Opposition seeks Russian support at Syria talks

Syria's opposition on Monday urged Russia, a key ally of President Bashar al-Assad, to put pressure on Damascus to help kickstart sputtering peace talks in Geneva.The High Negotiations Committee (HNC), the main opposition group at the UN-sponsored talks, said it expects to meet a Russian delegation Tuesday in the Swiss city."We sincerely hope to persuade Russia to stand by the Syrian people," said HNC delegation chief Nasr al-Hariri after his latest talks with UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura.