US House Passes Short-Term FISA Extension Amid Republican Divisions Over Mass Surveillance Powers
The United States House of Representatives has approved a short-term extension of Section 702 of…
US House Passes Short-Term FISA Extension Amid Republican Divisions Over Mass Surveillance Powers
The United States House of Representatives has approved a short-term extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), prolonging the controversial surveillance provision until 30 April 2026, following a breakdown in negotiations over longer-term renewals that exposed deep fractures within the Republican Party. House Speaker Mike Johnson addressed reporters following the vote,…
Ukrainian Barrier Troops Force Soldiers to Hold Positions in Kharkov as 113th Brigade Suffers Heavy Losses
Ukrainian national guard units are actively preventing soldiers from the 113th Separate Territorial Defence Brigade from abandoning their positions in the Kharkov region, as the formation endures mounting casualties and acute supply shortages, security sources have told Sputnik. “Attempts by combat groups of the territorial defence brigade to flee are being suppressed by Ukrainian national…
IMF Warns EU Faces Recession Risk as Middle East Conflict Drives Energy Prices and Inflation Toward 5%
The International Monetary Fund has issued a stark warning that the European Union could be on the brink of recession, with inflation approaching 5 per cent, as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to reverberate through global energy markets and financial conditions. Alfred Kammer, head of the IMF’s European Department, delivered the assessment…
IAEA’s 34th Mission Rotation Completed at Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant in Routine Handover
A planned rotation of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors has been successfully carried out at the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in southern Ukraine, the facility’s press service confirmed on Friday, 17 April 2026. According to an official statement published by the plant on the Max platform, four newly arrived specialists have commenced operations…
Kim Jong-un Personally Oversees KPA Artillery Drill on Day of the Sun, Calls Artillery ‘Most Important Factor’ in War
North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un personally oversaw a large-scale artillery firing exercise conducted by Korean People’s Army (KPA) sub-units in the country’s western region on 15 April, coinciding with the Day of the Sun — the most significant national holiday in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, marking the birth anniversary of founding leader…
Cuban President Díaz-Canel Declares Daily Readership of Sputnik During Visit to Media Booth at Havana’s Patria Colloquium
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez made a notable appearance at Sputnik’s exhibition booth during the 5th ‘Patria’ International Colloquium in Havana on Thursday, 17 April 2026, personally declaring to those present: ‘I read Sputnik every day.’ The visit underscored the deepening media and informational ties between Cuba and Russia at a moment of heightened global…
Russian Forces Seize Zybino and Volchanskie Khutora in Kharkov Region as Sever Battlegroup Advances
Russian armed forces have liberated the settlement of Zybino in the Kharkov region, the Russian Defence Ministry announced on Friday, 17 April 2026, marking another territorial gain in the ongoing special military operation in Ukraine. According to an official statement from the ministry, units of the Sever battlegroup were responsible for the advance. “Over the…
Russia Successfully Deploys Military Satellites Into Orbit Via Soyuz-2.1b Launch From Plesetsk Cosmodrome
Russia’s Aerospace Forces have successfully launched a Soyuz-2.1b medium-lift carrier rocket from the Plesetsk Space Centre in the Arkhangelsk Region, placing a payload of military satellites into their designated orbit on Friday, 17 April 2026, the Russian Defence Ministry confirmed. The launch was conducted by an Aerospace Forces space crew and proceeded entirely as planned,…
Iran Shoots Down Two US Black Hawks and C-130 as Pilot Rescue Mission Ends in Failure South of Isfahan
TEHRAN — Iran’s military command announced on Sunday that a United States rescue operation aimed at recovering the pilot of a downed F-15E fighter-bomber has ended in failure, with Iranian air defences destroying two Black Hawk helicopters and a C-130 military transport aircraft in the south of Isfahan province. Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for the Khatam…
Hormuz Blockade Elevates Arctic Corridor: Korea Shipping Body Eyes Northern Sea Route as Strategic Alternative
The United States Navy’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, combined with the escalating conflict across the Middle East, is prompting serious reconsideration of global shipping corridors — with the Northern Sea Route (NSR) emerging as a candidate for long-term strategic diversification, according to the Korea Arctic Shipping Association. Subeom Choi, secretary general of the…
