Topic: Qatar

World Bank: Tackle warming or poverty remains

Climate change will hit all nations, but especially the poor ones, says new World Bank report. Warming could flood Vietnam and Bangladesh, dry out other areas, causing water scarcity. 

Terrorism & Security
Gaza cease-fire negotiations under way, but fighting rages on (+video)

An Israeli envoy was dispatched to Cairo to take part in Gaza cease-fire negotiations sponsored by Egypt. Turkey and Qatar will also take part.

Israel talks cease-fire in Egypt, while widening range of targets in Gaza

Egypt has been leading international efforts to broker a truce between Israel and Gaza. On Sunday, an Israeli envoy talked with Egyptian officials, but Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers have yet to compromise.

Opinion: In shifting sands of Middle East, who will lead? (+ video)

Leadership in the Middle East is up for grabs as the Syrian war intensifies, the Arab Spring changes regional power dynamics, and Israel's airstrikes and Hamas rockets again roil Gaza. Last year, Turkey was the assumed role model for the region. But it has fallen down on the job.

The Monitor's View: A model leader for Syria?

A moderate Muslim preacher who suffered as a freedom fighter in Syria has been chosen as opposition leader to Assad. Now, Moaz al-Khatib must unite a people torn by civil war and religion.

Syria: Will new opposition leader bring unity?

Mouaz al-Khatib, a religious leader and a voice of moderation, has been chosen to lead the Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces. Supporters hope the new coalition can provide a conduit for foreign aid. 

Inside Syria, rebels offer cautious support for unified council

Fighters on the front lines of the Syrian war expressed optimism about the new council formed out of Syrian opposition groups. 

Terrorism & Security
What is The National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces? (+video)

The fractious Syrian opposition has come together to create a new unified front in their battle against President Bashar al-Assad.

Israel fires warning shots into Syria for first time

Errant fire from Syria into the Israeli-held Golan Heights prompted the retaliatory move and warnings from Israel.

Gas-to-liquids is a risky investment

Terrorism & Security
Refugee flow soars as Syrians flee intense fighting between rebels, Assad forces

The UN says that more than 11,000 people fled Syria overnight, and is warning that by early 2013, some 4 million inside Syria could need humanitarian aid.

Iran confirms clash with US drone, claims it was in Iranian airspace (+video)

The US says the drone was flying in international airspace; last year, a CIA stealth drone was brought down deep inside Iran. The aerial confrontation comes as more nuclear talks loom.

How one Syrian family braves life in a divided Aleppo

The battle for Aleppo has destroyed entire neighborhoods and pushed thousands of residents to flee. For many left behind, savings have been spent and survival is a daily focus.

Assad: 'I will live and die in Syria'

In an interview broadcast on Russian television, the Syrian president said he would not leave the country to end the conflict there, despite British offers of safe passage if he did so.

Terrorism & Security
Rebel hopes rise that reelected Obama will act on Syria as blasts hit Damascus

Three explosions in the capital, including an attack on the presidential palace, could mark a new phase in the rebels' campaign against the Assad regime.

Britain to reach out to Syrian opposition

Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron is set to tour a Syrian refugee camp on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Britain plans to reach out to the Syrian opposition, but will not be providing military advice. 

British PM Cameron says Assad could leave Syria

British Prime Minister David Cameron told the Arab news network Al Arabiya arrangements can be made to move the Syrian president out of the country.

Iran's proxy war?

From Iranian hackers suspected of damaging Saudi oil facility computers to a suspected Hezbollah drone shot down over Israel, the largely hidden war between Iran and its foes seems to be heating up.

Can Syria's opposition groups figure out how to pull together? (+video)

At a gathering in Qatar, Syria's opposition groups have been trying to overcome disarray in their ranks – and lay the foundation for eventual post-dictator leadership.

Suicide car bomber kills 50 soldiers, Syrian opposition says

Another day of relentless violence in Syria coincided with more unity talks in Qatar among opposition factions.

Terrorism & Security
Syria's opposition groups convene in Qatar – can they build a unified front?

The opposition's Syrian National Council began a conference in Qatar yesterday to overhaul its structure. Many, including the US, have lost confidence in the fragmented group.

Syrian rebels capture oil field, but oil not marketable

Oil used to be a major source of revenue for the regime of President Bashar Assad before the European Union and the United States imposed an embargo on Syria's crude exports last year.

Syrian rebels attack key government airbase

Saturday morning Syrian rebels tried to disrupt air strikes that have pummeled their strongholds by launching an assault on a government airbase. The attack highlights questions of organization and disunion amongst the rebels. 

Backchannels
War crimes and the fantasy of 'controlling' Syria's rebels

An atrocity in the strategic Syrian town of Saraqeb is a reminder that the landscape of that country's civil war is a place where angels fear to tread.

Behind the US gambit to seek new anti-Assad leadership in Syria

The US pulled its support from the opposition Syrian National Council, based in Paris, this week – a signal that the Obama administration plans to put more stock in rebel forces fighting the Assad regime on the ground.