Watch: Huge crowds greeted the Pope as he travelled down the Champs-Élysées Pope Leo XIV has praised the “enthusiasm, energy and commitment” young people bring to the Catholic Church as dense crowds attended an open-air Mass in Paris.An estimated 700,000 people had gathered for the Mass celebrated by the Pope from a special altar on the Place de la Concorde, on the second day of his four-day visit to France.It began after the pontiff rode down the Champs-Élysées Avenue waving to crowds from his open-topped popemobile.Many senior politicians attended the Mass. On Friday, the Pope met French President Emmanuel Macron.During Saturday’s Mass, the Pope told worshippers that Catholics should not keep their faith to themselves but “let it overflow so that those you meet may be refreshed”.The leader of the Catholic Church also addressed young people in his speech, describing them as “today’s Church”.”How beautiful it is to see your enthusiasm, energy and commitment, and the joy you bring to Christian communities,” he said. [Reuters] After being welcomed by Macron on Friday, the Pope was joined by 80,000 young people at the Stade de France in northern Paris.Macron did not attend Saturday’s event and will not be at any of the Pope’s Masses during his visit, largely to avoid appearing to breach France’s strict rules on the separation of Church and state.But the Mass was attended by Macron’s wife Brigitte and French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu.Several candidates for next year’s presidential election also attended.Marine Le Pen of the hard-right National Rally party and conservative Bruno Retailleau were both pictured at the Place de la Concorde ahead of the event, while centrists Édouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal were also spotted. Brigitte Macron, France’s Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu and Senate’s President Gerard Larcher were seen attending the Mass [Getty Images] Earlier on Saturday, the Pope met migrants and volunteers as he visited the Maison Bakhita centre, an association supporting refugees, and praised the organisation for inviting “us to see those who are invisible”.He also stressed the “fundamental role of women in building a civilisation of love”.The Pope issued a warning about the dangers of artificial intelligence (AI) at the start of his visit to France on Friday.Leo cautioned against “losing our humanity amid a paradise of machines” in wide-ranging remarks to Church and state officials at the Élysée Palace.Large crowds are expected throughout the remainder of the pontiff’s trip, which the Church believes reflects a growing spirituality among the French and other Europeans.Late on Saturday the Pope flew to south-western town of Lourdes. He prayed at its famous sanctuary, where he will celebrate a Mass on Sunday which 150,000 people have signed up to attend.The Pope will be in the north-eastern city of Metz on Monday to pay tribute to Robert Schuman (1886-1963), a founding father of the European Union and a fervent Catholic who is a candidate for beatification – a formal recognition that a person is believed to have entered heaven.Born in Chicago in 1955, Pope Leo XIV was originally called Robert Prevost – a French name.His paternal grandmother was born in Le Havre in Normandy in 1894. When she married in the US many years later, she and her Italian husband took the name Prevost, which had been her mother’s maiden name. [BBC] This article originally appeared on BBC at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm4gjjwvvlzro?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Byahoo.north.america%5D-%5Bheadline%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D

A powerful nor’easter is battering the East Coast this weekend, bringing major coastal flooding, damaging winds and heavy rain from the Carolinas to southern New England.About 84,600 homes and businesses were without power across five Northeast states by midday Saturday, according to PowerOutage.us, with New Jersey, Connecticut and Long Island hit hardest. Wind gusts topped 60 mph on Long Island, Cape Cod and the islands, according to the National Weather Service, and more than 400 flights were canceled nationwide, most of them at Boston Logan.Water rose more than 3 feet above the normal high-tide mark Saturday morning at the Jersey Shore and in New York Harbor, according to preliminary NOAA data. In Queens, video showed people kayaking to the Howard Beach–JFK subway station. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill have both issued emergency declarations, and more than 20 million people from Virginia to New Jersey are under coastal flood warnings.Forecasters warned that flooding could return with Saturday night’s high tide as the storm moves toward the Jersey Shore late Saturday into Sunday, according to the Weather Prediction Center. The storm is expected to weaken slowly Sunday night and move northeast Monday.How to stay safe:Never drive or walk through floodwaters. Just 6 inches of moving water can knock a person down.Move cars out of flood-prone areas before high tide.If you live in a basement or ground-floor apartment, have more than one way out.Stay away from downed power lines and report them to your utility or 911.In New York City, text NOTIFYNYC to 692-692 for emergency alerts.Follow below for the latest updates.This article originally appeared on Yahoo News at https://www.yahoo.com/news/weather-news/live/noreaster-updates-powerful-storm-batters-east-coast-with-coastal-flooding-high-winds-and-power-outages-150729723.html

Four Americans were among the six people who died after an explosion and building collapse in Athens’ tourist district of Plaka near the Acropolis on Friday, officials said.A U.S. State Department spokesperson confirmed to CBS News on Saturday that their deaths were a result of a gas explosion.”I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of four American citizens in yesterday’s explosion in central Athens,” Kimberly Guilfoyle, the U.S. ambassador to the Hellenic Republic, said on X. “I extend my deepest appreciation to the Greek first responders who worked tirelessly at the scene. The U.S. Embassy is providing consular assistance and support to the victims’ families.”The two other people killed were an elderly British man and his Greek wife who lived on the second floor of the three-story building, Greece’s state broadcaster ERT reported.The American family of four had been renting an apartment on the first floor and were preparing to go to the airport hours later Friday for their return to the United States when the blast occurred, according to the Kathimerini newspaper.The explosion brought down the residential building and damaged properties and vehicles along the street. Two other women were injured from an adjacent building on Lysikratous Street, fire brigades said, according to the Associated Press.The New York Times reported that the U.S. family was composed of a couple, their son and his girlfriend. Greek authorities did not immediately give their identities, ages or where in the U.S. they came from.On Saturday, AFP reporters saw mechanical diggers moving debris at the site and thermal-imaging cameras deployed.”We are talking about an incredible disaster,” Athens Mayor Haris Doukas said.Two nearby buildings were left in a dangerous state, he added, with inspections underway “to determine if they can remain standing or if they also have to be demolished.”The owner of the ground-floor apartment, Mathaios Artavanis, told the Kathimerini daily he was absent at the time of the blast. He said he had tried afterward to contact the U.K.-Greek couple who lived there, without success.Video footage from the scene showed rubble strewn across the street, with parked cars smashed by falling debris. The people rescued by the fire department from the adjacent building were all tourists, resident Andreas Martzaklis said.The pastor of a nearby church said this Sunday’s service would be held outdoors because of damage to the church.A year ago, locals in the Plaka neighborhood had warned the city and utility companies about the risk of gas leaks or short circuits, according to a letter by the residents’ association published by Kathimerini.The residents had urged a fire drill to identify possible weaknesses in the emergency response plans for the district.A citizens’ group said on social media that one resident in the street where the explosion happened had alerted authorities after smelling a possible gas leak.The neighborhood is one of Athens’ most popular tourist areas. The nearby Acropolis, one of Greece’s best-known landmarks, welcomed 4.6 million visitors last year.This article originally appeared on CBS News at https://www.cbsnews.com/news/americans-greece-athens-building-explosion-collapse/

SHANGHAI, Sept 26 (Reuters) – The United States and China have agreed to reduce tariffs on $30 billion of goods and launch a dialogue on AI, both countries said following President Xi ‌Jinping’s visit to Washington. The tariff reductions would apply to US exports such as agricultural goods, wood ‌and cosmetics, as well as US imports including small appliances, toys, decorations, a White House statement said on Friday. “The two countries reached ​consensus on recommendations for more favorable tariff treatment for $30 billion of non-sensitive goods in each direction,” the White House said. The three-day summit between Xi and President Donald Trump, which ended on Friday, showcased personal diplomacy rather than big public breakthroughs. Xi has since landed in Beijing, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported on Saturday. The two sides ‌also agreed to set up a trade ⁠council and extend the outcomes of earlier talks in Kuala Lumpur, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. The agreement follows a move by the world’s two largest economies to extend by ⁠two months a trade truce that had been due to expire on November 10, allowing more time to work on a potentially bigger trade deal, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday. “This historic visit enriched the constructive ​and stable ​China-US relationship, upheld the overall stability of bilateral ties, ​opened a new chapter in China-US relations, and ‌will have a far-reaching impact on world peace and development,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a statement. DIALOGUE ON AI On artificial intelligence, the two sides agreed to hold a dialogue on the technology’s risks and benefits, with the next round of discussions set for November, and to set up a communication channel for AI-related incidents, the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the White House said. The White House said that the leaders had agreed ‌to use the term “super intelligence” in place of “artificial intelligence.” In a ​separate statement, the Chinese ministry said that Beijing valued Washington’s use ​of the new term. As AI technology continues ​to advance, the two sides should step up exchanges and work toward consensus in ‌line with new developments, it said. The two sides ​also agreed to support each ​other in hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ meeting and the Group of 20 summit, with both leaders planning to attend the gatherings hosted by the other. On foreign policy, the leaders agreed ​that Iran should fulfil its commitment not ‌to develop nuclear weapons, and that no country or entity should impose transit tolls on ​international waterways, both countries said. (Reporting by Shanghai Newsroom and Katharine Jackson in Washington; Editing by ​Christopher Cushing, Gareth Jones, Sergio Non and Sanjeev Miglani) This article originally appeared on Reuters at https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/china-us-agree-30-billion-083836628.html

Democrats’ chances of flipping the Senate have grown in recent months as President Donald Trump’s unpopularity, as well as frustration with the economy, push voters away from Republicans. Democrats have been favored to seize control of the House, which has a narrow Republican majority. The math in the Senate is more daunting: Democrats control 47 seats to Republicans’ 53. Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. The clearest path to a majority requires Democrats to retain all of their seats and win four GOP-controlled seats, including at least two in states President Donald Trump won by double digits in 2024. That path, which once felt like a long shot, now seems feasible. A Wednesday update from the Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election analysis site, described control of the Senate as “a true coin flip, with viable paths for both parties to win or keep a majority.” Some other analysts have concluded the map is even more favorable to Democrats. The political environment has shifted enough in recent months that some Republicans have suggested that the GOP should scale back spending in Georgia and North Carolina, where Trump won in 2024 but the party’s nominees have lagged in polls. Here are the races to watch as the battle for the Senate grows increasingly competitive. The races moving toward Democrats: Georgia, Iowa, Texas, Kansas, South Carolina Sen. Jon Ossoff is now heavily favored to win reelection in Georgia in a race which Cook rates as “Likely Democratic.” Republicans initially viewed the race as one of their leading opportunities to gain a seat, but controversies involving the GOP nominee, Rep. Mike Collins, have helped Ossoff pull away. Iowa and Texas, two states that backed Trump by a double-digit margin in 2024, are now in the toss-up column. James Talarico, a state representative, has led Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in many polls as he tries to become the first Democrat to win a statewide election in Texas this century. After Paxton defeated Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican primary, the race exploded into an expensive, high-profile contest. Scandals have eroded Paxton’s popularity, while Democrats hope that Talarico’s faith-based politics has broad appeal and can overcome criticism that he’s too socially liberal. Josh Turek, an Iowa state representative and former Paralympic athlete, is tapping voters’ frustrations with the effects of Trump’s tariffs to try to win crossover support. He faces Rep. Ashley Hinson, a former television anchor viewed by national Republicans as a strong candidate, for the seat being vacated by retiring Republican Joni Ernst. Kansas, a state which Trump won by 16 percentage points in 2024, has emerged as a surprising Democratic target in recent months. Although incumbent Sen. Roger Marshall is still favored, the challenge from Adam Hamilton, a political outsider and prominent pastor, has concerned some Republicans. In South Carolina, Republican Sen. Darline Graham, who was appointed after her brother, Lindsey Graham, died in July, is favored to defeat Democratic pediatrician Annie Andrews. Graham’s weaknesses include a lack of political experience and skepticism about her right-wing credentials from some conservatives who preferred her opponents in the Republican primary. The one race shifting toward Republicans: New Hampshire New Hampshire, a state Kamala Harris won in 2024, is one of Republicans’ best chances of flipping a Democratic seat. Polls have shown a close race between Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas and Republican John Sununu, who served in the Senate from 2003 to 2009 and is the son of former governor John H. Sununu and brother to popular former governor Chris Sununu. They are competing to succeed retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D). Republicans plan to spend heavily in the state to support Sununu, who has distanced himself from Trump. The other battlegrounds: North Carolina, Alaska, Maine, Michigan, Ohio Michigan’s race presents another opportunity for Republicans to flip a Democratic-controlled seat, as Republicans have criticized the Democratic nominee, Abdul El-Sayed, as being too far to the left. El-Sayed has sought to unify Michigan Democrats since winning a bruising primary against Rep. Haley Stevens. A recent Washington Post-Schar School poll showed him with a narrow edge but lagging the Democratic nominee for governor among Black voters, independents and voters who say they are unwilling to support a Muslim for president. Republicans describe their nominee, former eight-term congressman Mike Rogers, as a formidable candidate who narrowly lost a 2024 campaign for Senate. Democrats have sought to tie him to Trump, whose popularity remains low in the state. In North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper, a popular Democrat, is favored over former Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley in a race that looks to be Democrats’ likeliest flip. The swing state’s race has been a top target of Democrats since incumbent Sen. Thom Tillis (R) announced his retirement in 2025. Both parties have spent heavily on the race, but Cooper has consistently led in public polling. In Alaska, Democrats are hopeful that former congresswoman Mary Peltola, a moderate, can oust Sen. Dan S. Sullivan (R). Peltola’s path to victory in the deep red state might rely upon frustration with high diesel prices and the presence of three other Republicans, including retired teacher Dan J. Sullivan, on the state’s ranked-choice election ballot. Maine’s race has undergone a significant shake-up in recent months after former nominee Graham Platner withdrew following an allegation of sexual assault. Troy Jackson, a progressive logger and former state Senate president who was nominated to replace Platner at a convention, is hoping to unseat longtime Sen. Susan Collins (R), who has long cultivated a moderate image to garner crossover support. In Ohio, former longtime senator Sherrod Brown (D) faces Republican incumbent Sen. Jon Husted, who was appointed in 2025 after his predecessor, JD Vance, became vice president. Although Brown lost reelection by four percentage points in 2024 while Trump won the state by a double-digit margin, analysts believe that Trump’s lagging popularity could fuel Brown’s comeback. The reach states: Minnesota and Nebraska Cook rates Democrats and Republicans, respectively, as “likely” to hold their seats in Minnesota and Nebraska, but their victories are not assured. In Nebraska, independent Dan Osborn, a union leader who says he would not caucus with either Democrats or Republicans in the Senate, faces Sen. Pete Ricketts (R), the son of billionaire TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts. Osborn ran for Senate in 2024 and overperformed in losing by seven percentage points while Trump won by 20 percentage points. Democrats are not fielding a candidate, and the state party endorsed Osborn. Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (D) faces former football journalist Michele Tafoya, a Republican, in a state Harris won by four percentage points. Flanagan defeated a more moderate candidate in a bruising primary. Republicans hope that voters unhappy with the outgoing Democratic governor, Tim Walz, will punish Flanagan and that Tafoya will benefit from her high-profile career as a sideline reporter. CORRECTION: A previous version of this article incorrectly said that Republican Mike Rogers outperformed Donald Trump when he narrowly lost the Michigan Senate race in 2024. Trump won Michigan in the presidential election that year. Theodoric Meyer contributed reporting to this article. – – – Graphics: Shift in Senate race ratings Related ContentThis article originally appeared on Washington Post at https://washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/09/26/democratic-senate-is-becoming-more-likely-here-are-races-watch/