26/08/2012 BBC Weekend News


26/08/2012

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Opposition activists accuse government troops of the largest

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massacre so far in the conflict in Syria. They claim 250 bodies have

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been found after soldiers retook an area on the outskirts of Damascus.

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The Roman Catholic church in Scotland steps up its campaign

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against gay marriage. Priests read out a letter of objection at

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hundreds of church services. Now there's a Paralympics tickets

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row, after wheelchair users complain they're being

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discriminated against when it comes to making bookings.

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And who's the daddy? After the arrival of twins, Mo Farrah shows

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his class to win his first race Syrian government troops have been

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accused of a massacre on the outskirts of Damascus, in an area

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which the regime retook from rebels yesterday. Opposition groups say

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250 bodies have been found in the town of Daraya. They claim many

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were victims of execution-style killings. Syrian state television

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claimed the town was being "cleansed of terrorist remnants".

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The Foreign Office says if the reports are confirmed, the killings

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would be "an atrocity on a new scale". Barbara Plett's report

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contains disturbing images. This seems to show the beginning of

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the ground assault on Daraya, although we haven't been able to

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verify the footage. Troops searched house-to-house for rebels to return

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to the area after being driven out last month. -- rebels who returns

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to the area. This time the army wanted to deliver a killer blow,

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showering the town for days before entering -- shelling the town for

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days. Many shot at close range. Unverified images show what appears

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to be a mass grave. The victims include women and children, some

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apparently shot while fleeing. Some believe it has become not just a

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man at -- matter of depleting the rebels but exacting revenge.

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level of brutality has increased. We have seen it shootings that are

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execution in style, they are not sparing women or children. Pro-

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government television made it sound like the village had been liberated

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from terrorists. For the past four days we have been surrounded by

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armed terrorist groups. Only today they told us the army is back. We

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are safe now. Further north near the city of Aleppo, the government

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has been using warplanes. The fighting today what reported to be

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the heaviest in the past week as the army continues his policy of

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using overwhelming force to try to crush the resistance.

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Barbara - who's in neighbouring Lebanon - joins us now. With the

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conflict now almost 18 months old, the opposition continues to claim

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government troops are targeting civilians? -- in targeting rebels,

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they are indiscriminately killing civilians. It looks that way. The

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government is using heavy weapons to Shell and bomb rebel-held areas.

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Because the fighting is in big cities, these are often residential

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areas so civilians get caught up. It seems that the army see certain

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areas as hostile. For example, the southern suburbs of Damascus, which

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are Sunni, working-class and more sympathetic to the opposition. When

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they have the ground assault and the troops go in, they don't

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necessarily distinguish between residents and rebels. You get a lot

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of men of fighting age killed, even if they are not actually fighters.

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Priests in all 500 Roman Catholic parishes in Scotland have read out

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a letter, criticising the devolved government's plans to introduce gay

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marriage. Ministers announced proposals last month to make

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Scotland the first part of Britain to make it legal. Our Scotland

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correspondent, Colin Blane, reports. In every parish, the Catholic

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Church's message to the Scottish Government about gay marriage was

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the same. We write to you, having already expressed are deep

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disappointment that the Scottish Government has decided to redefine

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marriage and legislate for same-sex marriage. The letter from all

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Scotland's Catholic bishops went on Although the Catholic Church is not

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alone in arguing against same-sex marriage, it has taken a lead in

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making such a direct appeal. People who have the view that all people

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through history have had, that marriages between a man and a woman,

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will suddenly be told they are outside the law, they have to

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accept a new definition of it. That is why it is so serious for the

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Church and why we are reassessing the teaching points again.

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Parishioners reflected on what they had heard. God created two people,

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a man and a woman, that is the way it should be. We should uphold

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these values in Scottish society. I don't think we should be a tall

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apologetic -- at all apologetic. support marriage but I also support

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loving relationships between people of the same sex. In March this year,

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Cardinal Keith O'Brien, the leader of Scotland's Catholics, described

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gay marriage as a grotesque subversion. The language being used

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is disappointing and unfortunate. Not only is it making ordinary

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Scots feel particularly disappointed with the way the

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debate has gone, but for the majority of Catholics, it is making

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them feel slightly isolated from the church. It is clear that

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Cardinal Keith O'Brien is determined to keep up the pressure

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on the Scottish Government over same-sex marriage. Last week, he

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broke off personal discussions with Scotland's first minister, Alex

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Salmond, on the matter. Now his bishop's letter urges all Scottish

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Catholics to oppose the planned legislation. The Scottish

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Government still says its plans for same-sex marriage are the right

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thing to do. The Westminster government is also considering

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The Duke of Edinburgh has made his first public appearance since being

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discharged from hospital on Monday. He accompanied the Queen at this

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morning's service at Crathie Church, just a short drive from Balmoral.

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Prince Philip has spent the last week recuperating from a bladder

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infection. Tributes continue to be paid to the

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astronaut Neil Armstrong, who's died at the age of 82. The man who

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took "one giant leap for mankind" has been described as leaving an

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indelible footprint on history. Let's speak to our correspondent

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Alastair Leithead, who's in Los Angeles. Tributes have been pouring

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in from all over the world. Very much so. It is one of those

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defining events of a generation, that makes everybody say where were

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you? We have had prime ministers, presidents, former colleagues, all

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joining tributes from across the world for the first man to set foot

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on the moon. John Glenn, the first man to orbit the Earth, recalled

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his iron nerve. He was a test pilot before an astronaut. The current

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NASA administrator said, as long as there are history books, Neil

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Armstrong will be in them. He wasn't a recluse but he rarely gave

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interviews to the media. One indication of perhaps why comes

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from his ex-wife, quoted in his biography. She said he felt guilty,

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to get all the acclaim for an effort of tens of thousands of

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people. Richard Branson, with Virgin Galactic, who is taking on

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the mission to take people into space, he met Neil Armstrong and he

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said that he made sure he stayed very grounded when he came back to

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earth. Perhaps the most moving came from his family, in a statement

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about his death. They said, the next time you walk out in a clear

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night and see the moon smiling down on you, think of Neil Armstrong and

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give him a wink. Paralympics organisers have been

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accused of discrimination, for making wheelchair users call a

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phoneline to book tickets. The London Organising Committee said it

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was necessary to make special arrangements so that users can

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discuss their individual access needs. That hasn't stopped the

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system being criticised by a number of disabled people, who say they've

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run up large phone bills only to be told there are no seats available.

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But as Jon Brain reports, the Culture Secretary has defended the

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Just three days to go before the spotlight shines on some of the

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world's greatest disabled athletes. But as a ceremonial cauldron was

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being lit in Edinburgh this morning, a dispute was flaring up over the

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treatment of disabled spectators. 11-year-old Rhys has cerebral palsy.

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His mother believes a trip to the Paralympics would prove

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inspirational. But when she tried to buy tickets for wheelchair users

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online, she was redirected to a business rate phone line. I just

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don't think it is fair. When they say to you, we want everyone

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involved, everyone should be able to do it the same way. We should be

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able to do it for free as well. It is more expensive, always, being

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the parent of a disabled child. It should be the same for everyone.

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She has begun an internet campaign on behalf of race and claimed she

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has been contacted by dozens of people with similar stories --

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campaign on behalf of her son. Since May, applicants have had to

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book by phone. The government has defended the arrangements. We set

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up a special line so that people who have particular issues about

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how they attend the Games have got a dedicated line that they can call.

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We obviously want that to work as effectively as possible and I think

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it was the right thing to do. accept this will be the best ever

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Paralympic Games, more people will see it than ever before and the

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organising committee have done a fantastic job. But there is

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discrimination here and I think it is unacceptable. It was against

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this background that athletes continue to arrive today. This was

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the Belgian team who came in on the specially adapted Eurostar train.

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Organisers of the Paralympics are hoping that the athletes coming to

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London were not only put on a great games but could also improve

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attitudes towards disabled people generally. That is why a row over

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ticketing is particularly sensitive. Despite today's controversy, the

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Games' organising committee said it is proud it has done more for

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disabled spectators than any other sports event ever held in this

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country. Tropical Storm Isaac is heading for

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Key West, the southernmost point of the United States. It's already hit

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Haiti and Cuba. A state of emergency is in place in southern

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Florida, with Isaac forecast to strengthen into a hurricane by the

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time it hits land. The start of the Republican Party convention in

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Florida has been delayed because of the storm.

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Lance Armstrong has been speaking for the first time since being

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stripped of his seven Tour de France titles by the US anti-doping

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agency. He told reporters his decision not to continue fighting

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allegations had left him "more at ease now than at any time in the

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last decade". The decision to take away his titles, still has to be

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ratified by cycling's world governing body. Karthi Gnanasegaram

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has more. Back on a bike and at the But it is a world away from his

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tour de France days. After revealing he would no longer

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challenge the United States Anti- Doping Agency's allegations against

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him, Lance Armstrong spoke to reporters for the first time at a

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mountain biking event in Colorado. I don't have anything to worry

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about, I am focused on the future. I have five great kids, a great

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lady in my life, a wonderful foundation that is unaffected by

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any... Any noise out there and we are going to continue. There were

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clear signs that Armstrong still has a loyal following among some of

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the site and community in the states, despite claims that up to

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10 former team mates are prepared to testify he used performance-

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enhancing drugs. The USADA still has to submit its evidence to the

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International Cycling Union. Despite -- the US Cycling agency

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He still seems relaxed as the controversy continues.

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Now with the rest of today's sporting action, here's Lzzie

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Greenwood-Hughes at the BBC Sport The most hotly anticipated Premier

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League match of the season so far finished a short while ago,

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Manchester City away to Liverpool and it did not disappoint. The

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champions were keen to flex their muscles over home side still

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looking for their first points. Brendan Rodgers may never walk

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alone, but how much he enjoys the company may depend on how his

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Liverpool side progresses. What better way to impress than one of

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his signings scoring against the champions? Fabio Borini was

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agonisingly close. Carlos Tevez was closer still. The goal was

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protected by an Anfield force-field. It seemed to repel the Reds forward,

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and eventually into the lead. Martin Skrtel's header was as

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convincing as Liverpool's first- half display. They were comfortable

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at the start of the second, only to be unsettled at the wrong moment.

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Yaya Toure, thriving. Luis Suarez's mind was not clouded a few minutes

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later, placed exactly where he wanted it. If only Skrtel was in

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similar command. He plotted city's pass back into the match, Tevez

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finalised it. It finished 2-2 and the match indicative of Liverpool's

:14:11.:14:21.
:14:21.:14:24.

Are still bite yet to win or scored this season. -- Arsenal. John

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Waters's goal was ruled offside. The London club came close before

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the break with this Longport range effort but it was a disappointing

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end of the day for Arsene Wenger in contrast to that of Tony Pulis, who

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looked positively delighted with the result.

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There were two matches in the Scottish Premier League. Hearts

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remain unbeaten in the SPL with a goalless draw away to Aberdeen.

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Motherwell missed out on going top of the table, conceding a goal to

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draw at home to St Mirren. Rangers are searching for their

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first away win after a 1-1 draw at Berwick in the Third Division. Andy

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Little gave the Glasgow side the lead with his 7th goal of the

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season before Fraser McClaren levelled.

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Mo Farah was back on the track today just two days after his wife

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gave birth to twins. Although the crowds at the Birmingham Grand Prix

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were smaller than in London, they roared their hero to another

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emphatic victory. It was not so much a race as a

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victory parade, a deafening roar greeting Mo Farah after two weeks

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of celebrations, back to the day- job. The last time he ran it was

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for a double Olympic goal. This time it was lower key, over the

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unusual distance of two miles. He had been hoping to break Steve

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Ovett's British record but the pace was not quick enough. The result

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was never in doubt. Yet another win for Mo Farah and Another excuse for

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his signature move. A summer which delivered two goal medals and two

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daughters had released a dacha -- reached a glorious conclusion.

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has been a hell of a year. I appreciate everyone's support.

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we should remind everyone that your wife gave birth. You will not have

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had much sleep. I was worried because I have not done much

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training. It has been a good race today and I am happy how everything

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is going, I appreciate everyone's health. I want to thank the doctor

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who delivered my two pretty girls. And of the other Britons in action,

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Robbie Rabat continued his form to win the Haborak -- the high jump,

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having broken the Olympic records last week. He was the only athlete

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