Pope Leo's cancer is a 'gamechanger' for papacy, Vatican foreign minister says

Hershey warns rising living costs may spook Halloween shoppers

Hershey on Thursday warned that increased pressure on shoppers due to high inflation and interest rates could impact how much consumers spend on candy this Halloween. U.S. consumer sentiment hovered near record lows in October as Americans head into the holiday season with their budgets under strain from high gas prices as a fallout of the U.S. war in Iran. Hershey lowered its annual organic net sales growth target to about 3 percent, citing weakness in channels such as convenience stores, where customers were budgeting for higher gas prices. The Milk Duds maker was banking on last-minute shoppers looking for bulk packs of candy ahead of Halloween on Saturday, October 31, executives said on a post-earnings call. "Now we need consumers to show up, we need them. The last few days are really critical," said Hershey CEO Kirk Tanner. A 51.03-ounce pack of Hershey assorted Halloween candy with 165 pieces cost about $23.87 on Walmart's website as of Thursday morning. "Halloween participation is expected to be in line with 2025, though financial pressures could shape final purchase decisions," Tan

Soaring living costs push first-time and returning Korean voters to US midterms

SEATTLE — For Lee Min-ha, a 46-year-old Korean living near Seattle, eating out has become a luxury her household can no longer afford. "Everything has gotten so expensive that eating out is completely out of the question," Lee said. "I've been buying groceries almost exclusively on sale for quite some time now. Living in America is getting harder and harder, and every day I wonder how things got this bad." A meal at a casual Korean restaurant can easily cost a family of four more than $100 once taxes and tips are included, making even an occasional family outing an increasingly expensive proposition. Lee's frustration reflects a widespread concern among Korean voters ahead of Tuesday's U.S. midterm elections. The 2026 Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Voter Survey, conducted by Asian & Pacific Islander American Vote and AAPI Data, found that 86 percent of Korean American registered voters considered inflation and the cost of living very or extremely important in deciding how to vote. The figure was 90 percent among Asian American respondents overall, underscoring the importance

FCC votes to ban all Chinese labs from testing US electronics

WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday voted to bar all Chinese labs from testing electronic devices including smartphones, cameras and computers for use in the US, expanding a previous agency action targeting Beijing. The FCC said it will prohibit test labs and certification bodies in countries including China that deny reciprocal treatment to US-based test labs. The FCC prohibitions are slated to take effect in December 2028. FCC Chair Brendan Carr said that in 2025, 82 percent of electronics were tested in China, which does not have an agreement with the US. "These labs are a critical gateway into American communications infrastructure -- and their privileged role gives them access to sensitive and confidential information about electronic products often months before the devices enter the market," Carr said, adding they could "allow insecure gear into the U.S. market, disrupt communications networks, or even steal intellectual property." The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In 2025, the FCC banned testing of

What to know about Israel's election as results emerge with no clear winner

JERUSALEM — Final election results are expected Thursday evening or Friday in Israel, where neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’s bloc nor the opposition — unless it partners with Arab-led parties — is on a path to a majority in parliament. Weeks of negotiations to build a majority coalition and name a prime minister likely lie ahead. One scenario sees Jewish and Arab-led parties opposed to Netanyahu joining forces. Another sees some parties that campaigned on ousting Israel’s longest-serving prime minister teaming up with him instead. Both possibilities have prompted bitter debate in an already deeply divided country. Here’s what to know about what comes next: Results will kick off weeks of negotiations The election was widely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu , even though Israelis vote on parties, not individuals. His party, Likud, received the most votes overall, but lost support compared with the previous election in 2022. Voter turnout was 77 percent, the highest since 1999. Support for far-right parties in Netanyahu’s coalition dropped significantly, putting his

Robust consumer spending, AI-related investment power US economy in third quarter

WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy grew at its fastest pace in a year in the third quarter, shrugging off higher oil prices stemming from the conflict in the Middle East as consumers maintained robust spending and businesses doubled down on investment in AI. The better-than-expected increase in gross domestic product last quarter reported by the Commerce Department on Thursday was in stark contrast to households' downbeat assessment of the economy, reflected in President Donald Trump's record-low approval ratings and deterioration in consumer sentiment. The advance GDP report was published less than a week before Tuesday's midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress. Economists said the strong growth, together with other data on Thursday showing inflation accelerating and broadening out in September, bolstered the argument for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates in December. The U.S. central bank on Wednesday left its benchmark overnight interest rate in the 3.75 percent-4.00 percent range while acknowledging that inflation "remains elevated." "The consequences of an

Does White House ask AI to decide policy? Democrats want the receipts

WASHINGTON — Senior Democrats demanded Thursday that U.S. President Donald Trump preserve records of any official exchanges with artificial intelligence chatbots, raising questions about whether Elon Musk's Grok influenced sensitive military decisions. In a letter dated Wednesday and first obtained by Politico, congressmen Jamie Raskin and Robert Garcia said questions submitted by Trump and White House aides — and the chatbots' answers — constituted presidential records that must be preserved under federal law. They requested a closed-door briefing by November 11 covering the president's use of AI, security safeguards and whether outside companies could access sensitive conversations. "If the American President is relying on the policy advice of a Musk-designed, Hitler-friendly chatbot with a predilection for child pornography in order to carry out his official duties, Americans have a right to know," they wrote. The language alludes to past controversies over Grok generating antisemitic statements and sexualized images of children. The letter follows reports that Trump spent hours

Mint explainer: why India wants to make its own shipping containers

India plans to scale annual container capacity more than tenfold by FY40 through a ₹10,000-crore scheme. Here's why it matters for trade, manufacturing and supply-chain resilience.

Staring down a $40M tariff bill, this American importer is suing Trump to end some tariffs on Canada

A U.S. food distributor is suing the Trump administration over 50 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods, arguing the levies are illegal and threaten its business and Canadian suppliers.

Why the war in Iran might cost Trump and the Republicans at the ballot box

When Americans head to the ballot box, it is usually domestic issues that are at the front of mind, not foreign policy. But this time, Americans are linking the high price of gas and diesel with the U.S. war in the Middle East.

Accused sex predator Richard Neil disputes DNA link to Ontario crime scenes

A Toronto man accused of grisly attacks on children in public parks in southern Ontario in the 1990s repeatedly this week disputed evidence against him and insisted police arrested the wrong man.

'You can't just get out': How 2 boys were recruited into the drug trade at the age of 12

Drug trafficking networks that have been recruiting young Black boys who have gone missing in the Greater Toronto Area are coercing even younger kids from cities across Canada and sending them even further to sell drugs, an investigation by CBC’s the fifth estate has found.

Trump steers clear of another Halloween embarrassment after infamous Minions moment