:00:05. > :00:08.This is BBC World News Today with me, Zainab Badawi. Syria hands over
:00:08. > :00:18.arsenal to international inspectors. me, Zainab Badawi. Syria hands over
:00:18. > :00:20.But is it revealing everything? me, Zainab Badawi. Syria hands over
:00:20. > :00:28.the northern town of Azaz. Has the comes as competing rebel groups
:00:28. > :00:34.the northern town of Azaz. Has the Sure like tried to overcome deep
:00:34. > :00:34.the northern town of Azaz. Has the historic poll after the Civil War.
:00:35. > :00:47.coalition on the cards for Angela -- Sri Lanka. Also, is another grand
:00:47. > :00:48.coalition on the cards for Angela And New Zealand on the verge of
:00:48. > :01:05.Hello and welcome. Syria has taken the first step in complying with
:01:05. > :01:09.international demands for it to the first step in complying with
:01:09. > :01:12.weapons, so they can eventually the first step in complying with
:01:12. > :01:15.destroyed. Of course, there is a long way to go before it can be
:01:15. > :01:20.established if Syria is acting in good faith and in a transparent
:01:20. > :01:24.manner. The Organisation for the based in the Hague, have received
:01:24. > :01:25.what they're calling "an initial declaration" from Syria of its
:01:26. > :01:31.government is believed to have declaration" from Syria of its
:01:31. > :01:42.tonnes of toxic substances. Richard UN inspectors collected samples
:01:42. > :01:45.tonnes of toxic substances. Richard the site of the chemical weapons
:01:45. > :01:51.attack in Damascus last month. They included the nerve agent sarin had
:01:51. > :01:58.been used. Their analysis of the trajectory of the rockets fired
:01:58. > :02:00.been used. Their analysis of the government was responsible. Although
:02:00. > :02:04.they still deny this, the Syrian authorities have now started handing
:02:04. > :02:13.details of their chemical weapons community. So it can be removed
:02:13. > :02:15.details of their chemical weapons destroyed. Even if this does happen,
:02:15. > :02:21.Syria will still be awash with conventional weapons. More than
:02:21. > :02:27.Syria will still be awash with years of fighting has left much
:02:27. > :02:29.Syria will still be awash with estimated more than 120,000 people
:02:29. > :02:35.have died, many others have been seriously injured. Now the Deputy
:02:35. > :02:40.Prime Minister of Syria has admitted the regime and rebels have fought
:02:40. > :02:45.themselves to a stalemate and has indicated there could be a call
:02:45. > :02:49.themselves to a stalemate and has a cease-fire. In an interview with
:02:49. > :02:54.the Guardian newspaper, he said neither the armed opposition or
:02:54. > :02:55.the Guardian newspaper, he said regime is capable of defeating the
:02:55. > :03:02.other side and he stressed that regime is capable of defeating the
:03:02. > :03:04.regime which change, saying that nobody feared that the regime in its
:03:04. > :03:26.hassling government forces may get more help from the West. In the
:03:26. > :03:30.hassling government forces may get of weapons supplies aimed at tilting
:03:30. > :03:36.the balance in their favour. But casualties and that is precisely
:03:36. > :03:51.what Syria can no longer cope with clinics and hospitals have been
:03:52. > :04:10.what Syria can no longer cope with damaged. Medical staff have been
:04:10. > :04:13.an interview with the Guardian newspaper, the Deputy Prime Minister
:04:13. > :04:15.of Syria has said that neither side is winning and that the struggle for
:04:15. > :04:20.This comes as reports are being is winning and that the struggle for
:04:20. > :04:23.heard that jihadist fighters from a group known as Isis are battling
:04:24. > :04:34.with the main rebel force, the Free Syria Army. With me is the president
:04:34. > :04:44.of the Quilliam Foundation, he fighters. Thank you for joining
:04:44. > :04:46.of the Quilliam Foundation, he On this issue of Isis, which stands
:04:46. > :04:54.for the Islamic state for Iraq and Syria. Who are they exactly? Be
:04:54. > :04:56.for the Islamic state for Iraq and to be Al-Qaeda from a chain of
:04:56. > :05:04.command perspective. -- be used to be Al-Qaeda from a chain of
:05:04. > :05:11.be. There is a lot of questions about what part of Al-Qaeda they
:05:11. > :05:13.belong to. But they are in the creation of Al-Qaeda. And their
:05:13. > :05:25.objective is what? They believe creation of Al-Qaeda. And their
:05:25. > :05:28.are going to re-establish their creation of Al-Qaeda. And their
:05:28. > :05:33.ways. It is important that this creation of Al-Qaeda. And their
:05:33. > :05:39.established in Syria? They think what is going on in Syria is kind of
:05:39. > :05:53.like signs of a prophecy, so they interpretation of some verses of
:05:53. > :06:02.Koran and they think this is what is happening now. How many fighters are
:06:02. > :06:12.there under Isis? Well, there are thousands in terms of numbers. Up to
:06:12. > :06:24.significant presence in Iraq as well. It is still an ongoing process
:06:24. > :06:30.of recruitment because a lot of people, they had a dispute about
:06:30. > :06:43.leadership, especially the foreign fighters. Most of them, 70% or
:06:43. > :06:46.leadership, especially the foreign numbers are still increasing. A
:06:46. > :06:50.leadership, especially the foreign of these fighters in are not Syrian
:06:50. > :07:08.then? No. The vast majority are communications with any of the
:07:08. > :07:17.leaders of Isis? It is part of our work. We have to create some sort
:07:17. > :07:21.leaders of Isis? It is part of our channels to give us access. It is
:07:21. > :07:34.leaders of Isis? It is part of our know about them? Have they made
:07:34. > :07:34.leaders of Isis? It is part of our this is the most, I believe, savage
:07:34. > :07:52.of them just killing many people. this is the most, I believe, savage
:07:52. > :07:56.Everybody. What happens now? How does this fit in with the Free
:07:56. > :07:59.Syrian Army? They are saying that, we cannot fight Assad forces on
:07:59. > :08:03.Syrian Army? They are saying that, one hand and also on the other hand
:08:03. > :08:08.fight these jihadist? I don't think it is true. I heard that but the
:08:08. > :08:15.reality on the ground, I don't think there is any way that the Free
:08:15. > :08:24.Syrian Army, especially now, can Islamic state in Iraq in certain
:08:24. > :08:28.places because of the relation between, there is that the middle
:08:28. > :08:39.level. But with the state itself, I don't think they can work together.
:08:39. > :08:46.jihadists, you are talking about? I am talking about the Islamic state
:08:46. > :08:55.in Iraq. The Free Syrian Army, they think they should not exist. They
:08:55. > :09:00.already engage with them and I do not believe they are going to reach
:09:00. > :09:03.any sort of agreement in peace. Sooner or later they have to go
:09:03. > :09:10.against each other, head to head, without any doubt. That will add
:09:10. > :09:14.another challenging layer to peace in Syria. Thank you for talking
:09:14. > :09:18.another challenging layer to peace us. Now let's look at some of the
:09:18. > :09:27.day's other news. Two separate attacks on military bases in Yemen
:09:27. > :09:34.least 30 soldiers died in a car bombing. Another ten were killed
:09:34. > :09:41.military headquarters in the town of Mayfaa. Hassan Rouhani will meet the
:09:41. > :09:45.French president on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York
:09:45. > :09:50.next week. The announcement comes amid speculation that Mr Rowhani
:09:50. > :09:58.might also meet the US president, marking a major thaw in relations
:09:58. > :10:00.Greenpeace has God on the Russian government to release one of its
:10:00. > :10:04.ships after armed forces stormed government to release one of its
:10:04. > :10:08.in the Arctic. The activists say their ship was in international
:10:08. > :10:28.waters, Russia said it was violating an exclusion zone around an oil
:10:28. > :10:34.waters, Russia said it was violating reports, reconciliation is still
:10:34. > :10:40.Celebrations for what the Sri Lankan government calls a new era. In what
:10:40. > :10:41.used to be the rebel capital, it is staging a great wedding for fighters
:10:41. > :10:59.who have come over to its side. staging a great wedding for fighters
:10:59. > :11:07.are happier now, we spend 18 months changed ourselves. We started a
:11:07. > :11:08.are happier now, we spend 18 months New development, two, with the
:11:08. > :11:17.government spending huge sums to provide the economy in the North,
:11:17. > :11:21.but there are priced the Tamil people face is an increased military
:11:21. > :11:26.presence. There is a sense of fear here. We have been speaking to
:11:26. > :11:32.people and soldiers have shown up, there is a police car nearby and now
:11:32. > :11:40.no-one wants to speak to us. A rare voice speaking out is this woman,
:11:40. > :11:43.who admits that her son in law was a cat max three rebel but said the
:11:43. > :11:54.army arrested the whole family four TRANSLATION: They were just five and
:11:54. > :11:56.three years old when they were taken. I have to believe they are
:11:56. > :12:00.still alive, that is what keeps taken. I have to believe they are
:12:00. > :12:09.going. Otherwise, I would kill The Tamil Tigers became notorious
:12:09. > :12:13.for suicide attacks during their 30 year battle for independence. They
:12:13. > :12:16.finally succumbed to a massive army offensive four years ago. Both sides
:12:16. > :12:23.were accused of atrocities, the rebels of using Tamil civilians
:12:23. > :12:26.were accused of atrocities, the indiscriminate shelling, and this
:12:26. > :12:31.summer's hopes of reconciliation. This is the same area today read the
:12:31. > :12:35.Sri Lankan army defeated the Tamil Tiger rebels. -- this is the same
:12:35. > :12:41.area today where the Sri Lankan Tiger rebels. -- this is the same
:12:41. > :12:44.defeated the Tamil Tigers. The UN believes up to 40,000 people were
:12:44. > :12:49.killed in the fighting here, mostly because of army shelling. This time
:12:49. > :12:55.later, the shellacking government is independent investigation. Hugely
:12:55. > :13:00.popular in the South, the president feels little pressure to act and is
:13:00. > :13:08.Commonwealth summit. His military dismissed accusations that they
:13:08. > :13:14.committed a massacre. TRANSLATION: Not everybody can buy that. Unlike
:13:14. > :13:28.in other countries, this war was rebels, not against the civilian
:13:28. > :13:30.elections. The land is united now, says one Tamil, but people's minds
:13:30. > :14:01.voting in the country's general Germans are just two days away from
:14:01. > :14:02.voting in the country's general European and world stage - both
:14:02. > :14:06.politically and economically. Let's cross live now to our correspondent
:14:06. > :14:32.Katya Adler, in the German capital have affected the whole of Europe
:14:32. > :14:34.Katya Adler, in the German capital Berlin Wall, between East and West,
:14:34. > :14:37.and now again the world is watching Germany. You have got political
:14:37. > :14:40.and now again the world is watching business leaders, international
:14:40. > :14:44.markets, watching and hoping that the biggest economy in Europe is
:14:44. > :14:48.going to emerge rejuvenated after the elections and save the still
:14:48. > :14:51.struggling eurozone. But we are finding on the streets of Germany
:14:51. > :14:58.that Germans have more domestic issues on their minds, also linked
:14:58. > :15:02.to the economy, and with a whole list of woes. Despite those, as
:15:02. > :15:07.to the economy, and with a whole said, Angela Merkel is still needing
:15:07. > :15:11.Earlier I spoke to a well-known economic journalist here in Germany
:15:11. > :15:25.and I asked her this secret to Germans call her money, just doing
:15:25. > :15:29.having lots of time to have visions or spectacular things in mind, she
:15:29. > :15:35.just works for herself, and that seems to be very familiar with the
:15:35. > :15:39.German way of living and working. Comforting, not too aggressive,
:15:39. > :15:46.German way of living and working. is it a Kevin -- a clever play? She
:15:46. > :15:49.does neutralise opponents, but she does have to work with another party
:15:49. > :15:56.after these elections, there will be a coalition. It will either be a
:15:56. > :16:02.grand coalition with the social Democrats or a smaller one with
:16:02. > :16:09.grand coalition with the social Liberal Democrats. She would like to
:16:09. > :16:15.coalition, they will have to have a dominated by the social Democrats,
:16:15. > :16:20.and that would be the best way to solve the problems ahead for the
:16:20. > :16:34.next two years. At home and abroad? consensus between the political
:16:34. > :16:39.parties to do the problems together, to solve the things which emerge
:16:39. > :16:49.abroad together, but on the domestic basis, it had been a different
:16:49. > :16:55.polls suggesting it might scrape into Parliament. How would that
:16:55. > :17:12.affect the debate? It will be a wake-up call, even Germans have
:17:12. > :17:27.but you do not think they are good. European commission and the European
:17:27. > :17:34.but you do not think they are good. of anti-voters, which is unusual.
:17:34. > :17:51.but you do not think they are good. people have the impression they
:17:51. > :17:56.On paper and its reputation abroad, Germany is Europe's biggest economy
:17:57. > :17:58.and a wealthy export nation, but Germans know that looks can be
:17:58. > :18:04.deceptive. You have rising poverty, Germans know that looks can be
:18:04. > :18:08.deceptive. You have rising poverty, Germany boasts very impressive
:18:08. > :18:15.employment figures, that there is no national minimum wage, so poverty in
:18:15. > :18:20.poverty as well, 3 million children live in poverty. The cost of living
:18:20. > :18:26.is skyrocketing. This is squeezing the middle classes, and increasing
:18:26. > :18:34.numbers of families so they are finding it hard to put food on the
:18:34. > :18:37.Across Germany, you see more and more food dished vision centres
:18:37. > :18:41.Across Germany, you see more and this springing up on a voluntary
:18:41. > :18:50.basis, local shops donate food to people who need it in the area.
:18:50. > :18:56.basis, local shops donate food to centre is called Body and Soul.
:18:56. > :18:57.basis, local shops donate food to come here to get food not just for
:18:57. > :19:08.yourselves but for your by the granddaughter. I have been here
:19:08. > :19:13.yourselves but for your by the a year, because I lost my job, a
:19:13. > :19:17.librarian, a scientific librarian. I need the money for my flat, because
:19:17. > :19:26.the rent is very high, and that need the money for my flat, because
:19:26. > :19:30.why I am here. What about you? One can be surprised a former librarian
:19:30. > :19:36.is here, a former student, you have academic degrees. You do not find
:19:36. > :19:42.work. Do you have friends in the same situation? Yes, it is difficult
:19:42. > :19:49.to find a job when you do not have experience of. That is why I am
:19:49. > :19:54.here. Outside Germany, people think it is such a wealthy country, you
:19:54. > :20:00.are not going to get people like degrees, who need to come in and get
:20:00. > :20:13.food, this is the wealthiest economy country, but if you study somebody
:20:13. > :20:20.like me, it is very difficult to get a job. How do you feel about the
:20:20. > :20:25.future? Hopefully you have a long, healthy life have a few, do you
:20:25. > :20:51.future? Hopefully you have a long, the elections as a new beginning for
:20:51. > :21:17.Pollsters say that up to a third of openly. Many people that we chatted
:21:17. > :21:17.Pollsters say that up to a third of not made up their mind, so the
:21:17. > :21:23.political parties are scrambling not made up their mind, so the
:21:23. > :21:31.votes, because the polls show it is such a tight race between a party
:21:31. > :21:35.coalition, every vote counts. When it comes to the Chancellor, the
:21:35. > :21:41.polls say Angela Merkel will get the third term, but you outlined some of
:21:41. > :21:46.country which is seen as the big powerhouse of Europe. Has she got
:21:46. > :21:54.any big ideas of how to tackle those problems? It is interesting about
:21:54. > :22:00.Angela Merkel, she is so successful, she has bucked the trend in the
:22:00. > :22:04.Angela Merkel, she is so successful, We have seen governments fall, but
:22:04. > :22:06.Angela Merkel, she has been in power for eight years, she is riding so
:22:06. > :22:13.high. The secret of her success for eight years, she is riding so
:22:13. > :22:17.that she says absolutely nothing. If you followed the election campaign,
:22:17. > :22:29.and before, she is a master of appearing on German TV or at rallies
:22:29. > :22:33.and appearing calm, collected, in control, but actually saying very
:22:33. > :22:40.little. Many Germans say they like presidential, she does not have
:22:41. > :22:41.little. Many Germans say they like political opponents, and that is
:22:41. > :22:46.well received. But what she has political opponents, and that is
:22:46. > :22:50.post leave, nobody is sure, she political opponents, and that is
:22:50. > :23:02.not seen as an ideologue, much more of a pragmatist, somebody who goes
:23:02. > :23:06.science. She is seen as a careful scientist. Do not expect a big bang
:23:06. > :23:12.after this election, a big change in the course of German politics,
:23:12. > :23:17.either at home or abroad. Everybody is leaving Angela Merkel will be at
:23:17. > :23:21.the helm, but we do not know who will be at her side in coalition. We
:23:21. > :23:28.will be keeping you up-to-date with that. To have a look. We will be
:23:28. > :23:34.having an election special on Sunday night from 4pm on the BBC News
:23:34. > :23:52.take pride in, it is their sporting success, and there is expectation
:23:52. > :23:56.that they will clinch a major title in the world of yachting. They are
:23:56. > :24:18.just one win away from taking the in the world of yachting. They are
:24:18. > :24:20.just one win away from taking the past USA. They have, yes, the race
:24:20. > :24:39.40 miles an hour, but with speed in is starting in the next couple of
:24:39. > :24:41.40 miles an hour, but with speed in mind. When the wind picks up, they
:24:41. > :24:50.left off and hydrofoil across the bay. It is like Formula 1 racing on
:24:51. > :24:58.dangerous, there was an accident in the build-up to this race which
:24:58. > :25:00.dangerous, there was an accident in to one sailor losing his life. It
:25:00. > :25:03.depends on the wind. If the wind speed is too high, and if the tide
:25:03. > :25:10.is too high, the boats will not speed is too high, and if the tide
:25:10. > :25:14.happened yesterday. It was one race that the Kiwis needed in order to
:25:14. > :25:20.win. The Americans won the first race, taking it to 8-2. The second
:25:20. > :25:24.race was cancelled. The wind builds up here. All of the racing is close
:25:25. > :25:30.watching. The finishing line is up here. All of the racing is close
:25:30. > :25:35.there, which makes it exciting. up here. All of the racing is close
:25:35. > :25:39.of these cameras all over them, audio feeds, so you can hear the
:25:39. > :25:43.sailors as they are deciding their tactics and strategy. You can see
:25:43. > :25:48.how close the boats get as they tactics and strategy. You can see
:25:48. > :25:53.around the bay. It is very calm behind you, but it sounds very
:25:53. > :26:01.exciting. USA are on their home ground, anybody cheering on New
:26:01. > :26:07.Zealand? Oh, yes, most of the people Zealand colours, half of New Zealand
:26:07. > :26:13.has come to San Francisco! It has been an amazing Grace. They have
:26:13. > :26:21.taken a huge lead. The Americans have been clawing it back. The
:26:21. > :26:28.they started with -2, as a result of being accused of cheating, so they
:26:28. > :26:33.had a mountain to climb. But it depends on the wind. In the two
:26:33. > :26:41.races planned today, we are hoping they will both take place. But the
:26:41. > :26:42.My programme editor is from New Zealand, so I can tell you who is