France to expel Syrian ambassador

French President Francois Hollande says Syria’s ambassador is being expelled amid continuing violence by Syrian government forces against civilians and opposition members.

Hollande told reporters in Paris today that the ambassador would leave “today or tomorrow”. He gave no other details.

The Syrian Embassy in Paris could not immediately be reached for comment.

The announcement came amid increasing diplomatic efforts to end the bloodshed in Syria and put pressure on Syrian President Bashar Assad.

The UN said on Tuesday that entire families were shot in their homes during a massacre in Syria last week that killed more than 100 people, including children in the west-central area of Houla.