NEW YORK / AP The Dow Jones industrial average and the Standard & Poor’s 500 index reached record highs on Wednesday morning as a rally in energy companies led US stocks higher. Energy companies gained as countries in OPEC, which collectively produce more than one-third of the world’s oil, moved closer to completing an agreement that would trim oil …

  Aleppo / AFP More than 50,000 Syrians have joined a growing exodus of terrified civilians from east Aleppo, a monitor said on 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 …

  Moscow / AFP The Kremlin on Wednesday demanded an explanation after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara intervened in Syria solely to topple President Bashar Al-Assad. Turkish forces are pressing on with a three month operation inside war-torn Syria in support of anti-Assad forces, while Russia is the chief ally of the Syrian president in the conflict that …