At the shout of “action,” two actors, costumed in black blazers and sunglasses, erupted into a spirited shouting match, gesticulating wildly as one demanded that the other convince his daughter to marry him. A cameraman and a boom operator, sweaty under a scorching sun, moved in to capture the altercation in close-up. Then the director, Abshir Rageh, seated in a …

The Israeli strike on a military base near the Iranian city of Isfahan was part of a cycle of retaliation that has alarmed world leaders, but it produced a largely muted response from both on Friday. Television networks and some officials in both countries played down the significance of the strike, which Israeli and Iranian officials confirmed. State television in …

The last time Indians voted in a national election, in 2019, the Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, won running away. But even then, more than 60 percent of voters cast ballots for other parties. That Mr. Modi has established such dominance in Parliament despite falling well short of majority popular support is a reflection of a …