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Talks got underway on a Gaza ceasefire. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump kicked them off with a White House dinner late Monday at which Mr. Netanyahu said he was nominating President Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize. Watch for our full coverage tomorrow. 鈥� Staff

Asian countries look to intensify trade talks with U.S. South Korea, Malaysia, and Bangladesh moved to do so a day after Mr. Trump warned he will impose steep tariffs on 14 countries, including nine in East Asia, on August 1. (See our story, below.) South Korea said it seeks a deal that advances key industries in both countries through a 鈥渞enaissance partnership.鈥� Asian manufacturing hubs were targeted by the U.S. with some of the highest potential tariffs, ranging from 25 percent to 40 percent. 鈥� Staff

A rescuer鈥檚 humble professionalism came to light in Texas. Authorities said Monday they would focus on search and recovery before exploring what more might have been done to prevent deaths amid flash flooding that began July 4. Meanwhile, this story emerged: Coast Guard swimmer Scott Ruskin, on his first mission, played a central role in saving 165 children from a camp, lifting them from danger one-by-one and getting them to waiting helicopters. He just leaned on his training, Petty Officer 3rd Class Ruskin told ABC鈥檚 morning show 鈥淕MA,鈥� to help kids who were 鈥渓ooking for some kind of comfort and safety.鈥� 鈥� Staff

Flash floods also swept Pakistan. Ten days of monsoon rains led to flooding that killed at least 72 people in several provinces, the National Disaster Management Authority and local officials said Monday. The government agency urged local officials to remain on high alert and advised tourists to avoid visiting affected areas. 鈥� The Associated Press

President Trump said the U.S. will need to send more weapons to Ukraine. His Monday statement came days after he ordered a pause in weapons deliveries to Kyiv, with the Pentagon announcing last week that it would hold back delivery of some air defense missiles, precision-guided artillery, and other weapons. U.S. officials had said the Defense Department was concerned about declining stockpiles. 鈥� AP

The Justice Department appeared to reverse an Epstein stance. It said it will not release more files related to financier Jeffrey Epstein鈥檚 sex trafficking investigation. A department memo Monday said there is no evidence Mr. Epstein maintained a 鈥渃lient list.鈥� It represents a public walk-back of a theory that the Trump administration had helped promote, with Attorney General Pam Bondi suggesting in a Fox News interview earlier this year that such a document was 鈥渟itting on my desk鈥� in preparation for release. 鈥� AP

Suriname elected its first woman president. Jennifer Geerlings-Simons was sworn in on Sunday after parliamentary elections. Dr. Geerlings-Simons, a congresswoman, ran unopposed after her National Democratic Party formed a coalition to unseat the incumbent following an inconclusive May election. She will be inaugurated July 16. The South American country is preparing for an influx of wealth following the discovery of major offshore oil deposits, with the first production expected by 2028. 鈥� AP

Astronomers found an object passing through our solar system from somewhere else. It鈥檚 just the third time. Unlike objects orbiting the sun, 鈥渋nterstellar鈥� objects hurtle through our galactic neighborhood on a hyperbolic trajectory and never return. All three such objects on record have been found since 2017, a testament to improving tools and increasing numbers of amateur astronomers. The object, 3I/ATLAS, is expected to be visible to ground-based telescopes through September. 鈥� Staff

President Donald Trump is threatening new tariffs of 25% or more on a slew of nations if they don鈥檛 reach trade deals by Aug. 1. It鈥檚 by now a well-known part of President Trump鈥檚 deal playbook: Set an arbitrary deadline and intimidate those who don鈥檛 meet it. But having heard his bark before, some world leaders may be losing their fear of the president鈥檚 bite.

Under President Luiz In谩cio Lula da Silva, Brazil is vying to be a leader of South-South cooperation and a foil to Washington at a time when the Trump administration is rethinking U.S. commitments to international institutions. Over the weekend, the country hosted a summit of BRICS+ leaders. In November, the COP30 U.N. climate conference will convene in Bel茅m on the edge of the Amazon rainforest. Lula is also leading efforts within the South American trade bloc Mercosur to complete a trade agreement with the European Union.

NATO members have agreed to more than double their defense spending in a move widely lauded as a historic step toward a more equal security relationship between the United States and its European partners. The effort may also be redefining concepts of military defense. Alliance members are shoring up their democracies through investments in everything from child care to commercial undersea cables, reflecting a view that citizens have a critical role in keeping their countries safe.聽

Robert Ardovino grew up on the west side of El Paso, Texas. He used to cross the border for a burrito in Ciudad Ju谩rez. Migration, the restaurant owner says, has always been a fact of life. Now, amid a lull in crossings following the Trump administration鈥檚 crackdown on the border, Mr. Ardovino collects artifacts scattered across his property by migrants 鈥撀爏hoelaces, belts, a toothbrush. They are stirring an idea for an art project, he says, a message, perhaps, of empathy.

Our weekly round-up of progress around the globe notes: In a victory for victims of human rights violations during Guatemala鈥檚 long conflict between the government and guerrilla groups from 1960 to 1996, a court sentenced three ex-paramilitaries to 40 years for crimes against humanity. Also, the European General Court upheld a duty to protect vulnerable ocean ecosystems from destructive fishing practices; and in sub-Saharan Africa, the gender gap in mobile internet access has decreased steadily in recent years, marking an important step toward alleviating poverty and boosting economic independence for women.

For a relatively small nation, Romania is now playing a distinctive role in Europe. It has marked a new path for including a key ethnic minority in government with the appointment of the first minister hailing from the Roma community.

The historic move came after the election of a new president, the pro-European Union Nicu葯or Dan. In his acceptance speech, the former mayor of Bucharest addressed the Roma in their own language. His victory May 18 was also helped by another sizable minority, Romania鈥檚 ethnic Hungarians.

The appointment of Petre Florin Manole as labor minister on June 26 has caused ripples on the continent. 鈥淚t is a systemic rupture,鈥� wrote Mensur Haliti of the Roma Foundation for Europe, on Facebook. 鈥淔or the first time, a Roma assumes a central portfolio. ... This appointment marks a shift 鈥� from exclusion to strategic relevance.鈥� The new president has promised to set up a Roma Presidential Advisory Council and a National Roma Youth Fund.

The long-marginalized Romani people are the second-largest ethnic minority in Romania and the largest in Europe, which has an estimated 10 million to 12 million Roma. Arriving in Europe from western India about 1,000 years ago, the once mostly itinerant Roma faced segregation and discrimination from the outset. They were enslaved in Eastern Europe, deported from England, and targeted by the Nazis. Perceptions of Romani people as unsocialized and crime-prone are still pervasive. Limited access to education and low levels of employment have constrained their economic prospects and civic integration.

In recent decades, the EU has supported projects to improve Roma access to education, housing, and financial services. According to the French newspaper Le Monde, Romania鈥檚 new labor minister plans to open up the job market to better integrate Romani people into the economy. This, in turn, could generate much-needed tax revenue.

While the Roma welcome efforts to improve their livelihoods, they also want to be 鈥渢reated with dignity and respect,鈥� the World Bank reported in 2017, based on focus group discussions. Romani actor and filmmaker Alina 艦erban, who grew up in near destitution in Bucharest, expresses that sentiment through her art.

鈥淚 remember not fitting in. I remember being rejected,鈥� she told the entertainment website Variety. She has translated her experiences through stories, plays, and award-winning short films.

鈥淚 want to empower ... young people that share the same [Romani] background,鈥� Ms. 艦erban said. 鈥淚 want to instill in them the belief that they matter.鈥�