The Norte Fire has burned homes in San Clemente, and Via La Mirada in San Juan Capistrano is among the hardest-hit areas, Hindustan Times reports. Evacuation orders are in effect for Zones SJC04, SJC05, SJC10, SCL12 and SCL13, according to the Orange County evacuation map. Separately, an earlier report said the Peak Fire had burned 15 acres in Los Angeles County.
TechRadar reports that Withings is charging smart-scale users $100 for Apple Health data syncing, prompting user anger. This follows reports that new Withings accounts need a subscription to automatically sync health metrics with third-party apps.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado called Trump's new oil partner corrupt. The businessman denied her accusations, and Machado said in a wide-ranging interview that she would return to Venezuela sooner than expected.
Sean “Diddy” Combs has been moved from FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey to FCI Allenwood Low in Pennsylvania, The Guardian and the South China Morning Post report. The Guardian and the South China Morning Post say the transfer followed reports of perks behind bars and a fight injury at his former lockup; the BBC says the decision was made with safety and security in mind. The BBC says Combs is serving a 50-month sentence, while NDTV describes it as four years and two months.
Federal prosecutors allege Moises Freire gave two Fashion Institute of Technology students fentanyl while telling them it was cocaine, then raped one as she overdosed; she died. Her friend also overdosed and nearly died, and the US Justice Department said the case led to charges against three men.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Israeli President Isaac Herzog that Israel should stop the “forced establishment” of settlements, according to reports of their conversation on the sidelines of a conference. Wang also met with his Palestinian Authority counterpart at the Baku summit, The Times of Israel reports. Al Jazeera quotes China’s foreign minister calling the Palestinian question the “greatest historical injustice of this century.”
Trump lashed out at Republicans while his endorsed candidate, Ken Paxton, appeared to be in a tight Texas race with James Talarico. Politico reports that Trump singled out Karl Rove and incumbent Sen. John Cornyn.
The leap second has been abolished, according to WIRED. It says leap seconds had been a source of contention in the timekeeping community for years.
The Guardian reports that polls show Democrats and Republicans in battleground states want candidates to discuss the climate crisis, but midterm campaigns across the US have been largely silent. It says Americans endured a record-hot summer and faced roughly $2,000 per household in extra energy and mortgage payments, which it links to dependence on fossil fuels and supply disruptions after Donald Trump decided to attack Iran. This follows earlier reports that US inflation was hotter than expected and could be a crucial midterm issue.
Archaeologists said they found jars from a shipwreck that may be as much as 4,700 years old, but outside experts were skeptical and intrigued, The New York Times reports. The jars contained black residue. This follows earlier reports that archaeologists had described a shipwreck off Turkey’s coast as the world’s oldest.
France is bracing for nationwide demonstrations on Saturday, October 17, after an online movement against rising fuel prices gained momentum, France 24 reports. The outlet says former Yellow Vest figures are set to join in support of high-school students, with some drawing parallels to the 2018 cost-of-living protests. The BBC reports that the prime minister suggested student anger was being weaponised as unions and other protesters prepared to take to the streets ahead of France's presidential election. This follows earlier reports that President Emmanuel Macron warned student anger was being exploited as France braced for more protests.
Meta employees acknowledged in internal communications that restrictions hindered Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s Instagram accounts during the election, Folha de S.Paulo reported, citing messages it reviewed. Al Jazeera reports that the messages also said the platform recommended Bolsonaro’s profile and his WhatsApp channel. This follows reports that Lula accused Meta of helping his right-wing opponent and that his party planned to file a complaint over election interference.
Al Jazeera reports that Israeli spyware firms hacked its devices in 2024 using a new “adfection” method. This follows earlier reporting that Citizen Lab said dozens of Al Jazeera devices were compromised by zero-click spyware delivered through online ads.
Oil prices surged Friday, with Brent touching $110 as Iran escalated attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, according to CNBC. CNBC also reports Ukraine vowed to hit Russian refineries, while NBC News says tech stocks shed more than $1 trillion in value as oil reached its highest level in five months.
The US is considering easing sanctions on shadow-fleet tankers linked to Russia and Iran, Middle East Eye reports, as soaring freight rates push up energy-shipping costs. The outlet says Energy Secretary Chris Wright told an energy forum in Riyadh that the administration was discussing the move; the report says the aim is to address shipping costs and rising diesel prices.
Foreign Policy says the work of Michael Woodford and Robert Hall laid the groundwork for today's central bankers. This follows reports on Monday that Hall and Woodford won the Nobel economics prize for research on how policymakers can stabilize economies, according to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
With the midterms less than three weeks away, polls point to widespread voter discontent and economic pessimism. An exclusive Harris poll for The Guardian found that three-quarters of respondents were concerned about a recession, 61% believed the US was already in one, and 65% of independents said the economy was getting worse; the report says the country is not in a recession by its typical definition. Axios reports that three polls found nearly three-quarters rated the economy fair or poor, seven in ten said the country was out of control, and eight in ten wanted substantial change or upheaval.
Fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and winter clothing have not entered Gaza for two days, as fears grow over food affordability, Al Jazeera reports. This follows earlier reports that Israel halted commercial goods entering Gaza amid competing accounts over the reason for the move.
Big Tech stocks suffered their biggest weekly drop since “liberation day” as AI-trade jitters sent investors scrambling for government debt, halting a months-long Treasury sell-off, the Financial Times reports. This follows reports that investors sought shelter in Treasuries amid concerns about the sustainability of the AI boom.
US President Donald Trump said Saudi Arabia should accept Israel’s offer of help against Yemen’s Houthis, saying Israel had been helpful to the kingdom. The Times of Israel also reported that Trump said normalization between Jerusalem and Riyadh could be back on the table, while Middle East Eye reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman opposed the proposed assistance, fearing public backlash.