'Dozens dead' in Syria

Syrian troops armed with heavy machine guns killed dozens of people in the central city of Hama today, activists said, a day after chanting protesters welcomed a visit by a UN team sent to observe a shaky ceasefire.

The city’s worst violence in months added a dangerous aspect to the UN team’s work amid fears the Syrian regime might exact deadly revenge against opponents who feel empowered by the observers’ presence and spill into the streets.