Morning Briefing: Wednesday 27 May 2026
- President Donald Trump convenes his full Cabinet at Camp David this morning — only the second time in his second term he has used the Maryland mountain retreat, and the 10th full Cabinet meeting of his presidency. The agenda: decide whether to sign or walk away from the proposed memorandum of understanding with Iran. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said yesterday talks will take “several more days”. Republican senators Roger Wicker, Lindsey Graham and Ted Cruz have publicly said the emerging terms appear too favourable to Tehran. Brent crude eased to $98.03 a barrel in early trading; the FTSE 100 opened slightly lower at 10,482.
- Russia launched 163 drones at Ukraine overnight including jet-powered Shaheds, Gerberas and Italmas decoys, the Ukrainian Air Force said. Air defences shot down or neutralised 150; eight strike UAVs hit seven locations with debris at four more. Ukraine remains acutely short of interceptor missiles for its Patriot, NASAMS and IRIS-T systems — partly because the same US-made air-defence inventory has been redirected to support the Iran campaign. President Volodymyr Zelensky has renewed his appeals to allies for more air defence systems.
- Israel killed Hamas’s newly-appointed military wing chief Mohammed Odeh in an air strike on Rimal in western Gaza City on Tuesday evening, 11 days after killing his predecessor Ezz al-Din al-Haddad. Three were killed and 20 wounded. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz called Odeh “one of the architects of the October 7 massacre”. Taiwan is monitoring the second Chinese “joint combat readiness patrol” in a week as the Liaoning carrier group operates in the West Pacific, with Taipei calling Beijing “the sole source of instability” in the Indo-Pacific.
Trump Convenes Full Cabinet at Camp David to Decide on Iran Deal
President Donald Trump will meet his entire Cabinet at Camp David on Wednesday morning — only the second time in his second term he has used the Maryland mountain retreat, and the 10th full Cabinet meeting of his presidency. The agenda is…
Iran Demands $24 Billion in Frozen Assets Released in Two Phases
Iran demanded the release of $12 billion in frozen assets in a potential deal with the United States and insisted that another $12 billion “should be transferred within 60 days” of signing the agreement, according to a source close to the…
Russia Launches 163 Drones Overnight at Ukraine; Air Defence Missile Shortage Bites
Russia launched 163 attack drones at Ukraine overnight starting at 6pm Kyiv time on Tuesday, including jet-powered Shaheds, Gerberas, Italmas drones and Parodiya-type decoys, the Ukrainian Air Force said. Ukrainian air defence forces shot…
Israel Kills Hamas Military Chief Mohammed Odeh in Gaza City Strike
Israel carried out a strike in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday evening targeting new Hamas military chief Mohammed Odeh, 11 days after killing his predecessor Ezz al-Din al-Haddad. Three people were killed and 20 wounded in the strike in the Rim…
Taiwan Monitors Second Chinese Combat Patrol in a Week as Liaoning Carrier Operates
Taiwan said it is monitoring the second Chinese “joint combat readiness patrol” near the island in a week, accusing Beijing of being “the sole source of instability” in the Asia Pacific. Taiwan’s National Defence Ministry said on Tuesday i…
FTSE 100 Edges Down as Iran Uncertainty Persists; PMQs This Afternoon
The FTSE 100 opened slightly lower on Wednesday at 10,482, down 9 points from Tuesday’s five-week-high close of 10,491.39. Brent crude eased to $98.03 a barrel from $100.18 yesterday, giving back some of Tuesday’s 4% surge as traders weigh…
Burnham Makerfield Campaign — 22 Days to Polling Day, “Vote Andy For Us”
Andy Burnham’s Makerfield by-election campaign has 22 days to polling day on 18 June. The Greater Manchester mayor’s slogan is “Vote Andy — For Us”; he secured the music rights from Oasis for his first campaign video. Burnham faces Reform…
Streeting “Coronation” Talk Hardens — Ten-Week Timetable, Bargaining Begins
Senior allies of Wes Streeting say he is likely to abandon his Labour leadership bid and fall in behind Andy Burnham if the Greater Manchester mayor wins Makerfield. One Streeting ally: “The consensus among the team is that if Andy wins Ma…
Reeves Rearguard — Cost-of-Living Package + “Biggest Fear Is Miliband” Framing
Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s backbench-lobbying push continues this week. Friends of Reeves believe there is a world in which she survives the transition to a Burnham premiership precisely because it would reassure the markets. One Labour MP…
Carns at RFA Lyme Bay — UK-France Mine-Clearing Operation Stands Ready in Gibraltar
Armed Forces Minister Al Carns took a small group of reporters to visit the RFA Lyme Bay at Gibraltar on Monday as the amphibious landing vessel prepares for a possible international operation, led by the United Kingdom and France, to secu…