Hello, I’m Stewart Macintosh with the BBC news.

Hillary Clinton has spent 11 hours answering questions put by a Republican dominated congressional committee investigating a deadly attack on the US diplomatic compound in Benghazi in 2012. Mrs.Clinton, the front-runner for the democratic presidential ticket defend herself against accusations that she failed to give adequate protection to the US mission in Libya when she was the secretary of state. I came here because I said I would and I have done everything I know to do as have the people with whom I've worked to try to answer your questions. I cannot do any more than that. The answers have changed not at all since I appeared two years ago before the house in the senate. It is deeply unfortunate that something as serious as what happened in Benghazi could ever be used for partisan political purposes.

Russia is stepping up its diplomatic efforts to find a solution to the conflict in Syria as it continues its bombing campaign in support of President Assad. Later today, the Russian foreign minister will meet his counterparts from United States, Saudi Arabia and Turkey in Vienna. Bethany Bell is there. The meeting in Vienna brings together some of President Assad's harshest critics, the Americans, the Turks and the Saudis. Speaking in Vienna before the talks, the Saudi foreign minister said Russian interference in Syria was very dangerous and that Mr.Assad should leave the country. But for now at least, Russia seems intent on showing up Mr. Assad's position.

American defense officials have insisted that a raid by US and Kurdish forceson a prison run by Islamic State militant in northern Iraq does not reflect achange of tactics. About 70 captives were freed. Here's Gary O'Donoghue. The press secretary Peter Cook said information had suggested that the prisoners were facing imminent mass execution within hours. American helicopters transported troops to the town of Hawijah, 40 miles southwest of Kirkuk. Officials here say a number of IS militants were killed in the raid and five capturedalong with what they described as important intelligence about the militant group. It's the first American combat casualty in the fight against Islamic State. Nevertheless, the head of Central Command said the operation had been highly successful.

The South African president Jacob Zumba is due to meet student leaders today to address rising unrest over increasing tuition fees. The proposed hike has provoked a week of protest with anger increasingly directed against the governing ANC. Universities have said that they need to increase fees to be able to maintain standards. On Thursday, thousands of students gathered outside ANC headquarters in Johannesburg to demand free education for all.

World news from the BBC.

A hurricane heading towards the pacific coast of Mexico has strengthened into acategory 5 storm, the highest rating on the scale. The state of emergency has been declared in three states in the path of Hurricane Patricia which is projected to make landfall later on Friday. Mexican civil defense workers are making urgent preparations to face destructive waves and torrential rains. US National Hurricane Center has described Patricia as potentially catastrophic.

The co-founder and chief executive of Twitter Jack Dorsey says he's giving a third of his shares in the social media firm to its employees. Mr.Dorsey said in a twit that he wanted to reinvest in people. The stock amounts to 1% of the company which is valued at nearly 20 billion dollars.

Hundreds of indigenous people from around the world have taken part in atraditional fire lighting ceremony in Brazil on the eve of the first World Indigenous Games. Nicholas Racha has the details of the event in the city of Palmas. The athletes will be competing in traditional sports like football and athletics, but also indigenous games like archeries, spear-throwing, canoeing and a race through forests. As well as peoples from all the Americas,there are delegations from Australia, Russia, the Philippines, Ethiopia and New Zealand. But the cost of staging the games has drawn some protesters. They say the money would have been better spent on improving the lives of Brazil's indigenous people.

Parliament in the small pacific nation of Palau has approved to build and create one of the world's biggest marine sanctuaries. Eighty percent of the oceans around the archipelago, an area slightly larger than California will be saved from fishing and mining. The rest will be kept for local fishermen. With the population of 21,000, Palau which lies 1000 kilometers east of the Philippines created the world's first shark sanctuary six years ago.

And that is the latest BBC news.