Middle East
After Years of War in Syria, U.N. Passes Resolution on Talks
For the first time since the nearly five-year-old Syrian civil war began, world powers agreed on Friday at the United Nations Security Council to embrace a plan for a cease-fire and a peace process that holds the distant prospect of ending the conflict. The resolution makes no mention of whether Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, would be able to run in new elections, which it says must be held within 18 months of the beginning of political talks.