Here's a roundup of the latest articles from around the world:

Pope Francis baptizes 21 babies in an annual ceremony at the Sistine Chapel

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis baptized 21 babies in the Sistine Chapel on Sunday under the ceiling frescoed by Michelangelo, in what has become an annual tradition that marks the end of the Christmas holiday period at the Vatican. Francis celebrated the Lord's gift of faith to the children, stressing they were the protagonists of the ceremony. "It is important that these children feel well," the pope said. "If they are hungry, feed them so they don't cry. If they feel hot, change them. ... But let them feel at ease, because today they are in charge and we must serve them with the Sacrament, with prayers." The pontiff personally administered the sacrament of baptism on the infants, who are the children of Vatican employees working at the Holy See. The celebration marks the feast day that recalls Jesus' baptism in the River Jordan and was established in 1981 by St. John Paul II. During the ceremony, each father was given a candle to light representing the Christian light that "must never go out." The Pope encouraged each family to bring those candles home and light them up in difficult times to ask for the Lord's guidance.

Pope Francis meets with pilgrims and faithful participating into the 2025 jubilee in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Rescuers recover bodies of 11 workers who died in a coal mine blast in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Rescuers recovered the bodies of 11 coal miners who died last week after a methane gas explosion caused a coal mine to collapse in southwestern Pakistan, officials said Monday. An operation is still underway to find a 12th worker who has been missing since Thursday, when the mine collapsed in Singidi city in Balochistan province, said Abdul Ghani, a mines inspector. Two more coal miners were killed on Sunday when another mine collapsed in Harnai, a district in Balochistan, he said. Safety standards are commonly ignored in the coal mining industry in Pakistan, leading to accidents and explosions that kill dozens of mine workers every year. Miners often complain that owners fail to install safety equipment. Last week, Pakistani security forces also rescued at least eight of 16 mine workers who had been kidnapped by local militants in the restive northwest, and an operation is still underway to rescue the remaining miners.

Local residents gather as rescuers conduct an operation to recover coal mine workers following a methane gas explosion caused a coal mine to collapse in Singidi, a remote area of southwest Pakistan's Balochistan province, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP Photo)

Fencing, roof of Anchorage pedestrian bridge fall in strong wind, closing highway

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The side fencing and roof of a pedestrian bridge fell in strong wind early Sunday, closing the main highway south of Anchorage in both directions until the debris could be cleared. No one was hurt when the structure fell onto the Seward Highway on the south side of Alaska's biggest city, according to the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities. A highway worker reported the debris around 2:30 a.m. Traffic was rerouted and crews with saws and front-end loaders had it cleared by 6:30 a.m., department spokesperson Shannon McCarthy said by email. "While it is too early to determine the cause, it's likely that the winds were a major component," McCarthy said. The walkway's main structure spanning the four-lane highway, an entrance ramp and an outer road remained intact. The bridge links a neighborhood to an elementary school. Winds at the time topped 20 mph (32 kilometers per hour). Heavy rain, snow and wind topping 60 mph (96 kilometers per hour) were forecast later Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.