Johnson & Johnson has proposed a $5.5 billion settlement to resolve thousands of US lawsuits alleging that its talc powder caused ovarian cancer. The pharmaceutical company made the formal announcement on Monday, according to a report published July 28. If implemented, the agreement would resolve about 69,000 pending cases in US federal and state courts.

The company said those cases represent roughly 99.75 percent of outstanding talc-related litigation in the United States. The settlement must receive approval from at least 95 percent of plaintiffs who filed cases in state or federal courts before it can be finalized. In 2024, the World Health Organization added talc to its list of substances that may cause cancer in humans.

Johnson & Johnson has maintained that there is no scientific evidence that talc causes cancer. It nevertheless stopped selling talc-based baby powder in the United States in 2020 and globally in 2023. Lawyers representing plaintiffs welcomed the proposed deal after a decade of legal battles. The agreement does not apply to UK claims, where more than 7,000 potential plaintiffs are awaiting proceedings in a High Court case filed in October 2025.

Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the US House Judiciary Committee, has opened an investigation into FIFA President Gianni Infantino over relations between football’s governing body and the Trump administration. In a detailed letter sent Sunday, Raskin requested documents and asked Infantino to appear for an untranscribed interview. The report was published on July 28, 2026.

Raskin sought records and communications concerning any gifts, payments or benefits FIFA gave to Trump and his associates. He also requested visitor logs for FIFA office space acquired in Trump Tower last year. FIFA awarded Trump its newly created “FIFA Peace Prize” at the World Cup draw in Washington last December, while the organization opened a new office in Midtown Manhattan’s Trump Tower in July last year.

The letter also cited the Justice Department’s decision to dismiss indictments in a US government investigation into corruption in world football, including cases brought in 2015 against more than 20 senior FIFA officials and sports-marketing executives. Raskin alleged that FIFA’s ethical safeguards and ethics committee were weakened under Infantino. The report also described criticism after FIFA lifted Folarin Balogun’s suspension following Trump’s calls seeking a review.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has arrived in the United States for a planned meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington on the Iran crisis and the broader Middle East situation. The report, published on July 28, says the two leaders are expected to hold an important meeting. Netanyahu’s office said discussions will cover Iran, regional security and initiatives to expand peace across the Middle East.

Before departing for the United States, Netanyahu said all items on the agenda would be discussed, but that Iran was the most important issue. He said ensuring Israel’s overall security and broadening peace in the surrounding region would be central goals. Netanyahu also said complex circumstances require moving forward with both firmness and wisdom, and described his objective as securing Israel’s safety and future.

Netanyahu called the trip highly significant and said it would be his eighth meeting with Trump since Trump was elected president for a second time. He said he had met Trump more often during the second term than any other national leader. Alongside the bilateral meeting, Netanyahu will attend the funeral of US Senator Lindsey Graham, who died on July 12 after a brief illness.

A UK-based institution’s poll found that 46 percent of Americans support arresting world leaders accused of genocide, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu topping the list of leaders discussed. Respondents expressed this view amid international allegations and continuing legal debate surrounding Netanyahu in connection with the Gaza war.

A significant share of participants said international law should be properly enforced in cases involving such allegations. The poll presented the views of US voters, although the report did not provide details on its sample size, timing, or methodology.

The findings emerged as Netanyahu prepared to meet US President Donald Trump. Before departing for Washington, DC, from an Israeli Air Force base, Netanyahu said Iran would be the leading issue in their agenda. In a Hebrew video message alongside his wife Sara Netanyahu, he also cited protecting security and expanding the circle of peace. The meeting is scheduled for 11 a.m. local time Tuesday and will be the two leaders’ first in more than five months.

President Donald Trump faces a political and strategic crisis over the continuing conflict with Iran, according to the report published July 27, 2026. Trump launched a full-scale military operation on February 28 to destroy Iran’s nuclear program and change its government, but the stated goals remain largely unmet after five months. Despite extensive military force, he has not brought Iran under the desired level of control and is hesitant about launching another major operation.

The war has unsettled international energy markets, while the United States has failed to control oil prices and shipping has been disrupted on key routes including the Strait of Hormuz. Prolonged exchanges of attacks have also reduced stocks of missile-defense systems, raising concern over US military capacity. Internal divisions have emerged in the administration, and some political allies favor ending the conflict quickly. A Washington Post-Ipsos poll found 29 percent support for Trump’s handling of the war.

The report identifies three main options for Trump: escalating military strikes, tightening economic sanctions, or declaring victory and withdrawing. Escalation could cause civilian casualties and new security risks, while sanctions offer no guarantee of quick results. Withdrawal could prompt criticism that his stated objectives were not achieved.

Two people were killed and at least five others were injured in a shooting during the annual Bite of Seattle food and music festival at Seattle Center in the United States. The report was published and updated on July 27, 2026. Four of the injured were admitted to Harborview Medical Center, where one was listed in critical condition and the others were described as stable.

Local outlet KOMO News, citing emergency responders, said the shooting occurred while the festival was underway. The Seattle Police Department said in a post on X that it had opened an investigation into an incident involving multiple casualties and urged the public to avoid the area. Police did not immediately release further details on the injured people’s conditions.

Authorities also did not officially say whether any suspect had been detained. Videos circulating on social media showed police removing one person from the scene, but officials did not confirm whether that person was connected to the shooting. Seattle Center, near the Space Needle, had been hosting the weeklong festival with hundreds of local food vendors and musicians. Police said the investigation into the motive and the attacker’s identity remains ongoing.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that he will travel to New York to address a United Nations session despite an International Criminal Court arrest warrant. The announcement, reported on July 27, 2026, comes as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Netanyahu would not be welcomed in the city.

In an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu criticized Mamdani and accused him of creating divisions in society. Mamdani has consistently said Netanyahu should be arrested if he comes to the United States, while recently acknowledging that New York City does not have the authority to carry out such an arrest.

The ICC issued arrest warrants in November 2024 against Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. A recent survey found more favorable views of Mamdani than Netanyahu among Jewish US citizens, while another poll found that 46 percent of Americans believe Netanyahu should be arrested. Netanyahu accused Mamdani and his wife of supporting the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, but Mamdani has described that attack as a horrific war crime.

The Pentagon has removed the names of four US service members killed after the recent escalation between the United States and Iran from the main official war casualty list, according to an Associated Press report cited by Al Jazeera on July 27. The four personnel were moved from the primary list into a different category.

Military officials had previously cited the Defense Casualty Analysis System as the main source for conflict casualty information. Last week, the four dead service members and several injured personnel were removed from that system’s main list. Pentagon documents now show the cases under a new heading, “foreign operations.”

The new list includes the four dead service members and information on 207 injured personnel, though it remains unclear whether all those listed were directly wounded in the Iran war. Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez said the reduced figures resulted from errors and temporary data disruptions, adding that the problem was being addressed quickly. The AP report said the Pentagon has held no formal war briefing since early May, while US Central Command has stopped providing journalists with regular casualty updates.

President Donald Trump said at a White House meeting on Friday that he planned to intensify attacks on Iran, according to CNN. Vice President JD Vance and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine, who attended the meeting, voiced concern that expanding the campaign could turn it into a larger conflict. CNN cited a source familiar with the matter and a US official.

The United States had conducted continuous attacks on Iran for nearly two weeks, but Washington paused bombing on Friday night for the first time during that period. A Pentagon source told CNN on Saturday that a major military operation against Iran was on hold. Caine warned Trump about weapons and ammunition stockpiles, the risks of a prolonged war, and other potential negative effects.

White House communications director Steven Cheung said Trump still prioritized a diplomatic solution, while keeping all options open if Iran attacked the Strait of Hormuz or US allies. Trump said US officials were actively talking with Iran, though the military could continue or intensify bombing. Vance's office did not comment.

US Congressman Thomas Massie has accused the Trump administration of seriously damaging the United States' stability and resources by continuing war against Iran. In a message posted on X, formerly Twitter, Massie said the United States had become significantly weaker because of the war with Iran, according to a report published on July 27, 2026.

Expressing anger over the administration's policies, Massie said it had exhausted the country's missile defense system and emptied oil reserves. He also alleged that US service members had been made into sacrificial victims, while the cost of daily necessities had risen and the country's debt had increased.

Massie further said the administration had ignored domestic needs, arguing that all of these actions were taken for Israel. The report did not include a response from the Trump administration to his allegations or provide additional details about the war with Iran.

A federal appeals court based in Boston has refused to allow key provisions of President Donald Trump’s executive order tightening mail-in voting rules to take effect before the upcoming November congressional elections in the United States. On Saturday, the First US Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the Trump administration’s request by a 2-1 vote, leaving a lower-court injunction in place.

The US Justice Department had asked for the injunction to be temporarily lifted while litigation continued, arguing that relevant federal agencies had not yet finalized implementation policies and that the lawsuit was premature. The appeals court rejected that argument, saying states must prepare now as the September and November elections approach and face deadlines requiring coordination with federal authorities.

US District Judge Indira Talwani issued the injunction on June 25, finding that several parts of Trump’s March order likely exceeded presidential constitutional authority and interfered with state and congressional powers over elections. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia brought the case. The blocked provisions will remain suspended in those states through the November congressional election, though the administration may seek emergency relief from the US Supreme Court.

Sohel Rana Bayati’s film Noya Manush will open the first three-day New York Bangla Film Festival in New York, United States, on July 30. The screening is scheduled for 7 pm local time at RTV Theatre on the festival’s opening day. The festival will feature selected Bangladeshi short films, documentaries and feature films.

The film is based on A. M. M. Hasanuzzaman’s novel Bedonar Baluchore, with dialogue and screenplay by Masum Reza. Its cast includes A. M. M. Hasanuzzaman, Ashish Khandakar, Jhuna Chowdhury, Rawnak Hasan, Mousumi Hamid, Shikha Karmakar and Nilufar Wahid, among others. Bayati said Noya Manush has already been screened at film festivals in several countries.

The director said the festival is especially significant because only films by Bangladeshi filmmakers will be screened and awarded, adding that it could support the promotion of domestic cinema. The movie was filmed by Kamal Chandra Das in remote Kanudir Char in Chandpur during Super Cyclone Sitrang. The festival’s closing and award ceremony is scheduled for August 2.

The United States and Saudi Arabia signed a civilian nuclear agreement on Wednesday at the US Energy Department headquarters in Washington after nearly two decades of talks. The following morning, President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that Saudi Arabia must join the Abraham Accords for the deal to take effect. He also said Saudi Arabia would not be allowed to enrich uranium under the agreement.

CNN reported that Trump had already been dissatisfied because Energy Secretary Chris Wright set the timing for the agreement’s announcement without informing him. White House officials said the agreement was not formally final because required documents had not been sent to Congress. Spokesperson Taylor Rogers said the deal depended on Saudi participation in the Abraham Accords, while the Energy Department said it coordinated every stage with the White House and State Department.

Conservative outlets including Fox News and The Wall Street Journal had questioned granting Saudi Arabia the benefits without normalization with Israel. Nonproliferation experts raised concerns about uranium enrichment and the absence of additional International Atomic Energy Agency inspections. Israeli sources suggested Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intervened, but the White House denied Trump spoke with him. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt also said Trump did not speak with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman before or after announcing the conditions.

US President Donald Trump said Washington is holding talks with Iran while warning that Tehran will not be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons. He made the comments on Friday local time at the White House Oval Office, where he had convened a special meeting on nuclear innovation. Asked by reporters about recent remarks suggesting a possible major attack on Iran, Trump said the United States was currently in discussions with Tehran and remained militarily prepared.

Trump did not provide details of the talks, but said Iran was taking the matter seriously and should do so. The report said his comments conflicted with messages from other US officials this week, as the administration had previously indicated that diplomatic opportunities were nearly exhausted and that attention was focused on military action.

Trump said senior members of his cabinet were involved in the discussions, specifically naming Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance. Asked about a strategy or exit path from the ongoing conflict, he said he saw several possible routes but gave no details. He also said he was in no hurry to make a deal.

US President Donald Trump’s public support has fallen sharply following his decision to conduct a military operation in Iran, according to a new opinion poll cited in a report published on July 24, 2026. The survey indicates that his popularity over handling the Iran conflict has dropped close to its lowest level in history.

A Washington Post poll put Trump’s net approval rating for handling the Iran conflict at minus 40. CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten described the result as “historically very unpopular,” according to the report.

The poll also found that support for the military operation has declined steadily since the conflict began. Current backing for the operation is among the lowest levels recorded for modern US military interventions. Analysts said the findings indicate growing opposition among the US public to the Trump administration’s military actions on the Iran issue.