In an era where popular music is fluid, it is easy to forget the listening world was not always so open. Unless, of course, Roberta Flack’s career is closely examined. Flack, whose intimate vocal and musical style made her one of the top recording artists of the 1970s and an influential performer long after, died Monday. She leaves behind a rich repertoire of music that avoids categorization. Her debut, “First Take,” wove soul, jazz, flamenco, gospel and folk into one revelatory package, prescient in its form and measured in its approach.
The first phase of the ceasefire that paused 15 months of brutal warfare between Israel and Hamas militants is set to end on Saturday — and it’s unclear what comes next. The two sides were supposed to start negotiating a second phase weeks ago in which Hamas would release all the remaining hostages from its Oct. 7, 2023, attack, which triggered the war, in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
Thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square Monday evening to pray for an ailing Pope Francis, expressing sorrow for his suffering, hope for his recovery and gratitude for his efforts to steer the Catholic Church in new directions. The 88-year-old Francis has pneumonia in both lungs and remains in critical condition despite showing a slight improvement after 11 days in the hospital.
Order a Coke to wash down some hummus in the Israeli-occupied West Bank these days and chances are the waiter will shake his head disapprovingly — or worse, mutter “shame, shame” in Arabic — before suggesting the popular local alternative: a can of Chat Cola. Chat Cola — its red tin and sweeping white script bearing remarkable resemblance to the iconic American soft drink’s logo — has seen its products explode in popularity across the occupied West Bank in the past year as Palestinian consumers, angry at America’s steadfast support for Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza, protest with their pocketbooks.
Germany’s mainstream conservatives led by Friedrich Merz won the country’s national election, ensuring that Ukraine has an even stronger supporter in the European Union’s largest country and creating hopes for renewal in an economic powerhouse that has been badly battered in recent years. The far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) surged to become the second-largest political force, gaining from a backlash against the high numbers of migrants and refugees the nation has absorbed over the past decade and a string of extremist attacks that has shaken its sense of security.
Hamas freed six Israelis on Saturday in the last scheduled release of living hostages by the militant group under the current stage of a ceasefire agreement with Israel. In all, a total of 33 Israelis are being freed during this stage — including eight who are dead. Five Thai hostages have also been freed separately. Sixty-three hostages, including the body of a soldier held since 2014, remain in Gaza.
Israel on Monday denied entry to two European Union lawmakers, accusing one of promoting boycotts of the country. Lynn Boylan, who chairs the European Parliament EU-Palestine delegation, and Rima Hassan were refused entry at Ben-Gurion airport and ordered to return to Europe. Interior Minister Moshe Arbel said French politician Hassan has “consistently worked to promote boycotts against Israel in addition to numerous public statements both on social media and in media interviews.”
Ukraine on Monday marked the bleakest anniversary yet of its war against the Russia invasion, with the country’s forces under severe pressure on the battlefield and U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration apparently embracing the Kremlin in a reversal of American policy. The three-year milestone drew more than a dozen Western leaders to Kyiv for commemorative events in a conspicuous show of support. They warned of the war’s wider implications for global security and vowed to keep providing billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine as uncertainty deepens over the U.S. commitment to help. Washington did not send any senior official to the occasion.
Longtime Apple executive Phil Schiller on Monday conceded he initially opposed fees that the iPhone maker charges for in app-transactions processed outside its own payment system because he feared violating a court-ordered mandate designed to create more competition. Schiller, who oversees Apple’s lucrative App Store for iPhones, made the admission during three hours of testimony in the same Oakland federal courtroom where he last appeared on the witness stand nearly nine months ago as part of a long-running legal battle with Epic Games, the maker of the popular Fortnite video game.
Starbucks plans to lay off 1,100 corporate employees globally as new Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol streamlines operations. In a letter to employees released Monday, Niccol said the company will inform employees who are being laid off by midday Tuesday. Niccol said Starbucks is also eliminating several hundred open and unfilled positions. “Our intent is to operate more efficiently, increase accountability, reduce complexity and drive better integration,” Niccol wrote in the letter.