UN to begin evacuations from Aleppo

Syrian army opens eight corridors across front line for more than 250,000 civilians to leave

The United Nations hopes to carry out the first medical evacuations from Aleppo on Friday, if a "humanitarian pause" in the Syrian army's assault on the city holds.

Despite a drop in violence after the unilateral cease-fire took effect on Thursday, there was little sign civilians were heeding calls to leave opposition-held areas of the city, and Russia accused the rebels of intimidation.