Good morning — it’s Thursday, September 18, 2025. A man is charged after ramming an FBI gate in Pittsburgh, and Tyler Robinson faces the death penalty after surrendering for Charlie Kirk’s killing. Trump meets UK PM Keir Starmer to talk trade, Ukraine, and Gaza, while the US Navy retires aging ships. Deportees say 11 of 14 sent from the US remain detained in Ghana, Syria’s foreign minister heads to Washington for rare talks, and Russia claims gains as fighting rages near Pokrovsk. A Ukrainian drone kills one in Belgorod, and China stirs tensions by declaring a nature reserve at Scarborough Shoal.
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Man Charged After Ramming Car Into FBI Gate in Pittsburgh
Authorities charged 46-year-old Donald Phillip Henson with assault with a deadly weapon and damaging government property after he rammed a car into a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) security gate in Pittsburgh on Wednesday and fled. He was arrested seven hours later and told investigators he wanted to “make a statement,” invoking the phrase “sic semper tyrannis.”
No injuries or explosives were reported.
The FBI said Henson, a former military member known to the office, had previously made an incoherent complaint there.
BREAKING: Suspect Donald Henson in custody, accused of ramming car into FBI Pittsburgh Field Office entrance gate, bureau confirms to @BryanLlenas pic.twitter.com/a2IWJBmefM
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 17, 2025
Henson remains in custody pending a detention hearing.
Investigators noted the car displayed an American flag and an Air Force sticker.
Suspect in Charlie Kirk Killing Surrendered Peacefully After Fearing Police Gunfire, Faces Death Penalty
Tyler Robinson, 22, accused of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on September 10, surrendered peacefully after fearing he would be shot by police, a sheriff said.
Robinson was quiet and accompanied by his parents when he turned himself in the day after the attack.
Prosecutors charged him with capital murder and will seek the death penalty, citing incriminating texts and DNA linking him to the killing. Court documents say he left a note stating he planned to kill Kirk, whom he described as hateful.
Authorities are investigating if anyone helped him and reviewing campus security.
Robinson’s parents said he had become more politically left-leaning and supportive of LGBTQ rights over the past year.
Trump Begins Talks With UK’s Starmer After Lavish State Welcome
After a day of royal pageantry, President Trump is set for substantive talks Thursday with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers, focusing on trade, Ukraine, and Gaza.
Starmer aims to secure stronger US support for Kyiv and press for lower US tariffs on British steel and aluminium, though Trump has signaled no immediate deal.
The visit follows major investment announcements, including £90 billion ($123 billion) from Blackstone in the UK and $30 billion from GSK in the US.
The meeting comes amid controversy over Starmer’s dismissal of UK ambassador Peter Mandelson for ties to Jeffrey Epstein, whose past links to Trump have also resurfaced.
Trump received a lavish welcome from King Charles III at Windsor Castle, while thousands protested in London against his visit.
US Navy Quietly Retires Multiple Ships as FY 2025 Nears End
The US Navy has begun quietly decommissioning several aging vessels as Fiscal Year 2025 closes, including the Avenger-class mine countermeasures ships USS Dextrous (MCM-13) and USS Gladiator (MCM-11) in Bahrain. They will be joined by USS Devastator (MCM-6) and USS Sentry (MCM-3), with all four slated for transport to the inactive fleet in Philadelphia.
Several Ticonderoga-class cruisers — USS Philippine Sea (CG-58), USS Normandy (CG-60), USS Shiloh (CG-67), and USS Lake Erie (CG-70) — are also set to leave service this month.
Four Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transports, including USNS Millinocket (T-EPF 3), have exited the fleet, with some heading for reserve status or scrapping.
Looking ahead to FY 2026, the Navy plans to retire Los Angeles-class submarines USS Newport News (SSN-750) and USS Alexandria (SSN-757), two replenishment oilers, three roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, and the offshore petroleum ship USNS Vice Adm. K. R. Wheeler (T-AG-5001).
The move reflects the Navy’s ongoing shift toward newer platforms while phasing out older support and combat vessels.
Deportees Say 11 of 14 Sent From US Remain Detained in Ghana Despite Official Denials
At least 11 of 14 immigrants deported by the US to Ghana on September 6 are still being held at a military camp near Accra, according to the deportees and their lawyers, contradicting Ghanaian government claims that all were sent to their home countries.
The group reportedly includes nationals from Nigeria, Togo, Mali, Gambia, and Liberia.
Deportees described harsh conditions, lack of explanation for their deportation, and being restrained during transport.
Did Parliament approve Ghana’s MoU with the US on deportees?
Foreign Affairs Minister, @S_OkudzetoAblak , explains why he did not seek parliamentary rectification.
Watch here: https://t.co/XsaTgTaOA5#PointofView with @benkoku. pic.twitter.com/WYj4mcvHni
— CITI FM 97.3 (@Citi973) September 17, 2025
US lawyers say the Trump administration bypassed legal protections meant to prevent returning some migrants to danger.
Ghanaian officials have not responded to the new claims.
Syrian Foreign Minister to Visit Washington for Talks on Sanctions and Israel Deal
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani will visit Washington this week, marking the first such trip in over 25 years, to discuss lifting remaining US sanctions, Senator Lindsey Graham told Axios.
Graham said he and other senators will meet Shibani on Thursday, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet him Friday.
Graham indicated he would support ending some sanctions, including those under the Caesar Act, if Syria moves toward a security pact with Israel and joins a coalition against the Islamic State group.
For first time in 25 yrs, Syrian FM Asaad al-Shaibani visits Washington to push lifting US ‘Caesar sanctions’ — Axios
Talks come amid US effort to broker a new Syria–Israel security deal
Shaibani will meet Senators Thursday and Sec. of State Rubio Friday pic.twitter.com/GbDRmIUsJ0
— RT (@RT_com) September 18, 2025
The visit follows Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s statement that negotiations with Israel could produce a deal within days to end Israeli airstrikes and withdraw Israeli forces from southern Syria.
Reuters reported the US is urging a deal before next week’s UN General Assembly, though Sharaa denies US pressure.
Russia Claims Advances on All Fronts in Ukraine as Heavy Fighting Rages Near Pokrovsk
Russian Military Chief General Valery Gerasimov said Wednesday that Russian forces are advancing on nearly all fronts in Ukraine, with the heaviest fighting near Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region.
He reported progress in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Kupiansk, and Yampil, claiming Ukrainian forces have committed their best units to defend Pokrovsk.
1️⃣ RUSSIA ADVANCING IN ALMOST ALL DIRECTIONS IN SPECIAL MILITARY OP ZONE – GENERAL STAFF CHIEF pic.twitter.com/jpJjARl9c3
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) September 17, 2025
Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, disputed the claims, saying recent Russian offensives have failed and reporting Ukrainian counter-successes near Pokrovsk and Kupiansk.
The conflicting accounts come as Russia continues months of heavy attacks in eastern Ukraine.
NEW: Senior Russian officials continue to publicly signal the Kremlin’s unwillingness to engage in negotiations that result in anything less than full Ukrainian capitulation. More⬇️
The Kremlin is using the threat of aggression to try to prevent European states from committing… pic.twitter.com/vAPVdiJ5qA
— Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) September 18, 2025
Ukrainian Drone Strike Kills One in Russia’s Belgorod Region
A Ukrainian drone hit a car in the Russian border town of Shebekino in Belgorod region early Thursday, killing one man and seriously injuring his brother, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said. The injured man was taken to a local hospital.
Ukrainian drone attacks have repeatedly targeted Russia’s Belgorod and other border regions.
China Declares Nature Reserve at Disputed Scarborough Shoal, Raising Geopolitical Concerns
China has declared a nature reserve at Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, a move experts say aims to strengthen its territorial claims rather than protect the environment.
The shoal, also claimed by the Philippines and Taiwan, has been under de facto Chinese control since 2012 and has seen rising confrontations with Philippine vessels.
Analysts view the reserve as part of China’s shift from defending to governing the area.
Environmental researchers note that Chinese giant clam harvesting has severely damaged the reef, and critics say the reserve announcement diverts attention from this destruction.
China’s coast guard has fired water cannon at Philippine ships near a disputed area of the South China Sea.
The clash comes less than a week after Beijing declared Scarborough Shoal a “nature reserve” — a move Manila says is unlawful. pic.twitter.com/XjvkuF7Ws2
— DW News (@dwnews) September 18, 2025
Experts do not expect China to build an artificial island at the shoal, unlike its past militarization of features in the Spratly Islands.
Sources: News Agencies