US

McDonald’s is testing a coffee shop-style restaurant that puts it in competition with the likes of Starbucks. It’s opening the first CosMc’s in Illinois this month – with the aim of having 10 in the US by 2024 – mainly in Texas to begin with. CosMc’s is described as a “beverage-led concept” that’s “inspired by
A former US ambassador to Bolivia has been charged with secretly acting as a Cuban agent for “more than 40 years”. Manuel Rocha, who was arrested at his Miami home on Friday, served as the top US diplomat to Bolivia between 2000 and 2002. Prosecutors from the US Justice Department accuse him of promoting the
A giant blow-up Santa has been gunned down in a drive-by shooting in the US – with the deflating deed captured on video. The unfestive act carried out in Lexington, Kentucky, left a gaping 46cm (18in) hole in the Father Christmas and raised concerns other similar inflatable decorations could be targeted by the trigger-happy yobs,
Julianna Margulies has said she is “horrified” to have offended people after she said that black people have been “brainwashed to hate Jews”. The Good Wife and ER actress released a statement apologising after the controversial comments she made during a conversation about the Israel-Hamas conflict. Speaking on The Back Room With Andy Ostroy podcast
Elon Musk has been accused of promoting a long-debunked conspiracy theory which alleged high-profile Democrats ran a paedophile abuse ring from a Washington pizza restaurant. The billionaire posted and later deleted a meme referencing “Pizzagate” on X on Tuesday, NBC News reports. It was an image from TV show The Office, with fake dialogue superimposed
Beyoncé’s mother has defended the star against “racist” accusations she lightened her skin for the premiere of her movie Renaissance. Tina Knowles said she had seen “stupid, ignorant, self-hating racist statements” about Beyoncé “lightening her skin” and “wearing platinum hair wanting to be white”. The mother-of-two, in a statement posted on Instagram, said she was