UN team arrives in Syria, Assad to speak on TV

President Bashar al-Assad will give an interview to Syrian television on Sunday, state media said, as a UN team arrived in Damascus to assess humanitarian needs after five months of turmoil.

Assad's interview, only his fourth televised appearance since an uprising erupted against his rule, will address "the current situation in Syria, the reform process and ... implications of the US and Western pressures on Syria politically and economically". (Reuters)