GENEVA: An eighth round of talks on a new constitution for Syria has concluded with rival parties having made very little headway, the UN mediator said.
The Syrian Constitutional Committee was created in September 2019 and first convened a month later.
The tentative negotiations are aimed at rewriting the war-torn country’s constitution. It is hoped the talks could pave the way toward a broader political process.

LONDON: Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Saturday discussed the situation in the Palestinian territories with French President Emmanuel Macron, where he reiterated the need “to end unilateral Israeli actions that undermine peace prospects.”
Speaking during a phone call, the two sides also held talks on ways to expand bilateral cooperation, especially in areas related to food security, and regional development, the kingdom’s state news agency Petra reported.

MUSCAT: Oman and Iran signed deals to develop two gas pipelines and an oil field along their maritime border, Oman’s energy minister said Saturday, less than two weeks after Iran’s president visited the sultanate.
The visit by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on May 23 came amid stalled international talks to revive a deal on Tehran’s nuclear program, leaving the Islamic republic under sanctions.
At the time, the official Oman News Agency reported that the countries had signed memoranda of understanding concerning oil and gas, but did not provide details.

NEW YORK: The UN Security Council has approved a resolution extending the authorization for countries and regional organizations to inspect vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya suspected of violating the UN arms embargo on the troubled north African nation.
The vote on the French-sponsored resolution was 14-0, with Russia abstaining. The brief resolution extends the authorization for inspections for a year.
The monitoring effort has been carried out since March 2020 by an EU mission called Operation Irini, the Greek word for “peace.”

ANKARA: Turkey’s inflation climbed to its highest level since 1998, hitting an annual 73.5 percent in May, official data showed on Friday, an issue dogging President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ahead of elections next year.