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| Your Wednesday Briefing | Your Wednesday Briefing |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Good morning. | Good morning. |
| We’re covering the next prime minister of Britain, Robert Mueller’s congressional testimony and the death of a former Chinese leader. | We’re covering the next prime minister of Britain, Robert Mueller’s congressional testimony and the death of a former Chinese leader. |
| Boris Johnson, above, won the contest to succeed Prime Minister Theresa May and will take office at one of the most critical moments in Britain’s recent history. The pair will visit Queen Elizabeth II today to formalize the transition. | Boris Johnson, above, won the contest to succeed Prime Minister Theresa May and will take office at one of the most critical moments in Britain’s recent history. The pair will visit Queen Elizabeth II today to formalize the transition. |
| The new prime minister will have to manage extracting the country from the E.U., which he promised to finish by the Oct. 31 deadline, with or without a deal. But Mr. Johnson will face the same circumstances that brought down Mrs. May: deep divisions within the Conservative Party, which governs Parliament with a tenuous majority, as well as fierce opposition from other parties to a no-deal Brexit. Here’s how events could unfold. | The new prime minister will have to manage extracting the country from the E.U., which he promised to finish by the Oct. 31 deadline, with or without a deal. But Mr. Johnson will face the same circumstances that brought down Mrs. May: deep divisions within the Conservative Party, which governs Parliament with a tenuous majority, as well as fierce opposition from other parties to a no-deal Brexit. Here’s how events could unfold. |
| Mr. Johnson will also have to confront Iran over its seizure last week of a British-flagged oil tanker, which could draw Britain into a larger showdown between Tehran and Washington. Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, warned that Tehran would protect itself. | Mr. Johnson will also have to confront Iran over its seizure last week of a British-flagged oil tanker, which could draw Britain into a larger showdown between Tehran and Washington. Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, warned that Tehran would protect itself. |
| Perspective: President Trump is pushing Mr. Johnson to break Britain from the E.U. Our correspondents write that while Mr. Johnson is cut from Trumpian cloth, he could be constrained by the complexities of British politics and his establishment background. | Perspective: President Trump is pushing Mr. Johnson to break Britain from the E.U. Our correspondents write that while Mr. Johnson is cut from Trumpian cloth, he could be constrained by the complexities of British politics and his establishment background. |
| Side note: The rise of Mr. Johnson has upended the rules of what leadership should look like, writes our fashion critic Vanessa Friedman. He is also bringing an unsettled domestic situation to 10 Downing Street as Britain’s first single leader in more than 40 years. | Side note: The rise of Mr. Johnson has upended the rules of what leadership should look like, writes our fashion critic Vanessa Friedman. He is also bringing an unsettled domestic situation to 10 Downing Street as Britain’s first single leader in more than 40 years. |
| In back-to-back hearings beginning today at 8:30 a.m. Eastern, Robert Mueller, above, the former special counsel, will respond to questioning by members of Congress as they try to find ways to highlight the report’s findings — or undermine them. The Times will stream the testimony. Here’s what you need to know. | In back-to-back hearings beginning today at 8:30 a.m. Eastern, Robert Mueller, above, the former special counsel, will respond to questioning by members of Congress as they try to find ways to highlight the report’s findings — or undermine them. The Times will stream the testimony. Here’s what you need to know. |
| In an unusual arrangement, Aaron Zebley, a longtime Mueller aide, will appear beside him to assist as he testifies before two House committees, and will be sworn in as a witness for one of the sessions. | In an unusual arrangement, Aaron Zebley, a longtime Mueller aide, will appear beside him to assist as he testifies before two House committees, and will be sworn in as a witness for one of the sessions. |
| Perspective: Our Washington correspondents write that Mr. Mueller has promised to stick to the report in his answers, making the real question whether his just-the-facts responses will change anyone’s view on Mr. Trump in a highly polarized country. | Perspective: Our Washington correspondents write that Mr. Mueller has promised to stick to the report in his answers, making the real question whether his just-the-facts responses will change anyone’s view on Mr. Trump in a highly polarized country. |
| The Daily: In a special edition episode, a Times reporter discusses what to expect at the Mueller hearings. | The Daily: In a special edition episode, a Times reporter discusses what to expect at the Mueller hearings. |
| Other Capitol Hill news: The Senate gave final approval to a bill granting lifetime health care coverage and other compensation to emergency workers who have grown ill from the toxins of ground zero after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. It also confirmed Mark Esper, a former soldier and lobbyist, as defense secretary. | Other Capitol Hill news: The Senate gave final approval to a bill granting lifetime health care coverage and other compensation to emergency workers who have grown ill from the toxins of ground zero after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. It also confirmed Mark Esper, a former soldier and lobbyist, as defense secretary. |
| Gulalai Ismail is one of Pakistan’s best-known women’s rights crusaders. For speaking out about forced marriages and gang rapes, she has been accused by the country of inciting rebellion, and practically no one has seen her for the past two months. | Gulalai Ismail is one of Pakistan’s best-known women’s rights crusaders. For speaking out about forced marriages and gang rapes, she has been accused by the country of inciting rebellion, and practically no one has seen her for the past two months. |
| Pakistan has been presenting itself as moving away from years of repression, stepping up arrests of militant leaders ahead of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s recent visit to the White House. But as Ms. Ismail’s case shows, many Pakistanis still live in fear of their own security services. | Pakistan has been presenting itself as moving away from years of repression, stepping up arrests of militant leaders ahead of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s recent visit to the White House. But as Ms. Ismail’s case shows, many Pakistanis still live in fear of their own security services. |
| Details: Pakistani security services have accused Ms. Ismail of a litany of serious offenses including sedition, financing terrorism and defaming state institutions, but they have not filed formal charges against her. Her father said the police raided their home several times, and tortured and abducted family friends to extract information. | Details: Pakistani security services have accused Ms. Ismail of a litany of serious offenses including sedition, financing terrorism and defaming state institutions, but they have not filed formal charges against her. Her father said the police raided their home several times, and tortured and abducted family friends to extract information. |
| In Afghanistan: President Ashraf Ghani demanded President Trump that clarify what he meant when he said during his meeting with Mr. Khan that he could have Afghanistan “wiped off the face of the earth” but did not “want to kill 10 million people.” | In Afghanistan: President Ashraf Ghani demanded President Trump that clarify what he meant when he said during his meeting with Mr. Khan that he could have Afghanistan “wiped off the face of the earth” but did not “want to kill 10 million people.” |
| Li Peng, the former Chinese premier who was derided for his role in the bloody Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989, died on Monday. He was 90. | Li Peng, the former Chinese premier who was derided for his role in the bloody Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989, died on Monday. He was 90. |
| Two of our veteran China reporters reconstruct Mr. Li’s life and career. Born in 1928 to Communist revolutionaries in the early years of the Chinese civil war, he served 10 years as prime minister and then five years, until his retirement in 2003, as chief of the National People’s Congress, China’s Communist Party-dominated, rubber-stamp Parliament. | Two of our veteran China reporters reconstruct Mr. Li’s life and career. Born in 1928 to Communist revolutionaries in the early years of the Chinese civil war, he served 10 years as prime minister and then five years, until his retirement in 2003, as chief of the National People’s Congress, China’s Communist Party-dominated, rubber-stamp Parliament. |
| In May 1989, he announced the imposition of martial law in response to the pro-democracy protests that had taken over the heart of Beijing. The question hanging over his legacy: What personal responsibility did he bear when the army opened fire on the demonstrators, killing hundreds if not more? | In May 1989, he announced the imposition of martial law in response to the pro-democracy protests that had taken over the heart of Beijing. The question hanging over his legacy: What personal responsibility did he bear when the army opened fire on the demonstrators, killing hundreds if not more? |
| Go deeper: In a Twitter thread, our reporter Michael Forsythe goes into detail about Mr. Li’s family members, who have been dogged by accusations of corruption. | |
| Volunteers onboard the Sea-Watch say they’re the last remaining lifeline for migrants when their desperate attempts to cross the Mediterranean go wrong. Italian officials call them smugglers. | Volunteers onboard the Sea-Watch say they’re the last remaining lifeline for migrants when their desperate attempts to cross the Mediterranean go wrong. Italian officials call them smugglers. |
| Our journalists boarded the ship with those differing assessments in mind, and documented a standoff at sea with the Italian government when Sea-Watch found 65 migrants in a rubber boat off the coast of Libya. | Our journalists boarded the ship with those differing assessments in mind, and documented a standoff at sea with the Italian government when Sea-Watch found 65 migrants in a rubber boat off the coast of Libya. |
| Big Tech: The U.S. Justice Department said it would look into concerns about anticompetitive behavior by some of the industry’s biggest companies, expanding its challenge of the power held by Facebook, Google and others. | Big Tech: The U.S. Justice Department said it would look into concerns about anticompetitive behavior by some of the industry’s biggest companies, expanding its challenge of the power held by Facebook, Google and others. |
| Beijing Auto: The company said it would acquire a stake in the German carmaker Daimler, deepening ties between the companies and China’s influence in Germany’s industrial sector. | Beijing Auto: The company said it would acquire a stake in the German carmaker Daimler, deepening ties between the companies and China’s influence in Germany’s industrial sector. |
| Deutsche Bank: Jeffrey Epstein moved money overseas from Deutsche Bank this year in transactions that the German bank reported as suspicious. The financier, who is charged with sex trafficking, had dozens of accounts there. | Deutsche Bank: Jeffrey Epstein moved money overseas from Deutsche Bank this year in transactions that the German bank reported as suspicious. The financier, who is charged with sex trafficking, had dozens of accounts there. |
| South Korea: Officials said their air force jets fired hundreds of warning shots to ward off a Russian military plane that intruded upon what South Korea considers its territorial airspace, the first such encounter between the countries in decades. | South Korea: Officials said their air force jets fired hundreds of warning shots to ward off a Russian military plane that intruded upon what South Korea considers its territorial airspace, the first such encounter between the countries in decades. |
| Snapshot: Above, an artist’s rendition of the Planetary Society spacecraft LightSail 2. On Tuesday, it successfully unfurled its sails in space, paving the way for travel powered by solar wind — a fuel-efficient option that realizes a dream first imagined in the 1600s. | Snapshot: Above, an artist’s rendition of the Planetary Society spacecraft LightSail 2. On Tuesday, it successfully unfurled its sails in space, paving the way for travel powered by solar wind — a fuel-efficient option that realizes a dream first imagined in the 1600s. |
| Basketball: Aiming for a foothold in Africa, the deep-pocketed N.B.A. has set up youth training facilities and stadiums in Senegal. The goal is to strengthen the pipeline of players to the N.B.A. and lay the groundwork for a robust Africa League. | Basketball: Aiming for a foothold in Africa, the deep-pocketed N.B.A. has set up youth training facilities and stadiums in Senegal. The goal is to strengthen the pipeline of players to the N.B.A. and lay the groundwork for a robust Africa League. |
| 52 Places traveler: In his latest dispatch, our columnist visits the remote Falkland Islands, where he was among very few tourists but thousands of penguins. | 52 Places traveler: In his latest dispatch, our columnist visits the remote Falkland Islands, where he was among very few tourists but thousands of penguins. |
| What we’re reading: This article from The Cut, on a Harvard professor who teaches a class on judgment — and got caught in a paternity trap. | What we’re reading: This article from The Cut, on a Harvard professor who teaches a class on judgment — and got caught in a paternity trap. |
| Cook: Try creamy chickpea salad with fresh herbs and scallions for a refreshing lunch. | Cook: Try creamy chickpea salad with fresh herbs and scallions for a refreshing lunch. |
| Watch: The revival of “Veronica Mars” dropped on Hulu a week early. “There are more than enough reasons not to miss it now that it’s here,” our critic writes. | Watch: The revival of “Veronica Mars” dropped on Hulu a week early. “There are more than enough reasons not to miss it now that it’s here,” our critic writes. |
| Listen: For transgender opera singers, transitioning can mean risking their careers — and their art. We spoke to some musicians about finding their voices. | Listen: For transgender opera singers, transitioning can mean risking their careers — and their art. We spoke to some musicians about finding their voices. |
| Vote: Celery juice is gross. “Bikini bods” are the worst. The Times has collected and ranked some of the more random, incendiary opinions of the summer. Vote them up or down so that the hottest take of them all rises to the top. | Vote: Celery juice is gross. “Bikini bods” are the worst. The Times has collected and ranked some of the more random, incendiary opinions of the summer. Vote them up or down so that the hottest take of them all rises to the top. |
| Smarter Living: In an age of constant connectivity, it’s important to slow down and notice the world around you. Rob Walker, the author of “The Art of Noticing,” recommends going on a personal scavenger hunt, viewing things during a mundane errand or task that you wouldn’t normally look at. Find more tips here. | Smarter Living: In an age of constant connectivity, it’s important to slow down and notice the world around you. Rob Walker, the author of “The Art of Noticing,” recommends going on a personal scavenger hunt, viewing things during a mundane errand or task that you wouldn’t normally look at. Find more tips here. |
| And our Parenting site examines in vitro fertilization, and what fertility specialists look for in an “ideal” human sperm. | And our Parenting site examines in vitro fertilization, and what fertility specialists look for in an “ideal” human sperm. |
| There’s a lot more to Robert S. Mueller III than what he’ll be sharing with lawmakers on Capitol Hill today. And some of it is kind of fun. | There’s a lot more to Robert S. Mueller III than what he’ll be sharing with lawmakers on Capitol Hill today. And some of it is kind of fun. |
| For instance, his nickname in the intelligence community. When he was serving a 12-year stint as F.B.I. director, he was dubbed Bobby Three Sticks — a play on his patrician name and its imposing Roman numerals. | For instance, his nickname in the intelligence community. When he was serving a 12-year stint as F.B.I. director, he was dubbed Bobby Three Sticks — a play on his patrician name and its imposing Roman numerals. |
| That “S.” is for Swan, inherited from Grace Swan, a great-great-grandmother on his father’s side. Genealogy records indicate that the Swan family came from Scotland, where the name appears to have derived from “Swein,” a name meaning “servant” that medieval Viking invaders brought with them. A separate derivation of Swan — from the fowl — meant “purity.” | That “S.” is for Swan, inherited from Grace Swan, a great-great-grandmother on his father’s side. Genealogy records indicate that the Swan family came from Scotland, where the name appears to have derived from “Swein,” a name meaning “servant” that medieval Viking invaders brought with them. A separate derivation of Swan — from the fowl — meant “purity.” |
| The Three Sticks moniker — bestowed during an era when Mr. Mueller often took on organized crime — has spawned T-shirts, a parody Twitter account and other memes. | The Three Sticks moniker — bestowed during an era when Mr. Mueller often took on organized crime — has spawned T-shirts, a parody Twitter account and other memes. |
| That’s it for this briefing. See you next time. | That’s it for this briefing. See you next time. |
| — Matthew | — Matthew |
| Thank youTo Mark Josephson and Eleanor Stanford for the break from the news. Andrea Kannapell, the briefings editor, wrote today’s Back Story. You can reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com. | Thank youTo Mark Josephson and Eleanor Stanford for the break from the news. Andrea Kannapell, the briefings editor, wrote today’s Back Story. You can reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com. |
| P.S.• We’re listening to “The Daily.” Our latest episode is about the fight over the future of Planned Parenthood, the women’s reproductive rights group in the U.S.• Here’s today’s Mini Crossword puzzle, and a clue: Split up (5 letters). You can find all our puzzles here. • Sam Sifton, an editor at The Times, has been named one of the 20 power players of food media by The Hollywood Reporter. | P.S.• We’re listening to “The Daily.” Our latest episode is about the fight over the future of Planned Parenthood, the women’s reproductive rights group in the U.S.• Here’s today’s Mini Crossword puzzle, and a clue: Split up (5 letters). You can find all our puzzles here. • Sam Sifton, an editor at The Times, has been named one of the 20 power players of food media by The Hollywood Reporter. |