Syria’s constitutional committee talks present an opening to a political process that could end the eight-year war, the US special envoy to Syria, Joel Rayburn, said on Tuesday.
Representatives of the Syrian government, opposition and society are expected to meet in Geneva on Wednesday to hold the first session of Syria’s Constitutional Committee, aimed at mapping a political way forward for the war-torn country.
“The Syrians who have travelled to Geneva must put their people first and participate constructively to create a constitution that respects the rights of all Syrians and offers a peaceful way forward to end this conflict,” Mr Rayburn said in Geneva.
Washington has stressed that a military solution is not feasible to creating peace.
“There is no military solution that could bring stability and allow Syrians to return safely to their homes,” Mr Rayburn said.
The launch of the committee represents “hope for the Syrian people who have not had much”, he said.
“We have good relations with a variety of community of groups we are willing to provide the Syrians constructive approaches to help them through with their issues,” Mr Rayburn said.
Iran, Turkey and Russia echoed Mr Rayburn’s comments in Geneva late on Tuesday.
Moscow and Tehran, which support Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, and opposition backer Ankara played a vital role in brokering the UN-led constitutional committee.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said the committee needed the full backing of the international community because it “is the only game in town” capable of establishing a political solution to the Syrian war.
“This is the beginning of a very difficult process that is going to be extremely challenging to manage,” Mr Zarif said, adding that it must be owned and led by Syria.
The launch of the committee was challenging, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.
“We have spent almost a year to enable the launch," Mr Cavusoglu said. "It has not been easy and will be difficult. All sides must agree to work together instead of seeing each other as enemies."
The committee, made up of 150 members from Syria’s three sides, is expected to meet for several days in the Swiss city, but it remains unclear long it will last.
Once all sides come to an agreement, 45 participants – 15 from each of the three groups – will draft the final document, while the larger body will be responsible for enforcing it.
Mr Rayburn stressed Washington’s concern at the situation in north-east Syria after Turkey launched an offensive to clear the area from Kurdish militias.
“We continue to call on the Turkish side to fully implement the provisions of the ceasefire agreement of October 17,” he said.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the talks presented a “unique opportunity” for peace.
Mr Guterres said he expected the committee to work “in good faith” and that its efforts must be accompanied by a nationwide ceasefire for “a broader political process".
Repeated UN efforts to host talks on ending Syria’s eight-year civil war have largely failed.
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Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Major honours
ARSENAL
BARCELONA
- La Liga - 2013
- Copa del Rey - 2012
- Fifa Club World Cup - 2011
CHELSEA
- Premier League - 2015, 2017
- FA Cup - 2018
- League Cup - 2015
SPAIN
- World Cup - 2010
- European Championship - 2008, 2012
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
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Total eligible population
About 57.5 million people
51.1 million received a jab
6.4 million have not
Where are the unvaccinated?
England 11%
Scotland 9%
Wales 10%
Northern Ireland 14%
Sting & Shaggy
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The biog
Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
Kathryn Hawkes of House of Hawkes on being a good guest (because we’ve all had bad ones)
- Arrive with a thank you gift, or make sure you have one for your host by the time you leave.
- Offer to buy groceries, cook them a meal or take your hosts out for dinner.
- Help out around the house.
- Entertain yourself so that your hosts don’t feel that they constantly need to.
- Leave no trace of your stay – if you’ve borrowed a book, return it to where you found it.
- Offer to strip the bed before you go.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Profile
Co-founders of the company: Vilhelm Hedberg and Ravi Bhusari
Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.
Number of employees: Over 50
Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised
Investors: Series A - Audacia Capital
Sector of operation: Transport
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Three stars
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