On April 17, 2025, Palestinian Prisoner’s Day is commemorated, highlighting the plight of Palestinians in Israeli jails. As of this date, nearly 10,000 Palestinians are held, including 3,498 without charge, 400 children, 27 women, and 299 serving life sentences; Israel detains 500-700 Palestinian children annually, with 400 currently imprisoned, often for stone-throwing.

On April 16, 2025, Ukraine's parliament extended martial law and military mobilization for another three months, until at least August 6, with a 357-1 vote for martial law extension and a 356-1 vote for troop mobilization.

On April 16, 2025, Defence Minister Israel Katz reiterated Israel’s policy of blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza as a pressure tactic against Hamas. Mediated ceasefire efforts have reached a “dead end,” with Israel seeking a temporary ceasefire in exchange for aid. At least 51,000 people, mostly children and women, have been killed in Israeli attacks since October 2023. US envoy Adam Boehler stated that the Gaza fighting would end immediately if Hamas releases all remaining captives.

On April 16, 2025, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell stated that cutting domestic discretionary spending will not solve the U.S. debt problem and politicians are addressing the US debt problem ineffectively. He added that politicians must address spending on Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and interest payments, requiring bipartisan cooperation. President Donald Trump has pledged not to cut health and social welfare programs, planning instead to use revenue from tariffs. The U.S. had a $1.31 trillion budget deficit in the first six months of fiscal 2025, a 23% increase from the previous year.

On April 17, 2025, China's commerce ministry urged the United States to stop putting "extreme pressure" on the world's second-largest economy and demanded respect in any trade talks.

On April 16, 2025, overnight Russian drone attacks on Odesa injured three and damaged infrastructure. Separately, air and artillery attacks killed at least one person in Kherson, according to Ukrainian officials.

On April 16, 2025, Iran confirmed that its next round of nuclear talks with the United States this weekend will be held in Rome. Rafael Grossi, head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog, also arrived in Tehran on Wednesday for talks, and Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned the US about taking contradictory stances in the talks regarding Iran's uranium enrichment levels.

On April 17, 2025, Saudi defense minister arrived in Tehran ahead of Iran-US talks.

On April 16, 2025, the Russian military accused Ukraine of six attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure, despite a mutually-agreed moratorium. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused Kyiv of trying to “preserve its unstable structure” in reaction to the martial law extension.

On April 17, 2025, the Czech Republic became fully independent of Russian oil, according to the government.

On April 16, 2025, the US sued Maine over its policy on transgender athletes, alleging Title IX violations, following the Trump administration's executive order banning transgender athletes from women's sports. The US Department of Agriculture froze Maine's school lunch funding, and the Department of Education cut off $250 million in K-12 public education funds, citing Title IX violations.

On April 14, 2025, the Trump White House defied a court order to restore the Associated Press' access to White House press events, despite a previous ruling; the news was published on April 16, 2025.

On April 16, 2025, a judge found the Trump administration disregarded an order on Venezuelan deportations and could face contempt charges.

On April 16, 2025, Republican U.S. Representative Elise Stefanik is considering running for governor of New York in 2026, potentially challenging Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul. In 2025, Stefanik was President Donald Trump's pick for US ambassador to the United Nations before the White House withdrew her nomination.

On April 16, 2025, former New York City police sergeant Michael McMahon was sentenced to 1-1/2 years in prison for acting as an illegal Chinese agent, convicted of interstate stalking and acting as an agent of China without notifying the U.S. attorney general.

On April 16, 2025, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service proposed to rescind the definition of "harm" included in their ESA regulations. The Trump administration also proposed removing regulatory language that seeks to prevent the degradation of threatened species' habitats.

On April 16, 2025, nearly 50 House Democrats sent a letter to the Trump administration expressing concerns about the unauthorized use of AI by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), citing potential security risks, conflicts of interest, and questioning the use of technology from Elon Musk's xAI.

On April 16, 2025, the US State Department is closing an office aimed at countering foreign disinformation.

On April 16, 2025, the Trump administration scrapped a government-imposed $8 limit on most credit card late fees, which the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau had adopted last year to save households $10 billion annually. A federal judge in Texas vacated the fee limit at the joint request of the banks and the consumer bureau, now under the leadership of Russell T. Vought. Banks celebrated the victory, while consumer advocates warned that the decision will allow big banks to exploit consumers to the tune of $10 billion annually.

On April 16, 2025, California filed a lawsuit to block U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs on foreign trading partners, accusing him of abusing his powers and inflicting financial harm. Trump imposed 10% tariffs on goods from all countries and a 145% tariff on China, with China retaliating with a 125% tariff against the U.S. The Trump administration faces three similar lawsuits, and legal experts question the tariffs' legal ground.

On April 16, 2025, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur to strengthen trade ties, marking a "new golden era" after the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties, announcing new cooperation in fields including artificial intelligence. Xi Jinping's visit to Malaysia is part of a regional diplomatic tour amid US tariffs, with Malaysia hit with a 24 percent tariff, Vietnam with 46 percent, and Cambodia with 49 percent. Xi’s next trip will be to Cambodia.