Hundreds evacuated from Syria

BEIRUT: Hundreds of sick or wounded Syrians and their families were being evacuated from besieged rebel- and regime-held towns for treatment Thursday as relief efforts intensified even as peace talks falter.

The evacuees, who were “in urgent need of life-saving medical attention,” according to the United Nations, were bussed out of their enclaves late on Wednesday in a joint operation with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent.