King Abdullah of Jordan became the first Arab leader to call on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down due to the unrest that has wracked the country for the past eight months. Abdullah's remarks, made in an interview with the BBC, were a sign of the growing isolation of the Syrian regime. The Arab League also decided to suspend Syria's membership on Saturday over its ongoing crackdown on protesters.
"If Bashar has the interest of his country [at heart] he would step down, but he would also create an ability to reach out and start a new phase of Syrian political life." Abdullah said. "Whenever you exert violence on your own people, it is never going to end well."
The diplomatic maneuvers against Assad were accompanied by an escalation in violence on the ground. Syrian activists said that more than 70 people were killed on Monday, including many Syrian soldiers who were attacked by army defectors in the southern province of Deraa. The government crackdown also continued in the city of Homs, where 19 people were reportedly killed yesterday. The United Nations estimates that over 3,500 people have been killed during the unrest, and November is looking to be the bloodiest month of the revolt yet.
Ai WeiWei begins tax appeal against Chinese government: Dissident Chinese artist Ai WeiWei handed over a $1.3 million bond to the Chinese tax bureau to begin an appeal over a massive tax bill the Chinese government has levied against him.
Europe
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Italy's bond yield crossed the 7 percent threshold once again, putting pressure on Prime Minister designate Mario Monti to form a government.
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The Euro zone economies grew at a 0.2 percent clip in the third quarter.
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned a slew of murders by a suspected neo-Nazi group as "shameful."
Middle East
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Rival Libyan militia factions clashed near the town of Zawiya.
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An Egyptian court lifted a ban on members of deposed President Hosni Mubarak's party running in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
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Israeli lawmakers pushed ahead with a proposal that critics say threatens to limit the independence of the Supreme Court.
Africa
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Israel and Kenya agreed to work together to fight the Somali Islamist group al-Shabab.
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A bomb targeted a Nigerian governor's motorcade in the northeastern city of Maiduguri.
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The interim Libyan government urged Niger to reconsider its decision to grant asylum to Muammar al-Qaddafi's son, Saadi.
Americas
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New York police cleared the Occupy Wall Street tent camp from downtown Manhattan.
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A judge in Chile dropped charges against a Catholic priest for molesting children because the statute of limitations had expired, but said that the allegations appeared credible.
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Mexican soldiers discovered 140 Central American migrants, who were likely bound for the United States, in a truck.
Asia
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New research found that radioactive levels in parts of northeastern Japan, near the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, exceed levels safe for farming.
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Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard urged her party to overturn a ban on selling uranium to India.
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Britain's minister of international development visited Burma to call for the release of political prisoners.
KHALIL MAZRAAWI/AFP/Getty Images
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