US secretary of state Hillary Clinton yesterday demanded UN action to stop spiralling violence in Syria as she prepared to join other top diplomats in pressing a reluctant Russia.

FRENCH president Nicolas Sarkozy demanded Syria’s Bashar al-Assad step down for overseeing “disgusting” massacres against his own people, as an Arab observer mission came in for more criticism.

SYRIA has said it will accept observers as part of an Arab League plan to end deadly unrest if its conditions are met, in a last-ditch bid to stave off crippling sanctions.