15/09/2013 BBC Weekend News

Nick Clegg says there should be no return to the bad old days of

single-party Government. Speaking during the Liberal Democrats

conference, the Deputy Prime Minister said he'll ask voters at

the next election to give his party another term in coalition. The

Syrian Government steps up its assault on rebels, as the US

reiterates its threat to use force if chemical weapons are not

destroyed. A BBC Panorama investigation uncovers new text

messages, suggesting difficulties between Anni Dewani, murdered on her

honeymoon and her husband, Shrien, accused of ordering her killing.

Oh, my word! And it is a bad day for the Brownlee

brothers, as they are braeten to the world World Triathlon title in Hyde

Park. -- beat beaten to the World Triathlon title in Hyde Park.

A very good evening to you. Nick Clegg says victory for either the

Conservatives or Labour at the next election would mean that the

sacrifices made by millions of people since the last election

sacrifices made by millions of be squandered. Speaking at the

Liberal Democrats annual conference in Glasgow, he said a coalition

would allow his party to balance politics and enable the Government

to finish the job of repairing the economy fairly.

Grim opinion polls, spats over policy and rain on their parade. The

Lib Demes may be facing head-winds here in Glasgow, but the mood is not

as damp as the weather is dreary. That is because the Liberal

Democrats know this man could still hold the balance of power after the

next general election. Today, Nick Clegg said the coalition had done

good things and he urged voters to elect another and let him finish the

job. If we go back to the bad old days, not of coalition and balanced

politics but either of the right or left dominating Government on their

own, you will get a recovery which is neither fair or sustainable. I

own, you will get a recovery which think Labour would wreck the

recovery. Under the Conservatives, who don't have the same commitment

to fairness as we do, you would get the wrong kind of recovery. He would

not say which party he would prefer in coalition. Nor would he spell out

what he called die in the trench policies, over which he would not

compromise. Priorities would include a mansion tax and... We are

committed as a party, and I am committed to this to raising the

allowance further, such that you would not pay income tax on the

minimum wage. That is his pitch - the Lib Demes embedded as the third

party of Government, willing to hook up with either the Tories or Labour.

The risk is the party looks promise cues, willing to compromise on

principals just to stay in power. Today, there was evidence of the

party's willingness to compromise, as members backed away from

defeating Nick Clegg and voted to keep student tuition fees now and

for the first time support nuclear power. Nick Clegg says he's not

talking about another coalition, but it is the talk of this conference.

While survaifs suggest they would prefer coalition with Labour, for,

now at least, their leader is playing for the blue team.

Our political editor is in Glasgow for us. The message from the party

Our political editor is in Glasgow leadership is, all's going well,

don't change course, yet tomorrow, for instance, there is going to be a

debate on changing course on economic policy. How does thaw work?

There will -- how does thaw work? There will be a debate. It is a

debate that Nick Clegg is limbering up in and wants to be seen as a

fight. There'll be activists who are calling on this party to back

economic policy so far, but to do more to get the economy moving again

and Nick Clegg will appear in that debate, saying, no don't throw away

the advances we have made, do not change course now. I think he's

likely to win that. What is intriguing though is the position of

his Cabinet colleague Vince Cable - the Business Secretary. He will play

no part in that debate. He has made it clear he thinks this is a bit of

a false row, that in fact if they tried harder they could come to an

agreement with activists. He says he supports the motion that is being

pushed, whether he'll take the time to vote for it tomorrow. There is an

pushed, whether he'll take the time argument going on. It is partly an

argument, not about economic policy, but about presentation. Does this

party want to look full square behind George Osborne's policy or

does it want to signal that it is different?

Now the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, has reiterated that the

threat of force remains real if Syria reneges on its commitment to

stockpile chemical weapons. A minister claims the deal is a

victory for his country. Meanwhile, minister claims the deal is a

in Damascus, Government troops have been stepping up their offensive

against rebel forces. All day, all night war ruins lives

and ends them in Syria. From here in the centre of Damascus,

the regime's stronghold, we can see its guns hitting the rebel-held

suburbs. On almost every day, except 21st

August, when hundreds died in the chemical attack, the war is fought

with conventional weapons. Ending all the individual daily

tragedies caused by bullets and high explosive is the big challenge for

international diplomacy. Bigger than dealing with chemical weapons.

This was the day of the cross, an important Christian festival in the

Greek Catholic Cathedral in Damascus. Almost all the worshippers

fled here from the fighting - a Christian town about 40 miles away.

This woman was wounded in the attack. Her family and neighbours

were mourning her brother, cousin and his nephew, who were shot, she

says, by rebels when they tried to surrender.

Picture deprs the first attack -- pictures from the first attack show

her being carried to safety. She said the men who killed her

relatives had local accents. She said they used to live happily with

relatives had local accents. She Muslim neighbours. Could you trust

them again after this? No way, she said, never - it is impossible.

This didn't start as a sectarian war, but it is becoming one. Jesus

help us, she says. So, all this is another sign that what one observer

called the Syrian mosaic of different sects, is breaking up.

These people don't trust a lot of their old neighbours any more and

they have no idea when they'll get home.

The school term has started for everyone who had a school to go to.

UNICEF says two million Syrian children are not getting educated.

UNICEF says two million Syrian Even in this school n a well off

part of Damascus, one half to a third of the girls have lost their

homes because of the war. We used to be able to travel into

the rebel-held suburbs that get pounded by the regime's guns. That's

no longer possible. But the pain and loss suffered by civilians crossed

the lines of a war that Syrians and foreigners can fuel but can't stop.

Two 19-year-old women arrested after a fatal stabbing in Leicester on

Thursday have been released without charge. Police are trying to

discover if there is a link between the killing and a fire nearby, hours

later, in which four members of the same family died.

Shehnila Taufiq, her two teenage sons and her daughter, who was 19,

all died in the blaze at their home in the Spinney Hills area of the

city. Five people are being questioned in connection with the

fire. One of two women arrested on

suspicion of trying to smuggle cocaine worth £1.5 million out of

Peru is reportedly prepared to plead guilty in exchange for a shorter

sentence. Melissa Reid from Lenzie, near Glasgow, says she was

threatened by an armed gang to traffic the drugs, but is willing to

enter a guilty plea. A plea could cut her sentence from 25 years to

just under seven. Salvage experts are making final preparations to

raise the Costa Concordia. They believe the conditions should be

right to begin the operation tomorrow. The ship struck rocks in

January 2012, killing 32 people. The BBC has obtained new text messages

suggesting difficulties in the relationship between Anni Dewani,

who was shot dead on her honeymoon and her husband, Shrien, who is

accused of ordering her murder. An investigation by the BBC's Panorama

programme has obtained police files containing evidence from the murder

inquiry. Here's Jeremy Vine. Was this the look of love between newly

weds? No sign on their wedding day that the marriage would end in

murder. With him accused of hiring the gunmen during their honeymoon in

cape town. CCTV from their hotel shows an apparently happy couple.

The BBC has obtained the prosecution file, containing previously

unpublished text messages sent by Anni before she died. She messaged

her cousin in mid-September, fighting a lot with Shrien. Which I

had never got engaged. Six days later - we have nothing in common.

He's a perfectionist. Nine days later - we have nothing in common.

after that - hate him. The prosecutors may use the texts to

suggest the relationship was not what it seemed and during their

luxury safari Shrien was planning a violent way out. While in South

Africa, Anni texted, "He's a nice guy in all ways, but I don't feel

happy at all." A day later, "it is going better than before. Hard to

explain.ly call you when I return. Hate the word divorce."

She never did return. Three days later, Anni was found shot dead in

the back of an abandoned taxi in cape town. We know the names of the

men who took her life. They cape town. We know the names of the

been through the courts already. The question is whether Shrien paid

them. As always with this case the evidence points in different

directions. The BBC has obtained medical records which suggest the

couple were keen to have a baby. Shrien denied any role in his wife's

murder, appears to have had a mental breakdown and is fighting all

attempts to get him back to South Africa for a trial.

And that edition of Panorama can be seen this Thursday, on BBC One at

9pm. Now, more than 55,000 people lined

up today for one of the biggest half-marathons in the world - the

Great North Run N a sprint finish Mo Farah just missed out on winning his

first half-marathon by around one second.

first half-marathon by around one A carnival atmosphere on Tyneside.

For some, it was about the challenge.

For others, simply having fun. For elite athletes the race was

about who would be first over the line.

The world's most popular half marathon attracts some of the best

runners. There were high hopes for Britain's

Mo Farah. He was narrowly beaten by an Ethiopian.

It was a great race. It was a great race. I thought the face was

ridiculous. I thought I would come back and close the gap. Might have

closed it a bit. He has a great speed.

It was a double victory for Britain in the men and women's wheelchair

races. David Weir got his fifth win. Other runners were spurred on by the

Red Arrows. And for the rest of today's sport,

here's Olly at the BBC's sport centre. Mo Farah was not the only

British Olympian left disappointed today. There was heartache for the

Brownlee brothers. They were going for the world's triathlon title n a

winner-takes-all race. Hyde Park was where the Brownlee brothers lit up

the London Games last year. Neither would be taking the title of world

champion back to Yorkshire. The weather in London was almost as wet

as the 1500 metre swim in the Serpentine. Alastair was well placed

for the race on the bike that followed. He led his rivals going

into the 10-km run. Dismounting from his bike it was clear an kl injury

he had been struggling was worse than feared. It was now for his

younger brother to deliver. He had a familiar person on his shoulder.

It was just a matter of who had enough left in the tank.

Oh, my word, it is Gomez's victory. I am gutted to be honest. I wanted

to be world champion. To be beaten by just a few metres or so, it is

hard to take. Gomez retains the world title. His come pattryiate in

third, which only left space on the podium for one Brownlee brother this

time. The Davis Cup team are back in the

elite world group. They won both of today's matches.

The Tour of Britain started in Scotland today. Sir Bradley Wiggins

and Mark Cavendish were among the British riders. Wiggins came ninth

on the first stage, which was affected by the weather. Luckily

they avoided a chaotic crash in the final.

Canoeist David Florence has made history by winning C 1 and C 2 at

the World Championships. He took the C 1 yesterday in preying, but was

back -- in Prague, but was back with Richard Hounslow.

The one Premier League match ended in a draw at St Mary's. James

Collins had the best chance to win it late on against Southampton. It

finished 0-0. That is all your sport.

Thank you for that. There's more throughout the evening on BBC One

and I'll be back with the late news