English/Nat

Israeli leader Shimon Peres says there's been a great deal of progress in the peace talks with Syria, currently taking place in the U-S.

The Israeli Prime Minister voiced his optimism in London, where he's been meeting his British counterpart John Major.

Major congratulated Peres for the successful handling of the Palestinian elections and spoke of the close ties between Britain and Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres arrived at London's Downing Street on Wednesday to be greeted by the British Prime Minister John Major.

The two smiling leaders posed for pictures and shook hands before their talks.

Later they faced the media gathered in Downing Street.

SOUNDBITE:

"A word about the bilateral relations that exist between the United Kingdom and Israel. I cannot remember a time when relations were as close over a whole range of issues as they are at the present time. And I think a great deal of the credit for that goes to Prime Minister Rabin and Prime Minster Peres."

SUPER CAPTION: John Major British Prime Minister

Shimon Peres then addressed the subject of Israeli peace talks with Syria in Maryland.

SOUNDBITE:

"A great deal of progress was done the agenda is a very rich and complicated one but I am rather satisfied with the results of the meeting and I do not see any reason to become pessimistic but rather to maintain the optimism necessary for the negotiations."

SUPER CAPTION: Shimon Peres Israeli Prime Minister

As part of his two day visit to Britain, Peres will be addressing a group of legislators at the House of Commons.

London, 31st January 1996

1. External shot of 10 Downing Street

2. Car pulling up and Shimon Peres getting out

3. Shimon Peres and John Major greeting, shaking hands and going inside

4.Cutaway

5. Shimon Peres and John Major coming out and giving press conference

6. SOUNDBITE: John Major

7. Cutaway

8. SOUNDBITE: Shimon Peres

9. Final shot of crowd outside 10 Downing street

English/Nat

After two days of mourning, foreign minister Shimon Peres has taken up his duties as acting prime minister of Israel.

Peres left for work this morning at the prime minister's office in Jerusalem surrounded by bodyguards.

It was Shimon Peres' first day at work as Acting Prime Minister Tuesday.

Security has been stepped up around the former Foreign Minister after a number of death threats.

Such threats are being taken extremely seriously by a twitchy Security Service after a 25-year-old law student, Yigal Amir, broke through security ranks to shoot Yitzhak Rabin.

Rabin was the first head of state to be assassinated in Israel and to many his killing has marked the beginning of a new era.

Throughout the morning, Peres was visited by international heads-of-state who not only offered their condolences but messages of hope and support for the future.

Fear is mounting over the effect the recent assassination will have over the already shaky peace process.

Britain's Prime Minister John Major spent some time with Peres.

Afterwards, Peres told the press his top concern remained the peace process -- and elections came second.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"For us the main consideration is the peace process and not the term of the government. I said yesterday and I will repeat it again - for us to win peace is more important even than to win the elections."

QUESTION : "So you won't go to elections now?"

ANSWER: "I shall continue with the process of peace as we have started and we shall go on."

SUPERCAPTION: Shimon Peres acting prime minister.

Australia's President Paul Keating spent several minutes with Peres.

And Crown Prince Hassan of Jordan met the Israeli President.

The presence of so many Arab leaders has given rise to hopes that the peace Rabin was so instrumental in negotiating may have changed politics in the region for good.

But although Peres went back to work, mourning is far from over for the rest of the nation.

At the site of the assassination - Tel Aviv's Kikar Malkei square- thousands of mourning candles burnt brightly in the early morning sun.

Scores of Israeli's continue to stop and pay their respects to their fallen leader.

Some write notes - others leave flowers and wreaths. Some simply cry.

VOXPOP: (English)

"I still can't believe what has happened and that we can get back to the same everyday life. Rabin is dead and I still can't believe what is going on here and what is going to happen afterwards"

SUPERCAPTION : Naomi, student from Jerusalem

Israel had closed the Gaza strip and West Bank after the assassination fearing attacks by Islamic militants.

But some people Tuesday were being allowed through the strict security controls. Men over 35 had to show passes.

In a country which has lived with violence since its birth, Rabin's killing has merely added to the sense of insecurity.

Jerusalem, Israel. 7 November 1995

1. Bodyguard

2. Various of Peres getting in car and leaving for work

3. Exterior of prime minister's office

4. Cutaway of cameraman

5. Peres and Major exiting

6. SOUNDBITE: Peres

7. Peres with Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating

8. Peres on sofa with Keating

9. Peres talking on phone to Irish Prime Minister John Bruton

11. Jordan's Crown Prince Hassan arrives at President's building

12. Hassan on chair

Tel Aviv 7 November 1995

7. Various of mourners

8. Various of Kikar Malkei square and flowers and wreaths

Jerusalem 7 November 1995

10. VOXPOP: (English)

Erez junction, Gaza strip 7 November 1995

12. Trucks lined up at the junction

13. Palestinians waiting

14. Soldier on guard

15. Israeli soldiers checking I-D documents

16. Cars driving through check point

17. Soldiers with guns

T/I: 10:13:34

The British Defence Minister, Michael Portillo, met Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres in Jerusalem early on Monday (15/4), with a message from the British Prime Minister, John Major. The visits are part of increasing diplomatic efforts to end Israel's five-day-old military campaign against Hezbollah guerillas based in Lebanon.

SHOWS:

JERUSALEM, 15/4

Commander checking troops

British Defence Minister, Michael Portillo and Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres standing during British national anthem

Walking into building

Peres and Portillo talking across table

Portillo smiling and shaking hands with Peres

EXT building with Israeli and British flags flying

1.15

T/I: 10:31:36

British Prime Minister John Major met Israeli Foreign Minister

Shimon Peres in Jerusalem on Monday (13/3) to discuss British

economic involvement in the Middle East. Major also opened a business seminar with Israeli Trade Minister Micha Harish and visited the Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem

SHOWS:

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL, 13/3

foreign ministry

major arriving

peres greeting major

photo-up major and peres

handshake.

major meeting israeli minister of trade and industry micha harish

SOT john major, british prime minister saying that he would like

to agree on a timetable and it would take a commitment and time

but there will be substantial rewards.

handshake

car arriving

british veterans

yad vashem (holocaust museum) children singing pan to major

2.58

English/Nat

President Clinton has arrived at the Peace Makers' Summit in Egypt - declaring

that it shows a "strong united" stand against terrorism.

Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres has also flown into the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

He says the talks have two purposes - tackling terrorism and putting the Middle East peace process back on track.

Around thirty world leaders are attending - but Syria is boycotting the meeting.

The U-S President's jumbo jet, Air Force One touches down at Sharm el-Sheikh.

The plane was carrying President Clinton and another key player at the Summit - King Hussein of Jordan - who'd been in the U-S on a personal visit.

The King is a qualified pilot and spent some of the flight in the plane's cockpit.

The President was in an upbeat mood when he arrived in the bright sunshine of the Red Sea resort.

During the summit Mr Clinton will take time out to meet Britain's Prime Minister John Major.

They'll discuss another aspect of terrorism - the resumption of I-R-A bomb attacks in Britain - and how to get the Northern Ireland peace process moving again.

There is a massive security operation in Sharm el-Sheikh.

Egyptian soldiers patrol offshore - determined to make sure their very important guests are safe,

President Clinton is accompanied by U-S Secretary of State Warren Christopher.

He shares the President's optimism for the Summit.

SOUNDBITE:

"I think it'll work out very well. Everything seems to have started in very good order."

SUPERCAPTION: Warren Christopher, US Secretary of State

Russia may no longer be a superpower - but it still has a major role to play in bringing a lasting peace to the Middle East.

A fit looking President Boris Yeltsin virtually bounded down the steps of his plane - straight into the arms of his host, Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak.

Around thirty world leaders are attending the talks - among them France's Jacques Chirac and another international heavyweight, German Chancellor Helmut Kohl.

Central to the whole Summit is Israel's Prime Minister Shimon Peres.

He set out what he hopes it will achieve.

SOUNDBITE:

"I think it is equally important for Israel and the whole of the Middle East. It's a conference with a dual purpose to stop terror and to enable the peace process to be continued."

SUPERCAPTION: Shimon Peres, Prime Minister of Israel

Peres paused for brief talks with the Egyptian leader before getting down to the summit proper.

He has a long and difficult day ahead.

Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Wednesday March 13

1. Air Force One lands

2. Clinton on steps of plane

3. Cutaway of Mubarak

4. King Hussein of Jordan & Clinton walk down steps

5. Cutaway cameraman

6. British Airways plane.

7. British Prime Minister John Major (Agency Common)

8. Security forces in dinghy

9. Guard on Roof

10. US Secretary of State Warren Christopher

11. SOUNDBITE: Christopher

12 Yeltsin's plane on tarmac

13 Cutaway Mubarak

14 Yeltsin walks down steps and hugs Mubarak

15 Chirac walking (Agency Common)

16 Kohl coming down steps

17 Peres' plane

18 Peres walks down steps

19 Peres meets Mubarak

20 SOUNDBITE Peres

21. Peres & Mubarak.

22, Pull out from Peres

Russian/Eng/Nat

Former French President Francois Mitterrand has been honoured both by world leaders at Notre Dame cathedral and at his burial place in his hometown.

Among those in Paris: U-S Vice President Albert Gore, Russia's Boris Yeltsin, Britain's John Major and Prince Charles and Germany's Helmut Kohl, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, Israel's Shimon Peres and Cuba's Fidel Castro.

More than 250 leaders and dignitaries paid their last respects.

It was a day of remembrance and tribute.

Israel's Shimon Peres praised Mitterrand as a man who possessed compassion and commitment.

SOUNDBITE:

"An unusual combination of culture and justice, a man that by inclination liked art and beauty, and by conviction wanted to see freedom and justice.

SUPERCAPTION: Shimon Peres, Israeli Prime Minister

Russian President Boris Yeltsin said that his heart was aching ...

But, mindful about concern over his recent bout with heart disease, he quickly added that it was just a figure of speech.

SOUNDBITE: (Russian)

"I'm coming out of here with a broken heart because we lost a man who felt for Russia and wanted to see it's coming of age (cutaway) "And I want to show the whole world that I lost some weight and I'm healthy."

SUPER CAPTION: Boris Yeltsin, President of Russia

And Britain's John Major said he admired the man on both a personal and political level.

SOUNDBITE:

"I think that springs from a number of things, certainly his remarkable service, not only as president of France for 14 years but in a huge number of positions before that. His tremendous contribution to the development of France and the development of Europe and I think beyond that a rather personal feeling of immense admiration for his courage during his illness over recent years."

SUPER CAPTION: John Major, British Prime Minister

Any differences Major may have had with Mitterrand over Europe were buried with the man.

Paris, Jan. 11, 1996

1. Elysee Palace

1. Various world leaders lining up to pay their tributes at the Palace greeted by Chirac.

2. SOUNDBITE: Peres

3. SOUNDBITE: Yeltsin

4. SOUNDBITE: Major

5. Major leaves and gets into car.

English/Nat

On the second day of his visit to Israel, British Prime Minister John Major managed to avoid the numerous political landmines of the Middle East.

He pleased his Israeli hosts by visiting the Holocaust Museum, but was careful not to offend Arab neighbours when he visited the disputed Golan Heights.

For the Palestinians he held out the prospect of further economic aid for the autonomous areas of Gaza and Jericho.

Prime Minister John Major's first stop today (Monday) was talks with Israel's Foreign Minister Shimon Peres for a discussion of the Middle East Peace process.

Then it was on to the Yad Vashem Museum of the Holocaust.

where Major laid a wreath at the memorial.

Major spoke about the importance of remembering the suffering of the Jewish people.

SOUNDBITE:

Those who forget the past may be condemned to relive it and I think it is right to remind people of precisely what happened, precisely that depths of horror that can occur. And I believe the memorial here expresses that very vividly. I'd heard a great deal about it, I hadn't seen it, I have now seen it and very much doubt that I'll ever forget it.

SUPERCAPTION: John Major, British Prime Minister.

Major was also given a bird's eye view of the problems of the Middle East with a helicopter trip to the Golan Heights.

Accompanied by Israeli prime minister, Yitzhak Rabin, Major looked at maps of the area marking the pre-1967 border, before the area was capture by Israel during the Arab- Israeli war.

In an effort not to offend Syria, Major remained at an observation site, Carlucci Point, and did not actually set foot on the Heights itself.

Major travels tomorrow (Tuesday) to the Gaza Strip for a meeting with PLO chairman, Yasser Arafat.

1. Peres and Major shot opportunity

2. Exteriors, Holocaust Museum

3. Major walking along path leading to museum

4. Interior of museum

5. Soundbite Major

6. Major laying wreath

7. Major and Rabin at Golan Heights post

8. Major at view point overlooking Golan Heights

9. Pan of Golan Heights