Redistricting battle : Texas Gov. Greg Abbott asked the state’s Supreme Court to remove a key Democrat from office who fled with other lawmakers to avoid a vote on a new congressional map drawn up by Republicans. The battle over gerrymandering is spreading to other states, with Democrats in California and New York discussing maps of their own to gain House seats. See today’s story .

Weapons for Ukraine : Several European countries have committed to buying over $1 billion of American weapons for Ukraine through a new NATO channel. The Netherlands led the way on Monday with the promise of 500 million euros ($578 million), followed by contributions from Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.

U.S. trade : The trade deficit dropped by 16% in June, according to data released Tuesday , as imports fell by $12.8 billion. It is the latest mark of President Trump’s sweeping tariffs , with the average effective rate estimated at over 18% , the highest since 1934. The trade gap with China narrowed to its lowest level in over two decades.

Sanctuary sites : The Justice Department published a new list of 35 “ sanctuary ” locations, including cities from New York to Chicago and states from California to Colorado. The list is part of a push from President Trump to penalize jurisdictions that limit their cooperation with federal immigration enforcement .

Deportations : Rwanda is set to become the third African country after South Sudan and Eswatini to agree to accept deportees sent from the United States but who come from other nations . A controversial migrant deal between Rwanda and the United Kingdom from 2022 has since collapsed amid legal disputes. Today, we report on the new role of the military in immigration enforcement within the U.S.

Peace efforts : A new Turkish parliamentary committee began meeting on Tuesday to oversee a peace process with a Kurdish militant group, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, known as the PKK. The group announced in May it would renounce armed conflict after four decades of hostilities. Previous attempts at peace have not been successful.

Space race : NASA is planning to build a nuclear reactor on the moon in a “second space race” against China and Russia, reports Politico. It is also working to replace the International Space Station , which retires in 2030.

– Staff, The Associated Press, and Reuters

Common Cause has for decades argued against partisan redistricting as bad for democracy. Now the group is facing internal pressure to relax its stance in California, amid concerns that democracy confronts bigger challenges.

The U.S. is expanding military support for the Trump deportation campaign. Some analysts say this new escalation opens the door to using troops for domestic law enforcement, which the nation has historically avoided.

Every home in a tiny town on La Palma was destroyed when lava from the Cumbre Vieja volcano poured through it. Residents are among the record numbers of those displaced by disaster globally – and forced to redefine notions of “home.”

The closure of USAID left thousands of urgent humanitarian projects around the world half finished. Enter Project Resource Optimization, a matchmaking service to help them find new benefactors.

In our progress roundup, a close look at the unique impacts of daily life on women resulted in new policies in Malta, and a recommendation in Kenya and Senegal that women entrepreneurs deserve funding and support.

A frequent diplomatic success in recent years has been persuading armed militias to give up their weapons and focus on peaceful politics. Examples can be found in Northern Ireland, Colombia, the Palestinian territories, and, lately, in Turkey. On Tuesday, Lebanon headed down this road.

For the first time in decades, the country’s highest executive body took up the issue of a timetable to disarm the Shiite militant group Hezbollah.

Lebanon’s collective identity as a nation, as well as its ability to rebuild after a 13-month war with Israel, depends on Hezbollah acknowledging that the state must have a monopoly over the use of force. Or, as President Joseph Aoun said last month, the Lebanese army “alone reflects the Lebanese people’s desire to see their country free, sovereign and independent.”

Since launching an attack on Israel the day after Hamas did on Oct. 7, 2023, Hezbollah has lost support among Lebanon’s Shiite community. Much of its leadership and arsenal has been destroyed. After a truce this past November, it was forced to hand over some of its weapons and positions to the army in southern Lebanon.

Now comes the hard part: total disarmament and an end to using force to get its way in politics. The United States promises to build up the country’s military and help bring investment to Lebanon if Hezbollah disarms by the end of the year. It also plans to convince Israel to withdraw its forces from five strategic points in its northern neighbor.

Hezbollah has long justified its weapons as Lebanon’s key defense against Israel. With that myth popped, many Lebanese now want a strong army and nonviolent politics. Lately, the group has appeared cooperative.

“If Hezbollah wants to transition into a normal political party, it will need to craft another electoral narrative based around how it can improve the socioeconomic fortunes of its constituents,” David Wood, an analyst at the International Crisis Group, told Arab News.

A country with a rich cultural past yet sharp religious divisions, Lebanon now looks to a future that hangs on creating a state with a single military under elected leaders. The fog of war is perhaps over. The light of peace sustained by trust may be breaking through.