Syria Peace Talks Open in Geneva
UN Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura launches (BBC) the latest international effort to end the conflict in Syria on Tuesday in Geneva with representatives from some of Syria’s fighting faction, the Syrian government, and regional powers such as Turkey and Iran. The talks are being described as “low-key” consultations (AFP) as opposed to formal peace talks. The self-declared Islamic State and al-Nusra Front were not invited, despite the territory they hold in the country. Four years of civil war have killed more than 220,000 people and caused millions to flee the country.