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Ariha (Syria) (AFP) – Syria’s Civil Defence, known as the White Helmets, assess the damage at the site of regime shelling in the village of Ariha in the northwestern rebel-held Idlib Province. The heavy bombardment by government forces came in apparent retaliation to a drone strike at a Syrian military academy that killed 112 people in government-held Homs on Thursday 5 October. Although there was no immediate claim of responsibility, Syrian state media blamed “armed terrorist organisations” for the attack. Swathes of Idlib province are controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, led by Al-Qaeda’s former Syria branch. The jihadist group has used drones to attack government-held areas in the past.

Sydney (AFP) – Years after unprecedented fires ripped through large swathes of Australia’s east, volunteer brigades on the frontlines are bracing for a return to catastrophic conditions. In Picton, South of Sydney, New South Wales Rural Fire Service senior deputy captain Andy Hain says he worries that two years of wetter-than-average conditions will mean plenty of fuel for wildfires, and whether people are prepared for the return of bushfires. In Wisemans Ferry, a river town north of Sydney, volunteers who battled the horrific blazes of the “Black Summer” in 2019-2020 before facing down several damaging floods are readying for a return of fire to the dense bushland around their homes. Former Fire and Rescue NSW Commissioner Greg Mullins says half a century of battling fires made it clear that climate change drives worsening disasters. Mullins, a founder of Emergency Leaders for Climate Action, says volunteers are increasingly being challenged by intensifying fires and floods around the world.

Mestre (Italy) (AFP) – “I don’t feel like a hero”, says restaurant owner Bujar Bacaj, who managed to pull two children to safety from a bus that plunged from an overpass in northeastern Italy, killing 21 people.

Mexico City (AFP) – At a press conference in Mexico City, the United States and Mexico pledge to step up efforts to tackle the cross-border flow of drugs and illegal migration.

New York (AFP) – Floods, storms, droughts and fires, fuelled by global warming, have displaced at least 43.1 million children between 2016 and 2021 from 44 countries, and this is only “the tip of the iceberg”, warns UNICEF, deploring the lack of attention paid to these particularly vulnerable victims.

San Juan del Sur (Nicaragua) (AFP) – Over a thousand endangered sea turtles lay their eggs at La Flor beach in San Juan del Sur, on Nicaragua’s Pacific coast.

Mexico City (AFP) – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Mexico’s Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena hold a press conference in Mexico City, following high-level security talks helds at the National Palace. IMAGES

Taft (United States) (AFP) – A century ago, Taft was built on top of California’s most productive oil field. Since then, the local economy hasn’t stopped relying on oil extraction to provide jobs. But with California committed to halting petroleum production by 2045 and suing the world’s largest oil companies over climate change deception, producers worry the town will die before the last drop is extracted. “Scientifically we’re 2.5% of the problem in California pollution or air pollution, but we get about 100% of the credit,” says Fred Holmes, chairman of the board at Holmes Western Oil Corporation.

Washington (AFP) – The White House condemns a “horrifying” strike that killed at least 51 people in a village in eastern Ukraine, saying the attack underscored the need to keep supporting Kyiv against Russia. “It is incredibly horrifying for the people of Ukraine,” Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tells a briefing.

Zapopan (Mexico) (AFP) – Mexicans take their pets to church to be blessed on World Animal Day in the western Jalisco state. The activities take place at the Saint Francis of Assisi church in Zapopan, as World Animal Day is celebrated on the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.

Hroza (Ukraine) (AFP) – Rescuers clear rubble and carry victims in the aftermath of a Russian strike on the eastern Ukrainian village of Groza that has killed at least 51 people, including one child. The village has a population of around 300 people and is located in the Kharkiv region, 30 kilometres west from the frontline town of Kupiansk. Ukrainian authorities said the attack targeted a grocery store and a cafe where people were gathered for a wake. ++ TEXT 33XG8WE

Sochi (Russia) (AFP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow’s mission is to create a “new world”, during a conference in Sochi. “We did not start the so-called war in Ukraine”, he adds, “on the contrary, we are trying to finish it.”