海角大神

Texas Democrats left the state to block a redistricting vote. Sunday鈥檚 last-resort bid was meant to block new congressional maps sought by President Donald Trump that would give Republicans a better chance of preserving their narrow U.S. House majority in the 2026 midterm elections. Gov. Greg Abbott says he will begin trying to remove Democratic lawmakers from office Monday if they don鈥檛 return. 鈥� AP

Ukraine uncovered a major corruption scheme. In a statement late Saturday, anti-corruption agencies said officials took kickbacks worth up to 30% on overpriced contracts for drones and electronic warfare gear. Four people have been arrested, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised investigators. The exposure follows parliament鈥檚 reversal of a controversial move by Mr. Zelenskyy to curb the agencies鈥� powers. 鈥� AP

Fresh clashes broke out in Syria over the weekend. Outbreaks of violence occurred at two distinct flashpoints, straining a fragile ceasefire and calling into question the ability of the transitional government to exert its authority across the country. In the north, government-affiliated fighters confronted Kurdish-led forces who control much of the region, while in the southern province of Sweida, they clashed with Druze armed groups. 鈥� AP

Iran founded a new defense council.聽A report by state TV Monday says the council will handle defensive plans and improve capabilities of armed forces. The decision follows a 12-day air war by Israel and the United States that led to the deaths of nearly 1,100 people, including military chiefs and commanders. A ceasefire has been in force since shortly after the airstrikes targeted Iran鈥檚 major nuclear facilities. 鈥� AP

An appeals court upheld restrictions on immigration sweeps. It ruled Friday night to uphold a lower court鈥檚 temporary order blocking the Trump administration from conducting indiscriminate immigration stops and arrests in Southern California. Advocacy groups filed a lawsuit last month accusing the administration of targeting people based on apparent race or ethnicity during its immigration crackdown. 鈥� AP

Students continued protesting in Bangladesh. A new political party formed by students who led an anti-government movement that ousted the former prime minister rallied in Dhaka on Sunday. Party leaders vowed to work to establish democracy, as Bangladesh is at a crossroads with shifting power dynamics and unresolved tensions. 鈥� AP

SpaceX delivered a new crew to the International Space Station. The team, consisting of astronauts from the U.S., Russia, and Japan, launched from NASA鈥檚 Kennedy Space Center and arrived on Saturday. They will spend at least six months aboard, replacing colleagues who have been there since March. The trip was completed in just 15 hours. 鈥� AP

Could your next spiritual guide be artificial intelligence? AI is offering 海角大神s, Jews, and others an alternative to priests, rabbis, and other faith leaders.聽

LA鈥檚 docks have provided stable, blue-collar work for generations. President Trump鈥檚 tariffs are being felt there, but automation and artificial intelligence will pose the biggest challenges to blending technological progress with job protection.

Leaders of almost the entire Muslim world, from Morocco to Indonesia, recently signed on to an extraordinary statement. They endorsed a call for Hamas to end its control of Gaza and hand over its weapons. In effect, the demand, led by the 22-state Arab League, acknowledges that the individual sovereignty of the people in Gaza, not Hamas, must determine the territory鈥檚 governance.

While the statement is a historic first for Arab nations, the universal principle of individual sovereignty 鈥� or a person鈥檚 inherent right to be free and treated equally 鈥� has been gaining ground among Gaza鈥檚 2 million residents.

Even before its 2023 attack on Israel, Hamas had lost much of its legitimacy. As its popularity further dropped, protests began to break out in March openly condemning the Islamist group 鈥� despite threats of retaliation.

鈥淕aza is not held hostage by anyone,鈥� declared one statement by a prominent group of protesters. 鈥淕aza will be liberated by the will of its people.鈥�

That spirit of independence has been driven in part by the war itself. 鈥淲e鈥檙e persecuted by both sides,鈥� Sharif al-Buheisi, a former university administrator, told The New York Times. 鈥淚srael bombs us without mercy and Hamas doesn鈥檛 care if we die.鈥�

Just who would run Gaza during a transition to self-governance is not yet clear. The July 29 statement by Muslim leaders suggests the Palestinian Authority take over for now. But its legitimacy is suspect as well, forcing the people in Gaza to determine how their sovereignty and other basic civic values will lead to an inclusive government and collective security.

For years, the Arab people have tried to balance individual liberties and social unity. 鈥淎rab societies understand that the prerequisites for real progress ... include respect for the role of the citizen as a person endowed with freedom, dignity and rights,鈥� wrote Leila Sharaf, a former minister in Jordan鈥檚 government, in a 2002 United Nations report. A 2018 survey by聽the Arab聽Barometer found two-thirds of those in the region say they could criticize the government without fear.聽The polls also showed less acceptance of violence for political purposes.

The possibility of a free 鈥� and rebuilt 鈥� Gaza seems far away for its people. Yet the war, and now help from the Arab and Muslim world, has pushed them to claim their basic rights. A liberty of conscience is the bedrock for the liberty of a people.