Syria crisis: UN mission 'last chance' to avoid civil war

Russian President Dmitri Medvedev has offered 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".

Mr Annan has been in Moscow 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.

Steve Rosenberg reports from Moscow.