BBC news with Jonathan Izard.

In his first live national address since June, president Bashar al-Assad of Syria has again condemned the opposition as foreign terrorists while offering what he described as a political solution to the conflict. President Assad said his initiative to end the violence would involve a national reconciliation conference to write a new constitution. James Reynolds reports from neighbouring Turkey.

Bashar al-Assad spoke for almost an hour in front of more than 1000 supporters gathered inside the Damascus opera hall. "We will continue to fight terrorism", President Assad told the audience, which appeared to take great pleasure in each of his words. Mr Assad repeated his assertion that the opposition in Syria was being led by what he called "foreign terrorists" organized by al-Qaeda. He offered to hold talks with an opposition acceptable to him, not with what he called "puppets" created by the west. As he ended his speech, dozens of supporters surged onto the podium to try to embrace him. The president struggled to leave the stage.

The US state department described President Assad's speech as another attempt to cling to power that did nothing to advance the Syrian people's goal of a political transition. The Opposition National Coalition in Syria also dismissed the speech.

A spokesman in Turkey Halid Hoca said President Assad wanted to scupper international efforts led by the United Nations mediator Lakhdar Brahimi towards a negotiated end to the conflict.

"Assad is denying the initiative of Mr Lakhdar Brahimi. He is refusing the political solution. So he is sending a message to international committee that he will not compromise with the international committee to sit with the Syrian opposition and discuss the situation."

A Pakistani soldier has been shot dead during an exchange of fire with Indian troops across the line of control that divides the disputed region of Kashmir. India denied Pakistani allegations that its forces crossed into Pakistani-controlled territory and attacked a Pakistani army post. The Indian military said it returned fire after coming under attack from mortars.

Central banks and regulators have for the first time agreed rules on the minimum quantities of cash or saleable assets that banks must hold in an effort to prevent another international financial crisis. Here's our business correspondent Theo Leggett.

The new rules have been drawn up in response to the banking crisis which began in 2007 and led to the collapse of leading international firms such as Bear&Stern and Lehman Brothers. The idea is to ensure that in future banks have enough ready cash and other assets which can easily be sold and turned into cash to enable them to survive an emergency for 30 days without having to call on government support. They form part of a package of reforms being put into place by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision which sets international rules for the industry. Over the next few years, banks will also be required to build up their core financial reserves in an effort to reduce the risk of them overextending themselves by lending too much.

BBC news.

Riot police in Kuwait have used tear gas and stun grenades against protesters demanding that the newly elected parliament be dissolved. Police said the demonstration in Kuwait city was not authorized. Several people were arrested.

Two people are reported to have been shot dead in a tiny Uzbek enclave of Sokh which is entirely surrounded by Kyrgyzstan. Reports said that hundreds of Sokh residents angry over an electricity dispute attacked Kyrgyz border guards and took a number of Kyrgyz citizens hostage. The border was then closed. Talks to resolve the situation are said to be under way.

The French actor Gerard Depardieu who's accepted a Russian passport in protest at a proposed wealth tax in France has visited the harsh central Russian region of Mordovia. Mr Depardieu who's angry at the French government's attempts to raise the top rate of tax to 75% will pay just 13% income tax if he lives in Russia for at least 6 months a year. Our Moscow correspondent Daniel Sandford reports.

The day began with overnight television pictures of Gerard Depardieu embracing and then dining with Vladimir Putin and off camera receiving his new passport though apparently not from the president himself. Then after a short flight, the passport was being shown off to a welcoming committee in Mordovia. The small Russian region is best known for the important role it played in Starlin's GULAG system. Gerard Depardieu ate pancakes, was given two kittens, and said everything was very beautiful.

Sepp Blatter, the head of world football's governing body FIFA has condemned the AC Milan player Kevin-Prince Boateng for leaving the pitch after being racially abused by fans. Mr Blatter said running away was not a solution and that teams risked losing the match if they followed the example of Boateng and the rest of the AC Milan side during a recent friendly in Italy. Mr Blatter provoked criticism in 2011 by suggesting that racist incidents in football could be settled with a handshake.

BBC news.