A Challenge in the U.S.-Iran Talks: Both Sides Demand Victory

Washington and Tehran would need to defend any potential deal as a win for their side. And each has a leader whose approach to talks is vexing mediators.A rally in Tehran on Monday after Iran and Israel exchanged fire.

E Erika Solomon, Farnaz Fassihi and Tyler Pager

Trump Wants to Call the Shots. But in Iran, He Keeps Hitting His Limits.

President Trump is grappling with his own version of the sort of Middle East crisis that beset his predecessors, and that he promised to avoid.President Trump insists that he has not violated his campaign pledge to avoid “endless wars,” even though a conflict he called “a little excursion” in March

A Anton Troianovski

Trump Previews Fall Strategy With Baseless Claims of California Vote Fraud

The president is using the slow count of mail ballots in California to renew his effort to cast doubt on election outcomes he doesn’t like, despite a lack of evidence of any widespread fraud.By baselessly framing the rise of a candidate for Los Angeles mayor as a Democratic scam, President Trump has

J Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman

Night With the Knicks: Rancor, Jubilation and an Unusual Loss

The night began with frustration and boos, and not because of the Knicks. But by the end of Game 3 of the N.B.A. finals, the team had slightly deflated some spirits, too.President Trump’s presence at Game 3 of the N.B.A. finals at Madison Square Garden shifted the vibe both inside and outside the ar

S Santul Nerkar

The Ex-Mayor of Arcadia, Her Boyfriend and the Chinese Government

Eileen Wang pleaded guilty to acting as a foreign agent. But what could Beijing want from the mayor of a small California city known as the “Chinese Beverly Hills”?Eileen Wang, the former mayor of Arcadia, Calif., exiting federal court after pleading guilty last month.

A Amy Qin

Trump Nominates Blanche for Attorney General, Setting Up Confirmation Fight

As acting attorney general, Todd Blanche has shown a willingness to execute the president’s maximalist demands. Whether the Senate will confirm him remains unclear.Todd Blanche’s role in the attempted creation of President Trump’s $1.8 billion payout fund gave rise to tensions with Senate Republican

D Devlin Barrett and Glenn Thrush

Pentagon Again Revises Religious Categories for Troops

The Defense Department made the change after lawmakers objected to its original list, which did not include the Latter-day Saints among traditions labeled Christian.Senator Mike Lee of Utah objected to a Pentagon policy memo excluding Mormons from being categorized as Christian.

J John Ismay

The Idea of Womanhood Drawing Big Crowds to a Small Town

Tourists are flocking to Midway, Utah. The Ballerina Farm Store, from the influencer whose brand revolves around motherhood and farm life, is a reason.A group of friends filmed themselves before downing turmeric ginger shots outside the Ballerina Farm Store in Midway, Utah.

V Vivian Yee

Infantino’s Yearslong Effort to Woo Trump for the World Cup

Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president, has unabashedly courted the president’s favor. Soccer officials privately ask, who really benefits?President Trump with Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s president, at the White House in 2019.

T Tariq Panja and Rebecca R. Ruiz

U.S. Denies Entry to World Cup Referee From Somalia

Omar Artan was one of 52 referees selected for the FIFA World Cup. But on Saturday he was denied entry because of “vetting concerns,” U.S. officials said.Omar Artan will not officiate games at the World Cup, FIFA said.

H Hussein Mohamed and Tariq Panja

Ukraine’s Neighbors Seek Shelter as More and More Drones Fly Overhead

Drones launched by both Russia and Ukraine are veering off course, menacing countries that are not at war.Ligita Visockiene, the principal of a primary school in Vilnius, Lithuania, in a room the school uses as a shelter. The school has detailed plans for what to do in the event of attack but, she a

A Andrew Higgins

Why a U.K. By-Election in Makerfield Could Topple Prime Minister Keir Starmer

Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, is running for a seat in Parliament. It’s a vital step in a campaign to oust his party colleague Prime Minister Keir Starmer.Andy Burnham launching his special election campaign last month. He was a member of Parliament for more than a decade before bec

M Michael D. Shear

Vance Blames Migrant ‘Invasion’ for UK Stabbing

British officials accused Vice President JD Vance of trying to “stir up division” in his comments on the murder of Henry Nowak, whose killer was sentenced to life in prison last week.Tributes for Henry Nowak outside the Portswood Police Station in Southampton, southern England, last week.

M Michael D. Shear

One of Pope Leo’s Best Friends Works in Spain. They Talk About Cars.

Pope Leo and Armando Jesús Lovera have known each other for decades. They have watched World Cup games together, gone on road trips and once searched for a teddy bear for Mr. Lovera’s future wife.Armando Jesús Lovera in Valladolid, Spain, at the local headquarters of the Augustinian order.

J Jason Horowitz

What Happens When ‘Star Wars’ Replaces Mozart?

Across the United States, orchestras are programming more live performances of movie soundtracks in a bid for box office revenue.“Star Wars” fans at Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh, where the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra recently performed a live soundtrack for “The Empire Strikes Back.”

S Sopan Deb

The Gustavo Dudamel Era in Los Angeles Approaches Its End

Gustavo Dudamel’s last concerts at Walt Disney Concert Hall as the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s maestro were a symbol of his impact after 17 years.Gustavo Dudamel, whose tenure as the music and artistic director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic concludes this summer.

A Adam Nagourney