All posts tagged: Brace

Could sci-fi save us all? How the Ministry of Defence is working with sci-fi storytellers to brace Britain for crisis

Could sci-fi save us all? How the Ministry of Defence is working with sci-fi storytellers to brace Britain for crisis

From AI making life and death decisions, to quantum technology that can predict the future, and wars fought by autonomous machines, a group of sci-fi authors have been dreaming up what could happen over the next century for a very important reason. Since the very dawn of science fiction, the genre has looked to the future, applying scientific principles to imagine futuristic scenarios, technological advances, social and environmental changes, and life on other planets. But it’s not just entertainment. Now, sci-fi is actually being used to brace Britain for a whole host of crises that could come our way in the next 100 years. That’s thanks to The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), an Executive Agency of the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD), which provides expertise and insight used for “maintaining UK warfighting readiness” in the face of increasing technological advancements. Dstl uses processes like horizon-scanning (which identifies early warning signals, emerging trends, and potential future threats or opportunities) to prepare the country for the future. In Futures Programme Manager Sarah Herbert’s words, “Dstl …

Republicans in Congress brace for a fight over the Iran war price tag : NPR

Republicans in Congress brace for a fight over the Iran war price tag : NPR

The U.S. Capitol is visible in the early morning hours on April 2, 2026. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Andrew Harnik/Getty Images As the price tag for the U.S.-Iran war grows by the day, the path to paying for the conflict is paved with political peril for Republicans in control of Washington. The effort will shift into high gear when Congress returns from recess next week. The GOP faces a high-stakes fight to fund the war, including challenges from within their own party as well as from Democrats. Complicating the path for Republicans is a host of unanswered questions about the war — from costs for the conflict so far to how much the administration wants in additional war funding. The White House has not yet offered detailed breakdowns of either figure, but one estimate by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, has put the cost of the war so far at nearly $30 billion. And Republicans are on the clock, operating under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, which terminates military operations …

Iranians brace for possible devastation as Trump’s deadline looms | US-Israel war on Iran News

Iranians brace for possible devastation as Trump’s deadline looms | US-Israel war on Iran News

Tehran, Iran – United States President Donald Trump says daily life could be different for more than 90 million Iranians on Wednesday, after his deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz expires. Trump says that Iran’s electricity, bridges, and other critical infrastructure will be bombed if it does not open the vital waterway, despite the deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure being a violation of international law. In the last hours before the 8pm US Eastern Time (23:00 GMT) deadline approaches, Iranians are left to worry about the consequences of attacks that Trump has threatened would be the death of “a whole civilisation“. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “We all know he’s crazy enough to do it. He doesn’t care as long as he believes it serves his interest,” a resident of Tehran said about Trump. The US president has been making apocalyptic threats as the war on Iran, which began with joint US and Israeli strikes at the end of February, expands. “I’ve been smoking more and haven’t been sleeping …

Brace yourself – wedge sneakers are back on the scene

Brace yourself – wedge sneakers are back on the scene

Fashion is inherently nostalgic. We often look back in order to look forward – it’s how trends are born. So far, 2026 has witnessed the return of the peacoat, Topshop’s epic comeback and the tutu skirt renaissance. There are even whispers of the skinny jean revival. Cue the Neyo hits and glimmering blue eyeshadow. The latest item to unearth itself from the sartorial archives? The wedge sneaker – one of the most divisive styles to emerge from the industry’s shoewear department. Let me take you back to 2012. French house Isabel Marant debuts the iconic Bekett Sneaker, defined by a suede exterior, an incorporated wedged heel, a high top silhouette and velcro-strap detailing. Within months, the kicks have been worn by stars such as Jennifer Lopez, Kendall Jenner, Lindsay Lohan and, perhaps most famously, Beyoncé – who sported a pair for her Love On Top music video. Zendaya even took to Instagram sporting an off-white pair, visible beneath a grainy, old-school Valencia Instagram filter.  © GettyLindsay Lohan wearing wedge sneakers in 2012 Considering Gen Z’s …

Military Families Once Again Brace for a Knock

Military Families Once Again Brace for a Knock

Even before his son was in high school, Mylo Simmons told me, there was something about flying that fascinated him. Some days, Simmons and his son, Tyler, would sit in the car together, pulled over on a street with a clear view of an airport runway, watching planes take off and land. Tyler was “looking up at the sky all the time,” his father said. “He wanted to be up there.” It was that desire that led Tyler first to a youth program sponsored by the Tuskegee Airmen, the first Black aviators to serve in the U.S. armed forces during World War II, then to the National Guard, and then to the Air Force, where he worked up to being a technical sergeant, responsible for refueling tanker aircrafts midflight. When Tyler Simmons died earlier this month—he and five other American service members were killed in a plane crash over Iraq—his family became one of the 13 American families to receive the news that their loved one had died since the war in Iran began. “The …

With Trump’s ultimatum to Iran, Americans brace for gas price surge

With Trump’s ultimatum to Iran, Americans brace for gas price surge

As the war between the United States, Israel and Iran escalates, Donald Trump has issued a stark new ultimatum demanding Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours or face U.S. strikes on its energy infrastructure. The threat marks a significant escalation in a conflict already reshaping global markets. The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping lane through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil passes, has been effectively disrupted for weeks, choking supply and sending prices sharply higher. Oil markets are already reacting. Crude oil has surged above $110 per barrel, with analysts warning that prices could climb further and possibly double if the standoff continues or expands. The disruption has removed hundreds of millions of barrels from global supply, while shipping traffic through the strait has collapsed and thousands of seafarers remain stranded. At the same time, the rhetoric is escalating on both sides. As part a posting stream on social media this weekend, Trump included a threat to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants if the strait is not reopened, while Iranian officials …

Futures Flat, Erase Overnight Losses As Nervous Traders Brace For Key Week

Futures Flat, Erase Overnight Losses As Nervous Traders Brace For Key Week

S&P futures are unchanged, erasing all overnight losses, extending last week’s choppy price action focused on AI repercussions; Nasdaq 100 futures underperform slightly ahead of an important week that has both the January jobs and CPI report on deck (at least the firehose of earnings is slowing down). As of 8:15am ET, S&P futures are unchanged, and Nasdaq futures dip 0.2% with tech the biggest laggard as Semis come back under pressure and Mag7 names are all weaker.  The yield on 10-year Treasuries rose three basis points to 4.24% after BBG reported that China tells state and local banks to limit/reduce Treasury exposure (does not affect Federal holdings) which according to JPM may raise risk of a “Sell America” trade esp with Japan / APAC poised to rip in the near-term. The dollar dipped 0.3%, supporting gold and silver. Bitcoin slipped below $69,000. Commodities are big with precious metals and gasoline the upside standouts. Today’s macro data focus is on the NY Fed’s inflation expectations release. In premarket trading, Mag 7 stocks are mixed (Microsoft +0.6%, Amazon …