From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm David DeForest reporting.

Donald Trump's team moved Thursday to clarify a statement by the president-elect on bolstering American nuclear capabilities.

Trump tweeted that "The United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capabilities until such time as the world," in his words, "comes to its senses regarding nuclear weapons."

Trump transition spokesman Jason Miller says Trump was talking about the need to keep nuclear weapons away from terrorists and dangerous world leaders.

Trump issued his tweet about the same time Russian President Vladimir Putin told his defense team Russia needs to "strengthen the military potential of strategic nuclear forces."

The Syrian army says it has recaptured the city of Aleppo following an agreement by rebel forces to withdraw. The withdrawal follows a month-long Syrian army offensive to expelled the rebels.

The announcement came hours after the last convoy of residents was reported leaving the city, the last of a week-long evacuation effort.

The United States government remains wary of the victory, citing reports of increased violence in other parts of Syria.

Egypt has asked the United Nations to "indefinitely" postpone a vote on a resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlement building in Palestinian territories.

The [U.S. Security Council] U.N. Security Council had scheduled a meeting Thursday to vote on the resolution, which would also declare that existing settlements have "no legal validity" and are "a flagrant violation" of international law.

Spokesman John Kirby gave the U.S. State Department's response. "What we continued to try to do is work towards seeing a viable two-state solution realized." That was John Kirby.

President-elect Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the administration to veto the resolution.

The Christmas market in Berlin [saw] that saw 12 people killed Monday by a man driving a large truck has reopened with a heavy police presence and concrete barriers installed around its edges.

The event's organizers made the decision to reopen the market without party music or bright lights. Those festive items have been replaced by candles and flowers as a tribute to those who were killed.

Authorities are engaged in a manhunt across Europe in search of a 24-year-old Tunisian man. Officials say Anis Amri should have been deported months ago.

He was a rejected asylum seeker who had been under police surveillance.

President-elect Donald Trump has chosen China critic Peter Navarro to head a new White House office on trade. Navarro's selection is being seen by many in China as confirmation that Trump is determined to implement his election promises for putting trade restrictions on Chinese goods.

Mexican authorities say they have not yet identified 10 of the 33 people who were killed by explosions at a fireworks market near Mexico City.

As of late Wednesday, the government listed more than 40 people still hospitalized from Tuesday's blast.

In Kenya, the opposition has rejected an amendment to the electoral law and vowed protests in the new year.

The amendment that passed Thursday gives the electoral commission the ability to manually identify voters and release results if biometric voter verification technology fails. Mohammed Yusuf has a report.

Tensions were high at parliament Thursday. Despite heavy security, there was commotion inside the chambers with both sides reporting lawmakers injured.

The opposition then walked out of the special session before the vote, leaving legislators from the ruling Jubilee coalition to pass the amendment to the electoral law that would allow hand counting of votes.

Debate on the proposed legislation had adjourned Tuesday amid fistfights on the parliament floor.

Mohammed Yusuf, Nairobi.

The United Nations Security Council is expected to vote Friday on whether to impose an arms embargo on South Sudan.

But diplomats say the U.S.-led measure is expected to fail, despite warnings that the new country is on the verge of possible genocide.

The United States, backed by Britain and France, has argued that cutting off arms flow is urgently needed to stave off atrocities in the war-torn country.

Russia, China, Japan, Malaysia, Venezuela and, more importantly, the three African council members - Angola, Egypt and Senegal - have all expressed reservations.

Taking a brief look at markets, on Wall Street, U.S. stock indexes were down today and European markets were mixed at the close of trade.

From the VOA news center in Washington, I'm David DeForest.

That's the latest world news from VOA.