Israelis await final election results as Netanyahu rivals weigh joining forces with Arab parties
Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar (“Straight”) party, waves an Israeli flag onstage following the release of the first exit poll results in Israel’s general election in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
By: CARA ANNA, AREEJ HAZBOUN and AUDREY HOROWITZ
JERUSALEM (AP) — Anxious Israelis watched election results near completion Wednesday after the highest voter turnout in over a quarter-century, as no clear winner emerged and weeks of negotiating could lie ahead for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and an array of opposition parties trying to unseat him.
Arab-led parties made a historic showing, but it’s not clear if other opponents of Netanyahu’s far-right government would form a coalition with them for a majority of seats in parliament. Issues around the Palestinians and their descendants remain incredibly sensitive in Israel.
Netanyahu seeks to remain the country’s longest-serving prime minister. In defiant comments after the vote — which showed his Likud party losing ground since the 2022 election — Netanyahu dismissed as treasonous the idea of partnering with Arab parties.
On Wednesday, Netanyahu warned against a “dangerous government” that might include them. He won’t work with the Arab-led parties, whose constituents make up 20% of Israel’s population, and they have also ruled out any partnership with Netanyahu.
Lula mobilized millions to win Brazil’s election, while Bolsonaro contests loss and Trump cries foul
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva addresses supporters during a victory rally after winning a fourth term in the presidential runoff on Paulista Avenue in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
By: ANNA-CATHERINE BRIGIDA and MAURICIO SAVARESE
BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ’s comeback to win Brazil’s presidential runoff Sunday is facing its first hurdle as his competitor, Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, attempts to mount an organized opposition to the results.
Lula, who convinced an extra 10.4 million voters to support him in the runoff, is expected to take office on Jan. 5, 2027, for his fourth non-consecutive term. He will serve as a counterweight in a region where leaders are shifting to the right and aligning with U.S. President Donald Trump. Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, promised to cozy up to the Trump administration.
President Donald Trump suggested on Monday, without providing evidence, that Lula’s reelection was “rigged.”
“Elections have to be indisputable and it looked very bad to me,” Trump told reporters before flying to Mississippi for a rally. He added, “I thought it had a very bad look, the way it was tabulated.”
AP sources: Federal agents search Beverly Hills mansion tied to ex-Rep. Eric Swalwell
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., talks with reporters after holding a town hall meeting in Sacramento, Calif., April 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)
By: ERIC TUCKER and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal law enforcement agents searched a Beverly Hills home early Tuesday as part of an investigation into Eric Swalwell, who resigned from Congress amid a wave of sexual misconduct allegations, two people familiar with the investigation told The Associated Press.
Agents searched the home of wealthy developer and Swalwell donor Stephen Cloobeck, where the ex-Congressman spent time before resigning from office in April, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the investigation.
Swalwell, D-Calif., has denied criminal wrongdoing.
Messages seeking comment were left for Swalwell’s lawyer and for a lawyer who represented Cloobeck in another matter.
Cloobeck, the founder of the Diamond Resorts International timeshare company, told the New York Post in April that he cut ties with Swalwell as accusations against him mounted.
