President Assad denies Syria abuses

In an exclusive BBC interview, Syria's president Bashar al-Assad has denied that government troops have used indiscriminate violence against its own people in the country's bitter civil war.

The Syrian leader said there had been no direct co-operation with US-led forces since air strikes against Islamic State militants began in Syria in September, but he revealed third parties - among them Iraq - were conveying "information".

Jeremy Bowen reports.