Russia on Friday hosted the newly appointed US special envoy for Syria as world powers intensify efforts to end the four-year civil war raging in the country. The new envoy, Michael Ratney, who was appointed to his position last month, had previously worked for the State Department in the Middle East. In Moscow, Ratney met with Russian deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogda**v and other senior officials, but ** details about their meeting were immediately released.