Trump meets Netanyahu and Zelenskyy as Iran and Ukraine wars collide diplomatically

Nearly 600 retired Israeli military officials urged Trump to pressure Netanyahu over escalating settler violence in the West Bank. The group warned that unchecked settler attacks risk reigniting regional conflict, with Netanyahu's Tuesday White House meeting shadowed by recent violence that killed eight Palestinians and two Israelis. (via Al Jazeera)

Houthis eye Red Sea control. Yemen's Foreign Minister warned that Iran-backed Houthis aim to replicate Tehran's Strait of Hormuz dominance in the Red Sea's Bab al-Mandeb, critical to 30 percent of global container traffic. Houthi maritime attacks and drone strikes suggest growing capability to disrupt vital shipping routes. (via Al Jazeera)

Boeing 737 MAX faces seat safety warning. The FAA warned that 453 U.S.-registered 737 MAX aircraft may have incorrectly installed seats that could come loose in emergency landings. The directive represents the latest concern over Boeing's manufacturing standards. (via Al Jazeera)

UK court rules against Bahrain on spyware. Britain's Supreme Court ruled Bahrain cannot claim state immunity in a lawsuit from dissidents over alleged FinSpy surveillance deployed in 2011. The 3-2 decision allows UK courts to hear cases over surveillance directed from abroad. (via Al Jazeera)

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy meets Trump on Tuesday as Iran and Ukraine conflicts converge diplomatically. Ukraine recently attacked an Iranian tanker carrying alleged military components for Russia; the Senate votes on 100-percent tariffs on Russia's largest oil and gas importers. Trump-Zelenskyy relations have warmed, with nations agreeing to jointly produce Patriot air defense systems. (via Al Jazeera)

Netanyahu meets Trump on Iran exit. Israeli PM Netanyahu arrived in Washington to discuss concluding the five-month Iran conflict. Trump stated the U.S. is conducting "very friendly talks" with Tehran, though Iran claims Washington is "struggling" to find an exit and denies negotiations. The meeting signals potential diplomatic progress. (via Al Jazeera)

Trump seeks Supreme Court on mail-in voting. The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to reverse a ruling blocking his executive order restricting mail-in voting in 23 Democratic-led states. The directive would limit ballot delivery to approved voter lists; the Justice Department urged swift implementation by August for November's midterms. (via Al Jazeera)

UN slams Israel settlement expansion. UN Secretary-General Guterres condemned Israel's accelerated legalization of West Bank farm outposts, calling them "flagrant violations" of international law. Recent violence killed eight Palestinians and two Israelis, with 1,330 settler-related incidents documented since January. (via Al Jazeera)

Johnson & Johnson agreed to a $5.5 billion settlement resolving approximately 69,000 U.S. lawsuits alleging its talc baby powder caused ovarian cancer. The deal covers 99.75 percent of outstanding cases, though requires 95 percent claimant acceptance to finalize. J&J denies talc causes cancer but discontinued the product in 2020. A separate UK case involving 7,000 claimants remains pending. (via Al Jazeera)

Nvidia funds OpenAI's $250 billion data center. Nvidia is negotiating to provide a $250 billion financing guarantee for OpenAI's 10-gigawatt facility in Piketon, Ohio. The arrangement would cover construction debts while Nvidia separately funds the $350 billion chip costs. Critics worry this represents circular financing—companies using Nvidia's money to buy Nvidia chips. (via Al Jazeera)

Roblox launched Build, an AI game creation tool turning text prompts into playable games, in public alpha July 28 in New Zealand. Creators describe a game and the system generates mechanics, environments, characters, visuals, and sound without coding. Users nine and older can create; those 16 and older can publish globally. Roblox plans free and paid tiers with expansion to more regions. (via Roblox)

Commonwealth Games day five in Glasgow saw track and field 100-meter finals crowning the Commonwealth's fastest runners and 10 swimming finals at Tollcross International Swimming Centre. Olympic champions Kyle Chalmers and Matt Richards competed; India's Gulveer Singh pursued a 10,000-meter medal and five boxers fought for quarterfinal spots. (via Olympics.com)

Nuggets match Thunder offer for Jones. Denver matched Oklahoma City's two-year, $12 million offer sheet for restricted free agent Spencer Jones with one hour to spare. By matching, the Nuggets' tax penalty doubled to $68 million, pushing them into the second apron for the first time. The undrafted Stanford guard appeared in 64 games last season. (via The Washington Post)