SEOUL, South Korea (AP), North Korea commemorated Friday the 10th anniversary the death of former leader Kim Jong Il with calls for greater loyalty to his son, current leader Kim Jong Un. He is currently struggling to steer the country through the pandemic-related hardships.

LONDON (AP) Christmas revelers across Europe are now laying low and changing plans because of new restrictions and fears about the omicron coronavirus. This raises concerns about another holiday season being lost for airlines, restaurants, and shops already affected by the pandemic.

BRUSSELS, (AP) -- Leaders of two of the most important countries in the European Union met reporters during a joint news conference on Friday. This was a sign of unity at the EU's last summit of the year.

ROME (AP), Pope Francis celebrated his 85th Birthday on Friday. This milestone is made more impressive by the coronavirus pandemic and his summertime intestinal surgery. His predecessor, Leo XIII, was the last pope to live longer than him over a century ago.

LHEIBAN (Iraq) -- A backhoe excavated the ground to construct trenches. Iraqi soldiers scanned vast agricultural tracts looking for militants. Not far away, Kurdish soldiers did the same.

SARAJEVO (AP) -- Former vaccine skeptics from Eastern Europe are now on the sidelines as coronavirus cases rise. As a result, it is becoming more difficult for unvaccinated people to travel internationally and authorities fight against vaccine disinformation and distrust.

NEVELSKE (Ukraine) -- Liudmyla momot weeps as she searches for clothing and household items in the rubble of her house that was destroyed by Russia-backed separatists.

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A powerful typhoon slammed into the southeastern Philippines on Thursday and was blowing across island provinces where nearly 100,000 people have been evacuated from high-risk areas that could be devastated by flash floods, landslides and tidal surges, officials said.

The Taliban did not take the Afghan capital. They were invited to it, according to the man who sent the invitation.

Mount Cumbre Vieja explodes, spewing smoke and ash. This was seen from Los Llanos de Aridane, Canary Island of La Palma, September 19, 2021.

After the 110km deep earthquake felt in Ecaudor, Colombia, there was no tsunami warning

Eleven U.S. Senate Democrats called President Joe Biden to do something about rising gasoline prices, while also supporting policies that the energy industry claims are contributing seven-years of high pump costs, including the oil and gas tax hikes embedded in the Build back Better Act.

After Puneeth Rajkumar's sudden death at 46, a crowd of thousands of mourning cine fans filled Bangalore streets on Friday.

According to a statement from his office, the deposed prime minister of Sudan and his wife were allowed back home Tuesday, just one day after being detained by the military during a coup.

Officials from the United States believe Iran is behind the attack on the military post in southern Syria last week. This is where American troops are located.

This suggests that Xi is taking the most significant step in fulfilling his promise to control China's property market.

The scandal delayed the union by three years. The couple decided to forgo a formal ceremony and instead register their union at a local government agency.

Qantas Airways announced Friday its plans to resume international travel from Sydney, as Prime Minister Scott Morrison predicted that tourists would be welcome back to Australia in this year's Australian Year.

Greenpeace's head warned Thursday against corporations and countries trying to "greenwash their continued pollution of the planet" at U.N. Climate talks in Glasgow.

Israel's new environment protection minister has ambitious goals. She believes her office can play an important part in the global fight against climate change and promote peace in volatile Middle East.

On Thursday, a powerful autumn storm battered parts of Europe. It killed four people in Poland and caused widespread damage to large areas of the continent.

North Korea announced Wednesday that it had successfully tested a new ballistic missile it developed from a submarine. This was its first underwater test-launch in nearly two years, and it claims it will increase its undersea capabilities.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau data, school enrollment fell by almost 3 million students in its first year of the coronavirus epidemic. This is the largest drop in over two decades.

NAIROBI -- A new airstrike has hit Nairobi in Kenya's Tigray area. Residents said the attack occurred Wednesday. Video showed people being rushed to their vehicles with bloodied faces and thick black smoke rising from the sky. Ethiopia's government claimed it attacked facilities for making and repairing weapons. A Tigray spokesman denied this.

MOSCOW-- Russian President Vladimir Putin backed Wednesday's Cabinet proposal to declare a week of non-working and to keep Russian workers out of their offices, as coronavirus deaths rose to a new daily record.

After misconduct revelations, the powerful chief editor of Germany’s most-seller newspaper was forced to resign, publishing company Axel Springer SE announced Monday.

Cho Guk-gyeong feels abandoned by three countries. He shows a visitor his South Korean immigration card. It describes him as "stateless" and is a fitting description of his life in South Korea 15 years after he fled North Korea.

Climate change will cause Africa's glaciers to disappear over the next 20 years, according to a report Tuesday. This comes amid dire predictions of pain for the continent which contributes the least to global warming but suffers the most.

Jacob Eli Knight Vasquez was almost at the last call of Friday and he went to grab a drink just across the street from the tavern he used to work in northwest Portland. This area has a vibrant dining scene where people can enjoy relaxed eateries, delicious international cuisines, and cozy cafes.

Mohammad Jaber and Jaber spend all day searching for the perfect truck. This afternoon, it feels like it might happen.

Tens of thousands joined unions and Italians rallied in Rome Saturday to protest rising fascism. This was just a week after right-wing extremists stormed into the headquarters Italy's largest labor confederation, while protesting a COVID-19 certification requirement at workplaces.

A lack of small fish this summer caused Maine's beloved puffins to have one of their worst years of reproduction in decades.

Gambia's Toufah Jallow is a name that resonates deep in Gambia because she is one of few women to have taken a stand against the sexual assaults in this small West African state.

After a three-and-a half hour journey from the International Space Station, a Soyuz space capsule carrying two Russian filmmakers and a cosmonaut has successfully landed.

NASA's Lucy spacecraft launched into the air Saturday morning with diamonds as part of a 12-year mission to discover eight asteroids.

Sonia Lambert gazed out at an open-air canal carrying mud-green water from Rio Grande to nearby villages and farms, while it was scorching in South Texas.