Brazil's Lula Wins Historic Fourth Term as Bolsonaro Rejects Result
Brazil's leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was re‑elected to a historic fourth term, defeating far‑right challenger Flávio Bolsonaro in a dramatic comeback. With 100 % of votes counted, the nearly 81‑year‑old incumbent’s victory defied expectations and bucked a regional trend of right‑of‑center wins allied with Donald Trump. Lula called the result a defeat for denialism, and the outcome means Latin America’s largest economy is likely to continue resisting external pressure, including increased tariffs. Almost 160 million voters were eligible to take part in the runoff.
Flávio Bolsonaro, a senator and son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, refused to concede and said he would seek to annul the vote. His challenge followed an evening of chaos at some polling places after a last-minute decision to extend voting by two hours.
Venezuelan Opposition Leader Machado Returns to Caracas From Exile
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has returned to Venezuela after nearly 10 months in exile, announcing her arrival on social media with the message, "I'm here. With you." The Nobel Peace Prize laureate was greeted by thousands of cheering supporters on the streets of Caracas as she ended a self-imposed absence that began when she left the country in late 2025 to receive the award in Oslo.
Machado returns to a country whose political future remains deeply uncertain. The United States military deposed then-president Nicolás Maduro shortly after she left, installing an interim administration led by Delcy Rodríguez that has remained beyond its authorised term without scheduling elections. Machado has since carried out much of her political activity from the United States and Panama, and she has been sidelined from negotiations over a democratic transition.
Trump Justice Department Charges James Comey for Third Time
The Justice Department has charged former FBI director James Comey with two counts of leaking information related to national defence, the third time the Trump administration has filed criminal charges against one of the president's most prominent critics. The charges were filed in federal court in Washington DC on Monday, and the case involves allegations that Comey authorised the disclosure of classified information to The New York Times. Prosecutors employed the unusual manoeuvre of bypassing a grand jury.
Comey, who was fired during Donald Trump's first term, has been an outspoken critic of the president. His lawyers immediately dismissed the prosecution as invalid and outside the statute of limitations.
Harry Kane Wins 2026 Ballon d'Or in London
England captain Harry Kane has won the 2026 men's Ballon d'Or, becoming the first Englishman to claim football's most prestigious individual award since Michael Owen in 2001. The Bayern Munich striker was crowned at a ceremony at the Palladium Theatre in London after scoring 73 goals for club and country last season, beating finalists including Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé.
Spain's Alexia Putellas won the women's Ballon d'Or for a third time after helping Barcelona win the Champions League, ending teammate Aitana Bonmatí's three-year reign.
Serbia's Vucic Concedes Parliamentary Defeat to Student-Led Movement
Serbia's longtime leader Aleksandar Vučić has conceded defeat in a snap parliamentary election, acknowledging that the opposition Student List is projected to win a majority. Turnout approached 70 per cent, the highest since the break-up of Yugoslavia in 1992, and the result triggered mass celebrations in a country where Vučić had wielded virtually absolute power for 14 years.
The election followed nearly two years of student-led demonstrations against corruption and authoritarianism that were triggered by the 2024 collapse of a train station canopy in Novi Sad, which killed 16 people. Vučić, who had been endorsed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, had denounced the protest movement as a foreign-led attempt to unseat him.
Chris Brown Receives Suspended Sentence for London Club Attack
R&B singer Chris Brown has been sentenced to eight months' imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, after pleading guilty to affray over a 2023 nightclub attack in London. The 37-year-old struck a former friend and music producer twice in the head with a heavy tequila bottle on the dancefloor of the Tape private members' club in Mayfair.
Jordan Arrests Three Suspects Over Deadly Church Attack
Jordanian authorities have arrested three men in connection with a deadly attack on a Greek Orthodox church during a funeral procession in the western governorate of Karak. The suspects, described by the director of public security as Islamic extremists, were wounded in a dawn shootout with security forces and are due to be brought before the courts.
The death toll was reported as either eight or nine people. Following the assault, Jordanian armed forces carried out strikes on what they called militant hideouts in Syria linked to the attack, though Syria gave a different account of the operation.
Storm Boelo Cuts Power and Causes Fatalities in UK
Storm Boelo battered Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England over the weekend, with the Met Office recording wind gusts of up to 84 mph. A 60‑year‑old man was killed by a falling tree near Castle Douglas in Scotland, and another death was reported. At its peak, the storm cut power to around 800,000 homes, and while most supplies have been restored, more than 4,000 homes in Cumbria and north‑east England remained without electricity.
Walter Koenig, Star Trek's Chekov, Dies at 90
Walter Koenig, the actor best known for playing Pavel Chekov in the original Star Trek television series and several films, has died at the age of 90. He passed away at his home in North Hollywood surrounded by his daughter and niece. Former co-star George Takei was among those who paid tribute.
Teenager Arrested After Florida A&M Mass Homecoming Shooting
A 15-year-old boy has been arrested after a mass shooting near the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University campus in Tallahassee during a homecoming party on Saturday. Twelve people were injured, six of them minors, with the youngest victim aged 11; all but one suffered gunshot wounds. The teenager faces 11 counts of attempted second-degree murder.
Jay-Z to Headline 2027 Super Bowl Halftime Show
Jay-Z will headline the halftime show at Super Bowl LXI on 14 February 2027 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The NFL, Apple Music and Jay-Z's company Roc Nation announced the booking on Monday night, elevating the rapper from producer to featured performer after years of shaping the show.
Trump Escalates Anti-Muslim Attacks on Michigan Senate Candidate
President Donald Trump intensified his anti-Muslim rhetoric against Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic candidate for US Senate in Michigan, portraying him as a threat to national security and questioning his loyalty to the United States during a rally. El-Sayed responded by calling the attacks deflections, while Trump's remarks drew condemnation from critics.