UN-backed Syria peace talks to restart in Geneva

Syrian rivals were to resume UN-brokered peace talks in Geneva on Thursday, with escalating violence and deadlock on key issues dimming hopes of a breakthrough.UN envoy Staffan de Mistura tried to strike an optimistic note when the previous round ended last month.Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's air force has responded with raids on rebel targets, further threatening negotiations which have yielded little in four previous rounds.