BBC news with Iain Purdon.

The body of the Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has arrived in Addis Ababa from Brussles where he died after a long illness. Large crowds carrying candles rattled along the

hearse

as it made its way through the city. Earlier, the Ethiopian government said it would continue the policies of Mr. Meles. Here is Peter Biles.

Meles Zenawi was credited with having been the architect of economic progress. Growth in Ethiopia has been as high as 11%. However, he recently admitted that democracy was a work in progress and his administration had a reputation for being intolerant of dissent. Internationally, though, Ethiopia's Prime Minister was a key ally of the West in the

turbulent

region of Africa. He sent troops into neighboring Somalia at least twice. The Islamist militants there al-Shabab have said that following the death of Mr. Meles, Ethiopia will now crumble.

Syria's deputy prime minister says the government is prepared to discuss the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad as part of an unconditional talks to end the 17 months of escalating conflict. Qadri Jamil made the remark at a news conference in Moscow. Grant Ferrett reports.

The Syrian government has said that before it is prepared for unconditional talks but the deputy prime minister Qadri Jamil has gone further, explicitly saying everything could be discussed including the resignation of President Assad. Mr. Jamil has been in office for just two months and recently suggested there could be no military solution to Syria's problems. But the United States, one of many governments that demand the removal of Mr. Assad, played down the remarks. A US State Department spokeswoman said they