Syria Talks Falter, But Delegations Say Staying

Smoke rises from buildings after what activists said was shelling from government forces in the besieged area of Homs, where the United States called on the government to permit aid to enter.

The Syrian government and opposition say they have no plans to immediately quit peace talks, even though the negotiations in Geneva have stalled.

No progress was reported on January 27, the third day of talks, with the two sides remaining sharply split over the future of President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

The government says the president will not resign, while the opposition and its backers say Assad must go to clear the way for a transitional administration to lead the way to new elections.

Talks were also reported still continuing over humanitarian aid and how women and children can evacuate the besieged city of Homs.

Despite the lack of tangible progress, both government and opposition delegates said they expected to remain in Geneva for at least the next several days.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP, and dpa