Syrian Olympic chief to attend Games despite calls for a ban

The President of the Syrian Olympic Committee has told ITV News that he will attend the London 2012 Games.

General Mowaffak Joumaa said that Syria was "committed and determined" not to be absent from this summer's Games and added that he will head an envoy that will travel to London.

In his report, ITV News' Neil Connery said it was difficult to see how the government could allow Joumaa to attend the 2012 Games, with growing calls for him to be banned.

Sir Menzies Campbell, the former Liberal Democrat leader and competitor in the 1968 Tokyo Games, said allowing Joumaa to attend London 2012 "would be contrary to the spirit of the Games."

Meanwhile, footage has been posted online that purportedly shows the continued shelling of Syria, just 24 hours after President Bashar al-Assad agreed to implement a UN-backed peace plan.