Arab League urges Russia to end Syria arms sales

Russia should halt arms sales to Syria and UN sanctions could be needed to force President Bashar al-Assad and rebels fighting to oust him to implement a failing peace plan, a senior Arab League official was quoted as saying on Thursday.

The UN observer mission in Syria, which suspended operations on Saturday because of the rising violence, should be replaced by peacekeepers, the League's deputy secretary general Ahmed Ben Helli told Interfax news agency in an interview. (Reuters)