US intelligence confirms Islamic State's Afghanistan branch behind Iran blasts

"Communications intercepts collected by the United States confirmed that Islamic State’s

(ISIS) Afghanistan-based branch carried out twin bombings in Iran that killed nearly 100 people, two sources familiar with the intelligence told Reuters. ISIS claimed responsibility for the bombings, saying two operatives wearing explosive suicide belts staged the attack during a memorial service for Qassem Soleimani, a senior military commander assassinated in Iraq in a 2020 US drone strike.
The Sunni Muslim militant group, however, did not specify that its Afghanistan-based affiliate, known as ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K), was responsible for the bombings in the southeastern Iranian city of Kerman." MS

Indian warship intercepts vessel in Arabian Sea after hijacking

"An Indian warship intercepted a merchant ship owhich had been hijacked in the Arabian Sea off the Somalian coast. All members of the crew, including 15 Indian nationals, had been

rescued, the Navy said.
The MV Lila Norfolk, a Liberia-flagged bulk carrier that had been boarded by six armed men, had been kept under continuous surveillance since the incident, through a combination of maritime patrol aircraft (MPA), MQ9B predator drones, and helicopters, the military said.
The INS Chennai, a Kolkata class stealth-guided missile destroyer on “anti-piracy” patrol in the region, was diverted towards the hijacked ship after the Navy received a distress call. The attempt at hijacking by the would-be pirates was “probably abandoned” due to a “forceful warning” of intervention, the Navy observed in a post on X (formerly Twitter)." RT

US intelligence officials determined the Chinese spy balloon used a US internet provider to communicate

"Intelligence officials have revealed a Chinese spy balloon that flew across the US for a week

in February used an American internet service provider to communicate.
The balloon had drifted east and entered US airspace over Alaska on 28 January and was tracked as it flew over Malmstrom Air Force base in Montana, where nuclear assets are stored. The report stated that the balloon was connected to a US-based company and communicating with China about its navigation.
It further stated that the connection 'allowed the balloon to send burst transmissions or high-bandwidth collections of data over short periods of time' to its home base in China.
The channel has not released the name of the company." MS

Ukraine Again Targets Crimea & Belgorod In Large-Scale Drone & Missile Attacks

"At a moment the front lines are at a standstill and Ukraine is suffering severe manpower and

ammunition supply woes, its military continues high-risk attacks on Russian territory, including two days of missile and drone launches on Crimea. Russia in return has been unleashing even harsher retaliatory strikes in Ukrainian cities, as it warned it would do.
The Russian military deflected a fresh missile attack on Crimea, having shot down four inbound Ukrainian missiles overnight. The day prior, Russia downed 36 attack drones over the peninsula, a defense ministry statement also said." ZeroHedge