, his can you get the Israelis into a serious territory, session

all they dodge and distract? -- a serious territory discussion or

will they dodge and distract. absolutely agree with my good

friend on everything he has said. The any clarification of I would

add is that, in addition, we have to make a distinction between a one

state solution under one state outcome. I completely agree that

time is running out on a negotiated to state solution. That does not

necessarily mean that the alternative is going to be a by

national democratic state. I think the Palestinians and Israelis

currently live in a one state reality, there is one sovereign

state, Israel, between the river and the sea, that controls that

territory. Even though there are two different operations there. I

think a third possibility we might see is a continuation of some

version of the status quo. As unacceptable as it is, it can

continue, I think, not necessarily in definitely butts for the

foreseeable future. With manageable, limited conflict that Iraq -- that

erupt every now again. Ultimately, a by a national state could be in

the offing further down the road but I do not see it on the rising.

That is what you think, both of you think the two state solution has a

limited state life and in time we will talk about a one state

solution. As things stand at the moment, what John Kerry is trying

to bring about is essentially still this too mechanistic solution.

Absolutely. What this -- this two state solution. What this might

have thought it is Mr Kerry seems set know that time is running out.

You have got the focus of the secretary of state, with the

backing of the President, I think he is backing the John Kerry if he

has a plan. You have as brash you have an Israeli body politic who is

aware that his is a fine line. You have people who are looking for a

solution, and if, this is not just an American Israeli-Palestinian

thing, if the Israelis think there is a consequence is to not having a

two state outcome, the talks might have a chance. The Europeans could

have a role by holding Israeli feet to the fire a bit. They have been

doing so with economic out quips. I use saying that these are the last

chance saloon for the -- are you saying that these other last chance

saloon for the two state solution? I think we are getting close, the

Palestinians will be the ultimate wants to make that call. Obviously,

you cannot ignore all this going on amongst your neighbours. Egypt is

so preoccupied with his own conflict, Iraq, Syria, similar

situations. To what extent do you think that the turmoil in the

Middle East as a whole has an impact on these Palestinian-Israeli

talks? Does it encourage or discourage you from trying to get a

deal with the Israelis? I think it does both. For the Israelis,

certainly, it is probably a disincentive to want to rock --

move forward, the turmoil in the region. And given the very

important role that Arab states have to play, partly in order to

provide cover for the Palestinian leadership, political cover, but

also, they are parties to the conflict in their own right. There

are a number of issues that a shared, water, security, across

Palestinian and Israeli borders. So the Arab states have to clearly

play a role. They are definitely distracted right now. Very

quickly... Just to comment on a point that Daniel made, I

completely agree on his analysis and I am certainly counting myself

among those who would believe that this conflict is resolvable. It is

eminently resolvable. The substance of the issues are difficult, they

cuts to the very core of Israeli and Palestinian identities. And

those will have to be dealt with. But at the end of the day, I think

the bigger problem with this process is in fact the process

itself. That is where I do not see all that much different. What icy

is an Israeli government that is triumphant in many ways, a victim

of its own success. The settlement programme has been enormously

successful. On the other hard -- and Tommy have the opposite of the

Palestinian side, and leadership is divided and incredibly weak. In an

unprecedented way in terms of... I'm sorry, you have been rather

short-changed, but you are in so much agreement through this, I hope

he will not mind! The talks between the Israeli and Palestinians come

when the supporters of the ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi

are planning more process marches. They have called for another rally

on Tuesday. The interim government has warned them that if they break

the law, they will be dealt with firmly. The EU foreign policy chief

Catherine Ashton is in Cairo, and she has been calling for a

colleague -- fully inclusive tradition in Egypt. Today she met

the head of the army General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and other government

ministers. Meanwhile in Iraq, increasing

sectarian violence has led to more deaths today. 17 car bombs killed

more than 50 people, in mainly Shia areas in the central and south. The

attacks were timed to strike the morning rush-hour. The government

is blaming a curried fighters. -- Al-Qaeda fighters.

This was Baghdad this morning. A very familiar scene as car-bomb

attacks spread death and destruction in the Iraqi capital.

11 bombs struck Baghdad within less than an hour. Highlighting what it

proves to be a gradual loss of control Bice duty forces. -- bike

security forces. It was not just Baghdad. This is Basra, the main

oil hub of Iraq. It was struck by one car bomb at a fighter hit

southern Iraq, until recently seen as relatively stable. Soon after,

the Iraqi Interior Ministry issued a statement blaming Al-Qaeda for

the attacks. It said that Iraq faces open war by sectarian forces

which want to reproduce a civil war. It also said that the scale of the

attacks reveal significant able Tresham by the terrorist groups

into the social fabric of Iraq. This is another sign of growing

pressure on the government and its failure to get a grip on security.

As the country wheels from another big blow, the anger on the streets

could spiral out of control. Investigators are trying to

establish the cause of Italy's West coach crash in years. 38 people

died in the accident including the code's driving. One eyewitness said

she thought the driver lost control after a tyre burst. What we do know

is around the bus was travelling along the A16 motorway between

Avellino and Naples. When the coach read the Viaduct Acqualonga, it

lost control and swung into the right hand barrier. The barrier

song apart and the bus fell 30 highway, the passengers would have

felt their bus launch into midair. It fell into the trees and pounded

into the Earth 100 feet below. In the mangled mess of metal, reminders

of those on board. Among them, families with children. The safety

barrier on behalf of way's edge had failed to keep them safe.

TRANSLATION: I would think the barriers on the bridges and the

viaduct should prevent this kind of accident but it seems the impact was

so strong even the barrier gave way. The bus had been badly out of

control. It didn't break as it approached slow-moving traffic and

ran through a line of cars before it careered off the road. TRANSLATION:

All of a sudden we heard some bangs coming from behind us then we

crashed into -- we were crashed into and we didn't see the coach. Rescue

crews worked through the night, searching for survivors, tending to

the injured and gathering up the many dead. TRANSLATION: We live very

close to the crash site. We heard a huge boom and we ran. We took the

children out and all you could hear was children shouting. We called the

police and waited for them. The guard rail was hanging and we were

afraid we would fall. In a makeshift morgue in a nearby town, relatives

have been coming to try to identify the dead. And as the day drew to a

close, they prayed for those who they had lost. There is shock and

grief here but questions are also being asked. What caused this

carnage? Was there a failure of the boss's breaks perhaps was the driver

to blame? He died in the wreckage and the actions he took in the last

moments of his life will be closely scrutinised in an investigation that

has only just begun. Some news that is just breaking from

Switzerland: We're getting reports that two trains have collided in the

west of the country, leaving a number of people injured. Is

according to police. Emergency services have been scrambling to the

scene of the collision. News there of a train crash in Switzerland. And

to the train crash in Spain that happened at the end of last week.

Tributes have been paid to the big Thames of that. The memorial service

was led by the Archbishop of Santiago. It was held close to where

the accident happened. These are live pictures. The train's driver

was released from custody earlier today but has been provisionally

charged with 79 counts of negligent homicide. Prime Minister Mariano

Rajoy and members of the royal family are present. The Prime

Minister is from Santiago de Compostela. There is the memorial

service being held and these are live pictures coming to you from

there. Pope Francis has given more insight

into his thinking today, when he said that gay people should not be

marginalised but should be integrated in society. He said, "If

a person is gay and seeks God then who am I to judge them?". The Pope's

comments will be examined to see if they will signal any shift in the

Vatican's stand on homosexuality. A lot is written about the gay

lobby. I still haven't seen anyone in the Vatican with identity card

saying they are gay. The media say they are there. I think when one is

found, a person like this, we have to distinguish between the fact that

they are gay person and the fact that there is a gay lobby. If a

person is gay and seeks God, and has goodwill, who am I to judge him?

Our religious affairs correspondent Robert Pigott has been thinking

about what this means within the context of the Catholic Church and

just how big shift comments really are.

It is a shift in emphasis. Remember that Pope Benedict also said gay

people should not be marginalised and should be welcomed into the

church and nurtured and loved. He also said, though, that homosexual

acts were simple. Pope Francis has had more or less the same thing but

the difference is that Pope Benedict said homosexuality was objectively

disordered. We are looking at a change of style and emphasis and new

mood music with Pope Francis. Hopes don't go around making up church law

on the hoof. -- Popes. But they can interpret it and they have immense

power and we are seeing a lot of that from Pope Francis. He's said a

lot of things which seem more eccentric man such as atheists can

go to heaven as long as they do good on earth. He also famously washed

the feet of two girls last Easter, including a Muslim girl, which

ruffled some feathers. But it's up to the Pope to do that. It doesn't

imply a fundamental change in church teaching.

A look at some of the day's other news in brief: The Jewish community

in Rome has gathered outside the house of a convicted Nazi to prevent

any celebration of his 100th birthday.

Nazi war criminal Erich Priebke has been in prison or under house arrest

since 1994 for his role in the massacre of 335 civilians near the

capital during the Second World War. The value of the jewels that were

stolen in Cannes has now been put at around $130 million. A man wearing

gloves and a scarf over his face crept into a diamond show in a

luxury hotel and made off with millions in jewellery. It is one of

the largest-ever jewel heists in the world.

Throughout the financial crisis in the eurozone, Germany has been held

up as the economic powerhouse of the EU, maintaining respectable rates of

economic growth. In fact, Germany has also had its fair share of

becoming problems, like growing poverty amongst young people and

income inequality. Katya Adler has position, by the water's edge. Most

Germans are holidaying at home this year. Life in Germany is not quite

as sunny as it seems. Up to 3 million youngsters live in poverty

in Germany. That number is growing fastest here in the west German

region of North Rhine-Westphalia. A citizen's initiative relies on

donations to help feed under privileged children in this rundown

city. There is not enough money inside the boxes from the

government. But Germany is a rich country. May be. I don't know if

Germany is rich on that I see the parents here, I see the children,

and this tells me the children coming here are not rich. This

region used to be the motor of a booming German economy - of wealthy

western Germany. But heavy industry has had its heyday and now this

place has been dubbed the biggest slum in Germany. Income inequality

is reported to be growing faster in Germany than in any other Western

Europe the nation. 7.4 million Germans are paid less than 400 euros

a month. Germany's poor say they are cynical about their politicians'

pre-election promises. They've heard them before. TRANSLATION: The

politicians don't listen to us little people, the poor and those on

welfare. I have to feed each of my children on 2.5 euros a day. I'm

supposed to give them healthy food but I can only afford meat once a

week and fruit two or three times a month. All political parties in

Germany agree more must be done to put people out of poverty and

billions of euros have been pumped into former communist East Germany

since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Progress there seems impressive, as

does Germany's low unemployment rate, but as many Germans will tell

you, looks can be very deceptive. The Bolshoi Ballet is famous all

over the world and tonight it starts a three-week season of performances

in London. At the legendary Russian dance company has had its reputation

badly affected by recent scandals including an acid attack on its

artistic director. Our art editor Will Gompertz has more.

The legendary Bolshoi Ballet are back at the Royal Opera House, where

they will be performing, among other best in the world. They are

accompanied -- the company is one of the most procedures, embodying, they

believe, the heart and soul of Russia. TRANSLATION: I think the

Bolshoi Ballet, the Russian Ballet, always represented Russia's spirit

and Russia's music and that's why it can be considered the greatest

achievement of our culture. Chekov once said that the only thing he

knew about ballet was that during intervals, all by arenas stink like

courses. He was referring to the great illusion of this art form.

Dancers learn to mask the unpleasant realities of their physical exertion

but there's no amount of skill or training that would enable anybody

to conceal the strange goings-on backstage at the Bolshoi Ballet of

late. There have been allegations of corruption and smear campaigns and

then in January, a horrific attack on Sergei Filin, the artistic

director, instigated, it is alleged, of his own dancers. That chap with

the dagger. A new boss has now been appointed to sort out this troubled

institution. TRANSLATION: This kind of event, this tragic event, has a

very tough psychological impact on everybody. These negative events

will be in the past and we will reform. The Bolshoi was founded in

1776 during the reign of Catherine the great, since when the company

has survived Napoleon, revolution, famine, two world wars and

communism. It should survive this crisis to, too, but the scars will

linger. What amazing, beautiful

performances, just glimpsing what the Bolshoi Ballet can do. That's

all from us. Next, it's the weather. But from me, Zeinab Badawi and the

downpours today but many didn't and saw heavy, thundery showers. Further

wet weather tomorrow and persistent rain for some. Showers for others.

This system of weather front is pushing its way into the Apple and

take and is going to bring persistent rain for some tomorrow.

To the north, a story of sunshine and showers. As we start the day,

wet weather pushes through western counties of England and South

Wales. Elsewhere, another day of sunshine and showers. In the south,

we'll have a wet morning with things looking much drier elsewhere. Once

we lose the persistent rain, southern coastal counties may escape

most of the further showers. But from Wales and the Midlands

Northwoods, a mixture of sunny spells and heavy downpours. Some

rumbles of thunder mixed in and quite a lot of water being deposited

in a short space of time. There will still be some sunny breaks in

between. Our weather fronts start to push northwards. A belt of rain

pushes northwards. Lighter and more patchy further east. Turning quite