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- Pope Leo XIV urges Vladimir Putin to ceasefire in Oleshky, Ukraine
- Southern California wildfire damages homes and forces evacuations in Orange County
- Manitoba First Nations police and safety officers to receive £163.5 million
- DHS Secretary Mullin describes Ilhan Omar investigation as a strong case
- German police seize robot after it gropes girl in Cologne incident
- Pedro Sanchez defends Spain’s migration policy amid European criticism
- Israeli settlers attack journalist and burn olive trees in West Bank
- Pierre Poilievre asks Albertans to stay committed to Canada before vote
A Black Lives Matters protest in London regarding Chris Kaba.
Looks like the white, middle class organisers forget to invite any black people.
In the wake of death of UK political prisoner, Peter Lynch, who was fast tracked into prison for essentially shouting in the street.
The grandfather was ultimately sentenced to death.
Pakistani family who attacked police at Manchester Airport, STILL haven't even been charged.
Tiny ‘Black Lives Matter’ crowd gathers outside the Old Bailey courtrooms to protest the not guilty verdict of the police officer who shot violent criminal Chris Kaba.
Kaba rammed his car repeatedly into armed police officers’ cars.
BLM is finished in the UK.
UK public borrowing exceeds official forecast in September
Government borrowing overshot official projections in September, which is a sign of the difficult fiscal position that the Chancellor faces as she puts the finishing touches on her first tax and spending budget.
October 17, 2026
5:00 am
Pope Leo XIV urges Vladimir Putin to ceasefire in Oleshky, Ukraine
Papal Call
Pope Leo XIV requested a ceasefire in Oleshky, Ukraine, to facilitate humanitarian aid and the evacuation of around 2,000 civilians in the besieged city.
Pope Leo XIV requested a ceasefire in Oleshky, Ukraine, to facilitate humanitarian aid and the evacuation of around 2,000 civilians in the besieged city.
Humanitarian urgency
Approximately 2,000 civilians are in need of safe evacuation and humanitarian aid in Oleshky, highlighting the critical nature of intervention in the ongoing conflict.
Approximately 2,000 civilians are in need of safe evacuation and humanitarian aid in Oleshky, highlighting the critical nature of intervention in the ongoing conflict.
Papal Appeal
Pope Leo XIV emphasised the need for a ceasefire to facilitate humanitarian aid deliveries and safe evacuation routes for civilians in Oleshky.
Pope Leo XIV emphasised the need for a ceasefire to facilitate humanitarian aid deliveries and safe evacuation routes for civilians in Oleshky.
Pope Leo XIV urges Putin to agree to truce in besieged Ukrainian city of Oleshky
Pope Leo XIV spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, calling for a ceasefire in a Russian-occupied city in southern Ukraine while recovering in hospital from lung cancer surgery.
The Vatican said that Pope Leo “expressed his deep concern about the grave humanitarian situation in the city of Oleshky, in the Kherson region, and called for a ceasefire to allow the delivery of food and medical assistance, and the voluntary and safe evacuation of the civilian population”.
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said it was “the Holy Father who took the initiative” to call Russian President Vladimir Putin “to plead the case of this besieged city, where around 2,000 civilians need safe routes out and humanitarian corridors.”
“I believe the Pope asked for a truce to allow both the delivery of humanitarian aid, especially food, and the evacuation of those who must leave the city.”
“I hope,” added Parolin, “that when faced with a request from the Holy Father, President Putin will agree to implement what has been asked of him.”
According to a statement reported by Russian news agencies, President Vladimir Putin thanked Pope Leo XIV for his willingness to help resolve the conflict in Ukraine and for his humanitarian initiatives. He also wished the Pope a speedy recovery following his recent surgery.
Previous contacts between Moscow and the Vatican
This is the second time Pope Leo XIV and Russian President Vladimir Putin have spoken.
The two leaders previously held a telephone conversation on 4 June 2025, less than a month after Leo XIV’s election.
Pope Francis last spoke with Putin on 17 December 2021, his birthday. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, however, his attempts to establish direct contact with the Russian president were unsuccessful.
October 17, 2026
5:00 am
October 17, 2026
4:00 am
Get you up to speed: Southern California wildfire engulfs homes, prompts evacuation orders
A fast-spreading wildfire, known as the Norte Fire, has engulfed several coastal properties in Orange County, Southern California, prompting evacuation orders for approximately 6,000 homes and 16,000 residents. The fire, which began in San Clemente and spread to San Juan Capistrano, has damaged or destroyed at least six homes and has scorched between 188 and 231 hectares.
The Orange County Fire Authority reported that the heatwave and low humidity contributing to the Norte Fire’s spread are anticipated to persist through Saturday night. Additionally, as of Friday evening, Cal Fire stated that the Bryson Fire is 17 per cent contained, having burned approximately 59 hectares (147 acres).
The Orange County Fire Authority has urged residents to avoid the affected areas as they continue aggressive firefighting efforts, while evacuation shelters have been established in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano for those displaced. Authorities are taking measures to mitigate power outages in Los Angeles County to reduce the risk of electrical sparks amid ongoing severe weather conditions, with firefighters also combating other significant blazes in the region.
What remains unclear — There is no information on the exact number of residents who have evacuated or the potential long-term impact on the affected communities.
Southern California wildfire damages homes and forces evacuations in Orange County
News|Climate CrisisSouthern California wildfire engulfs homes, prompts evacuation orders
The fast-spreading Norte Fire in Orange County is fuelled by intense warm winds and unseasonably high temperatures.
Published On 17 Oct 202617 Oct 2026
Published On 17 Oct 202617 Oct 2026A fast-spreading wildfire in Orange County, in Southern California, has engulfed several coastal properties and prompted widespread evacuation orders.
The Orange County Fire Authority said on Friday that the Norte Fire had scorched about 188 hectares (465 acres), with the state’s Cal Fire agency putting it at about 231 hectares (570 acres) by the evening, and that at least six homes had been damaged or destroyed in the San Juan Capistrano area.
The fire authority said firefighters were “aggressively attacking the fire from the ground and air” and issued pleas for people to stay clear of the area.
Unseasonably high temperatures and low humidity are fuelling the rapid growth of the fire, the AFP news agency reported.
The Norte Fire started in the coastal city of San Clemente on Friday and moved to the city of San Juan Capistrano, with some 6,000 homes and 16,000 residents under evacuation orders by the evening. An evacuation shelter has opened in each city while helicopters attempt to douse the flames.
Intense warm winds
The Norte Fire is one of several in the region driven by Santa Ana winds, intense warm gusts that blow from the southwest US interior towards the California coast.
The Santa Ana winds typically arrive in the autumn, right when Southern California’s vegetation is at its driest after a long, rainless summer, according to The Weather Channel.
Forecasters said winds blew at between 55km/h and 90km/h (35mph and 55mph) within coastal areas.
The strongest winds were expected through Friday, but the high heat and low humidity conditions that contribute to the growth of the fire are expected to last through Saturday night.
Tens of thousands of people in Los Angeles County were left without power as authorities attempted to lessen the possibility of electrical sparks that the heavy wind gusts could carry.
Other ongoing fires
California firefighters were also busy battling the Bryson Fire, which broke out on the outskirts of the Malibu beach community in Los Angeles County on Thursday. As of Friday, the fire had burned about 59 hectares (147 acres) and was 17 percent contained, according to Cal Fire.
The Henderson Fire was 20 percent contained and had burned 842 hectares (2,080 acres) in San Diego County by Friday, Cal Fire said. The blaze impacted Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton and prompted freeway closures.
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