ALEPPO, Syria (AFP) -- More than 50,000 Syrians have joined a growing exodus of terrified civilians from east Aleppo, a monitor said Wednesday, as the UN Security Council was set for emergency talks on fighting in the city.As government forces pressed an assault in the divided city, regime artillery fire killed at least 21 civilians in east Aleppo on Wednesday morning, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said.Civilians have poured out of the rebel-held east in recent days, with paren

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama has tamped down any speculation that first lady Michelle Obama may one day run for office herself.In an interview with Rolling Stone editor Jann Wenner conducted the day after the presidential election earlier this month, Obama said, "Michelle will never run for office."He added, "She is as talented a person as I know. You can see the incredible resonance she has with the American people. But I joke that she's too sensible to want to be in politics."Obam

VIENNA (AP) -- With Saudi Arabia declaring a "critical day" for OPEC, oil ministers of the cartel moved closer Wednesday to end infighting and reach an agreement to cut output for the first time in eight years.The price of oil rallied as chances grew that the 14-nation group will agree on individual quotas for its members _ the international benchmark for crude oil soared $3.22 to $49.60 a barrel.An OPEC decision to cut production could have an impact on consumers, as oil price increases feed in

HAVANA (AP) -- Thousands of Cubans lined the streets of Havana Wednesday morning, some sleeping on sidewalks overnight, to bid goodbye to Fidel Castro as his ashes began a four-day journey across the country he ruled for nearly 50 years. A caravan carrying the ashes was scheduled to leave the capital's Plaza of the Revolution after 7 a.m. for a journey from Havana to the eastern city of Santiago. On Tuesday night, tens of thousands of Cubans jammed the plaza as the presidents of Cuba, Mexico, Ec

WASHINGTON (AP) -- It was supposed to be his grand valedictory tour. Now President Barack Obama must use his last major trip abroad to try to calm shocked world leaders about the outcome of the U.S. election, and what comes next when Donald Trump is president.  Trump's unforeseen victory has triggered pangs of uncertainty at home and grave concerns around the world. Though Obama has urged unity and said the U.S. must root for Trump's success, the president's trip to Greece, Germany and Peru forc

MARRAKECH, Morocco (AFP) -- The year 2016 will "very likely" be the hottest on record, the UN said Monday, warning of calamitous consequences if the march of global warming cannot be halted.Average temperatures for the year were set to hit about 1.2 Celsius over pre-Industrial Revolution levels -- meaning that 16 of the 17 hottest years on record were this century, said the UN's World Meteorological Organization (WMO).The new record means the world is already more than halfway to the upper limit

JAKARTA (AFP) -- Skygazers took to high-rise buildings, observatories and beaches Monday to get a glimpse of the closest "supermoon" to Earth in almost seven decades, and snap dramatic pictures.The unusually big and bright moon appeared at its most impressive just as night fell over Asia, but astronomy enthusiasts will be able to see Earth's satellite loom large anywhere in the world shortly after sunset, weather permitting.The phenomenon happens when the moon is full at the same time as, or ver

BRUSSELS (AFP) -- The EU on Monday urged all parties to the landmark Iran nuclear accord to stick to their commitments after US President-elect Donald Trump said he might ditch the deal.European Union foreign ministers meeting in Brussels said the deal signed last year with Iran by the United States, three EU powers as well as Russia and China must be respected as the bloc seeks to expand economic and other ties."The upholding of commitments by all sides is a necessary condition to continue rebu

BEIJING (AP) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed the importance of relations with the United States in a phone conversation with President-elect Donald Trump on Monday, opening communication with a politician who had been strongly critical of China during his campaign.   State media reported that Xi congratulated Trump on his election and said cooperation was the "only correct choice" for China and the U.S., the world's two biggest economies.   "At present, there is an important opportuni

BEIJING (AFP) -- China's tough controls over the internet will be temporarily lifted for people attending the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, officials promised Wednesday.The communist country restricts access to foreign websites including Google, Facebook and Twitter with a vast network of controls dubbed the Great Firewall of China. Under President Xi Jinping it has tightened its grip on broadcast, print and online media.Content deemed politically sensitive, violent or morally "unhealthy" is reg

NEW YORK (AFP) -- Online giant Amazon launched an expanded on-demand music streaming service in the US Wednesday, taking on the likes of Spotify and Apple Music with a cut-price offer for users of its Echo speakers.Amazon Music Unlimited will offer "tens of millions of songs" to subscribers, the company said, a step up from the two million available on its existing Amazon Prime streaming service.The new service costs $9.99 a month -- the same as rivals Spotify Premium, Apple Music and Google Pla

TOKYO (AFP) -- Sony is set to launch its new virtual reality headset, joining Facebook, Samsung and Google in a market that analysts say could boost the global gaming sector.The electronics giant -- which has been leaning on its videogames business to claw back to profitability -- will start selling its PlayStation virtual reality (PSVR) headset on Thursday in home market Japan and North America.Priced at $399, the headset is significantly cheaper than rival offerings and Sony is hoping the gadg

GENEVA (AFP) -- The UN's rights chief warned Wednesday that Donald Trump's statements pointed to a "dangerous" figure emerging on the world stage if he won the US presidency.At a press conference in Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said he was "not keen or intent on interfering in any political campaign."But, he said, in light of the "unsettling" and "disturbing" comments from the US presidential candidate it was only right to sound the alarm. "If Donald Trump