Jordan king urges Assad to quit

Assad supporters

Jordan's King Abdullah on Monday was quoted as saying by the BBC that Syrian President al-Assad should step down. The monarch added that the Syrian leader should initiate political dialogue and make sure that his successor “has the ability to change the status quo.”

The BBC said on its website Monday that the Jordanian ruler said in an interview that “If I were in (his) shoes, I would step down.”

Meanwhile, the European Union has decided to impose more sanctions on Syria. Foreign ministers from the 27-nation bloc blacklisted a further 18 Syrians, mostly members of the military, bringing to 74 the members of Assad's inner circle hit in past months by an EU assets freeze and travel ban.