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May 27, 2026 · Morning edition
The UN Security Council on Tuesday unanimously condemned a recent drone strike on the United Arab Emirates' Barakah nuclear power plant, calling it a "flagrant violation of international law with grave risks for civilian lives, infrastructure and the environment." The attack, which occurred last week, struck an electricity generator outside the plant's inner perimeter, causing a fire that was subsequently brought under control. The Security Council demanded an immediate and permanent cessation of all attacks against civilian infrastructure in the UAE, including peaceful nuclear facilities, underscoring the severe implications for regional stability and nuclear safety.
The UN Security Council unanimously condemned a drone strike on the United Arab Emirates’ Barakah nuclear power plant, calling the attack a “flagrant violation of international law with grave risks for civilian lives, infrastructure and the environment.”
The strike, which occurred last week, hit an electricity generator outside the plant’s inner perimeter and caused a fire that was later brought under control. In its statement on Tuesday, the council demanded an immediate and permanent halt to attacks on civilian infrastructure in the UAE, including peaceful nuclear facilities, and warned of the implications for regional stability and nuclear safety.
The condemnation came amid a wider debate at the UN over the weakening of international norms. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told a high-level Security Council session that respect for international law is undergoing a “dangerous erosion,” citing challenges to sovereign equality, territorial integrity and the prohibition on the use of force. He pointed to intensifying conflicts in the Middle East, Sudan and Ukraine, as well as external interference and the supply of weapons including drones, and urged council members to uphold the UN Charter consistently.
Diplomatic tensions also surfaced around the Security Council itself. The United States denied a visa to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alimov, preventing him from attending a China-led council meeting on Tuesday on upholding the UN Charter and strengthening multilateral cooperation. Russia’s UN ambassador, Vasily Nebenzya, accused Washington of breaching its obligations as host nation and of snubbing China, which holds the council’s rotating presidency for May. Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, was also reportedly denied a visa for the same meeting. A UN spokesman reiterated the expectation that host countries issue visas for all participants in UN activities.
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China, meanwhile, said it expects an agreement to end the US-Israeli war against Iran to be submitted to the Security Council for endorsement, arguing that council approval would give the deal “legitimacy and authority.” Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing, as this month’s council chair, views the body as responsible for international peace and security. His remarks followed cautious optimism from US officials about progress toward finalizing the pact, with China urging all parties to remain committed to a ceasefire and lasting peace after escalating tensions since US and Israeli strikes against Iran in February.
In another Middle East flashpoint, intensified Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon on May 26 killed at least 31 people, including four children and three women, and wounded 40 others, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Israel said it was expanding ground operations despite an existing ceasefire, while Hezbollah reported Israeli troops entering Zawtar al-Sharqiyah. The escalation underscored the fragility of previous ceasefire efforts in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict and the continuing displacement of Lebanese residents.
European governments also moved to bolster security cooperation in response to rising threats. Britain and Poland are set to sign a new defence and security treaty on May 27 when Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in London. The agreement is intended to strengthen cooperation on border security, organized crime and defence industry collaboration, including joint development of mid-range air defence missiles. It follows recent Polish agreements with France and Germany and reflects a broader European rearmament effort in response to hybrid threats including arson, sabotage, cyberattacks and espionage, largely attributed to Russian intelligence across the continent.
In Washington, President Donald Trump raised the US refugee admissions ceiling by 10,000 for the current fiscal year, specifically to allow more white South Africans of Afrikaner ethnicity to enter the country. The presidential determination, dated May 21 and reported Tuesday, is based on the administration’s assertion that they face an “emergency situation” involving alleged “incitement of racially motivated violence.” The move is part of a program launched earlier this year prioritizing white South African refugees while broader refugee admissions remain sharply curtailed. South Africa’s foreign ministry has rejected the claim that European-descended Afrikaners face systemic persecution.
The UN Security Council on Tuesday unanimously condemned a drone strike on the United Arab Emirates’ Barakah nuclear power plant, describing the attack as a “flagrant violation of international law with grave risks for…
Read full articleBritain and Poland are scheduled to sign a new defence and security treaty on May 27, 2026, when Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in London.
Read full articleThe United States denied a visa to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alimov, preventing him from attending a China-led UN Security Council meeting on Tuesday.
Read full articleIntensified Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon on May 26 killed at least 31 people, including four children and three women, according to the Lebanese health ministry. The ministry said 40 others were wounded.
Read full articleChinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday that Beijing expects an agreement to end the US-Israeli war against Iran to be submitted to the UN Security Council for endorsement, giving it “legitimacy and authority.”
Read full articleUS President Donald Trump has increased the refugee admissions ceiling by 10,000 for the current fiscal year, according to a presidential determination dated May 21 and reported today.
Read full articleUN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Tuesday of a “dangerous erosion” of respect for international law, telling a high-level open debate of the Security Council that core principles are being challenged or ig…
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