Medvedev: Syria's 'last chance to avoid bloody civil war'

Russian President Dmitri Medvedev has offered his full support for envoy Kofi Annan's peace mission in Syria, saying it may be the last chance to avoid a "prolonged and bloody civil war".

The government in Moscow urged Mr Annan to work with both the Syrian government and opposition to end the violence.

Mr Annan has been seeking to persuade Russia to take a firmer stance against President Bashar al-Assad's government. He will later go to China which has also usually backed Syria at the UN.