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A8 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 22 February
UN says upcoming Syria talks aimed at ‘political transition’
BASSEM MROUE The last U.N.-mediated Watch. The statement
Associated Press talks were suspended in came a day after some
BEIRUT (AP) — A top ad- April amid renewed fight- 200 fighters and their fami-
viser to the U.N. envoy for ing. Government forces lies left the Damascus sub-
Syria said Tuesday that have since recaptured urb of Sargaya for the reb-
their “main guidance” for areas around the country el-held northwestern prov-
the first Syrian peace talks and taken full control of ince of Idlib as part of a
in 10 months will be a Secu- the northern city of Aleppo deal with the government.
rity Council resolution that — President Bashar Assad’s Over the past few years,
calls for a political transi- biggest victory since the tens of thousands of fight-
tion. conflict began in March ers and their families have
U.N. envoy Staffan de Mis- 2011. been sent to Idlib from
tura is putting the “finishing According to several esti- around the country.
touches on arrangements” mates, Syria’s war has killed In the southern Daraa prov-
for Thursday’s start of talks some 400,000 people, dis- ince, an extremist faction
in Geneva between the placed millions and sent linked to the Islamic State
government and the op- more than four million refu- group took advantage of
position, the fourth round Staffan de Mistura, UN Special Envoy of the Secretary General gees to neighboring coun- fighting between rebels
since early last year, his for Syria, speaks in Munich, Germany. de Mistura is putting the tries. and government forces
“finishing touches on arrangements” for Thursday’s start of talks
chief of staff, Michael Con- in Geneva between the government and the opposition, his Contet’s comments in Ge- and launched an offensive
tet, told reporters. chief of staff told reporters. neva came as some 40 hu- Monday, capturing several
Contet noted that Secu- (Tobias Hase/dpa via AP) man rights groups and oth- areas from more moderate
rity Council resolution 2254 er organizations said that factions, opposition activ-
asks the envoy to con- process.” The new talks and nonsectarian gover- the talks should prioritize ists said.
vene “formal negotiations will revolve around three nance,” a new constitution human rights issues. Ahmad al-Masalmeh, an
on the political transition issues: “Credible, inclusive and free and fair elections. The groups, which include opposition activist based
Human Rights Watch, Am- in Daraa, said the group
nesty International and known as the Khaled Ibn
Physicians for Human al-Waleed Army killed 40
Rights, say the priorities civilians and rebels, looted
are “to end unlawful at- fuel, food and medicine
tacks and to ensure aid ac- and took them to areas
cess and safe passage for they control in the Yarmouk
fleeing civilians, detainee River Basin, near the border
rights, justice, and security with Jordan and the Israeli-
sector reform.” occupied Golan Heights.
“One of the main goals of The Britain-based Syr-
the Geneva talks should ian Observatory for Human
be putting an end to the Rights reported intense
violations against Syrians clashes Tuesday afternoon
who have faced bombing, between the two sides,
chemical attacks, starva- adding that rebel factions
tion, illegal detention, and including the Army of Islam
more horrors,” said Lama and Ahrar al-Sham are try-
Fakih, deputy Middle East ing to regain areas they
director at Human Rights lost.q
EU tries to keep multinationals
from exploiting tax loopholes
Critics say these so-called
BRUSSELS (AP) — Europe- “hybrid mismatches” have
an Union finance ministers been used by many large
agreed Tuesday to roll out companies, including the
further measures to pre- likes of Apple and McDon-
vent multinational compa- ald’s, to reduce their tax
nies from exploiting differ- payments — and deprive
ences in tax rates between hard-pressed European
countries in the 28-coun- governments billions of
try EU and those outside much-needed revenue. A
the bloc. mismatch could see a firm
At a meeting in Brussels, deducting expenses from
ministers backed the new income in two jurisdictions
rules, which will target with the aim of reducing,
various practices whereby or even eliminating, its tax
large corporations can liabilities.
take advantage of loop- “The possibilities of tax plan-
holes between the tax sys- ners to abuse the different
tems of EU member states legislations will be seriously
and non-EU countries in curtailed,” said Belgian Fi-
order to reduce their tax li- nance Minister Johan Van
ability. Overtveldt. q
