MONTREUX, Switzerland — From its early moments on Wednesday, the long-delayed peace conference on Syria was marked by acrimony when Syria’s foreign minister described Syrian rebels as “evil” and ignored appeals by Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general, to avoid invective or even to yield the floor. 
 
 By the end of the day, the sense that the new peace talks were headed for trouble was compounded when the proceedings ended without any hint of progress toward imposing local cease-fires or opening humanitarian corridors for the delivery of food and medicine to besieged towns and cities. 
 
 In an evening news conference here, Syria’s ambassador to the United Nations, Bashar Jaafari, said that stopping terrorism, not sharing power, needed to be the priority when Syrian government officials sat down with the Syrian opposition on Friday to discuss a political solution to the bloody conflict, a stance that also appeared to promise more confrontation. 
 
 Putting the best face on the meeting, Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters on Wednesday night that it was significant that senior diplomats from 40 countries and organizations had gathered in the lakeside Swiss city of Montreux, to initiate the conference. Mr. Kerry insisted that he had always known that the talks would be “tough” and described the conference as a “process,” which he implied could last for months or even years. 
 
 Several Syrians also expressed hope that the conference signaled the start of a process in which Syrians might eventually overcome their differences. 
 
 “It’s a historic moment,” said Ibrahim al-Hamidi, a veteran journalist for the Saudi-owned newspaper Al Hayat who is originally from the northern Syrian city of Idlib. “After three years of military struggle, when the opposition tried very hard to destroy the regime, and the regime tried very hard to crush the opposition, this is the first time the two delegations sit down in one room under U.N. auspices.” 
 
 But it was hard to escape the sense that the conditions for a productive negotiation between the Syrian government and the opposition had yet to be set. Mr. Kerry tried to set a positive tone on the eve of the conference by engaging in a calculated display of comity with Mr. Ban and Sergey V. Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister — a gesture that appeared intended to play down the lobbying effort by the United States to persuade the United Nations to withdraw its invitation to Iran to attend the meeting. “Do we look happy?” Mr. Lavrov quipped as the three held hands for a photo. 
 
 But when the conference opened on Wednesday sharp differences came to the fore. Mr. Kerry said it was unthinkable that President Bashar al-Assad of Syria could play a role in a transitional administration that would govern the country as part of a political settlement. The establishment of such a transitional body by “mutual consent” of the Assad government and the Syrian opposition is the major goal of the conference. “The right to lead a country does not come from torture, nor barrel bombs, nor Scud missiles,” Mr. Kerry said. 
 
 Mr. Lavrov challenged the American insistence that Mr. Assad be excluded from a transitional administration, arguing that the conference had to “refrain from any attempt to predetermine the outcome of the process.” 
 
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 While the stark differences between the American and Russian positions were outlined in civil tones, that diplomatic restraint was abandoned when Walid al-Moallem, the Syrian foreign minister who will lead the Syrian government’s face-to-face talks with the opposition, took the floor and accused Arab nations of financing terrorism and conspiring to destroy his country. 
 
 Speaking for more than 30 minutes, Mr. Moallem also accused insurgents of “sexual jihad” by using brainwashed women as sex slaves and engaging in incest. When Mr. Ban asked that Mr. Moallem wind up his lengthy speech, the Syrian official shot back: “You live in New York, I live in Syria.” 
 
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 After Mr. Ban again urged him to be concise, Mr. Moallem said he would conclude soon, adding that “Syria always keeps its promises.” But he continued with his denunciations of the opposition and Mr. Ban later lamented that his injunction that participants take a constructive approach to the crisis “had been broken.” 
 
 Ahmad Assi al-Jarba, the president of the Syrian opposition, opened with the story of Hajar al-Khatib, 11, who he said was shot by government forces as she rode a bus to school in Rastan near the city of Homs in May 2011. That was in the early days of the protest movement that set off the uprising. “Ten thousand children have died because of the Syrian Army,” he added, singling out not only Mr. Assad but the army, which many pro-government Syrians distinguish from the political leaders as an object of patriotism. 
 
 Mr. Jarba has said from the start that the Syrian opposition will never accept a role for Mr. Assad in a transitional government and he wondered aloud if the negotiators that the Syrian president had sent to Switzerland were prepared to contemplate that outcome. “We want to be sure we have a Syrian partner in this room,” Mr. Jarba said, adding, “Do we have such a partner?” 
 
 Asked whether the United States had any way of putting more leverage on the Assad government, Mr. Kerry suggested that the Obama administration would support “augmented” support for the opposition, among other options. But Mr. Kerry was vague about those options, and the White House has been extremely reluctant to use force in Syria or to even treat the Syria crisis as its principal foreign policy challenge. 
 
 On the sidelines, attempts at dialogue turned to scuffles. Outside, pro-government protesters waved the flags of the Syrian government and Hezbollah and chanted “God, Bashar and nothing else!” An opposition activist, Rami Jarrah, approached them with a television camera and interviewed them. But when he asked if Mr. Assad should be tried for war crimes, they began shouting and pushing. 
 
 Inside, the Syrian information minister, Omran al-Zoubi, was asked by a Syrian opposition journalist from Aleppo, Adnan Hadad, about the barrel bombs that the military had used on neighborhoods in his city, killing hundreds in recent weeks. 
 
 “This is the kind of question you ask if you support the terrorist groups,” Mr. Zoubi said. “Ask the Saudi foreign minister.” 
 
 In an interview, Fayssal Mekdad, the Syrian deputy foreign minister, said he welcomed sitting face to face with the government’s opponents. “We look forward to looking them in the eye,” he said, “and asking them, ‘Who do you represent?’ ” ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Jeremy Bowen reports from Damascus on reaction to latest developments 
 
 A Russian plan for Syria's chemical weapons to be put under international control has sparked immediate disputes over resolutions at the United Nations. 
 
 The UK, US and France want a timetable and consequences of failure spelt out, and Washington has warned it will "not fall for stalling tactics". 
 
 Russia said any draft putting the blame on Syria was unacceptable and urged a declaration backing its initiative. 
 
 US President Barack Obama is addressing the nation on the Syrian crisis. 
 
 The White House said earlier that he planned to use the televised statement to argue that Congress should authorise the use of force if required. 
 
 Syria has said it accepts the Russian proposal on its chemical stockpile. 
 
 Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said on Tuesday that Damascus was willing to become a party to the Chemical Weapons Convention, Russian Interfax news agency reported, 
 
 Chapter 7 of UN Charter Action in response to threats to peace, breaches of peace and acts of aggression 
 
 Article 41 enables Security Council to decide measures not involving armed force 
 
 Can suspend economic and diplomatic relations as well as rail, sea and other communications 
 
 If Article 41 measures are inadequate, Article 42 enables Security Council to take action by air, sea or land forces for international peace and security Source: UN 
 
 "We are ready to honour our commitments under this convention, including providing information about these weapons," he said. 
 
 The US alleges that Syrian government forces carried out a chemical weapons attack in Damascus on 21 August, killing 1,429 people. 
 
 The Syrian government blames the attack on rebels fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, in a conflict that the UN says has claimed some 100,000 lives. 
 
 The UN Security Council was to hold a meeting on Syria at 20:00 GMT. 
 
 However, it was later cancelled to allow for more consultations. Russia had asked for the meeting then withdrew the request. 
 
 US Secretary of State John Kerry is to meet Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Geneva on Thursday to discuss Syria, US officials say. 
 
 'Proper timetable' 
 
 UK government sources have told the BBC that the exact wording of the joint US, French and British resolution on Syria's chemical weapons is still to be agreed. 
 
 The BBC's Nick Robinson says diplomats from the three allies are said to be discussing the questions of "what, where, when, who and how" - in other words what weapons should be removed from Syria, where should they be taken to, according to what timetable and who should supervise it. 
 
 Chemical weapons plan timeline 5-6 Sept Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama discuss idea of placing Syria's chemical weapons under international control on sidelines of G20 summit, Putin spokesman says Monday 9 Sept 07:30 GMT At press conference with Russia's Sergei Lavrov, Syria's Walid Muallem hints at chemical weapons plan 09:12 In UK, John Kerry says Mr Assad could avert an attack if he "turn[s] over every single bit of his chemical weapons to the international community" 14:00 In second press conference, Mr Lavrov says he has urged Mr Muallem to "not only agree on placing chemical weapons storage sites under international control, but also on their subsequent destruction". Mr Muallem welcomes proposal, and it is prominently reported on Syrian state TV, suggesting Damascus is behind plan. Mr Obama says a military strike is "absolutely" on pause if Syria yields control of its chemical weapons Syria chemical attacks: What we know Syria's chemical weapons stockpile 
 
 Mr Lavrov told his French counterpart Laurent Fabius on Tuesday that it would not countenance a resolution threatening Syria with force. 
 
 "Mr Lavrov stressed that France's proposal to seek approval at the UN Security Council for a resolution... that puts the responsibility for the possible use of chemical weapons on the Syrian authorities is unacceptable," the Russian foreign ministry added in a statement. 
 
 Earlier, UK Prime Minister David Cameron said the UN motion should ensure that Russia's offer was "not a ruse". 
 
 "We need a proper timetable, process and consequences if it's not done," he said. 
 
 Mr Kerry said a binding UN resolution was needed on the issue. 
 
 Our correspondent says there is also wrangling over whether the resolution should be Chapter 7 or Chapter 6. 
 
 Chapter 7 permits military action if other measures do not succeed. Chapter 6 stipulates peaceful methods of resolving disputes. 
 
 BBC diplomatic correspondent Bridget Kendall says days or even weeks of wrangling can be expected in the Security Council. 
 
 The test will be whether they can - this time - come up with a formulation they can all agree on, she says. 
 
 'American aggression' 
 
 Mr Kerry earlier told a hearing of the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee that President Barack Obama would "take a hard look" at the Russian plan. 
 
 Syria's chemical weapons CIA believes Syria's chemical weapons can be "delivered by aircraft, ballistic missile, and artillery rockets" 
 
 Syria believed to possess mustard gas and sarin, and also tried to develop more toxic nerve agents such as VX gas 
 
 Syria has not signed the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) or ratified the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) Sources: CSIS, RUSI Press review: 'A way out for Obama' Western military options 
 
 He said: "But it has to be swift, it has to be real, it has to be verifiable. We have to show Syria, Russia and the world we are not going to fall for stalling tactics." 
 
 He later said the Russian proposals would be "coming in formally during the course of the day". 
 
 Mr Kerry urged Congress to stand by Mr Obama, saying the president was not asking for a declaration of war, simply for the power to show that the US "means what we say". 
 
 There have been few details so far of Russia's plan, but Mr Lavrov said earlier in Moscow that it was "preparing a concrete proposal which will be presented to all interested sides, including the US... a workable, specific, concrete plan". 
 
 Mr Muallem, who is in Moscow, was quoted by Interfax as saying: "We held a very fruitful round of talks with [Mr Lavrov] yesterday and he proposed an initiative relating to chemical weapons. And in the evening, we agreed to the Russian initiative." 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption "Hunting down banned chemical weapons in a secretive Middle Eastern dictatorship is not easy," as Frank Gardner reports 
 
 This would "remove the grounds for American aggression", he said. 
 
 The US Senate had been expected to vote this week on a resolution authorising military force, but the Russian plan has led to a postponement. 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Walid al-Muallem: "We want to join the convention for the prevention of chemical weapons" 
 
 Mr Kerry said that "nothing has changed with respect to our request for the Congress to take action" but that Mr Obama might want to discuss the timing of a vote with congressional leaders. 
 
 Mr Lavrov said the Russian initiative was "not a purely Russian initiative... it grew out of contacts we've had with the Americans". 
 
 Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Obama discussed the idea on the sidelines of a G20 summit last week, Mr Putin's spokesman said on Tuesday. 
 
 Watch President Obama's address to the nation live on the BBC News website at 21:00 EDT on Tuesday (01:00 GMT/02:00 BST Wednesday). ||||| Syria Geneva talks take positive step - opposition 
 
 Both sides have said they will continue with the peace talks until Friday 
 
 Syria's government has said it will debate a UN-backed document that sets out a way to end the three-year conflict, in a move hailed by the opposition as a "positive step forward" 
 
 Presidential adviser Bouthaina Shaaban said they would discuss the Geneva Communique "paragraph by paragraph". 
 
 She made no mention of the part that calls for a transitional government. 
 
 The idea of a transition process has proved to be a major sticking point at the peace talks in Geneva. 
 
 But there were some slightly more promising signs on Wednesday. 
 
 Ms Shaaban confirmed that government delegates were willing to go through the 2012 communique "paragraph by paragraph". 
 
 She said the first issue they wanted to discuss was the first issue in the document, "stopping terrorism". 
 
 "Even in [the Geneva I communique], the first item is to stop violence which has turned to terrorism," she said. 
 
 The government generally labels any armed opposition as "terrorism". 
 
 She claimed that the opposition's aim "to jump to the item that speaks about transitional government" proved they "are only interested in being in government". 
 
 Continue reading the main story Geneva Communique A UN-backed meeting in 2012 issued the document and urged Syria to: Form transitional governing body 
 
 Start national dialogue 
 
 Review constitution and legal system 
 
 Hold free and fair elections 
 
 Louay al-Safi, a spokesman for the opposition National Coalition, said the fact that the document was now on the table was "a positive step forward". 
 
 "For the first time now we are talking about the transitional governing body, the body whose responsibility is to end dictatorship and move toward democracy and end the fighting and misery in Syria," he told reporters. 
 
 However, he stressed again the opposition view that the transfer of power issue must "come first, because nothing else can be achieved before we form a transitional governing body". 
 
 The UN-Arab League mediator Lakhdar Brahimi said after adjourning Tuesday's talks that the negotiations continued to be difficult and were unlikely to get any easier. 
 
 But he said the representatives of both sides had confirmed that they intended to stay and continue the discussions until Friday, as planned. 
 
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 Meanwhile, the Syrian government has criticised a recent decision by the US Congress to approve continued support for rebels. 
 
 Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi said the aid contradicted Washington's sponsorship of the Geneva peace talks. Moscow, the other sponsor, has continued to sell weapons to the Syrian military but notes that there is no international arms embargo. 
 
 It emerged on Monday that Congress had secretly given its backing to a CIA programme to arm and train "moderate", non-Islamist Syrian factions in Jordan, and provide a variety of small arms and anti-tank rockets. 
 
 In a separate development on Wednesday, the UN welcomed the UK's decision to take in hundreds of the "most vulnerable" refugees from Syria. 
 
 The British government had previously been reluctant to accept Syrian refugees, preferring to focus on humanitarian aid to the region, but it was facing a parliamentary defeat on the issue. ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption John Kerry: "If this arrangement holds then we will see a significant reduction in violence across Syria" 
 
 Russia and the US have agreed to co-ordinate air strikes against Islamist militants in Syria, part of a detailed agreement to reduce the violence there. 
 
 The plan will begin with a "cessation of hostilities" from sunset on Monday. Syrian forces will end combat missions in specified opposition-held areas. 
 
 Russia and the US will then establish a joint centre to combat jihadist groups, including so-called Islamic State (IS). 
 
 A Syrian opposition coalition has cautiously welcomed the agreement. 
 
 "We hope this will be the beginning of the end of the civilians' ordeal," said Bassma Kodmani, a spokeswoman for the High Negotiations Committee. 
 
 "We welcome the deal if it is going to be enforced." 
 
 In other reaction: 
 
 Turkey welcomed the plan, and said aid needed to reach those in need "from the first day" 
 
 EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini urged the UN to "prepare a proposal for political transition" in Syria 
 
 British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson urged Russia to "use all its influence" to ensure the Syrian government "delivers on its obligations" 
 
 Aid access 
 
 The announcement follows talks in Geneva between US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov. 
 
 The plan would need both the Assad government and opposition "to meet their obligations", Mr Kerry said. 
 
 The opposition had indicated it was prepared to comply with the plan, he said, provided the Syrian government "shows it is serious". 
 
 Mr Lavrov said Russia had informed the Syrian government about the arrangements and the Syrian government was "ready to fulfil them". 
 
 Mr Kerry said the cessation of hostilities also involved humanitarian access to besieged areas, including Aleppo. 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Aleppo: Key battleground in Syria's civil war 
 
 Seven days after the start of the cessation of hostilities, Russia and the US will establish a "joint implementation centre" to fight IS and another main group, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham. 
 
 Jabhat Fateh al-Sham used to be known as the Nusra Front but changed its name in June and announced it was cutting ties with al-Qaeda. 
 
 Mr Lavrov said the joint implementation centre would allow Russian and US forces to "separate the terrorists from the moderate opposition". 
 
 "We have agreed on the areas where such co-ordinated strikes would be taking place, and in those areas, on neutral agreement shared by the Syrian government as well, only the Russian and US air force will be functional," he said. 
 
 But Mr Lavrov added that "the Syrian air force will be functional in other areas, outside those that we have singled out for Russian-American military co-operation". 
 
 Layers of conflict 
 
 Image copyright AP 
 
 By Jeremy Bowen, BBC Middle East Editor, Damascus 
 
 Getting a deal was an achievement, given the sour atmosphere between Moscow and Washington. It offers some fragile hope about stopping the slaughter. 
 
 But there is scepticism about its chances. That is because a lot is going to have to go right, quite quickly, if the agreement is to work. 
 
 One necessity is President Assad's consent. A week-long ceasefire might be possible, but a political deal to end the war is still out of sight. 
 
 The Assad regime's survival depends on the Russians, so he will listen to them. But with Russia's help, the Assad regime is looking more robust. 
 
 So it is hard to see why the president, or his Russian allies, would want him to go. 
 
 The war in Syria is made up of layers of conflict, which connect up to regional and global rivalries. That makes it very hard to calm, let alone end. 
 
 Mr Lavrov and Mr Kerry stressed that the plan could pave the way for a political transition. 
 
 "The plan is more prescriptive and far-reaching than any proposal to date and, if implemented by all sides, could allow political negotiations to take place on Syria's future," Mr Kerry said. 
 
 The United Nations envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, welcomed the agreement and said the UN would exert all efforts to deliver humanitarian aid. 
 
 'Apex of horror' 
 
 Fighting has recently escalated between Syria's army and rebels in eastern Aleppo, where 250,000 people live. 
 
 On Sunday, Syrian government forces were reported to have recaptured parts of Aleppo which were lost to rebels last month, placing rebel-held districts in the city's east once again under siege. 
 
 Mr de Mistura warned earlier on Friday that food and water shortages made the situation in Aleppo even more serious, and that fuel supplies could run out within days. 
 
 UN humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brien told the BBC conditions in Aleppo had become appalling: "Eastern Aleppo is at the apex of horror, where any one of us, if we were there, would find life barely possible, let alone tolerable." 
 
 The US and Russia support opposite sides in the conflict that began in 2011: Washington backs a coalition of rebel groups it describes as moderate, while Moscow is seen as a key ally of President Assad. ||||| Image copyright AFP Image caption Some 9.5 million people have been displaced since the uprising began in March 2011 
 
 Syrian peace talks being held in Geneva have broken up early amid opposition demands that the government address the question of a transition of power. 
 
 Opposition spokesmen said they wanted the Syrian government to have time to come up with a proposal on the issue. 
 
 The talks are at an impasse over the issue, with division over the future role of President Bashar al-Assad. 
 
 UN mediator Lakhdar Brahimi also said that there had been no breakthrough on getting aid to the city of Homs. 
 
 'Not co-operating' 
 
 Government and opposition delegates held a joint session with Mr Brahimi on Tuesday morning. 
 
 On previous days that has been followed by separate consultations with Mr Brahimi and each of the two delegations in the afternoon, but on Tuesday the opposition delegation said this would not happen. 
 
 "The regime is not co-operating on any subject, not on humanitarian issues and not on a transitional governing body," opposition delegate Rima Fleihan told the AFP agency. 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption UN mediator Lakhdar Brahimi says it is "not easy" to get aid in Homs 
 
 Another opposition delegate, Murhaf Jouejati, told Associated Press the delay would give the government time "to come out with their own vision for a future Syria". 
 
 Addressing a news conference later in the day, Mr Brahimi said: "We have not had any breakthrough but we are still at it and this is good enough as far as I am concerned." 
 
 He said that he had cancelled the meeting "with no request or pressure from either side". 
 
 Mr Brahimi also said that a convoy bearing humanitarian aid was still waiting to enter besieged parts of the city of Homs. 
 
 He said the government had not yet granted permission, adding that "we haven't given up on that". 
 
 The government has offered to allow women and children to leave opposition-held areas, and to grant safe passage to men as well if they receive a list of their names. 
 
 But the opposition has dismissed it as a ruse to displace and arrest its supporters. 
 
 Western diplomats have said that if aid is not allowed in by next week they will draft a resolution at the UN Security Council to put pressure on the government and its ally, Russia. 
 
 Image copyright AFP Image caption Fighting between government and rebel forces is meanwhile raging on in Syria 
 
 Some 2,500 people have been trapped in the Old City of Homs since June 2012, without access to food and medical supplies. 
 
 On Tuesday, the governor of Homs province said a UN official was in contact with rebel fighters in besieged parts of the city to try to get civilians evacuated, while the UN's World Food Programme said it was ready to deliver a month of rations once it got clearance from both sides. 
 
 Opposition delegate in Geneva, Louay Safi, said that the rebel Free Syria Army was prepared to lift a siege on three Shia villages in the north, allegedly being used as bases by the government from which to attack Aleppo, if this came as part of a wider deal to lift sieges across the country. 
 
 'Dialogue of the deaf' 
 
 The third day of face-to-face meetings in Switzerland was said to have broken up after the government's representatives set out a "declaration of basic principles" that did not mention a political transition as demanded by the 2012 Geneva Communique, the basis of the negotiations. 
 
 Government spokeswoman Buthaina Shaaban said the principles included protecting Syria's sovereignty, preserving state institutions and stopping the threat from "terrorist" groups, the designation officials routinely use to describe Mr Assad's opponents. 
 
 The government's proposal also included a condemnation of the US decision to "resume arming terrorist groups in Syria". 
 
 "We were surprised that this basic paper was rejected by the other side," Ms Shaaban said. 
 
 Mr Jouejati said the discussions had ended on a "sour note" after the government delegation became confrontational. 
 
 "We thought there was no point in continuing this since it was going to be a dialogue of the deaf," he said. 
 
 The National Coalition insists the government must agree to the full implementation of the Geneva Communique, which it says means Mr Assad will have no role to play in Syria's future. 
 
 The government says its delegation will not "hand over power to anyone". 
 
 White House spokesman Jay Carney said the US, which organised the negotiations along with the UN and Russia, was "realistic about how difficult this is going to be, but we are completely convinced that this is the only way forward". 
 
 Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meanwhile called for progress on aid, besieged areas and prisoner exchanges. 
 
 Fighting between government and rebel forces is meanwhile raging on in Syria, with activists saying about 100 people are being killed each day. 
 
 More than 100,000 people have died and another 9.5 million have been displaced since the uprising against President Assad began in 2011.
– Geneva talks on Syria's future have been tense—and new US support for rebels isn't helping. On Monday, Reuters reported secret Congressional approval of funding to lightly arm "moderate" Syrian rebels through September. An opposition adviser reported an "outburst" by the Syrian government's lead negotiator, Bashar al-Jaafari, after which the UN's leading mediator called off the day's discussion, the New York Times reports. Talks resumed today, the BBC reports. Syrian officials say the US is backing terrorists—which the US calls "ludicrous"—and that its support for the rebels conflicts with its diplomatic efforts in Switzerland. The Times reports yesterday's afternoon session was axed to give the government time to come up with a transitional blueprint of its own. The BBC adds government reps did share a "declaration of basic principles," but absent from it was any statement on a political transition. And negotiators haven't even been able to achieve the basic goal of suspending fighting in Homs to bring in humanitarian aid. If talks don't move forward soon, the Times notes, Western officials may seek help from the UN Security Council, hoping that an image-conscious Russia won't exercise its veto ahead of the Olympics. Meanwhile, in Syria itself: Various rebel groups—including al-Qaeda-linked extremists—have gotten hold of the lion's share of oil and gas supplies, US officials tell the Times. Extremist groups are actually selling the resources to the government, with some getting electricity or a break from airstrikes as payment, opposition activists say. They're using the resulting cash to support clashes not just with Bashar al-Assad's forces, but with each other. Syria is poised to miss a chemical weapons deadline next week, insiders tell Reuters. By then, the country is supposed to have sent all such weapons abroad to be destroyed. But so far, just 4.1% of some 1,300 metric tons of chemical agents have been sent to the relevant port in Latakia, the sources say.