The amount of heat-trapping pollution the world spewed rose again last year by 3 percent. So scientists say it's now unlikely that global warming can be limited to a couple of degrees, which is an international goal.

The overwhelming majority of the increase was from China, the world's biggest carbon dioxide polluter. Of the planet's top 10 polluters, the United States and Germany were the only countries that reduced their carbon dioxide emissions.

A Qatari court on Thursday jailed for life a poet accused of incitement against the regime and defaming the Gulf emirate's crown prince, who supported anti-government uprisings in the region, his lawyer said.

"A Qatar court sentenced to life in prison Mohammed al-Ajami, alias Ibn al-Dhib, charged on three counts: incitement against the regime, defamation of the crown prince, Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, and attacking the constitution," Nejib Naimi told AFP.

The U.S. defended its track record on fighting climate change on Monday at U.N. talks, saying it's making "enormous" efforts to slow global warming and help the poor nations most affected by it.

Other countries have accused Washington of hampering the climate talks ever since the Bush administration abandoned the Kyoto Protocol, the 1997 treaty limiting emissions of heat-trapping gases by industrialized countries. As negotiators met for a two-week session in oil and gas-rich Qatar, U.S. delegate Jonathan Pershing suggested America deserves more credit.

Another person has died of a mysterious respiratory virus and three more cases have been discovered in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the World Health Organization said Friday.

"This brings the total of laboratory-confirmed cases to six," the Geneva-based U.N. agency said in a statement.

Hizbullah Leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah criticized on Monday Arab countries that “are sending weaponry to Syria but have not aided Gaza with one bullet”, attacking Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani's “sheep” comments.

In a speech he gave on the fifth day of Ashoura, Nasrallah said Arab nations should have contributed in “arming Gaza and supporting its fighters instead of calling for a mediation between it and the Israeli enemy”.

An investment fund run by Qatar's government says it will team with an Italian holding company to channel up to €2 billion ($2.5 billion) to traditional Italian industries, including fashion, food and furniture design.

Monday's announcement of the four-year deal comes during a visit to Qatar by Italian Premier Mario Monti. It lists no specific companies for the new investments, but it deepens Italy's commercial links for Qatar, which already controls the Italian fashion house Valentino.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti and his Qatari counterpart urged an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday, as Israel and militants in the Palestinian enclave traded fire for a sixth straight day.

"We are very worried about the escalating violence," Monti said at a joint news conference in Doha with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani.

Qatar's prime minister on Saturday delivered a biting criticism of Arab League meetings during emergency talks in Cairo, and called for a review of the pan-Arab body's dealing with the Palestinian issue.

"Our meetings have become a waste of money and a waste of time," Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani told Arab foreign ministers gathered to draw up a response to Israel's attack on Gaza.

Qatar is to give Egypt $10 million to help treat Palestinians wounded in Israeli air strikes on the neighboring Gaza Strip, state news agency QNA reported on Saturday.

The oil-rich Gulf nation will also send emergency aid including medical equipment and medicines to Hamas-controlled Gaza, it said.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani stressed on Friday his country's keenness on Lebanon's stability, reported the daily al-Mustaqbal on Saturday.

He urged “the resumption of contacts between the Lebanese political powers in order to allow them to confront the crises raging in the region.”