UN chief: Syria conference could be in October

UNITED NATIONS: The head of the United Nations says he hopes to have a second peace conference on Syria next month, although much still remains to be worked out.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in an interview with France 24 news channel that he had spoken with U.N.-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi on Friday morning and that “we are targeting to do it sometime in October.”

Brahimi is in Geneva along with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who are in talks about how best to secure Syria’s chemical weapons.

Ban said details to be worked out ahead of the conference — which also would take place in Geneva — including whether Syria’s ally Iran should participate, and who should represent the opposition.