Russian troops introduced a missile attack on essential infrastructure in the Izium district, Kharkiv region, injuring three people today.

Starbucks workers at more than 100 U.S. stores say they’re going on strike Thursday in what would be the largest labor action since a campaign to unionize the company’s stores began late last year.

The walkouts are scheduled to coincide with Starbucks’ annual Red Cup Day, when the company gives free reusable cups to customers who order a holiday drink. Workers say it’s often one of the busiest days of the year. Starbucks declined to say how many red cups it plans to distribute.

Workers say they’re seeking better pay, more consistent schedules and higher staffing levels in busy stores. Starbucks opposes the unionization effort, saying the company functions best when it works directly with employees. The Seattle coffee giant has more than 9,000 company-owned stores in the U.S.

Stores in 25 states planned to take part in the labor action, according to Starbucks Workers United, the group organizing the effort. Some workers planned to picket all day while others planned shorter walkouts. The union said the goal is to shut the stores down during the walkouts.

Willow Montana, a shift manager at a Starbucks store in Brighton, Massachusetts, planned to strike because Starbucks hasn’t begun bargaining with the store despite a successful union vote in April.

“If the company won’t bargain in good faith, why should we come to work where we are understaffed, underpaid and overworked?” Montana said.

Others, including Michelle Eisen, a union organizer at one of the first stores to organize in Buffalo, New York, said workers are angry that Starbucks promised higher pay and benefits to non-union stores. Starbucks says it is following the law and can’t give union stores pay hikes without bargaining.

At least 257 Starbucks stores have voted to unionize since late last year, according to the National Labor Relations Board. Fifty-seven stores have held votes where workers opted not to unionize.

Starbucks and the union have begun contract talks at 53 stores, with 13 additional sessions scheduled, Starbucks Workers United said. No agreements have been reached so far.

The process has been contentious. Earlier this week, a regional director with the NLRB filed a request for an injunction against Starbucks in federal court, saying the company violated labor law when it fired a union organizer in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The regional director asked the court to direct Starbucks to reinstate the employee and stop interfering in the unionization campaign nationwide.

It was the fourth time the NLRB has asked a federal court to intervene. In August, a federal judge ruled that Starbucks had to reinstate seven union organizers who were fired in Memphis, Tennessee. A similar case in Buffalo has yet to be decided, while a federal judge ruled against the NLRB in a case in Phoenix.

Meanwhile, Starbucks has asked the NLRB to temporarily suspend all union elections at its U.S. stores, citing allegations from a board employee that regional officials improperly coordinated with union organizers. A decision in that case is pending.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hoped for greater cooperation with Saudi Arabia — including on its $500 billion futuristic desert city project — as he met the kingdom’s powerful crown prince Thursday, Seoul officials said.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman flew to South Korea earlier Thursday for talks with Yoon and business tycoons in his first visit to South Korea since June 2019.

During talks attended by senior officials from both countries, Yoon said he hopes that South Korean companies will participate in megaprojects in Saudi Arabia such as Neom, a futuristic, carbon-free city planned along the kingdom’s Red Sea coast, Yoon’s office in a statement.

Yoon also wanted the two countries to cooperate on defense industries and the development of hydrogen and other new energies and promote tourism and cultural exchanges, the statement said. Prince Mohammed said he wants to drastically expand bilateral cooperation on the areas of infrastructure construction, energy and defense industries, Yoon’s office said.

The prince’s trip to South Korea spawned hopes that South Korean companies’ active participations in the Neom city project would greatly invigorate the country’s economy, like a previous construction boom in the Middle East backed up South Korea’s rapid economic rise in the 1970s.

“There are political and geopolitical risks in Middle East and it’s true that there are questions about the Neom city project. … But the Neom city can still be a new breakthrough for the South Korean economy,” the Maeil Business newspaper said Wednesday in an editorial. “The (South Korean) government must support a possible second Middle East boom by reforming regulations.”

The Neom project envisions flying cars and a 170-kilometer (105-mile) -long, zero-carbon emissions city that’s entirely enclosed and powered by Artificial Intelligence. In 2017, when Prince Mohammed announced plans to build the city, he said that “this will be a place for the dreamers of the world.”

Some observers say Prince Mohammed hopes the city will become a skyline-studded Saudi version of Dubai that will offer the kingdom jobs and cement a future beyond its vast crude oil reserves. It also would reframe a rule so far colored by the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi and the kingdom’s grinding war in Yemen.

“Some people say the idea of the Neom city project is too utopian and doubt whether it can be really established,” said Paik Seunghoon, principal researcher at the Institute of Middle East Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul. “But it’s one of the projects that Prince (Mohammed) is pushing hard so that he will try to have (the Neom project) running to some extent.”

Joo Won, deputy director at the Seoul-based Hyundai Research Institute, noted that there have been “more negative views toward the project” than positive ones.

“It’s a matter of financial resources. Saudi Arabia needs money to build such a city. During the period of high oil prices like these days, they can afford it. But oil prices would go down one day and the project could stop,” Joo said

PARIS (AP) — As well as coping with injuries to key players again, France has the weight of World Cup history to contend with in Qatar.

Good luck, Les Bleus.

Not since Brazil lost the 1998 final to France has the defending champion come close to retaining the title.

Of the next five World Cup defending champions, four failed to reach the knockout stage and three finished last in their group.

As World Cup champions in 1998, many favored France to win again in 2002, especially with the front line featuring top scorers from three major European leagues.

France boasted Arsenal striker Thierry Henry, Juventus marksman David Trezeguet and rising talent Djibril Cisse in a glittering attack blending speed, skill and power. But the French flopped and, with an injured Zinedine Zidane unable to perform properly in midfield, limped out of the group stage without winning a game.

It was one of the greatest shocks in World Cup history, and the warning signs are chillingly similar this time.

Defending champion France boasts arguably the best attack in the world with Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema alongside 2018 World Cup star Kylian Mbappe, with either Antoine Griezmann or Olivier Giroud to support them.

Speed, skill and power.

But, like in 2002, France also has problems in midfield, with World Cup winners Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante both out injured, depriving coach Didier Deschamps of his engine room. Central defender Raphael Varane, another mainstay from four years ago, is trying to recover from a hamstring injury.

Here’s a look at where it went wrong for France in 2002, Brazil four years later in 2006, Italy in 2010, Spain in 2014 and Germany in 2018.

FRANCE in 2002

What could go wrong for a France team with Zidane playing behind Henry, Trezeguet and Cisse in a group featuring Senegal, Uruguay and Denmark?

The first mistake coach Roger Lemerre made was picking Zidane in a warmup against South Korea five days before the tournament. He limped off with a thigh injury that ruled him out of the first two group games, and he was rushed back for the last.

France, however, still had the core of its victorious team from 1998. Youri Djorkaeff was in the midfield alongside Patrick Vieira, who had just won the Premier League and FA Cup double with Arsenal teammate Henry. There was also Emmanuel Petit, who had scored in the 3-0 win over Brazil in the last final.

But in the opening match of 2002, Papa Bouba Diop scored the lone goal for Senegal in a 1-0 win over the defending champions.

France’s hopes of bouncing back took a hit when Henry was sent off after 25 minutes for a reckless challenge in a 0-0 draw against Uruguay.

That left France needing to beat Denmark by two goals. A strapped-up Zidane did what he could but France lost 2-0 and went home in embarrassment.

BRAZIL in 2006

Brazil boasted a team packed with stars, featuring the showboating brilliance of Ronaldinho; the sharp-shooting of Ronaldo and Adriano; the marauding runs of Cafu, and the swirling long-range free kicks of Juninho. Ronaldinho even had a personalized headband with his own initial “R” written in gold.

There was a sense that Brazil might be a little overconfident in the quarterfinals against a France team featuring a rejuvenated Zidane.

And that’s the way it turned out.

Zidane produced one of the most dazzling midfield performances in World Cup history. His incredible skill, balletic balance and pirouetting moves bamboozled Brazil, and his free kick set up Henry for a volley — the only goal of the match.

ITALY in 2010

Just like France in 2002, Italy finished at the bottom of its group.

At least the Italians scored — four times — but the group looked a bit easier: Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia.

Italy made a poor start and needed an equalizer from midfielder Daniele De Rossi to get a draw against Paraguay. Worse followed for the four-time champions: a 1-1 draw with New Zealand, which took an early lead through unheralded forward Shane Smeltz. In the final group game, Italy was in tatters and trailed 2-0 against Slovakia before losing 3-2.

Italy coach Marcello Lippi just couldn’t seem to get the balance right, unlike in 2006. His team conceded too easily even with Fabio Cannavaro and Giorgio Chiellini in central defense, and had problems up front. Vincenzo Iaquinta, Antonio Di Natale and Fabio Quagliarella did score but first-choice striker Alberto Gilardino failed to.

Gilardino had been in good form with AC Milan that season and was known for a peculiar goal celebration, sinking to his knees to play the violin.

This time, Gilardino had nothing to celebrate.

SPAIN in 2014

It was quite the rude awakening for Spain coach Vicente del Bosque after back-to-back major trophies.

European champion Spain’s opening game ended in a 5-1 loss to the Netherlands — despite a tough central defensive pairing of Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique and a slick midfield including Barcelona greats Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta.

In the next game, Spain was unable to stop conceding and lost to Chile 2-0 with both goals coming in the first half.

A 3-0 win over Australia was scant consolation for a star-studded Spain team, whose slide symbolized how two golden eras were coming to an end. Barcelona’s glory years, which centered around the passing of Xavi and Iniesta, coincided with Spain’s successes at Euro 2008, the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012.

GERMANY in 2018

So much for ruthless Germany, the attacking machine that put seven goals past Brazil in the semifinals at the previous World Cup on the way to its fourth title.

From the outset, Germany struggled in Russia, losing a scrappy game 1-0 to Mexico and then needing a goal from midfielder Toni Kroos in the fifth minute of injury time to beat Sweden.

That should have been enough of a wake-up call.

Germany needed to beat South Korea to have a shot at advancing, but instead conceded two goals deep in stoppage time after squandering many chances to score.

The loss was met with disbelief back home, a feeling familiar to that star-studded France team 20 years ago.

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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NUSA DUA, Indonesia (AP) — China and India, after months of refusing to condemn Russia’s war in Ukraine, did not stand in the way of the release this week of a statement by the world’s leading economies that strongly criticizes Moscow.

Could this, at last, signal a bold new policy change by Beijing and New Delhi to align themselves with what the United States and its allies believe is the best way to end a war that has brought death and misery to Ukraine and disrupted millions of lives as food and energy prices soar and economies crack?

There’s certainly an eagerness by a world weary of war to see it as the beginning of a shift by the burgeoning global powers.

Look close enough, however, and there’s enough subtlety, not to mention spots of vagueness, in both the official statement released at the end of the Group of 20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, and in actions from China and India themselves, to raise questions about whether a real change is underway.

Their positions will become clearer in coming weeks, but for now both nations, which have significant trade ties with Russia and have so far stopped short of outright criticism of the war, may simply be looking out for their own interests and keeping future options open.

Figuring out what exactly happened in Bali matters because there’s growing worry that without political and diplomatic pressure by China and India, Russia will be far less likely to end its war.

The conflict in Ukraine loomed large over the two-day summit on Bali, which was attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. News early Wednesday of an explosion that rocked eastern Poland prompted U.S. President Joe Biden to hastily arrange an emergency meeting with Group of Seven and NATO members at the summit.

The backroom wrangling at the G-20 over how to address Russia’s invasion in its statement was “very, very tough,” summit host Indonesian President Joko Widodo said.

“Most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine and stressed it is causing immense human suffering and exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy,” the statement said.

The less-than-universal language — “most members” — signals the presence of dissent, as does an acknowledgement that “there were other views and different assessments” and that the G-20 is “not the forum to resolve security issues.”

The final product, however, was seen by some as a strong rebuke of a war that has killed thousands, heightened global security tensions and disrupted the world economy.

The public statement used language from a March U.N. resolution that deplored “in the strongest terms the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine” and demanded “its complete and unconditional withdrawal” from Ukrainian territory.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the G-20 summit’s “surprisingly clear words” on Ukraine “wouldn’t have been possible if important countries hadn’t helped us to come together this way — that includes India and it also includes, for example, South Africa.”

“This is something which shows that there are many in the world who don’t think this war is right, who condemn it, even if they abstained in the votes at the United Nations for various reasons,” Scholz said. “And I am sure that this is one of the results of this summit: the Russian president stands almost alone in the world with his policy.”

John Kirton, director of the G-20 Research Group, called it a “big breakthrough” and an “active shift” by China and India in which they joined the “democratic side of the great immediate geopolitical divide.”

Privately, however, some diplomats were wary about declaring that China has shifted its stance on Russia.

Chinese President Xi Jinping may have simply made a decision to not be seen as a spoiler or outlier during face-to-face meetings with other leaders in Bali. The statement also allows China to avoid going all-in with a Russia that is looking more and more isolated as it increases attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure.

What Beijing hasn’t done is change — or even publicly question — its fundamental relations with Russia.

China has closely aligned its foreign policy with Russia in recent years, as pipeline projects and natural gas sales have brought them closer economically.

It has refused to publicly criticize Russia’s aggression or even refer to it as an invasion, while criticizing sanctions and accusing the United States and NATO of provoking Putin, although it has warned against allowing the conflict to go nuclear.

Just weeks before Moscow’s invasion, the Russian and Chinese leaders met in Beijing, where they signed a joint statement affirming that their bilateral relationship had “no” limits.

It was unclear whether China pushed for the softening language in the G-20 statement acknowledging “other views and different assessments” and that the G-20 is “not the forum to resolve security issues,” but Shi Yinhong, professor of international relations at Beijing’s Renmin University, said it has pushed for such phrases on other occasions.

For India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also avoided criticism of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Modi, however, indicated for the first time in public India’s discomfort with the attack when he met Putin in September.

“I know that today’s era is not of war,” Modi told Putin.

That message “resonated very deeply across all the delegations and helped to bridge the gap across different parties and contributed to the successful outcome of the document” in Bali, Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra told reporters.

Navdeep Suri, a retired Indian diplomat, said he sees a subtle shift in India’s position in dealing with Russia.

China, however, may be “in a far more awkward position than India because China is the one that promised unlimited support to Russia a few days before the invasion,” Suri said. “China has (now) gone along with such tough language, including the unconditional and complete withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine.”

Dilip Sinha, another retired Indian diplomat, noted that India continues to buy oil, to trade with Russia and to abstain from U.N. resolutions critical of Russia.

“There is a feeling of bravado in India that it has its way. I don’t see any change at all in India’s policy on Russia on the war in Ukraine,” Sinha said.

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Foster Klug, AP’s news director for the Koreas, Japan, Australia and the South Pacific, has covered Asia since 2005.

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Associated Press writer Ashok Sharma in New Delhi contributed to this story.