Dr. Elaha Ibrahimi uses her phone as a flashlight during a power cut inside the hospital in Mirbacha Kot, Afghanistan, in October. Health care workers have continued to work without salaries, without medicine for patients and with frequent power cuts. Bram Janssen/AP hide caption
Residents stand amid damaged homes following Typhoon Rai in Talisay, Cebu province, central Philippines on Saturday. The strong typhoon engulfed villages in floods that trapped residents on roofs, toppled trees and knocked out power in southern and central island provinces, where more than 300,000 villagers had fled to safety before the onslaught, officials said. Jay Labra/AP hide caption
Commuters wear masks to help curb the spread of the coronavirus during rush hour at the Shinagawa train station in Tokyo on Oct. 1. Case numbers have dropped significantly in Japan since summer. Researchers are trying to determine why. One theory is that the willingness to wear masks has made a difference; other theories are being investigated. Eugene Hoshiko/AP hide caption
Afghan music students, teachers and their families disembark from their flight to Lisbon on Dec. 13. The group of more than 270 evacuees had been staying in Doha, awaiting resettlement in Portugal. Armando Franca/AP hide caption
This combination of file photos shows tennis player Peng Shuai of China (L) during her women's singles first round match at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne in January 2017; and Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli (R) during a visit to Russia at the Saint Petersburg International Investment Forum in Saint Petersburg in 2015. Paul Crock/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam listens to reporters' questions during a news conference in Hong Kong on Monday. Vincent Yu/AP hide caption
Pilots from the American Volunteer Group sit in front of a P-40 airplane in Kunming, China, on March 27, 1942. The group was notable for its unusual mission: Its members were mercenaries hired by China to fight against Japan. AP hide caption
A mourner prays in front of offerings near a building where a fire broke out, in Osaka, western Japan on Saturday. Japanese police on Sunday identified a 61-year-old man as a prime arson suspect. Kyodo News via AP hide caption
Indonesian villagers stand with Mount Semeru in the background on Saturday. Indonesian authorities raised the alert level for the highest volcano on Java island, saying it could blow up again after a sudden eruption earlier this month that killed dozens of people and left thousands homeless in villages that were buried in layers of mud. Hendra Permana/AP hide caption
Afghan children huddle under a blanket as their families camp outside the Directorate of Disaster, in Herat, Afghanistan, in November. Petros Giannakouris/AP file photo hide caption
This photo shows the building where a fire broke out on Friday in Osaka, western Japan, that killed more than 20 people. Chisato Tanaka/AP hide caption
People line up to vote outside of a polling place in Hong Kong on Nov. 24, 2019. Elections for Hong Kong's Legislative Council on Sunday mark the culmination of Beijing's campaign to rein in the body that had once kept it from imposing its unrestrained will over the semi-autonomous territory. Vincent Yu/AP file photo hide caption
Firefighters stand on a floor at a building where a fire broke out Friday in Osaka, Japan, killing 24 people. Kyodo News via AP hide caption
An Afghan money changer holds a stack of Iranian currency at Khorasan market in Herat, Afghanistan, The value of Afghanistan's currency is tumbling, exacerbating an already severe economic crisis. Mstyslav Chernov/AP hide caption
Kashmir's Jamia Masjid, or the grand mosque is seen through its gate that remains locked on Fridays in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. Mukhtar Khan/AP hide caption
In this handout photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard, a rescuer assists a girl as they wade through flooding caused by Typhoon Rai in Cagayan de Oro City, southern Philippines. AP hide caption
Former Olympian Michelle Kwan speaks before then-candidate Joe Biden at a rally in Manchester, N.H., on Feb. 8, 2020. On Wednesday President Biden said he'll nominate Kwan for ambassador to Belize. Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Taliban political office spokesman Muhammad Naeem Wardak spoke with NPR in Doha, Qatar, on Dec. 11. Fatma Tanis/NPR hide caption
People gather to pay their respects at the 1971 independence war martyrs national memorial to celebrate the 50th Victory Day, which marks the end of a nine-month war of independence from Pakistan, in Savar, Bangladesh, on Thursday. Munir Uz Zaman/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Rieden in front of Odawara Castle in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Family photo hide caption
Migrants head toward a border checkpoint on the Belarusian-Polish border on Nov. 15. U.S. officials have accused Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko of taking advantage of desperate migrants. Leonid Shcheglov/BELTA/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
In this April 2020 file photo provided by the North Korean government, Kim Jong Un, center top, attends a politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang. AP hide caption