5 Big News Stories Overnight - Monday, May 18, 2026

Middle East: Drone strike sparks a fire on the edge of UAE nuclear facility

France 24 reports:

A drone strike triggered a fire near a nuclear power station in the emirate of Abu Dhabi on Sunday, authorities said, reporting no injuries or impact on radiation levels.

The UAE's defence ministry said the drone that targeted the facility was one of three that "entered the country from the western border direction".

The projectile struck "an electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the Al Dhafra area".

"Investigations are ongoing to determine the source of the attacks, and updates will be disclosed upon completion of the investigations," the ministry added.

Paris: French Prosecutors Have Identified More Victims in Epstein Probe

WSJ reports:

French prosecutors investigating the network of Jeffrey Epstein have been approached by around 20 women who said they were victims of the sex offender or his associates, 10 of whom were previously unknown to the authorities.

Laure Beccuau, who leads the Paris prosecutor’s office, said officials were preparing to gather testimony from the potential victims, a number of whom live overseas and must be brought to France.

“It’s not just one thread to get out of this labyrinth, this Epstein network,” Beccuau said on French television Sunday. “It’s several threads we have to follow through extraordinary, labyrinthine networks. So, a victim is interviewed, gives names, and we re-examine those names.”

Africa: Ebola Emergency

CNN reports:

The World Health Organization on Sunday declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a “public health emergency of international concern.”

The latest epidemic is being driven by the Bundibugyo virus, one of several viruses known as Orthoebolaviruses that can cause Ebola disease, according to WHO.

The outbreak does not yet meet the criteria of a “pandemic emergency,” the organization said. But with a rising number of cases, at least 80 suspected deaths and no approved vaccine, fears are mounting over how effectively the outbreak can be contained. 

PHOTO: United Nations, 2020

New York: LIRR on Strike

The Gothamist reports:

The Long Island Rail Road shut down at 12:01 a.m. Saturday after a group of unions failed to reach a new contract deal with the MTA and went on strike, according to officials on both sides of the negotiations.

The move brought service on the country’s busiest commuter rail service to a halt for the first time in over 30 years. A Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers union spokesperson told Gothamist they didn’t expect the parties to return to negotiations Saturday.

The MTA and five unions representing a majority of the LIRR’s workforce couldn’t come to an agreement over pay raises and changes to work rules before a midnight strike deadline. As long as the strike drags on, some 275,000 daily commuters who use the railroad will need to find other ways to travel.

PHOTO: Sam Trotman, Unsplash

UK firms halt investments and hiring as Iran war pushes up costs, bosses warn

The Guardian reports:

The worsening fallout from the Iran war is forcing businesses to halt their UK investment and hiring plans, bosses have warned, as Britain enters a renewed period of political and economic instability.

More than two months into the US-Israeli war on Iran, leading surveys of UK employers showed companies were increasingly prioritising cost management over growth as rising costs and global uncertainty weigh on confidence.

According to a survey by the accountancy firm BDO, more than half of medium-sized businesses said higher energy and fuel costs, combined with supply chain pressures, were the biggest challenges they face as the Middle East conflict continues.

Amid rising domestic political uncertainty as Keir Starmer’s Labour government braces for a leadership challenge, business leaders said companies were holding back from investing in Britain.