| George on Wednesday: Russia Warns Foreigners to Leave Kyiv; IBM Launches First U.S. Quantum Chip Foundry, Anderon; Iran Warns U.S. Over Strikes; World’s Longest Internet Blackout Ends; 13 Dead in Early Heatwave in EuropeFrequent Business Traveler

Good morning! Today is Wednesday, the 27th of May, 2026 and this is the Wednesday Morning Edition of GEORGE.

GEORGE is how the curious catch up on global stories that matter, each and every weekday morning. It’s your tool to stay ahead of the news.

Russia is threatening to launch a fresh wave of “systematic strikes” against Kyiv, this just days after carrying out one of its largest attacks on the Ukrainian capital since the start of the Russo-Ukrainian war, and our @Today in Brief columnist has detailed coverage.

The Kremlin also enacted legislation that will allow Russia’s military forces to intervene if the Russian government believes that Russian citizens are in need of protection, a move that even the balanced publications (including GEORGE) have tremendous difficulty in reporting with a straight face.

How wars are being fought is clearly changing and Russia is at the forefront of the latest trends in the war biz. Ukraine is establishing a 150-kilometer kill soon near the eastern front, a size that would have been unthinkable even just several months ago, GEORGE reports. The technologies being employed are impressive as is the math: Volodymyr Zelensky calculated the cost of 1 square kilometer in terms of soldiers’ lives. Full details on the Russo-Ukrainian War are in @Today in Brief and our @The Sketch editorial cartoon columnist presents his take on Ukraine’s remote control war.

In the Persian Gulf, Iran took the United States to task for its highly targeted strikes but it is not clear if Tehran will retaliate. Our @The War Room’s columnist has all of the latest details on the U.S-Israeli war with Iran.

Elsewhere in today’s edition of GEORGE, IBM is building what will be the first standalone quantum wafer foundry in the United States, temperatures are rising in the United Kingdom and on the Continent, and mobile operators in the United States are moving to use satellite technology to end so-called “dead zones.”

Meanwhile, don’t miss any of these stories in our Wednesday Morning Edition.

— How many Russian soldiers does each square kilometer of seized territory on its western front cost? The Ukrainian government has calculated precise figures.

— A heatwave in Europe is shattering records and it’s only May

— Apple expanded the accessibility features it offers across its hardware products using Apple Intelligence

In addition, GEORGE has other exclusive news in today’s edition so don’t touch that dial. Simply scroll down and read more GEORGE, starting with today’s editorial cartoon in @The Sketch. GEORGE will be back tomorrow with a brand-new editorial cartoon, even more news, and stories you won’t find elsewhere.

Until then, remain curious!

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A stack of newspapers in Vienna’s Café Prúckel, each in an Original Wiener Zeitungshalter

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VOLUME VI… № 1,723

WELCOME (above)

@THE SKETCH (above)  Kill Bill

IN THIS ISSUE

@INTERMEZZO I  GUM Department Store in Moscow

@THE WAR ROOM

@INTERMEZZO II  The Kremlin

@TODAY IN BRIEF

@INTERMEZZO III  Cathedral of Vasily in Moscow

@RECENT DISPATCHES OF NOTE

@PASSINGS    Toshifumi Suzuki, Remade 7-Eleven, Dies at 93

@ABOUT GEORGE      

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Shoppers at УМ, or GUM, Department Store in Moscow, which functions as a mall

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— Iran chastised the United States for its recent strikes as a sign of “bad faith and unreliability.” The country’s foreign ministry, Abbas Arraghchi, accused his country’s adversary of having violated the ceasefire and warned that it would shoulder the blame for “all consequences.” The U.S. Central Command said that its armed forces had struck missile sites in the south of the country and boats laying mines, in what they called an act of self-defense, even with an “ongoing” ceasefire.

— The world’s longest documented Internet blackout is coming to an end. Iran said it had begun to restore Internet access to citizens. The blackout cost the Iranian economy an estimated $30 million to 40 million each day since it began in January amidst public protests. The restoration is being overseen by a committee established by President Masoud Pezeshkian, a reformist leader who has vowed to ease censorship.

— Mexico agreed to act as the base for Iran’s football team during the World Cup, which begins next month. The tournament is being jointly hosted by America, Canada and Mexico. However Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, said that America “did not want the Iranian team to stay overnight”. Iran’s first three games are scheduled to be played in America.

— On Monday, the United States launched a series of new air strikes against Iran. U.S. Central Command said it had struck missile sites in the south of the country and boats laying mines, in what it termed an act of self-defense “to protect our troops.” A spokesman said the ceasefire was “ongoing” and that the United States had continued to act “with restraint.”

— Donald Trump demanded that a number of Gulf countries make peace with Israel after the Iran war ends by signing the Abraham Accords.  The Abraham Accords are a series of landmark normalization agreements brokered by the United States to establish formal diplomatic, economic, and security relations between Israel and several Arab and Muslim nations.

—  Mr. Trump on Monday said: “The deal with Iran will either be a great and meaningful one, or there will be no deal.” He then turned to social media, blasting his Republican and Democratic critics as knowing nothing about the deal under negotiation.

— Iran peace talks bogged down on Monday as the two sides dug in their heels over U.S. demands concerning Iran’s nuclear program as well as Tehran’s demand for financial relief for the country, mediators said. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman said that progress had been made the talks, although a deal was “not imminent.”

— Israel said it had intensified its attacks on Lebanon, after the country’s prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, ordered an escalation of its offensive against the terror group Hizbullah. Mr. Netanyahu said Israel would “intensify our blows” and “crush” the Lebanese militant group, despite an ongoing ceasefire.

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The Kremlin outer walls at night

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Russia warned foreigners to leave Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, ahead of “systematic strikes” targeting defense facilities in the city. The Russian defense ministry said these would be a response to a deadly Ukrainian attack on a student dorm in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region. The warning comes just days after carrying out one of its largest attacks on the city since the start of the Russo-Ukrainian war. The new strikes will target “decision-making centers and command posts,” alongside drone manufacturing facilities in the city, Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement.  Ukraine said Russia’s threats were “nothing short of shameless blackmail” and urged allies to increase pressure on Moscow. With its warning to foreign nationals, the Kremlin is “effectively admitting that its shelling is aimed, among other things, at intimidating the foreign diplomatic corps,” the statement continued.

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Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, signed a law to allow his country’s army to intervene abroad to help Russian citizens. The move expands the legal authority of Russia’s armed forces beyond its borders. The law will enable the Russian military to intervene in foreign countries if the Russian government claims that Russian citizens or ethnic Russians abroad need protection. Critics often view such laws as a way to justify foreign intervention and increase a country’s influence in neighboring regions, while supporters argue that the state has a responsibility to defend its citizens wherever they are. The statement also reflects broader tensions in international relations, since military involvement across borders can raise concerns about national sovereignty and regional stability.

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Ukraine is establishing a 15-km (9.3-mile)-deep “Drone Line” along the front lines and simultaneously expanding its short-range strike or “kill zone” to 100 to 150 km (62 to 93 miles) behind Russian lines. The kill zone is the area behind the front line where Ukrainian systems can strike Russian troops, vehicles, and logistics, and its size increased from 50 km (31 miles) in a very short period of time. Integrated into the Unmanned Systems Forces, the Drone Line initiative relies on first-person-view, or FPV, drones, autonomous systems, and 15,000 new specialized recruits whose job it will be to cut off Russian logistics and supply routes.

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Kyiv claims that Moscow suffered 35,000 losses in December alone. Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, seized on this figure to calculate what he called a “clear price” that Russia pays for every square kilometer of extra territory seized during its ongoing invasion of Ukraine: 156 Russian soldiers. Mr. Zelensky cited this figure to illustrate the attritional nature of the conflict and the intense casualties required for Russia to advance along the eastern front, particularly in the Donetsk region. While Ukraine uses this figure to highlight the steep cost of Russian offensives, Moscow does not release official casualty numbers. The cost of advancing fluctuates depending on the intensity of battles. Ukrainian defense officials reported that the casualty rate per square kilometer has varied widely, sometimes exceeding 200 to 250 casualties during peak months of heavy offensive operations.

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The Church of Saint Mary at Sudeley Castle in the Cotswolds, built in 1070, restored in 1855

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A heatwave in Western Europe broke temperature records and left at least 13 people dead. Temperatures on Tuesday hit 35.1° C (95° F)  in London, eclipsing the 34.8° C (94.6° F)  record set a day prior which exceeded the standing May record from 1944 by 2° C (3.6° F), according to Britain’s Met Office. France and Ireland also logged their warmest May day on record. Temperatures in France reached 36° C (97° F) on Monday in the country’s southwest. Both France and Britian recorded rare “tropical night” temperatures, defined as one in which the temperature does not fall below 20° C (68° F). The thermometer in parts of Spain including Madrid, the capital city, is expected to remain at or above 34° C (94° F) through Monday, and Friday will see a high of 35° C (95° F), with tropical night temperatures forecast for Friday night through Monday night.

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Apple introduced a major expansion of its accessibility tools on Tuesday. The updates are powered by Apple Intelligence, bringing AI-driven assistance to features such as VoiceOver, Magnifier, Voice Control, and Accessibility Reader across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro devices. The updates are intended to help users with visual, hearing, mobility, and reading impairments through tools like natural-language navigation, richer scene descriptions, real-time captions, and AI-generated text summaries and translations. Apple also introduced new capabilities for controlling wheelchairs with eye tracking on Vision Pro and improving subtitle generation across its ecosystem.

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U.S. mobile operators T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon Wireless announced that they have agreed in principle to form an alliance focused on the elimination of rural dead zones, i.e. underserved areas across the United States where coverage is not available including national parks and rural highways and byways. The joint venture will use satellite-based, direct-to-device technology to ensure that telephone service is never unavailable. For the moment, today’s announcement is simply an agreement in principle, with operating details, financial structure, and the available pool of partners to be determined at a future date. It is not anticipated that the joint venture will hold licenses for spectrum. News of the network infrastructure agreement comes amidst speculation that Starlink, a unit of SpaceX, could be a long-term competitor to the three primary U.S. mobile operators. Starlink is a current partner of T-Mobile. The joint venture is subject to the successful completion of negotiations between the three companies as well as the fulfillment of any state or federal regulatory requirements.

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IBM announced plans to build a new standalone quantum wafer foundry, Anderon, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce. The foundry will be headquartered in Albany, New York, the state capital. IBM is putting in $1 billion in cash while the federal government is contributing $1 billion in CHIPS and Science Act incentives. IBM is also contributing intellectual property, the workforce, and assets IBM has built over decades of quantum hardware development. Anderon will be the country’s first pure-play quantum foundry, which means that its sole purpose is in the production of quantum wafers rather than starting with classical semiconductor lines and adapting them for quantum use.

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American Airlines quietly announced major changes to its Basic Economy coach fares. The world’s largest carrier removed any benefits previously offered to members of its AAdvantage frequent-flyer program such as complimentary seat selection and upgrade eligibility as well as the ability to earn miles. The move further aligns American with competitor Delta Air Lines’ approach, while competitor United Airlines still allows its elite frequent-flyer program members to earn miles when flying in Basic Economy.

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Собор Василия Блаженного, or the Cathedral of Vasily, the Blessed, often referred to in English as Saint Basil’s Cathedral, located in Red Square in Moscow

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Russia launched a major attack on Ukraine, dispatching hundreds of missiles and drones in the direction of Kyiv, killing four people and injuring at least 50 in the country’s capital, and aimed at other regions including Kharkiv and Odessa. Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, said Russia had used its multi-warhead Oreshnik hypersonic missile, which it has done just twice before. Russia is attempting to compensate for its lackluster successes on the battlefield with such attacks and the use of the Oreshnik, which is a Russian intermediate-range ballistic missile characterized by a reported speed that exceeds Mach 10 according to the Ukrainian military.

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Pope Leo XIV issued a papal encyclical – a ca. 42,300-word open letter to “all people of good will” – in which he warned of the risk posed by artificial intelligence, including but not limited to the ability to worsen inequality, erode workers’ dignity,, and automate war. An encyclical, which originally was a circular letter sent to all the churches of a particular area in the ancient Roman Church, is now primarily associated with papal encyclicals from the Catholic Church for letters outlining the church’s perspective on a topic. The word comes from the Late Latin encyclios, which means “circular.” Leo is not, however, the first pontiff to express concerns over AI. Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, was the first pope to express concerns about the topic, but Leo’s volley could cause a rift between the Catholic church and Silicon Valley not to mention the Trump administration, the latter which has touted AI as an economic engine and a critical tool that will strengthen U.S. military might. This week’s release of the encyclical, one of the highest forms of papal documents, also put the spotlight an unusually close collaboration between the Vatican and AI start-up Anthropic. The company’s co-founder, Christopher Olah, joined Leo and leading theologians on a Vatican panel.

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Toshifumi Suzuki, Refashioned 7-11 Into Cornerstone of Japanese Daily Life, Dies at 93

鈴木 敏文, or Toshifumi Suzuki, the pioneering convenience store executive who built his single Tokyo location into a global retail empire, died on 18 May. He was 93.

Seven & I, the Japanese 7-11 franchisor, announced the death, saying the cause of death was heart failure.

Starting with a 7-11 on Tokyo’s eastern bay, Mr. Suzuki was the founder of the Japanese unit that operates the ubiquitous “conbini” outlets, where busy customers can stop by to purchase a sandwich, rice balls, beverages, chips, and other meals to-go, use an ATM, pay utility bills, and copy important documents.

Mr. Suzuki retired in 2016 after a failed management reshuffle. Some in the company have lamented the fact that its culture of creativity has ebbed since his departure.

Born in Nagano Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, Mr. Suzuki worked in the publishing industry before joining Ito-Yokado, a Japanese general merchandise, shopping center, grocery store, and department store, after being recruited by its founder, Masatoshi Ito, Mr. Suzuki became a director of the company in 1971 and, soon thereafter, took note of the U.S. convenience store chain 7-Eleven, convinced it would translate well to the Japanese market. His experiment was a success and there were over 100 7-Eleven stores in Japan within the first year, in a market dominated by small mom-and-pop shops.

Mr. Suzuki is survived by his wife and two children, according to local media. One of Mr. Suzuki’s sons, Yasuhiro Suzuki, served as an executive at Seven & i until 2016.

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