Syria Faces Deadline Over Monitors

Anti-regime demonstrators march in the town of Homs on November 21.

Syria is facing a deadline today to either allow in monitors or face sanctions from the Arab League over its crackdown on protests.

The Arab League says if Damascus refuses to let the monitors in to assess progress of an Arab League plan to end eight months of bloodshed, it will meet on November 26 to discuss possible sanctions, including a trade ban with Syria.

The Arab League has already suspended Syria's membership over the bloodshed, which the United Nations says has left at least 3,500 people dead.

And there was no let up in the violence on November 24.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 47 people were killed across the country, including 16 soldiers and 17 army deserters, mostly around the rebellious city of Homs and near the town of Rastan to the north.

compiled from agency reports