Pope Leo XIV defends media coverage of public figures amid Trump ban question

Starbucks to shutter 250 stores in North America this week in 2nd wave of closings

Starbucks plans to close 250 North American stores later this week. It is the second big round of store closures under Starbucks Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol , who joined the company in 2024. Last September, Starbucks closed 627 stores in North America and Europe. In a letter to employees, Starbucks Chief Operating Officer Mike Grams said the locations targeted either aren't delivering acceptable financial results or can't provide the kind of experience that Starbucks wants for customers and employees. The company didn't say Thursday which coffeehouses will close or how many are located in the U.S. Starbucks Workers United, which represents workers at the 700 company-owned U.S. Starbucks stores that have voted to unionize , said 20 unionized stores are among the 250 that are closing, or 8% of the total. Starbucks stores have been voting to unionize since late 2021, but the union and the company have yet to reach a labor agreement. Grams said Starbucks is continuing to retrofit its North American coffeehouses to make them cozier and more inviting. The company expects 1,500 stores will be

Xi says US, China reach new trade arrangement during summit with Trump: report

WASHINGTON — Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday the United States and China reached a new trade arrangement, according to a report, as he and U.S. President Donald Trump held a summit in Washington to discuss artificial intelligence (AI), trade, security and other key issues. Xinhua News Agency reported that Xi made the remarks during the White House summit, calling the arrangement "good news for industries and people of both countries, as well as the global economy," while noting that a stable economic relationship requires "expanding the list of cooperation and shortening the list of problems." It did not elaborate on the arrangement, but U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has told Fox News that Washington and Beijing agreed to extend their trade truce by two months until Jan. 10. During the summit, Trump and Xi also exchanged views on the Korean Peninsula, the situation in the Middle East, and the war between Russia and Ukraine, according to the news outlet. Ahead of the summit, Trump and Xi were expected to touch on North Korea-related issues, as Trump hopes to have a me

Allies unite behind Saudi Arabia as Houthis step up attacks

RIYADH/CAIRO — Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan will hold an urgent, high-level meeting under a joint defence pact to discuss ways to support the kingdom amid attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis, while Tehran sought to distance itself from the rapid advance of its Houthi allies. The Houthis have launched strikes on the Saudi-backed government in Yemen and repeatedly fired into Saudi Arabia, disrupting oil flows from the world's largest energy exporter, as part of a wider Middle East war that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran in February. The Houthis said they had fired dozens of missiles and drones at Saudi targets on Thursday, while authorities in Saudi Arabia said they had intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by Houthi fighters. Saudi Arabia earlier had issued emergency alerts for areas including the holy city of Mecca, Jeddah and Yanbu, the main Saudi Red Sea oil port. Saudi Arabia's top religious authority called on soldiers in the kingdom to be ready to lay down their lives to fight the Houthis until the group is ousted from power, a statement posted on the Saud

Nepal floods were 'a warning to the world,' prime minister tells UN

UNITED NATIONS — The catastrophic Nepal flooding last month was "not just a local tragedy, it was a warning to the world," the country's Prime Minister Balendra Shah told the United Nations on Thursday. Shah said a warming climate was "destabilizing the fragile Himalayan ecology," melting permafrost and glaciers and accelerating hazards. He urged the international community to help bear the cost of adapting to climate change, because "Nepal cannot build resilience alone against a crisis made worse by the failure of global governance."

Pope Leo arrives in France with AI, apologies for clergy abuse on agenda

PARIS — Pope Leo arrived in France on Friday for a whirlwind four-day visit, saying he wished to be a pilgrim of peace for a world at war, on a trip during which he is also hoping to repair the Catholic Church's standing after abuse scandals. Leo was greeted at the Paris Orly airport, under a clear blue sky, by President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte, and by children who sang for him and asked for autographs. He will also travel to the famed Catholic shrine at Lourdes, in the southwest, and to Metz, on the German border. During the September 25 to 28 trip, he is set to renew calls for global rules on AI development, while laying out a vision for Europe's future. Telling reporters on the plane to Paris that he was coming to convey a message of peace, Leo added: "It is a message which at this time, as we all may know, is particularly important." Leading Leo's agenda on Friday are speeches to Macron and other French leaders at the Elysee Palace and to staff at the headquarters of the UN culture and education body, UNESCO, which is facing budget shortfalls after US President Donald

Explosion near Greece's Acropolis injures at least 2 people, collapses 1 building

ATHENS, Greece — A powerful blast shook the Greek capital’s tourist district of Plaka, near the ancient Acropolis, on Friday morning, causing a building to collapse and injuring at least two people who had to be rescued from an adjacent building, authorities said. The fire department said the explosion occurred in an old two-story building in the Plaka district, the historic part of Athens that lies at the foot of the Acropolis hill, Greece’s most visited ancient monument. The building collapsed, while neighboring buildings were also damaged. Firefighters rescued two women from an adjacent building, with police saying both were being transported to a hospital. Local media said a passerby was also slightly injured by the blast. Police cordoned off the area, while the fire department said rescue crews were checking whether any more people might be trapped. Video footage from the scene showed rubble strewn across the street, with parked cars smashed by falling debris. The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear, but local media said a gas leak was suspected.

Ireland star speaks out on Israel clash as protest group calls for boycott

Trump to take Xi inside National Archives for glimpse of America’s greatest treasures

President Donald Trump will follow up his summit with Xi Jinping by taking the Chinese leader ​on Friday to the US National Archives

As a cold water swimmer, this is the changing robe on my Black Friday wishlist (and it’s not Dryrobe)

With fleece-lined pockets and inner, this robe will ensure you’re not chilled to the bone at the beach

John Nellis: From YouTube sensation to Strictly Come Dancing 2026 contestant

The YouTube star is dancing with Katya Jones on 2026 series

Tommy Robinson arrives at court to see anti-migrant activist Danny Tommo hearing

Daniel Thomas, known as Danny Tommo, is appearing in court charged with criminal damage