United States ambassador pulled out of Syria

The US has lugged out its ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, diplomatic officials say. Mr Ford angered Syrian authorities by cultivating links with activists involved in rising against President Bashar al-Assad's rule.

He is said to have left Damascus over the weekend, reportedly because of security concerns. Last month, Mr Ford and colleagues were pelted with eggs and tomatoes when visiting an opposition figure.

An official at the US embassy in Damascus refused to prove the Associated Press the reason for Mr Ford being pulled back, but stressed he had not been formally recalled. Mr Ford drew the wrath of Syrian officials when he visited the restive city of Hama in July along with his French counterpart.

In September, he was among a crowd of mainly Western diplomats who paid condolences to the family of a human rights activist allegedly killed under torture. He was then briefly trapped in his office by pro-Assad demonstrators after visiting an opposition figure and being pelted with eggs and tomatoes.

UN Gulf Co-operation Council emergency meet on Syria

The Gulf States have called for an emergency Arab foreign ministers' meeting on the rising bloodshed in Syria as Damascus shows no let-up in its deadly crackdown on protests.

The United Nations has said the death toll in seven months of protests in Syria against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad has reached 3,000.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said at least 187 children were among the dead and that 100 people had died in the past 10 days alone.

The UN also says hundreds of Syrians have been arrested. Ms Pillay warned that Syria's "ruthless repression" threatened "full-blown civil war".

The government in Damascus blames armed "terrorist gangs" for the trouble, and says 1,100 members of the security forces have been killed.