Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who led Iran with iron fist, will be buried

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dramatically remolded Iran during more than three decades as supreme leader, turning it into a regional powerhouse and bringing it increasingly into confrontation with Israel and the United States.

Venezuela's acting leader defends quake response

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) – As public criticism mounted over the pace and efficiency of Venezuela’s earthquake response, the government of acting President Delcy Rodríguez issued its first public defense of the operation with her 180-day mandate as interim leader expiring on Friday.

Erdogan's warm ties with Trump offer Turkey an edge ahead of NATO summit

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump has berated and belittled many of his European counterparts expected to attend next week’s NATO summit in Turkey. But host Recep Tayyip Erdogan has drawn on his close ties with the U.S. leader to secure his presence at the Ankara event – an appearance that may even come with a significant gift related to Turkish defense.

Venice mayor proposes dynamic pricing for day-trippers with 50-euro ceiling

MILAN (AP) – Venice’s new mayor is proposing a dynamic pricing system for the city’s three-year-old day-tripper access fee, seeking government approval to raise the charge to as much as 50 euros ($59) on the busiest days to ease overcrowding in the UNESCO world heritage city.

Interpol names suspect in Monaco bombing that reportedly targeted tycoon

PARIS (AP) – Interpol on Friday identified a 39-year-old woman from Ukraine as the main suspect in a bombing in Monaco that reportedly targeted a Ukrainian tycoon with links to Russia.

NATO commander says Europe has backfilled most gaps from US cutbacks on military equipment

BRUSSELS (AP) – NATO’s top commander told The Associated Press on Friday that European allies have filled most of the holes created by a U.S. decision to cut back military contributions in times of crisis.

Canada and Philippines Deepen Ties as Ottawa Looks Beyond US Trade

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) – Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. pledged Thursday to strengthen trade, energy and security ties as Canada works to diversify its economy beyond the United States and deepen its engagement in the Indo-Pacific.

Top Asia Pacific Breaking News: Latest Updates

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday condemned senators who blocked changes to a world-first social media ban for children, saying tech giants would use the delay to destroy incriminating documents that could be used as evidence against them.

Belgian diamond group that won tariff relief gifted Trump lavish ring

BRUSSELS (AP) – Dozens of diamonds spell out two giant letter “T” next to the Stars and Stripes and “1776” and “2026.” Dozens more frame the numbers 45 and 47 in the shape of Superman’s logo. A diamond-winged eagle carries a ruby shield and clutches an olive branch of emeralds, below a radiant “250” and atop the phrase “250 YEARS USA” etched in 18-karat gold.