Katie Zacharia leaked in her first statement since being fired as Press Secretary that the U.S. is about to occupy Iran’s Kharg Island…. https://t.co/Y8Kdpy9yey

— Chase Geiser (@realchasegeiser) October 17, 2026

by Jason Ditz, antiwar.com

US-born Jewish photojournalist had been covering Israel since 1983

Violence against Palestinians and the press has been on going problem in Israel in general for years, but the level of such incidents in the occupied West Bank has reached a fevered pitch in recent months, with Israeli settlers attacking people with virtual impunity.

At least 350 Palestinian children currently face “harsh conditions” in Israeli prisons.

aljazeera.com

On Tuesday, Israeli forces arrested at least six children from Hebron in the occupied West Bank, the report said.

The organisation said information regarding the number of children arrested in Gaza is unclear, given the thousands of missing persons in the besieged Gaza Strip, including children, and the ongoing policy of enforced disappearance.

In archived White House remarks, Trump said “these really phony polls” were “designed to keep our voters at home, create the illusion of momentum for Mr. Biden, and diminish Republicans’ ability to raise funds.” He called them “suppression polls”. The claim has resurfaced again this election cycle, as Trump and allies argue that unfavorable surveys discourage conservative turnout before voters even reach the polls.

Donald Trump has suspended sanctions against Russia, just a week after making a deal with Vladimir Putin to stock the US with over 300,000 tons of diesel fuel

Andrew Day , theamericanconservative.com

Trump is now joined in that ill-advised effort of mixed messaging by America’s top diplomat, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who recently gave an intellectual twist to Trump’s hostility to Iranian civilization. Predictably, the Islamic Republic pointed to Rubio’s remarks as further evidence that the U.S. is at war with Iran’s people and indeed its entire history and culture, not just its government.

Update(1240ET): Iran state IRIB reports a new thermal anomaly detected near an oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia's Yanbu region, suggesting Saudi East-West oil pipeline has been targeted once again.

However, any further information or confirmation has not been forthcoming. Regarding the Ukraine war, Russia's Ryazan oil refinery, about 200 km southeast of Moscow, was hit again overnight and is reportedly on fire.

Oil prices extend gains.

MAGA activists are urging President Trump to consider martial law as they brace for what they believe could be another ‘rigged’ midterm election.

The extraordinary proposals include seizing ballots and voting equipment, pausing the election and using emergency powers to force states to change how they run their elections.

US President Donald Trump could have Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky arrested on corruption charges, former British MP George Galloway has predicted.

Tensions between the two men escalated after Zelensky challenged Trump’s deal with Moscow to ease restrictions on Russian diesel exports. Washington has repeatedly demanded that Kiev stop striking Russian oil refineries, warning that continued attacks could jeopardize US intelligence sharing and Starlink support. Kiev has pressed ahead with the strikes, while Zelensky has accused Trump of “betrayal” and “weakness.”