Russia calms Syria exodus talk

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Moscow is not beginning a mass evacuation of its citizens from Syria.

Mr Lavrov was speaking the day after scores of Russians were flown home from the war-torn country via the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

"We have plans (for an evacuation), as we have plans for any country, in case of an escalation of the internal situation... but there is no talk of implementing them," Mr Lavrov told reporters in Moscow.

Geeta Guru-Murthy reports.