Infantino Brushes Off World Cup Critics

FIFA President Gianni Infantino dismissed the controversies that marred the 2026 World Cup, calling on the soccer tournament’s critics to “take a moment to reflect, meditate, pray, or watch a football match.”

“To those behind their pens and papers, behind their screens spreading hate and false rumours, I want to say that while you are sitting behind, we at FIFA are on the front lines organising, working hard, and delivering the best show in the world,” he wrote in an open letter posted on FIFA’s website on Sunday. “While you divide, we unite.”

“We experienced no violence, no incidents, 100% safety and security, only joy and happiness!” he continued.

Infantino claimed FIFA “worked tirelessly” to reconcile differences between Tehran and Washington, claiming “Iran entered the United States without incident or conflict.” Despite Infantino’s assessment, Iran’s coach said his team was “the most oppressed one in the whole World Cup,” citing last-minute travel changes.

Infantino also seemed to brush off high-profile controversies, like the decision to lift the one-game suspension for U.S. player Folarin Balogun following an intervention by President Donald Trump.

“Your dissatisfaction with a few decisions made by the competent authorities is understandable, but please refer to public records: such decisions are common in some of the most important leagues,” he said. “Indeed, ‘arguable’ referees’ decisions or ‘strange’ disciplinary rulings such as for instance potentially mistaken red or yellow cards or subsequent decisions not to ban players in certain situations are routine and widely accepted in some of the biggest leagues worldwide.”

Infantino then went on to encourage “those spending their time and energy hating us, please take a moment to reflect, meditate, pray, or watch a football match and truly observe the faces, the eyes, the emotions.”

Read the full letter here.

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Trump To Hold Meetings With Zelenskyy, Netanyahu

President Donald Trump is scheduled to hold meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday morning, as both leaders are in town to attend a memorial service for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).

“Our number-one priority is anti-ballistic defense and strategic cooperation with America. Peace needs to be brought closer,” Zelenskyy wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s trip to the White House comes as the future of the Iran war, which has just entered its sixth month, remains uncertain after an interim deal signed by the U.S. and Iran earlier this summer collapsed.

A White House official told multiple outlets that Trump and Netanyahu will discuss the ongoing Israel-Lebanon tensions and expanding the Abraham Accords, among other things.

Israel is set to hold a crucial general election in October, and Netanyahu hopes to secure Trump’s backing for his reelection bid during the meeting, sources told Reuters, as he lags behind in the polls.

Vice President JD Vance will likely skip the Zelenskyy sit-down but he is planning to attend Trump’s meeting with Netanyahu, Politico’s Playbook reported.

Major Quake In Southern Japan Injures At Least 50

A major earthquake rocked Japan‘s southern Kumamoto prefecture on Tuesday, knocking out power to thousands of homes, rupturing roads and injuring at least 50 people.

Speaking to reporters at her office in Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the full extent of casualties and damage from the 7.1 magnitude quake was still being assessed.

Federal Agents Used Anti-Immigrants Slurs During 2025 LA Raids, Court Docs Show

Federal agents used anti-immigrant slurs to identify targets during raids in Los Angeles last year, according to court documents reported by The Los Angeles Times and CalMatters.

A Monday court filing urging a federal judge to stop racial profiling by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detailed instances in which agents used derogatory terms, including “wet” and “tonk,” while they were looking for people to target for immigration detention.

During a raid at a Home Depot in Hollywood, one agent said, “There was a guy, I’m pretty sure he’s wet he was just sitting in that minivan,” the filing said, citing body camera footage.

In a text message chain detailed in the filing, an agent wrote: “Yeah, just plug us in wherever you see some tonks and we’ll jump out.” In a separate text, an agent said he saw “tonks everywhere selling food.”

While the word “tonk” does not have a specific origin, most agree it’s derived from the sound made by slamming a heavy-duty flashlight or baton over a migrant’s head. During the Biden administration, high-ranking officials in Washington and within the Border Patrol had threatened disciplinary action for the use of the term.

Iran Hangs 2 Men Convicted Of Killing 4 Police Officers In January Protests

Iran on Tuesday hanged two men convicted in a case of killing four police officers during January protests, state media reported.

A report by Mizanonline.ir, affiliated to the country’s judiciary, identified the two as Abolfazl Sepahi Badjani and Amir Hossein Safari Hosseinabadi, saying they also set a police station on fire and damaged public properties in the central city of Isfahan, some 400 kilometers (250 miles) south of the capital, Tehran.

The two men are the latest executed from among the tens of thousands who were arrested during a January crackdown on nationwide protests. Rights groups say more could face death sentences. The protests that began late December and extended to January faced a heavy crackdown by security forces.

Earlier in July Iran hanged two other men in the same case.

Iran put the death toll of the protests at more than 3,000. Right groups activists put the number at more than 7,000.

Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake Hits Japan's Kyushu Region, JMA Says

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 struck Japan’s Kumamoto prefecture on Tuesday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

A tsunami warning for a wave measuring 1 meter (3.28 ft) was issued after the earthquake, the JMA said.

The Japanese government issued emergency earthquake warnings for Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Saga, Oita, and Miyazaki prefectures, all on Japan’s southern Kyushu island.

Gov. Beshear Calls On McConnell To Provide Proof Of His Ability To Serve

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) on Monday demanded more transparency from Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who hasn’t been seen in public since his hospitalization in mid-June.

“As Governor of the state you serve, I am calling on you to directly and verbally address the people of Kentucky and provide proof of your capacity to serve, or resign,” Beshear wrote in a new letter, which was obtained by CNN.

Earlier in the day, McConnell’s office issued a statement which noted that he was completing “intense physical therapy” and wouldn’t be able to attend an upcoming event. Additionally, the Office of the Attending Physician said McConnell was continuing to recover from a fall and had not been “medically cleared” to leave the rehab facility.

That statement was accompanied by a photo of McConnell and his wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.

While the senator’s office has issued a handful of written statements, McConnell has not addressed the public in person for weeks, fueling concerns and speculation about his condition.

“I am addressing this letter to Senator McConnell under the assumption that he is capable of reading and responding verbally, and not incapacitated by means of consciousness or cognition,” Beshear wrote. “If the Senator is unable to respond for either of those or other conditions, consider this letter a demand for his Senate staff to be honest and transparent with the people of Kentucky.”

McConnell’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Authorities Relied On Dubious Allegation To Separate Buttigieg, Children: WaPo

Michigan authorities separated former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg from his 4-year-old twins last month based on a dubious allegation that came from someone officials later described as potentially “mentally unstable,” according to a Washington Post report, which cited police records.

The Michigan Attorney General’s office is now investigating how the false allegation was handled.

Trump Admin's Deadly Strikes On Alleged Drug Ships Haven’t Reduced Cocaine Supply: Report

The U.S. military’s deadly strikes on alleged drug-trafficking vessels have done little to curb the supply of cocaine in the U.S., according to a Washington Post report, which cited an analysis by the Drug Enforcement Administration, a closed-door congressional briefing and interviews with current and former U.S. officials.

The DEA analysis reportedly found that cocaine supply and pricing in the U.S. have not been “noticeably affected” even as President Donald Trump has claimed that the strikes significantly reduced maritime drug trafficking.

The White House, meanwhile, defended the strikes and echoed claims about their efficacy.

“These measures have not only eliminated narcoterrorists themselves, but also discouraged bad actors from trying to smuggle drugs into our country should they meet the same deadly fate,” spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement to The Post. “President Trump is using every tool at his disposal to save lives from the scourge of illicit narcotics, and any suggestion that these efforts have not been effective are laughable.”

Trump Calls On SCOTUS To Allow His Executive Order Targeting Mail-In Voting

President Donald Trump on Monday petitioned the Supreme Court to allow for the implementation of his March executive order targeting mail-in voting, despite it being blocked in lower courts in 23 states and Washington, D.C.

Executive Order 14399 is a continuation of Trump’s campaign to rewrite history by alleging widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election that he lost to former President Joe Biden. His order would require the establishment of a “state citizenship list” comprised of the names of people eligible to vote by mail. The U.S. Postal Service would be barred from sending ballots to individuals who are not on the list. Any state election officials who do not abide by the order could be federally prosecuted.

States have argued that the Constitution places the states and Congress in charge of elections.

U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer said the order doesn’t affect the states.

“The executive order is an intra-branch directive from the president to his subordinates — which, of its own force, does not change anything at all about elections in any state,” Sauer said in the appeal to the Court. “It does not require the states to do (or refrain from doing) anything at all.”

The ongoing legal battle is occurring just ahead of midterm elections this fall.

Texas Congressman Under Investigation By House Ethics Committee

Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Texas) is being investigated by the House Ethics Committee. He joins a growing list of lawmakers the agency is probing.

The committee announced Monday it was investigating Gooden, but did not provide additional details. The panel will determine a course of action on or before Nov. 9, it said.

The committee announced in May it was investigating Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) for alleged sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment. Rep Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) is also being investigated by the agency for alleged sexual misconduct with a staff member.

HuffPost has reached out to Gooden’s office for comment.

Source: HuffPost