Thursday, October 29, 2026
At Least 10 U.S. Military Aircraft Land in Israel Within 24 Hours
At least 10 U.S. military transport aircraft landed at Israeli air bases within 24 hours, according to Kan News. The airlift also reached Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar as Washington reinforced regional forces ahead of a possible decision on Iran strikes.
The United States has launched a military airlift to Israel and several Gulf countries, with at least 10 American transport aircraft landing at Israeli air bases within 24 hours, according to Israeli public broadcaster Kan News. The operation began hours after Israel’s recent elections and comes as Washington expands military preparations across the Middle East while President Donald Trump considers renewed strikes against Iran. Some of the aircraft reportedly departed from Fort Bliss in Texas, a major center for U.S. Army air and missile defense operations.
At Least 10 Aircraft Land at Israeli Bases
Kan News military correspondent Itay Blumental reported on October 29 that at least 10 American military transport aircraft had landed at Ovda and Nevatim air bases in southern Israel during the preceding 24 hours. The arrivals formed part of a broader American airlift involving several countries in the region, with additional transport aircraft landing at military facilities in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
The movement began shortly after Israel’s elections. Kan did not provide a complete inventory of the equipment transported aboard the aircraft, and the U.S. military has not publicly confirmed the specific cargo carried on the reported flights.
Some Aircraft Departed From Fort Bliss
Several of the transport aircraft reportedly originated from the Fort Bliss military complex in Texas, including the area around Biggs Army Airfield. Fort Bliss hosts major U.S. Army air defense formations, including the 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command, and is associated with air defense equipment, personnel and interceptor missile stocks.
The reported departure point has prompted speculation that the aircraft could be transporting equipment related to missile defense systems. However, the cargo carried aboard the specific flights has not been independently established. Kan’s reporting identifies the aircraft movements but does not confirm that Patriot launchers, interceptors or other particular systems were aboard.
Israel and U.S. Coordinate on Iran Preparations
An Israeli security source told Kan that American and Israeli defense officials were maintaining close coordination as Washington considered its next steps toward Iran. According to the source, both countries were preparing for possible decisions by Trump concerning the military campaign, though no final decision had been made.
The airlift therefore represents reported logistical preparations rather than confirmation that the president has authorized new strikes. Blumental compared the pattern of aircraft movements with the logistics buildup preceding Operation Roaring Lion, a comparison that concerned the scale and character of the military movements, not a confirmed timetable for another operation.
U.S. Moves Additional Patriot System Toward Region
The reported airlift follows earlier accounts of American efforts to reinforce missile defenses in the Middle East. The Wall Street Journal reported on October 28 that the U.S. Army was moving an additional Patriot air and missile defense system from Texas toward Israel. The deployment was linked to concerns about the availability of interceptor missiles and the need to strengthen defenses against possible Iranian retaliation.
Washington has also been replenishing munitions stocks and moving some American personnel away from bases considered vulnerable to attack, as part of broader preparations for possible renewed military operations. The reported Patriot transfer is consistent with the air defense buildup, although it does not establish what the aircraft identified by Kan were carrying.
Gulf States Warned of Possible Post-Election Campaign
The military movements come as American officials have warned Gulf Arab governments about the possibility of renewed strikes against Iran after the November 3 U.S. midterm elections. According to the Journal, regional governments were told to prepare for a potentially short, intense military campaign.
Trump has publicly left open the possibility of resuming major operations against Tehran. However, the White House has not announced a final decision or confirmed a timetable for military action.
American preparations have included additional defensive equipment, supplies and military assets across the region. The airlift reported by Kan adds to the indications of continuing logistical activity ahead of a possible presidential decision.
Military Buildup Continues Without Strike Order
The reported arrivals at Ovda and Nevatim highlight the scale of U.S. military transport activity in Israel, while additional flights to Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar indicate that the movement extends beyond Israeli bases. The origin of some aircraft in Texas is consistent with the broader reinforcement of regional air defenses, but their precise cargo remains unconfirmed.
Neither the aircraft movements nor the reported Patriot deployment establishes that a new attack on Iran has been ordered. For now, Washington and its regional partners continue preparations while Trump considers whether to authorize further military action.
Bayer wins Roundup weedkiller cancer trial while awaiting settlement ruling
Bayer won a trial on Thursday over claims by three women that its Roundup weedkiller caused their cancer, while awaiting a broader ruling from a separate court on the company's $7.25 billion effort to settle other Roundup cases.
The trial was a test for the continued viability of Roundup lawsuits after a US Supreme Court ruling in Bayer's favor limited the legal claims that plaintiffs can bring.
It comes as Bayer is separately seeking to resolve tens of thousands of other Roundup lawsuits through a proposed $7.25 billion settlement, which is under review by a Missouri state court judge in St. Louis.
A St. Louis jury unanimously ruled for Bayer-owned Monsanto in the first case to go to trial after June's Supreme Court ruling. The litigation has weighed on Bayer since its 2018 acquisition of Monsanto, costing the company billions of dollars and driving down its share price.
Bill Dodero, Bayer's US general counsel and global head of litigation, said the verdict showed how difficult it would be for other plaintiffs to win cases after the Supreme Court ruling.
"This verdict should send a strong signal that plaintiffs who wish to pursue claims in the court system following the Durnell ruling will face significant challenges both in demonstrating they have viable claims and putting forth the necessary evidence to prove them in court," Dodero said in a statement.
PLAINTIFFS SUED IN 2020
Plaintiffs Theresa Aretino, Cynthia Fernandez and Betty Larkin sued Bayer unit Monsanto in 2020 in St. Louis, saying they used Roundup regularly and later developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Their attorneys argued that Roundup was defectively designed and unreasonably dangerous, and that Bayer was negligent in selling it.
The three women are not participating in Bayer's proposed settlement. Fernandez died before the trial began.
Reuters viewed the trial and verdict on Courtroom View Network. Attorneys for Aretino, Fernandez and Larkin did not immediately respond to a request for comment late on Thursday.
Bayer has denied the claims and said that decades of studies have shown glyphosate, Roundup's active ingredient, is safe and does not cause cancer.
Bayer faces around 65,000 claims in US state and federal courts from plaintiffs who say they developed cancer after using Roundup at home or on the job.
Before the Supreme Court ruling this year, most lawsuits had alleged that Roundup's label failed to warn consumers about cancer risks. But the court blocked those legal arguments in June, ruling that federal law requires herbicide makers to use the exact label approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA has concluded that Roundup's label does not require a cancer warning.
Bayer has argued that other legal claims, including design-defect and negligence, are also foreclosed by the US Supreme Court's ruling, but plaintiffs' attorneys have argued that those claims are not affected by the ruling.
The EPA has previously concluded that glyphosate is probably not carcinogenic, but it is in the middle of a new review of its safety.
In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer concluded that glyphosate was "probably carcinogenic" to humans, but Bayer has said that is an outlier opinion based on flawed methodology.
https://finance.yahoo.com/healthcare/articles/bayer-wins-roundup-weedkiller-cancer-010345736.html
Attruby drives upside as BridgeBio targets $25–30M quarterly U.S. growth, readies 3 launches with $1.5B cash
- Q3 2026 revenue $353.2M (YoY +193%) beat $296.6M expectations, driven by Attruby, a $75M Beyonttra milestone and timing.
- Q3 per-share loss $0.42 beat $0.60 forecast; operating loss improved to $11.6M from $145.2M, EPS not disclosed.
- Attruby U.S. revenue $253.2M in Q3 2026, +134% YoY, +14% QoQ, annualizing >$1B toward $4B peak-sales goal.
- Royalty revenue, mainly from Beyonttra in the EU and Japan, rose to $20.5M from $4.3M a year ago.
- Operating margin improved to -3% from -120%; operating expenses rose to $344.4M from $259.3M, rising in Q4 before moderating.
- BridgeBio ended Q3 2026 with $1.5B cash, strongest ever, prioritizing operations, pipeline IRR and share repurchases; no major charges.
- Management gave no formal revenue or EPS guidance, sees $25–30M Attruby growth with upside and $90–100M quarterly losses in 2026.
- They expect 2026 losses to improve from ~$130M per-quarter in 2025, with leverage and all four brands profitable by 2028.
- Three priority-review PDUFA dates within seven months for BBP‑418, infigratinib and encaleret should diversify revenue beyond Attruby starting late 2026.
- Patient pools are growing via genetic testing; encaleret ADH1 patients >600 vs 500 and BBP‑418 EU MAA planned 1H 2028.
- Attruby growth is driven by first-line new starts among ~2,900 high-volume cardiology prescribers, with over 60% of potential prescribers untreated.
- Real-world evidence shows acoramidis improves hospitalization outcomes versus tafamidis, with renal-protective signals supporting Attruby differentiation and future kidney indications.
- Beyonttra is now the leading ATTR stabilizer in Europe, generating accelerating royalties and a $75M one-time sales milestone from Bayer.
- Investors' concerns are Attruby dependence with pre-approval pipeline, execution across three launches, under-diagnosis, and achondroplasia competition including a citizen petition.
- Launch teams are hired and engaged; management highlights AI-genomics for patient-identification efficiency, margin expansion through 2027, and confident tone.
Fired US general said to admit leaking Iran, Ukraine info: Axios
United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Army Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia (pictured) after the top military planner confessed on video to leaking classified information regarding Ukraine and Iran to reporters over a one-year period, Axios reported.
Following four failed polygraph tests, Sylvia admitted on video to the "unauthorized disclosure of information to the media," having used the Signal app and encrypted chats to coordinate with journalists.
During a meeting in Arlington, Virginia, Sylvia "verbally provided information about US aid to Ukraine based on notes he had taken while reviewing a classified report," prompting officials to refer his case to the Department of Justice.
Petrobras discovers third oil-bearing interval off Amapa state
Brazil's Petrobras said on Thursday that it discovered the third oil-bearing interval in the Morpho well, located in block FZA-M-59, a sector situated in ultra-deep waters off the coast of Amapa state.
"Our technical persistence allowed three discoveries to be made in the same well, which makes us even more optimistic about the exploratory potential of the Equatorial Margin," said Petrobras President Magda Chambriar.
Drilling and geological data acquisition have been completed at the well, the company said. It noted that it will abandon the Morpho well, with the rig moved to the Potiguar basin, off the coast of Rio Grande do Norte, where drilling will start at the Mae de Ouro location.
'Ukraine said to halt Russia oil strikes amid US pressure'
Ukraine has temporarily paused military drone strikes against Russian oil refineries following weeks of diplomatic pressure from the United States, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Military officials reported that long-range units were told in mid-October to hold off on active refinery missions due to a delicate political situation.
While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the military is currently targeting other sites and remains free to resume strikes, he recently warned that Ukraine would respond this winter if Russia rejects a proposed energy ceasefire.