03/11/2012 BBC Weekend News

Good afternoon. Rebels in Syria say they have

launched a major offensive to capture a military airport in the

north of the country. It comes as members of Syria's fragmented

opposition prepare to meet this weekend. They are trying to form a

united front. The latest fighting by rebels has been taking place

near Taftanaz, near Aleppo. Our World Affairs Correspondent, Peter

Biles, reports. The rebel offensive began at first

light. The fighters opened fire on the Taftanaz air base, using

multiple rocket launchers and mortars.

The video footage has not been verified, but it is thought to be

genuine. As many as five different rebel

units are said to be involved in the attack.

If they manage to capture and to hold the air base, it will be a

significant development. Taftanaz lies in a streak area between

Syria's two biggest cities, Aleppo and Damascus.

For some time the rebels have been trying to counter the government's

increasing use of air power. Syrian TV today, it said an armed

terrorist group attacked the airport with heavy weapons, but

that the assault was repelled by the army.

The latest offensive comes before an important Syrian opposition

meeting in the Gulf state of Qatar, but 19 months after the uprising in

Syria began, there is no sign of the conflict abating.

A man claims he was abused by a leading Conservative politician

more than three decades ago is seeking to meet with the Prime

Minister. The claims dates back to a scandal, the subject of a public

inquiry into child abuse in North Wales in the 1970s. The allegations

involved somebody alive but not named by the BBC's Newsnight

programme. We were abused, drink would be

involved. It was basically rape, but there would not just be him.

There were others involved as well. Barack Obama and his rival to the

US presidency, Mitt Romney, is facing a final weekend of

campaigning. Both candidates are insisting that they can win the

race for the White House. Polls in swing states suggests that the

contest is still tight. Let's go live to Washington. Our

correspondent, Zoe Conway, is there. A frantic weekend, then? Frantic,

yes. Barack Obama is visiting eight states in the next three days, Mitt

Romney is visiting six. They are spending a lot of time in Ohio, a

state that they are desperate to win. President Obama has a narrow

lead there, but in a sign of how nervous sides are, there are

thousands of lawyers on the ground, getting ready if they have to

challenge the result there. President Obama has a narrow lead

in most of the background states, but what is striking is how few

political commentators in Washington are prepared to stick

their necks out to say that the President will win that is because

they know that the crucial factor in all of this is turn out. How

enthusiastic are the voters? How many of them will bother to go to

the polls on Tuesday? Thank you. It is emerging that letters from

the former Labour minister, Denis MacShane, in which he admits