The contract of Lakhdar Brahimi, joint special representative for Syria, has been extended through the end of the year, the spokesperson for UN secretary general said Thursday. According to dpa, Brahimi took over the post of joint representative for the Arab League and the UN to resolve the Syrian crisis in August after Kofi Annan stepped down citing the lack of success in the diplomatic endeavor. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has repeatedly said he trusts Brahimi to resolve the crisis in Syria through diplomatic means and has rejected the option of military intervention in the region.