<rss version="0.91">
<channel>
<title>www.bi-me.com RSS feed for &#8211; Syria</title>
<link>http://www.bi-me.com</link>
<description>Middle Eastern Business News and Data</description>
<language>en-us</language>
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<title><![CDATA[U.S. believes Syrian government used some chemical weapons, says Hagel]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61634</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. &quot;The U.S. intelligence community assesses with some degree of varying confidence that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons on a small scale in Syria.&quot; ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Analysis: Syria - Outside patronage and a new offensive for the regime ]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61917</link>
<description><![CDATA[iNTERNATIONAL. Control over Homs will enable al Assad to rapidly move forces from the north to the south to meet emerging rebel threats. It will also provide a key avenue of retreat to the Alawite coast in the event that he needs to flee Damascus.
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<title><![CDATA[Commentary: Syria - Humanitarian disaster and political illusion]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61923</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. A government that slaughters its people and maims a whole generation is not a government with whom to negotiate. It is nothing short of travesty that the Obama administration is still mired in the illusion that a political solution is possible. 

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<title><![CDATA[Syria, Israel exchange fire on Golan Heights]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61925</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. Syria said its troops destroyed an Israeli vehicle that crossed into its territory and warned that any attempt to violate its sovereignty would meet &quot;immediate and firm retaliation&quot;.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Kerry heads to Middle East to push peace from Syria to Israel]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61906</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. The discussions on Syria come as  Barack Obama is under increasing pressure from some U.S. lawmakers to do more to bring down Bashar al-Assad. 

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<title><![CDATA[Thirty Hezbollah fighters killed in Syrian town, say activists]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61888</link>
<description><![CDATA[SYRIA. The assault on Qusair appeared to be part of a campaign by Assad&#039;s forces to consolidate their grip on Damascus and secure links with their strongholds on the coast.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Nine arrested over deadly Turkey bombings]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61814</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. Turkey said it had made arrests over bombings that killed 46 in a town near the Syrian border and warned Damascus a red line had been crossed.

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<title><![CDATA[Hezbollah says Syria will supply &#039;game-changing&#039; weapons]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61784</link>
<description><![CDATA[LEBANON. Hassan Nasrallah said Syria has several options to respond to Israeli strikes, including sending sophisticated weapons to Hezbollah and opening the Golan Heights to action. ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Geopolitical Analysis: For American foreign policy, no good options]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61768</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. The answer may be exactly what Obama is doing now in Syria: modestly assisting some of the rebel groups, but essentially avoiding the level of involvement that would make him henceforth responsible for events on the ground.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Syria threat over Israel air strike risks wider conflict]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61731</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. &quot;Israel is taking a calculated risk that Assad, Iran and Hezbollah are right now fighting a war against the Syrian rebels and probably don&#039;t want to open up a second front.&quot;]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Israel bombs Syria, targets weapons shipment]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61713</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. Israel conducted an airstrike in Syria overnight targeting a weapons shipment headed for the militant movement group Hezbollah based in neighboring Lebanon, US media reported.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Obama doesn&#039;t foresee sending troops to Syria]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61725</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. Obama said he wouldn&#039;t completely rule out any option. Still, he said that sending American forces into Syria probably wouldn&#039;t be in the U.S. interest, nor in Syria&#039;s.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Geopolitical Analysis: Redlines and the problems of intervention in Syria]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61694</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. The United States, with its European allies, does not have the force needed to end Syria&#039;s bloodshed. If it tried, it would merely be held responsible for the bloodshed without achieving any strategic goal. 
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<title><![CDATA[Obama says U.S. needs &#039;facts&#039; on Syria chemical weapons]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61683</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. President Barack Obama said the U.S. won&#039;t rush to intervene in Syria without solid evidence that Bashar al-Assad&#039;s regime used chemical weapons.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Hezbollah taking part in Syria fighting, says Nasrallah]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61685</link>
<description><![CDATA[LEBANON. Hezbollah fighters are aiding troops in Syria to combat the rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad, the head of the Lebanese Shiite movement confirmed. ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Syrian prime minister survives bomb attack]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61652</link>
<description><![CDATA[SYRIA. Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halki survived a bomb attack that targeted his convoy in central Damascus on Monday, Syrian state media reported.

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<title><![CDATA[Obama&#039;s Syria red line tested by chemical weapons report]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61641</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. The new assessment draws Obama closer to his previously declared &quot;red line&quot; over such use and has fueled calls for action by lawmakers already advocating deeper involvement. ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Geopolitical Analysis: Anarchy and Hegemony]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61631</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. In the case of the Middle East, do not conflate chaos with democracy. Democracy itself implies an unequal, hierarchal order, albeit one determined by voters.  What we have in many places in the Middle East is the weakening of central authority with no new hierarchy to adequately replace it.
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<title><![CDATA[Shubbak 2013: Mayor of London unveils plans for international festival of Arab culture]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61588</link>
<description><![CDATA[QATAR. London&#039;s celebration of contemporary culture from across the Arab world was first launched in 2011.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Assad hold on power tenuous, says U.S. intelligence official]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61544</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. Assad&#039;s government &quot;maintains the military advantage -- particularly in firepower and air superiority,&quot; and his inner circle &quot;appears to be largely cohesive.&quot; ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Prince Alwaleed tops Forbes Middle East&#039;s &#039;World&#039;s Richest Arabs&#039; for 2013]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61507</link>
<description><![CDATA[UAE. The year&#039;s list of global billionaires has been published by Forbes Middle East, featuring some of the wealthiest Arabs on the planet.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Jordan closes main border crossing with Syria]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61311</link>
<description><![CDATA[JORDAN. The border post is effectively closed because there have been clashes since yesterday and they are continuing,&quot; Jordan&#039;s information minister said.
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<title><![CDATA[Syrian opposition leader Al-Khatib resigns, citing &#039;red lines&#039;]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61297</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. &quot;I announce my resignation from the National Coalition, so that I can work with a freedom that cannot possibly be had in an official institution.&quot;]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Kerry warns Iraq PM on Iran-Syria overflights]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61292</link>
<description><![CDATA[IRAQ. US Secretary of State John Kerry pressed Iraq to stop allowing Iranian flights apparently carrying military equipment through its airspace headed to Syria.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Israel destroys Syrian army gun post after Jeep hit in Golan]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61294</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. Israel fired into Syria and destroyed an army post after gunfire from Syrian territory struck the Israeli-controlled section of the Golan Heights.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[UN announces independent probe into allegations of chemical attack in Syria]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61275</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. &quot;The investigation mission is to look into the specific incident brought to my attention by the Syrian Government.&quot; ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Damascus, rebels trade charges on &#039;chemical attack&#039;]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61253</link>
<description><![CDATA[SYRIA. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the conflict using a network of contacts in Syria, put the number of dead at 26, including 16 soldiers.

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<title><![CDATA[Syrian warplanes attack areas in Lebanon]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61238</link>
<description><![CDATA[LEBANON. Syrian warplanes struck targets on the outskirts of the Lebanese town of Ersal days after telling the Lebanese government it was exercising &quot;the utmost degree of self-restraint.&quot;]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[44% of MENA professionals expect their personal finances to improve in the next six months]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61234</link>
<description><![CDATA[UAE. 55% of MENA residents believe business conditions will also become better, according to the latest MENA Consumer Confidence Index Survey conducted by Bayt.com and YouGov.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Humanitarian challenges continue to mount as Syrian crisis enters third year]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61227</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. &quot;The civilian space is eroding as there is almost no place deemed to be safe. Syrians have no idea when, or if, they will have a normal life again.&quot;
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<title><![CDATA[Syria threatens to strike at rebels in Lebanon]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61220</link>
<description><![CDATA[SYRIA. &quot;Syria expects the Lebanese side to prevent these groups from using the borders as a crossing point, because they are violating Syrian sovereignty.&quot; ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Urgent job creation on a mass scale key to stability in the Arab region, says UNDP report]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61212</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. Arab States could reap a major &quot;demographic dividend&quot; if they can convert their advances in education into employment opportunities for youth, says the 2013 Human Development Report.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Security Council demand release of UN peacekeepers held in Golan Heights]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61148</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. Peacekeepers serving with UNDOF monitor the 1974 disengagement accord between Syria and Israel after their 1973 war.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Salary tops list of reasons MENA professionals quit, reveals Bayt.com survey]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61057</link>
<description><![CDATA[UAE. The majority of employees stay no longer than five years in a job; Multinationals seen as having highest retention rates; 60.2% state that retention today is lower than in previous generations. ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Deadly bombing, mortars rock central Damascus ]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61039</link>
<description><![CDATA[SYRIA. A powerful car bomb exploded Thursday close to ruling party offices in Syria&#039;s capital, killing dozens of people and causing widespread destruction.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[UN panel urges action amid ongoing human rights abuses in Syria conflict]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=61001</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. &quot;Ensuring the accountability of all parties for crimes committed is imperative,&quot; including through referral to the International Criminal Court. ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[HSBC says it will stop serving some Syrian, Iranian citizens]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=60921</link>
<description><![CDATA[UAE. HSBC&#039;s Dubai-based Middle East unit will stop personal-banking services to some customers with links to countries subject to European Union and U.S. sanctions.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Analysis: The Consequences of Intervening in Syria]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=60834</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. Just as there were repercussions for the decisions to conduct a direct intervention in Libya and not to intervene in Mali, there will be repercussions for the partial intervention approach in Syria]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Syria protests over Israel attack, warns of &#039;surprise&#039;]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=60829</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. Details of Wednesday&#039;s strike remain sketchy and, in parts, contradictory. Syria said Israeli warplanes crossed into its airspace from Lebanon and struck the Jamraya military research centre.

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<title><![CDATA[More than US$1.5 billion pledged for Syria humanitarian response, says UN]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=60808</link>
<description><![CDATA[KUWAIT. &quot;We have seen global solidarity in action,&quot; Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the pledging conference for Syria, which was held in Kuwait City.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Security Council must act now to address Syria crisis, stresses envoy ]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=60803</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. &quot;Syria is being destroyed bit by bit. And in destroying Syria, the region is being pushed into a situation that is extremely bad and extremely important for the entire world,&quot; Lakhdar Brahimi told reporters at UN Headquarters.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Israel strikes convoy near Syria-Lebanon border]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=60802</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. Israeli jets attacked a weapons- transport convoy near Syria&#039;s border with Lebanon, Agence France-Presse reported, citing people it didn&#039;t identify by name. ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[US$1.4 billion needed now for children in humanitarian crises, says UNICEF]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=60752</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. The emergency in Syria represents one important focus of  our global emergency response, said Ted Chaiban.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Davos Schwab says Iran, Syria &#039;black swans&#039;]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=60732</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. Founder of the World Economic Forum, sees political &quot;black swan&quot; events threatening global security even as economic risks subside, with confidence returning to the euro area.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Geopolitical Analysis: Avoiding the wars that never end]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=60679</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. The United States is moving away from the view that it has the primary responsibility for trying to manage the world on behalf of itself, the Europeans and its other allies. Instead, that burden is shifting to those who have immediate interests involved.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[MENA governments need to engage the private sector to help address the growing crisis of affordable housing, says Ernst &amp; Young]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=60663</link>
<description><![CDATA[UAE. Despite many MENA nations&#039; commendable efforts so far, the supply of affordable housing is falling far short of demand, and demand is rising.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Syria displacement crisis worsens as protracted humanitarian emergency looms ]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=60659</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. IRC report calls aid levels for Syria crisis insufficient and spotlights forsaken urban refugees and ongoing sexual violence as issues that need urgent attention. ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[40 years of Assad family rule is &#039;too long&#039;, says U.N. envoy]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=60620</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. This is the closest  Lakhdar Brahimi has come to calling directly for President Bashar al-Assad to quit, cast doubt on the future of his peace plan.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Work-life balance is the most motivating factor for employees in the UAE, reveals survey]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=60578</link>
<description><![CDATA[UAE. 38% of UAE respondents claim to receive very little or no company support towards achieving a healthy balance, according to Bayt.com and YouGov survey.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Syrians brush off Assad speech, fighting continues]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=60572</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. Fighting raged across Syria on Monday, including just a few miles from where President Bashar al-Assad had unveiled a &quot;peace plan&quot; yesterday.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Syria death toll could be more than 60,000, says UN human rights office]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=60546</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. &quot;The number of casualties is much higher than we expected, and is truly shocking,&quot; said High Commissioner Navi Pillay.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Brahimi calls for transitional Syrian government with full powers]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=60515</link>
<description><![CDATA[SYRIA. Calling for &quot;real change&quot; in Syria, the peace envoy said a Syrian transitional government with full executive powers &quot;must be&quot; created until elections can be held.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Peace envoy Brahimi, Syria diplomats in Moscow talks]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=60512</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. Talks have moved to Moscow after a flurry of meetings Brahimi held in Damascus this week, but the international envoy has disclosed little about his negotiations.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Russia eyes Syria evacuation as rebels take Damascus district]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=60465</link>
<description><![CDATA[SYRIA. Moscow acted a day after insurgents obtained a possible springboard for a thrust into Damascus by seizing the Yarmouk Palestinian camp, just 2 miles from the heart of the city.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Hunger spreads in Syria as war intensifies]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=60436</link>
<description><![CDATA[SYRIA. Desperation for food is growing in parts of Syria, where fist fights or dashes across the civil war front lines have become part of the daily struggle to secure a loaf of bread.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Russia says Syrian rebels might win]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=60417</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. Syrian rebels are gaining ground and might win, Russia&#039;s Middle East envoy said in the starkest such admission from a major ally of President Bashar al-Assad.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Rigid ideologies are battling political pragmatism at the expense of economic growth and reduced investment, says IIF report]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=60390</link>
<description><![CDATA[LEBANON. Byblos Bank hosts the launch of IIF new report on the Middle East and North Africa; Lebanon: recovery hinges on political stability and reforms.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Three million Syrians in need of food, crops and livestock assistance, says UN]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=60301</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. While the economic implications of these losses are quite grave, the humanitarian implications are far more pressing,&quot; said WFP&#039;s Representative in Syria, Muhannad Hadi]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[UNICEF to help the Syrian children refugee and displaced survive the icy weather]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=60292</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. UNICEF is urgently mobilizing more than 100,000 children&#039;s clothing kits and around 160,000 blankets, including baby blankets, along with other winter supplies for displaced children in Syria and surrounding countries. 
]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Oil, gas and petrochemicals are top industries in MENA, reveals survey]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=60282</link>
<description><![CDATA[UAE. Industry is a regional leader in terms of current employee satisfaction, and respondent perceptions, according to Bayt.com and YouGov survey.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Syria Internet cut as battle rages near Damascus airport]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=60265</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. Communications including cellular networks, landlines and the Internet in many parts of Syria were cut, as foreign airlines canceled flights. 
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<title><![CDATA[The World in the eyes of Arabs...and how Arabs are seen by the rest of the world is explored in Arabian Nights]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=60205</link>
<description><![CDATA[UAE. The Arabian Nights programming segment of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) offers the best picks from Arab cinema around the world.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Newly united Syria opposition bids for recognition]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=60045</link>
<description><![CDATA[EGYPT.  The leader of Syria&#039;s newly united opposition, Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib, headed to Arab League headquarters in Cairo to push for diplomatic recognition.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Britain to start talks with armed Syria opposition  ]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=59997</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. The announcement was made as David Cameron toured a desert refugee camp for Syrians in northern Jordan, on the third and final leg of a tour of the Middle East. ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Syrian opposition meeting in Qatar to broaden, unify ranks]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=59950</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. Factions aim to gain international respect and recognition and, crucially, better weapons for their quest to oust President Bashar al-Assad.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Syria rebels launch assault on key northern airbase]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=59930</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. Syrian rebels launched a major assault in the northwest on Saturday against the Taftanaz airbase used to launch strikes against their positions.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Analysis: Syrian sanctions yield gains but also uncertainty]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=59924</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. &quot;Freezing wealth requires identifying wealth, and that ultimately comes down to accessing advisors and consiglieri figures, something beyond the typical remit of financial and commercial watchdogs and other would-be enforcers.&quot;
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<title><![CDATA[Syria fighting rages on third day of UN-brokered truce]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=59863</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. Syrian forces shelled regions around the capital, Damascus, on the third day of a United Nations- brokered cease-fire, as the government and rebels blamed each other for breaching the truce.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Fighting ruptures ragged Syrian ceasefire]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=59857</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. Fighting erupted in a Damascus suburb and around an army base in northern Syria, as a truce marking a Muslim holiday crumbled almost before it had begun.

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<title><![CDATA[UN welcomes Syria Eid holiday ceasefire]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=59851</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed reported announcements of warring parties in Syria agreeing to observe a ceasefire, starting on Friday.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Syria denounced at Beirut funeral rally for slain official]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=59790</link>
<description><![CDATA[LEBANON. Thousands of people gathered in central Beirut on Sunday for the funeral of an assassinated senior intelligence officer, accusing Syria of involvement in the killing.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Anti-Syria coalition demands Lebanese cabinet resign]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=59772</link>
<description><![CDATA[LEBANON. Prime Minister Najib Mikati was responsible for the Beirut bombing and should resign, the coalition said in a statement. Mikati&#039;s Cabinet is backed by the militant Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah, which supports Syria&#039;s President Bashar al-Assad.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Geopolitical Analysis: Turkey&#039;s Challenge and the Syrian Negotiation]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=59734</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. Turkey is uniquely positioned to steer the Islamist movement while the Arab street still requires a regional backer in its challenge to the old regimes and to keep Iran at bay. 
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<title><![CDATA[Turkey confiscates cargo on Syria-bound passenger plane]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=59679</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. Turkish F-16 jets forced the airplane traveling from Moscow to Damascus to land after intelligence reports said it was carrying cargo banned by civil-aviation rules, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Geopolitical Analysis: The Emerging Doctrine of the United States]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=59659</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. Under the emerging doctrine, the absence of an overwhelming American interest means that the fate of a country like Syria is in the hands of the Syrian people or neighboring countries. ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[What impact does oil have on the Syrian civil war? ]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=59606</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. It is Syria&#039;s geographic location on the old caravan route between Turkey and Arabia that still holds the same strategic importance today as it did in the days of the caravan trains. 
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<title><![CDATA[Salad becomes Syrian luxury as prices surge in wartime economy]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=59604</link>
<description><![CDATA[SYRIA. The price of some vegetables in Damascus has jumped fivefold since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March last year.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Commentary: Syria mortar attack on Turkey adds new dimension to conflict]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=59595</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. The October 3 spillover of violence in Syria across the border to Turkey has added a new edge to the campaign Prime Minister Erdogan&#039;s Administration has been waging to convince its allies and friends that Syria is spinning out of control.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Turkey strikes back at Syria, says will protect borders]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=59583</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. Turkish artillery hit targets near Syria&#039;s Tel Abyad border town for a second day on Thursday, killing several Syrian soldiers according to activists and security sources.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Cameron says child torture in Syria a &#039;stain&#039; on UN and Assad allies ]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=59504</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron risked newly improved relations with Russia by saying countries that refuse to condemn Syria&#039;s regime have blood on their hands. ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Qatar emir calls for Arab-led intervention in Syria]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=59496</link>
<description><![CDATA[QATAR. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani hinted at the use of military means &quot;to do what is necessary to stop the bloodshed in Syria.&quot; ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Explosions strike top Syrian army building]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=59485</link>
<description><![CDATA[SYRIA. Two loud explosions targeted one of Syria&#039;s top military command buildings in the capital Damascus on Wednesday, engulfing the building in flames.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Syria, Iran hang heavy as world gathers at UN]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=59470</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. Fears that the Syrian civil war and the Iranian nuclear standoff could provoke wider international conflict dominated the debate on Monday.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[World leaders gather at UN as Arab Spring turns perilous]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=59436</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. Making their debut at the 193-member General Assembly are the new leaders of young governments in the so-called Arab Spring nations who came in to deliver economic results and now must also address anti-Western sentiment.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Analysis: Can Syria&#039;s rebels overthrow Assad? ]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=59389</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. What strategy the rebels need to adopt to be successful? Why Al-Qaeda&#039;s growing presence benefits Assad? How to rid the rebels of extremist forces?]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Geopolitical Analysis: From Gadhafi to Benghazi]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=59388</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. It is simply not clear to me that removing a dictator automatically improves matters. What is clear to me is that if you wage war for moral ends, you are morally bound to manage the consequences.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Syrian crisis getting worse, has serious consequences for the region and the entire world, says Lakhdar Brahimi ]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=59351</link>
<description><![CDATA[SYRIA. More than 18,000 people, mostly civilians, have died since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began 18 months ago.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Iran admits its elite forces operating in Syria]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=59348</link>
<description><![CDATA[SYRIA. Syrian troops on Sunday fought rebel fighters in the country&#039;s two main cities Damascus and Aleppo, as Iran acknowledged for the first time it has elite forces present in Syria and Lebanon as &quot;counsellors.&quot;]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Security analysis: Evacuations and contingency planning]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=59204</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. Foreign nationals should take full advantage of their governments&#039; evacuation assistance regardless of the country in which they temporarily reside. However, government planning is no substitute for personal evacuation plans.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Syrian fighting rages as rebels seek to weaken air power]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=59113</link>
<description><![CDATA[SYRIA. Syrian rebels turned their attacks against airbases as they try to reduce the strength of the government&#039;s air power being deployed against them.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[World leaders squirm as Iran summit turns tense]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=59081</link>
<description><![CDATA[IRAN. The showpiece summit stumbled as soon as it opened when the head of the UN pressed Tehran on its nuclear stand, and Egypt&#039;s new leader publicly sided with Syria&#039;s rebels.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[More time needed to end Syria conflict, says Assad]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=59059</link>
<description><![CDATA[SYRIA. President Bashar al-Assad vowed that his forces would win the conflict ravaging Syria but that more time was needed, as rebels targeted a northern military airport.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Syrian forces kill hundreds in attack near Damascus]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=59018</link>
<description><![CDATA[SYRIA. President Bashar al-Assad vowed to win the fight &quot;no matter the cost&quot; and reiterated his charge that a &quot;foreign plot&quot; was behind the violence in the country.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Deadly flare-up in Lebanon stokes Syria spillover fears]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=59002</link>
<description><![CDATA[LEBANON.  A sniper killed a Sunni sheikh in the north Lebanon city of Tripoli, sparking new clashes between pro- and anti-Syrian factions that dashed a tenuous truce]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Lebanese Premier warns of Syrian spillover as gunbattles flare]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=58973</link>
<description><![CDATA[LEBANON. Najib Mikati urged national unity to insulate the country from &quot;the burning fires all around it,&quot; after gunbattles in his hometown of Tripoli. ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Syria says Assad fate may be part of talks with rebels]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=58970</link>
<description><![CDATA[SYRIA. A Syrian national dialogue must begin before there can be discussions of President Bashar al- Assad&#039;s resignation, Deputy Prime Minister Qadri Jamil said. ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Personal finances, employment conditions expected to improve across MENA region, reveals consumer confidence survey]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=58951</link>
<description><![CDATA[UAE. Respondents are optimistic for the upcoming year. The majority believe that their personal financial situation (51%), country&#039;s economy (44%), business conditions (49%) and employment conditions (35%) will improve, according to Bayt.com and YouGov survey. ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Obama warns of military action in Syria over chemical weapons]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=58950</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. President Barack Obama on threatened U.S. military action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, warning in the strongest terms yet that any attempt to deploy or use chemical or biological weapons would cross a &quot;red line&quot; for the United States.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Analysis: Growing violence could leave Syria ungovernable]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=58939</link>
<description><![CDATA[INTERNATIONAL. Escalating violence, with loyal forces using air strikes and artillery to subdue rebels and a vicious cycle of retaliation, could leave Syria ungovernable even if a winner finally emerges from President Bashar al-Assad&#039;s battle with rebels.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Syria Vice President Al-Shara&#039;s office denies he defected]]></title>'
<link>http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?c=3&amp;cg=3&amp;t=1&amp;id=58933</link>
<description><![CDATA[SYRIA. Syrian state television reported that the office of Vice President Faruq al-Shara denied reports he had defected and left the country.]]></description>
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</channel>
</rss>
