Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has vowed to retake “the whole
country”, in an interview published hours after a pause in hostilities
was agreed.

He told AFP news agency the involvement of other countries in Syria
meant that “the solution will take a long time”.

Earlier, the UN said it hoped to start delivering aid to some besieged
areas in Syria within the next 24 hours.

It came after world powers agreed to push for a cessation of hostilities
in a week’s time.

More than 250,000 people have been killed and some 11 million
displaced in almost five years of fighting in Syria.

Source: BBC