An aerial view of tsunami-battered seaside communities shows striking progress eight months after Japan's March 11 disaster. Much of the rubble, crumpled cars and other debris are gone. Yet seen from a helicopter Friday carrying Associated Press journalists, there were few signs of rebuilding along the rocky coastline. The brown, barren void where bustling towns once stood is a sobering reminder of how much work still lies ahead. Local communities have just begun to come out with long-term rebuilding plans. Read More

Tens of thousands of Egyptians rallied Friday in Cairo's Tahrir square with Islamists in the forefront to protest against what they say are attempts by the country's military rulers to designate themselves as the guardians of a new Egypt. It was one of the largest rallies in Egypt in recent months. Read More

Premier Mario Monti says he's going to Brussels next week to meet with the European Commission and the French and German leaders to map out his strategy for saving Italy from the debt crisis. Monti announced the trip during a speech Friday to Italy's lower Parliament chamber ahead of a confidence vote for his new government. On Thursday, Monti's government won a confidence vote 281-25 in the Senate after he warned all Italians would need to make sacrifices to get Italy out of its massive debt hole and boost growth. Read More

Occupy Wall Street protesters clogged streets and tied up traffic around the U.S. on Thursday to mark two months since the movement's birth and signal they aren't ready to quit, despite the breakup of many of their encampments by police. Hundreds of people were arrested, most of them in New York. The demonstrations — which took place in cities including Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Boston, Washington and Portland, Ore. — were for the most part peaceful. Most of the arrests were for blocking streets, and the traffic disruptions were brief. Read More