Syrian president pledges reforms

Syria's president Bashar al-Assad has announced that the country's emergency laws are to be lifted within a week.

In a televised address, he also pledged further reforms and spoke of the people's right to dignity, freedom and justice.

He said the country's security forces will need training to handle protests, as demonstrations have been banned under the emergency laws, in place since 1963.

Rights groups say at least 200 people have been killed since protests began one month ago.

Al Jazeera's Rula Amin reports from Damascus.