On 2025-04-17, a Russian ballistic missile attack in Sumy killed 36 people, including two children, and injured 119. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said that this showed Russian President Vladimir Putin was “mocking” the US’s “goodwill”.

On 2025-04-17, Palestinian Prisoner’s Day was commemorated to highlight the plight of Palestinians held in Israeli jails. As of 2025-04-17, nearly 10,000 Palestinians are held in Israeli jails, including 3,498 without charge or trial, 400 children, and 27 women. Approximately 500 to 700 Palestinian children are detained and prosecuted in the Israeli military court system each year, with 400 currently in Israeli prisons. The number of Palestinian political prisoners has doubled since October 2023, rising from 5,250 to nearly 10,000. Since October 7, Israel has detained about 30,000 Palestinians, releasing just over 2,000 in prisoner exchanges with Hamas.

On 2025-04-16, photojournalist and columnist Fatima Hassouna and eleven of her relatives were killed in an Israeli airstrike on their home in Gaza. Hassouna had been documenting the daily lives of Gazans since October 7, 2023. On 2025-04-17, close to two dozen Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza, according to a report published on the same day.

On 2025-04-17, Iranian and US delegations are set to gather in Rome for a second round of Omani-mediated negotiations, a week after holding their highest-level talks since 2018. This coincided with a visit to Iran by the UN nuclear watchdog chief, Rafael Grossi. The UN nuclear watchdog chief stated that Iran–US nuclear talks are at a 'very crucial stage'.

On 2025-04-17, the Russian Supreme Court validated the removal of the Taliban from the list of terrorist organizations in Russia. Amir Khan Muttaqi thanked Moscow, and Dmitry Zhirnov welcomed the decision.

On 2025-04-17, an Israeli far-right minister called to "open the gates of hell on Hamas" and to "intensify the fighting."

On 2025-04-17, the head of Hamas negotiators stated that the Palestinian Islamist group would only accept a "comprehensive agreement" with Israel.

On 2025-04-17, the United States claimed to have destroyed the Ras Issa port, a strategic location controlled by Houthi rebels in Yemen, targeting the economic sources of Houthi power. Houthi rebels reported 20 deaths, including five rescue workers and paramedics.

On 2025-04-17, Saudi Arabia’s Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman met with Iranian officials in Tehran, conveying a message from Saudi Arabia’s King Salman to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He also met with President Masoud Pezeshkian and Iran’s armed forces chief of staff, Mohammad Bagheri.

On 2025-04-17, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet in Phnom Penh to discuss financial support and potential funding for the Funan Techo Canal.

On 2025-04-17, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated it would disregard United States President Donald Trump’s “tariff numbers game,” after the White House indicated that Chinese exports could face tariffs of up to 245 percent. China’s tariffs on US goods stand at 125 percent, and Beijing has taken non-tariff punitive measures, such as limiting the release of Hollywood films. The WTO said that the volume of global trade is expected to decline by 0.2 percent in 2025 under current conditions.

On April 16, 2025, Kyiv's parliament voted to extend martial law until August 6th, with 357 deputies in favor and one against. The report was published on April 17, 2025.

On April 16, 2025, a series of attacks and claims were reported: A Russian drone attack on Odesa injured three, damaging homes and infrastructure. Russia claimed to have destroyed 26 Ukrainian drones and taken control of Kalynove village in Donetsk region. On 2025-04-17, a large-scale Russian drone attack in Dnipro killed three people, including a young girl, and injured tens of people. Russia claimed to have shot down 71 Ukrainian drones overnight, most targeting the Kursk region. A separate Russian missile attack wounded two people in Izyum.

On April 17, 2025, it was reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will meet to discuss Ukraine and other issues.

On April 17, 2025, it was reported that the Trump administration revised its estimate of US aid to Ukraine to about $100bn and the US and Ukraine reported "substantial progress" in talks on a minerals deal.

On 2025-04-17, two senior Trump administration officials are due to meet in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron and top European diplomats for talks on Ukraine. Moscow has rejected a joint US-Ukrainian proposal for a full and unconditional ceasefire, insisting that key details remain unresolved, while continuing to bomb its neighbour.

On 2025-04-17, the English-language federal leaders' debate took place in Montreal, Canada, featuring leaders from the Liberals, Conservatives, NDP, and Bloc Quebecois. Key topics included the war in Gaza, Canada's support for Ukraine, and potential US annexation of Canada, as well as climate change, economic policies, and crime.

On 2025-04-17, it was reported that Zimbabwean politics are dominated by a power struggle within the ruling ZANU-PF party. President Mnangagwa, in power since 2017, faces pressure to step down ahead of the 2028 elections, with factions supporting either his third term or Vice President Chiwenga's ascendancy. In March 2024, First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa was sanctioned by the US for alleged involvement in illicit diamond and gold networks.

On 2025-04-17, it was reported that Zimbabwe slashed all taxes on US goods and announced compensation payments to white farmers who lost land during expropriation reforms instituted 25 years ago. Farmers accused the Zimbabwean government of overstating compensation amounts and not consulting the majority of farmers, stating that the payments made were a small token, reaching fewer than 10 percent of farmers.

On April 17, 2025, a shooting at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida, resulted in two deaths and six injuries. The suspect, Phoenix Ikner, a 20-year-old student, used a firearm belonging to his mother. The suspect was apprehended and hospitalized.

On 2025-04-17, it was reported that at least four people died in a cable car accident in southern Italy. Near Naples, Italy, a cable car cabin fell, resulting in four deaths. The accident occurred on a telepherique that connects the city of Castellammare di Stabia to Mount Faito.

On April 17, 2025, the World Press Photo winners were announced, including Luis Tato for photos of Kenya’s youth uprising, Jerome Brouillet for a surfer photo, Clarens Siffroy for coverage of Haiti's gang crisis, and Anselmo Cunha for a photo of a stranded Boeing 727-200 in Brazil.

On April 16, 2025, the UK’s Supreme Court ruled that “woman” and “sex” refer to a “biological woman and biological sex” under UK equality laws. The Gender Recognition Panel received 1,397 applications for GRCs in 2023-2024 – a record number. Of those, 1,088 were granted. The report was published on April 17, 2025.

On 2025-04-16, the Commission européenne proposed a legislation to hâter the mise en place du Pacte asile et migration, qui sera effective à partir de juin 2026, en autorisant l’application sans délai de la nouvelle procédure accélérée – trois mois au lieu de six mois – for people whose asylum applications are likely to be unfounded. The Commission européenne proposed that Bangladesh, Colombie, Égypte, Inde, Kosovo, Maroc et Tunisie nationals should have very little chance of being considered refugees if the EU member states and the European Parliament agree in the coming months. The Commission européenne unveiled one of the new features of the pact: a European list of 'safe countries of origin,' whose nationals will be able to have their applications processed more quickly.