海角大神

Israel: The Cabinet voted to dismiss the government鈥檚 attorney general, Gali Baharav-Miara, who oversees Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu鈥檚 corruption trial and is accused of overstepping her power. Critics worry the move will further undermine Israel鈥檚 democratic institutions. Meanwhile, Israel will reportedly allow more aid into Gaza, while negotiations with Hamas have faltered.

Bolsonaro:听Brazil鈥檚 former President Jair Bolsonaro was ordered under house arrest Monday night for failing to comply with judicial orders by posting on social media channels. He is set to face trial later this year for allegedly orchestrating an attempted coup following his 2022 election defeat. President Trump called the case a 鈥渨itch hunt鈥� and imposed 50% tariffs on Brazil last week.

Tariff pressure: Mr. Trump said he will raise tariffs on India as a penalty for buying Russian oil. India called the move 鈥渦njustified鈥� and 鈥渦nreasonable,鈥� The Economist reports. As the relationship between Washington and New Delhi sours, India must weigh its demand for cheap oil against the burden of higher tariffs from its largest trading partner.

Stocks recover: U.S. markets rebounded听after a feeble jobs report last week sent stocks tumbling. The economy has fared better than expected in recent months, though the latest data has caused concern about a possible slowdown.

The Koreas: In a gesture of reconciliation, South Korea began dismantling loudspeakers blasting anti-North Korean propaganda over the border on Monday. The move points to a shift in the government鈥檚 approach toward its authoritarian neighbor 鈥� which has not responded in kind.

Plastic problem:听Nations are meeting in Geneva today in an effort to clinch a global deal to curb plastic pollution, with capping the production of plastics a major sticking point. Scientists called plastics a 鈥済rave, growing, and under-recognized鈥� threat in a Monday .

Greenwashing: As consumers become more savvy about what they buy, regulators are cracking down on companies that exaggerate how green they are. On Monday, Italy hit Chinese fast fashion platform Shein with a 鈧�1 million ($1.16 million) fine for misleading shoppers with environmental claims.

鈥� Staff, The Associated Press, and Reuters

Famine is threatening tens of thousands of people in Gaza. It can be averted, aid experts say, but only if humanitarian assistance is stepped up fast. Israel is showing no sign it is ready to allow that.

Donald Trump isn't the first president to go to battle over official statistics. But firing his chief labor statistician raises questions. Trustworthy data, free from political interference, is vital for financial markets.

Indonesia is one of Asia鈥檚 fastest growing economies. But Indonesians鈥� ideas about what makes a 鈥済ood job鈥� have outpaced what the market can actually provide, leaving millions of young people out of work and fueling a sense of discontent.

Many people have been learning about their food's 鈥渇arm to table鈥� story. But the journey from ocean to table is less known. Journalist Ian Urbina's work is shedding light on challenges in a largely unpoliced realm.

Early nurturing before being released into the wild can make all the difference for endangered animals. Northern red-bellied cooters, a freshwater turtle species in Massachusetts, are one example of this.听听

In June, facing a military defeat, the leaders of Iran muted their rhetoric and agreed to a truce with Israel, ending the 鈥�12-day war.鈥�

A month later, a government largely controlled by ruling Muslim clerics has signaled another kind of truce 鈥� this time with its own people, and within a period of just 10 days.

On July 20, President Masoud Pezeshkian鈥檚 Cabinet sought to fast-track a sweeping internet censorship bill. Parliament passed it July 27. But, following public backlash, Mr. Pezeshkian abruptly withdrew it three days later.

The bill was 鈥渘ot designed to fight lies, but rather to eliminate independent narratives, restrict freedom of expression,鈥� and target critics, wrote formerly jailed journalist Alireza Rajaei.

The rapid about-face signals that the government is learning to acknowledge the power of popular sentiment. And what popular sentiment wants is freedom of expression 鈥� the ability to access and share information and viewpoints in real time. (The Iranian leadership regularly blocks internet access, as it did during the June conflict and during times of upheaval such as the 2022 protests over women鈥檚 rights.)

The Islamic state鈥檚 reputation and legitimacy are shaky. Israel鈥檚 attacks laid bare defense weaknesses. International economic sanctions have made everyday life more expensive. And five years of severe drought have heightened hardships.

Iran is nearing 鈥渨ater bankruptcy,鈥� according to Amir AghaKouchak, a University of California, Irvine professor of engineering. But the roots of the problem are not just environmental; they are 鈥渄eeply political and systemic,鈥� he told CNN last week. 鈥淚ran鈥檚 water crisis cannot be separated from its broader governance crisis.鈥�

Mr. Pezeshkian鈥檚 election a year ago came at a point when Iran鈥檚 ruling elite was largely distrusted. With promises of greater social and civic freedoms, the relative moderate was elected to renew Iran鈥檚 social contract.

Though Mr. Pezeshkian has occasionally appeared unable or unwilling to rock the boat, he recently spoke out about restrictive policies and past 鈥渋mbalances.鈥�

鈥淭oday, we are even prepared to hold dialogue with the opposition based on fairness and justice,鈥� he said, indicating such outreach is essential to resolving national challenges. He has some backing for this view now. Even a conservative news outlet, aligned with a supporter of Iran鈥檚 supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called the offer 鈥渉istoric,鈥� an opportunity to replace 鈥渮ero-sum confrontations鈥� with 鈥減olitical consensus.鈥�

If genuine, this outlook could enhance civic engagement and enable Iranians to take a step forward on the path to restoring trust in the social contract between a government and its people.