PICKERING/DURHAM

1. (CTV News Durham) Ajax Man Charged in Oshawa House Fire, Already Accused in MP Home Arson

A 24-year-old Ajax man, Roshvin Crofton, has been charged with 14 offences, including arson and break and enter, in connection with an August 24 fire that destroyed an empty Oshawa home and damaged neighbouring properties. He is the same man accused in the August 27 arson at Liberal MP Salma Zahid’s Scarborough home, where a second suspect is still being sought. Toronto and Durham police are asking anyone with information about a black 2025 Hyundai Sonata to come forward.

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2. (Durham Regional Police) Two Charged in Fraud Investigation Into Ajax Soccer Club ]the balls on these guys !]

Two people are facing multiple charges after a Durham police Financial Crimes Unit investigation into the Ajax FC Soccer Club. Investigators say they found irregular banking transactions at the club dating back to December 2024.

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3. (Durham Post) Police Still Searching for Missing 14-Year-Old From Courtice

Durham police are still looking for Cairo, a 14-year-old boy last seen September 21 around 8 p.m. near Nash Road and Old Varcoe Road in Courtice. He is about five-foot-eight with a slim build and was last seen in a black Nike tracksuit, black baseball cap, glasses and a grey ski mask. Anyone with information is asked to call Durham police at 905-579-1520, extension 1605.

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4. (Durham Regional Police) Durham Police Unveil New Air4 Helicopter

Durham Regional Police have officially introduced Air4, a new Airbus H125 helicopter run by the Combined Air Support Unit. Police say the aircraft will give frontline officers across Durham Region and the GTA real-time support and a better view of unfolding situations from above.

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5. (City of Pickering) Pickering Voting Opens October 19, Election Day Set for October 26

Pickering residents can begin voting online on October 19, with internet voting available through to Election Day on Monday, October 26. Voter Assistance Centres will be open to help residents vote or get their voting credentials, and paper ballots will also be available on Election Day. The new council’s first meeting is set for November 16.

CANADA

1. (Global News) Carney and Smith Announce Next Step for West Coast Oil Pipeline

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced the next phase of a proposed West Coast oil pipeline in Fort McMurray today, the federal deadline to name it a project of national interest. The roughly 1,250-kilometre line would follow the Trans Mountain route to B.C.’s south coast and is estimated to cost between $35 billion and $44 billion. A national-interest designation speeds up the review process but is not final approval.

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2. (CTV News) Trump Says Canada Is Being ‘Taught a Little Lesson’ in Trade War [it is unfortunate that the mouse is squeaking at the elephant]

U.S. President Donald Trump said at a White House event that Canada is being “taught a little lesson” as the trade dispute between the two countries continues. He accused Canada of taking advantage of the United States for years. The comments come as Canadian industries, including steel, continue to feel the effects of U.S. tariffs.

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3. (Global News) Two Elders Killed in Crash Outside Tsawwassen Mills Mall

Two people were killed and two others injured when a vehicle crashed near the Tsawwassen Mills mall in Delta, B.C., on Wednesday. The victims have been identified as First Nations elders, and police say a medical emergency is suspected. The Tsawwassen First Nation cancelled its Truth and Reconciliation Day event following the crash.

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4. (CTV News) Supply Truck for Campobello Island Turned Back at U.S. Border [border authorities want to assert their power]

A truck carrying mail, milk and alcohol to Campobello Island, N.B., was stopped at the border on Tuesday. The island can only be reached by road through the United States, leaving residents dependent on cross-border deliveries. The local MP says the shipment held essential supplies for the community.

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5. (CTV News) Flu Season Off to an Early Start in Several Provinces

Canada’s flu season is arriving earlier than usual this year. Prince Edward Island, Alberta and British Columbia are all reporting flu activity ahead of their normal seasonal patterns.

INTERNATIONAL

1. (Reuters) Iran and U.S. Still Divided on Ceasefire Steps as Talks Stall

Iran says it has received the U.S. response to its latest ceasefire proposal, with both sides agreeing on the steps but not on the order they should happen. U.S. officials say Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered Iran’s United Nations delegation to leave the country after the talks stalled, a report Iran has denied.

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2. (Al Jazeera) Russia Warns NATO of Possible Nuclear Response Over Kaliningrad

Russia has warned NATO it could use nuclear weapons if the alliance tries to cut off Kaliningrad, its territory on the Baltic Sea between Poland and Lithuania. The warning comes as tensions rise in the Baltic region over suspected sabotage and other hybrid attacks.

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3. (AP) Passengers Stop Pilot’s Attack on Dubai-to-Israel Flight [sickos are everywhere![

A FlyDubai pilot stabbed his co-pilot during a flight from the United Arab Emirates to Israel on Wednesday and allegedly tried to crash the plane. Passengers stepped in to stop the attack, and the aircraft, carrying about 170 people, made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the incident, which left people injured but no one dead.

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4. (AP) Pakistan Airstrikes Hit Afghanistan; Sides Dispute Death Toll

Pakistan says its airstrikes on militant hideouts in Afghanistan killed 22 militants. Afghan officials say nine civilians were killed instead. The strikes add to ongoing border tensions between the two countries.

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5. (Reuters) Kasparov Says U.S. and Lithuania Warned Him of Assassination Threat

Former world chess champion and Kremlin critic Garry Kasparov says U.S. and Lithuanian officials warned him of a threat to his life. Kasparov has been one of the most outspoken opponents of Russian President Vladimir Putin for years.

THE LIGHTER SIDE

1. (CTV News) 11-Year-Old Becomes Chess’ Youngest Ever Woman Grandmaster

British schoolgirl Bodhana Sivanandan, 11, has become the youngest woman grandmaster in chess history. She earned the title with her strong play at the 46th Chess Olympiad.

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2. (CTV News) First Baby in 34 Years Born on Tiny Scottish Island

Baby Duncan was born on September 15 on North Ronaldsay, a remote Scottish island of just 51 people, the first birth there in 34 years. His mother had planned to give birth in Costa Rica but changed her plans after arriving on the island. The island has only a resident nurse, with mainland hospital care nearly three hours away by boat.

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3. (Washington Post) Six-Year-Old Sets Women’s Rubik’s Cube World Record [she does it in 4 seconds…I can’t do it in 4 years]

Six-year-old Lian Yunzhi of China has set the women’s world record for solving a Rubik’s Cube, averaging just 4.27 seconds per solve. She first broke the record earlier in September with an average of 4.52 seconds, then beat her own mark.