SEATTLE U.S. Justice Department asks Washington to set aside ballots from 405 voters
A week before the Nov. 3 general election, the U.S. Department of Justice asked Washington state not to verify or count ballots submitted by 405 registered voters until their citizenship could be confirmed. Federal prosecutors say these people, many of whom may be green-card holders, have collectively cast more than 1,500 ballots in past elections. The office of Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said it was reviewing the letter but called it a belated intervention that could wrongly disenfranchise...
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USA Dispute Over Noncitizen Voting in the US: Scrutiny or Political Pressure?
The Donald Trump administration is seeking to have Washington state set aside more than 400 ballots cast by voters whom federal officials consider...
NEIGHBORS DRIPA dispute, deadly road crashes and whales at risk
A political conflict is heating up in British Columbia over the repeal of DRIPA, the law on Indigenous rights. Meanwhile, two pedestrian collisions...
SEATTLE Seattle proposes doubling bus tax and expanding routes
Seattle voters will decide whether to raise the sales tax dedicated to public transit. Seattle Proposition 1, developed by Mayor Katie Wilson, would...
EVENTS Halloween Week in Seattle: October 27–November 3
Starting October 27, Seattle and its surrounding areas will embrace the Halloween spirit, with costume parties, haunted houses, pumpkin farms,...
![Kenya Red Cross personnel simulate the evacuation of remains of an Ebola victim in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on October 22, 2026 [Tony Karumba/AFP]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/AFP__20261022__D44P2M7__v1__HighRes__KenyaEbolaRedCross-1793097038.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
USA Local Catastrophe, Global Preparedness: Lessons from the Ebola Outbreak
The Ebola outbreak that began in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has become the largest and deadliest in the country’s history. The virus is...
REACTIONS America as an Internal Risk for Allies and Neighbors: What Brazil, South Korea and Japan See...
As of October 27, 2026, Brazil, South Korea and Japan are discussing more than individual White House decisions. A new problem is emerging: U.S....
SEATTLE Snohomish County woman injured in attack by mother bear
A mother bear attacked a woman near her home in Snohomish County, Washington, on Sunday morning, authorities said. No further details about the...
WEATHER 🌤️ 10-Day Weather Forecast for Seattle, WA
Today, Tuesday, October 27, Seattle is expected to have partly cloudy skies with a brief shower. The high will be around 55°F, with an overnight low...
WORLD Delcy Rodríguez announces nationwide visits and support measures for communities
Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez confirmed that the government plans to work across all regions of the country to revive local production,...
Seattle
Fire at Pacific Seafood plant disrupts Newport’s routine
A fire that broke out on the morning of October 25 at Pacific Seafood’s fish-processing plant in Newport, Oregon, prompted authorities to evacuate...
Injuries, Budget and Schools: Seattle Decides
Macdonald shared positive news about Shaheed, the Seattle City Council is restoring firefighters’ overtime, and the school district is discussing...
Seattle: A Dry October, an Election Dispute and a Lawsuit Against the City
A Seattle news roundup: a record-dry October and a chilly Halloween, federal claims about noncitizen voting, and MayDay USA’s appeal against the...
Seattle in the Spotlight: From a Farewell Match to a Chiefs Blowout
A decisive NWSL match and farewell to Jess Fishlock, mass buyouts at Microsoft and a convincing Seahawks win over the Chiefs — Seattle is in for an...
Walker’s Return, the Chiefs’ Crisis and the Seahawks’ Chances
A roundup of Kenneth Walker III’s unsuccessful return to Seattle, the Kansas City Chiefs’ structural problems without Simmons and Rice, and betting...
The Seahawks Reclaim Their Championship Form, Rout the Chiefs
The Seattle Seahawks snapped a two-game losing streak and handed the Kansas City Chiefs their first loss of the season, 20–3. Seattle’s defense...
Seahawks End Chiefs’ Perfect Start
The Seattle Seahawks routed the Kansas City Chiefs 20–3, handing the visitors their first loss of the season. The home team’s defense completely...
Chiefs vs. Seahawks and an Unsolved Murder in Burien
The NFL’s marquee game of the week between Kansas City and Seattle promises a close contest: analysts recommend taking the underdog with the points,...
Seahawks Ahead of Chiefs Game: Predictions and Trade Rumors
Experts are divided over the Seattle Seahawks–Kansas City Chiefs matchup, whose main storyline will be Kenneth Walker III’s return to Seattle....
Events
Seattle Events: November 21–28
Plan ahead: November 21–28, Seattle and nearby cities will host concerts, theatrical performances, hockey games, and holiday events. The lineup includes performances by Polyrhythmics, Jai Wolf, Gwar, and Steve Lacy; The Nutcracker ballet; The Wizard of Oz musical; a Christmas market; and a tree-lighting ceremony. You can also catch a comedy show, visit the Wild Lanterns light festival, or go ice skating. Details and tickets are available at the event links: November 21, November 22, November...
Neighbors
Asian retailers, Greens in politics and rock ’n’ roll bat rescue
News roundup: Uniqlo will open in downtown Vancouver in the former Nordstrom space, the B.C. Greens held on to two seats in the legislature, and Vancouver rock bands raised money to protect bats.
Uniqlo heads to downtown Vancouver: Japanese retailer to take Nordstrom’s place at Pacific Centre
The opening of the first Uniqlo store in downtown Vancouver is more than just another expansion by the chain. It signals tectonic shifts in Canada’s urban retail landscape, where Asian brands are moving in...
Conservative landslide in British Columbia
The British Columbia election ended in a crushing victory for Lorne Doerkson’s Conservative Party, which is forming a provincial government for the first time since 1928. The Conservatives won 48.1% of the vote and 64 seats, taking 15 Metro Vancouver ridings from the NDP. David Eby held on to Vancouver-Point Grey but resigned as NDP leader, accepting full responsibility for the failure of the snap election. Bowinn Ma was re-elected in North Vancouver, but her party is heading into...
British Columbia: Resorts, Elections and Political Shifts
British Columbia has drawn attention on several fronts at once: the province’s resorts dominated a prestigious Condé Nast Traveller ranking, with eleven of Canada’s top fifteen located there, while a tense campaign is underway ahead of the snap election on October 24. Voters will have to navigate 93 electoral districts, and five on Vancouver Island could change political colors. The NDP’s traditional stronghold may swing to the Conservatives, making the coming vote especially...
British Columbia: Quality-of-Life Grades, a Young Philanthropist and a Church Split
Residents of key regions in British Columbia gave their communities an average C+ for quality of life: nature and parks scored highly, while housing policy received the lowest marks. Sixteen-year-old musician Richard Lee raised more than $22,000 for BC Children’s Hospital, and Vancouver’s First Christian Reformed Church is marking its centennial as it stands on the brink of leaving its denomination.
British Columbia gives its cities a C+: housing falls short, parks save the day
Residents of...
British Columbia: Prices, AI and a Rabid Skunk
A poll found that eight in 10 British Columbians have cut spending because of rising prices, with young people and low-income families hit hardest and groceries accounting for the largest share of cutbacks. Meanwhile, businesses in the province are rethinking what they expect from employees: AI agents are taking on routine tasks, and companies increasingly value “generalists” who can set goals and make decisions. In another alarming incident, a rabid skunk in downtown Vancouver bit several...
Historic Hotel, “Green” Victory and the Battle for Surrey: B.C. News
This digest covers three stories from British Columbia. In Pender Harbour, the nearly century-old Sundowner Inn is on the market for $2.6 million. The former St. Mary’s Hospital on the water is priced at roughly the same level as a benchmark house in Vancouver. A column in The Tyee takes an ironic look at whether “Green” Pete Fry’s victory in the Vancouver mayoral election foreshadows the provincial election; the author points to the differing political contexts and the absence of a single...
British Columbia: Deficits, Elections and a Land Dispute
The province stands on the threshold of change: an election race in which the Conservatives hold only a narrow lead over the NDP, multibillion-dollar deficits have become a political norm, and a legal battle over Cowichan Nation land threatens to reshape property ownership and infrastructure.
British Columbia: Deficits as the New Political Norm
The election campaign in British Columbia promises voters a miraculous rescue of the province’s finances. But, as Rob Shaw’s analysis for Business in...
Healthcare and British Columbia’s Nature in Focus
This digest covers a B.C. Ferries collision with a humpback whale off the coast, BC NDP campaign promises to open new urgent care centres on Vancouver Island, and an expert column arguing that the hospital crisis is being driven by underfunding of long-term care.
Canadian ferry collides with humpback whale off British Columbia coast
Last weekend, an incident off Canada’s Pacific coast once again drew attention to the challenge of coexistence between large marine vessels and whales. Ferry...
Vancouver Chooses a Green Course: Fry Defeats Sim
Vancouver residents elected Green candidate Pete Fry as mayor in the 2026 municipal election. He defeated incumbent Mayor Ken Sim by approximately 23,000 votes. The Green Party and COPE dominated all elected bodies—the city council, park board, and school board—while ABC Vancouver won just one council seat. Voters also approved three borrowing plebiscites authorizing $790 million for the 2027–2030 capital plan. Turnout rose to more than 43%, up from 36% in 2022. Official results will be...
USA
Diplomacy Amid Threats: The Region Tries to Prevent a New War
Three reports show how military escalation, economic pressure and efforts by regional countries to contain the crisis are unfolding at the same time amid the US-Iran confrontation. Talks in Tehran between Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey do not yet signal a breakthrough: the parties remain divided on key issues, and the threat of further strikes persists. Against this backdrop, high oil and gasoline prices are not a secondary consequence of the war but part of Washington’s political...
The First Foldable iPhone: Apple’s Success and the Cost of Ambition
Three articles reveal different sides of the same story: Apple has entered the foldable smartphone market with a device that can rival Samsung in performance, cameras, and battery life, yet has also sparked debate over its display, weight, and software limitations. This contrast matters beyond a comparison of two phones: it shows that in a mature category where Samsung has been building experience for nearly a decade, an impressive debut alone does not guarantee superiority. Amid the heated...
Israel’s Election: Security, Accountability and the Cost of Endless War
Israel’s election has become a test not only for Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, but also for a society transformed by trauma, prolonged war and international isolation since October 7, 2023. The campaign’s central question is whether war fatigue and anger over the security failure can bring about a change of government, or whether voters will prefer to continue the course of military deterrence. Challenger Gadi Eisenkot is offering a more pragmatic approach and a restoration of ties with...
Flu Rises Earlier Than Usual: Why Vaccination Matters Now
The flu season has started earlier than usual in the United States: positive test results, visits to emergency departments and hospitalizations are all increasing. The hospitalization rate has reached its highest level for this time of year since the 2009–2010 season, although the overall level remains low. With H1N1 spreading, doctors advise people not to wait for the winter peak to get vaccinated, especially older adults, who face a higher risk of severe illness.
Data from the U.S. Centers...
Cost-of-Living Protests Test the Limits of State Power
The materials cover different political stories, but their most coherent shared theme is how public discontent becomes a test of power, forcing governments both to seek public support and to maintain control. In France and Italy, this takes the form of mass protests over high prices and problems in education; in the United States, the election campaign shows how politicians try to win voters’ attention through personal image, public events and battles over cultural symbols. The sources describe...
iPhone Duo: Apple’s Premium Experiment Goes Beyond the Foldable Screen
Apple’s first foldable iPhone is testing both whether buyers are willing to pay around $2,000 for a new format and whether the company can turn a technically impressive device into an everyday product. Initial demand has been strong, and the nearly invisible hinge has earned positive reviews. But the high price, camera compromises and unfamiliar way of using the device still make the Duo feel more like an expensive novelty than an obvious replacement for a regular smartphone. The release of...
The Cost of Pressure: How Domestic Politics Shapes Foreign Policy
Three reports describe different crises: the threat of a wider war around Iran, Egypt’s cautious stance on the conflict in Yemen, and the US trade confrontation with Canada. They share a common theme: governments seek to project resolve but limit their actions when escalation threatens to bring excessive military, economic or electoral costs. Foreign policy is not separate from domestic circumstances here: Saudi Arabia’s security is tied to the risk of being drawn into war, oil prices to...
Expensive Tickets Are Changing the Rules of Air Travel
Air travel in the United States is getting more expensive, primarily because of a sharp rise in jet fuel prices. Passengers are increasingly canceling trips or switching to cars, but airlines do not yet see lower plane occupancy as a reason for concern: they would rather sell fewer seats at higher prices. At the heart of this trend is a shift in the industry’s priorities: instead of maximizing passenger numbers, carriers are looking to increase the revenue from each flight. This helps them...
iPhone Duo: Big Screens, New Apps and Design Trade-Offs
The launch of the foldable iPhone Duo is not just a test of a new device, but a challenge for Apple’s entire ecosystem. The company is trying to turn the large inner screen into a genuine advantage: developers are adapting their apps, the App Store is introducing a special label, and services are offering new ways to watch, work and multitask. Early reviews, however, suggest that app readiness is uneven. And plans for future generations—from a larger display to a telephoto lens—are a reminder...
Reactions
Trump: Political Doubts and Controversial Deals
As the midterm elections approach, attention is focused on Donald Trump’s political prospects and on whether his opponents can restore a system of...
America as a Source of Uncertainty: Germany, France and Brazil View Trump Through the Lens of...
In German, French and Brazilian discussions of the United States in late October 2026, no single story dominates. Instead, there is a shared sense...
![볼티모어에서 연설하는 트럼프6일(현지시간) 미국 메릴랜드주 스패로스 포인트의 스패로우포인트 조선소서 열린 방산기업 안두릴 인더스트리(Anduril Industries) 행사에 도널드 트럼프 미국 대통령이 연설하고 있다.[AP=연합뉴스. 재판매 및 DB 금지]](https://img5.yna.co.kr/photo/ap/2026/10/07/PAP20261007071301009_P4.jpg)
America as a Source of Conditions: Why South Africa, South Korea and Russia Watch What Trump Does, Not...
In recent days, the United States has become the focus of particularly tense debate in three very different countries. But what South Africa, South...
The US and the World: Alarm Over Political Divisions and Foreign Policy
Political polarization in the United States and Donald Trump’s policies are raising concerns far beyond the country’s borders. Reports from Venezuela...
America as a Tool for Bargaining and Pressure: What Russia, South Africa and Turkey Are Saying About the...
In the final days of October 2026, the United States is being discussed in Russia, South Africa and Turkey less as an abstract superpower than as a...
America as a Source of Risk, Not Support: What Seoul, Riyadh and New Delhi Think of Washington Ahead of...
A week before the US midterm elections scheduled for November 3, 2026, discussions in South Korea, Saudi Arabia and India focus less on Donald...
Trump’s Transactional Diplomacy Alarms Allies
Articles from Saudi Arabia and Ukraine portray Donald Trump’s policy as a mix of threats, bargaining and possible economic deals. Amid the threat of...
America Before the Midterms: China, Australia and Japan See Washington as a Source...
In the final days of October 2026, discussions of the United States in China, Australia and Japan unexpectedly converged not so much on Donald...
America, with Reservations: Why Japan, Saudi Arabia and Ukraine Are Increasingly Debating Not Its...
In recent days, America has become the subject of especially fraught debate in three very different countries. The reason is not so much domestic...
World
The Words of the Euphrates and the Memory of Syria: Issa al-Sheikh Hassan’s New Book
Syrian poet Issa al-Sheikh Hassan has published a book with Dar Nard titled Approaches… Thursday’s Lamp… Euphrates Amali, Part One. The book runs to 200 pages in a mid-sized format and is divided into 49 sections. Its title was handwritten by calligrapher Ubaida al-Banki, and the cover features a work by Abboud Hammam that evokes the heritage of the Euphrates. The book grew out of the author’s weekly interactive conversations on Facebook: he collected words from his native Busaldja and its...
Venezuela and the United States: Deals, Pressure and Disputes Over Return
María Corina Machado’s return to Venezuela after nearly a year in exile was the biggest story of recent days, immediately exposing tensions between Washington and Caracas. While Donald Trump speaks of “total control” over the country, where U.S. companies have already been granted access on special terms, Venezuelan officials call the opposition leader’s return a “show,” and local economists describe the oil agreements with the United States as a “coalition of two kleptocracies.” Here is an...
“One in a Million”: Ten Years in the Life of a Syrian Refugee
In 2015, eleven-year-old Israa was selling cigarettes with her father, Tariq, in Izmir’s Basmane Square. Her family was preparing to leave Turkey for Germany, fleeing the war in Syria. There, she happened to meet filmmakers Atab Azzam and Jack MacInnes, who were making a BBC documentary about the journey taken by refugees. The girl caught their attention with her talkativeness, smile and curiosity about the camera, and the filmmakers decided to follow her family and document their journey to...
Knesset Elections: What Damascus Can Expect from Israel
The Knesset elections scheduled for October 27 are of particular significance to Damascus: they will determine the future of Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right coalition, as well as the party makeup of the next government. Security issues remain at the forefront of Israel’s election discourse, with Syria regarded as one of the priority fronts in the regional confrontation. Israel’s approach to Syria, however, rests on a strategic consensus: to treat it as a sphere of influence and an...
Venezuela and the United States: Deals, Sanctions and Political Scandals
Venezuela is experiencing its strangest political moment in decades: the country is led by interim President Delcy Rodríguez, who took over from Nicolás Maduro after U.S. special forces captured him in Caracas in January 2026, while Washington now openly calls Caracas its “partner” and “friend.” Against this backdrop, opposition leader and Nobel laureate María Corina Machado has unexpectedly returned to the country after ten months in exile, the U.S. Embassy has resumed full operations in...
Venezuela Launches Food Plan as Domestic Production Grows
Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez announced the launch of the “Venezuela Feeds” program and said that locally produced goods now account for more than 90% of the country’s food supply. According to her, this level of production has enabled the recovery of 78% of the country’s agro-industrial base.
Latakia Derby: Hittin Win as Fans Need Medical Assistance
The Latakia derby between Hittin and Tishreen was played in the Syrian football league on Friday. Hittin took all three points, beating their traditional rivals 1–0 in a tense, noisy encounter. A video circulating on social media showed Syrian security personnel carrying unconscious fans from the stands and handing them over to ambulance crews.
The match had to be stopped for about five minutes in the second half as thick smoke filled the stands after fans set off fireworks and flares en masse....
Venezuela and the United States: Deals, Sanctions and Disputes Over Transition
Over the past two days, Venezuelan public opinion has been gripped by a paradox: on the same day in Caracas, a massive opposition march demands that a date for elections be announced, police detain the march’s sound technicians, and at the negotiating table the government and opposition, with Washington mediating, announce yet more “concrete results” — from a review of repressive laws to the release of Venezuelan gold frozen in London. At the same time, in the oil-producing state of Zulia,...
Suwayda Between War and Diplomacy: Jordan’s Concerns and Damascus’s Accusations
Syria’s southern province of Suwayda is once again at the center of concerns. Warnings are being voiced about a possible resumption of clashes, while Damascus accuses Israel of supporting armed groups. For Jordan, which shares a long border with Syria, this is no distant issue: stability in the neighboring country’s south is seen as part of Jordan’s own national security. Amman is therefore working with Damascus and Washington to cement agreements that could keep Suwayda from sliding back into...
Knowledge
A Bathtub on a Hilltop: How Seattle’s Water Tower Became an Observation Deck
Imagine a city where water needs to flow from the taps in thousands of homes all by itself. To make that happen, it’s pumped high up a hill, then runs downhill through pipes, like water going down a slide. That’s what Seattle did: it built a huge drinking-water reservoir on Capitol Hill and put up a brick tower beside it. Today, the tower no longer stores water. Instead, people go there to enjoy the views, and it has become part of the beautiful Volunteer Park.
A Slide for Water
In the early...
A Water Elevator for Ships: How Seattle Lowered a Lake and Taught Salmon to Climb Stairs
Imagine building the biggest ships, only to find that they can leave port through a high threshold. That was roughly the situation in Seattle a little over a hundred years ago. During World War I, the city’s shipyards were working at full capacity, and ships needed a reliable route between the sea and the lakes. To create one, engineers built a “ship elevator”—and radically changed the surrounding landscape in the process. At first, many people weren’t happy about it. Today, though, both locals...
The Team That Nearly Left: How One Percent Built a Stadium in Seattle
If you find yourself in downtown Seattle on a Sunday in the fall, you’ll hear thousands of people shouting so loudly the air seems to shake. They’re Seahawks fans at their stadium. Few people think about the fact that the stadium might never have been built. In 1997, Washington state residents voted on it, and “yes” won by about one percentage point. And even earlier, the team had already started packing up to move to California.
The Old Dome That Started “Dropping” Its Ceiling
At first, the...
A Hotel on Wheels: How Railroad Porters Built a Community in Seattle
Imagine a train where, during the day, you can sit by the window on a comfortable sofa, and in the evening that sofa magically turns into a bed with clean sheets and a curtain. Another bed lowers from the ceiling above it. This was called a Pullman car, and almost overnight, one person could transform it: the porter. Many porters lived in Seattle and built a community together that changed the nation’s history.
The Car That Could Transform
Pullman cars were invented in the United States in the...
A City Built from Scrap Wood: How Seattle’s Hooverville Residents Fought to Keep Their Homes
Imagine building a fort in your backyard out of boards and old boxes. Now imagine that it isn’t a game, but a real home—and you have to live in it through the winter, when the rain pours down. Almost a hundred years ago, hundreds of people in Seattle lived this way. Their settlement was called Hooverville, and it lasted for a full ten years because its residents refused to give up and knew how to stick together.
How it all began: when the jobs suddenly disappeared
In 1929, the Great Depression...
The Hat They Didn’t Take Off: How Seattle Kept a Roof Aloft While Building a New Home Beneath...
Imagine you want to redo a room, but you don’t want to throw away the favorite umbrella over your bed. What do you do? First, you’ll have to prop it up, then move out all the furniture, and then build the room again. That’s roughly what the city of Seattle did with an entire basketball arena. This story began with a big celebration, continued with a sad farewell to a beloved team, and ended with the city learning how to protect its treasures.
A celebration and a hat-shaped roof
In 1962, Seattle...
The Factory That Became a Park: How Tiny Cleaners Saved Land in Seattle
Imagine a big green hill beside a lake. Children fly kites on it, while enormous rusty towers stand nearby, like sculptures made by giants. This is Gas Works Park in Seattle. A hundred years ago, a noisy, smoky factory stood here, and the ground beneath it was soaked with tar and oil. How did it become a safe place for picnics again? With help from microbes invisible to the naked eye.
What was here before
In 1906, a gas plant was built on the shore of Lake Union. It made fuel gas from coal, and...
The Little Train of the Future: How Seattle’s Monorail Hoped to Change the City
Imagine a train that doesn’t run on two rails, but on one wide concrete “track,” like a gymnast balancing on a beam. It appeared in Seattle in 1962, when the city hosted a major world’s fair. At the time, it seemed like the transportation of the future—and soon, trains like this would carry people all over the city. But things turned out quite differently, and the story is a lot like the debates taking place in cities today.
A City That Decided to Show the Future
The World’s Fair opened in...
The Street That Never Slept: How a Blind Teenager and a Boy with a Trumpet Taught Each Other...
Imagine: You’re 17, you can’t see, and you decide to move to the other side of the country. Not because anyone is waiting for you there, but simply because that city is the farthest one from home on the map. That’s exactly what the future great musician Ray Charles did. He chose Seattle. There, in the Central District, on Jackson Street, he found his first real musical family.
The Street Where the Music Played Until Morning
In the late 1940s, Jackson Street was a special place. It had lots of...