Syria conflict: Opposition willing to attend talks

The main Syrian opposition coalition has said it is willing to attend an international peace conference expected to take place in Geneva next month.

But a spokesman for the National Coalition, Louay Safi, told the BBC that it would only go if President Bashar al-Assad agreed to step down.

Earlier, Russia said the government had agreed "in principle" to participate.

Previous efforts to find a political solution to the conflict have foundered on preconditions from both sides.

Meanwhile there has been further heavy fighting in Qusair, a strategically important town between Homs and the Lebanese border.

Government forces backed by Hezbollah militants launched an offensive to recapture Qusair on Sunday. The state news agency said on Friday a "large number" of rebel fighters had been killed in the latest clashes.