Obama, Putin agree militaries to hold talks to avoid conflicts in Syria

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on Monday to direct their militaries to hold talks to avoid conflict over potential operations in Syria, a U.S. official said. The two men also agreed to explore options for a political solution in Syria, but disagreed on the future of President Bashar al-Assad. Obama and Putin met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Their roughly 90-minute talk covered Ukraine and Syria, the official said. (Reporting by Jeff Mason)