(2026-04-17). Headlines for April 17, 2026. democracynow.org Israel Agrees to 10-Day Ceasefire in Lebanon After U.S.-Brokered Talks, Israelis in Tel Aviv Protest Settler Violence After High Court Lifts Wartime Ban on Gatherings, House Votes 213-214 to Reject War Powers Resolution as Trump Claims Deal with Iran Is "Very Close", Ukraine Strikes Black Sea Oil Refinery as Russian Attacks Kill 17, Progressive Democrat Analilia Mejía Wins Special Election for New Jersey House Seat, House Temporarily Extends FISA's Mass Surveillance Powers in Late-Night Vote , House Votes to Extend Deportation Protections for 330,000 Haitian Immigrants, Acting ICE Director Todd…
(2026-04-17). Pentagon in panic mode? Trump pushes civilian firms to make missiles as stocks run dry amid Iran war. hindustantimes.com Is the world's "most powerful military" quietly running out of weapons? And is that what's really driving Washington's sudden shift in tone? As the Iran conflict stretches on, reports suggest the U.S. is facing a deepening munitions crunch, one that didn't begin in this war, but may be reaching a breaking point because of it. Years of supplying Ukraine, followed by sustained operations in the Middle East, have reportedly drained critical missile stockpiles. Now, the question is no longer just about battlefield strategy but industrial capacity. Why is the Pentagon reportedly reaching out to civilian giants like Fo…
(2026-04-17). NATO command center formed in Ukraine as UK pledges 120,000 drones. infobrics.org ARES will "accelerate Ukraine's alignment with NATO interoperability standards, easing future accession pathways and improving coalition compatibility". This is just a fancy way of saying that the Kiev regime will be fully integrated into NATO command structures and function as one of its members in all but name.
(2026-04-17). Ervand Abrahamian: Iran Under Fire. newleftreview.org One of modern Iran's leading historians provides a critical anatomy of the power structures of the Islamic Republic, on the eve of war—and a scathing denunciation of the long-incubated American-Israeli assault on the country, calculated to bring about Syria-style disintegration and civil war.
(2026-04-17). SFD signs agreement to extend $3b deposit with SBP. tribune.com.pk 
The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) on Friday signed an agreement with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to extend the maturity of its $3 billion deposit, Radio Pakistan reported. | "The agreement, signed between the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), provides for the extension in the maturity of a USD 3 billion deposit placed by SFD with the State Bank of Pakistan", according to X post. | Finance Minister Witnesses Signing of Saudi Deposit Extension Agreement with State Bank of Pakistan | Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, witnessed the si…
(2026-04-17). Meet Peter Magyar who ended Viktor Orban's 16-yr-rule in Hungary. ummid.com Peter Magyar is the Man of the Hour, after ending the Viktor Mihály Orbán's 16-year-long right-wing rule in Hungary, and probably also the country's tussle with the European Union (EU) and NATO.
(2026-04-17). 100 former US lawmakers have become foreign lobbyists. responsiblestatecraft.org As Pete Hegseth was fighting an uphill battle to be confirmed as the secretary of defense, an experienced politico came running to whip votes: Norm Coleman, a former Republican senator from Minnesota.After
(2026-04-16). The Dam Breaks: Democratic Senators Overwhelmingly Reject Arms Sales to Israel. theintercept.com 
Democratic senators overwhelmingly voted to block bomb and bulldozer sales to Israel on Wednesday, in a reflection of the Jewish state's plummeting stock among party rank-and-file and growing anger over the war with Iran. | The Democratic votes on the pair of resolutions from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., were not enough to overcome universal opposition from Republicans. | "This is where the American people are. The polls are very clear." | Still, the votes represented a watershed moment in the party's relationship with Israel and the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel had continued to enjoy…