UN-sponsored peace talks between the Syrian Government and opposition are underway in Geneva for the first time in nearly a year. The two sides will not meet face-to-face to begin with. Staffan de Mistura, the UN's Special Syria envoy, said yesterday that he is not expecting a breakthrough. <br/><br/>The opposition is insisting that the fate of President Bashar al-Assad is on the agenda – something the government has refused to discuss. <br/><br/>At least three lakh people have been killed since the war began in 2011. More than four million people have fled the country and a further over six million have been displaced inside Syria itself. <br/><br/>While hopes of a breakthrough at the talks are low, much has changed since the last round broke down in April last year. <br/><br/>The rebels lost their key bastion of East Aleppo to government forces in December and a nationwide ceasefire has been largely holding for the past several weeks. The ceasefire was orchestrated by Turkey, one of the main backers of the rebels, and Russia, Syria's ally. <br/><br/>Both powers have also sponsored recent rounds of talks between the government and rebels in Kazakhstan, aimed at shoring up the truce.