(2026-04-18). US-Iran conflict: Iran threatens Hormuz closure amid Trump's blockade warning, says '7 claims, all false'. ptcnews.tv PTC News Desk: Iran's Parliament Speaker, Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf warned US President Donald Trump of closing Strait of Hormuz after if the US continues its naval blockade, shortly after the US President said the blockade will remain in "full force". | Qalibaf said that decisions about the strait and its rules will depend on what actually happens on the ground, not on statements made on social media. His comment comes as US and Iranian officials continue to exchange messages online, often making important announcements there. | He also said that media influence and public opinion are important in this conflict,…
(2026-04-18). Trump sees 'good news' on Iran, still threatens renewed strikes. tribune.com.pk 
US President Donald Trump said there had been "some pretty good news" about Iran, suggesting optimism about peace talks to end the war in the Middle East, but he said a ceasefire in the conflict may not be extended without a deal by Wednesday. | Iran, hours earlier, had temporarily reopened the Strait of Hormuz following a separate US-brokered ceasefire agreement by Israel and Lebanon. But subsequent statements from both sides left uncertainty over how quickly shipping might return to normal through the global oil choke point. | Trump, speaking on Air Force One late on Friday, declined to elaborate on what the…
(2026-04-18). Israel's long history of stoking sectarian tensions in Lebanon, and what it means for the ceasefire. mondoweiss.net 
Netanyahu may have been "coerced" by Trump into a ceasefire with Lebanon, but this won't stop Israel from following a well-worn playbook: exploit sectarian divisions to weaken or disarm resistance while entrenching Israeli expansionism.
(2026-04-18). 10-day ceasefire between Israel, Lebanon goes into effect. ecns.cn A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon took effect at midnight between Thursday and Friday local time (2100 GMT), following an earlier announcement by US President Donald Trump.
(2026-04-18). Trump: Iran truce ends if no deal reached by Wednesday, U.S. may dropping bombs. haaretz.com
(2026-04-18). Outrage as Trump disguises himself as Jesus Christ, mocks Pope. ummid.com A massive outrage erupted on Sunday April 12, 2026 — the Orthodox Easter Day, after U.S. President Donald Trump disguised himself as Jesus Christ and mocked Pope Leo XIV.
(2026-04-18). Trump-Vatican feud escalates? Pope Leo's brother 'threatened' with bomb scare near his US residence. hindustantimes.com
(2026-04-18). Trump is blustering as usual but in reality praying for Iran peace deal. asiapacificreport.nz COMMENTARY: By Lim Tean Many American apologists cannot see the forest for the trees and think that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz represents a huge win for the United States and that Iran has caved in. Wrong. When the Iran ceasefire was first announced by US President Donald Trump on April 8, it…
(2026-04-18). Trump announces complete blockade of Strait of Hormuz. ummid.com U.S. President Donald Trump Sunday April 12, 2026 announced complete blockade of Strait of Hormuz, hours after Pakistan mediated talks between Iran and the United States collapsed.
(2026-04-18). New Zealand defends military patrol flight near China. tribune.com.pk 
New Zealand on Saturday defended the actions of a military patrol aircraft flight near China after Beijing said it had undermined its security interests. | China's foreign ministry said on Friday that a New Zealand P-8A patrol aircraft had "conducted continuous close-in reconnaissance and harassment in the airspace and waters of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea". | "The action undermined China's security interests, increased risks of misunderstanding and miscalculation, and gravely disrupted the order of civil aviation," spokesperson Guo Jiakun said, according to an official transcript. | Read: Trump sees "go…
(2026-04-18). Susan Watkins: Trump Abroad. newleftreview.org In which direction is America heading, amid the strategic cacophony of Trump's second term—counter-revolution in the Caribbean, onslaught on Iran, somersaults on China? Analysis of the political logics at stake as the US ratchets up from covert to overt assassinations; from wars of attrition to wars of overthrow.
(2026-04-18). Trump lied? Oil shortage hits US amid Iran war: This state's gasoline stock falls to lowest ever… hindustantimes.com California fuel stocks have plunged to record lows as the Iran war triggers an oil shock across the U.S. With gas prices soaring, a Hormuz blockade causing disruption, and Trump claiming victory, Americans are facing rising costs and new uncertainty. Could this become a full-blown energy crisis?
(2026-04-18). Texas Doctor Who Led Measles Response Joins CDC Under RFK Jr. truthout.org Dr. Jennifer Shuford, head of Texas' public health agency, has been tapped to serve as chief medical officer at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. President Donald Trump included Shuford among a slate of proposed leaders for the federal agency, Trump said in a Truth Social post on Thursday. Trump's other executive appointments include: Dr. Erica Schwartz as CDC director… |
(2026-04-18). Rohana Kuddus: Prabowo's Year One. newleftreview.org A critical-analytical portrait of Southeast Asia's answer to Trump, as the Indonesian President—formerly the Suharto dictatorship's crown prince and chief butcher in East Timor—re-centralizes power in the archipelago, strengthening the Army's place within the civil administration.
(2026-04-18). Nausicaa Renner: Party and Class. newleftreview.org Nausicaa Renner on Paul Heideman, Rogue Elephant. Hollowed-out parties and capitalist sectoralization said to underlie the Trumpian capture of the GOP.
(2026-04-18). The "cake" being pushed in front of Xi is getting bigger and bigger. moderndiplomacy.eu The smartest thing Trump can do for the United States is to adopt a "cake-sharing" strategy to cope with the arrival of a multipolar era. He wants to ensure that America still gets the largest slice of the cake, with its power base rooted in traditional energy—oil and natural gas. This aligns well with "Cold …
(2026-04-18). US court lets Trump resume work on US$400 million White House ballroom — for now. scmp.com A US appeals court allowed President Donald ‚Å Trump's administration on ‚Å Friday night to continue construction ‚Å of a US$400 million ballroom on the site of the White House's demolished East Wing, setting a June hearing to review a Washington judge's order halting the project. | An order by a three-judge ‚Äåpanel of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit put the lower court's preliminary injunction on hold for now, giving the panel time to consider the US Justice Department's…
(2026-04-18). Trump Order Halts Legal Aid for Migrant Youth as Colleges Partner With ICE. truthout.org She was beginning her spring semester as a second-year law student and paralegal when she received the news: The immigration clinic where she volunteered would have to stop all work, a demand directly from the Trump administration. The White House issued a stop-work order on Feb. 18, 2025, cutting off aid to federally funded unaccompanied children programs (UCPs) across the U.S. The programs… |
(2026-04-18). Trump's foe starts new war? While world watches Iran, China quietly repositions for Taiwan conflict. hindustantimes.com China is quietly changing the game while the world is distracted. As Donald Trump doubles down on Iran, a different story is unfolding thousands of miles away, one that could reshape the balance of power in Asia. Is Beijing using this moment to redraw its Taiwan strategy? And more importantly, is this about war… or something far more calculated? For years, the assumption was simple: China would move on Taiwan when it was militarily ready. But what if that timeline is no longer the point? What if Beijing is now betting on politics, pressure, and patience instead of pure force? As tensions rise with Japan, warnin…
(2026-04-18). Trump administration continues torment of El Gamal family as detained mother remains in severe pain. wsws.org Hayam El Gamal, mother of five children, was taken to the emergency room earlier this month after repeated medical complaints were ignored at the Dilley detention camp.
(2026-04-17). 'Enough Is Enough': Trump Tells Israel to Halt Attacks on Lebanon. news.antiwar.com President Donald Trump instructed Israel to halt its attacks on Lebanon. Iran said the truce with Lebanon was the reason it elected to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. "Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer. They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A. Enough is enough!!!" Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday. …
(2026-04-17). Drone Kills Lebanon Man Minutes After Trump Said Israel Prohibited From Striking. news.antiwar.com President Trump declared on Friday, shortly after the start of the Israel-Lebanon 10-day ceasefire, that Israel was absolutely "PROHIBITED" by the United States from carrying out any strikes on Lebanon because "Enough is enough!!!" Mere minutes after that declaration was posted on social media, the first strike was reported. An Israeli drone in Beit Yahoun, …
(2026-04-17). The Strait Of Hormuz Is Kinda Sorta Open: Let Me Explain. newsone.com 
Source: TOM NICHOLSON / Getty | The ongoing war in Iran can only be described as an absolute s—tshow. The conflict was started under dubious pretenses, and President Donald Trump seemingly keeps saying the war will end within two-to-three weeks every two to three weeks. There is some slight hope on the horizon as Iran has announced that the Strait of Hormuz is open. |
(2026-04-17). Iran Announces Full Reopening Of Strait Of Hormuz. popularresistance.org The Islamic Republic of Iran announced on 17 April the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, following the fulfillment of its condition for a complete cessation of hostilities in Lebanon. | "In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire, on the coordinated route as already announced by Ports and Maritime Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a statement on Friday afternoon. | US President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social plat…
(2026-04-17). China steps up Iran diplomacy while seeking smooth summit with Trump. tribune.com.pk 
China is accelerating its efforts to end the Iran war, walking a diplomatic tightrope as it prepares for a summit next month with US President Donald Trump while trying not to alienate Tehran. | President Xi Jinping's mid-May meeting with Trump is shaping Beijing's approach to the Middle East conflict even as the world's top crude oil importer, reliant on the Middle East for half its fuel, seeks to safeguard its energy supplies, analysts say. | China's modulated approach to the war has protected its back-channel leverage enough that Trump credited Beijing with helping to get Iran to last weekend's peace talks…
(2026-04-17). Bill Clinton: Is He a Lifetime Supporter of a CIA Dictatorship? indybay.org The Wikipedia article on Bill Clinton with in parenthesis what the article proves and what other sources have said, making it appear Bill Clinton is a lifetime supporter of turning America into the same dictatorship Donald Trump wants.
(2026-04-17). Saturday 4/25: Attack on BirthrightCitizenship:Trump,SupremeCourt &Poetry Carved Into Angel Islands Walls. indybay.org Revolution Books | 2444 Durant Ave. | Berkeley, CA…
(2026-04-17). The Most Dangerous Climate Argument Today Isn't Denial, It's Delay. scheerpost.com By Dr. Joakim Kulin and Dr. Ekaterina Rhodes , DeSmog. Belief in climate change is rising, but action stalls. New research reveals how subtle narratives are slowing policy — and how to fight back. Under Donald Trump's renewed push to expand fossil fuel production — including plans to ramp up oil and gas drilling and roll …