Global news highlights from AP

May 31, 2026

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Pacific allies the US is committing to regional balance, while toning down past warnings about China. His comments in Singapore come weeks after President Donald Trump's bilateral trip to Beijing.

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Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned Israel's invasion of the country after airstrikes hit villages in the south. The attack comes after Israeli and Lebanese officials spoke in Washington, with another round of peace talks scheduled for Tuesday.

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A truck carrying Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan crashed in eastern Afghanistan, killing at least 22 people and injuring about 36 others. The passengers were among thousands of Afghans deported from Pakistan after the nation began its migrant crackdown in 2023.

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The carcass of a humpback whale was dragged onto a Danish Beach after weeks of languishing in shallow waters. The whale captivated Germans for months as the mammal repeatedly became stranded in the Baltic Sea.