| NATO leaders remain vague on admitting Ukraine |
| NATO leaders meeting at a summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, agreed in a joint statement to offer Ukraine an invitation to join the military alliance. But they remained vague on how and when, wording that essentially marked a victory for President Biden, who has said that Ukraine was not ready to be a member. European states closest to Russia have pushed for faster support. |
| The leaders of the 31 member states said in their communiqué that Ukraine would receive an invitation “when allies agree and conditions are met,” and that there would be regular reviews of the country’s progress toward meeting NATO standards on democracy and military integration. |
| The language is considerably weaker than what Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, has said is necessary amid Russia’s invasion. Zelensky initially called the lack of clarity “absurd,” but he appeared to soften his tone, telling a crowd in Vilnius that he had come to Lithuania with “faith in partners” and wanted a strong NATO that “does not hesitate.” |
| Analysis: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey has given recent indications that he is distancing Turkey from Russia, a shift that would ingratiate him with Western leaders and further isolate Vladimir Putin, the Russian president. |
| Other developments: |
| Zelensky dined last night with leaders of NATO countries, according to Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s secretary general. The Ukrainian leader is to attend the inaugural meeting today of the NATO Ukraine Council. |
| For the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union, NATO countries gave political approval to detailed plans designed to ensure the alliance’s collective military defense against a major attack by a power like Russia.Russian forces attacked the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, with a barrage of drones early yesterday, all of which were shot down, the city’s military administration said. There were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths. |
 A protest on a highway to Jerusalem on Tuesday.Ronen Zvulun/Reuters |
| Major protests in Israel |
| Tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrated in at least 20 towns and cities yesterday to protest an overnight vote in Parliament that advanced efforts by the ruling coalition to limit judicial oversight of the government. |
| One group of demonstrators erected tents on a major intersection in central Israel. Thousands of protesters poured into the street beside the main terminal at Ben-Gurion International Airport. Others gathered outside a U.S. consular building in Tel Aviv, calling on the Biden administration to do more to help their cause. The U.S. provides Israel with more than $3 billion in military aid each year. |
| President Biden has been critical of the judicial overhaul plan and has described the current far-right Israeli government as the most extreme he has encountered in his political career. Israeli opposition members say that the U.S. government should take an even stronger stance. |
| Background: The intensity of the protests did not rise to the levels of unrest seen in March, when leading trade unions shut down large parts of the Israeli economy to protest the government’s earlier efforts to curb judicial power. |
 Humanitarian aid group members at a vigil in 2021 urging the United Nations to preserve the passage of aid into Syria.Omar Haj Kadour/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images |
| U.N. Security Council vetoes Syria aid bills |
| Humanitarian aid to Syria is in peril after two separate resolutions were not adopted by the U.N. Security Council, effectively cutting off a lifeline from Turkey to about 4.1 million people in opposition-held territories. |
| Russia vetoed a bid put forth by Brazil and Switzerland to extend one resolution for nine months, a compromise from the 12-month extension called for by the U.N. and international aid agencies. A second resolution put forth by Russia for a six-month extension failed after Britain, France and the U.S. voted no, and 10 Council members abstained. |
| Negotiations continued behind closed doors to find a way through, diplomats said. But the Russian ambassador cast doubt on whether a compromise resolution could be reached by indicating that Russia would not agree to a straightforward renewal without some language about sanctions relief for Syria. |
| THE LATEST NEWS Around the World |
 Reuters |
| Fighting is raging in the Sudanese city of Omdurman, near Khartoum, as the war convulsing the country stretches into a fourth month.Six people were killed when a helicopter crashed during a sightseeing trip over Mount Everest.A trans woman has been crowned Miss Netherlands. And in Japan, a court ruled that a ministry had acted illegally in blocking a trans woman from using the women’s restrooms at work.Ticketmaster paused sales for Taylor Swift’s concerts in France after fans faced long queues and technical issues. |
| England dispatch: Meet the monks who help make Britain’s only Trappist beer. |
| Other Big Stories |
| Leslie Van Houten, a former Charles Manson follower who played a role in a gruesome double murder in 1969, was released on parole after serving 53 years in prison.A jury ruled that a handwritten document found in a couch at Aretha Franklin’s home after her death represented her true will and last wishes.A second person has reportedly come forward with allegations about the misconduct of a senior on-air personality at the BBC.A judge rejected officials’ attempt to delay the merger of Microsoft’s $70 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, essentially ending the government’s effort to block the deal.The Meta app Threads seems to be an overnight success. But whether users find it compelling enough to keep coming back remains to be seen. |
| Science Times |
 Gregory Pleau/Getty Images |
| A scientific panel has picked Crawford Lake, Ontario, to represent the Anthropocene, a proposed, and hotly contested, new chapter in geologic time.The coronavirus probably spread widely among deer and mutated before being passed back to people, new research has found.In auditory illusion tests, people perceive silence as a form of sound, just as Simon and Garfunkel suggested.Substance abuse disorders among older adults in the U.S. have climbed steeply.A map of the seabed shows the proximity of the debris from the Titan submersible to the Titanic wreck. |
| A Morning Read |
 Photo Illustration by Inez and Vinoodh |
| The toymaker Mattel wanted “Barbie” to be a summer blockbuster to kick off its new wave of brand-extension movies. Greta Gerwig, the filmmaker, wanted “Barbie” to be a work of art. |
| “There’s a point in the movie where the Kens are riding invisible horses from their beach battle to the Mojo Dojo Casa Houses,” she said, “and I think to myself, every time: Why did they let us do this?” |
| SPORTS NEWS FROM THE ATHLETIC |
| Christian Pulisic’s troubled Chelsea spell: As he nears a move to AC Milan, a look at what went wrong for the American midfielder in London. |
| Welcome to Wimbledon’s Royal Box: Don’t wear the wrong shoes. (See more Wimbledon coverage.) |
| The fight to unionize: As early as the 1990s, the PGA golfers Mark Brooks, Danny Edwards and others wanted players to form a labor collective. |
| From The Times: A PGA Tour executive said that Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund could invest more than $1 billion in the alliance that stands to reshape professional golf. |
| ARTS AND IDEAS |
| Europe’s most interesting opera festival |
| Not every show at Aix-en-Provence’s summer opera festival — now in its 75th year and encompassing film, music theater, concerts and, yes, opera — succeeds artistically (or with audiences). But everything is worth discussing, Joshua Barone reports for The Times. |
| Without its departures from tradition, Aix would be another Salzburg instead of the most interesting opera festival in Europe. What differentiates Aix from the others — aside from its abundant rosé and laid-back, linen-forward dress code — is that it seemingly asks at every turn: What else can we do here? |
| What to Cook |
 Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott for The New York Times |
| Cook this garlicky marinated pork shoulder like a steak. |
