October 26, 2026 5:07 am
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Brazilian voters have denied Latin America’s resurgent right its ultimate prize. Leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defeated Flávio Bolsonaro with 51.8% of the vote in Sunday’s runoff election. Lula’s reelection limits U.S. President Donald Trump’s influence in the region and cements Brazil as a counterweight to Washington. Analysts say Lula’s victory complicates Trump’s campaign to enlist Brazil in a military coalition against cartels. Both sides see reasons to cooperate, with Washington seeking access to Brazil’s rare earths and Lula wanting foreign investment. Lula’s pragmatic approach may lead to cooperation despite political differences.
October 26, 2026 5:10 am
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Nobel laureate María Corina Machado has reappeared in Venezuela for the first time since December. She announced her return on social media, saying, “I am here. With you.” Opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez confirmed her arrival and expressed support. He emphasized the importance of her return for Venezuelans. Machado’s homecoming comes amid growing concerns about Venezuela’s democratic future. Since the U.S. military deposed Nicolás Maduro, acting President Delcy Rodríguez has led the country. Rodríguez, a Maduro ally, has exceeded her authorized term, and no election is scheduled.
October 26, 2026 12:31 pm
(AP) – Six Flags says it will install seat belts on the Georgia roller coaster from which a rider fell to his death earlier this month. The theme park company made the announcement less than two weeks after a 42-year-old Atlanta man died after being ejected from his seat on the Goliath coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia. Six Flags Entertainment President and CEO John Reilly said in a statement Friday that other coasters with a similar restraint system to Goliath’s will also get seat belts. The company currently has eight additional coasters with similar restraints shut down at five parks in the U.S. and Canada. Reilly did not say when they might reopen.
October 26, 2026 3:49 pm
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Actor Walter Koenig, known for playing Ensign Pavel Chekov on “Star Trek,” has died at 90. His talent agent confirmed he passed away Monday at his home in Los Angeles. Koenig’s role as Chekov showcased a future where rival nations worked together. “Star Trek” aired from 1966 to 1969 and gained a massive fan following. Koenig’s castmate George Takei praised him as a writer, teacher, and friend. Koenig appeared in seven “Star Trek” movies and wrote a book about the series. He also acted in “Babylon 5” and ventured into computer games.
October 26, 2026 5:08 am
JALUD, West Bank (AP) — Tuesday’s elections could end Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political career. But his legacy in the occupied West Bank will likely endure. Over the last four years, his government has massively expanded Israeli settlements, displaced tens of thousands of Palestinians and empowered extremist settlers. His opponents promise to dismantle the most contentious settler outposts and rein in the violence. But they largely support Israel’s broader settlement enterprise and are opposed to the establishment of a Palestinian state in territories occupied by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war.
October 25, 2026 2:43 am
ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. — The U.S. Department of Justice alerted the PA Department of State Secretary Al Schmidt that there will be election monitors in four Pennsylvania counties on November 3rd. According to the DOJ letter to the PA DOS, election monitors will be in Philadelphia, Allegheny, Luzerne and Lehigh counties. The DOJ says that these monitors only observe and take notes. They do not intrude or interfere in the voting process. The PA DOS says that they expect everyone working in, voting in and observing polling places to follow all applicable state and federal laws.
October 25, 2026 2:46 am
WESTMORELAND COUNTY, Pa. — Over 150 duplicate ballots were sent out to voters in Westmoreland County by the county’s election bureau. According to the Department of State, they initially learned about the issue on Thursday and that this is not a systematic issue. DOS and the county have since resolved the problem. The statewide voter registration system has safeguards in place that will not allow more than one vote to be counted for a single voter, even if a voter sent back both ballots. Only one ballot will be counted. Westmoreland County Commissioner Doug Chew says that said voters with the double ballots were contacted. Chew also shared that the duplicate ballots have the exact same identification numbers and that will stop them from being counted more than once. “Whichever ballot comes in first, the next ballot can never, ever be recorded,” Chew said. The Department of State says that they are not aware of this happening in any other county in the state.
October 25, 2026 10:30 am
Due to contract obligations, we are not able to broadcast the regular Sunday worship services from the Church of The Covenant and St. James Parish this morning. We are providing those services on WJPA.com. The Church of The Covenant worship service and St. James Parish mass are available at this link. Click Here
October 25, 2026 7:59 am
PARIS (AP) — Clashes erupted in Paris as a mass march drew to a close Saturday. More than 400,000 people rallied across France over school funding and soaring living costs, challenging President Emmanuel Macron. Police made nearly 1,000 arrests. The Paris march began peacefully but turned violent near its endpoint. Masked protesters hurled objects and fireworks at police, who responded with tear gas and water cannons. The Interior Ministry reported 410,000 protesters nationwide, while the CGT union estimated nearly 800,000. This unrest is testing Macron’s authority in the final months of his presidency before elections in May.
October 25, 2026 8:01 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine and Russia have signaled willingness to resume peace talks and back a humanitarian mission led by U.S. First lady Melania Trump, but deep disagreements over territory and security guarantees underscore obstacles to ending the war. U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing for a new round of negotiations, potentially in mid-November, as Russia continues to demand control of Ukrainian regions it illegally annexed but does not fully control. Kyiv rejects any suggestion of unilateral withdrawal and says stronger Western pressure on Moscow is needed to advance peace efforts.
