Russia unleashed a major missile and drone barrage on Kyiv early Friday, killing four people, starting fires and scattering debris as the sound of explosions boomed across the city, Ukrainian authorities said. A pregnant woman was among at least 34 people injured.

Emergency crews responded to multiple strikes during the night, said Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv's military administration. Russia used at least 430 drones and 18 missiles in the attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

Syria's foreign minister officially reopened the country's embassy in London on Thursday after more than a decade-long closure, the latest step in Syria's reintegration into the international community after the ouster of former President Bashar Assad.

The visit by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani to the United Kingdom came after a historic visit to Washington by interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, the first by a president from Syria since the country's independence in 1946.

In the second century, as the canonical Gospels were being copied and circulated throughout the Roman Empire, another text about the life of Jesus was simultaneously spreading. Although the Infancy Gospel of Thomas didn't make it into the New Testament, it remained popular among Christians for centuries.

When filmmaker Lotfy Nathan was introduced to the apocryphal text about Jesus' childhood by his history-loving father, he immediately began poring over it as a springboard for what would eventually become "The Carpenter's Son," the supernatural thriller starring Nicolas Cage and opening in theaters Friday.

FIFA approved two soccer players to change national eligibility to Congo from Belgium ahead of 2026 World Cup qualifying playoffs for Africa starting Thursday.

Celtic forward Michel-Ange Balikwisha and Standard Liege goalkeeper Matthieu Epolo are now available to play for Congo against Cameroon in a playoffs semifinal.

Dynamic ticket pricing will not be used for the 2028 European Championship, organizers say.

The controversial ticketing strategy — where prices depend on demand — was in operation at the Club World Cup in the United States this year and fluctuated wildly. Dynamic pricing will also be deployed at the men's World Cup next year with tickets ranging from $60 for group-stage matches to $6,730 for the final.

One of the most spectacular examples of Renaissance illuminated manuscripts, the 15th-century Borso D'Este Bible, is going on rare public display as part of the Vatican's Holy Year celebrations.

The two-volume masterpiece, known for its miniature paintings in gold and Afghan lapis lazuli, was unveiled Thursday in the Italian Senate, where it will remain on display until Jan. 16.

Pakistan's interior minister said Thursday that Afghan nationals carried out two fatal suicide attacks this week — one targeting a cadet college near the Afghan border and the other outside a court in the capital, Islamabad.

"In both of the suicide bombings, Afghan citizens were involved, and they carried out the attacks," Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said.

Turkey's football federation temporarily banned 102 players on Thursday in a betting scandal.

The players were referred to the Turkish Football Federation's Professional Football Disciplinary Board in the ongoing investigation.

European Union regulators said Thursday they're investigating whether Google is unfairly demoting some content from media publishers in search results under a policy the company says is aimed at combating scammers.

Brussels moved forward despite the risk of incurring the wrath of President Donald Trump, who has lashed out at the 27-nation bloc's digital regulations and vowed to retaliate if American tech companies are penalized.

The British government said Thursday that a memorial wall in London created by those who lost loved ones during the coronavirus pandemic will be preserved.

In a statement, it said that the 8-foot-high (2½-meter-high) Portland stone wall on the south side of the River Thames, directly opposite the Houses of Parliament, will remain to commemorate the 240,000 or so virus-related deaths in the U.K., as well as honor the sacrifice of key workers, particularly in the health and care sectors.