Despite ultimatum, violence continues in Syria

A day after the Arab League gave Syria a three-day ultimatum to end the violence, explosions and gunfire were reported in Damascus. Details concerning the explosions early Thursday were unavailable, CNN reported. A statement issued by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a 9-year-old girl was shot to death Thursday in the town of Subkhan in the Deir Ezzor region, the South African Independent Online Web site said. The site said at least 23 people were killed in violence Wednesday. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov likened the situation in Syria to that of a civil war, the BBC said. He called on the Arab League to demand all sides halt the violence. Arab League leaders who convened a meeting in Rabat, Morocco, Wednesday affirmed their suspension of Syria and gave Damascus three days to halt the bloodshed or risk sanctions, CNN said. The 22 members of the League also demanded Damascus permit a team of international monitors to visit the country. The New York Times noted international pressure on Syrian President Bashar Assad is mounting. On Monday Jordan's King Abdullah became the first Arab leader to call on Assad to step down. The following day, Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal said Assad's exit is inevitable and later Turkey said it had canceled plans for joint exploration for new oil sites in Syria. Some 3,500 people have been killed since anti-government demonstrations began in the country in March, the United Nations has estimated. "This region has some of the busiest sea lanes in the world, which are critical to all our economies," he said. "And in times of crisis … Darwin has been a hub, moving out aid, caring for victims, making sure that we do right by the people of this region. And that's what we're going to keep doing, together." America is honored to stand with Australia "as allies with an enduring commitment to human freedom," Obama said. "So thank you all for your extraordinary service. And thank you for representing the very best of our two countries."