Pope appeals to Syria's Assad

The Pope has appealed to Syria's president to respect internaitonal humanitarian law.

Pope Francis has appealed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in a personal letter to ensure that international humanitarian law is respected so that civilians are protected and aid can get to them, the Vatican says.

In the letter, given to Assad by the Vatican ambassador in Damascus, the Pope appealed to Assad and the international community for an end to violence and condemned "all forms of extremism and terrorism from whatever quarter they may come".