[00:01.76]BBC News with Neil Nunes President Bashar al-Assad of Syria has accused
[00:08.38]anti-government forces of wanting to erase Syria's identity.
[00:11.71]In a rare speech, he vowed to restore security,
[00:15.04]as he put it, by "hitting terrorists with an iron fist".
[00:19.43]"Our top priority now is to restore the security that we have enjoyed for decades
[00:27.66]and that has distinguished us not only regionally but also internationally.
[00:32.21]This cannot be achieved except by hitting the murderous terrorists with an iron fist.
[00:37.53]We will not relent to terrorism.
[00:39.84]We will not be lenient towards those using weapons to stir up trouble and division."
[00:44.87]Mr Assad said regional and international groups were trying
[00:48.60]but failing to destabilise his country.
[00:51.30]The BBC world affairs correspondent John Simpson has this analysis of Mr Assad's speech.
[00:56.65]Some of his ideas did seem pretty contradictory.
[01:02.89]When he denounced the foreign conspiracy against Syria,
[01:06.82]he clearly meant the Western powers plus various neighbouring states which have turned against him.
[01:12.52]At one point, he appeared to accuse the Arab League, whose observers are in Syria at the moment,
[01:18.82]of working for Western interests against him.
[01:22.70]There was no hint of compromise,
[01:25.22]just a few hard-to-keep promises about political reform.
[01:29.03]He seems to agree with the hardliners in his regime that only brute force will work.
[01:35.37]The Syrian National Council, the largest opposition group,
[01:38.65]described Mr Assad's comments as an incitement to violence.
[01:42.43]Meanwhile, the Arab League has condemned an incident
[01:45.90]in which two members of its observer mission in Syria were injured in an attack by demonstrators
[01:52.09]The Kuwaiti monitors were set upon as they drove to the port city of Latakia, known as a stronghold of President Assad.
[01:58.72]
[02:01.47]said the Syrian government was responsible for protecting members of its mission.
[02:07.42]An expert report presented to a French court has cleared
[02:12.06]associates of the Rwandan President Paul Kagame of orchestrating the assassination of a previous president,
[02:18.73]
[02:22.16]Five years ago, a French judge blamed Tutsi rebels led by Mr Kagame 〖5
[02:26.87]for downing the plane that killed President Habyarimana.
[02:30.12]The Rwandan government has welcomed the new report.
[02:32.45]
[02:38.92]
[02:42.42]saying the report affirmed her country's long-term position
[02:47.66]that Hutu extremists were responsible for the downing of the aircraft.
[02:51.83]In a statement, Minister Mushikiwabo described the incident as a coup d'etat 〖Mushikiwabo
[02:55.66]and said that French experts have brought to an end the lies and conspiracies
[02:59.79]that have distracted the world from bringing down those behind the genocide.
[03:04.48]
[03:09.74]At least five people died in Nigeria when a mosque and Islamic school were set alight.
[03:15.70]The attacks took place in Benin city in the mainly Christian south of the country.
[03:19.82]Muslims are leaving the city for northern Nigeria.
[03:23.45]The Red Cross is registering people
[03:27.10]who have fled from their homes for the safety of police stations and army barracks.
[03:33.24]An American naval vessel has rescued a group of six Iranian sailors in the Gulf,
[03:38.55]the second incident of its kind in less than a week.
[03:41.60]Last week, Iran told the US navy to keep its warships out of the Gulf
[03:46.10]amid heightened tensions over Iran's nuclear activities.
[03:49.94]From Washington, Kim Ghattas reports. 〖Kim Ghatta
[03:54.26]According to the Pentagon, the Iranian fishermen aboard a cargo ship
[03:57.44]
[04:01.74]with their engine room flooding. 〖（
[04:03.73]
[04:08.52]
[04:11.03]One of the Iranians who suffered burns from a fire on board the troubled ship
[04:14.57]
[04:17.78]Pentagon officials said the US would repatriate the Iranians,
[04:20.91]but it's not clear how or when this will happen.
[04:23.32]Iran and the United States have no diplomatic ties.
[04:26.60]The Indonesian government has lifted a tsunami warning it issued
[04:31.31]after a powerful earthquake hit the waters off the west of the country.
[04:35.26]
[04:45.85]An official Indian watchdog says
[04:48.00]
[04:50.97]
[04:54.79]A survey by the Indian food safety authority found
[04:57.50]70% of milk samples in cities contaminated,
[05:01.19]
[05:01.19]Consumer activists say it's the first time a government agency has confirmed
[05:01.19]what they have been saying for years.
[05:01.19]
[05:01.19]undefined

BBC News with Neil Nunes President Bashar al-Assad of Syria has accused
anti-government forces of wanting to erase Syria's identity.
In a rare speech, he vowed to restore security,
as he put it, by "hitting terrorists with an iron fist".
"Our top priority now is to restore the security that we have enjoyed for decades
and that has distinguished us not only regionally but also internationally.
This cannot be achieved except by hitting the murderous terrorists with an iron fist.
We will not relent to terrorism.
We will not be lenient towards those using weapons to stir up trouble and division."
Mr Assad said regional and international groups were trying
but failing to destabilise his country.
The BBC world affairs correspondent John Simpson has this analysis of Mr Assad's speech.
Some of his ideas did seem pretty contradictory.
When he denounced the foreign conspiracy against Syria,
he clearly meant the Western powers plus various neighbouring states which have turned against him.
At one point, he appeared to accuse the Arab League, whose observers are in Syria at the moment,
of working for Western interests against him.
There was no hint of compromise,
just a few hard-to-keep promises about political reform.
He seems to agree with the hardliners in his regime that only brute force will work.
The Syrian National Council, the largest opposition group,
described Mr Assad's comments as an incitement to violence.
Meanwhile, the Arab League has condemned an incident
in which two members of its observer mission in Syria were injured in an attack by demonstrators
The Kuwaiti monitors were set upon as they drove to the port city of Latakia, known as a stronghold of President Assad.
said the Syrian government was responsible for protecting members of its mission.
An expert report presented to a French court has cleared
associates of the Rwandan President Paul Kagame of orchestrating the assassination of a previous president,
Five years ago, a French judge blamed Tutsi rebels led by Mr Kagame 〖5
for downing the plane that killed President Habyarimana.
The Rwandan government has welcomed the new report.

saying the report affirmed her country's long-term position
that Hutu extremists were responsible for the downing of the aircraft.
In a statement, Minister Mushikiwabo described the incident as a coup d'etat 〖Mushikiwabo
and said that French experts have brought to an end the lies and conspiracies
that have distracted the world from bringing down those behind the genocide.
At least five people died in Nigeria when a mosque and Islamic school were set alight.
The attacks took place in Benin city in the mainly Christian south of the country.
Muslims are leaving the city for northern Nigeria.
The Red Cross is registering people
who have fled from their homes for the safety of police stations and army barracks.
An American naval vessel has rescued a group of six Iranian sailors in the Gulf,
the second incident of its kind in less than a week.
Last week, Iran told the US navy to keep its warships out of the Gulf
amid heightened tensions over Iran's nuclear activities.
From Washington, Kim Ghattas reports. 〖Kim Ghatta
According to the Pentagon, the Iranian fishermen aboard a cargo ship
with their engine room flooding. 〖（

One of the Iranians who suffered burns from a fire on board the troubled ship
Pentagon officials said the US would repatriate the Iranians,
but it's not clear how or when this will happen.
Iran and the United States have no diplomatic ties.
The Indonesian government has lifted a tsunami warning it issued
after a powerful earthquake hit the waters off the west of the country.
An official Indian watchdog says

A survey by the Indian food safety authority found
70% of milk samples in cities contaminated,
Consumer activists say it's the first time a government agency has confirmed
what they have been saying for years.
undefined