BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian government troops and their allies advanced on Friday in a district of western Aleppo captured last month by rebels, a Syrian military source and an insurgent official said.

By Diego Oré and Deisy Buitrago CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's opposition and the government of President Nicolas Maduro engaged in a new round of talks on Friday evening as part of a Vatican-backed dialogue process meant to ease a political standoff amid the spiraling economic crisis.

LIMA (Reuters) - Peruvian prosecutors said they have evidence to convict ex-president Ollanta Humala of money laundering, accusing him of taking illicit funds from Venezuela and Brazilian construction companies, the attorney general's office said Friday.

By Ahmed Aboulenein and Amina Ismail CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt imposed a big security clampdown in its cities on Friday as mass demonstrations called to protest against austerity measures failed to take place. Riot police and armored vehicles filled the otherwise empty streets of central Cairo, but most people stayed at home.

By Anthony Deutsch AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The executive body of the global chemical weapons watchdog voted on Friday to condemn the use of banned toxic agents by the Syrian government and by the militant group Islamic State, a source who took part in the closed session said.

KABUL (Reuters) - An explosion at the NATO air base at Bagram, north of the Afghan capital Kabul, caused a number of casualties, officials said on Saturday. The NATO-led Resolute Support mission said the explosion occurred just after 5.30 a.m. and that there had been casualties. It said force protection and medical teams were responding but gave no additional information.

By Tim Kelly TOKYO (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's meeting next week with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may mark the start of talks to garner Japan's support for a push back against China's growing influence in Asia, a security adviser to Trump said.

By Andrew Osborn MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Thursday U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's foreign policy approach was "phenomenally close" to that of President Vladimir Putin, giving Russia hope that tattered U.S.-Russia relations could gradually be improved.

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean President Park Geun-hye's approval rating remained at an all-time low for a second week amid a deepening political crisis, according to a Gallup Korea poll released on Friday, underscoring the challenges faced by her administration.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China on Friday sentenced to death the former police chief of the northern region of Inner Mongolia after convicting him for murder, bribery, and possession of fire arms and explosives, state media reported.