SHLD: A Timely Defense Play As The U.S.-Iran War Escalates
The Global X Defense Tech ETF (SHLD) provides investors exposure to large defense, cybersecurity, and advanced military‑technology companies. Since its launch, SHLD has delivered a 52.44% total return through 2024, outperforming the broader S&P 500 ETF. Analysts expect continued outperformance as defense spending rises and AI integration accelerates, especially if the U.S.–Iran conflict persists. However, the fund’s short track record, higher expense ratio, and potential for sharp corrections pose notable risks.
The Sunday Read: Paul Daley on Australia’s Blind Acceptance of Trump’s War on Iran - Podcast
Guardian Australia columnist Paul Daley warns that Australia’s uncritical backing of Donald Trump’s threats against Iran could pull the nation into a broader conflict involving Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu. He argues the country is blindly accepting U.S. pressure despite a shifting...
US Pummels Iran’s Key Kharg Island Terminal
The United States launched a missile strike against Iran’s Kharg Island terminal, the country’s main oil export hub, late Friday and early Saturday local time. The attack targeted the facility that handles roughly 30% of Iran’s crude shipments, aiming to...
Israel May Commit ‘New Genocide’ in Lebanon Using Iran War as Pretext, Turkey Warns
Turkey’s foreign minister warned that Israel’s ongoing air strikes on Lebanon could amount to a new genocide, citing civilian deaths that now total 826, including women and children. The attacks follow Hezbollah’s retaliation after Iran’s Supreme Leader was killed in...
U.S. Rushes 10,000 Ukraine-Proven Merops AI Drones to Middle East to Counter Iranian Shahed Swarms
The U.S. Army has shipped 10,000 AI‑enabled Merops interceptor drones to the Middle East as part of Operation Epic Fury, aiming to blunt Iranian Shahed‑type drone swarms. Merops, proven in Ukraine, costs roughly $14‑15 k per unit—far cheaper than Patriot missiles and even...
OpenClaw AI Agent Flaws Could Enable Prompt Injection and Data Exfiltration
China’s CNCERT has warned that OpenClaw, an open‑source autonomous AI agent, suffers from weak default security configurations that can be exploited for prompt‑injection attacks. Researchers demonstrated that indirect prompt injection via link previews can exfiltrate confidential data without user interaction....
UN Chief Says ‘Diplomatic Avenues Are Available’ to End War in Lebanon
U.N. Secretary‑General Antonio Guterres told reporters in Beirut that diplomatic channels remain open to end the war between Israel and Iran‑backed Hezbollah. He condemned attacks on UN peacekeepers, noting three Ghanaian soldiers were wounded, and emphasized that there is no...
AppsFlyer Web SDK Hijacked to Spread Crypto-Stealing JavaScript Code
This week the AppsFlyer Web SDK was temporarily hijacked, delivering obfuscated JavaScript that intercepted cryptocurrency wallet addresses entered on client sites and swapped them for attacker‑controlled wallets. The malicious payload was served from the official domain between March 9 22:45 UTC and March 11,...
Exclusive: U.S. Lacks the "Will" For Iran Ground War, Anduril's Luckey Says
Palmer Luckey, founder of defense‑tech firm Anduril, told Axios the United States lacks the political will and public consensus to launch a boots‑on‑the‑ground campaign in Iran. He argued that decades of Middle‑East interventions have eroded America’s capacity for sustained ground...
The US Is Shifting THAAD From South Korea to the Mideast. What Does that Mean for China?
Washington is moving THAAD missile‑defence batteries from South Korea to the Middle East, creating a temporary gap in the Korean Peninsula’s missile shield. The redeployment follows heightened tensions with Iran and aims to bolster U.S. deterrence against regional missile threats....
Indonesia at Forefront of the Gaza Peace Mission: Jakarta’s Role in the Board of Peace
Indonesia announced it is ready to send up to 8,000 troops to Gaza as part of Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, positioning Jakarta as the largest national contributor to the planned International Stabilisation Force. The deployment, slated to begin with...
Getting Inside the Enemy's Mind
The United States and Israel have launched a series of precision strikes against Iranian targets, achieving notable early successes. Analysts attribute the rapid effectiveness to a shared pool of high‑quality intelligence that pinpointed critical nuclear and missile infrastructure. The operation...
How China's AI-Powered Robots Could Reshape the Global Order
China is accelerating a transition from cloud‑based AI to “embodied intelligence,” deploying physical robots that can operate autonomously in real‑world environments. State‑backed programs and private venture capital are funding massive production lines for AI‑driven manufacturing, logistics and defense platforms. The...
S. Korea, US Hold River-Crossing Drills Amid North 'S Missile Firing
The United States and South Korea launched the Freedom Shield exercise with a joint river‑crossing drill on the Imjin River near Yeoncheon, about 50 km north of Seoul. Approximately 700 troops and 200 pieces of equipment, including KM3 amphibious bridges and...
US Faces Elevated Terrorism Threats Against Backdrop of Iran War and Cuts at FBI, Justice Department
The United States has experienced three separate extremist attacks in the past week, including a bomb plot at a right‑wing protest, a vehicle‑ramming at a Michigan synagogue, and a classroom shooting in Virginia. These incidents occur as the Iran‑U.S. war...
U.S. Navy to Increase Production of Anti-Submarine Mines
The U.S. Navy announced a contract modification to increase production of the Hammerhead anti‑submarine mine system, awarded to General Dynamics Mission Systems. The additional units are slated for delivery beginning fiscal year 2027 to meet expanding fleet requirements. Hammerhead mines...
U.S. Army Awards Anduril $20B Contract for AI Battlefield Network
The U.S. Army awarded defense startup Anduril Industries a contract worth up to $20 billion to deliver its AI‑enabled Lattice battlefield network. The agreement, running through March 2036, covers software, hardware, computing infrastructure and technical support to integrate sensors, drones, satellites and...
Turkish Baykar Develops Heavy K2 Kamikaze Drone
Turkish defense firm Baykar unveiled the K2, a heavy loitering‑munition drone with AI‑driven navigation, targeting and swarm‑flight capabilities. The K2 can travel over 2,000 km, carry a 200‑kg warhead and launch from short or unprepared runways. Unlike typical one‑use loiterers, it...
Trump and Rubio’s Vision of War: The Art of Destroy and Deal
President Donald Trump, once a self‑declared war‑payer, has pivoted to a hawkish stance under Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rubio now directs aggressive campaigns targeting Iran, Venezuela, Cuba and other authoritarian regimes, blending Trump’s transactional style with neoconservative tactics. An...
For The First Time, Humanity Has Changed A Natural Object’s Orbit Around The Sun
In September 2022 NASA’s DART spacecraft struck Dimorphos, the moonlet of asteroid Didymos, at 6.6 km/s, shortening the binary’s mutual orbit by 33 minutes and nudging its solar trajectory by 0.15 seconds. The kinetic impact proved a viable method to alter an asteroid’s...
Key UAE Port Suspends Oil Loadings After Drone Attack, Fire
The United Arab Emirates suspended oil‑loading operations at Fujairah, its primary oil‑trading hub, after a drone strike ignited a fire on Saturday. The blaze was quickly extinguished, opening the possibility for loading to resume. At the time of the attack,...
Carney’s Indo-Pacific Tour Tests the Promise of Middle-Power Alignment
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Carney’s March Indo‑Pacific tour sought to turn his Davos call for middle‑power alignment into concrete action. In New Delhi he revived a stalled free‑trade deal and sealed a $2.6 billion uranium agreement, while in Canberra and Tokyo Canada secured...
NHS and MoD Will Be Urged to Buy British Tech to Drive Growth Amid Iran Crisis
The UK Treasury will urge the NHS and Ministry of Defence to purchase British artificial‑intelligence and robotics solutions as part of a broader growth plan amid the Iran crisis. Chancellor Rachel Reeves will outline three strategic pillars – deeper EU...
Viasat’s HaloNet: The Innovation of Reprogrammable Space Crypto
Viasat unveiled a reprogrammable, space‑qualified cryptographic engine for its HaloNet network, allowing post‑launch updates of algorithms, including quantum‑resistant protections. The module secures telemetry, TT&C, TRANSEC and mission data across S‑, L‑, Ka‑ and optical links, while remaining network‑agnostic and low‑SWaP....
Trump Tells South Korea He Is only Leader Who Can Break North Korean Deadlock
U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min‑seok met in Washington to discuss reviving high‑level talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong‑un. Trump asserted he is the only Western leader capable of breaking the Korean Peninsula deadlock,...
China’s Global Port Push Reveals Supply Chain Security Goals
A new AidData report shows China granted or loaned $23.9 billion to finance 168 ports across 90 countries between 2000 and 2025. The investments, covering construction, expansion and equipment, often sit near Chinese‑financed mines and have hosted naval visits at more...
Trump’s War Alliance With Israel Is Reshaping the Middle East. But It Carries Risks.
President Trump has become the first U.S. leader to commit the United States to a full‑scale joint war with Israel, deploying coordinated air operations and shared intelligence. The partnership creates a combined force with unprecedented technological firepower, marking a stark...
IMetalX Emerges From Stealth with Technology to Model Resident Space Objects
iMetalX Inc. has emerged from stealth to announce a partnership with Psionic, integrating Psionic’s Space Navigation Doppler Lidar with iMetalX’s Asgard data‑simulation platform. The combined solution can generate high‑fidelity 3‑D models of resident space objects within minutes, aimed at autonomous...
U.S. Vows to Block Iran’s Attempt to Shut Down Strait of Hormuz
The United States announced it will actively prevent Iran from closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global oil shipments. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth downplayed the disruption but affirmed U.S. readiness, while the Trump administration lifted select sanctions...
Microsoft: Windows 11 Users Can't Access C: Drive on some Samsung PCs
Microsoft is investigating a Windows 11 issue on Samsung laptops after the February 2026 security updates, where users lose access to the C:\ drive and cannot launch key applications. The error, “C:\ is not accessible – Access denied,” affects Galaxy Book 4 and...
Navy Adjusts Rollout of Enterprise Safety Reporting System After Shutdown Delays
The U.S. Navy is re‑sequencing its rollout of the Risk Management Information (RMI) system after a 42‑day federal shutdown delayed development and data migration. A phased implementation will span from January through May, beginning with modules that require no historical...
Anthropic’s Forced Removal From the U.S. Government Is Threatening Critical AI Nuclear Safety Research
Anthropic’s Claude is being pulled from U.S. federal use after President Trump’s direct order, halting a partnership that helped the National Nuclear Security Administration evaluate AI‑driven nuclear and radiological risks. The move threatens ongoing projects at the Department of Energy’s...
Tech Bills of the Week: Improved Biological Data for Research; Section 702 Reform; and More
Congress introduced a suite of bipartisan bills aimed at shaping America’s AI future. The AI‑Ready Bio‑Data Standards Act directs NIST to create standards for biological datasets used in machine‑learning research, while the Government Surveillance Reform Act tightens warrant requirements for...
Air Force Triples AEHF Terminal Contract Ceiling to Nearly $3 Billion
RTX Corporation secured a $2.01 billion ceiling increase on its Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) terminal contract, lifting the total value to $2.97 billion—more than triple the original $960 million award. The indefinite‑delivery, indefinite‑quantity modification covers production, sustainment and support of all three...
Pentagon Policy Reforms Boost Innovation Base, Report Finds
The Ronald Reagan Institute’s National Security Innovation Base Report Card shows the Pentagon’s acquisition reform is gaining traction, lifting the unified technology enterprise grade to B‑ from D+. However, the defense modernization indicator remains stuck at a D, with program...
US Warned of China Rare Earth Curbs if Section 301 Tariffs Expand
The U.S. Trade Representative announced Section 301 investigations into 16 countries, including China, and separate probes into 60 economies over forced‑labor concerns. In response, Chinese officials warned they could reinstate rare‑earth export restrictions and halt soybean purchases if Washington proceeds with...
Six U.S. Troops Killed in Aircraft Crash in Iraq
Six U.S. service members died when a KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq, with investigators suspecting a mid‑air collision rather than hostile fire. The loss marks the fourth manned U.S. aircraft accident since Operation Epic Fury began, bringing the...
Romania’s Drone and Energy Plans with Ukraine Make Europe Stronger and More Secure
Romanian President Nicușor Dan and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a Strategic Partnership Declaration in Bucharest, formalizing cooperation on defense, energy, and economic projects. The agreement includes a €200 million joint drone production program and expands Romania’s role as a NATO eastern‑flank...
EXCLUSIVE: Cyprus Acts as a “Third Force” In EU Sanctions Extension Vote
Cyprus, currently holding the EU presidency, has moved from a neutral position to actively opposing the removal of sanctions on Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, citing historic disputes with Turkey. The shift follows a letter from Turkish President Recep Erdoğan to Slovak...
Fake PoCs, Misunderstood Risks Cause Cisco SD-WAN Chaos
Cisco disclosed six new SD‑WAN Manager vulnerabilities, with CVE‑2026‑20127 receiving a perfect 10‑score and confirmed zero‑day exploitation for three years. Researchers warn that the focus on this high‑profile bug has eclipsed CVE‑2026‑20133, a 7.5‑score information‑disclosure flaw that can expose admin...
Lawmakers Seek Watchdog Probe Into Former Acting CISA Chief’s Polygraph Failures
A bipartisan group of House lawmakers has asked the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence inspectors general to investigate former acting CISA director Madhu Gottumukkala’s failure of two counter‑intelligence polygraph examinations and the...
After Ukraine, FPV Drones Could Take on Arctic Warfare
First‑person‑view (FPV) drones that proved decisive in Ukraine are now being field‑tested in the Arctic by Norway and the United States during NATO’s Cold Response 2026 exercise. Norway awarded a $9.4 million contract for the American‑made Skydio X10D, equipping its long‑range...
As Iran War Rages, Washington Opens a New Front in Ecuador
Amid the escalating war in Iran, the United States has launched a joint security initiative with Ecuador, providing training, intelligence, and equipment to President Daniel Noboa’s forces. The operation backs Noboa’s aggressive crackdown on protestors and criminal gangs, even as...
UAS Operator Camcopter® S-100
Schiebel Group, a global leader in unmanned helicopters, is recruiting EU‑based UAS operators for its Camcopter® S‑100 platform. Candidates will undergo a two‑week training program in Austria before being deployed on short‑term (3‑6 months) or longer‑term (12 months) contracts worldwide, including land and...
Space Force Components Building Up Units to ‘Surge’ Forward
Space Force leaders are preparing to double the service’s size, focusing on expanding component commands that support forward‑operating units. Lt. Gen. Dennis O. Bythewood announced the creation of Space Support Teams that will surge Guardians to combatant‑command locations during conflict....
What Is Israel’s Endgame in Lebanon?
Israel has seized additional territory in southern Lebanon and signaled it will retain control, intensifying cross‑border clashes that resumed after the November 2024 cease‑fire with Hezbollah. The renewed offensive has displaced nearly one million civilians, prompting the UN chief to label Lebanon...
US Plot to Extract Iran's Enriched Uranium Alarms Experts
The United States is reportedly planning a covert operation to remove Iran’s highly enriched uranium (HEU) stockpile, a move that has raised alarms among nuclear‑security experts. The plot follows a series of Israeli attacks and recent US‑Israeli strikes that escalated...
The Guardian View on the Iran War and International Law: It’s Worse than a Mistake; It’s a Crime | Editorial
The Guardian editorial labels the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran as a clear breach of international law and a war crime, pointing to over a thousand civilian deaths and a school strike that killed 175, most of them children. It...
Navy Bolsters Platforms with 5G, Eyes Ship-to-Ship Connections
The Navy’s 5G Integrated Product Team is accelerating the deployment of fifth‑generation wireless across every platform, from small unmanned aerial systems to aircraft carriers. It has successfully tested high‑speed, low‑latency ship‑to‑shore links and is now exploring ship‑to‑ship connectivity using the...
Attacks, Growing Exports Put Fujairah in the Spotlight
Fujairah, the United Arab Emirates’ primary oil‑export gateway, has become the most critical outlet for crude as the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked by the ongoing Gulf war. In the past ten days the port endured two aerial attacks, testing...