Saturday, 18 October 2025

After meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, President Trump called on Ukraine and Russia to cease hostilities and end the war. Trump initially appeared receptive to providing Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine but later expressed reservations about the weapons sale.

President Trump commuted the federal fraud sentence of former Republican congressman George Santos, who had served less than three months of a seven-year prison term. Santos was convicted of deceiving donors and identity theft involving 11 people.

Nationwide 'No Kings' protests took place with large crowds demonstrating against Trump across cities and towns, featuring union participation and an estimated 2,700 planned events. The demonstrations focused on concerns about executive overreach by the Trump administration.

Trump administration officials asked the Supreme Court to permit the National Guard to be deployed in Illinois, seeking to expand military use in Democratic-led cities. The Justice Department submitted an emergency filing as Trump pushes this initiative.

Trump announced that two survivors of a U.S. strike on a submarine would be sent to Ecuador and Colombia, reportedly as a move to avoid legal complications. These individuals were reportedly linked to a drug-trafficking vessel.

Iran announced the official termination of the 2015 nuclear agreement under which international sanctions were lifted in return for restrictions on Iran's nuclear program. The move marks a significant escalation in nuclear tensions.

The U.S. government shutdown continued to stretch toward its fourth week with no resolution. Trump has reportedly shown little concern about ending the shutdown and has pushed Democratic opponents to further entrench their positions.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection implemented a rule requiring airlines to disregard 'X' sex markers on passports and input either 'M' or 'F' instead, sending Americans with 'X' markers into concern over compliance and identification issues.

The U.S. Senate appeared poised to approve an industry lobbyist, Douglas Troutman, to lead chemical safety at the EPA. If confirmed, the top four toxics office positions at the agency would be held by former industry lobbyists.

At least 15 people were detained after protesters and police clashed outside a Chicago ICE detention center. Officers reportedly tackled and dragged several demonstrators after instructing them to remain in designated protest zones.