While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Nov 2, 2026

Longest truce of Ukraine war ends in KhersonThe longest truce of the Ukraine war, limited to the eastern Kherson region, ended on Nov 1 after Russia refused the offer of an extension, Ukrainian officials said.The rare pause in fighting, brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump and which began early on Oct 27, enabled a humanitarian mission to the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky as the war grinds through its fifth year.Neither side reported violations after the truce began, in what one Ukrainian lawmaker described as the “biggest de-escalation since 2022”.READ MORE HERECrew from NASA’s simulated Mars mission emerges after 378 days in isolationPHOTO: REUTERSThe four members of a crew who took part in a simulated mission to Mars have emerged after 378 days in isolation at the US space agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, an endeavour designed to help prepare for a possible future excursion by NASA astronauts to Earth’s planetary neighbour.“It’s been a hell of a year – analogue astronauts living in captivity of our own free will,” Ellen Ellis, the medical officer on the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog, or CHAPEA, mission, said in remarks at Johnson Space Center after emerging with her three crewmates on Oct 31.The four entered the 1,700-square-foot (158sq m) 3D-printed habitat on Oct 19, 2025, and performed tasks such as growing crops in simulated Martian soil and interfacing with NASA officials with delays recreating those inherent in interplanetary communications.READ MORE HEREMbappe strikes after China controversy as Real Madrid beat SantanderPHOTO: AFPKylian Mbappe moved on from a tumultuous week by scoring a penalty to help Real Madrid win 3-0 at Racing Santander on Nov 1.The French forward narrowly lost out on the Ballon d’Or to Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane on Oct 26 and then had to apologise after a social media storm following a video in which he joked about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong.Real Madrid’s match, along with other Spanish fixtures this weekend, was not broadcast by Chinese state television because of the fallout.READ MORE HERERepublicans risk losing South Asian voters over anti-Indian rhetoricPHOTO: AFPDharminder Dargan used to be an enthusiastic Republican voter. The Indian American engineer, who lives near Houston, knocked on doors for GOP candidates, planted their signs in his yard and backed Donald Trump. But not this year.Dargan, who has been a US citizen and voter for 15 years, said anti-South Asian rhetoric from some Republicans – and what he sees as the party’s silence in response to recent violence, including an attempted mass shooting at a Hindu temple – has pushed him away.“The wind is changing, and I’m very disappointed in the GOP,” said Dargan, who’s in his late 50s.READ MORE HERESerbians mark railway disaster that led to rise of victorious student movementPHOTO: REUTERSTens of thousands of people gathered at a Serbian railway station on Nov 1 to mark the anniversary of a deadly roof collapse that gave rise to the protest movement that toppled long-time Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic in an election a week ago.Crowds converged from across the city of Novi Sad on the main train station, where the concrete awning crashed down shortly before noon on Nov 1, 2024, killing 16 people.Mourners observed 16 minutes of silence before laying wreaths, flowers and candles near the site.READ MORE HERE