920 stories · Page 41 of 92
In the early hours of 17 May 2026 Kyiv sent its largest-ever wave of drones—well over a thousand—to targets 500 km inside Russia, setting fires at an oil refinery, two depots and the Angstrem microchip plant while Russian authorities reported four deaths and claimed hundreds of interceptions.
After a week in which Russia fired 3,170 drones, 1,300 glide bombs and 74 missiles that killed 52 civilians, Kyiv secured French, British and German agreement to help build a shared air- and missile-defence architecture and readied a 21st EU sanctions round cutting off Russian weapons components.
Returning from his 15-16 May 2026 talks with Xi Jinping, President Trump said he made "no commitment" on the delayed $14 billion U.S. weapons package for Taiwan and publicly urged Taipei not to declare independence, reversing months of hawkish rhetoric.
In a pre-dawn 16 May 2026 raid, combined U.S. special operators and Nigerian troops killed ISIS deputy leader Abu-Bilal al-Minuki at his compound near Metele, Borno State, ending his control of the group’s overseas networks.
After six rounds of talks in Beijing on 16 May 2026, Donald Trump announced a new US-China “constructive strategic stability” accord and said he may freeze Congress’s $14 billion arms package for Taiwan, urging Taipei and Beijing to "cool down."
On 14–15 May 2026, Presidents Trump and Xi met for 2¼ hours in Beijing and issued a joint pledge to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and bar a nuclear-armed Iran, but produced no comprehensive trade accord while Xi sharpened warnings over Taiwan.
In late March–April 2026, Saudi Arabia quietly flew at least two combat sorties into Iraq, striking drone-launch sites of Iran-backed militias near its northern frontier just before and after the 7 Apr U.S.–Iran cease-fire, while rockets fired from Kuwaiti territory simultaneously hit similar militia targets in southern Iraq.
In the early hours of 14 May 2026, Moscow mounted its heaviest single-night aerial strike of the war—firing 56 missiles and roughly 670 explosive drones that overwhelmed Kyiv’s defences, collapsed a nine-storey apartment block and ended a three-day lull brokered by Washington.
In late March 2026, Saudi fighter jets secretly bombed sites in Iran and Iran-backed militias in Iraq—a historic first for Riyadh—after waves of Iranian drones and missiles pierced the U.S. security umbrella; the covert raids were followed by rapid Saudi-Iran back-channel talks that slashed incoming attacks and paved the way to the April 7 ceasefire.
On 13-14 May 2026 Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office publicly claimed Benjamin Netanyahu covertly met UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed during March’s “Operation Roaring Lion,” but within hours Abu Dhabi issued an official statement flatly rejecting that any such undisclosed visit or military pact occurred.
Multi-perspective news analysis delivered to your inbox—free. We read 1,000s of sources so you don't have to.
