The number of UK jobs supported by defence spending in weapons and ammunition manufacturing rose by 51 per cent in 2024/25, according to new Ministry of Defence figures. The increase came as the number of UK industry jobs supported by Ministry of Defence expenditure rose by 26,000 over the financial year. The North West recorded nearly 4,000 additional direct jobs, while the South East gained more than 3,000. The latest MOD employment estimates show that UK defence supports 462,000 roles across the Armed Forces, industry and the Civil Service. Jobs linked to the manufacture of weapons, ammunition and military fighting…

A blacklisted Chinese technology company has claimed it has developed a “cyber nuclear weapon” capable of finding and exploiting software vulnerabilities. The disclosure has raised fresh concerns over China’s expanding offensive cyber capabilities. Qihoo 360 says it has built an artificial intelligence system approaching the capabilities of Anthropic’s Claude Mythos, the powerful US model that has alarmed Western governments because of its ability to uncover previously unknown flaws in computer systems. The claims come amid warnings from Britain and its allies that China is already using state-linked hackers and commercial technology companies to penetrate foreign governments, telecommunications networks and critical…

The State Department has designated two Iran-based entities accused of collecting intelligence used to target US forces and partner militaries across the Middle East, in the opening move of a sweeping new economic campaign against Tehran. The two entities were sanctioned alongside seven members of Iran’s defence leadership whom Washington accuses of procuring weapons and directing attacks on US service personnel and regional partners. The action was announced on Monday as part of “Operation Economic Outcast”, a whole-of-government pressure campaign launched at President Trump’s direction. The two entities are the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Cyber Electronic Command (IRGC-CEC), the Guards’…

Russia has threatened to attack British factories after the UK gave Ukraine the blueprints to build its own Storm Shadow missiles. Andrei Fedorov, a powerful adviser to Vladimir Putin, said Moscow would not “100 per cent exclude” the possibility of “semi-military action” against manufacturers supplying drone and missile components to Kyiv. Intelligence officials believe that Russia has already launched a fresh wave of covert attacks against European armaments factories. Mr Fedorov’s intervention on Monday escalated the war of words between London and Moscow over British support for Ukraine. Earlier that day, the Kremlin had accused Andy Burnham of “adding fuel…

The Moscow–Pyongyang mutual defense pact has fused two threats into one axis that now threatens Japan. By André Pienaar I have just returned from Tokyo, where Japanese colleagues have experienced more heat than the unusually hot summer weather. Threats from Russia and North Korea, backed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC), converged dangerously for Japan during the month of August. Little of this aggression has been reported or discussed in the Western media. On the fifth of August, Kim Yo Jong threatened “additional military options” over Tokyo’s test-firing of a Tomahawk cruise missile. The next day — the anniversary…

Hackers linked to Iran have been blamed for a cyberattack that forced a small British power facility to shut down for four days, raising concerns over the vulnerability of the UK’s energy infrastructure. The attack took place in July and targeted a small gas-fired “peaker” plant, according to reports. The owner and location of the facility have not been disclosed. The plant had a capacity of about 15 megawatts and was connected to a local electricity distribution network. It was not considered critical to the national grid. The UK has around 300 similar peaker plants, with a combined capacity of…

Britain is allowing classified information on long-range missile technology to be shared with Ukraine, as Kyiv seeks to strengthen its ability to strike deep inside Russian-held territory. The move was immediately condemned by a senior Kremlin official, who described the plan as adding “fuel to the fire” and undermining the prospects for peace. The British government has agreed that defence company MBDA can share classified information on UK components used in the French SCALP long-range missile, an equivalent of Britain’s Storm Shadow cruise missile. The decision emerged as Andy Burnham made his first visit to Kyiv, where he hit back…

Russia launched a major missile and drone attack on Ukraine overnight, killing at least 16 people and injuring more than 40 as Moscow intensifies its aerial campaign while President Volodymyr Zelensky faces growing political turmoil at home. Dozens of ballistic, cruise and hypersonic missiles were launched alongside 168 drones during the attack, which continued for hours primarily targeting Kyiv and the surrounding region. Ukraine’s air force said it intercepted 145 of the 168 drones and most of the cruise missiles. The attack highlights a growing vulnerability in Ukraine’s air defences as stocks of Patriot interceptor missiles run low. Residential buildings,…

The US has charged 17 Iranian nationals over an alleged state-sponsored cyber campaign that targeted hundreds of universities, companies and government bodies and stole more than 31 terabytes of academic data and intellectual property. The defendants are accused of being members of the Mabna Institute, an Iran-based company that US prosecutors say has conducted cyber intrusions since at least 2013 on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), other Iranian government bodies and university clients. A 14-count superseding indictment unsealed in New York alleges that the operation targeted computer systems belonging to 144 universities in the US and 178…

Russia has threatened Britain with “consequences” after reports that British-made drones were used by Ukraine to strike targets deep inside Russian territory. The Russian embassy in London accused the UK of escalating the war after reports that drones manufactured by two British companies had been deployed in Ukraine’s recent long-range attacks. “London’s actions will inevitably carry consequences for which it will have to answer,” the embassy said. “The deeper its involvement in the conflict and the greater its support for Kyiv’s terrorist machinery, the higher the price it will pay.” Prime Minister Andy Burnham rejected the warning on Tuesday and…

By André Pienaar This week, the Russian embassy in London issued a statement of war against the United Kingdom. Responding to reports that British-made drones have been used by Ukraine in long-range strikes against military and industrial targets inside Russia, the embassy declared that London’s actions “will inevitably carry consequences” and that the deeper Britain’s involvement, the higher the price it will pay. Britain, Moscow says, is an “accomplice” and a “co-perpetrator” in the defence of Ukraine. Strip away the diplomatic packaging and the message is unambiguous: Russia regards the United Kingdom as a belligerent, and it intends to act…

The war with Iran and continuing weapons shipments to Ukraine are placing growing pressure on supplies of tungsten, a critical metal used in missiles, ammunition and industrial manufacturing. Tungsten prices have risen as American and European defence companies seek supplies to replace stocks consumed in the conflicts, while China, which dominates global production, maintains tight controls on exports. The shortage differs from disruption to oil, gas, petrochemicals and helium caused by restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz because reopening the waterway would do little to resolve the underlying tungsten supply problem. Tungsten is used in armour-piercing ammunition and…