(opens original source in a new tab)Breaking DefenseTaiwan proposes record $35 billion defense budgetThe new budget proposal will have to be approved by the opposition-controlled legislature. (opens original source in a new tab)Mike Yeo·21 August 2026
(opens original source in a new tab)New Scientist‘Off the charts’ El Niño is already the strongest since records beganRenowned climate scientist James Hansen says the developing super El Niño has already "blown past" previous events with months to go before it peaks (opens original source in a new tab)Michael Le Page·21 August 2026
(opens original source in a new tab)STAT NewsSTAT+: HHS document offers new clues to Kennedy’s vaccine plansKennedy asks for feedback on new vaccine recommendation categories, how shots are tested. (opens original source in a new tab)Chelsea Cirruzzo·21 August 2026
(opens original source in a new tab)AxiosU.S. trade chief calls trying to change China's economy "crazy"As Europe grapples with its own China shock, the U.S. has largely given up on trying to persuade Beijing to change the export-heavy economic model that's helping fuel it.It's a sharp break from years of U.S. economic diplomacy — including most recently during the Biden administration. <stron (opens original source in a new tab)Courtenay Brown·21 August 2026
(opens original source in a new tab)Supply Chain DiveUS to temporarily relieve ground beef tariffs in bid to lower pricesPresident Donald Trump said he will allow 300,000 metric tons of product to enter the country duty-free for the next 90 days as domestic production is set to hit the lowest level since 1970. (opens original source in a new tab)Sarah Zimmerman·21 August 2026
(opens original source in a new tab)CoinDeskEthena's ENA token surges 48%, but altcoin season will have to waitENA is rallying on a $1 billion FalconX deal, while HYPE tests its record, though flat dominance shows this is no broad alt season. (opens original source in a new tab)Oliver Knight·21 August 2026
(opens original source in a new tab)ElectrekHyundai and Genesis EV drivers can now score a 20% discount on IONNA chargingHyundai is offering EV drivers, including select Genesis models, an extra 10% discount on all IONNA charging sessions through the end of September. With a stackable bonus from IONNA, drivers can save 20% on charging for a limited time. (opens original source in a new tab)Peter Johnson·21 August 2026
(opens original source in a new tab)New ScientistGreenland meltwater is intensifying European heatwavesThe cooling of the North Atlantic is creating waviness in the jet stream and high-pressure ridging over Europe, a study finds (opens original source in a new tab)Alec Luhn·21 August 2026
Technology (opens original source in a new tab)OpenGov AsiaExclusive! The AI Execution Gap: Why the Endpoint Shift Isn’t Delivering Value YetAI success depends not only on intelligent models but on AI-ready workforce infrastructure that connects people, devices, data and platforms to deliver secure, scalable and measurable value. (opens original source in a new tab)Helen Thin·21 August 2026
(opens original source in a new tab)The Hacker NewsMicrosoft Defender's Own Driver Can Be Weaponized to Delete Security Software at BootCheck Point Research has disclosed a technique that uses Microsoft Defender's own legitimately signed boot-time remediation driver to perform arbitrary kernel-level file and registry operations on Windows systems ranging from Windows 7 through Windows 11 25H2, with no software flaw exploited and no driver imported from outside the machine. The driver, BTR.sys (Boot Time Removal Tool), is a (opens original source in a new tab)info@thehackernews.com (The Hacker News)·21 August 2026
(opens original source in a new tab)The Hacker NewsAndroid Car Malware Spreads Through Built-In Updaters for Ad Fraud, Proxy BotnetCybersecurity researchers have flagged a new malware family that's specifically designed to infect Android-based vehicle head unit firmware developed by DoFun. Kaspersky, which discovered the threat in June 2026, said the end goal of the malware is to serve a multi-stage downloader to enable ad fraud and creation of a proxy botnet. "The malware spread through the built-in updaters of (opens original source in a new tab)info@thehackernews.com (The Hacker News)·21 August 2026
