18/07/2012 BBC News at Ten

Tonight, a bomb attack strikes at the heart of the Assad regime in

Damascus. Among the victims, the President's brother-in-law and the

defence minister. The attack came on a fourth day of fighting in the

capital, as the Americans warned of more chaos. The violence has only

got worse, and the loss of life has only increased, which tells us that

this situation is rapidly slipping out of control. We will be looking

at the effects of the attack and the likely response. Also tonight -

there has been a fall in unemployment for the fourth month

in a row. Why a lack of exercise in adulthood can be as deadly as

smoking. Two out of three UK adults are not doing enough exercise. The

research says this is putting many of them into an early grave.

gangs of pickpockets said to be in training for the London Olympics.

And the first British win in the Tour de France is still on the

cards. Coming up in Sportsday - the Open is just a hours away. The much

maligned course is defended by the Good evening. Three senior members

of the Syrian regime, including the President's brother-in-law, have

been killed in a reported suicide bombing. It happened during a

meeting at the security headquarters in Damascus. Details

of exactly what happened are hard to establish. Our security

correspondent, frank gardener, reports. Military images on Syrian

state TV. To prepare the population for news of an attack on the very

heart of government. With deepest regret, said the presenter, a

bomber has attacked the headquarters of national security.

The Defence Minister, General Daoud Rajha, has been killed, said the

government, along with two other top military figures, including the

President's brother-in-law. Syria has been tightly-controlled by the

Assad family for more than 40 years. It has been an unelected dynasty.

The President's sister's husband is the man who was killed today, among

others. The deaths are a major blow to the inner circle. But the

government has vowed to defeat the rebels.

TRANSLATION: this is a decisive battle, not only in Damascus but in

Syria as a whole. They are wrong to underestimate us. These street

fighting pictures of Damascus were not filled by rebels, they are on

state television, a tacit admission by the regime of how serious the

situation has become. President Bashar al-Assad's 12-year rule is

under more threat than ever before. The capital, Damascus, is peaceful

no more. The violence has crept in from outlying districts like these.

Last night, the barracks guarding the Presidential Palace were set

ablaze. This morning's last was in a place which had been presumed to

be a secure stronghold. It has sent a message to the nation that the

hands of the revolution can reach anywhere. Even Assad himself is not

safe any more. But the regime still commands a massive, powerful and

ruthless military and security apparatus. It is wounded, but not

finished, which is worrying the rest of the world. This situation

is rapidly spinning out of control. For that reason, it is extremely

important that the international community should work with other

countries which have concerns in that area to bring maximum pressure

on Assad. The opposition's Mill's victory. They have been celebrating

today's attack, as most have lost faith in peace plans and diplomacy.

But this 16-month conflict is yet to burn itself out. The rebels are

unlikely to give up. Let's speak first of all about the impact of

this on the regime itself. Well, it is wounded, but not necessarily

mortally. This time last year, people were saying that the regime

would not make it till the end of the year, but it is still here. It

is, however, the most serious blow so far to the inner circle of

President Assad. It is the loss of somebody very close to the family,

somebody with enormous experience in military and security matters.

It is the loss of the personal loyalty and command and control

which he had built up in the military. He was tipped to be the

next commander-in-chief. It is also sending a message to everybody in

that regime - we can get you. There is still confusion about how

exactly it happened, whether it was a suicide bomb, or indeed possibly

a briefcase full of explosive. One report says 45 kilos, which sounds

rather a lot. But what matters is that he is gone. How do you see

this impacting on the diplomatic arena? I think this will have led a

lot of urgency to it. Tomorrow there is a crucial debate in the un

Security Council. Essentially you have got Russia and China on one

side, together with Iran, who are effectively shielding the regime

from further, tougher sanctions. And then you have got most of the

world, led by the West, on the other side, saying, this violence

has got to stop. They think the only way to find a peaceful

transformation to a new government, which does not include Assad, is to

put really tough, not military pressure on the regime. So far,

that has been resisted. Everybody agrees they need a transition, but

they cannot agree on how to get there. You can get lots more

information on the situation in Unemployment has fallen by 65,000

in the three months to June. But the number of people out of work

for more than two years is at its highest for 15 years. The

Chancellor has announced a new financing deal to help in the

creation of new jobs. Stephanie Flanders reports. Two years ago,

Lianne Mellor was an unemployed graduate who liked drawing as a

hobby. With some encouragement from her local JobCentre in Sheffield,

that hobby is now a thriving business. It is really, really hard

work, but it is so worth it. When you can look around you at the end

of the day and think, you're only here because of your own hard work,

and everything around you, you have created, it is a fantastic feeling.

The number of people in work grew by 181,000 in the three months to

May, the biggest rise in nearly a decade. The broadest measure of

unemployment fell by 65,000, to just over 2.5 million. But there

are still more people out of work today than there were one year ago,

and 440,000 who have been looking for a job for more than two the

years. We have had some positive figures for a few months. That

could indicate that the economy is not doing as badly as official

figures suggest. But it could just be a matter of time lacks, so I

would want to see these positive figures continuing for a lot longer.

The picture in London was much brighter than in many other parts

of the UK. Some say that short-term hires for the Olympics might be

flattering the figures. With the broader economy so weak, nobody is

confident that the good news on jobs is going to continue. That's

probably why we found the Chancellor, joined at the hip to

his Liberal Democrat coalition Chief Secretary, standing by a

massive hole in the ground in central London this morning, and

fading their plan to help the economy by party guaranteeing big

infrastructure projects which cannot otherwise get funding.

are private sector projects, business projects, which at the

moment cannot go ahead because of problems in the banking system and

the world economy, and we are using the good name of the British

Government, which has been built over the last few years, which

enables us to borrow cheaply, to guarantee these projects which

would not otherwise go ahead. Everybody gets excited about big

infrastructure projects, but they will not help the economy overnight.

They started digging here in April 2010, and it will not be finished

until the end of 2016. But if the projects the Chancellor are talking

about are so worthwhile, some are asking why it took the Treasury

nine months to work out how to help. We have come a long way. We had a

speech from the Prime Minister on infrastructure, and now, the

Treasury is getting its act together and starting to do stuff.

But given the scale of the infrastructure requirement, this is

a small step, not a large one. first started talking about

building his CrossRail link through London in 1948. Infrastructure does

not come quick. But whether it is new jobs or new investment, in a

flat economy, every little helps. An explosion on a bus carrying

Israeli tourists in Bulgaria has claimed the lives of at least six

people. The blast happened at Burgas airport, near a popular

Black Sea resort. The Israeli Foreign Minister has accused Iran

of being responsible. The multi- millionaire husband of Eva Rausing,

whose body was found at their home last week is London, has been

granted bail in court, on condition that he stays in a psychiatric

hospital. Hans Rausing is charged with delaying his wife's burial.

Eva Rausing's body was discovered under layers of boding.

A lack of exercise is causing as many deaths around the world as

smoking or obesity, say scientists. They say governments need to take

urgent action to tackle what they call a pandemic of inactivity. In

the UK, they say around two thirds of adults are not taking enough

regular exercise. Fergus Walsh reports. Pushing everything from

vaulting poles to paddles, the world's elite athletes are

descending on London. But for most of us, the Olympics will mean a

marathon in front of the TV. It is inactivity, which may help send us

to an early grave. Adults are supposed to do 2.5 hours of

moderately aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking or

pushing a lawnmower. Riding a bike is another option, or swimming. You

should be working hard enough to raise your heart rate. Twice a week,

you need to do exercise which strengthens all the major muscle

groups, such as heavy digging or yoga. But two out of three adults

in the UK do not manage that, which triggers one in 10 cases of

coronary heart disease and causes a staggering one in six deaths here.

What went wrong? Britons used to be far more active. Then came the car,

and labour-saving devices. Television glued us to our seats,

as did sedentary jobs. Then came computers and the intimate, each

generation getting less active. -- the Internet. This Cardiff Group

all have heart problems. Many never used to do any exercise. With his

manual job, this man did not realise he was unfit until he had a

heart attack. I never thought I would be as weak as this. When my

heart attack came to me all of a sudden, it shocked me. Children are

meant to do an hour's physical activity every day. But four out of

five do not manage it. The Compton School in north London is bucking

that trend, part of an Olympics education programme which is aiming

for a legacy of sports participation. I think it is

important that in school, you set the habits for the rest of your

life. If we can get them engaged, hopefully they will continue for

the rest of their lives. activity is a killer. That's the

message of the research in the Lancet journal. While we cannot all

win medals, staying active might Coming up on the programme:

A report on the pickpocekt gangs from Eastern Europe who say they

are coming to London for the Olympics. I knew they were going to

lift something from my pocket and my bag. I was still shocked and

surprised how quickly it happened and the fact I didn't feel anything

leave my pockets or my bag. Now, in nine days' time thousands

of volunteers will take part in the opening ceremony of the Olympic

Games, an ambitious pageant directed by Danny Boyle exploring

British culture and history but as full-scale rehearsals get under way

in the coming days, the extent of the show and numbers involved are

enforcing some changes. In a far corner of the Olympic Park,

performers of all ages arrive for another day of secret rehearsals.

Opening ceremony? What part do you play? We are not allowed to say,

sworn to secrecy. But inside, the 10,000 cast members would hear

today half an hour of the show has to be cut to save time. It's sad,

for the amount of hours we have put in, at this late stage to be told

but you know what we have to work with what we have got. We will make

it right. Are you heard what will be cut? Not at all, never heard a

thing. Not you, is it? I might find out later, I hope not. In fact it's

this kind of thing that's gone, a BMX stunt routine involving dozens

of bikers keen to showcase their sport. When they told you, what was

your response? It completely and utterly gutted to be honest.

bikers have signed contracts which means they can't be interviewed on

camera. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity that will never happen

again. I couldn't believe it. To be honest I thought they were going to

take me out of the show because I wasn't good enough or something,

then he said -, no, it is everyone. The organisers insist that the

changes to the ceremony have nothing to do with recent security

concerns. It's been cut for one very simple reason, that we need to

get people out of the Olympic Park on to the transport system and back

into central London before the last trains leave at 2.30am. Tonight,

out of view, but just about audible, rehearsals continue for an event

that will be seen by billions. Even if the biggest show on earth has

just got a little smaller. The Metropolitan Police is warning

that gangs from Eastern Europe and South America are planning a crime

wave in London during the Olympics. Gang members have been boasting

they have the skills toorgt tourists and to outsmart the police

at the same time. -- to target tourists.

Chris Rodgers have been speaking to some of the so-called career

pickpocekts. Welcome to a pickpocekting mecca. Crime

statistics show Barcelona is one of the riskiest places in the world to

hold on to your bags and wallets. Very good pickpocekt. This gang are

part of a network of 50 Romanian pickpocekts here. We go to London

this year. Johny, mar and dany say they will soon be aiming for gold

at the London Olympics. -- Mario and Danny. They agree to show me

how they do it. Here Johny is the distractor, Johny the runner slips

off to whatever Mario, the pickpocket gives to him. They have

named this after the footballer when he scores, Ronaldinio. Cameras,

laptops and phones are sold on the Romanian black market. Unbelievable.

What they really prefer is cash from wallets. This week you can

make zero euros. The next week you can make 5,000 because a tourist

just left his bag a second, you know. A second could ruin your

vacation. Even though I knew they were going

to lift something from my pocket or bag, I was still shocked and

surprised about how quickly it happened and the fact I didn't

notice, I didn't feel anything leave my pockets or my bag. Only a

trained eye has any chance of spotting a pick-pocket as they

strike. Tourists search for their valuables but the thieves are long

gone. So are their clothes, wallets and phones. The man in the white T-

shirt is the pick-pocket. It is the wallet. The wallet is now with him.

Look, he takes the money and all of this. Look at the gie. He doesn't

know he doesn't have his wallet. -- look at the guy. This gang say

they'll soon leave Barcelona and head to London. They're doing their

research. So you are looking at the shopping centre here the Olympic

village. London buses, touristic buses, you can go upstairs. Buses

are a good target for you. Police. Gang spot a potential obstacle. An

online article reports on the British police's efforts to

crackdown on foreign pick pockets. It's called Operation Podium,

targeting Olympic--related crime. This is the early-morning wake-up

call many foreign pick pockets could receive. This house has been

rented by a gang of suspected Romanian thieves in east London.

This is a pre-emptive strike to put gangs of pick pockets out of

business before they arrive for the Olympics. It is also a very clear

message for gangs still thinking of coming here. We know where people

Rwe know the addresses and vehicles they are using. We will come

through the door very hard and if you have anything, you will be

arrested. In the first week of police raids, more than 80 arrests

were made. But Scotland Yard say public vigilance is the best weapon

against the pick pockets who claim they can steal in just one second.

David Cameron has been visiting British troops in Afghanistan,

where he has promised that more of them will be brought home next year.

During the trip to Helmand province, he said he wanted a sensible,

orderly process of handing control of security there to the Afghan

forces. The United Nations is warning that

hundreds of millions of pounds are needed to prevent another

humanitarian disaster in somealia. A year ago the UN declared a

familiarin in parts of the country, following a doubt that affected the

vast area of East Africa. After a global aid effort the famine was

claimed to be over in February but the threat has now returned. Our

African correspondent Andrew Harding, who reported on last

year's famine has been back to Somalia. Somalia, dry as a bone,

and as dangerous as ever. We have come back a year after the famine

to see how much has changed here. Last year we found scenes like this.

Tens of thousands starving. Today, a much better picture. These

families still dependent on foreign aid but there is no shortage of

that here and no sense of panic. It's one year since I was last at

this camp, at the height of the Somali famine. Looking around now,

it's clear that things have improved significantly since then.

That's largely thanks to foreign aid and also to one decent harvest.

And yet this remains a very precarious country and in the next

few months, hunger is expected to increase once more.

And here are the warning signs: new arrivals fleeing from an area

controlled by an Islamist group, Al-Shabab.

! "There is drought at home once again" says this 40-year-old, "And

Al-Shabab threaten and steal from us." It may not add up to another

famine but Somalia is still on life support. The generosity that the

world demonstrated when the famine was declared was phenomenal and we

are grateful for that. But when statistically famine is over, it is

not over yet. Kids continue to die. Kids continue to need assistance.

We can't lotion that momentum, we have to continue.

Some aid, not enough, is going on longer-term projects. We found

these farmers being helped to irrigate their crops and feed their

communities themselves. But most don't have that option.

They remain at the Mersey of two fickle enemies, conflict and doubt.

Tsh at the mercy. Jack Matthews, one of the great

names of Welsh rugby has died at the age of 92. He was a key member

of the Welsh Grand Slam team of 1950 and of the Lions' tour to New

Zealand and Australia the same year. He formed one of the greatest

midfield partnerships in rugby along side Bleddyn Williams.

Bradley Wiggins is still on course to become the first British cyclist

to win the Tour de France, after the demanding 16th stage in the

Pyrenees. Bradley Wiggins, the nan yellow and

the man currently in clover, his serene sweep over the finish line

coming six hours after some of the toughest riding in this year's tour

it. Also came after sadly familiar news, that of a failed drugs test

from Frank Schleck. He has denied all and blamed poisoning but has

quit the tour. There was boiling heat, brutal climbs and vast

distances in the Pyrenees. Voke voke voke thrashed. He struck out

on his own for a stage win. -- Thomas Voeckler. It was all too

much for Cadel Evans, who had the pain of pedaling forwards while

going backwards. In front of him, the three men leading the overall

race. Niblis lying in third trying to attack, he just puffed his

cheeks and sucked the challenger back. In this sight is becoming