Bodies of 65 people found in a river in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo

The bodies of at least 65 people, all executed with a single gunshot to the head or neck, were found in a river in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on Tuesday. Most have their hands are tied behind their backs and pools of blood trail from their heads. Their faces are white and bodies bloated. All look to be young men, some teens, wearing jeans, button-up shirts and sneakers. Opposition campaigners blamed the government but it was impossible to confirm who was responsible. It is not clear who carried out the killings and restrictions on independent media in Syria make it difficult to verify reports from activists. In video filmed by activists and published by the Observatory on YouTube, the cameraman walks along the river, less than two metres wide, and films some 50 bodies that have been pulled onto the concrete path. The violence came a day ahead of a donors conference for the Syrian opposition headed by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon in the oil-rich Gulf state of Kuwait. You can ask me about the the donors conference on Twitter or just leave a comment here.