Iran War Live Updates: Iran Threatens Retaliation Over U.S. Blockade

Iran’s armed forces said they would attempt to expand their influence over sea lanes beyond the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. military continued to block Iranian shipping.

Published: April 15, 2026, 1:44 pm

Catholicism Thrives in Africa, but Pope’s Cameroon Visit Highlights a Divide

Catholicism is growing fast on the continent, yet Africans play a comparatively small role in church leadership. Cameroon, which Leo XIV will visit Wednesday, shows the disparity.

Published: April 15, 2026, 1:35 pm

How China’s Weapons Transfers to Iran Have Evolved Over Decades

China has denied claims this month by U.S. intelligence that it might have shipped arms to Iran. In recent years, China has supported Iran with dual-use parts.

Published: April 15, 2026, 5:05 am

Dodging Bombs and Drones, This Postman in Ukraine Still Delivers

Oleksiy Klochkovsky has driven mail and parcels around the front line in Ukraine for four years. He keeps one ear tuned for danger from above.

Published: April 15, 2026, 9:02 am

How Peter Magyar Defeated Viktor Orban, a Former Ally, In Hungary’s Election

For years, Peter Magyar was a loyal ally of Viktor Orban, the far-right Hungarian leader. Then he changed sides — and defeated his former boss in a landslide victory on Sunday. Does he represent real change?

Published: April 14, 2026, 11:07 pm

When El Salvador’s Prisoners Are Set Free, She’s There To Pick Them Up

Sugey Amaya’s brother was detained in El Salvador’s mass arrest campaign four years ago. She has devoted her life to helping prisoners like him.

Published: April 15, 2026, 9:02 am

American Streamer Johnny Somali Is Sentenced to Prison in South Korea

Known for desecrating a monument to victims of sexual slavery, the former YouTuber was convicted on multiple charges and given a six-month sentence.

Published: April 15, 2026, 11:32 am

At Least 4 Dead in Second School Shooting in Turkey in 2 Days

The attack, in the southern province of Kahramanmaras, left 20 others wounded.

Published: April 15, 2026, 12:45 pm

Super Typhoon Sinlaku Slams Saipan, Causing Widespread Damage

But there were no early reports of casualties from the storm, which was named Sinlaku and was moving northwest of the region.

Published: April 15, 2026, 6:56 am

Ship ‘Spoofing’ in Strait of Hormuz May Compound Confusion

A new pattern of deceptive activity by some vessels around the critical waterway suggests the new American blockade is changing how some ships linked to Iran are behaving.

Published: April 15, 2026, 12:15 pm

As War Chills Economy, Dubai’s Most Vulnerable Bear the Cost

Migrant workers in the United Arab Emirates, whose hospitality industry has been hit hard by the war with Iran, are facing furloughs, pay cuts and even repatriation.

Published: April 14, 2026, 9:00 am

Mark Carney Seals a Majority Government and Remakes Canada’s Liberal Party

The rising star in global centrist politics has secured a majority in the Canadian Parliament. Critics are crying foul.

Published: April 15, 2026, 2:40 am

As Bahrain Cracked Down Amid War, a Death in Custody Sparked Outrage

The body of a man accused of spying for Iran, Mohammed al-Mousawi, showed signs of torture, witnesses said. The U.N. has called for an investigation.

Published: April 14, 2026, 9:01 am

Benin’s Romuald Wadagni Poised to Win Presidential Election

Romuald Wadagni received 94 percent of the vote, according to provisional results. He faces the challenge of a growing jihadist insurgency in the region.

Published: April 14, 2026, 6:10 pm

Kanye West Postpones Concert in France as Government Considers Banning It

The rapper formerly known as Kanye West had been scheduled to perform in Marseille, France, in June. The city’s mayor had said he did not want it to be “a showcase for those who promote hatred.”

Published: April 15, 2026, 11:39 am

As talks begin, U.S. applies little pressure to Israel to stop the fighting in Lebanon.

Despite hailing the negotiations as a “historic milestone,” Washington did not call for a halt to Israeli strikes or for a withdrawal from Lebanese territory.

Published: April 15, 2026, 11:15 am

Here’s the latest.

Published: April 15, 2026, 12:32 pm

How a Times Reporter Has Covered a Turbulent Period in Latin America

Frances Robles, an international correspondent for The New York Times, has reported on the region for more than 25 years.

Published: April 15, 2026, 7:00 am

Rubio Hosts Israel and Lebanon for Rare Meeting Shadowed by U.S.-Iran War

The gathering ended with encouraging words, even as Israel continued to refuse to halt its military campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Published: April 15, 2026, 12:52 am

Trump’s Blockade Risks Upending an Emerging Détente With China

In a thinly veiled critique of the war in Iran, China’s leader said the world could not risk reverting “to the law of the jungle.”

Published: April 15, 2026, 1:49 am

Carney Suspends Gas Tax in Canada as War Drives Up Fuel Costs

The prime minister said that his government was also investing in ways to boost oil and gas production.

Published: April 14, 2026, 10:00 pm

Trump Says 2nd Round of U.S.-Iran Talks Could Take Place This Week

The president did not say who would represent the United States in a potential next round of direct talks, though he ruled out being personally involved.

Published: April 15, 2026, 12:35 am

Mario Ríos Montt, Bishop and Brother of Genocidal General, Dies at 94

In Guatemala, he led the Catholic Church’s human rights office. His brother, a dictator who took power in a coup, was convicted of crimes against humanity.

Published: April 14, 2026, 9:32 pm

Rare Direct Talks Between Israel and Lebanon Focus on Hezbollah

A meeting between Israeli and Lebanese officials in Washington came as the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports entered its second day.

Published: April 14, 2026, 11:40 pm

Hungary’s Populist Paradox

We look at what Viktor Orban’s defeat tells us about a model of government in which politics are more important than the economy.

Published: April 15, 2026, 4:56 am

King Charles III and Queen Camilla Will Visit D.C., New York and Virginia

The planned four-day state visit comes at a fraught time in the U.S.-U.K. relationship, following President Trump’s frequent belittling of the British prime minister.

Published: April 14, 2026, 9:00 pm

Israel’s Spy Chief Addresses Criticism About the War With Iran

The Mossad head said Israel’s mission would not be complete until the Iranian regime was replaced, after criticism that the war has left Iran’s theocratic government in place.

Published: April 14, 2026, 8:07 pm

Russian Oil Revenues Nearly Doubled in March

The surge in revenue provided a critical lifeline for Moscow, which has struggled to fund the war in Ukraine amid record-high deficits.

Published: April 14, 2026, 7:02 pm

Italy Suspends Defense Pact With Israel, Further Straining Ties

The move by Italy, once considered a strong ally of Israel, reflected growing anger over Israeli aggression in the Middle East. President Trump criticized Italy’s stance on the war.

Published: April 15, 2026, 2:57 am

China Offers Veiled Criticism of U.S. as Iran War Threatens Oil Imports

China’s leader, Xi Jinping, said that the world cannot risk reverting “to the law of the jungle.” Beijing has taken a more active role diplomatically as the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz persists.

Published: April 15, 2026, 1:45 am

Middle East War Will Slow Global Economic Growth, I.M.F. Warns

The conflict could also fuel another bout of inflation, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Published: April 14, 2026, 1:50 pm

State of U.S. Blockade Is Unclear as Some Ships Transit Strait of Hormuz

Ship-tracking data showed that several vessels, including some that had been docked at Iranian ports, had moved through the strait as the U.S. military began its blockade.

Published: April 14, 2026, 6:03 pm

Will Viktor Orban’s Legacy Live On in Brussels, Even Without Him?

Viktor Orban, Hungary’s newly ousted prime minister, helped to finance a Brussels think tank that pushes his populist vision. It will outlast him, at least for a while.

Published: April 14, 2026, 7:59 pm

Ex-Student Wounds 16 in High School Shooting in Turkey

Officials said the teenage attacker killed himself when cornered by the police. The authorities are investigating possible motives.

Published: April 14, 2026, 3:19 pm

In Leo, Trump Faces a Different Kind of Papal Opponent

Unlike his predecessor, Pope Leo XIV enjoys growing support from a broad swath of conservative Catholics.

Published: April 14, 2026, 9:05 am

Trump’s Latest Oil Blockade Brings Bigger Economic Risks

Oil markets shrugged it off, but the effort to hurt Iran could provoke retaliation that inflicts more damage on energy assets and the global economy.

Published: April 14, 2026, 7:23 pm

What Happened After Denmark Adopted a Ruined City in Ukraine

The Danish government has contributed more than $250 million to Mykolaiv, as the Trump administration pushes a more business-focused plan.

Published: April 14, 2026, 12:23 pm

Europe Is Desperate for More Energy. Can Norway Come to the Rescue?

The war in Iran has once again exposed Europe’s energy vulnerability. A friendly source at home would seem to be ideal. But it’s not that easy.

Published: April 15, 2026, 10:45 am

Israel and Lebanon Seek Way Forward in Rare Direct Talks

The talks, set for Tuesday in Washington, were not expected to produce an immediate breakthrough in the war between Hezbollah and Israel.

Published: April 14, 2026, 2:44 pm

Here’s the latest.

Published: April 15, 2026, 1:02 am

Northern Mariana Islands, Guam On Alert for ‘Extremely Dangerous’ Super Typhoon Sinlaku

The storm, named Sinlaku, was expected to make landfall on Tuesday evening in Tinian and Saipan, where tens of thousands of people were urged to shelter in place.

Published: April 14, 2026, 7:39 am

With Algeria Visit, Pope Leo Returns to His Augustinian Roots

Some theologians say the pontiff’s understanding of Augustine’s teachings helped inform his response to President Trump’s negative comments about him.

Published: April 14, 2026, 5:08 pm

The Venezuela Model

President Trump calls the removal of Nicolás Maduro “the perfect scenario.” But not everything is going right for the U.S. in Venezuela.

Published: April 14, 2026, 12:20 pm

Two Iran-Linked Ships Passed Through Strait of Hormuz Ahead of U.S. Blockade

The vessels exited the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, hours before a U.S. naval blockade took effect.

Published: April 14, 2026, 1:53 pm

How Orban Lost His Touch, and Hungary’s Election

The election defeat for Prime Minister Viktor Orban is less the result of an ideological shift in Hungary, and more the playing out of a fundamental rule of politics.

Published: April 14, 2026, 4:35 am

A Progressive Group Rolls Out a Campus Competitor to Turning Point

More Perfect Union, a left-wing media organization, hopes to win back young voters and build a new generation of college influencers with its More Perfect University program.

Published: April 15, 2026, 9:04 am

Sister Mary Kay and the Waning Days of the Sisters of Charity

An influential order of nuns decided to complete its mission when the last sister dies. The only question left is how to finish well.

Published: April 15, 2026, 9:02 am

Vivek Ramaswamy’s Ohio Governor Bid: Can He Win Over Voters?

Vivek Ramaswamy has all but cleared the field ahead of the May primary for Ohio governor, but whether a finance and pharma billionaire is the man for the moment is another question.

Published: April 15, 2026, 9:01 am

Prosecutors Make Surprise Visit to Fed as Pirro Defends Investigation

The Justice Department’s criminal inquiry into the Federal Reserve threatens to delay the confirmation of the next chair.

Published: April 15, 2026, 2:45 am

JD Vance Heckled In Antiwar Protest at Turning Point USA Event

Vice President JD Vance appeared to express sympathy with critics of the war with Iran: “I recognize that young voters do not love the policy we have in the Middle East, OK. I understand.”

Published: April 15, 2026, 8:47 am

Vance Says Pope Leo Should Be More Careful When Talking About Theology

The vice president, who is Catholic, took issue with Pope Leo XIV’s statement that disciples of Christ are “never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs.”

Published: April 15, 2026, 8:48 am

Rubio Hosts Israel and Lebanon for Rare Meeting Shadowed by U.S.-Iran War

The gathering ended with encouraging words, even as Israel continued to refuse to halt its military campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Published: April 15, 2026, 12:52 am

House Passes Air Safety Bill, Setting Up Clash with Senate

Senate leaders say key provisions fall short of what is necessary to prevent aircraft from midair collisions.

Published: April 15, 2026, 12:44 am

Swalwell’s Exit Injects ‘Chaos’ Into California Governor’s Race

Democratic candidates see sudden voter interest in the sleepy contest as a campaign opportunity. All are scrambling for support from former backers of Eric Swalwell.

Published: April 15, 2026, 3:27 am

Captains of Boat That Capsized Near San Diego Plead Guilty to 4 Deaths

The boat was carrying 19 migrants from Mexico to Southern California when it overturned in May 2025, the authorities said. Two of the victims were children.

Published: April 15, 2026, 12:44 am

Trump’s Blockade Risks Upending an Emerging Détente With China

In a thinly veiled critique of the war in Iran, China’s leader said the world could not risk reverting “to the law of the jungle.”

Published: April 15, 2026, 1:49 am

Pentagon Says It Attacked Another Boat in the Pacific, Killing 4

It was the second strike in two days, in a campaign against those the United States accuses of drug smuggling.

Published: April 15, 2026, 12:10 am

Gallego Dismissed Rumors of a ‘Flirty’ Swalwell, Highlighting a Culture of Silence

The admission by Senator Ruben Gallego that he had heard, but disbelieved, rumors about Eric Swalwell and women showed the attitude on Capitol Hill toward men accused of behaving badly.

Published: April 15, 2026, 1:22 am

Surgeon Who Removed Wrong Organ From Patient Is Charged in His Death

Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky tried to persuade his colleagues in the operating room that the liver he removed from a 70-year-old patient was a spleen, according to Florida’s Health Department.

Published: April 15, 2026, 12:22 am

Justice Dept. Moves to Vacate Jan. 6 Convictions for Far-Right Extremists

Defending the convictions would likely have required administration officials to assert that far-right groups were acting on behalf of President Trump on Jan. 6, 2021.

Published: April 14, 2026, 10:08 pm

Former U.C.L.A. Gynecologist Is Sentenced to 11 Years for Sexual Abuse

James M. Heaps pleaded guilty on Tuesday to sexually abusing patients, sparing them from having to testify at another trial after his conviction was overturned in February.

Published: April 14, 2026, 9:34 pm

Hampshire College Will Close Amid Student Enrollment Declines

Other small private colleges like Hampshire have closed in recent years as financial pressures and competition for students increase.

Published: April 14, 2026, 11:51 pm

Resignations of Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales Set Up Special Election Fights in Texas and California

Gov. Gavin Newsom of California called a special election to replace Mr. Swalwell, while Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas had yet to announce one for Mr. Gonzales’s successor.

Published: April 14, 2026, 11:50 pm

51 Percent of Americans Think Trump’s Military Action in Iran Has Not Been Worthwhile

A survey from Ipsos and Reuters, released on Tuesday, found few Americans — 24 percent — think the war in Iran has been worth the costs and benefits.

Published: April 14, 2026, 10:08 pm

A New Accuser Says Eric Swalwell Sexually Assaulted Her

The woman said Mr. Swalwell, who resigned from Congress on Tuesday afternoon, raped her in a West Hollywood hotel room in 2018. She said she believed she was drugged.

Published: April 14, 2026, 11:34 pm

Camp Mystic Hearing in Texas Weighs Reopening After Deadly Flooding

Testimony at a hearing this week has focused on what camp leaders knew and did as floodwaters rose in July, killing at least 116 people.

Published: April 14, 2026, 8:05 pm

Ishmael Jaffree, Who Won Case Rejecting School Prayer, Is Dead at 80

An Alabama parent, he objected to prayer in his children’s classrooms. The Supreme Court ruled for him, a high-water mark in the push for the strict separation of church and state.

Published: April 15, 2026, 4:15 am

Appeals Court Ends Contempt Inquiry Into Trump Administration’s Deportation Flights

A federal judge’s nearly yearlong effort to investigate whether the Trump administration had violated his order had become a point of contention in the president’s battles with the courts.

Published: April 14, 2026, 6:06 pm

Maryland Governor and State Democrats Fail in Redistricting Effort

State Democrats butted heads over a gerrymandering plan that could have eliminated the state’s lone Republican seat in the U.S. House.

Published: April 14, 2026, 7:16 pm

Trump Administration Accuses Biden DOJ of Unfairly Prosecuting Anti-Abortion Activists

The report is part of the president’s effort to claim anti-conservative and anti-Christian biases in federal law enforcement, even as he pushes to wield the legal system against his political enemies.

Published: April 14, 2026, 6:09 pm

Texas A&M Picks an Insider for President After Months of Conflict

Debates over how to teach about gender, sexuality and other topics have shaken the school, and led to the ouster of the previous president at the College Station campus last summer.

Published: April 15, 2026, 1:12 pm

House Republicans Step Up Scrutiny of Democratic Fund-Raising Giant

Three Republican-led committees, responding to a New York Times report this month, accused ActBlue of withholding documents from a subpoena request.

Published: April 14, 2026, 8:08 pm

Virginia Governor Ends Tax Breaks for Confederate Groups

The new law signed by Gov. Abigail Spanberger is the culmination of a long, Democrat-led push to distance Virginia from its Confederate past.

Published: April 14, 2026, 8:30 pm