>> this is "bbc world news america." 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 america."

>> this is "bbc world news america." riding the rising tide amid unprecedented turmoil in the least and north africa, barack obama says of we must get with the people. >> we can not hesitate to stand squarely on the side with those reaching for their rights knowing their success will bring about a world that is more peaceful, more stable, and more just. >> back in court -- after resigning from the imf and being indicted on sex assault charges, dominique strauss-kahn is given bail while he waits charges. rolling up the green carpet -- queen elizabeth's visit to ireland combined pageantry with one of her true passion.

>> the case of dominique strauss-kahn continues to play out on a number of fronts. he resigned his post as head of the international monetary fund and formally indicted on charges of attempted rape and, just in the last few moments, he has been granted bail by a judge in new york. let's get the very latest on the story. no bail at the beginning of the weak and pale now. tell us about the conditions under which the male has been granted. >> they are pretty strict conditions. he will have to pay a million dollars in bail and he will wear an ankle bracelet and be at all times accompanied by an armed guard. as to where he will be staying, he will be in an apartment here in new york with his wife. it is believed to be possibly the apartment of his daughter who studies here in new york city. >> the main argument of his defense lawyer is this is a man

who is going to run for the presidency of friends who wants to clear his name. this is not just about the possibility of him running away and escaping american justice. >> he mentioned several other names, including bernard madoff and other names to have been caught up in white collar crime, saying we have had examples of other high-profile people, individuals who have been allowed to wait for trial at home on bail. that was his case. what we did here is the district attorney arguing the opposite, saying this man remains a considerable flight risk. we do not know the details of his assets and he has every incentive to flee. also arguing the nature of this crime indicates an impulsive characteristics. >> the day started with him resigning from the post of head of the imf, which is something he was going to do later in the year in the run-up to the

presidential campaign. that is big news for him and his family and for the institution. >> i think pressure had been building on him to hand in his resignation. we have seen the u.s. treasury secretary, tim geithner con add to growing voices saying he needs to step down. the job of the imf can not be left to someone trying to fight legal troubles. he did handed his resignation and the speculation even before that had been growing as to who will replace him. there were questions as to whether the french finance minister might step been to the position left open by dominique strauss-kahn or -- all of that under way as they are trying to clear his name. >> thank you very much. as the arab spring inches toward summer, president obama offer

his support to those clamoring for democracy and issued stark warnings to leaders like syria's president who would stand in its wake. but it was his comments on israel and palestine just days before benjamin netanyahu visits washington, which is drawn the most attention. our state department correspondent has this report. >> it has been a dizzying few months of of people, hope and change across the arab world. washington seemed caught off guard, torn between interest it needs to protect and that freedom and democracy it wanted to champion. >> the president of united states, barack obama. >> today, president barack obama tries to convince arab protesters that america really is by their side. >> we face a historic opportunity. we have the chance to show america values the dignity of the street vendor in tunisia

more than the raw power of the dictator. >> there were a lot of lofty words. but for egypt and tunisia, concrete offers of help. tunisia will also receive assistance. investment, trade and jobs are all key to supporting the democracy. president obama did have one surprised -- for the palestinians and israelis. >> we believe the borders of israel and palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with a mutually agreed swaps. so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states. >> in a bitter conflict where every word matters, this seemingly innocuous statement by an american leader was what the palestinians have long sought. >> this wording matters because it lays out clearly that the president's says it needs to

have a to state solution which will have the full state of palestine in the west bank and other needs to be agreed upon land swaps. that is new. it has always been couched in negotiations. an american president has for the first time said what the and state should be. >> it does not mean president obama is about to relaunch peace negotiations. benjamin netanyahu will be on the white house on friday and he is not happy with what he just heard. the speech at the state department was an attempt to rectify discrepancies in american policy toward a changing region. mr. obama had called on libya's leader, muammar gaddafi, to leave office just a week after protests started there. he backed military intervention to protect libyan civilians. but on syria, it has taken more than two months of protests and a thousand people killed in the april crackdown for mr. obama to finally say these words.

>> the syrian people have shown their courage in demanding a transition to democracy. presidents has a choice. -- president's bashar al-assad has a choice. he can leave or get out of the way. >> today, there is more criticism for their handling of the shiite population of the country. >> did president obama manage to convince all arab protesters he's on their side? those who believe america supports them will continue to look to washington for moral support, but the skeptics will not have been swayed by the rhetoric. they will be watching mr. obama's next move. >> how did the president's speech play here in america and throughout the arab world? joining me to discuss this is the senior u.s. correspondent

for nbc television. here is an american president for the first time saying quite clearly a two-stage solution with a palestinian state within the 1967 borders -- is that throwing down the gauntlet to benjamin netanyahu? >> absolutely, and he has rejected it. he says the borders are not defendable and we're not going to negotiate. >> soap and the delay. >> a media elite. the president -- immediately. i was told he would address this more in detail in august. this administration seems to work on deadlines. if you remember this settlements, they waited until almost two days before the negotiations collapsed. for the palestinians, it's an important step, but the president, to come to a speech like this, people expected some

much from him and he did not deliver because this administration is strong on rhetoric and short on a follow- up and action. >> that opens up more fissures between the israelis and washington. it creates expectations that cannot be met and will leave a lot of people disappointed. >> that is true. the administration cannot stand on the sideline and be silent. they have to be engaged. what he said today, that it's up to the two parties, i do not buy this. he has to do something. the problem now is that he's coming into an election year and everything matters. he has secured a big victory with the jury -- the killing of a osama bin laden. he already warned the palestinians don't go to the general assembly because that will not win the state had. you have to negotiate directly. but how and when, he did not give details. >> they must realize this is a unique opportunity to sort out

the mess in the middle east with arabs spring. >> for people who have been caught -- for people have been following the conflict for so long, i don't think the window is big enough. we're talking about now and september. for benjamin netanyahu, he does not want to go forward the peace process according to the palestinians. americans say how can you negotiate with these people adopting the israeli point of view? >> do the people on the arab street care about this issue as much as they used to? are they so preoccupied with their own revolutions that there are no longer interested? >> the israeli-palestinian conflict is at the heart of the matter. you will see as we go forward, the important thing is to secure their own domestic policies, but ultimately, you will see whether it's in egypt, the first thing the egyptian government did was secure a deal between hamas and fateh to go

forward. >> we have to leave it there. thank you for coming in. in eastern afghanistan, 35 workers have been killed in an attack by insurgents. a government official told the bbc the men were employed by a construction company working on the highway in a remote mountainous part of the country. the attack was the deadliest carried out by the taliban for several months. in iraq, 25 people have been killed and more than 60 wounded in a series of bomb attacks in kirkuk. the explosions appeared to have been targeted at the police and occurred within one hour of each other. the incident once again raises questions about the country's ability to secure itself. >> in the heart of this divided city couple 3 powerful explosions in less than an hour

targeting the police. the most serious attack since february. >> these three explosions, the first one was by a bomb in a car close by the headquarters. >> as the emergency services rushed to the scene, a second bomb was detonated. many of those killed and injured here were policeman who rushed out from the headquarters to help those caught in the first blast. this deadly attack, even left emergency service members traumatized by what they had seen. in the chaotic aftermath, there was anger amongst members of the public.

this man said the bombs had spare nothing, neither people nor property. all of this in a city where there are deep ethnic tensions between arabs, kurds and turkomans who are still buying for control of the great prize -- the enormous oil fields lying across the region. at the moment, american troops are still here to keep the peace, but they are due to leave by the end of the year. today's bloodshed is a grim reminder of what could happen if no agreement is reached about the future of the region in the next few months. >> here is some other days -- the fbi says they are investigating whether the convicted murderer, ted kaczynski, was involved in a series of poisonings. they involved tylenol pain killers and the potassium

cyanide. shares in business networking website, linkedin, have more than doubled on their trading debut in new york, starting at $45 each, the share price hit $108 at one time, and a show not seen as the since thedot com bubble of the '90s. is the first social network side to get a share listing. preparing for the worst -- that was a scenario in the u.k. where emergency crews were seeing if they could cope with a spill similar to the one that filed the gulf of mexico last year. the test was carried out off the coast of scotland and came after concerns safety equipment may not be able to handle the harsh conditions. the area is home to 400 shallow water wells. while deepwater drilling has begun at one side, there are plans for expansion. we have this report. >> on the northern most french

of the guided kingdom, the shetland islands cannot be more remote. but look what is offshore -- a tanker -- the gateway to british oil. shetland has earned millions from this industry. a new running track and one of many leisure centers. this is where the oil was brought ashore. so far, from a shallow north sea, but cma come from the much deeper atlantic, a far tougher job. today, an exercise for a nightmare scenario. a few vessels joined the rehearsal in case a deep well blows up. >> we don't believe we're going to have that event, but if it were to happen, we are well set up. in the u.k., there are various agencies set up to respond to it. >> this is the risk -- a blowout

like last summer, a mile deep in the gulf of mexico. for the people of shetland, this rekindles memories. 18 years ago, a tanker ran aground and its oil flowed into the ocean. could the new deep wells trigger something similar? a boat trip to this extraordinary scene reveals what's at stake. this mountainous shoreline hosts one of the largest colonies of sea birds in europe. these spectacular cliffs are home to tens of thousands of seabirds. these are gannets circling around a. it's one reason shetland is so famous for its wildlife and is one reason for their concern about the oil industry moving into deeper waters. a remote-control camera is lowered underwater. the seas around shetland are teeming with life, which is highly sensitive to pollution. >> this is very, very vulnerable and so exposed.

>> for tourist operators, wildlife is the major attraction. he is worried about new oil wells. >> one thing i know is that the worst can and will happen. you must do all your preparations and precautions to make sure it is catered for. my big problem is of the does happen out there, there's nothing we can do to stop it. >> will this training be enough? that's the key question, laying out what oil means for them. >> you are watching "bbc world news america." still coming -- queen elizabeth's visit to ireland is all about healing, but today it's all out galloping. two months after japan was hit by devastating earthquake and tsunami, can the economic news everyone has feared -- the

country has officially slid back into recession. >> by now, these cars should be for sale in salute -- in showrooms around the world. but they lie smashed imports on the coast. the earthquake and tsunami left more than 24,000 people dead. it's the worst crisis the country has faced since the second world war. but the fukushima nuclear plant, workers are struggling to bring the reactors under control. confirmation japan has pledged back into recession -- the government is laying the blame that nature store. >> the main factor for the negative growth was the massive disaster we chauffeured earlier this year. -- we suffered earlier this year. >> the affect of what happened on a coaster being felt here in tokyo. factories destroyed their supply components to major manufacturers across japan and

around the world. production has been crippled. >> shocked by the catastrophe, shoppers have cut back even places that were unaffected. >> one of the-cycles that could kick in if we do not rejuvenate the supply chain is it will exacerbate the conditions of employment and pay which would lead to a dow roared spiral in private consumption. >> keeping japan paucities lit is a major challenge. electricity shortages threaten to damage the economy further. later in the year, spending on rebuilding should help japan bounceback. >> it has been here since the center of bangkok was marred by

violent clashes between anti- government protestors known as the red search and it thai soldiers. but still, the scars run deep. despite dead investigation, and has not delivered any report. in this story, we meet to women directly affected by the events. >> new recruits put through their paces. even military clerks must master the assault course. among them is this woman. she is striving to make her husband proud. but he is not alive to see her do it. he was part of an operation to disperse and tight government red shirt protesters. the soldiers met resistance from armed elements in the protest camps. he was hit by a grenade and killed.

she says her husband died a hero. what about the person who fired the grenade? should they be brought to justice? >> won a first happened, i wanted to know who did and why. but now it's not so important. my husband died on the battlefield doing his duty. he left the army and now i'm taking his place. >> this buddhist temple was in the heart of the red shirt camps. the military moved in to crush the protests, some people came here to seek shelter. there were soldiers stationed on the tracks looking for militants and the people came under fire. among those who lost their lives was a young volunteer nurse. a tribute to a tragic death. she was just 25 years old. her mother shows the overshirt she was wearing the day she

died, clearly marked with the red cross. >> people told me what happened. she was dragging the injured person inside. she was a nurse and thought she would be safe. she was wrong. i'm so proud of my doctor. she sacrificed herself to help other people. because of her, i'm fighting for all the victims. >> before the 19th of last year, she was not interested in politics. now she is a staunch supporter of the red shirts, a mother turned activist and housewife turned soldier. such is the legacy of thailand's bitter divisions. >> when it comes to dealing

bitter divisions, that is one of the main and of queen elizabeth posture to ireland. it was a visit steep in upset symbolism and ceremony. but today, it was her love of horses that kept her busy. first visit outside the capital, she went to the stud and killed there. -- the step in killed there. >> for today's in dublin, she has been head of state addressing the big issues of statecraft. today, there is time to relax and see something of an industry vital to ireland and great personal interest to her -- the breeding of thoroughbred race horses. the queen had come to the irish national stud in kildaire. this is some of the most highly prized horseflesh in the world. if you happen to be a budding jockey and do not have a horse, this is what you need -- is called a horse simulator.

when the queen arrived, it was going slowly. but the duke of edinburgh wanted to see how fast it could go. soon it was running at a recent gallup. the trainee jockey stayed aboard air and the duke seem satisfied. -- and the duke seemed satisfied. ireland was focusing on her speech last night at the state dinner at dublin castle, when she talked about britain and ireland's troubled history. >> with the benefit of historical hindsight, we can all see things which we would wish had been done differently. or not at all. >> this morning, david cameron joined the irish prime minister on a visit to dublin brewery and reflected on the queen's words. >> i thought what she said about things in the past that could have been differently or not been done at all i think would have spoken volumes to people in ireland. >> a very different setting for

the state dinner -- the queen is hosting irish music and culture and the theme is friendship. >> a reminder of our top story -- dominique strauss-kahn, who has resigned as director general of the imf was granted bail this afternoon, but he awaits trial on sex assault charges in new york. he says -- he is accused of attacking a made in new york. he will spend one more night in jail before being released. that does it for tonight's program. you can keep up-to-date with our -- with the day's developments on our web site. you can keep up-to-date with us on twitter. thank you for watching. see you tomorrow. >> 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. >> 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? >> "bbc world news america" was

presented by kcet los angeles.