While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, May 27, 2026
· The Straits TimesIsraeli strikes kill 31 in south Lebanon as Israel expands ground operations
Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon killed 31 people on May 26, the Lebanese health ministry said, as Israel said it was intensifying attacks despite a truce in its war with Hezbollah.
The Iran-backed group meanwhile said it faced Israeli troops entering the southern town of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, as the Israeli military said it was expanding its ground operations.
In a statement, the health ministry said 31 people, including at least four children and three women, were killed in attacks and 40 wounded.
Fourteen were killed in Burj al-Shamali near Tyre, five in Kawthariyat al-Riz, four in Habbush, six in Maarakeh and two in Salaa.
Russia says US did not grant visa for vice-minister to attend UN Security Council meeting
Russia’s UN ambassador said on May 26 that the US did not grant a visa for Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alimov to attend a UN Security Council meeting and called it a breach of US obligations under the UN Headquarters Agreement.
Mr Vassily Nebenzia made the comment at a meeting of the 15-member UN Security Council chaired by China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi that he said Alimov had intended to attend.
A UN diplomat said Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had also apparently been denied a visa to attend the same meeting. The main topic of the meeting was upholding the UN charter and strengthening multilateral cooperation.
Trump’s redistricting push suffers setbacks in Alabama, South Carolina
US President Donald Trump’s push for Republican-led states to draw electoral maps more favourable to his party ahead of November’s midterm elections suffered twin setbacks on May 26, when efforts in South Carolina and Alabama to reshape US House of Representatives districts were stymied.
In a rare break with Trump from members of his own party, several Republican state senators in South Carolina voted with Democrats to abandon a new map aimed at dismantling the US House district held by congressman James Clyburn, a Black Democrat first elected to the seat more than three decades ago.
Separately, a panel of three federal judges blocked Alabama Republicans from installing a new map that would eliminate one of the state’s two districts with predominantly Black populations, ruling that state lawmakers intentionally discriminated against Black voters in reconfiguring the boundaries.
Multiple deaths and injuries after chemical tank ruptures at Washington state paper mill
A chemical tank imploded and ruptured at a Nippon Dynawave Packaging facility in the US state of Washington on May 26, resulting in multiple deaths and critical injuries, authorities said.
Emergency responders remained at the site in the city of Longview in Cowlitz County, about 72km north of Portland, Oregon, said the Longview Fire Department in a joint written statement with Nippon and the Cowlitz County Sheriff's Department.
Multiple patients who suffered from chemical burns and other injuries were transported to nearby hospitals. Authorities said the implosion posed "no immediate threat to the surrounding community."
Jannik Sinner eases into French Open second round
World number one Jannik Sinner started his campaign for a maiden French Open title in merciless fashion, beating Frenchman Clement Tabur 6-1 6-3 6-4 to reach the second round on May 26.
The Italian, the overwhelming favourite for the title in the absence of injured two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, was all business on Court Philippe-Chatrier’s night session, suffocating Tabur with relentless depth and pace from the baseline.
Fifth seed Jessica Pegula’s French Open struggles continued when she fell to a 1-6 6-3 6-3 defeat to Australian Kimberly Birrell in the first round, becoming the biggest casualty in the women’s draw on May 26.