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Oct 18, 2026 - World

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued President Donald Trump a fierce rebuke Sunday after striking a Russian oil terminal just days after the U.S. president demanded a halt to attacks on energy infrastructure.In what Russian state media called “one of the biggest drone attacks of the year,” Ukraine struck an oil terminal in St. Petersburg on Sunday — just one week after Trump claimed that a ceasefire had been brokered between Ukraine and Russia to halt attacks on energy infrastructure.Three days after Trump’s ceasefire announcement, Ukraine’s access to Starlink — the internet service provided by Elon Musk’s SpaceX — was abruptly restricted, with subsequent reporting suggesting that the order to limit Starlink services came directly from the White House.Zelenskyy has since broken with Trump publicly, and on Sunday issued a scathing message in defense of Ukraine’s latest attack on Russian energy infrastructure.“In total, over this past week, the Russians have attacked Ukraine with almost 2,700 attack drones, 1,700 aerial bombs, and 66 missiles, most of them ballistic,” Zelenskyy said in a statement. “The main targets of these strikes are energy facilities – the Russians are trying to cause a blackout. And America should see that Russia is not taking any reciprocal steps in response to sanctions relief or agreements. On the contrary, they take every signal of an opportunity to make money as proof that their bet on war is paying off and they can keep fighting.”Trump has increasingly pressed Zelenskyy to cede territory to Russia in his bid to end the Russo-Ukraine war. Zelenskyy has refused, sparking a threat from Trump to cut Ukraine off from U.S. intelligence.“It is because of this position of Russia’s that the war continues, not because Ukraine is rightfully defending itself,” Zelenskyy continued. “It is Russia that must face pressure for peace to have a chance. Thank you to everyone who understands this and helps.”Since the American President announced the energy ceasefire a week ago, Russia has deliberately attacked Ukraine’s energy and oil and gas sectors 76 times. Last night alone, there were strikes on substations in the Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, and Odesa regions. Tens of thousands of families remain without power. Energy workers and repair crews are working virtually around the clock to restore electricity supply. Overnight, the Russians also struck residential buildings in our regions. As of now, 12 people have been reported injured, including two children. Two people have been killed. My condolences to their families and loved ones. This morning, there was a strike on an agricultural enterprise in Volyn. All necessary services are working at the site.In total, over this past week, the Russians have attacked Ukraine with almost 2,700 attack drones, 1,700 aerial bombs, and 66 missiles, most of them ballistic. The main targets of these strikes are energy facilities – the Russians are trying to cause a blackout. And America should see that Russia is not taking any reciprocal steps in response to sanctions relief or agreements. On the contrary, they take every signal of an opportunity to make money as proof that their bet on war is paying off and they can keep fighting. It is because of this position of Russia’s that the war continues, not because Ukraine is rightfully defending itself. It is Russia that must face pressure for peace to have a chance. Thank you to everyone who understands this and helps.— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 18, 2026

Oct 18, 2026 - World

Protests erupted throughout France on Saturday, with demonstrators citing a wide variety of grievances including inequality, the high cost of living, and poor conditions in the nation’s schools.As reported by Agence France-Presse, tens of thousands of demonstrators marched in Paris and other cities to protest what they said was inaction by the French government on the biggest problems facing the country.“For years we’ve had climate, economy, and equality problems,” one protester identified as Agnes told AFP, “but the government is not doing anything about it.”18-year-old student Kamil Alahyan told AFP that there are “so many reasons” to protest, including “the elections coming up in 2027, politicians who lie, the ultra-rich who’ve been taking more and more wealth over the past 10 years.”A 19-year-old protester identified as Lola expressed a similar view in an interview published by The Guardian on Saturday.“We are fighting because the cost of living is too harsh,” Lola said, “because the price of fuel is too high, because high school pupils are being violently attacked and hurt all over the country just for trying to protest and ask for more teachers and decent learning conditions.”Student organizer Ryad Rani told AFP that “the government is trembling and it’s right to tremble because when the French people are angry, they never let up.”Saturday’s demonstrations mark the expansion of a movement that began last month when students blockaded their schools to protest staffing shortages, dilapidated buildings, and a widely criticized university application system.According to The New York Times, demonstrations took place in at least 140 cities across the country.Some of the protests did turn violent in major cities including Lyon, Marseille, and Paris, AFP reported. A Saturday BBC report claimed that more than 270 protesters have been arrested nationwide.French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu accused “ultra-left groups” of inciting violence at the demonstrations.“To those who clearly want to use these acts of violence as a ‘warm-up’ ahead of the presidential election, let me be clear: we will not be intimidated,” Lecornu wrote in a social media post. “No one will impose their political agenda through violence.”Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader the left-wing France Unbowed party, slammed the media for focusing too much on the isolated incidents of violence and not reporting on the overwhelmingly peaceful nature of the demonstrations.“Crowds of people everywhere, calm and joyful everywhere when the police aren’t around,” Mélenchon wrote in a social media post that featured photos of peaceful marches from across the country, which he described as “images you won’t see in the official media.”

Oct 17, 2026 - World

Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) says President Donald Trump’s plans for the post-election session of Congress are finished. He blamed the president’s latest move on Russia.“Congress has a lame-duck session. The President has an agenda: supplemental, reconciliation, Ballroom, etc… I think the agenda is dead,” Bacon wrote on X Saturday.“Many of us won’t fund these things knowing he is propping up a dictator’s invasion and throwing an ally under the bus,” he added.Bacon is a retired Air Force brigadier general. He was replying to CNN anchor Kate Bolduan, who had pointed to the GOP backlash over Trump’s decision to put on hold the sweeping Russia sanctions law named for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).“Tillis. Not holding back. Also saw @JohnCornyn just tweet ‘Lindsey would be appalled,’” Bolduan wrote. “But key question…what can/is the senate going to do about it?”Bacon’s answer was money.Trump signed an executive order Friday pausing the package, which he had signed into law only last month. He told Congress the pause was in the national interest. The law targets Russian banks, officials and the “shadow fleet” of tankers carrying Russian energy. It also calls for tariffs on the biggest buyers of Russian oil and gas.A week earlier, Trump had announced a deal to import Russian diesel. He has since said Ukraine needs “a new president.”Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) had already blasted the pause as “beyond irresponsible.” He accused the administration of “capitulating to a Russian dictator who illegally invaded Ukraine and butchers innocent civilians every single day.”Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said, “Lindsey would be appalled,” Bolduan noted.Bacon isn’t running for reelection. He has been one of the few House Republicans willing to break with Trump on Ukraine.Congress has a lame-duck session. The President has an agenda: supplemental, reconciliation, Ballroom, etc… I think the agenda is dead. Many of us won’t fund these things knowing he is propping up a dictator’s invasion and throwing an ally under the bus.— Rep. Don Bacon ????????✈️????️⭐️????️ (@RepDonBacon) October 17, 2026

Oct 17, 2026 - World

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted a five-word tribute to the late Sen. Lindsey Graham on Saturday. Plenty of people took it as a jab at President Donald Trump.“Thank you for everything, Lindsey!” Zelenskyy wrote on X, in English and Ukrainian. He attached a photo of himself shaking hands with Graham, who is giving a thumbs-up.Zelenskyy didn’t mention Trump. But the timing stood out. The post went up hours after Trump put on hold the sweeping Russia sanctions law named for Graham, a South Carolina Republican and longtime Russia hawk who died in July.“Late last night, President Trump waived the financial punishments on buyers of Russian oil that Congress had enacted to stop funding Putin’s war machine,” wrote Margaret Brennan, moderator of CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “Passing that bipartisan bill was meant to honor Lindsey Graham’s legacy, as he had pushed for those sanctions.”She added that Zelenskyy said Saturday “it is harder now without Senator Lindsey Graham in Ukraine’s corner.”Caitlin Doornbos, a foreign policy and war reporter who founded the outlet The Correspondent, also pointed to the timing.“Wow. President Zelensky posts this hours after Trump announced waivers of the new Lindsey Graham sanctions law on Russia,” she wrote.Christopher Miller, the Financial Times’ chief Ukraine correspondent, shared the post with a one-word reaction: “Wow.”Others read it as a deliberate shot.“Zelenskyy is basically just trolling Trump at this point, and I’m all for it,” wrote Vatnik Soup, a popular pro-Ukraine account.Finnish geopolitical analyst Joni Askola called it “a clear message from Zelensky to Trump.” Nicolas Tenzer, a senior French civil servant and senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis, wrote: “This is the message.”John O’Brennan, a professor of European politics, called it “master trolling.”Fox News co-host Jessica Tarlov brought up Graham’s sister, Darline Graham, who was appointed to finish his term.“Wonder what Darline would say about who she stands with,” Tarlov wrote.The post comes during a rough stretch between the two leaders. Trump said last week that Ukraine needs “a new president.” He also blamed Zelenskyy’s strikes on Russian refineries for high U.S. diesel prices, and Thursday he said he finds Zelenskyy “more difficult to deal with than Putin.”

Oct 17, 2026 - World

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) is furious that President Donald Trump put sweeping new Russia sanctions on hold. Trump signed those sanctions into law only last month.“Beyond irresponsible,” Tillis wrote on X Saturday. “What part of enforcing a law passed 86-11 by the Senate does the President and his advisors not understand?”“It’s unconscionable that this administration is capitulating to a Russian dictator who illegally invaded Ukraine and butchers innocent civilians every single day,” he added.Trump signed an executive order Friday that pauses the package. He told Congress the move was in the national interest, the Associated Press reported. The White House didn’t immediately say how, and the order came before the sanctions took effect, according to CNBC.The law is named for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a longtime Russia hawk who died in July. It targets Russian officials, banks and the “shadow fleet” of tankers that carries Russian energy. It also tells the president to put tariffs of up to 100% on the biggest buyers of Russian oil and gas.The pause comes a week after Trump announced a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to import Russian diesel. Lawmakers in both parties warned that the deal could help fund Russia’s war in Ukraine.Tillis said Trump was going about lowering prices the wrong way.“If the President wants to actually bring down energy prices, he can do it by solving the Iran problem, not by doing a solid for Vladimir Putin,” he wrote.Tillis isn’t running for reelection. He had already questioned whether the diesel deal is legal.Beyond irresponsible. What part of enforcing a law passed 86-11 by the Senate does the President and his advisors not understand? It’s unconscionable that this administration is capitulating to a Russian dictator who illegally invaded Ukraine and butchers innocent civilians every single day. If the President wants to actually bring down energy prices, he can do it by solving the Iran problem, not by doing a solid for Vladimir Putin.https://t.co/ccCakQUTDt— Senator Thom Tillis (@SenThomTillis) October 17, 2026