April 18, 2026 8:17 am
LUANDA, Angola (AP) — Pope Leo XIV has arrived in Angola and hopes to bring a message of joy and encouragement to its long-suffering people. Leo arrived in Angola on Saturday as he opened the third leg of his four-nation trip through Africa. Leo’s plane touched down at Luanda’s international airport after the flight from Cameroon where he celebrated a morning Mass before an estimated 200,000 people. Leo had further comments en route to Angola about his back-and-forth with U.S. President Donald Trump over the Iran war. Leo said that it was “not in my interest at all” to debate the president but that he would continue preaching the Gospel message of peace.
April 18, 2026 11:42 am
BEIRUT (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron says a French soldier was killed and three others wounded in an attack on U.N. peacekeepers in southern Lebanon. Macron identified the soldier as Staff Sgt. Florian Montorio from the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment. He added that three of Montorio’s comrades were wounded and evacuated. He said that Hezbollah is likely responsible for the attack. Macron demanded that Lebanese authorities arrest those responsible and work with UNIFIL, the U.N. mission in southern Lebanon. Macron expressed respect and support for the families of the soldiers and all military personnel in Lebanon.
April 18, 2026 9:41 am
Washington County Commissioners are looking to move their Food Bank funding back to a local institution. Several years ago, the Commissioners began directing money to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. But now they are looking to help fight food insecurity with the Greater Washington County Food Bank. According to published reports, officials are to direct $300,000 in funding for the upcoming fiscal year. During Thursday night’s meeting, commissioners tabled a motion to approve the funding to the Duquesne-based food bank. A decision on which organization should receive funding for the next fiscal year will likely be made in July.
April 18, 2026 8:14 am
BRADDOCK, Pa [WPXI]— A woman and a man are dead and several others injured following two shootings in Pittsburgh and one in Braddock Friday night into Saturday morning. According to WPXI and the Allegheny County Police, around 2 a.m. 911 was notified of a shooting in the 800 block of Braddock Avenue. When first responders arrived on scene, they found the victims. Investigators say that a small group of people were on a sidewalk on Braddock Avenue when an unknown person began firing at them from the other side of the street. Meanwhile, at around 2:30 a.m., police were called to Bedford Dwellings and found an unresponsive man, who was taken to a hospital and later died. In another incident, two people were shot on North Dallas Street in Homewood. They are in critical conditions. Police continue their investigation into all three cases. Anyone with information concerning these incident is asked to call the County Police Tip Line 1-833-ALL-TIPS. Callers can remain anonymous.
April 18, 2026 8:14 am
JEANNETTE, Pa. [WPXI] — The City of Jeannette, Westmoreland County, is emphasizing safety with the addition of new cameras and increased pay for new officers. “The city is trying to continue to increase its surveillance, increase the equipment that we use to better serve, and make sure the community is safe in the long run,” said City Manager Ethan Keedy. He said the city will be placing new security cameras in the parks by the end of June. This is in addition to the 30-40 added downtown within the last two years. The new technology will be equipped with night vision and will hopefully crack down on the recent vandalism seen at the parks. Jeannette will also increase pay for new officers. The department has been trying to fill three full-time vacancies for several months. Jeannette currently has 10 full-time officers and is one of the only departments that offers retirement after 20 years of service with no age requirement.
April 18, 2026 7:19 am
CAIRO (AP) — The United States and Iran are locked in a standoff over the Strait of Hormuz. On Saturday, Iran fired on a ship trying to pass through, escalating tensions. The U.S. continues its blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran restricts passage in the strait. The conflict threatens global energy supplies and risks renewed conflict. Despite this, Pakistani officials reported progress toward a deal, with a ceasefire in Lebanon easing tensions. However, questions remain about the truce’s stability.
April 18, 2026 4:27 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress has approved a short-term renewal of a controversial surveillance program used by U.S. spy agencies just days before it was set to expire. A bill extending the program until April 30 cleared the Senate by voice vote Friday as Congress raced to send it to President Donald Trump for his signature. Lawmakers turned to a short-term extension of the program after an attempt to pass a five-year renewal failed in a late-night House vote. The short-term fix sets the stage for another showdown in a matter of weeks. The program permits key national security agencies to collect and analyze vast amounts of overseas communications without a warrant.
April 18, 2026 4:24 am
PROVO, Utah (AP) — Defense witnesses in the prosecution of the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk say conjecture about the case is making it impossible to have a fair trial. The testimony came as attorneys for Tyler Robinson on Friday urged a Utah a judge to ban cameras from the courtroom. Media organizations, prosecutors and Kirk’s widow want cameras allowed and say they promote transparency. Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty for Robinson if he is convicted in the Sept. 10 shooting of Kirk. The conservative activist had been addressing a crowd of thousands on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem.
April 17, 2026 3:36 pm
A body was recovered from the Ohio River in Allegheny County on Friday. An Allegheny County Police Department spokesperson says the body of an adult man was found just after 7 a.m. near Neville Island. First responders were called to recover the body at the Chestnut Street Boat Ramp in Sewickley. The medical examiner’s office is working to identify the man. The investigation is ongoing. This is the second body in the Pittsburgh area within a few days. On Wednesday, an unknown-aged male’s body was pulled from the Ohio River at the Emsworth Lock and Dam.
April 17, 2026 5:00 am
BEIRUT (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump and Iran’s foreign minister say the Strait of Hormuz is now fully open to commercial vessels. In a social media post Friday, Trump said Iran announced that the strait is open and “ready for full passage.” Minutes earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X that the passage for all commercial vessels through the strait is ”completely open” in line with the ceasefire in Lebanon. He said it would stay open for the remaining period of the ceasefire. It was not immediately clear what that meant for the U.S. blockade of the strait.
