26/05/2012 BBC Weekend News

Good afternoon. The United Nations has sent international monitors to

a town in Syria, to investigate claims that at least 90 people have

been massacred by government forces. Pictures have been released showing

dozens of bodies, including those of children, apparently filmed in

the town of Houla. Huge distress and trauma after what activist of

calling a massacre by a regime forces. They posted videos on the

internet. We cannot verify them or corroborate the numbers killed. All

this, despite a ceasefire that has supposedly been in place since the

middle of April. Cities like Homs have had little respite. Despite

the presence of UN observers, some shelling of -- with heavy weapons

has gone on. It is all bad news for Kofi Annan, whose six. Police plan

is in tatters. He is expected to go to Damascus next week to try to get

a dialogue going between government and opposition to try to find a

political way out of the crisis. With so much blood spilled, many in

the uprising do not want to talk to the regime of President Bashar al-

Assad. They wanted to go. It has been 14 minutes with 10,000 or more

dead. The uprising clearly is not going away. -- 14 months. The

rebels have turned to armed action. There are reports that more arms

are making their way through to the rebels, as the country slides

closer to the brink of civil war. The visit of Kofi Annan to Damascus,

if it happens, maybe the last chance of pulling it back. The

Government is drawing up contingency plans to deal with a

possible surge in immigration if the euro collapses. Theresa May has

said emergency border controls could be put in place to contain

the crisis. Police have begun a murder inquiry after a 23-year-old

man was shot dead in a crowded pub in Greater Manchester last night.

The attacker, wearing a balaclava, fired a series of shots in the

Cotton Tree Inn in Droylsden, before escaping in a car. Three

other men were taken to hospital with gunshot wounds. 12 towns in

England have been named as winners of a competition to help revitalise

high streets. The group includes Dartford, Stockport and Liskeard in

Cornwall. They will receive funding to help implement proposals by the

Government's retail adviser, Mary Portas. The Roman market town of

bolster declares itself ready for battle - a battle for survival.

competition has generated huge interest. Dartford and Kent -- in

Kent is a winner. Its high street has been hit hard by having one of

Europe's biggest shopping malls on its doorstep. Now this town centre

manager has the chance to try out some new ideas. He wants to find

new uses for empty shops, involving the community. With a going to do

things differently. We cannot rely solely on retail animal. -- we are

going. We would love to get start- up spy on our markets,