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By Julia Payne and Marine Strauss BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Ministers from across the European Union said on Thursday that member states

MOSCOW Russia has learnt that the Olympics can be used as a tool of political pressure and ethnic

If you’re a young woman on your own at night, unsolicited attention from a stranger can be intimidating, to say the least. Fortunately, there are plenty of good samaritans out there who are quick to step in and offer a helping hand where it’s needed. And, in some cases, where it’s not. Such an instance occurred at a Starbucks in Texas, where an 18-year-old student was studying by herself when she was approached by a man she didn’t know. A female barista spotted the encounter and decided to take action – bringing a cup of hot chocolate over to the teenager that “someone forgot to pick up”. But really it was all a ruse, and written on the drink was a note reading: “Are you okay? Do you want us to intervene? If you do, take the lid off the cup.” The girl’s mother, Brandy Selim Roberson, shared a photo of the thoughtful message to Facebook in February last year, explaining: “My 18-year-old daughter was at Starbucks, alone, the other night. A man came up to her and started talking to her. A barista handed her ‘an extra hot chocolate someone forgot to pick up’. “How grateful I am for people who look out for other people!” Brandy then added: “Side note: She felt safe and did not remove the lid, but let them know. She said the whole team was watching over her the rest of the time she was there. Thank you to Starbucks for having a great team.” Providing further details, Roberson told the New York Post: “The man was very loud and animated,” but her daughter was reassured to see “a row of baristas staring at her — ready to step in.” “This reaffirms my faith in humanity,” the proud mum stressed. “Maybe just seeing this story, others … if given the opportunity to say something or turn away, they would say something.” Clearly, the story continues to strike a note with people, because it has gone viral again after being shared on X/Twitter on Monday. The post has racked up more than 21.6 million views and 240,300 likes in just three days, with thousands of commentators offering their take on the encounter. Countless users joined Brandy in praising the Starbucks staff, with one gushing: “There still are some great people in the world!” A second wrote: “As a father of a daughter, I’m glad people are still looking out.” And a third said: “In today’s society more people should be proactive like this. You just never know what a situation really is. Kudos to the alert Starbuck’s staff. Never be silent and always ask.” However, others pointed out that the girl had felt “safe” with the stranger, and so they insisted that the intervention was a dramatic overreaction. “I feel so bad for younger guys that might want to go talk to a random chick,” one lamented. “I fail to see why a young woman needs to be ‘rescued’ in a situation like this,” wrote another. “It’s a public setting and there are many acceptable reasons why this man could have been talking to her! “It’s one thing to encourage reasonable precautions, quite another to instil fear and paranoia,” they added. And a third said despairingly: “Can't approach women in coffee shop (creepy); can't approach women at work (unprofessional); can't approach women at the gym (distracting, creepy); can't approach women at church (no singles); can't approach women in public (with friends) – what are men supposed to do??” Scores of commentators said the story was a perfect example of why many young men are too scared to strike up conversations with women. Indeed, a study published by Date Psychology in July found that nearly half of men aged under 25 had never approached a woman in person – with most citing a fear of rejection and/or the potential social consequences. Meanwhile, a number of X/Twitter users said more context was needed to establish exactly why the note was needed. One wrote: “All we have to go on is that a man talked to her. They did not state that he threatened or harassed her, which surely they would have clarified if he had.” To which another replied: “I like to believe they picked up on something sort of fishy, or intense about the man -- perhaps he was in her physical space, or looked a little out of it? We don't know. If it was like that, I think they were helpful.” Elsewhere, users suggested that the furious response from male commentators proved the baristas had been right to act. “Men in the quotes giving us great examples of why the employees stepped in,” one said. “Y’all are not entitled to speak to women simply because you think you can or perceive yourself as no harm.” Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings

Political debate and protest have long roiled college campuses on any number of topics. But the current debate on the Israel-Gaza war is so emotionally fraught because it's part of a much broader history, experts on college campus speech told CNN, and the intensity of the backlash to their protected free speech shows what happens on campus does not always stay on campus.

By Jack Queen Former President Donald Trump could gain a strategic edge in a criminal case brought against

An International Atomic Energy Agency team is in Fukushima for the agency's first marine sampling since treated radioactive wastewater started being released from the area's damaged nuclear plant into the sea

Taylor Swift's 'SNL' appearance, not directly addressing Kelce rumors, still stoked speculation about her relationship with Travis Kelce

Miriam Margolyes has shared a health update after heart surgery, revealing that she now has part of a cow’s heart. Back in May, the Harry Potter actor underwent a minimally invasive procedure called a Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) to replace a narrow aortic valve after it fails to open properly. Appearing on the Table Manners podcast, Margolyes, 82, discussed the heart operation with hosts Jessie Ware and her mother, Lennie. “I’ve got a cow’s heart,” Margolyes revealed. “Well, not the whole heart. I’ve had an aortic valve replaced by a cow’s aortic valve.” Jessie asked if that was “common”, with Margolyes joking: “I think it’s rather refined, actually… I don’t know how common it is, I’d never heard of that operation. But it saves you from having open heart surgery, which would be infinitely more invasive.” Further discussing the surgery, Margolyes explained: “They made two little holes in your groin, one in each groin. and then they shoved this thing through. And I don’t know how they pull it up but they sort of pull it up with strings, into your heart. “And then when it comes to the point when it’s in your heart, they pull a little string and it goes pow! And lo and behold, your artery or your aortic valve is shoved unceremoniously to the side, and the cow’s aortic valve says, ‘Moo, I’m here.’ It’s rather amazing.” Margolyes also shared that she would “probably” use a wheelchair soon due to her bad back, but had “just sort of accepted” that it was going to be necessary. On her new fandom and being seen as a “national treasure”, thanks to her outspoken nature, she added: “It’s lovely to hear that you like me and you approve of me. But I truly am a little old lady. Trying to make a living. Trying to keep going.” Last month, the actor released her new memoir, titled Oh Miriam: Stories from an Extraordinary Life. In the book, which was full to the brim with revelations, Margolyes wrote that her current state of disability meant that she now is mostly unable to perform on the theatre. Describing herself as “semi-crippled”, she wrote that “usually that means you have to stop”. “I don’t think I can do theatre again unless I’m playing a character similarly disabled,” she said. “I know Maggie [Smith] and Eileen [Atkins] and Judi [Dench] and Vanessa [Redgrave] still tread the boards, and they’re older than me – but they’re fitter, b***** it, and good luck to them!” Read More Tilda Swinton, Steve Coogan and Miriam Margolyes among 2,000 artists calling for Gaza ceasefire 11 biggest revelations from Miriam Margolyes’ hilarious new memoir Miriam Margolyes says Steve Martin was ‘horrid’ on film set: ‘Perhaps he was method acting’ Call The Midwife ‘should come with a health warning’ My kids don’t have sushi in their packed lunches – does it make me a bad mum? Adele reveals she’s three months sober after being ‘borderline alcoholic’ in her 20s

SAIC teacher Mika Tosca faces backlash on social media after she called Israelis 'pigs' and 'savages' in her Instagram Story

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has withdrawn charges against a former militia leader from the

The screenshot captured an old comment, which read, 'MrBeast Now you have 175,000 subscribers'

Rumors that Britney Spears cheated on Justin Timberlake with dancer Wade Robson following a wild night at a Spanish bar have been confirmed