海角大神

France will recognize Palestinian statehood. President Emmanuel Macron made the announcement in a post on X Thursday. Currently, 142 nations recognize Palestine or plan to. Spain, Norway, and Ireland made the move in May 2024. Mr. Macron said the continuing devastation of Israel鈥檚 war in Gaza, combined with promises of reform from the Palestinian Authority鈥檚 Mahmoud Abbas, led to the declaration. Reports suggest the United Kingdom could soon follow, pointing to growing outrage at the humanitarian cost of the war. 鈥� Staff

Zelenskyy announced a new anti-graft bill.听The Ukrainian president submitted it to parliament Thursday in a bid to restore the independence of the country鈥檚 anti-corruption agencies 鈥� and to defuse tensions caused by his earlier approval of a controversial law placing them under his authority. That move had sparked the first major demonstrations since the war began, as well as criticism from the European Union. 鈥� The Associated Press

Britain and India signed a major trade deal.听First announced in May, it comes after more than three years of negotiations. It will cut India鈥檚 average tariff on British goods from 15% to 3%. India says 99% of Indian exports will face no import duty. Britain expects the deal to boost bilateral trade by billions of British pounds, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer calling it "the biggest and most economically significant trade deal" Britain has made since leaving the European Union in 2020. 鈥� AP

Fighting between Thailand and Cambodia continued. Clashes over disputed border areas entered a second day, killing at least 15 people and displacing more than 60,000. The Thai army accused Cambodian forces of using heavy artillery, prompting what Thai officials described as 鈥渁ppropriate supporting fire鈥� in return. The U.N. Security Council is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis today in New York, while Malaysia and China have offered to mediate. 鈥� AP, Reuters

The U.S. president feuded with his Fed chair. President Donald Trump visited Federal Reserve headquarters in Washington and publicly scorned Jerome Powell, the Fed chairman, over the costs of a long-planned renovation project. Mr. Powell challenged the cited cost as incorrect. Mr. Trump has said that Mr. Powell鈥檚 handling of the project could be grounds for firing. But asked Thursday, he said 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to put this in that category.鈥� Mr.听Trump has criticized Mr. Powell for months for keeping the short-term interest rate the Fed controls at 4.3% after cutting it three times last year.听鈥� AP

Tensions are high in Taiwan ahead of a recall vote. Supporters of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, or DPP, are pushing to recall two dozen opposition Nationalist Party lawmakers in a vote scheduled for听Saturday. The DPP, which won last year鈥檚 presidential election, seeks to gain a legislative majority. The China-friendly Nationalists, known as the KMT, now hold a majority with their allies and have blocked key legislation. The KMT opposes the recall, calling it a power grab. China's influence looms over the campaign, highlighting divisions within Taiwan. 鈥� AP

UnitedHealth Group confirmed it was under federal investigation.听Earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal reported that Department of Justice officials had launched a civil fraud investigation into how the company records diagnoses that lead to extra payments for its Medicare Advantage plans. Those are privately run versions of the government鈥檚 Medicare coverage program. The company says it has begun complying with criminal and civil requests from investigators. Its business covers more than 8 million people. 鈥� AP

Amid sectarian violence in Syria, in which hundreds of Druze were killed, Israel struck Damascus and issued a warning to the new government. Israeli Druze are mourning the deaths, but are divided over whether Israeli military action is the wisest course. Druze family members often live on both sides of the Syrian border with the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. The division among the Druze over how Israel should proceed reflects the complexities of their identity and loyalties at a time of regionwide upheaval.

Across the U.S., federal grants have helped communities prepare for stronger and more frequent storms. But now, with a key grant program cut, it鈥檚 unclear where the money will come from. Some communities will tap into local resources, apply for other federal grants, or just do without. For some, resilience may have to take other forms, such as with new approaches to development in low-lying areas.

The populist surge on the right is a familiar electoral feature across the West. In Japan, gains by the far right in recent elections show its global appeal. As in other countries, many Japanese consumers are struggling to make ends meet. Online messaging has been particularly effective in reaching young urbanites, but many middle-aged Japanese are still feeling discouraged after the economic stagnancy of the 1990s and 2000s. And they, too, are open to the Sanseito party鈥檚 norm-busting assault on the established parties.

President Donald Trump joked not long ago that nobody鈥檚 ever heard of Lesotho. But the people of Lesotho have certainly heard of him: The workers at Precious Garments, based in the small southern African country, make Trump-branded polo shirts. And now they face the threat of steep tariffs on Aug. 1 that have already spooked buyers into canceling orders and led factories to slash production. The workers themselves are at a loss. 鈥淲e are a small country that already lacks money,鈥� says a seamstress. 鈥淎nd now this.鈥�

With his new album, M谩d茅 K煤t矛, grandson of Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer Fela K煤t矛, asks listeners to go deep: How can you be a better version of yourself? Unlike his grandfather鈥檚 confrontational approach, Mr. K煤t矛鈥檚 style is both reflective and forward-looking, shaped by the questions, struggles, and hopes of a new generation. In a Zoom interview with the Monitor, Mr.听K煤t矛 opens up about his creative process. 鈥淢usic is not the solution,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 what can inspire people to bring change.鈥�

Summer reading season is in full swing, and today we offer our picks for the 10 best books of July.听Our book reviewers鈥� picks include novels about an actor-turned-CIA spy and a museum worker who falls through a portal into a Matisse painting. The nonfiction topics involve Amelia Earhart鈥檚 marriage, brazen thefts of Chinese art, and a study of seals.

Since the Hamas attack in Israel nearly two years ago, the Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan has reacted like many other mainly Muslim countries. It condemned the attack. It rejected plans by Israel to displace Gaza鈥檚 Palestinians. It called for a ceasefire as well as unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid. And it sent aid itself to relieve hunger.

But Kazakhstan has been doing something beyond moral declarations and moral actions 鈥� and not just for the Israel-Hamas war.

It has deployed what it calls 鈥渟piritual diplomacy鈥� to help quell faith-driven conflicts at their roots 鈥� by reversing hatred with a recognition of the divine dignity in each person.

Located in the middle of Eurasia, Kazakhstan has been a crossroads for major faiths over centuries. Since 2003, it has hosted a conference every three years that brings together prominent world clergy, from the pope to respected Muslim imams. The next one starts in September.

These gatherings, called the Congress听of Leaders of World and Traditional听Religions, elevate faith leaders as an alternative to political leaders in dealing with conflicts. 鈥淚t鈥檚 critically important for听spiritual听leaders to weigh in and demonstrate through their example that dialogue and respect towards others must play a larger role in international relations,鈥� Bulat Sarsenbayev, deputy head of the Congress Secretariat, told Asia Times.

鈥淪piritual leaders, who truly represent a culture of peace, are powerful voices in today鈥檚 world.鈥�

Kazakhstan is not alone in promoting interfaith dialogue at a time of Israeli-Palestinian tensions. In early July, Israeli President Isaac Herzog met with a delegation of European imams, who prayed together for the Israeli hostages in Gaza.听

In March, an interfaith march of Jews, 海角大神s, and Muslims took place in Jerusalem. 鈥淒on鈥檛 let people tell you that there can be no peace and that Israelis and Palestinians are forever doomed to be hostile to each other,鈥� German Ambassador Steffen Seibert told The Times of Israel during the peace walk.

Also in March, religious leaders representing Islam, 海角大神ity, Judaism, and the Druze faith met in Jerusalem for an evening of dialogue.

鈥淧erhaps it is time for people of faith to step forward. We can rise above crisis to say, 鈥榊ou are not my enemy, even if we deeply disagree,鈥欌�� Rabbi Daniel Rowe told The Jewish Press.

鈥淲e must foster voices that recognize the divine image in one another and acknowledge that we all serve and pray to the same God.鈥�