Trump admits mistake and fires Katie Zacharia after less than one week as press secretary — breaking record

The Independent - Oct 16, 2026

Minutes before making it official, Trump said he told Zacharia to 'reconsider' her role after disastrous first week, adding: 'Maybe it's not for her'

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First images released of Pope Leo after cancer surgery, celebrating Mass at hospital
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ROME — The Vatican on Friday released the first images of Pope Leo XIV since his lung cancer surgery, showing him celebrating Mass, as doctors said that tests confirmed the “continued improvement” in his recovery. The photos show Leo standing up at the altar in green vestments celebrating Mass in a makeshift chapel that has been set up for him in Gemelli hospital. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said Leo presided alone over the liturgy, distributing Communion to medical personnel and Vatican gendarmes present. He also delivered a homily in which he thanked the hospital staff “for the work they do every day taking care of the sick in their fragility, and in a particular way what they had done for him,” Bruni said. Bruni confirmed Leo would deliver the traditional noontime Angelus prayer on Sunday, but it wasn't clear whether he would do it from the hospital or back at the Vatican. The Vatican had originally estimated a weeklong hospital stay, and had cancelled his audiences through Tuesday. Bruni said the pope’s doctors would decide if there were any changes expected to his dis

Zelensky drums up European backing as Trump ties slump
Oct 16, 2026
Zelensky drums up European backing as Trump ties slump

BRUSSELS, Belgium — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged EU leaders Friday to keep financing Kyiv's fight with nearly $80 billion more next year, as he insisted he was standing up for his country amid a fresh row with US President Donald Trump. Kyiv's ties with Trump have nosedived after the US leader eased sanctions on Russia as part of a deal to supply diesel. Trump branded Kyiv's actions a "disgrace" and said it was easier to deal with Russia's President Vladimir Putin than Zelensky after the Ukrainian leader ordered his forces to resume strike on Russian refineries. "I defend the interests of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people exclusively," Zelensky told journalists after talks with EU leaders in Brussels. Asked if he was being made a scapegoat for Trump's domestic woes ahead of the US midterms, Zelensky just smiled. "This is my answer," he said, after an extended pregnant pause. The latest breakdown between Trump and Zelensky has fuelled fear that the US leader is siding with Moscow. Those concerns have been heightened by disruptions to a critical US-provided satellite system t

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White House Press Secretary Zacharia 'let go' from role, official says
Oct 16, 2026
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China's Foreign Ministry responded Friday to White House press secretary Katie Zacharia's remarks that China lacked "proper toilets," suggesting that she visit the country again. Zacharia, who took office less than a week ago, made the comment during a Thursday interview with conservative commentator Jack Posobiec while discussing perceptions in 2016 that China was poised to overtake the United States. "I remember this very distinctly, having just come from China, thinking, 'How is China the next country on the horizon? They don't even have proper toilets,'" she said. Asked about the remarks at a regular press briefing Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning offered a brief response. "She's welcome to come and see China when she has the opportunity," Mao said, according to the ministry's official transcript. Zacharia previously lived in Beijing, where she reportedly worked at Zhong Lun Law Firm from 2011 to 2013. The newly appointed spokesperson has also faced scrutiny over her legal credentials after acknowledging that she had not passed a U.S. bar examination.

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From hospital, pope pushes Putin for ceasefire in contested Ukraine city
Oct 16, 2026
From hospital, pope pushes Putin for ceasefire in contested Ukraine city

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone on Friday, calling for a ceasefire in a Russian-occupied city in southern Ukraine, as he recovers in hospital from a lung cancer operation. 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." The surprise notice from the Vatican Friday evening suggested that the recovering pope is still hard at work, despite Tuesday's operation to remove a cancerous tumour from his right lung. Residents of Oleshky in southern Ukraine are facing a worsening humanitarian crisis with shortages of food and medication as they are caught in the crossfire between Russian and Ukrainian troops. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk denounced on Friday a "desperate" situation in the city, calling on Russia to enable civilians to evacuate. In a note, the Kremlin said the two had tal

Trump's New Press Secretary Katie Zacharia Fired After Less Than A Week On The Job
Oct 16, 2026
Trump's New Press Secretary Katie Zacharia Fired After Less Than A Week On The Job

White House press secretary Katie Zacharia was fired after less than a week following a difficult briefing and questions regarding her credentials.

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