Breakthrough at Geneva talks remains remote with bitter dispute over future of Assad

Russia began withdrawing its forces from Syria on Tuesday, a move hailed as a potentially "positive step" for a new round of UN-backed peace talks seeking to end the conflict.

Warplanes at Moscow's Hmeimim air base in Syria were being loaded with military equipment and preparing to fly back to Russia, the defense minister announced, after President Vladimir Putin said their military goal had been "on the whole" completed.