New York has long been a haunt for underground artists. A growing number have become more conservative – and religious.

• Gaza cease-fire proposal: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will only accept a partial cease-fire deal that would not end the 8-month-long war in Gaza, casting doubt on the viability of a U.S.-backed cease-fire proposal.
• EU takes on Apple: European Union regulators are accusing Apple of breaking new rules on digital competition by imposing rules in its App Store marketplace that prevent app-makers from pointing users to cheaper options in other venues.
• Hajj deaths: More than 1,000 people died during the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. 
• Russia synagogue attack: At least 20 people, including an Orthodox priest and several police officers, are killed in multiple attacks in the Russian region of Dagestan. 

Read these news briefs.

For small villages near the front lines of Russia’s war in eastern Ukraine, the ebb and flow of territorial conquest can make it hard to have confidence in the future. Providing hope is one job of community leaders.

Conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East highlight the growing role of inexpensive drones in battle and are pushing the U.S. Department of Defense to rethink its war-fighting strategy. 

Vladimir Putin’s brief Asia tour marks his latest bid to rally old allies of the Soviet Union, with major ramifications for international security.

It is said that Sayyida Manoubia, a Sufi saint, refused to marry, concerned it would interfere with her charity and pursuit of heavenly truths. Which is why, perhaps oddly, her shrine is now a must-stop for Tunisian would-be, soon-to-be, and longtime brides.

For people as diverse and war-weary as those in Lebanon, words like dignity and peace have lately taken on real substance. An online campaign has picked up in recent days to prevent a full-scale conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Iran’s proxy in southern Lebanon. In particular, digital activists are sharing the hashtag #LebanonDoesn’tWantWar – especially a war like that in Gaza.

The campaign went into high gear last week after Hezbollah threatened Cyprus if the island nation assists Israel’s military. Yet the deeper message for Hezbollah is a reminder that the terrorist group, as it’s been designated by the United States, still remains a political party. In fact, it’s the largest party in parliament, in a country hungry to restore its stagnant democracy as well as basic services. Here’s a sampling of the online salvos that might restrain Hezbollah from escalating its attack against Israel:

“Do you value the blood of the Lebanese in your decisions regarding the war?” wrote Nancy Nessrine Lakiss, a Lebanese journalist. “Justice must begin with our country first!”

One online video shows a woman displaced from her home saying, “Do you want to liberate Jerusalem? You want to destroy Lebanon, displace its people, and kill them. ... [Just] let these people raise their children in a country in peace and security!”

The head of the An-Nahar newspaper, Nayla Tueni, warned Hezbollah not to allow Lebanon to continue being an arena for other countries to settle their scores: “All of them do not value the right of #peoples to their land, their country, their freedom, and their dignity.”

Hezbollah “does care about Lebanese public opinion, and that’s also the reason it hasn’t escalated to an all-out war,” Dan Naor, an expert on Lebanon at Israel’s Ariel University, told Israel Hayom. “It needs to maneuver between Iranian needs and Lebanese needs, and the Shiite community [in southern Lebanon] is paying the price.”

In recent weeks, Israel and Hezbollah have negotiated indirectly through countries like France and the United States to avoid a larger war. Yet the real peacemakers may be the Lebanese. Their online activism is a reminder that even despots seek legitimacy among the people. In Lebanon, legitimacy requires respecting people’s demand for a life of peace and dignity.