:00:04. > :00:13.Fighting intensifies in Syria, with dozens more civilians reported
:00:13. > :00:18.killed today. Government forces step up their attacks, just days
:00:18. > :00:22.before a ceasefire's due to begin. The United States says satellite
:00:22. > :00:25.pictures prove the offensive continues and the world is watching.
:00:25. > :00:32.A new promise of financial transparency - the Government says
:00:32. > :00:36.the tax returns of senior ministers may be made public.
:00:36. > :00:41.The Oxford Cambridge boat race is brought to a halt - by a man in a
:00:41. > :00:51.wetsuit. And Celtic clinch the Scottish
:00:51. > :01:02.
:01:02. > :01:05.Premier League title, thrashing Good evening.
:01:05. > :01:08.There's been more intense fighting in Syria today, with reports across
:01:08. > :01:12.the country of government forces stepping up attacks on opponents of
:01:12. > :01:16.President Assad's regime. It comes just days before a UN-brokered
:01:16. > :01:19.ceasefire is due to come into force. Activists say scores of civilians
:01:19. > :01:24.have been killed. Graphic video footage appears to show large
:01:24. > :01:34.numbers of casualties and evidence of mass executions. You may find
:01:34. > :01:37.
:01:37. > :01:41.some images in Jim Muir's report It is the 65th anniversary of the
:01:41. > :01:46.ruling Ba'ath Party. In Damascus, the regime was celebrating, with a
:01:46. > :01:51.big rally for the faithful to show their support. But in the third
:01:51. > :01:55.biggest city, Homs, a very different story. Just two days
:01:55. > :02:01.before the deadline to stop the crackdown, heavy bombardment of
:02:01. > :02:04.several quarters and many deaths, mostly from shelling. Activist said
:02:04. > :02:14.this footage showed a group of men who had been put up against a wall
:02:14. > :02:14.
:02:15. > :02:20.Even more died in artillery and tank fire further north. A real
:02:20. > :02:25.mascot, acts of -- activists called it -- a real massacre. They
:02:25. > :02:28.produced videos to gruesome for us to show. Syria has told Kofi Annan
:02:28. > :02:32.it has already pulled the military out of some areas and it will
:02:32. > :02:37.complete the process by Tuesday. The American said satellite images
:02:37. > :02:43.showed them still in place, or just being moved from one location to
:02:43. > :02:47.another. If the government does honour its pledge to crack down --
:02:47. > :02:53.end the crackdown by Tuesday, the Free Syrian Army are supposed this
:02:53. > :02:57.follows suit and stop their attacks within two days. That would allow
:02:57. > :03:03.the un observers to deploy -- the UN observers. Thousands of refugees
:03:03. > :03:07.have streamed across the border into Turkey. TRANSLATION:, for one
:03:07. > :03:11.week, there has not been a call to prayer. They gave us two hours to
:03:11. > :03:16.bury our dead. If we could bury them in that time, we buried them,
:03:16. > :03:20.but the ones we could not got left there, half buried. It is not the
:03:20. > :03:25.first time an approaching deadline has triggered a major escalation,
:03:25. > :03:31.shaking any confidence there might have been.
:03:31. > :03:36.Jim Muir joins us now. Does this inspire much conference in next
:03:36. > :03:41.week's withdrawal and ceasefire? Clearly not. -- inspire much
:03:41. > :03:45.confidence? There is no doubt it is tied to the impending deadline, the
:03:45. > :03:49.government is trying to maximise its position in relation to a
:03:49. > :03:53.blurring of the whistle on Tuesday. So much hostility has been stirred
:03:53. > :03:57.up a -- a blowing of the whistle. Armed opposition people are also
:03:57. > :04:04.probably stacking up their attacks in order to maximise their position,
:04:04. > :04:08.promote the government, but so much blood has been spilt that the
:04:08. > :04:13.danger is the momentum will be continued on Tuesday. It only needs
:04:13. > :04:17.so many trips to be in one area for the armed opposition rebels to say,
:04:17. > :04:24.the government has not kept his pledge, we will keep up our attacks.
:04:24. > :04:29.That will be taken as a redoubling of the crackdown. The signs are
:04:29. > :04:33.that the Syrian government is seen Tuesday as a sort of deadline and
:04:33. > :04:36.is working towards that. If you are not to miss, you could say that is
:04:36. > :04:41.a good sign. If it does hold to its pledge and pull out of towns and
:04:41. > :04:44.cities, stop using heavy weapons, pull the tanks out, etc, the owners
:04:44. > :04:49.would be on the opposition to follow suit. They would be under
:04:49. > :04:53.strong pressure from Kofi Annan and others to call off their tax and
:04:54. > :04:57.allow the UN observers to deploy. We will have to wait and see if
:04:57. > :05:00.that does happen. The Chancellor, George Osborne,
:05:00. > :05:04.says he may publish the personal tax returns of senior ministers, in
:05:05. > :05:07.the interest of greater financial transparency. Labour say they'd
:05:07. > :05:09.support the proposal, and the Government is suggesting the
:05:10. > :05:15.changes could be in place by the next general election. Our
:05:15. > :05:21.political correspondent, Ben Wright, reports.
:05:21. > :05:24.He set up taxes, but how much tax do he and his colleagues pay? --
:05:24. > :05:29.sets our taxes. There was a controversial cut to the 50p top
:05:29. > :05:34.rate of income tax. Hands up in the cabinet did you are going to
:05:34. > :05:37.benefit. Labour goaded the government front bench to come
:05:37. > :05:41.clean about whether they would be better off. George Osborne said
:05:41. > :05:45.that in the last tax year, he was not a 50p tax payer. The government,
:05:45. > :05:48.he said, was happy to consider publishing tax returns for people
:05:48. > :05:53.seeking the highest offices. The Chancellor added that ministers
:05:53. > :05:57.have got to think through the issue of tax payer confidentiality.
:05:57. > :06:02.think it should be for very senior politicians, those who want to run
:06:02. > :06:06.our country, or be in charge of the nation's finances. I do think it is
:06:06. > :06:10.reasonable to ask them to put their tax affairs into the public domain.
:06:10. > :06:12.In the race to be London mayor, Boris Johnson and Ken Livingstone
:06:12. > :06:19.have been locked in a row about respective tax arrangements, each
:06:19. > :06:23.accusing the other of avoiding income tax. I am happy to publish
:06:23. > :06:27.details of everything I have learnt in the last four years, are you
:06:27. > :06:32.going to do the same. Of course I will. The mayoral candidates have
:06:32. > :06:36.now revealed their earnings. A source close to Ed Miliband had
:06:36. > :06:39.said Labour would match any move on tax disclosure by the government.
:06:39. > :06:43.Politicians have reached for transparency in an effort to
:06:43. > :06:48.increase touch -- trust in their profession. It is their tax affairs
:06:48. > :06:53.that are in focus now. George Osborne called tax-evasion marry
:06:53. > :06:58.would -- morally repugnant. What about any money they make from
:06:58. > :07:02.rental income, or shares, and what tax do they pay on that? By the
:07:02. > :07:05.time of the next election, senior ministers and party members may be
:07:05. > :07:09.expected to show that in private, they do what they preach in public.
:07:09. > :07:14.It is what happens in the United States, where Mitt Romney has been
:07:14. > :07:17.under pressure to explain how much tax he plays on his brilliance. Not
:07:18. > :07:27.everyone in George Osborne's party is convinced America has got it
:07:28. > :07:30.
:07:30. > :07:34.His we are in danger of too much being about individual choices.
:07:34. > :07:38.not enough of the debate being about what they are going to do on
:07:38. > :07:45.public time and in public office. Many will be squeamish about their
:07:45. > :07:53.private tax affairs being made public. But transparency may soon
:07:53. > :07:56.be expected to trump pressie at Westminster.
:07:56. > :07:59.The 158th Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race was suspended in dramatic
:07:59. > :08:02.fashion this afternoon, after a protestor swam out into the path of
:08:02. > :08:05.the boats. Police arrested a 35-year-old man,
:08:05. > :08:11.believed to beat Mauro Demetrio, an Australian campaigner against
:08:11. > :08:15.elitism. -- believed to be Trenton Oldfield. The race started again
:08:15. > :08:19.but that was but the end of the controversy.
:08:19. > :08:25.After 158 years, the most dramatic Boat Race. In equal measure, this
:08:25. > :08:30.was disturbing, compelling and confusing. One has happened?
:08:30. > :08:34.Cambridge have stopped. There is a man swimming a cross between the
:08:34. > :08:38.boats, both crews have to stop. lone swimmer stopped the race,
:08:38. > :08:43.narrowly avoiding injury himself. It emerged he was protesting,
:08:43. > :08:49.apparently about elitism. In London's Olympic year, it is a
:08:49. > :08:55.reminder of how easily a high- profile sport can be disrupted. The
:08:55. > :09:04.race was restarted and quickly became chaotic. A big clash. There
:09:04. > :09:12.is a broken oar. Look carefully at the Oxford oar. A blade is missing.
:09:12. > :09:17.Oxford first past the post cox howled at the umpire -- Oxford's
:09:17. > :09:23.cox howled at the umpire. At the end of the race, Oxford were still
:09:23. > :09:28.furious. But the umpire was unmoved. And suddenly, there was something
:09:28. > :09:32.far more important to worry about. Oxford crew member Alex Woods,
:09:32. > :09:37.lying exhausted and immobile. With grave concern about his condition,
:09:37. > :09:40.he was taken from the river to hospital, where he was subsequently
:09:40. > :09:50.reported to be stable. The Boat race has become a contest where
:09:50. > :09:52.
:09:52. > :09:55.victory is everything. This year it seemed almost meaningless.
:09:55. > :09:58.The two biggest teaching unions have voted in favour of stepping up
:09:58. > :10:07.industrial action. Both the NASUWT and the NUT could stage walkouts by
:10:07. > :10:10.the summer. The Department for Education insisted the proposed
:10:10. > :10:12.changes to pay and conditions gave teachers more powers and protection.
:10:12. > :10:13.From Birmingham our education correspondent, Reeta Chakrabarti,
:10:13. > :10:16.reports. Teachers from both this union and
:10:17. > :10:22.the NUT could go on strike as early as the summer term, such is their
:10:22. > :10:26.anger at what they call a vicious assault by government policies.
:10:26. > :10:31.Every single day, we are being publicly and deliberately vilified.
:10:31. > :10:36.Teachers don't want to take action. Teachers want to teach. I think
:10:36. > :10:39.headteachers will feel more pushed to take action in the future, yes.
:10:39. > :10:43.Teachers have many grievances. They are angry about their pensions,
:10:43. > :10:47.into which they are paying more and they have to work longer for. Their
:10:47. > :10:51.pay, like others in the public sector, has been frozen for two
:10:51. > :10:54.years. And they are opposed to academies, publicly funded
:10:54. > :10:59.independent schools, which they say could break up state education.
:10:59. > :11:03.There is no minister here for the first time ever. Labour's spokesman
:11:03. > :11:07.told teachers they should be held in higher esteem, guaranteed to
:11:07. > :11:10.getting warm applause. He would not back strike action. I am not in the
:11:10. > :11:15.business of supporting strike action. I want schools to be open,
:11:15. > :11:18.I want children learning. I do recognise that teachers have some
:11:18. > :11:22.very legitimate grievances and a very important contribution to make
:11:22. > :11:25.to the debate. My appeal would be too Michael Gove to listen to those
:11:25. > :11:29.concerns and sit down with the NASUWT and the other teachers'
:11:29. > :11:34.representatives. The government says strikes benefits no one, and
:11:34. > :11:38.that on pensions, the present offer is as good as it gets. Without
:11:38. > :11:43.compromise on one side or another, today brings strikes in schools
:11:43. > :11:46.this autumn a bit closer. Sport now, and for a full round-up
:11:46. > :11:49.of all the day's action, Lizzie Greenwood-Hughes is at the BBC
:11:49. > :11:52.Sport Centre. Good evening.
:11:52. > :11:54.Celtic manager, Neil Lennon, described it as the best day of his
:11:54. > :11:57.professional career, after his side won their first Scottish Premier
:11:57. > :12:06.League title in four years with a 6-0 victory at Kilmarnock. Chris
:12:06. > :12:09.McLaughlin watched the action. The Celtic fans who had gathered in
:12:09. > :12:13.Kilmarnock had been forced to put the champagne on ice in recent
:12:13. > :12:18.weeks. But with just one point needed to secure the championship,
:12:18. > :12:22.they were determined to party. So were the players. They promised to
:12:22. > :12:26.deliver in style, and they did just that. Defender Charlie Mulgrew got
:12:26. > :12:30.them going after just eight minutes. A total of five goals followed in
:12:30. > :12:39.what was in the end, a six-goal rout. This Joe Ledley effort was
:12:39. > :12:43.perhaps the pick of the bunch. And then, it was on to the celebrations.
:12:43. > :12:49.Celtic did the Hoddle added was a queue for the hoops to get the
:12:49. > :12:56.party started. Jubilation followed and Neil Lennon reflected the mood
:12:56. > :13:00.in the stands and across the country. With a season dominated by
:13:00. > :13:02.Rangers administration, on the field, Celtic took the honours.
:13:02. > :13:05.Elsewhere, Rangers strengthened their grip on second place with a
:13:05. > :13:08.3-1 win over St Mirren. Aberdeen ended a run of three consecutive
:13:08. > :13:13.defeats beating Dundee United 3-1. Hearts added to struggling
:13:13. > :13:20.Dunfirmline's woes with a 2-1 victory at East End Park. And St
:13:20. > :13:23.Johnstone moved up to fourth, despite only drawing with Inverness.
:13:23. > :13:26.Match Of The Day follows this programme, so if you don't want to
:13:26. > :13:29.know the results from today's Premier League games, you know what
:13:29. > :13:32.to do. Look away now. Chelsea moved back into fifth place
:13:32. > :13:35.with a Juan Mata stoppage-time winner, to beat struggling Wigan 2-
:13:35. > :13:40.1 at Stamford Bridge. The visitors claimed that Chelsea's opening goal
:13:40. > :13:43.from Branislav Ivanovic was offside. West Brom beat Blackburn 3-0, to
:13:43. > :13:48.move 11 points clear of the relegation zone. It was Rovers'
:13:48. > :13:51.third defeat in a row and keeps them third from bottom. Two goals
:13:51. > :13:55.from Clint Dempsey helped Fulham to a rare away success in a 3-0
:13:55. > :13:58.victory at Bolton. Liverpool ended a run of three defeats with a late
:13:58. > :14:01.equaliser from Luis Suarez eight minutes from time, in the 1-1 draw
:14:02. > :14:06.with Aston Villa. Norwich City came from behind twice to hold Everton
:14:06. > :14:09.2-2 at Carrow Road. Nikica Jelavic scoring twice for the Toffees.
:14:09. > :14:14.There was more misery for bottom- of-the-table Wolves, who lost 2-1
:14:14. > :14:17.at Stoke despite going a goal ahead. And Tottenham moved above Arsenal
:14:17. > :14:23.into third spot after a goalless draw with Sunderland at the Stadium
:14:23. > :14:26.of Light. Great Britain's cyclists won medals
:14:26. > :14:31.of all three colours on the penultimate day of the World Track
:14:31. > :14:38.Cycling Championships. 19-year-old Laura Trott claimed her second gold
:14:38. > :14:43.with victory in the women's omnium. The battle for the one sprint slot
:14:43. > :14:47.at London 2012 intensified. A world championship race for Sir
:14:47. > :14:51.Chris Hoy, which could well have a big bearing on the Olympics. In
:14:51. > :14:55.London, each country can only have one entrant in the Sprint. This
:14:55. > :15:00.head-to-head against fellow Briton, Jason Kenny, was always going to be
:15:00. > :15:03.a crucial part of the selection process. The first race in the
:15:03. > :15:07.best-of-three series was tight and Kenny finished just ahead. Sir
:15:07. > :15:15.Chris Hoy had to win the second. His opponent had too much power in
:15:15. > :15:18.the closing stages. Gracious in defeat, his outstretched hand was
:15:18. > :15:21.acknowledgement of the achievement of the man who might have stolen
:15:21. > :15:25.his Olympic place. If it was confirmed today that Sir Chris Hoy
:15:25. > :15:29.is no longer the dominant force he once was, we also saw the
:15:30. > :15:34.continuing emergence of British cycling's newest star. If you don't
:15:34. > :15:39.know much about Laura Kraut, you almost certainly will by the end of
:15:39. > :15:45.the Olympics. -- Laura Trott. She already had a gold medal this week
:15:45. > :15:49.from the team pursuit. Today, she added a second. The arid -- 19-
:15:49. > :15:59.year-old has never been beaten at eight major championships and that
:15:59. > :16:03.doesn't look like changing in London.
:16:03. > :16:07.Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy are finding the going tough at the
:16:07. > :16:11.Masters, as the famous Augusta course continues to test the best.
:16:11. > :16:13.As Westwood comes to the end of his third round, he's currently three
:16:14. > :16:18.shots off the leaders, Louis Oustheizen and Matt Kuchar. Along
:16:18. > :16:21.with a full Nickerson, they are on six under par. -- along with Phil
:16:21. > :16:23.Mickelson. Four-times winner, Tiger Woods, admits his Masters hopes are
:16:24. > :16:27."hanging by a thread" after hitting a 72 for 3-over par.
:16:27. > :16:29.England's cricketers have kept hold of their status as the number one
:16:29. > :16:32.Test team with an eight-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the
:16:32. > :16:36.second and final Test. Spinner Graeme Swann took six of Sri
:16:36. > :16:38.Lanka's second innings wickets - and ten in the match - as they were