1+ min ago (143+ words) Pope Leo says Turkey has "important role" to play in Gaza and Ukraine conflicts - Pope Leo XIV unequivocally endorsed a two-state solution as the "only solution" for justice in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during his inaugural airborne news conference. - The pontiff made these remarks while travelling from Istanbul to Beirut, confirming discussions with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan regarding conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine. - He highlighted Turkey's "important role" in both conflicts and expressed hope for continued dialogue to achieve a ceasefire. - The Holy See reiterated its long-standing support for a two-state solution, acknowledging Israel's current non-acceptance but emphasising its mediating role between both sides. - The Pope's primary reason for visiting the region was to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, and he proposed a significant joint Christian event in Jerusalem in 2033 for unity....

5+ min ago (419+ words) Eternity" star says twin sisters were forced" to watch her perform Elizabeth Olsen has reflected on growing up with with her older sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in the spotlight. The actor, 36, said that she grew up going to television and movie sets as her twin siblings, now 39, became household names. Mary-Kate and Ashley played Michelle Tanner on the iconic sitcom Full House from 1987 to 1995, and went on to co-star in multiple movies before creating their luxury fashion brand The Row. "I was the youngest of four, and we were all born within five years," Elizabeth said in a recent interview with The Times about the siblings" upbringing in Los Angeles, adding that it was "pretty chaotic." "So now I think the idea of a calm bath and bedtime story routine is so tender and sweet because we didn"t…...

5+ min ago (198+ words) Top Trump administration officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are meeting Ukrainian negotiators in Florida this weekend. The meeting comes after the resignation of Ukraine's top negotiator and chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, due to an anti-graft probe. FRANCE 24's Gulliver Cragg brings you the latest. Ukraine and US meet for crunch peace talks - Officials from the United States, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, are engaged in peace negotiations with a Ukrainian delegation. - The discussions aim to refine a 28-point peace plan proposed by Trump, with Ukraine's lead negotiator, Rustem Umerov, emphasising safeguarding Ukrainian interests and securing long-term security guarantees. - Speaking from Hallandale Beach, Florida, Mr Rubio expressed optimism for "more progress" from the talks, which he stated are about creating a pathway for a sovereign, independent, and prosperous…...

8+ min ago (337+ words) Flaco's Tacos food truck owner, Rafael Calvillo, who claims he was unaware of the name's trademark, is seeking new name suggestions until December 5 Sitting in a food truck court in Modesto, California, Flaco's Tacos now faces a cease-and-desist from a Chicago restaurant with three locations of the same name, which has held the trademark since 2009. Rafael Calvillo, owner of Flaco's Tacos food truck, which opened in 2022, received a cease-and-desist order just over two months ago. He has until the new year to choose a new name or risk a trademark infringement lawsuit. Changing the name will cost Calvillo around $6,000 as he needs to update his trucks, ordering apps, social media, and Google listings, and he expects business may slow until customers adjust to the new name, he told the Merced Sun-Star. Following his lawyer's advice, Calvillo is not contesting the…...

10+ min ago (355+ words) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio anticipated "more progress" from talks with Ukrainian officials Officials from the United States and Ukraine are currently engaged in peace negotiations aimed at resolving the war with Russia, it was confirmed on Sunday. Secretary of state Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the US president's son-in-law, are holding discussions with a Ukrainian delegation to refine the 28-point peace plan proposed by Trump. Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's lead negotiator and secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, shared on X: "We have clear directives and priorities: safeguarding Ukrainian interests, ensuring substantive dialogue, and advancing on the basis of the progress achieved in Geneva." Mr Umerov added that their objective is to "secure real peace for Ukraine and reliable, long-term security guarantees." The Ukrainian delegation includes Andrii Hnatov, the head of Ukraine's armed forces;…...

14+ min ago (433+ words) NBA-focused series premiered in 2024 Netflix is reportedly scrapping a popular original docuseries. Starting 5, which debuted in 2024, gave viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the NBA season as it followed five star players. The first edition featured LeBron James, Jimmy Butler, Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards, and Domantas Sabonis. Season two, released this year, followed Tyrese Haliburton, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Jaylen Brown. But the series " produced in part by Barack and Michelle Obama's company, Higher Ground " won't be returning for a third season, according to a report from Sports Business Journal. The Independent has reached out to Netflix for comment. While viewing figures for season two have yet to be released, What's on Netflix reported that season one of the series drew 4.6 million views from July to December 2024. But that figure dropped to just 1 million views in the first…...

19+ min ago (656+ words) U.S. and Ukrainian officials to continue talks on modified version of 28-point plan before Kushner and Witkoff meet Putin on Tuesday Two of Donald Trump's allies will meet with top Ukrainian officials in Florida on Sunday as the Trump administration pursues a peace agreement under accusations of allowing Russia to dictate the terms of the war's end. A delegation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's advisers and top officials was set to meet with lead U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Miami. The meeting will precede a trip to meet with Russian leaders, including Vladimir Putin, on Tuesday. On the agenda is the 28-point peace plan proposed by the U.S. this month, which has drawn apparent skepticism from both Ukraine and its European allies, given reports that it drew heavily from a Russian-authored plan submitted to the…...

19+ min ago (544+ words) Goals in each half from Maxim De Cuyper and Stefanos Tzimas earned Brighton a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. The Seagulls secured their third win in four to climb to fifth in the Premier League table and the result also served as sweet revenge for the 7-0 thrashing they suffered at this ground back in February. Brighton dominated the proceedings before Forest worked their way back into it, but Fabian Hurzeler's team broke the deadlock with their 13th shot of the half as De Cuyper grabbed his second goal of the season. Matz Sels produced a stunning double save to keep Forest in contention during the second period while Bart Verbruggen denied Igor Jesus down the other end, yet Brighton sealed the points late in the piece through substitute Tzimas' first goal of the league campaign. Defeat for…...

20+ min ago (576+ words) The suspected carjacker had a criminal past, authorities say A Colorado family's evening drive turned tragic last week when a stolen car being driven by a man out on parole slammed head-on into their car, killing a father and three children. The deadly chain of events began around 3:45 p.m. on November 24, when a man later identified as 31-year-old Walter Huling, carjacked a Toyota Matrix at the Nine Mile Station parking garage in Aurora. Local police say Huling pulled a woman from the driver's seat and sped away. Less than an hour later, the stolen Toyota crossed into the northbound lane of Highway 83 and collided with the Corado family's Ford sedan, according to the Colorado State Patrol. Officials identified the victims in the other car as a 35-year-old father Alvin Corado, his children MaKenlee Corado, 11, Toretto Corado, 8, and their friend Jase Green,…...

25+ min ago (509+ words) Boubacar Kamara's stunning goal was enough to earn Aston Villa their seventh win in eight Premier League games and bragging rights over local rivals Wolves. The Frenchman expertly fired home in the second half to secure a 1-0 victory which moved Villa up to third in the table ahead of Chelsea's clash with Arsenal later on Sunday. It was a goal worthy of the three points as Villa continued to show they are again going to be competing at the top end of the table. That looked questionable after a dreadful summer transfer window led to a lacklustre start to the campaign, where they failed to win any of their opening five games and scored just once. But the following eight games have shown Villa are again going in the right direction under Unai Emery. For Wolves, the Championship trap door…...