:00:10. > :00:14.Opposition activists accuse government troops of the largest
:00:14. > :00:20.massacre so far in the conflict in Syria. They claim 250 bodies have
:00:20. > :00:23.been found after soldiers retook an area on the outskirts of Damascus.
:00:23. > :00:27.The Roman Catholic church in Scotland steps up its campaign
:00:27. > :00:32.against gay marriage. Priests read out a letter of objection at
:00:32. > :00:33.hundreds of church services. Now there's a Paralympics tickets
:00:33. > :00:41.row, after wheelchair users complain they're being
:00:41. > :00:45.discriminated against when it comes to making bookings.
:00:45. > :00:55.And who's the daddy? After the arrival of twins, Mo Farrah shows
:00:55. > :01:07.
:01:07. > :01:10.his class to win his first race Syrian government troops have been
:01:10. > :01:14.accused of a massacre on the outskirts of Damascus, in an area
:01:14. > :01:19.which the regime retook from rebels yesterday. Opposition groups say
:01:19. > :01:22.250 bodies have been found in the town of Daraya. They claim many
:01:22. > :01:25.were victims of execution-style killings. Syrian state television
:01:25. > :01:28.claimed the town was being "cleansed of terrorist remnants".
:01:28. > :01:31.The Foreign Office says if the reports are confirmed, the killings
:01:31. > :01:39.would be "an atrocity on a new scale". Barbara Plett's report
:01:39. > :01:44.contains disturbing images. This seems to show the beginning of
:01:44. > :01:48.the ground assault on Daraya, although we haven't been able to
:01:48. > :01:52.verify the footage. Troops searched house-to-house for rebels to return
:01:52. > :01:58.to the area after being driven out last month. -- rebels who returns
:01:58. > :02:02.to the area. This time the army wanted to deliver a killer blow,
:02:02. > :02:06.showering the town for days before entering -- shelling the town for
:02:06. > :02:11.days. Many shot at close range. Unverified images show what appears
:02:11. > :02:15.to be a mass grave. The victims include women and children, some
:02:16. > :02:21.apparently shot while fleeing. Some believe it has become not just a
:02:21. > :02:30.man at -- matter of depleting the rebels but exacting revenge.
:02:30. > :02:37.level of brutality has increased. We have seen it shootings that are
:02:37. > :02:40.execution in style, they are not sparing women or children. Pro-
:02:40. > :02:44.government television made it sound like the village had been liberated
:02:44. > :02:49.from terrorists. For the past four days we have been surrounded by
:02:49. > :02:54.armed terrorist groups. Only today they told us the army is back. We
:02:54. > :02:58.are safe now. Further north near the city of Aleppo, the government
:02:58. > :03:02.has been using warplanes. The fighting today what reported to be
:03:02. > :03:06.the heaviest in the past week as the army continues his policy of
:03:06. > :03:09.using overwhelming force to try to crush the resistance.
:03:09. > :03:12.Barbara - who's in neighbouring Lebanon - joins us now. With the
:03:12. > :03:22.conflict now almost 18 months old, the opposition continues to claim
:03:22. > :03:26.government troops are targeting civilians? -- in targeting rebels,
:03:26. > :03:31.they are indiscriminately killing civilians. It looks that way. The
:03:31. > :03:35.government is using heavy weapons to Shell and bomb rebel-held areas.
:03:35. > :03:39.Because the fighting is in big cities, these are often residential
:03:39. > :03:44.areas so civilians get caught up. It seems that the army see certain
:03:44. > :03:48.areas as hostile. For example, the southern suburbs of Damascus, which
:03:48. > :03:51.are Sunni, working-class and more sympathetic to the opposition. When
:03:51. > :03:55.they have the ground assault and the troops go in, they don't
:03:55. > :04:00.necessarily distinguish between residents and rebels. You get a lot
:04:00. > :04:03.of men of fighting age killed, even if they are not actually fighters.
:04:03. > :04:06.Priests in all 500 Roman Catholic parishes in Scotland have read out
:04:06. > :04:14.a letter, criticising the devolved government's plans to introduce gay
:04:14. > :04:18.marriage. Ministers announced proposals last month to make
:04:19. > :04:26.Scotland the first part of Britain to make it legal. Our Scotland
:04:26. > :04:29.correspondent, Colin Blane, reports. In every parish, the Catholic
:04:29. > :04:34.Church's message to the Scottish Government about gay marriage was
:04:34. > :04:38.the same. We write to you, having already expressed are deep
:04:38. > :04:45.disappointment that the Scottish Government has decided to redefine
:04:45. > :04:53.marriage and legislate for same-sex marriage. The letter from all
:04:53. > :04:56.Scotland's Catholic bishops went on Although the Catholic Church is not
:04:56. > :05:02.alone in arguing against same-sex marriage, it has taken a lead in
:05:02. > :05:05.making such a direct appeal. People who have the view that all people
:05:05. > :05:08.through history have had, that marriages between a man and a woman,
:05:08. > :05:13.will suddenly be told they are outside the law, they have to
:05:13. > :05:16.accept a new definition of it. That is why it is so serious for the
:05:16. > :05:22.Church and why we are reassessing the teaching points again.
:05:22. > :05:26.Parishioners reflected on what they had heard. God created two people,
:05:26. > :05:35.a man and a woman, that is the way it should be. We should uphold
:05:35. > :05:40.these values in Scottish society. I don't think we should be a tall
:05:40. > :05:44.apologetic -- at all apologetic. support marriage but I also support
:05:44. > :05:49.loving relationships between people of the same sex. In March this year,
:05:49. > :05:54.Cardinal Keith O'Brien, the leader of Scotland's Catholics, described
:05:54. > :05:58.gay marriage as a grotesque subversion. The language being used
:05:58. > :06:00.is disappointing and unfortunate. Not only is it making ordinary
:06:00. > :06:03.Scots feel particularly disappointed with the way the
:06:03. > :06:08.debate has gone, but for the majority of Catholics, it is making
:06:08. > :06:10.them feel slightly isolated from the church. It is clear that
:06:10. > :06:14.Cardinal Keith O'Brien is determined to keep up the pressure
:06:14. > :06:17.on the Scottish Government over same-sex marriage. Last week, he
:06:17. > :06:22.broke off personal discussions with Scotland's first minister, Alex
:06:22. > :06:25.Salmond, on the matter. Now his bishop's letter urges all Scottish
:06:25. > :06:28.Catholics to oppose the planned legislation. The Scottish
:06:28. > :06:32.Government still says its plans for same-sex marriage are the right
:06:32. > :06:39.thing to do. The Westminster government is also considering
:06:39. > :06:42.The Duke of Edinburgh has made his first public appearance since being
:06:42. > :06:44.discharged from hospital on Monday. He accompanied the Queen at this
:06:44. > :06:47.morning's service at Crathie Church, just a short drive from Balmoral.
:06:47. > :06:51.Prince Philip has spent the last week recuperating from a bladder
:06:51. > :06:56.infection. Tributes continue to be paid to the
:06:56. > :06:59.astronaut Neil Armstrong, who's died at the age of 82. The man who
:06:59. > :07:03.took "one giant leap for mankind" has been described as leaving an
:07:03. > :07:06.indelible footprint on history. Let's speak to our correspondent
:07:06. > :07:13.Alastair Leithead, who's in Los Angeles. Tributes have been pouring
:07:13. > :07:17.in from all over the world. Very much so. It is one of those
:07:17. > :07:22.defining events of a generation, that makes everybody say where were
:07:22. > :07:26.you? We have had prime ministers, presidents, former colleagues, all
:07:26. > :07:30.joining tributes from across the world for the first man to set foot
:07:30. > :07:37.on the moon. John Glenn, the first man to orbit the Earth, recalled
:07:37. > :07:41.his iron nerve. He was a test pilot before an astronaut. The current
:07:41. > :07:44.NASA administrator said, as long as there are history books, Neil
:07:44. > :07:48.Armstrong will be in them. He wasn't a recluse but he rarely gave
:07:48. > :07:52.interviews to the media. One indication of perhaps why comes
:07:52. > :07:55.from his ex-wife, quoted in his biography. She said he felt guilty,
:07:55. > :08:00.to get all the acclaim for an effort of tens of thousands of
:08:00. > :08:03.people. Richard Branson, with Virgin Galactic, who is taking on
:08:03. > :08:07.the mission to take people into space, he met Neil Armstrong and he
:08:07. > :08:12.said that he made sure he stayed very grounded when he came back to
:08:12. > :08:15.earth. Perhaps the most moving came from his family, in a statement
:08:15. > :08:19.about his death. They said, the next time you walk out in a clear
:08:19. > :08:22.night and see the moon smiling down on you, think of Neil Armstrong and
:08:22. > :08:24.give him a wink. Paralympics organisers have been
:08:24. > :08:30.accused of discrimination, for making wheelchair users call a
:08:30. > :08:32.phoneline to book tickets. The London Organising Committee said it
:08:32. > :08:36.was necessary to make special arrangements so that users can
:08:36. > :08:39.discuss their individual access needs. That hasn't stopped the
:08:39. > :08:44.system being criticised by a number of disabled people, who say they've
:08:44. > :08:47.run up large phone bills only to be told there are no seats available.
:08:47. > :08:56.But as Jon Brain reports, the Culture Secretary has defended the
:08:56. > :09:00.Just three days to go before the spotlight shines on some of the
:09:00. > :09:05.world's greatest disabled athletes. But as a ceremonial cauldron was
:09:05. > :09:14.being lit in Edinburgh this morning, a dispute was flaring up over the
:09:14. > :09:17.treatment of disabled spectators. 11-year-old Rhys has cerebral palsy.
:09:17. > :09:20.His mother believes a trip to the Paralympics would prove
:09:20. > :09:25.inspirational. But when she tried to buy tickets for wheelchair users
:09:25. > :09:29.online, she was redirected to a business rate phone line. I just
:09:29. > :09:33.don't think it is fair. When they say to you, we want everyone
:09:33. > :09:37.involved, everyone should be able to do it the same way. We should be
:09:37. > :09:42.able to do it for free as well. It is more expensive, always, being
:09:42. > :09:45.the parent of a disabled child. It should be the same for everyone.
:09:45. > :09:50.She has begun an internet campaign on behalf of race and claimed she
:09:50. > :09:55.has been contacted by dozens of people with similar stories --
:09:55. > :09:59.campaign on behalf of her son. Since May, applicants have had to
:09:59. > :10:04.book by phone. The government has defended the arrangements. We set
:10:04. > :10:08.up a special line so that people who have particular issues about
:10:08. > :10:11.how they attend the Games have got a dedicated line that they can call.
:10:11. > :10:15.We obviously want that to work as effectively as possible and I think
:10:15. > :10:18.it was the right thing to do. accept this will be the best ever
:10:18. > :10:21.Paralympic Games, more people will see it than ever before and the
:10:21. > :10:25.organising committee have done a fantastic job. But there is
:10:25. > :10:28.discrimination here and I think it is unacceptable. It was against
:10:28. > :10:33.this background that athletes continue to arrive today. This was
:10:33. > :10:36.the Belgian team who came in on the specially adapted Eurostar train.
:10:36. > :10:40.Organisers of the Paralympics are hoping that the athletes coming to
:10:40. > :10:45.London were not only put on a great games but could also improve
:10:45. > :10:49.attitudes towards disabled people generally. That is why a row over
:10:49. > :10:53.ticketing is particularly sensitive. Despite today's controversy, the
:10:53. > :10:56.Games' organising committee said it is proud it has done more for
:10:56. > :10:59.disabled spectators than any other sports event ever held in this
:10:59. > :11:03.country. Tropical Storm Isaac is heading for
:11:03. > :11:08.Key West, the southernmost point of the United States. It's already hit
:11:08. > :11:11.Haiti and Cuba. A state of emergency is in place in southern
:11:11. > :11:14.Florida, with Isaac forecast to strengthen into a hurricane by the
:11:14. > :11:16.time it hits land. The start of the Republican Party convention in
:11:16. > :11:19.Florida has been delayed because of the storm.
:11:19. > :11:22.Lance Armstrong has been speaking for the first time since being
:11:22. > :11:32.stripped of his seven Tour de France titles by the US anti-doping
:11:32. > :11:41.agency. He told reporters his decision not to continue fighting
:11:41. > :11:44.allegations had left him "more at ease now than at any time in the
:11:44. > :11:46.last decade". The decision to take away his titles, still has to be
:11:46. > :11:52.ratified by cycling's world governing body. Karthi Gnanasegaram
:11:52. > :11:56.has more. Back on a bike and at the But it is a world away from his
:11:56. > :11:59.tour de France days. After revealing he would no longer
:11:59. > :12:03.challenge the United States Anti- Doping Agency's allegations against
:12:04. > :12:08.him, Lance Armstrong spoke to reporters for the first time at a
:12:08. > :12:12.mountain biking event in Colorado. I don't have anything to worry
:12:12. > :12:17.about, I am focused on the future. I have five great kids, a great
:12:17. > :12:22.lady in my life, a wonderful foundation that is unaffected by
:12:22. > :12:26.any... Any noise out there and we are going to continue. There were
:12:26. > :12:32.clear signs that Armstrong still has a loyal following among some of
:12:32. > :12:36.the site and community in the states, despite claims that up to
:12:36. > :12:41.10 former team mates are prepared to testify he used performance-
:12:41. > :12:46.enhancing drugs. The USADA still has to submit its evidence to the
:12:46. > :12:54.International Cycling Union. Despite -- the US Cycling agency
:12:54. > :12:56.He still seems relaxed as the controversy continues.
:12:56. > :13:02.Now with the rest of today's sporting action, here's Lzzie
:13:02. > :13:06.Greenwood-Hughes at the BBC Sport The most hotly anticipated Premier
:13:06. > :13:10.League match of the season so far finished a short while ago,
:13:10. > :13:12.Manchester City away to Liverpool and it did not disappoint. The
:13:12. > :13:16.champions were keen to flex their muscles over home side still
:13:16. > :13:20.looking for their first points. Brendan Rodgers may never walk
:13:21. > :13:24.alone, but how much he enjoys the company may depend on how his
:13:24. > :13:29.Liverpool side progresses. What better way to impress than one of
:13:29. > :13:34.his signings scoring against the champions? Fabio Borini was
:13:34. > :13:38.agonisingly close. Carlos Tevez was closer still. The goal was
:13:38. > :13:43.protected by an Anfield force-field. It seemed to repel the Reds forward,
:13:43. > :13:46.and eventually into the lead. Martin Skrtel's header was as
:13:46. > :13:50.convincing as Liverpool's first- half display. They were comfortable
:13:50. > :13:56.at the start of the second, only to be unsettled at the wrong moment.
:13:56. > :14:00.Yaya Toure, thriving. Luis Suarez's mind was not clouded a few minutes
:14:00. > :14:05.later, placed exactly where he wanted it. If only Skrtel was in
:14:05. > :14:11.similar command. He plotted city's pass back into the match, Tevez
:14:11. > :14:21.finalised it. It finished 2-2 and the match indicative of Liverpool's
:14:21. > :14:24.
:14:24. > :14:28.Are still bite yet to win or scored this season. -- Arsenal. John
:14:28. > :14:32.Waters's goal was ruled offside. The London club came close before
:14:32. > :14:37.the break with this Longport range effort but it was a disappointing
:14:37. > :14:40.end of the day for Arsene Wenger in contrast to that of Tony Pulis, who
:14:41. > :14:43.looked positively delighted with the result.
:14:43. > :14:48.There were two matches in the Scottish Premier League. Hearts
:14:48. > :14:52.remain unbeaten in the SPL with a goalless draw away to Aberdeen.
:14:52. > :14:58.Motherwell missed out on going top of the table, conceding a goal to
:14:58. > :15:03.draw at home to St Mirren. Rangers are searching for their
:15:03. > :15:06.first away win after a 1-1 draw at Berwick in the Third Division. Andy
:15:06. > :15:09.Little gave the Glasgow side the lead with his 7th goal of the
:15:09. > :15:13.season before Fraser McClaren levelled.
:15:13. > :15:19.Mo Farah was back on the track today just two days after his wife
:15:19. > :15:23.gave birth to twins. Although the crowds at the Birmingham Grand Prix
:15:23. > :15:29.were smaller than in London, they roared their hero to another
:15:29. > :15:34.emphatic victory. It was not so much a race as a
:15:34. > :15:39.victory parade, a deafening roar greeting Mo Farah after two weeks
:15:39. > :15:43.of celebrations, back to the day- job. The last time he ran it was
:15:43. > :15:47.for a double Olympic goal. This time it was lower key, over the
:15:47. > :15:52.unusual distance of two miles. He had been hoping to break Steve
:15:52. > :15:58.Ovett's British record but the pace was not quick enough. The result
:15:58. > :16:05.was never in doubt. Yet another win for Mo Farah and Another excuse for
:16:05. > :16:09.his signature move. A summer which delivered two goal medals and two
:16:09. > :16:18.daughters had released a dacha -- reached a glorious conclusion.
:16:18. > :16:22.has been a hell of a year. I appreciate everyone's support.
:16:22. > :16:25.we should remind everyone that your wife gave birth. You will not have
:16:25. > :16:32.had much sleep. I was worried because I have not done much
:16:32. > :16:36.training. It has been a good race today and I am happy how everything
:16:36. > :16:42.is going, I appreciate everyone's health. I want to thank the doctor
:16:42. > :16:47.who delivered my two pretty girls. And of the other Britons in action,
:16:47. > :16:51.Robbie Rabat continued his form to win the Haborak -- the high jump,
:16:51. > :16:56.having broken the Olympic records last week. He was the only athlete