BBC News with Gaenor Howells
Syrian state media say a senior army officer has been shot dead in Damascus as violence continues around the country. The killing of Brigadier-General Issa al-Khouli is thought to be the first such
assassination
since the uprising against President Assad began last March. From neighbouring Lebanon, Jim Muir reports.
Syrian state television announced that General Issa al-Khouli was shot dead by gunmen lying in wait for him outside his house in north Damascus. The authorities blamed his death
squarely
on what it called armed terrorist groups, but activist organisations said the style of his killing had all the
hallmarks
of the regime on it and accused it of carrying out the murder. However, there are reports of Islamic militants crossing into Syria from Iraq, where just such killings still take place frequently. For the regime, all armed opponents are terrorists, so actions like the car bombs in Aleppo and the murder of General Khouli clearly play into its hands.
Police in Britain investigating allegations of bribery by journalists working for the media tycoon Rupert Murdoch have arrested eight people.
They include five senior staff at Britain's best-selling newspaper, The Sun. The inquiry follows a scandal over phone
hacking
by journalists working for Mr Murdoch's News International. Matt Prodger reports.
A total of nine Sun journalists have now been arrested in the space of a fortnight. A journalist at News International said there was a feeling of intense anger and