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The trade case is said to focus on supposed Chinese violations of American intellectual property.

Meanwhile, in a cutting editorial, Beijing fired back at President Trump over his tweets accusing China of failing to tame its ally North Korea. And Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the U.S. was not seeking regime change in North Korea.

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Defense officials told our national security reporter that the Pentagon and State Department have offered the White House a plan to supply Ukraine with antitank missiles and other arms.

Vice President Mike Pence, visiting Europe, said that President Trump would very soon sign a law limiting his ability to lift forceful new sanctions against Russia and that Moscows destabilizing activities and support for rogue regimes has to change.

Also, the White House confirmed that Mr. Trump was involved in drafting a misleading statement issued by his son about a meeting with a Russian lawyer.

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In Washington, congressional Republicans bypassed the president to work toward bipartisan legislation to shore up the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

And the Senate overwhelmingly confirmed Christopher Wray, above, as the next F.B.I. director.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is preparing to redirect Justice Department resources toward investigating and suing universities over affirmative action policies deemed to discriminate against white applicants, according to a document obtained by The New York Times.

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A new poll shows that global warming is essentially tied with the Islamic State as the most-feared security threat around the world except in the U.S., where cyberattacks and ISIS are considered the greatest dangers.

On to developments in those two realms. Our photojournalist documented harrowing scenes and battlefield calculations at the front lines of the fight against ISIS in Mosul. And Lewis Pugh, a British endurance swimmer, swam 22 minutes in the freezing Arctic Ocean to call attention to climate changes effect on the worlds oceans.

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Volkswagen was barred from receiving European Union research financing over allegations it misused a previous loan to cheat on emissions. The move comes ahead of a meeting on diesel emissions today between automakers and the German government.

Apple exceeded revenue expectations in the quarter that ended July 1 even as buyers waited for new iPhones this fall. But projections suggest at least some phones may be delayed.

Joining Apple, Amazon also bowed to Chinas tough new restrictions on online content.

Documents released in a lawsuit against Monsanto raised new questions about the companys efforts to influence the news media and scientific research.

The eurozone economy outperformed Britain again in the second quarter.

Heres a snapshot of global markets.

Masked agents of the Venezuelan government barged into the homes of two prominent former mayors overnight, hauling them off to jail in the dark. [The New York Times]

In Turkey, nearly 500 suspects in last years failed coup attempt went on trial. [Reuters]

U.S. border agents are testing a system to scan the faces of people leaving the country in an effort to better identify travelers who overstay their visas. [The New York Times]

Travelers in Europe are facing long lines at airports because of stricter security checks on those entering and leaving the Schengen area. [BBC]

In Moscow, three gang members were killed at a courthouse while trying to escape. [The New York Times]

J. K. Rowling apologized to the family of a boy with spina bifida after accusing President Trump of ignoring him. The boys mother said Ms. Rowling misinterpreted the situation. [The New York Times]

The interim prime minister of Pakistan, picked to temporarily replace his corruption-scarred predecessor, said he was no bench warmer. [The New York Times]

Tips, both new and old, for a more fulfilling life.

Recipe of the day: Take some time in the morning to make watermelon ice pops. Youll thank yourself later.

Is it possible to drink too much water?

How well do you know the world? Take our quiz.

At the Bayreuth Festival, Barrie Koskys savvy new staging of Wagners Die Meistersinger von Nrnberg stepped gracefully around the works potential land mines, our critic writes.

In London, our visiting critic considers three plays that look to the past to consider the uneasy state of the present.

The British brand behind Wonder Womans leather armor is having a major fashion moment.

The German soccer star Bastian Schweinsteiger has immersed himself in his new city, Chicago.

Our departing book critic, Michiko Kakutani, above, has been hailed as the most powerful critic in the English-speaking world.

Her output during 38 years at The Times attracted plenty of response, and on the day she announced her plans to step down, a colleague revealed a letter that Ms. Kakutani received early in her career.

Ms. Kakutani had written a profile of Pat Carroll, an actress who was then portraying the writer Gertrude Stein on stage. She described her home as filled with books by Stein and about Stein, as well as xeroxed Ph.D. theses and obscure literary journals.

The next day, Aug. 2, 1979, a letter addressed to Mr. Michiko Kakutani arrived, sent by an employee of Xerox, a company famous for protecting its brand name.

There is no adjective xerox, the letter explained. If in the future you wish to use the name Xerox, it should be used with a capital X and no ed.

Indeed, The Times style arbiters agree.

Richard Samson, who is on The Timess legal team, said a multitude of companies had objected to their trademarks being used as generic substitutes. Over the years, he said, we have received concerned letters from owners of the trademarks Spinning, Hula-Hoop, Sheetrock, Jeep and many others.

Andrea Kannapell contributed reporting.

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This briefing was prepared for the European morning. You can browse through past briefings here.

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Donald Trump, France, Venezuela: Your Wednesday Briefing - New York Times