Recent Entries

From The Media Show at 2026-04-08 17:41:00

Ronan Farrow on investigating OpenAI and Sam Altman, Misha Glenny, Bel Trew & Madhumita Murgia (p0nc8cr5.mp3)

This week on "The Media Show" with Katie Razzall we hear from Ronan Farrow about his major New Yorker investigation into OpenAI and its chief executive Sam Altman.

Madhumita Murgia, the Financial Times’ Artificial Intelligence Editor, examines how the media should scrutinise AI leaders and whether tech journalism risks oversimplifying personalities at the centre of vast systems.

Misha Glenny reflects on historic parallels in the concentration of technological power, drawing on his new series "Race to Control the World" his role as the new presenter of "In Our Time".

And Bel Trew, The Independent’s Chief International Correspondent, reports on the realities of covering the war with Iran from access and safety, to misinformation and the growing role of AI in shaping narratives.

Producer: Lisa Jenkinson

From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-08 16:05:39

Why Trump’s Iran war ceasefire hinges on the Strait of Hormuz (media.mp3)

Is this the end of the Iran war? 

Donald Trump has announced a two-week ceasefire deal after 40 days of fighting, with peace talks mediated by Pakistan set to go ahead this Friday. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth today said the US had achieved a “historic and overwhelming victory on the battlefield”.

But many questions remain unanswered. Will the ceasefire turn into a lasting peace? What guarantees and concessions have been offered by each side? Will the Strait of Hormuz ever be fully open again? And why is Israel still attacking Lebanon? 

Venetia Rainey is joined by chief foreign affairs commentator David Blair and foreign correspondent Akhtar Makoii to discuss the latest news and what it could mean for the region in the weeks and months ahead. 

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey

David Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator @davidblairdt

Akhtar Makoii, foreign correspondent @akhtar_makoii

CONTENT REFERENCED:

David Blair: Trump’s ceasefire threatens to hand Iran a critical advantage

Akhtar Makoii: Trump will never be able to wipe out my civilisation

New York Times: How Trump Took the U.S. to War With Iran

Producer: Max Bower

Executive Producer: Louisa Wells

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► EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk 

► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

Listen to Iran: The Latest: YOUTUBE | APPLE PODCASTS | SPOTIFY | AMAZON

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From Biz & IT - Ars Technica at 2026-04-08 12:00:08

Thousands of consumer routers hacked by Russia's military

End-of-life routers in homes and small offices hacked in 120 countries.

From Schneier on Security at 2026-04-08 11:25:53

Python Supply-Chain Compromise

This is news:

A malicious supply chain compromise has been identified in the Python Package Index package litellm version 1.82.8. The published wheel contains a malicious .pth file (litellm_init.pth, 34,628 bytes) which is automatically executed by the Python interpreter on every startup, without requiring any explicit import of the litellm module.

There are a lot of really boring things we need to do to help secure all of these critical libraries: SBOMs, SLSA, SigStore. But we have to do them.

From The Rest Is History at 2026-04-08 00:05:00

Music: The Father of the Blues, Golden Age of Jazz, and David Bowie | History in Photos (GLT6003666529.mp3)

**Unlock the full episode and the complete History in Photos mini series by joining The Rest Is History Club at therestishistory.com** Why are there only three confirmed photographs of Blues-legend Robert Johnson? How did Art Kane’s photo of 1950’s NYC Jazz musicians Great Day In Harlem serve as a symbol of American segregation? And, what is the connection between David Bowie’s face paint on the Aladdin Sane album cover, Elvis Presley, and the Templar Christian Brotherhood? In today’s episode of our new member’s-only mini-series, Dominic is joined by photographer Chris Floyd to discuss iconic photographs of the most famous and influential 20th century musicians.  Getty Images has one of the largest and oldest privately held archives globally with access to over 150 million images dating back to the beginning of photography. From historical images created in the early 1800s to more contemporary 1990s imagery, the Getty Images archive houses a wealth of socially significant, historical photos, videos and prints, and includes content from over 40 editorial content partners including Gamma-Rapho, Paris Match, The Bettmann Archive, Sygma and Motorsport Images. Our archive video collection contains 3.1 million hours of offline video footage and includes partners such as NBC News Archives, ITN, Sky News and the BBC Motion Gallery. _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton Social Producer: Harry Balden Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude Senior Producer: Callum Hill Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From Schneier on Security at 2026-04-07 18:07:52

Cybersecurity in the Age of Instant Software

AI is rapidly changing how software is written, deployed, and used. Trends point to a future where AIs can write custom software quickly and easily: “instant software.” Taken to an extreme, it might become easier for a user to have an AI write an application on demand—a spreadsheet, for example—and delete it when you’re done using it than to buy one commercially. Future systems could include a mix: both traditional long-term software and ephemeral instant software that is constantly being written, deployed, modified, and deleted.

AI is changing cybersecurity as well. In particular, AI systems are getting better at finding and patching vulnerabilities in code. This has implications for both attackers and defenders, depending on the ways this and related technologies improve...

From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-07 16:57:07

Trump's Iran deal deadline: ‘A whole civilization will die tonight’ (media.mp3)

What will happen after Donald Trump’s midnight deadline for Iran to strike a deal? 

The US president has issued a series of increasingly hardline threats to Tehran to force it sue for peace and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, from the complete demolition of all of its bridges and power plants to destroying its entire civilisation.

Venetia Rainey is joined by senior foreign correspondent Sophia Yan to discuss Trump’s latest ultimatum, the frantic peace talks underway to avoid further escalation, and the possible impact on Iranians of such a widespread campaign of destruction. 

Plus, they discuss China’s fuel shipments to the Iranian regime, the fallout from the latest attacks on the Gulf, and how Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon is heightening sectarian tensions among local communities.

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey

Sophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yan

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Akhtar Makoii: How Trump is turning Iran into a full military dictatorship

Adrian Blomfield: Ceasefire remains unlikely while both Iran and the US think they’re winning

Producer: Max Bower

Executive Producer: Louisa Wells

► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

► EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk 

► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

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From The Django weblog at 2026-04-07 15:00:00

Django security releases issued: 6.0.4, 5.2.13, and 4.2.30

In accordance with our security release policy, the Django team is issuing releases for Django 6.0.4, Django 5.2.13, and Django 4.2.30. These releases address the security issues detailed below. We encourage all users of Django to upgrade as soon as possible.

From The Django weblog at 2026-04-07 14:06:33

Could you host DjangoCon Europe 2027? Call for organizers

We are looking for the next group of organizers to own and lead the 2027 DjangoCon Europe conference. Could your town's football stadium, theatre, cinema, city hall, circus tent or a private island host this wonderful community event?

DjangoCon Europe is a major pillar of the Django community, as people from across the world meet and share. Many qualities make it a unique event: Unconventional and conventional venues, creative happenings, a feast of talks and a dedication to inclusion and diversity.

Hosting a DjangoCon is an ambitious undertaking. It's hard work, but each year it has been successfully run by a team of community volunteers, not all of whom have had previous experience - more important is enthusiasm, organizational skills, the ability to plan and manage budgets, time and people - and plenty of time to invest in the project.

For 2027, rest assured that we will be there to answer questions and put you in touch with previous organizers through the brand new DSF Events Support Working Group (a reboot of the previous DjangoCon Europe Support Working Group).

Step 1: Submit your expression of interest

If you're considering organizing DjangoCon Europe (🙌 great!), fill in our DjangoCon Europe 2027 expression of interest form with your contact details. No need to fill in all the information at this stage if you don't have it all already, we'll reach out and help you figure it out.

Express your interest in organizing

Step 2: We're here to help!

We've set up a DjangoCon Europe support working group of previous organizers that you can reach out to with questions about organizing and running a DjangoCon Europe.

The group will be in touch with everyone submitting the expression of interest form, or you can reach out to them directly: events-support@djangoproject.com

We'd love to hear from you as soon as possible, so your proposal can be finalized and sent to the DSF board by June 1st 2026.

Step 3: Submitting the proposal

The more detailed and complete your final proposal is, the better. Basic details include:

• Organizing committee members: You won't have a full team yet, probably, naming just some core team members is enough.
• The legal entity that is intended to run the conference: Even if the entity does not exist yet, please share how you are planning to set it up.
• Dates: See "What dates are possible in 2027?" below. We must avoid conflicts with major holidays, EuroPython, DjangoCon US, and PyCon US.
• Venue(s), including size, number of possible attendees, pictures, accessibility concerns, catering, etc.
• Transport links and accommodation: Can your venue be reached by international travelers?
• Budgets and ticket prices: Talk to the DjangoCon Europe Support group to get help with this, including information on past event budgets.

We also like to see:

• Timelines
• Pictures
• Plans for online participation, and other ways to make the event more inclusive and reduce its environmental footprint
• Draft agreements with providers
• Alternatives you have considered

Have a look at our proposed (draft, feedback welcome) DjangoCon Europe 2027 Licensing Agreement for the fine print on contractual requirements and involvement of the Django Software Foundation.

Submit your completed proposal by June 1st 2026 via our DjangoCon Europe 2027 expression of interest form, this time filling in as many fields as possible. We look forward to reviewing great proposals that continue the excellence the whole community associates with DjangoCon Europe.

Q&A

Can I organize a conference alone?

We strongly recommend that a team of people submit an application.

I/we don't have a legal entity yet, is that a problem?

Depending on your jurisdiction, this is usually not a problem. But please share your plans about the entity you will use or form in your application.

Do I/we need experience with organizing conferences?

The support group is here to help you succeed. From experience, we know that many core groups of 2-3 people have been able to run a DjangoCon with guidance from previous organizers and help from volunteers.

What is required in order to announce an event?

Ultimately, a contract with the venue confirming the dates is crucial, since announcing a conference makes people book calendars, holidays, buy transportation and accommodation etc. This, however, would only be relevant after the DSF board has concluded the application process. Naturally, the application itself cannot contain any guarantees, but it's good to check concrete dates with your venues to ensure they are actually open and currently available, before suggesting these dates in the application.

Do we have to do everything ourselves?

No. You will definitely be offered lots of help by the community. Typically, conference organizers will divide responsibilities into different teams, making it possible for more volunteers to join. Local organizers are free to choose which areas they want to invite the community to help out with, and a call will go out through a blog post announcement on djangoproject.com and social media.

What kind of support can we expect from the Django Software Foundation?

The DSF regularly provides grant funding to DjangoCon organizers, to the extent of $6,000 in recent editions. We also offer support via specific working groups:

• The dedicated DjangoCon Europe support working group.
• The social media working group can help you promote the event.
• The Code of Conduct working group works with all event organizers.

In addition, a lot of Individual Members of the DSF regularly volunteer at community events. If your team aren't Individual Members, we can reach out to them on your behalf to find volunteers.

What dates are possible in 2027?

For 2027, DjangoCon Europe should happen between January 4th and April 26th, or June 3rd and June 27th. This is to avoid the following community events' provisional dates:

• PyCon US 2027: May 2027
• EuroPython 2027: July 2027
• DjangoCon US 2027: September - October 2027
• DjangoCon Africa 2027: August - September 2027

We also want to avoid the following holidays:

• New Year's Day: Friday 1st January 2027
• Chinese New Year: Saturday 6th February 2027
• Eid Al-Fitr: Tuesday 9th March 2027
• Easter: Sunday 28th March 2027
• Passover: Wednesday 21st - Thursday 29th April 2027
• Eid Al-Adha: Monday 17th - Thursday 20th May 2027
• Rosh Hashanah: Saturday 2nd - Monday 4th October 2027
• Yom Kippur: Monday 11th - Tuesday 12th October 2027

What cities or countries are possible?

Any city in Europe. This can be a city or country where DjangoCon Europe has happened in the past (Athens, Vigo, Edinburgh, Porto, Copenhagen, Heidelberg, Florence, Budapest, Cardiff, Toulon, Warsaw, Zurich, Amsterdam, Berlin), or a new locale.

References

Past calls

• Interested in organizing DjangoCon Europe 2016? | Weblog | Django
• Could you host DjangoCon Europe 2017? | Weblog | Django
• DjangoCon Europe 2019 - where will it be? | Weblog | Django
• Could you host DjangoCon Europe 2023? | Weblog | Django
• Last Chance for a DjangoCon Europe 2023 | Weblog | Django
• Want to host DjangoCon Europe 2024? | Weblog | Django
• DjangoCon Europe 2025 Call for Proposals | Weblog | Django
• Last call for DjangoCon Europe 2025 organizers | Weblog | Django
• Could you host DjangoCon Europe 2026? Call for organizers | Weblog | Django

From Schneier on Security at 2026-04-07 10:45:33

Hong Kong Police Can Force You to Reveal Your Encryption Keys

According to a new law, the Hong Kong police can demand that you reveal the encryption keys protecting your computer, phone, hard drives, etc.—even if you are just transiting the airport.

In a security alert dated March 26, the U.S. Consulate General said that, on March 23, 2026, Hong Kong authorities changed the rules governing enforcement of the National Security Law. Under the revised framework, police can require individuals to provide passwords or other assistance to access personal electronic devices, including cellphones and laptops.

...

From School of War at 2026-04-07 04:00:00

Is the Strait of Hormuz Closed Forever? with Sal Mercogliano (CBS7509032825.mp3)

Sal Mercogliano, associate professor of history at Campbell University and host of the  What’s Going on with Shipping YouTube channel, to discuss the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting the complexities of navigating the Strait under normal and elevated circumstances. The conversation delves into the geopolitical tensions involving Iran, the impact on global shipping, and the broader implications for international trade and security. What are the challenges posed by the current conflict, the role of insurance in maritime operations, and the potential long-term effects on global trade? ▪️ Times 02:45 A regular day 07:51 Shipping lanes 11:48 In the Persian Gulf 19:13 What is actually happening? 27:00 Opening the Strait  32:30 Strategic costs  38:05 Keeping things moving 44:58 Breakdown of the Freedom of the Seas 48:32 Ghost fleets 53:13 Other chokepoints Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack

From Schneier on Security at 2026-04-06 20:09:58

New Mexico’s Meta Ruling and Encryption

Mike Masnick points out that the recent New Mexico court ruling against Meta has some bad implications for end-to-end encryption, and security in general:

If the “design choices create liability” framework seems worrying in the abstract, the New Mexico case provides a concrete example of where it leads in practice.

One of the key pieces of evidence the New Mexico attorney general used against Meta was the company’s 2023 decision to add end-to-end encryption to Facebook Messenger. The argument went like this: predators used Messenger to groom minors and exchange child sexual abuse material. By encrypting those messages, Meta made it harder for law enforcement to access evidence of those crimes. Therefore, the encryption was a design choice that enabled harm...

From School of War at 2026-04-06 19:57:00

America’s Incredible Rescue of its Downed Airmen in Iran and Trump’s Strategic Options Ahead with Rich Goldberg & Garrett Exner (CBS8310958618.mp3)

Rich Goldberg, senior advisor at FDD, and Garrett Exner, adjunct fellow at Hudson Institute, join the show to breakdown the dramatic events of the weekend and take a look at the road ahead in the Iran War. We discuss the American F-15E shot down in Iran, and the subsequent rescue of its crew by special operations forces near Isfahan. The conversation delves into the details of the rescue operation, President Trump's demands regarding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the potential actions the United States might take if Iran does not comply.  ▪️ Times 03:00 Rescue 12:47 Potential nuclear raid sites 15:28 President’s deal terms 26:50 Targets and regime change 35:32 Ground options 38:28 Information gaps and what comes next Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack

From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-06 12:00:00

Inside the 'Easter Miracle': How the US rescued two airmen from Iran (media.mp3)

How did America manage to rescue two airmen after their plane was shot down over Iran?

In this bonus bank holiday episode, Venetia Rainey is joined by Jack Murphy, ex-US special forces who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, including as a Green Beret. He is now a journalist and military commentator and hosts The Team House national security podcast. He broke the story that the weapons systems officer (WSO) from the downed F-15E had been rescued alive after 36 hours stranded behind enemy lines.

Jack provides a unique insight into the dramatic double rescue mission - already being described as the most complex in American military history. He explains the initial search and rescue (CSAR) efforts, what the WSO would have been doing to survive on the ground, and why the US abandoned and blew up two multimillion-dollar aircraft at a remote desert airstrip.

Plus: what role is AI playing in the Iran war and beyond, in battlefields from Ukraine to Gaza? 

The US military increasingly relies on an AI decision support system called Maven to help with targeting, intelligence assessments and troop deployments. Israel and Ukraine use similar technology. Proponents of artificial intelligence argue it makes warfare faster and more efficient - giving the West a key battlefield advantage in a time of rising conflict. 

But critics say there are concerns over safety and low accuracy, and worry humans are increasingly being left out of the loop. Some of these concerns come from industry insiders such as AI company Anthropic, which is in a dispute with the Pentagon over the use of its system Claude for autonomous weapons. 

Venetia Rainey is joined by Adam Wishart, the filmmaker behind new Channel 4 documentary, Click to Kill: the AI War Machine, and Heidy Khlaaf, chief AI scientist at the AI Now Institute and previously at OpenAI. 

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey

Jack Murphy, ex-special forces and host The Team House @JackMurphyRGR

Heidy Khlaaf, chief AI scientist AI Now Institute @HeidyKhlaaf

Adam Wishart, director Click to Kill: the AI War Machine @adam_wishart

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Click to Kill: the AI War Machine on Channel 4 

Producer: Rachel Porter

Executive Producer: Louisa Wells

► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

► EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk 

► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

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From Schneier on Security at 2026-04-06 11:52:32

Google Wants to Transition to Post-Quantum Cryptography by 2029

Google says that it will fully transition to post-quantum cryptography by 2029. I think this is a good move, not because I think we will have a useful quantum computer anywhere near that year, but because crypto-agility is always a good thing.

Slashdot thread.

From Odd Lots at 2026-04-06 09:00:00

Gina Raimondo on How European Industry Is Getting Crushed (audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=982f5071-765c-403d-969d-ae27003a8d83)

The relationship between the US and Europe is deteriorating along both security and economic dimensions. The Trump administration has imposed tariffs, while also being sharply critical of NATO allies. So what are European leaders to do? Hope things go back to normal in the US? Or perhaps become closer with China? Our guest on this episode says the latter would be a grave mistake. This episode was recorded live on April 1 at the DC headquarters of the Council on Foreign Relations. We spoke with Gina Raimondo, now a CFR Distinguished Fellow, who previously served as the commerce secretary in the Biden Administration, and prior to that was the governor of Rhode Island. She discusses her view that European industry is being hollowed out by China, and that the only path forward is a global, unified, non-China trading bloc, which is an idea that's being thwarted by the Trump administration. We also talk about the legacy of the CHIPS Act, and her fears about AI creating mass unemployment and destabilizing our democracy.

Read more:
US Lawmakers Propose Crackdown on Chip Tool Sales to China
Cheap Chinese Cars Are Waiting on Detroit's Doorstep

Only http://Bloomberg.com subscribers can get the Odd Lots newsletter in their inbox each week, plus unlimited access to the site and app. Subscribe at  bloomberg.com/subscriptions/oddlots

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From The Rest Is History at 2026-04-06 00:05:00

658. Dawn of the Samurai: The Shadow of the Sword (Part 1) (GLT7378881498.mp3?updated=1775294051)

When did the Samurai come into being? How did they go from being provincial outsiders to masters of Japan, outstripping their aristocratic overlords? And, were they really the deadly, honour-driven warriors of myth? Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the rise of history’s most formidable warriors; Japan’s lethal Samurai, and the proliferation of their legend.  _______ Advertise with us: Partnerships@goalhanger.com To read our new newsletter, sign up at: therestishistory.com/newsletters _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton   Social Producer: Harry Balden Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude  Senior Producer: Callum Hill  Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From The Rest Is History at 2026-04-06 00:05:00

658. Dawn of the Samurai: The Shadow of the Sword (Part 1) (GLT7378881498.mp3?updated=1775580966)

Join The Rest Is History Club: Unlock the full experience of the show – with exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to every series and live show tickets, a members-only newsletter, discounted books from the show, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at the⁠restishistory.com⁠ When did the Samurai come into being? How did they go from being provincial outsiders to masters of Japan, outstripping their aristocratic overlords? And, were they really the deadly, honour-driven warriors of myth? Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the rise of history’s most formidable warriors; Japan’s lethal Samurai, and the proliferation of their legend.  _______ Advertise with us: Partnerships@goalhanger.com To read our new newsletter, sign up at: therestishistory.com/newsletters _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton   Social Producer: Harry Balden Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude  Senior Producer: Callum Hill  Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From More or Less at 2026-04-04 06:00:00

How likely is ‘likely’? (p0nbjhyb.mp3)

When you’re listening to the news, you will often hear words that are meant to communicate the probability of something happening.   A terrorist attack is “a realistic possibility”, the spread of a certain strain of virus is “highly likely", the relegation of your favourite football team is “possible”.

But when you hear these terms, do you really know what kind of probabilities they’re trying to convey? Do you know how likely “likely” is? Or what probability “probable” is meant to get across?

In some cases, it seems you probably don't.

Professor Adam Kucharski, author of Proof, the Uncertain Science of Certainty, designed a quiz to work out the actual probabilities of the language we use to convey risks.

The data he got back shows how sometimes these words mean very different things to different people.

If you want to try the quiz for yourself, head over to https://probability.kucharski.io/

Email the More or Less team: moreorless@bbc.co.uk

CREDITS:

Presenter: Charlotte McDonald Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown Sound mix: Gareth Jones Editor: Richard Vadon

From A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry at 2026-04-03 22:08:01

Collections: Reconstructing the Roman Pectoral

This week we’re going to look a specific piece of early Roman military equipment, the humble bronze pectoral, which it turns out is surprisingly tricky for us to confidently reconstruct, in part because the period of its use that most interests us (the run from c. 264 to c. 146 where Rome is winning its … Continue reading Collections: Reconstructing the Roman Pectoral →

From Schneier on Security at 2026-04-03 22:07:06

Friday Squid Blogging: Jurassic Fish Chokes on Squid

Here’s a fossil of a 150-million year old fish that choked to death on a belemnite rostrum: the hard, internal shell of an extinct, squid-like animal.

Original paper.

As usual, you can also use this squid post to talk about the security stories in the news that I haven’t covered.

Blog moderation policy.

From Biz & IT - Ars Technica at 2026-04-03 21:30:15

OpenClaw gives users yet another reason to be freaked out about security

The viral AI agentic tool let attackers silently gain admin unauthenticated access.

From The Incomparable Mothership at 2026-04-03 17:00:00

811: Have You Considered More Voiceovers? (bd814fdf-6523-4214-b718-085943084867.mp3)

These movie producers really did a job on “Blade Runner.” They don’t advertise for narrations in the newspaper, every good writer knows that. But when you’re trying to sell a narratively dense piece of visual art to 1982 audiences who just want to see a Harrison Ford movie, that’s the sort of compromise you make. All we could do is sit there and watch it play....

From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-03 13:15:54

‘Iran thinks it’s still a great power’: Why the regime won’t surrender (media.mp3)

Why hasn’t the Iranian regime surrendered yet?

The Islamic Republic is at the centre of a war sending shock waves around the world, and despite being pummelled by the US and Israel, it remains defiant. The explanation lies in the country's ancient history and myths, which still permeate modern Iranian politics today.  

For this special Easter edition, Ali Ansari, professor of Iranian history at the University of St Andrews, joins Roland Oliphant to take us all the way back to the empire of Cyrus the Great and the legendary heroes of Persian literature on a quest for the origins of the country.

Who are Iranians? Why do they think of themselves as a great power that can rival the West? And how has their long history shaped the regime at war with Donald Trump today?

Ansari explains how Iran is not as Islamic as the ayatollahs make out, why Iran adopted Shia rather than Sunni Islam, and how history and myth are used by both the regime and its opponents. Plus, perhaps most importantly, why the ancient Persians loved a drink.

CONTRIBUTORS:

Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant

Ali Ansari, professor University of St Andrews @aa51_ansari

Pic credit: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949

Producer: Rachel Porter

Executive Producer: Louisa Wells

► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

► EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk 

► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

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From Schneier on Security at 2026-04-03 12:08:17

Company that Secretly Records and Publishes Zoom Meetings

WebinarTV searches the internet for public Zoom invites, joins the meetings, secretly records them, and publishes (alternate link) the recordings. It doesn’t use the Zoom record feature, so Zoom can’t do anything about it.

From Odd Lots at 2026-04-03 09:00:00

Scott Bok Explains What Investment Bankers Actually Do All Day (audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=982f5071-765c-403d-969d-ae27003a8d83)

There's obviously a lot of talk these days about AI and possible destruction of white collar jobs. Intuitively bankers might be expected to be victims of this. But before we can answer whether AI can disrupt an industry, or a line of work, we have to know what the job actually entails. What do investment bankers actually do, and why are they paid for it? To answer this question, we speak with Scott Bok, the longtime former CEO of the investment bank Greenhill. Scott is also the author of the book Surviving Wall Street: A Tale of Triumph, Tragedy, and Timing. We discuss how the industry changed in his career, what type of people thrive in it, and how AI could change the nature of the profession.

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From School of War at 2026-04-03 04:00:00

Trump Says We’re ‘Winning’ in Iran. It’s More Complicated. (CBS4789824375.mp3)

The Strait of Hormuz is closed. Iran’s nuclear program survives. And while the regime has been weakened, it remains intact. So what has President Trump accomplished—and what comes next in the war? Today on School of War, we’re doing something a little different. Instead of sitting in the interviewer’s chair, as I usually do – I’m the one being interviewed. I joined Rafaela Siewert of The Free Press to talk through my current thinking on the war in Iran. ▪️ Times 02:03 Trump’s speech   05:22 Escalation       10:10 Goals  12:25 Risk and scale 15:15 Kinds of surprise 17:37 Misreading the Iranians  22:10 15 Points 25:49 Opening the Strait of Hormuz  29:24 Branding  32:44 Oil  37:15 Kharg Island 41:35 Regime alteration   44:20 Time and resources 48:49 Balance 50:11 Trump, MAGA, and the Right Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack

From Schneier on Security at 2026-04-02 18:28:27

US Bans All Foreign-Made Consumer Routers

This is for new routers; you don’t have to throw away your existing ones:

The Executive Branch determination noted that foreign-produced routers (1) introduce “a supply chain vulnerability that could disrupt the U.S. economy, critical infrastructure, and national defense” and (2) pose “a severe cybersecurity risk that could be leveraged to immediately and severely disrupt U.S. critical infrastructure and directly harm U.S. persons.”

More information:

Any new router made outside the US will now need to be approved by the FCC before it can be imported, marketed, or sold in the country...

From Biz & IT - Ars Technica at 2026-04-02 18:00:11

New Rowhammer attacks give complete control of machines running Nvidia GPUs

Both GDDRHammer and GeForge hammer GPU memory in ways that compromise the CPU.

From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-02 17:07:01

'We’ve trained for this': How US Marines could open the Strait of Hormuz and seize Iran’s uranium (media.mp3)

Could US amphibious troops re-open the Strait of Hormuz? 

In his first major speech on the Iran war, Donald Trump said America is on course to finish its military campaign in the next three weeks. But to do so, he will have to find solutions to both the Strait, and Iran's remaining stockpile of enriched uranium.

To discuss, Roland Oliphant is joined from Saudi Arabia by Andrew Milburn, a former US Marine Corps colonel and ex-deputy Commander of Special Operations Command Central (CENTCOM), the headquarters responsible for all American special operations in the Middle East.

He explains what operations the Marines could undertake in the Strait, why a potential plan to seize Iran’s uranium is do-able but dangerous, and why some in the Gulf are worried there could be a premature ceasefire. 

CONTRIBUTORS:

Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant

Andrew Milburn, former US Marine Corps colonel and co-host of Eyes-On @andymilburn8

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive Producer: Louisa Wells

► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

► EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk 

► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

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From The Briefing Room at 2026-04-02 14:32:00

What's happened to the Gaza peace plan? (p0nb9cpf.mp3)

The world’s attention is currently fixed on the US-Israel war with Iran and the effect it’s having on the Gulf region and global energy prices. But it was only six months ago that a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was agreed and President Trump launched his 20-point peace plan. Since then we’ve heard little about progress beyond the return of Israeli hostages - the first phase of the plan. David Aaronovitch and his guests discuss what's happening to the citizens of Gaza and what has to happen next if the peace plan is to be followed through.

Guests:

Rushdi Abu Alouf, BBC Gaza Correspondent Anshel Pfeffer, Israel Correspondent, The Economist Tahani Mustafa, Lecturer in International Relations, Deptartment of War Studies, King's College, London Aaron David Miller, Senior Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Presenter: David Aaronovitch Producers: Caroline Bayley, Nathan Gower, Kirsteen Knight Production co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele Sound Engineers: James Beard and Gareth Jones Editor: Richard Vadon

From Schneier on Security at 2026-04-02 11:05:43

Possible US Government iPhone Hacking Tool Leaked

Wired writes (alternate source):

Security researchers at Google on Tuesday released a report describing what they’re calling “Coruna,” a highly sophisticated iPhone hacking toolkit that includes five complete hacking techniques capable of bypassing all the defenses of an iPhone to silently install malware on a device when it visits a website containing the exploitation code. In total, Coruna takes advantage of 23 distinct vulnerabilities in iOS, a rare collection of hacking components that suggests it was created by a well-resourced, likely state-sponsored group of hackers...

From Strong Message Here at 2026-04-02 10:39:00

That's a Great Question (with Stewart Lee in Laugharne) (p0nb2bx4.mp3)

Stewart Lee joins Armando at the Millennium Hall in Laugharne.

Is AI too sycophantic? Should we worry about how military-grade AI is being sold in start-up jargon? Let's ask the best AI there is, Armando Iannucci.

In another episode in front of an audience, Armando and Stewart treat us to a dramatic reading of a Chat GPT interaction. We also hear whether the Metaverse is an unwelcome template for AI companies, and why Stewart admires the boffins who make sex robots.

Got a strong message for Armando? Email us at strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk

Sound editing: Chris Maclean Recorded by Searle Whittney and Dyfan Rose Production Coordinator: Asha Osborne-Grinter Executive Producer: James Robinson Recorded at the Millennium Hall in Laugharne

Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios production for Radio 4.

From In Our Time: History at 2026-04-02 10:15:00

Margaret Beaufort (p0n4dcf8.mp3)

Misha Glenny and guests discuss the woman who, as a child bride, became mother to the boy who would eventually become the first king in the Tudor dynasty. Lady Margaret Beaufort (c1443-1509) was twelve when she married Edmund Tudor, half his age, and gave birth to their son Henry when she was thirteen and Edmund was already dead from the plague. Margaret Beaufort made it her life's work to protect Henry during the Wars of the Roses, which had begun soon before his birth and, as many more obvious successors to the crown died or were killed in the wars, she pivoted to supporting Henry when he became the strongest contender against Richard III. She was to survive Richard III declaring her a traitor and went on to see Henry become Henry VII, the first Tudor king, and herself become the King's Mother. Outliving her son by a few months, she was then to help her grandson Henry VIII succeed and the Tudor dynasty continue.

With

Joanna Laynesmith Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Reading

Katherine Lewis Honorary Professor of Medieval History at the University of Lincoln and Research Associate at the University of York

And

David Grummitt Staff Tutor in History at the Open University

Producer: Simon Tillotson

Reading list:

Nathen Amin, The House of Beaufort (Amberley Publishing, 2017)

Rachel Delman, 'The Vowesses, the anchoresses, and the aldermen's wives: Lady Margaret Beaufort and the Devout Society of Late Medieval Stamford' (Urban History 49, 2022)

David Grummitt, A Short History of the Wars of the Roses (revised edition, Bloomsbury Academic, 2025)

Michael Hicks, The Wars of the Roses (Yale University Press, 2010)

Lauren Johnson, Margaret Beaufort: Survivor, Rebel, Kingmaker (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2025)

Michael K. Jones and Malcolm G. Underwood, The King's Mother: Lady Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby (Cambridge University Press, 1991)

Rebecca Krug, Reading Families: Women's Literate Practice in Late Medieval England (Cornell University Press, 2008), especially the chapter ‘Margaret Beaufort's Literate Practice: Service and Self-Inscription'

J.L. Laynesmith, Cecily Duchess of York (Bloomsbury Academic, 2017)

Susan Powell, The Household Accounts of Lady Margaret Beaufort, 1443-1509 (The British Academy, 2022)

Nicola Tallis, Uncrowned Queen: The Fateful Life of Margaret Beaufort, Tudor Matriarch (Michael O'Mara, 2019)

Micheline White (ed.), English Women, Religion, and Textual Production, 1500-1625 (Ashgate, 2016), especially ‘Lady Margaret Beaufort’s Translations as Mirrors of Practical Piety’ by Brenda M. Hosington In Our Time is a BBC Studios production

Spanning history, religion, culture, science and philosophy, In Our Time from BBC Radio 4 is essential listening for the intellectually curious. In each episode, host Misha Glenny and expert guests explore the characters, events and discoveries that have shaped our world.

From Odd Lots at 2026-04-02 09:00:00

This Is How to Tell if Writing Was Made by AI (audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=982f5071-765c-403d-969d-ae27003a8d83)

When you consider the fact that many people don't know how and where to place a comma, it's safe to say that AI is already better than most people at writing. It's clean copy. It can be surprisingly persuasive. And sometimes, it's even informative. But there's frequently still something about it that just seems... off. Many people can tell quite quickly when they're reading AI-generated text. And beyond the style, the existence of AI generated text has all kinds of ramifications, from making it easier for students to cheat, to the rise of deceptive chatbots, to potentially degrading the experience on sites like Reddit. So how do you actually tell if a piece of writing was generated by AI? On this episode, we speak with Max Spero, the CEO of Pangram Labs, a company that built software to detect whether a piece of content was AI generated or not. We talk about the advanced techniques they use, the risk of false positives and false negatives, and what AI writing means in general for the future of the Internet.

Read more:
The AI Video Apps Gaining Ground After OpenAI Declared Sora Dead
Credit Derivative Trading Shatters Records on Iran War, AI Fears

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From The Rest Is History at 2026-04-02 00:05:00

657. The Ku Klux Klan: American Fascists (Part 4) (GLT4147819855.mp3?updated=1774886633)

After resurrecting in 1915, how did the Ku Klux Klan make its move on the next major American election? What was the role of women in the Klan? And, would this violent organisation finally meet its reckoning?  Join Tom and Dominic as they reach the tragic climax of their exploration into the rise and fall of the Ku Klux Klan.  _______ This episode is sponsored by Anthropic, the team behind Claude. Try Claude for free today at Claude.ai/restishistory. _______ Advertise with us: Partnerships@goalhanger.com _______ To read our new newsletter, sign up at: therestishistory.com/newsletters _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton Social Producer: Harry Balden Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude  Senior Producer: Callum Hill Executive Producer: Dom Johnson  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From The Media Show at 2026-04-01 18:40:00

Scott Mills' exit & Tim Davie's final week at the BBC, AI-assisted journalism, new UK research project on teens & social media (p0nb3qvh.mp3)

Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins discuss some of the week's biggest media stories:

Jane Martinson of the Guardian and Max Goldbart of Deadline on Scott Mills' departure from the BBC and Tim Davie's legacy as Director General of the corporation.

As newsrooms around the world continue to debate the use of artificial intelligence in reporting, we hear from Fortune Business Editor Nick Lichtenberg who outlines his method for producing AI-assisted articles.

After two recent United States rulings which found Meta and YouTube liable for developing addictive platform features, we talk to the BBC North America Technology Correspondent Lily Jamali about the legal arguments and potential consequences for design and regulation. Interface designer Aza Raskin from the Centre for Humane Technology explains the tools used by platforms to keep people scrolling, and we hear about a major new UK scientific trial to assess the impact of reduced social media use among teenagers from Professor Amy Orben of the University of Cambridge.

Producer: Lisa Jenkinson

From Schneier on Security at 2026-04-01 17:57:35

Is “Hackback” Official US Cybersecurity Strategy?

The 2026 US “Cyber Strategy for America” document is mostly the same thing we’ve seen out of the White House for over a decade, but with a more aggressive tone.

But one sentence stood out: “We will unleash the private sector by creating incentives to identify and disrupt adversary networks and scale our national capabilities.” This sounds like a call for hackback: giving private companies permission to conduct offensive cyber operations.

The Economist noticed (alternate link) this, too.

I think this is an incredibly dumb idea:

In warfare, the notion of counterattack is extremely powerful. Going after the enemy­—its positions, its supply lines, its factories, its infrastructure—­is an age-old military tactic. But in peacetime, we call it revenge, and consider it dangerous. Anyone accused of a crime deserves a fair trial. The accused has the right to defend himself, to face his accuser, to an attorney, and to be presumed innocent until proven guilty...

From Iran: The Latest at 2026-04-01 16:22:59

Iran's 'zombie regime' & UAE ‘to help force open’ Strait of Hormuz (media.mp3)

Could the UAE help solve the Strait of Hormuz stalemate caused by the Iran war?

The US is growing increasingly angry with its allies for refusing to help fully reopen the blocked waterway, which has led to soaring oil prices and dire economic warnings. From President Donald Trump threatening to pull out of Nato (a Telegraph exclusive) to Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth lambasting the UK, Washington’s ire is palpable. 

Venetia Rainey runs through the latest updates from the Middle East, including Trump’s claim ahead of his big speech tonight that Iran has asked for a ceasefire, and a potentially game-changing report that the UAE is pushing for a coalition to help reopen the Strait by force. 

Plus, Roland Oliphant and senior foreign correspondent Sophia Yan speak to Iranian-American analyst and author of the Iranist newsletter, Holly Dagres. She explains why there haven’t been more protests and how the Islamic Republic is becoming a “zombie regime”. 

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey

Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant

Sophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yan

Holly Dagres, Washington Institute analyst @hdagres

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Roland Oliphant: The four outcomes if Trump surrenders the Strait of Hormuz to Iran

Trump interview: I am strongly considering pulling out of Nato

Iona Cleave: Iranian fortress at the centre of the battle for Hormuz

Akhtar Makoii: How Iran plans to fight US troops if Trump invades

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive Producer: Louisa Wells

► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

► EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk 

► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From Schneier on Security at 2026-04-01 10:59:07

A Taxonomy of Cognitive Security

Last week, I listened to a fascinating talk by K. Melton on cognitive security, cognitive hacking, and reality pentesting. The slides from the talk are here, but—even better—Menton has a long essay laying out the basic concepts and ideas.

The whole thing is important and well worth reading, and I hesitate to excerpt. Here’s a taste:

The NeuroCompiler is where raw sensory data gets interpreted before you’re consciously aware of it. It decides what things mean, and it does this fast, automatic, and mostly invisible. It’s also where the majority of cognitive exploits actually land, right in this sweet spot between perception and conscious thought...

From Odd Lots at 2026-04-01 09:00:00

Javier Blas on Why Oil Could Go Much, Much Higher (audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=982f5071-765c-403d-969d-ae27003a8d83)

Oil has shot up by a lot since the start of war with Iran. But it could still get much worse. So far, the massive disruption (due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz) has been cushioned by the drawing down of inventories and distributions from strategic stockpiles. Meanwhile, there is some oil still on tankers that has yet to be delivered. According to Bloomberg Opinion columnist Javier Blas, the potential remains for oil to go much, much higher. On this episode, we speak with Javier about the scale of the shock, why the pain is extraordinarily high in East Asia, how this compares to past oil shocks, and what the world would look like if Iran retains control of the Strait.

Read more:
Oil Falls on Signs From US, Iran of Openness for War Resolution
Trump’s God Squad Exempts Gulf Drilling from Endangered Species Protections

Only http://Bloomberg.com subscribers can get the Odd Lots newsletter in their inbox each week, plus unlimited access to the site and app. Subscribe at  bloomberg.com/subscriptions/oddlots

Subscribe to the Odd Lots Newsletter
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From The Rest Is History at 2026-04-01 00:05:00

Revolutions: Iran, the Prague Spring, and Ceaușescu’s Fall | History in Photos (GLT4190163927.mp3?updated=1774978497)

**Unlock the full episode and the complete History in Photos series by joining The Rest Is History Club at⁠ ⁠⁠therestishistory.com⁠** In what ways did Abbas’ identity grant him unique access to the Iranian Revolution? How can a single object, like Josef Koudelka’s wristwatch, symbolise an entire geopolitical shift like the Prague Spring? And, how does Moises Saman’s photographic approach to the Arab Spring differ from traditional revolutionary photography? In today’s episode of our new member’s-only mini-series, Dominic is joined by photographer Chris Floyd to discuss iconic photographs of political revolutions of the 20th and 21st century. Sign up to our free newsletter at therestishistory.com/newsletter! Getty Images has one of the largest and oldest privately held archives globally with access to over 150 million images dating back to the beginning of photography. From historical images created in the early 1800s to more contemporary 1990s imagery, the Getty Images archive houses a wealth of socially significant, historical photos, videos and prints, and includes content from over 40 editorial content partners including Gamma-Rapho, Paris Match, The Bettmann Archive, Sygma and Motorsport Images. Our archive video collection contains 3.1 million hours of offline video footage and includes partners such as NBC News Archives, ITN, Sky News and the BBC Motion Gallery. _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton Social Producer: Harry Balden Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude Senior Producer: Callum Hill Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From The History of Byzantium at 2026-03-31 22:27:35

Episode 347 - Trebizond! Part One (media.mp3)

We explore the history of Trebizond under the Grand Komnenoi. Today I cover the period from 1204-1297.

The music for these episodes comes from the brilliant Youtube channel of Farya Faraji. Farya is a musicologist who collaborates with traditional musicians around the world to present music from different cultures on his channel, with an emphasis on authenticity and accurate cultural representation. This track is called Trapezuntine - Epic Byzantine Music. You can buy his music here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From Biz & IT - Ars Technica at 2026-03-31 19:25:33

Quantum computers need vastly fewer resources than thought to break vital encryption

No, the sky isn't falling, but Q Day is coming, and it won't be as expensive as thought.

From Iran: The Latest at 2026-03-31 16:55:49

One month of Iran-US war: Assassinations, missiles and the Strait of Hormuz (media.mp3)

After one month of the US-Iran war, who is winning and who is losing?

Roland Oliphant and Venetia Rainey step back to examine how much of US President Donald Trump’s original war goals have been achieved, from destroying Iran’s missiles, navy and regional proxies to regime change and preventing the development of nuclear weapons. 

They also look at the role of Israel, the impact of attacks on the Gulf and the global economic shock caused by Iran’s closure of the vital waterway, the Strait of Hormuz. 

Plus, they discuss the depletion of global munition stocks after a month of air strikes, how the conflict has further frayed the Western alliance and what all that means for Ukraine and Russia. 

If you’ve been struggling to keep up with the latest news from the Middle East conflict, this is an update and analysis of everything you need to know from March 2026. 

CONTRIBUTORS:

Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant

Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Why tens of millions face hunger and poverty in wake of Trump’s Iran war

American troops forced to withdraw from Middle East bases

RUSI: Over 11,000 munitions in 16 Days of the Iran War: ‘Command of the Reload’ Governs Endurance

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive Producer: Louisa Wells

► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

► EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk 

► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From Ahoy at 2026-03-31 15:57:02

AUG.

Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ahoy Merch: https://ahoy-shop.fourthwall.com/ 00:00 Introduction 00:38 History 05:40 Film & Television 06:42 Video Games 08:06 Conclusion

From Schneier on Security at 2026-03-31 12:05:32

Inventors of Quantum Cryptography Win Turing Award

Charles Bennett and Gilles Brassard have won the 2026 Turing Award for inventing quantum cryptography.

I am incredibly pleased to see them get this recognition. I have always thought the technology to be fantastic, even though I think it’s largely unnecessary. I wrote up my thoughts back in 2008, in an <a href+https://www.schneier.com/essays/archives/2008/10/quantum_cryptography.html”>essay titled “Quantum Cryptography: As Awesome As It Is Pointless.”

Back then, I wrote:

While I like the science of quantum cryptography—my undergraduate degree was in physics—I don’t see any commercial value in it. I don’t believe it solves any security problem that needs solving. I don’t believe that it’s worth paying for, and I can’t imagine anyone but a few technophiles buying and deploying it. Systems that use it don’t magically become unbreakable, because the quantum part doesn’t address the weak points of the system...

From Emperors of Rome at 2026-03-31 11:45:35

The Tetrarchic Persecution of Christians (310326-diocletian06.mp3)

In the early fourth century the emperors of the Tetrarchy initiated what later Christians would call the “Great Persecution.” Under Diocletian and his colleagues, churches were demolished, sacred texts seized, and believers forced to choose between sacrificing to the Roman gods or facing punishment by the state.

Support Emperors of Rome on Patreon: patreon.com/romepodcast

This month's bonus episode on Patreon is with Caillan Davenport, looking at the Christian martyr, Saint Sebastian..

Episode CCLIV (254)

Part VI of Diocletian

Guest: Professor Caillan Davenport (Centre for Classical Studies, Australian National University)

From Breaking History at 2026-03-31 10:00:00

Eli Lake and Haviv Rettig Gur on Why Iran's Regime Is Hard to Kill (CBS8279398281.mp3?updated=1774909641)

What does it actually take to break a regime built on martyrdom? Eli Lake sits down with Haviv Rettig Gur — host of Ask Haviv Anything and one of the deepest thinkers on the Middle East — to assess week five of the Iran war. They trace the ideological DNA of Iran’'s Islamic Republic from the Algerian National Liberation Front to Frantz Fanon to Ali Shariati, and explain why this is a regime designed to treat its own destruction as a form of victory. Plus: what a color revolution in Tehran could mean for Sunni Islamism, Hamas, and the future of the Palestinian question. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Odd Lots at 2026-03-31 09:00:00

Why NASA Hired a Chief Economist (audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=982f5071-765c-403d-969d-ae27003a8d83)

This week, NASA is scheduled to launch Artemis II, a mission that will send astronauts around the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. But this comes at a time when the space agency is facing some pretty big funding challenges, as well as growing competition with private players like SpaceX. In this episode, we speak with Alexander MacDonald, who served as NASA's first chief economist and is now a senior associate at the Aerospace Security Project at CSIS. We talk about why the space agency had economists, how space exploration is funded, and how NASA measures its own economic impact. Please note, this episode was recorded March 10.

Read more:
Nasdaq Speeds Up Index Entry for SpaceX, Large IPOs With New Rule
SpaceX Knocks Boeing From Dominant Role in NASA Moon Mission

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From School of War at 2026-03-31 04:00:00

Even as America Fights Iran, It’s Not Ready for China—with Eyck Freymann (CBS5971340008.mp3)

Eyck Freymann, Hoover Fellow at Stanford University and author of Defending Taiwan: A Strategy to Prevent War with China, joins the show to explain the complexities of deterrence against China, the strategic challenges in the Indo-Pacific, and the implications of the wars in Ukraine and Iran for Taiwan. We break down China’s plausible gray-zone tactics like quarantine and coercive mobilization, and how these tools, if unchecked, could lead to a total economic or military break. Where are the vulnerabilities in the U.S. defense industrial base, in naval and trade logistics, and in missile magazine depth? ▪️ Times 01:45 No path out   04:13 Maintaining balance      10:18 Kasserine lessons 16:51 China’s possible moves in the gray-zone 22:53 More stockpiling  27:33 Invasion 34:21 Decapitation and bombardment  39:20 An economic and political problem  46:42 The Summit Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack

From Iran: The Latest at 2026-03-30 16:25:46

Iran vows to ‘rain fire’ on US troops, the Houthi ‘nightmare’ & on the ground in Tehran (media.mp3)

Is the US about to invade Iran? 

Warship USS Tripoli has arrived in the Middle East with thousands of fresh troops, and the USS Boxer is not far behind - but Iran has vowed to “rain fire” on any American troops who set foot on its territory. Meanwhile, Trump is said to be considering taking Kharg Island and has been claiming regime change has already happened. 

Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant discuss all the latest updates, along with the impact on the price of oil and Israel expanding its offensive in southern Lebanon.

Yemen expert and University of Cambridge mistress Elisabeth Kendall explains why the Houthis joining the war is so significant and how they could turn things into a “nightmare”. 

Plus, a glimpse into daily life on the ground in Tehran. Norwegian Refugee Council’s Iran director, Martje van Raamsdonk, joins from the Iranian capital to talk about how bombing has intensified in recent days, prompting residents to tape up their windows, and growing fears and uncertainty amid talks of a US invasion. 

CONTRIBUTORS:

Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant

Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey

Elisabeth Kendall, president of Girton College, @Dr_E_Kendall

Martje van Raamsdonk, Norwegian Refugee Council’s Iran director

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Trump needs troops to seize the Strait of Hormuz. These are his options

‘Gate of Tears’ could be a strait too far for Trump’s military

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive Producer: Louisa Wells

► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

► EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk 

► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From Schneier on Security at 2026-03-30 12:08:24

Apple’s Camera Indicator Lights

A thoughtful review of Apple’s system to alert users that the camera is on. It’s really well-designed, and important in a world where malware could surreptitiously start recording.

The reason it’s tempting to think that a dedicated camera indicator light is more secure than an on-display indicator is the fact that hardware is generally more secure than software, because it’s harder to tamper with. With hardware, a dedicated hardware indicator light can be connected to the camera hardware such that if the camera is accessed, the light must turn on, with no way for software running on the device, no matter its privileges, to change that. With an indicator light that is rendered on the display, it’s not foolish to worry that malicious software, with sufficient privileges, could draw over the pixels on the display where the camera indicator is rendered, disguising that the camera is in use...

From Odd Lots at 2026-03-30 09:00:00

Goldman CIO Marco Argenti on the Warp-Speed Improvements in AI (audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=982f5071-765c-403d-969d-ae27003a8d83)

When we last spoke to Marco Argenti, chief information officer at Goldman Sachs, we were talking about how the bank was deploying AI, including the development of its own internal tools. But that was a year and a half ago and a lot has changed since then, especially with the arrival of agentic platforms like Claude Code. So what exactly is Goldman Sachs doing with AI now? And what has its experience with the new tech been like so far? On this episode, we catch up with Marco to discuss what AI deployment at the bank actually looks like at the moment — including how AI coding is changing the work of its developers and engineers — to all the data challenges and regulatory concerns that come with integrating this technology at scale.

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From The Rest Is History at 2026-03-30 00:05:00

656. The Ku Klux Klan: Birth of a Nation (Part 3) (GLT9883414135.mp3?updated=1774622635)

How did the second incarnation of the clan, born in Georgia in 1915, grow into a seemingly indomitable nation-wide fraternal organisation, numbering millions? Who were its new targets? And, with the Klan’s momentum seemingly unstoppable and an election on the horizon, would their appalling violence be publicly condemned? Join Tom and Dominic as they chart the second rise of the violent, tyrannical, Ku Klux Klan…. _______ Advertise with us: Partnerships@goalhanger.com To read our new newsletter, sign up here: therestishistory.com/newsletters Join The Rest Is History Club: Unlock the full experience of the show – with exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to every series and live show tickets, a members-only newsletter, discounted books from the show, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at the⁠restishistory.com⁠ For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton Social Producer: Harry Balden Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude  Senior Producer: Callum Hill Executive Producer: Dom Johnson  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From The Week in Westminster at 2026-03-28 11:00:00

28/03/2026 (p0n96ys8.mp3)

Joe Pike looks back at Westminster politics in the first months of 2026.

He is joined by FT political editor, George Parker, Guardian columnist, Gaby Hinsliff, and GB News political editor Chris Hope.

From Odd Lots at 2026-03-28 08:00:00

Anthropic, the Pentagon, and the Future of Autonomous Weapons (audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=982f5071-765c-403d-969d-ae27003a8d83)

The last big story right before the war in Iran started was the collapse in the relationship between the Pentagon and Anthropic, with the latter objecting to any potential use of its models in either fully autonomous weapons or domestic surveillance. Of course, this story immediately become more relevant with the start of the war, and the reporting that Anthropic's technology was in fact utilized at the start of hostilities. But what does that mean? How are these models used? And what would a fully autonomous weapons system actually entail? On this episode, we speak with Paul Scharre, the executive vice president and director of studies at the Center for a New American Security. He has written two books on the subject of AI in warfare, and previously worked inside the Department of Defense on some of these very questions. We discuss the future of autonomous weaponry, and the various ethical and technological dimensions such weapons would entail.

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From More or Less at 2026-03-28 06:00:00

How much water does AI consume? (p0n960j9.mp3)

As Artificial Intelligence continues to expand rapidly, some people have raised concerns about its potential environmental impact - in particular its use of water, which is used to cool both data centres and the power generators that supply them with electricity.

One recent book on AI contained the alarming prediction that AI could consume between 4 and 6 trillion litres a year by 2027. Could this eye-popping figure be right? If not, what is the correct figure, and is it a big number?

The devil, as ever, is in the detail, and with the help of expert Alex de Vries-Gao, the More or Loss team has taken a deep dive to get to the truth about AI and water consumption.

If you’ve seen a number in the news and you think More or Less should take a look, email the team on moreorless@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Charlotte McDonald Producer / Reporter: Nathan Gower Series Producer: Tom Colls Programme Coordinator: Brenda Brown Sound Mix: Dave O’Neil Editor: Richard Vadon

From Schneier on Security at 2026-03-27 20:18:54

Friday Squid Blogging: Bioluminescent Bacteria in Squid

The Hawaiian bobtail squid has bioluminescent bacteria.

From A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry at 2026-03-27 18:26:56

Gap Week, March 27, 2026 (Society for Military History Annual Meeting)

Hey folks! Another gap week because, as mentioned last week, I am at the annual meeting for the Society for Military History happening in Arlington. That said, we actually did have a major post this week, my 7,500 word primal cry concerning the current war in Iran. I know that won’t be for everyone – … Continue reading Gap Week, March 27, 2026 (Society for Military History Annual Meeting) →

From The Incomparable Mothership at 2026-03-27 17:52:04

810: Cheated Out of Glitter Vomit (3b1a4c5f-b72b-4e1a-92f9-b7a5e7ab263a.mp3)

Hit the books and polish up your comm badges, because it’s time to go to school—“Starfleet Academy,” that is. We check in on the first season of Star Trek’s latest (and last, for now?) TV series, and find that despite the YA focus, it’s still just really good “Star Trek” that’s worth your attention....

From Iran: The Latest at 2026-03-27 16:51:55

‘A full spectrum crisis’: how the Iran war went global (media.mp3)

Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has already pushed up oil prices. But is a bigger global economic disruption yet to come? And how long will it last?

The Telegraph’s World Economy Editor Ambrose Evans-Pritchard joins Roland Oliphant to explain why the Iran conflict is sending shock waves around the world - and not just in the oil market. 

From fertiliser to helium to sulphur, the block on shipping through the Strait carries other key commodities used by the tech industry, hospitals and farmers. Ambrose explains how the war will almost certainly cause a global food shock in 2027. 

They also discuss how Russia and China are benefitting from the Iran war and why the Houthis in Yemen remain the dog that hasn’t barked - but could make things even worse than they are now.

Plus, Roland Oliphant and senior foreign correspondent Sohia Yan analyse the latest news from the Iran war, including Donald Trump’s ongoing attempts at peace talks with Tehran, the US Navy’s first ever use of unmanned surface boats and why AP is now calling Israel’s attack on Lebanon an invasion. 

CONTRIBUTORS:

Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant

Sophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yan

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, world economy editor 

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Roland Oliphant: Trump needs troops to seize the Strait of Hormuz. These are his options

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard: China has already won the Gulf War

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard: The longer Trump’s war drags on, the worse the coming global food crisis

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive Producer: Louisa Wells

► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

► EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk 

► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From Breaking History at 2026-03-27 08:00:00

When ‘Good Kids’ Go Radical: A Breaking History Special (CBS1251364033.mp3?updated=1774582153)

What drives someone from an ordinary background into extremism? In this Breaking History special, journalist Jay Solomon joins Eli Lake to discuss his investigation into American extremist Calla Walsh.  But this isn’t an isolated story. It echoes a pattern we’ve seen before. Following the interview, we revisit our episode on “middle-class kids breaking bad,” exploring how individuals from stable, even privileged backgrounds have repeatedly been drawn into violent or extremist movements. We explore the tale of the Red Army Faction and how Ulrike Meinhof went from reporter to terrorist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Odd Lots at 2026-03-27 08:00:00

Now There's a Helium Shortage and It Affects More Than Balloons (audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=982f5071-765c-403d-969d-ae27003a8d83)

Ripple effects from the war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz continue to widen. There's yet another brewing shortage, this time in helium. While most people associate helium with balloons and funny voices, the element is used in a surprisingly wide variety of industrial settings, including semiconductor production, where its role in advanced lithography has been growing rapidly. But helium mining and exploration in North America has been practically non-existent for a variety of reasons. And while the US used to have a strategic helium reserve, the government started selling that down in the late 1990s. On this episode, we speak with Nicholas Snyder, the founder and CEO of North American Helium, which does helium mining in Canada. We discuss the properties of helium that make it so useful, as well as the difficulties of expanding global production and distribution.

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From School of War at 2026-03-27 04:00:00

How Can America Defeat Iran? With John Spencer (CBS2644094534.mp3)

John Spencer, Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point and host of the Urban Warfare Project podcast, joins the show to break down how the U.S. and Israel are executing a 'neurological' campaign—using precision, targeted strikes on the Iranian Regime and its center of gravity. A strategy that’s as old as Clausewitz but more relevant than ever. How are the U.S. and Israel balancing the psychological impact of their precision strikes in tandem with the more traditional threat of brute force? What might this approach reveal about today’s conflicts, and how might it influence the next global showdown?  ▪️ Times 03:25 Targeting as strategy   10:40 Neurological strike      20:16 An evolution in military affairs 26:30 Adaptation  30:48 Center of gravity 39:37 The missile program Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack

From Iran: The Latest at 2026-03-26 16:32:31

Iran navy chief killed & why the war 'was based on a lie' (media.mp3)

Will Israel’s assassination of the IRGC’s naval chief lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz?

Hosts Roland Oliphant and Venetia Rainey analyse the latest news from the Iran war, from the killing of navy commander Alireza Tangsiri to Donald Trump’s claim that Tehran is “begging” for a deal. 

With thousands of US troops en route to the Middle East, the stakes are high. Among them are the 82nd Airborne Division; acting Defence Editor Tom Cotterill explains what sort of missions this elite group of paratroopers might be able to execute.

Plus, former UK ambassador to Iran Sir Richard Dalton gives his insights into why striking a deal with the regime will be so difficult and how he thinks the war is based on a lie around Tehran’s nuclear capabilities. 

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey

Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant

Tom Cotterill, acting Defence Editor @TomCotterillX

Sir Richard Dalton, UK’s former ambassador to Iran

CONTENT REFERENCED:

What 2,000 US paratroopers could do in Iran

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/25/what-2000-us-paratroopers-could-do-iran-war-america-trump/

Trump denies it – but two wars are becoming one

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/26/converging-wars-leave-europe-panicked-and-putin-emboldened/

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive Producer: Louisa Wells

► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

► EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk 

► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES:

Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From The Briefing Room at 2026-03-26 13:08:00

Why is youth unemployment in the UK so high? (p0n8wlzc.mp3)

It's a tough time for any young person looking for a job at the moment. While overall unemployment is running at just over 5 percent, there’s particular concern about a large group of 16 to 24 year olds - almost a million of them (12.8%) who are not in employment, education or training. And that includes recent graduates in that age bracket. They’re known as NEETS. David Aaronovitch and guests discuss why they're in this situation - is it down to the state of the economy, their own ability to work or that ever present fear - AI?

Guests:

Jack Kennedy, Economist, Indeed Hiring Lab Lindsay Judge, Research Director, The Resolution Foundation Xiaowei Xu, Senior Research Economist, Institute for Fiscal Studies. John Burn-Murdoch, Chief Data Reporter, The Financial Times

Presenter: David Aaronovitch Producers: Caroline Bayley, Nathan Gower, Kirsteen Knight Production Co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele Sound Engineer: James Beard Editor: Richard Vadon

From Schneier on Security at 2026-03-26 11:06:39

As the US Midterms Approach, AI Is Going to Emerge as a Key Issue Concerning Voters

In December, the Trump administration signed an executive order that neutered states’ ability to regulate AI by ordering his administration to both sue and withhold funds from states that try to do so. This action pointedly supported industry lobbyists keen to avoid any constraints and consequences on their deployment of AI, while undermining the efforts of consumers, advocates, and industry associations concerned about AI’s harms who have spent years pushing for state regulation.

Trump’s actions have clarified the ideological alignments around AI within America’s electoral factions. They set down lines on a new playing field for the midterm elections, prompting members of his party, the opposition, and all of us to consider where we stand in the debate over how and where to let AI transform our lives...

From Net Assessment at 2026-03-26 10:48:00

Is There an End in Sight for the US War in Iran? (Net_Assessment_-_26_March_2026_v1.mp3?dest-id=808287)

What are the goals in the US war in Iran? Is the situation in the Strait of Hormuz manageable, or is the Iranian threat to shipping a challenge that must be confronted? And can it be resolved at an acceptable cost? Melanie, Chris, and Zack, discuss the latest from the war, with a particular focus on the threat posed to international shipping in the vital waterway. Grievances for Jeremy Corbyn, and for the Trump administration's decision to remove sanctions on Russian and Iranian oil. Attas to Japanese Prime Minister Takaichii Sanae for navigating her meeting with President Trump, to a federal judge for affirming that the press has First Amendment rights, and to Sean Penn for skipping the Academy Awards ceremony. Melania also acknowledges the incredible life and career of New York Times' war reporter John Burns who passed this month.

Show Links:

• Caitlin Talmadge, "The Hormuz Minefield: In the Strait, Iran Holds the Advantage—and America Has No Good Options," Foreign Affairs, March 13, 2026.

• Rosemary Kelanic, "Trump Is Making Jimmy Carter's Mistake on Iran and Oil," New York Times, March 9, 2026.

• Charlie Savage, "Striking Down Pentagon Press Limits, Judge Vindicates Independent Journalism," New York Times, March 20, 2026.

• Michael Cohen and Christopher Preble, "The Perils of Lethality," Stimson Center, June 24, 2026

• Phil Klay, "Trump Has Made a Fundamental Miscalculation about Iran," New York Times, March 22, 2026.

• Eli Stokols, Ben Johansen, Jack Detsch, and Paul McLeary, "Inside the White House Plan to Sell the Iran War Online," Politico, March 18, 2026.

• Alan Cowell, "John F. Burns, Prize-Winning Foreign Correspondent for The Times, Dies at 81," New York Times, March 13, 2026.

• Jack Watling, "Iran's Hormuz Blockade is Its Most Powerful Card Against Trump and Israel. It Won't Back Down Easily," The Guardian, March 16, 2026.

From In Our Time: History at 2026-03-26 10:15:00

The Columbian Exchange (p0n33djq.mp3)

Misha Glenny and guests discuss the exchange of cultures and biology across the Atlantic and Pacific after 1492. That was when Columbus reached the Bahamas, a time when Europe had no potatoes, tomatoes, sunflowers or, arguably, syphilis in its most virulent form; the Americas had no cattle, bananas, sugar cane or smallpox. The lists of what was then exchanged are long and as these flora, fauna and diseases moved between continents, their impact ranged from transformation to devastation. In parts of the Americas, European viruses helped kill over 90 percent of the population. In parts of Europe, Africa and Asia populations boomed on the new American foods. Sheep from Europe grazed fertile land into deserts in some parts of the Americas, while the lowered populations in others led to local reforestation which, arguably, is linked to a particularly cold period in the Little Ice Age.

With

Rebecca Earle Professor of History at the University of Warwick

John Lindo Associate Professor of Anthropology at Emory University

And

Mark Maslin Professor of Earth System Science at University College London

Producer: Simon Tillotson

Reading list

Steven R. Brechin and Seungyun Lee (ed.), Routledge Handbook of Climate Change and Society (Routledge, 2024), especially the chapter ‘Human Impacts on the Climate Prior to the Industrial Revolution’ by Alexander Koch, Simon Lewis, Chris Brierley and Mark Maslin

Judith Carney and Richard Rosomoff, In the Shadow of Slavery: Africa’s Botanical Legacy in the Atlantic World (University of California Press, 2009)

EJ Collen, AS Johar, JC Teixeira and B. Llamas, ‘The Immunogenetic Impact of European Colonization in the Americas’ (Front Genet, August 2022)

Alfred W. Crosby, The Columbian Exchange: Biological and Cultural Consequences of 1492 (Greenwood Press, 1972)

Rebecca Earle, ‘‘‘If You Eat Their Food . . .”: Diets and Bodies in Early Colonial Spanish America’ (American Historical Review 115:3, 2010)

Raymond Grew (ed.), Food in Global History (Routledge, 1999), especially ‘The Impact of New World Food Crops on the Diet and Economy of China and India, 1600-1900’ by Sucheta Mazumda

Simon L. Lewis and Mark A. Maslin, The Human Planet: How We Created the Anthropocene (Pelican, 2018)

Nathan Nunn and Nancy Qian, ‘The Columbian Exchange: A History of Disease, Food, and Ideas’ (Journal of Economic Perspectives 24:2, 2010)

Jeffrey Pilcher (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Food History (Oxford University Press, 2012), especially ‘The Columbian Exchange’ by Rebecca Earle

In Our Time is a BBC Studios production

Spanning history, religion, culture, science and philosophy, In Our Time from BBC Radio 4 is essential listening for the intellectually curious. In each episode, host Misha Glenny and expert guests explore the characters, events and discoveries that have shaped our world.

From Strong Message Here at 2026-03-26 09:45:00

We're Here to Listen (with Stewart Lee in Laugharne) (p0n8n7sf.mp3)

Armando is joined by Stewart Lee at the Millennium Hall in Laugharne.

Taking the audience's most loathed political soundbites, we discuss 'existential threats', 'let me be clear', and 'we're working very hard'.

We also hear about Armando's train driver getting caught in an infinity loop, treating Nicky Wire with the greatest of respect, and whether feeling in your bones or gut indicates your political persuasion.

Got a strong message for Armando? Email us at strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk

Sound editing: Chris Maclean Recorded by Searle Whittney and Dyfan Rose Production Coordinator: Asha Osborne-Grinter Executive Producer: Pete Strauss Recorded at the Millennium Hall in Laugharne

Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios production for Radio 4.

From Odd Lots at 2026-03-26 08:00:00

This Is How Big Money Is Trading the War in Iran (audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=982f5071-765c-403d-969d-ae27003a8d83)

Markets are often said to be "headline-driven," but that cliché has rarely felt more true than it does right now. A single tweet or Truth Social post can send prices sharply higher or lower, and investors (especially in the rates market) have been forced to rapidly reposition in response. But even as volatility has increased, traditional safe haven destinations like gold haven't been rallying. So how are big accounts actually trading this market? In this episode, we bring back Ozan Tarman, vice chair of global macro at Deutsche Bank and someone who meets regularly with large investors around the world. He tells us what he's seeing right now, including the potential for a squeeze higher in equities and left-tail risks in private credit.

Read more:
Oil Drops Near $102 as Traders Weigh Outlook for US-Iran Truce
Iran War Shows BRICS Limits as India Pushed to Choose Sides

Only Bloomberg - Business News, Stock Markets, Finance, Breaking & World News subscribers can get the Odd Lots newsletter in their inbox each week, plus unlimited access to the site and app. Subscribe at  bloomberg.com/subscriptions/oddlots

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From The Rest Is History at 2026-03-26 00:05:00

655. The Ku Klux Klan: Terror in the South (Part 2) (GLT2904395784.mp3?updated=1774286562)

How and why did the terrible violence of the Ku Klux Klan escalate? What was the political context in America for their rising popularity? And, how was this first iteration of the Klan finally brought down? Join Dominic and Tom as they discuss American politics after the Civil War, the growing popularity of the Ku Klux Klan in the American south and their increasingly barbaric treatment of freedmen, as well as their final destruction…     _______ Advertise with us: Partnerships@goalhanger.com _______ To read our new newsletter, sign up at: therestishistory.com/newsletters _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton   Social Producer: Harry Balden Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude  Senior Producer: Callum Hill  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From GoodFellows: Conversations on Economics, History & Geopolitics at 2026-03-25 20:17:43

Locusts and Pirates: What’s Your Favorite Recession? with Tyler Goodspeed | Hoover Institution (GoodFellows_2026-03-24_-_Final_-_Tyler_Goodspeed_podcast_823xr.mp3)

If unexpected wars and oil shocks have been big features of recent history, so too are economic recessions – another downturn perhaps ahead in 2026. Tyler Goodspeed, a former Hoover Institution fellow and author of the forthcoming book, Recession: The Real Reasons Economies Shrink and What To Do About It, joins GoodFellows regulars Sir Niall Ferguson, John Cochrane, and Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster for a tutorial on economic conditions and lessons past and present. After that: The three fellows discuss the latest in the Iran conflict including the feasibility of a peace agreement by week’s end as demanded by President Trump, the odds of land forces entering the equation in the near future, plus possible economic hardship ahead should the fighting linger. Finally, in the “lightning round”: why the late Stanford biologist Paul Erlich was so amiss in predicting a doomed planet (not unlike climate alarmists) and H.R.’s favorite Chuck Norris jokes in honor of the recent passing of the famed Hollywood tough guy.      Subscribe to GoodFellows for clarity on today’s biggest social, economic, and geostrategic shifts — only on GoodFellows.

From The Media Show at 2026-03-25 17:53:00

Matt Brittin profile, How to cold call a President, The Policing and Media Charter, Jamie Bartlett (p0n8r4h4.mp3)

As Matt Brittin is confirmed as the BBC’s new Director-General, we discuss his in-tray with Alex Farber from The Times. We look at the relationship between the press and police with Alan Woods from the National Police Chiefs’ Council and Rebecca Camber from the Daily Mail, who were involved in putting together the new Policing and Media Charter. Natalie Fahy from The Nottingham Post also joins us to discuss her experience of reporting the Nottingham attacks as the public inquiry continues. Plus, how to cold-call President Trump. Edward Luce from the Financial Times and Max Tani from Semafor give their top tips. And the journalist and writer Jamie Bartlett takes us behind the scenes of his new BBC Radio 4 series Everything is Fake (And Nobody Cares).

From Iran: The Latest at 2026-03-25 16:06:14

Delay tactic? Trump deploys paratroopers as he outlines peace plan (media.mp3)

Donald Trump has set out a 15-point Iran peace plan, but is he serious about ending the war?

With news that another 2,000 elite American troops are en route to the Middle East, Tehran has its doubts - particularly as they’ve been here twice before with Trump. 

The Telegraph’s senior foreign correspondent Sophia Yan joins Venetia Rainey to talk through how realistic the proposal is and how it’s being viewed in Iran. They also discuss Turkey’s role as a potential mediator and the impact of the conflict on China. 

From the Telegraph’s US bureau, editor Lottie Tiplady-Bishop explains why Vice President JD Vance is now involved in peace negotiations and how boots on the ground is a red line for Trump’s MAGA base. 

Plus, how is the Iran war being viewed by ordinary Americans? Reporter Natasha Leake takes the temperature on the streets of Washington DC.

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey

Sophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent @sophia_yan

Lottie Tiplady-Bishop, associate US news editor @lottietipbishop

Natasha Leake, US reporter @NatashaLeake

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Trump hands Iran 15-point plan to end war

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/25/donald-trump-iran-war-15-point-plan-nuclear-missile/

‘Where the hell is JD Vance?’: Why Trump’s VP is missing in action

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2026/03/10/jd-vance-trump-iran-war-missing/

JD Vance met with Trump security official who quit over Iran war

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2026/03/18/jd-vance-met-joe-kent-quit-iran/

Donald Trump said he would be the president of peace

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/20/trump-promised-peace-then-he-started-war/

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive Producer: Louisa Wells

► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

► EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk 

► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES:

Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From Biz & IT - Ars Technica at 2026-03-25 15:49:17

Google bumps up Q Day deadline to 2029, far sooner than previously thought

Company warns entire industry to move off RSA and EC more quickly.

From Schneier on Security at 2026-03-25 11:02:07

Sen. Wyden Warns of Another Section 702 Abuse

Sen. Ron Wyden is warning us of an abuse of Section 702:

Wyden took to the Senate floor to deliver a lengthy speech, ostensibly about the since approved (with support of many Democrats) nomination of Joshua Rudd to lead the NSA. Wyden was protesting that nomination, but in the context of Rudd being unwilling to agree to basic constitutional limitations on NSA surveillance. But that’s just a jumping off point ahead of Section 702’s upcoming reauthorization deadline. Buried in the speech is a passage that should set off every alarm bell:

There’s another example of secret law related to Section 702, one that directly affects the privacy rights of Americans. For years, I have asked various administrations to declassify this matter. Thus far they have all refused, although I am still waiting for a response from DNI Gabbard. I strongly believe that this matter can and should be declassified and that Congress needs to debate it openly before Section 702 is reauthorized. In fact, ...

From Odd Lots at 2026-03-25 08:00:00

The Petrochemicals Shock That's Already Rippling Through Plastics (audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=982f5071-765c-403d-969d-ae27003a8d83)

Everyone knows by now that war in Iran is curbing the flow of oil around the world. But oil isn't just a gasoline and jet fuel story, of course. It's also a crucial feedstock for a bunch of petrochemicals, including the building blocks of a variety of plastics. And we're already seeing polyethylene prices start to surge, with some producers in Asia declaring force majeure and curbing their output. So how much of the world's petrochemicals supply is now in danger? And what does it mean for the future of plastics and packaging, which is basically in everything nowadays? On this episode, we're joined by Philip Geurts, chemicals and oil analyst at BloombergNEF, to walk us through the numbers.

Read more:
Oil Crunch Threatens South Korea’s Garbage Bag, Ramen Supply
Israel Says War Isn’t Ending Even as Trump Touts Peace Talks

Only Bloomberg - Business News, Stock Markets, Finance, Breaking & World News subscribers can get the Odd Lots newsletter in their inbox each week, plus unlimited access to the site and app. Subscribe at  bloomberg.com/subscriptions/oddlots

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From A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry at 2026-03-25 04:04:24

Miscellanea: The War in Iran

This post is a set of my observations on the current war in Iran and my thoughts on the broader strategic implications. I am not, of course, an expert on the region nor do I have access to any special information, so I am going to treat that all with a high degree of uncertainty. … Continue reading Miscellanea: The War in Iran →

From The History of Byzantium at 2026-03-24 20:30:10

Episode 346 - What If? (media.mp3)

I tackle your counter factual questions. 

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From Iran: The Latest at 2026-03-24 16:59:16

‘Iran thinks it’s winning’: can US peace talks in Pakistan really end the war? (media.mp3)

After four weeks of war with Iran, is Donald Trump calling it quits? 

The US president claims he is in advanced talks with a highly placed regime insider on a peace deal that would end Iran’s nuclear ambitions, reopen the strait of Hormuz, and give the country’s leadership a reason to make up with the rest of the Middle East. 

Pakistan and Egypt say they have brokered a meeting between US Vice President J D Vance and an Iranian delegation in Islamabad later this week. But who is the mystery Iranian negotiator? Does Iran have any reason to stop fighting now? And if peace is about to break out, why is the Iran war on the battlefield accelerating? 

Meanwhile, amid a bruising war with Israel, Iran’s Lebanese ally Hezbollah is on the brink of total collapse. 

Roland Oliphant is joined by David Blair, the Telegraph’s chief foreign affairs commentator, and Lina Khatib, associate fellow for the Middle East and North Africa programme at Chatham House.

CONTRIBUTORS:

Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant

David Blair, chief foreign affairs commentator @davidblairdt

Lina Khatib, associate fellow Chatham House @LinaKhatibUK

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Trump may have blinked, but his war of necessity will grind on

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/23/iran-war-no-end-in-sight/

Iran now has a clear path to victory

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/24/iran-now-has-a-clear-pathway-to-victory/

Producer: Elliot Lampitt

Executive Producer: Louisa Wells

► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

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Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

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From Biz & IT - Ars Technica at 2026-03-24 12:38:09

Self-propagating malware poisons open source software and wipes Iran-based machines

Development houses: It's time to check your networks for infections.

From Schneier on Security at 2026-03-24 11:03:56

Team Mirai and Democracy

Japan’s election last month and the rise of the country’s newest and most innovative political party, Team Mirai, illustrates the viability of a different way to do politics.

In this model, technology is used to make democratic processes stronger, instead of undermining them. It is harnessed to root out corruption, instead of serving as a cash cow for campaign donations.

Imagine an election where every voter has the opportunity to opine directly to politicians on precisely the issues they care about. They’re not expected to spend hours becoming policy experts. Instead, an ...

From Odd Lots at 2026-03-24 08:00:00

David Shor and Byrne Hobart on the Politics of a White-Collar Wipeout (audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=982f5071-765c-403d-969d-ae27003a8d83)

Nobody knows when or if AI will lead to mass displacement of white-collar work. But the anxiety is clearly here now, and there's very little evidence that our politicians are taking it seriously. Of course, there are at least two questions operating at once here. The first is whether or not AI really poses a significant threat to the existing labor market. And then the second one is about the correct policy response. This was the subject of a recent Odd Lots episode recorded live at SXSW in Austin, Texas. In this conversation, we were joined by David Shor, a political consultant, pollster and founder of Blue Rose Research, as well as Byrne Hobart, the writer of TheDiff newsletter, and a general partner at Anomaly Fund, an early-stage venture capital firm. We discuss the prospects of a labor market disaster, what David's polling says about the public view, and possible policy considerations that could be palatable to both industry and the general public.

Read more:
Fink Says AI Threatens to Leave Masses Behind Unless They Invest
Private Capital Turns to Old Economy as Software Trade Dims

Only http://Bloomberg.com subscribers can get the Odd Lots newsletter in their inbox each week, plus unlimited access to the site and app. Subscribe at  bloomberg.com/subscriptions/oddlots

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From School of War at 2026-03-23 20:43:00

Are We About to Send the Marines Into Iran? With Rich Goldberg and Garrett Exner (CBS2821218668.mp3)

Rich Goldberg, senior advisor at FDD, and Garrett Exner, Executive Director of the Public Interest Fellowship, break down what’s really happening behind the headlines — from covert strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites to the fragile possibility of reopening the Strait of Hormuz. How are the U.S., Israel, and Iran navigating the negotiations, and are there any operational knock-on effects? What are the realities and complexities of potential ground invasions, targeted raids, and covert operations that could shape the next phase of conflict? What are the risks of seizing Kharg Island or launching strikes on Iran’s underground nuclear facilities?  How does the Iranian regime’s use of civilian infrastructure complicate precise strikes, and how do intelligence gaps and political signals influence U.S. decisions? What is the strategic significance of Kharg Island, what are the challenges of amphibious operations along Iran’s long coastline, and what are the odds of a ground campaign in the coming weeks?  ▪️ Times 02:42 Negotiations  09:17 U.S. options      15:35 Ground forces 18:53 M.E.U 25:35 Kharg Island 37:53 Silence on the nuclear program 45:13 JSOC 53:02 Acting with speed Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack

From Iran: The Latest at 2026-03-23 16:52:26

‘A forever mission': US colonel on Trump's Strait of Hormuz quagmire (media.mp3)

Could US Marines seize Kharg Island and reopen the Strait of Hormuz?

President Donald Trump has U-turned on his threat to bomb Iranian energy infrastructure after announcing a five-day moratorium and peace talks underway. But the Strait of Hormuz problem remains. 

Iraq veteran, Ohio State University military historian and former US Colonel Peter Mansoor joins Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant to discuss the hard power options open to Trump, from taking an island in the waterway to invading the mainland coastline. 

He also talks about the option of conducting special raids to seize enriched uranium to hobble Iran’s nuclear programme and explains why the war risks becoming a quagmire for the West akin to what he saw first-hand in Iraq.    

Plus, The Telegraph’s acting defence editor Tom Cotterill explains what we know about the hugely significant Iranian ICBM attack on Britain’s Diego Garcia base and how worried the UK and Europe should be of repeat incidents. 

CONTRIBUTORS:

Venetia Rainey, co-host @venetiarainey

Roland Oliphant, co-host and chief foreign affairs analyst @RolandOliphant

Tom Cotterill, acting Defence Editor @TomCotterillX

Peter Mansoor, chair military history Ohio State University 

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Telegraph View: Britain must do what it can to open the Strait of Hormuz

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/22/britain-must-do-what-it-can-to-open-the-strait-of-hormuz/

Britain ‘defenceless against Iranian missiles’

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/22/britain-defenceless-against-iranian-missiles/

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive Producer: Louisa Wells

► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

► EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk 

► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES:

Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/

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From Schneier on Security at 2026-03-23 11:01:00

Microsoft Xbox One Hacked

It’s an impressive feat, over a decade after the box was released:

Since reset glitching wasn’t possible, Gaasedelen thought some voltage glitching could do the trick. So, instead of tinkering with the system rest pin(s) the hacker targeted the momentary collapse of the CPU voltage rail. This was quite a feat, as Gaasedelen couldn’t ‘see’ into the Xbox One, so had to develop new hardware introspection tools.

Eventually, the Bliss exploit was formulated, where two precise voltage glitches were made to land in succession. One skipped the loop where the ...

From Odd Lots at 2026-03-23 08:00:00

What the Iran War Means for Dubai's Luxury Boom (audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=982f5071-765c-403d-969d-ae27003a8d83)

Dubai has become a huge destination for the rich, with an influx of high-net-worth residents driving up property prices and boosting the UAE's tax revenues in recent years. And of course, Gulf countries more broadly have a lot of oil wealth that they've ploughed into everything from real estate to private credit and tech. But the situation with Iran looks set to test that prosperity. In recent weeks, Iran has been attacking Gulf energy infrastructure and even launched drone strikes on residential areas in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. In this episode, we speak with Hiten Samtani long-time Dubai resident, founder of Ten31 Media, and publisher of The Promote about what's behind Dubai's luxury boom, how Gulf capital has reshaped global finance including private credit, and what life in Dubai feels like amid rising geopolitical risk.

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From The Rest Is History at 2026-03-23 00:05:00

654. The Ku Klux Klan: The Rise of Evil (Part 1) (GLT2601231794.mp3?updated=1774193991)

How did the three iterations of the Ku Klux Klan come into being in 1866, 1915, and the late 1940s? What was the impact of the American Civil War and the Abolition of slavery in 1863 on the rise of this terrifying institution? And, what was the condition of the former slaves in the American South? Join Dominic and Tom as they unfold the history behind the formation of the first Ku Klux Klan, its ideology and structure, and the abominable treatment of freedmen in the Confederacy South, following the American Civil War. This episode is sponsored by Anthropic, the team behind Claude. Try Claude for free today at Claude.ai/restishistory. Advertise with us: Partnerships@goalhanger.com Sign up for our free newsletter at therestishistory.com/newsletter Join The Rest Is History Club: Unlock the full experience of the show – with exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to every series and live show tickets, a members-only newsletter, discounted books from the show, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at the⁠restishistory.com⁠ For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com _______Twitter:@TheRestHistory@holland_tom@dcsandbrookVideo Editors: Jack Meek + Harry Swan Social Producer: Harry BaldenProducers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From Odd Lots at 2026-03-22 12:00:00

Introducing: Leaders with Francine Lacqua (audio.mp3?t=1773430848&skipAds=true&utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=982f5071-765c-403d-969d-ae27003a8d83&accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsImtpZCI6IklnczZMaEpobmtHNjU2NG5BRDJNX0EiLCJ0eXAiOiJKV1QifQ.eyJjbGlwIjoiNTY2Yzk1ZTMtNzAzNi00Mjg4LTg4ODUtYjQwYzAxNDQxNzVlIiwiYWRzIjowLCJleHAiOjE3NzY1NzEyMDB9.AawO7GMrXG1he3IKbxPDMIm--hF02h_O344Ft3orhoU)

What makes a leader successful? Francine Lacqua interviews top CEOs and global industry leaders for candid lessons on leadership, management, and the future of work.

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From The Week in Westminster at 2026-03-21 11:00:00

21/03/2026 (p0n7wgr3.mp3)

Isabel Hardman assesses the Iran conflict, three weeks in, with Labour's Dame Emily Thornberry MP who chairs the Foreign Affairs select committee and the former Conservative deputy Foreign Secretary Sir Andrew Mitchell MP.

The chief executive of the Resolution Foundation, Ruth Curtice and the business journalist and crossbench peer Patience Wheatcroft, who sits on the Lords Economic Affiars Committee discuss rising energy costs caused by the conflict and whether the government should intervene.

Legislators in Scotland and Westminster have been debating assisted dying this week. Labour MP Beccy Cooper is a doctor, who supports assisted dying and Robert Lisvane was Clerk of the House of Commons and now sits as a crossbench peer. Is it inevitable that the bill will run out of time in Westminster?

And the Labour MP Naz Shah told Isabel about her childhood shaped by hardship and injustice within a British Pakistani family in Bradford and her journey to become a parliamentarian.

From More or Less at 2026-03-21 06:00:00

Paul Ehrlich: The man who bet England wouldn’t exist by the year 2000 (p0n7xn09.mp3)

Paul Ehrlich’s bestselling book The Population Bomb opens with an apocalyptic paragraph.

“The battle to feed all of humanity is over,” it states. “In the 1970s and 1980s hundreds of millions of people will starve to death in spite of any crash programs embarked upon now. At this late date nothing can prevent a substantial increase in the world death rate.”

Professor Ehrlich, who died last week, made a simple argument. The global population was outrunning our capacity to produce enough food to feed everyone. Famine, disease and nuclear Armageddon would follow if the population was not controlled.

The book made him a celebrity, and he regularly spoke in public, warning of the imminent threat to humanity.

Sometimes his warnings were quite vague in terms of the timescale, but other times not - he was reported as saying in 1968 that if current trends continued, by the year 2000, the UK would be a “small group of impoverished islands, inhabited by some 70 million hungry people". "If I were a gambler," he was quoted as saying, "I would take even money that England will not exist in the year 2000".

But the UK did not collapse, the global death rate did not increase, and we have more food per person now than when he wrote the book.

So, what went wrong with Paul Ehrlich's predictions of a population apocalypse?

If you’ve seen a number or claim that you think More or Less should look at, email moreorless@bbc.co.uk CONTRIBUTORS

Vincent Geloso, Assistant Professor of economics at George Mason University

Darrell Bricker, global CEO of Ipsos Public Affairs and co-author of Empty Planet, the Shock of Global Population Decline

Peter Alexander, Professor of Global Food Systems at the University of Edinburgh

CREDITS:

Presenter: Charlotte McDonald Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown Sound mix: Dave O’Neil Editor: Richard Vadon

From Odd Lots at 2026-03-21 04:05:00

Here's Why The Iran War Is Prompting A Safe Haven Rethink (audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=982f5071-765c-403d-969d-ae27003a8d83)

Here's Why is Bloomberg’s short explainer podcast, where we take one big news story and break it down in just a few minutes with help from our experts across the newsroom.

We're dropping into your feed with a special episode featuring Joe Weisenthal, who joined us to discuss why the Iran war is prompting a safe haven rethink.

In times of geopolitical turmoil, investors look for somewhere safe to put their money. US President Donald Trump's trade war helped to fuel a record rally for gold in 2025, but the Iran war is pushing investors to shelter in different places.

Like what you hear? Subscribe to the Here’s Why podcast for more quick, expert-driven explainers available via the links below every Friday. 

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• TuneIn
• Wherever you get your podcasts

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From Emperors of Rome at 2026-03-21 00:00:19

How the Tetrarchy Won the East (260322-diocletian05.mp3)

With the tetrarch system still taking shape, Diocletian and his Caesar Galerius come under growing pressure in the East, facing rebellion from Egypt and invasion from the Persian King Naresh. A series of hard campaigns, careful political choices and eventual victory will determine whether this new imperial order can truly secure Rome's frontiers.

Support Emperors of Rome on Patreon: patreon.com/romepodcast

This month's bonus episode on Patreon is with Rhiannon Evans, looking at panegyrics..

Episode CCLIII (253)

Part V of Diocletian

Guest: Professor Caillan Davenport (Centre for Classical Studies, Australian National University)

From Emperors of Rome at 2026-03-20 22:52:24

How the Tetrarchy Won the East (260320-diocletian05.mp3)

With the tetrarch system still taking shape, Diocletian and his Caesar Galerius come under growing pressure in the East, facing rebellion from Egypt and invasion from the Persian King Naresh. A series of hard campaigns, careful political choices and eventual victory will determine whether this new imperial order can truly secure Rome's frontiers.

Support Emperors of Rome on Patreon: patreon.com/romepodcast

This month's bonus episode on Patreon is with Rhiannon Evans, looking at panegyrics..

Episode CCLIII (253)

Part V of Diocletian

Guest: Professor Caillan Davenport (Centre for Classical Studies, Australian National University)

From A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry at 2026-03-20 21:37:51

Gap Week: March 20, 2026

Hey folks! I was traveling this week to give an invited talk at Western Michigan University, so I don’t have a blog post ready for you. That’ll also probably be the case for next week (where I will be at the annual meeting of the Society for Military History), though at least there I will … Continue reading Gap Week: March 20, 2026 →

From School of War at 2026-03-20 21:31:00

Did Trump Miscalculate on Iran? with Niall Ferguson (CBS6497220388.mp3)

Sir Niall Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and columnist at The Free Press, reveals how geography and choke points have always been pivotal in global conflicts and just like the Dardanelles during WWI, today’s hotspots like the Straits of Hormuz and Taiwan remind us that some strategic challenges never change. What exactly are chokepoints and why do they matter? How do the lessons of Gallipoli and Ukraine apply to the war with Iran? How is the current situation different from the Tanker War and WWI? Can naval and air power alone open the Strait of Hormuz and keep it open? Is there a timeline for success? And what does this all mean for U.S. magazine depth, the economy, and China? ▪️ Times 02:49 Gallipoli 11:08 Unintended consequences      18:10 Ukraine 26:22 A failure of perception 31:36 The right call by Trump?  37:34 Regime alteration 47:05 Timeframes 53:33 China Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack

From Schneier on Security at 2026-03-20 21:06:59

Friday Squid Blogging: Jumbo Flying Squid in the South Pacific

The population needs better conservation.

As usual, you can also use this squid post to talk about the security stories in the news that I haven’t covered.

Blog moderation policy.

From Biz & IT - Ars Technica at 2026-03-20 20:50:46

Widely used Trivy scanner compromised in ongoing supply-chain attack

Admins: Sorry to say, but it's likely a rotate-your-secrets kind of weekend.