Earlier this year, when a California jury awarded $2bn to a couple who claimed Roundup weed killer caused their cancer, it seemed a high point. It was the largest US jury verdict against the company in litigation over the chemical and is, unsurprisingly, being contested

Last week, the pharmaceuticals giant Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay just over $570m (€518m) in compensation by a court in the south western US state of Oklahoma. Irony of ironies, the company’s share price rose following the news, the markets having anticipated that the award would be even higher.

USA: A prestigious award from the Brooklyn Museum honours women who have made outstanding contributions in their fields — and this year’s surprise honouree is... Miss Piggy.