The Royal Thai Army and U.S. Army initiated “Hanuman Guardian 2026” in Lopburi, involving 2,500 troops. The exercise enhances operational readiness and cooperation, featuring staff training, field exercises, and knowledge exchanges.

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Key Points

• The Royal Thai Army and US Army commenced the joint military exercise “Hanuman Guardian 2026” at Ban Di Lang training area in Lopburi, running from March 9 to March 20, involving about 2,500 personnel (1,500 Thai troops, 1,000 US troops).
• The opening ceremony featured Colonel Chalermkiat Sirisomboon and Colonel Christopher Nunn, emphasizing improved readiness and combined-arms operations to tackle evolving security challenges.
• The exercise comprises a staff exercise for operational planning, a field training exercise simulating combat conditions, and a subject matter expert exchange focused on technical knowledge across various military fields, continuing a program established in 2012.

The Royal Thai Army and the United States Army have launched the joint military exercise “Hanuman Guardian 2026” at the Ban Di Lang training area in the Phatthana Nikhom district, Lopburi province. The exercise runs from March 9 to March 20 and involves about 2,500 personnel, including roughly 1,500 troops from the Royal Thai Army and 1,000 from the United States Army.

The opening ceremony was jointly presided over by Colonel Chalermkiat Sirisomboon, commander of the 112th Infantry Regiment, and Colonel Christopher Nunn, commander of the 1-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the United States Army. The training strengthens combined-arms operations and improves readiness to address evolving security challenges.

The exercise includes three main components. A staff exercise allows officers to practice operational planning and coordination at the regimental and battalion levels. A field training exercise places maneuver and combat support units in simulated operational conditions at the Ban Di Lang training area. A subject matter expert exchange allows personnel to share technical knowledge in fields such as air operations, engineering, explosive ordnance disposal, military working dogs, civil affairs, and intelligence.

Hanuman Guardian originated after discussions at the 7th Pacific Army Chiefs Conference in Singapore in 2011 on expanding training cooperation to address emerging security challenges. The first exercise was held in 2012 at the Infantry Center training area and included operational training as well as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief activities. The program has continued regularly as part of long-standing military cooperation between Thailand and the United States. 

Source : Thailand, US Launch Hanuman Guardian 2026 Military Exercise

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Mumbai: Flows into equity mutual funds resumed in February as investors continued to bet on stocks, shrugging off the uncertainty over the market prospects. Appetite for gold and silver exchange-traded funds (ETFs) – the top draws for investors in January – however, dwindled in February, with gold continuing to see inflows while silver saw redemptions.

Equity schemes garnered ₹25,977 crore, 8% higher than the flows in the previous month. Monthly systematic investment plans (SIPs) contributions fell 4% in February to ₹29,845 crore from January.

“The increase in inflows is a clear signal that investors are increasingly looking long-term and past short-term volatility,” said Varun Gupta, CEO, Groww Mutual Fund.

Gold ETFs recorded net inflows of ₹5,255 crore during the month, a 78% decline from the record ₹24,040 crore seen in January. Silver ETFs registered outflows of ₹826 crore in February after attracting ₹9,463 crore the previous month.

The sharp run-up in gold and silver prices prompted investors to take some profits off the table, resulting in lower inflows in gold and outflows in silver, said analysts.

The total assets under management of mutual funds inched up to ₹81.77 lakh crore in February, compared with ₹80.76 lakh crore in the previous month.

Debt schemes
Debt funds witnessed net inflows of around ₹42,106 crore, primarily driven by the liquid and money market categories.
“February’s debt fund flows highlight a cautious investor approach, with positioning centred around liquidity, carry, and capital stability,” said Nehal Meshram, senior analyst – Manager Research, Morningstar Investment.

Equity schemes
Among equity schemes, flexi-cap funds attracted the highest inflows of ₹6,924 crore in February, but the category witnessed a 10% decline in monthly inflows compared with ₹7,672 crore in January. Large-cap, mid-cap and small-cap funds saw a pick-up in flows.

In contrast, flows into dividend yield and focused funds dropped 56% and 42%, respectively.

Among hybrids, arbitrage funds witnessed an 82% drop in collections in February to ₹591 crore from ₹3,293 crore in the previous month.

Thailand has launched a sweeping energy-saving campaign targeting government operations and public behavior, prompted by global energy market disruptions linked to Middle East tensions.

The initiative includes measures such as reducing electricity consumption in government buildings, promoting the use of public transportation, and encouraging citizens to adopt energy-efficient practices in their daily lives. Authorities are also exploring renewable energy alternatives to reduce dependency on imported fuels, aiming to enhance the nation’s energy security amidst uncertain global conditions.

Key Details:

• Civil servants are ordered to use stairs instead of elevators, work from home, and suspend non-essential overseas trips.
• Air conditioning in government offices must be set to 26–27°C, and formal attire has been replaced with short-sleeved shirts to reduce cooling demand.
• The government is halting energy exports to all countries except Laos and Myanmar, while urging the public to carpool and conserve energy.
• A tariff reduction to 3.88 baht per unit for January–April 2026 has been approved to ease household costs, based on falling LNG prices.

Why It Matters:
These coordinated measures aim to stabilize energy supply, reduce national consumption by up to 20%, and shield citizens from rising costs while ensuring critical infrastructure and military operations remain unaffected.

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“The key driver for introducing a new banknote series is always to increase counterfeit resilience, but it also provides an opportunity to celebrate different aspects of the UK,” said the Bank’s chief cashier, Victoria Cleland, whose signature appears on notes.

It wasn’t pixie dust in the air Tuesday when a backstage chemical reaction at Disneyland sent five cast members to hospitals.

The incident happened Tuesday afternoon when materials being used by a contractor produced a reaction in a backstage area of the Anaheim, California, theme park, a Disneyland spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital. 

According to the Anaheim Fire Department, firefighters responded to a report of an unknown odor in the backstage area near the Star Tours attraction in Tomorrowland around 12:30 p.m. 

The area was evaluated by first responders in hazmat suites. Aerial video from Sky Fox captured authorities responding to the theme park incident.

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Several cast members were treated on site by paramedics and released, according to the park. Five others who experienced dizziness and shortness of breath were taken to nearby hospitals for further evaluation.

Their conditions were not immediately known.

Out of an abundance of caution, adjacent onstage areas were temporarily cleared of guests, the spokesperson said. Those areas were expected to reopen soon.

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Disneyland did not specify what materials were involved or the nature of the reaction. It was also unclear how many employees were in the area at the time.

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The park remained open during the response.

Fire and emergency crews responded. The situation was contained to the backstage area, and no guests were reported to be injured, the park said.

Alphabet Inc. shares advanced modestly in midday trading on March 11, 2026, reflecting continued investor confidence in the tech giant’s aggressive push into artificial intelligence, even as concerns linger over soaring capital expenditures and ongoing regulatory scrutiny.

Alphabet Class A (NASDAQ: GOOGL) opened around $306.84 and traded in a range from a low of $305.57 to a high of $309.51, with shares changing hands near $307.95 to $308.76 in recent updates, up roughly 0.5% to 0.8% from the previous close of $306.36. Volume exceeded 6 million shares by early afternoon, aligning with average levels and underscoring sustained interest in the parent company of Google.

The uptick followed a strong prior session close on March 9 at $306.36, marking a 2.63% gain that outperformed broader market benchmarks. Alphabet’s performance has shown resilience in early 2026, recovering from softer periods amid macroeconomic pressures while benefiting from robust cloud growth and AI advancements. The stock’s 52-week range spans $140.53 to $349.00, with the current price positioned solidly in the upper half after peaking near $349 in early February.

A key driver remains Alphabet’s massive commitment to AI infrastructure. Management guided 2026 capital expenditures between $175 billion and $185 billion, primarily earmarked for data centers, servers and advanced computing to support Gemini models and Google Cloud expansion. The figure represents a significant escalation from prior years, positioning Alphabet at the forefront of the AI race alongside rivals like Microsoft and Amazon. Analysts note that while front-loaded spending raises short-term margin pressure concerns, long-term payoffs in cloud dominance and AI monetization could justify the outlay.

Google Cloud continues to shine as a growth engine. Recent quarterly results showed the segment’s revenue surging 48% year-over-year to $17.7 billion, with operating income more than doubling to $5.3 billion and margins improving to 30.1%. This momentum has bolstered sentiment, as enterprises increasingly adopt Google’s AI tools for productivity and development. YouTube and search advertising also delivered steady contributions, underpinning overall revenue strength.

Alphabet recently initiated a quarterly dividend of $0.21 per share, with an ex-date of March 9 and payment scheduled for March 16. The move, representing an annualized yield around 0.3%, signals confidence in cash flow generation despite elevated investments. The payout ratio remains modest at approximately 7.8%, leaving ample room for reinvestment.

Regulatory headlines persist as a backdrop. The U.S. Department of Justice and states appealed aspects of the 2024 search antitrust ruling, seeking stricter remedies after a judge found monopoly violations but rejected breakup proposals. Alphabet has defended its practices while complying with data-sharing mandates for competitors. In Europe, publishers filed complaints over AI Overviews, alleging unfair content usage, adding to ongoing EU probes. Despite these challenges, markets have largely shrugged off immediate risks, viewing Alphabet’s scale and innovation as protective moats.

Analyst consensus remains constructive. Price targets average around $377 to $385, implying notable upside from current levels, with highs reaching $443 in optimistic scenarios. Firms highlight AI leadership, Waymo’s autonomous driving progress and diversified revenue streams as tailwinds. Some forecasts project 2026 earnings per share near $8.89 and revenue approaching $407 billion, reflecting 18-19% top-line growth.

Institutional activity supports the bullish case. Recent filings showed Capital World Investors increasing its stake, while insider transactions — including CEO Sundar Pichai’s sales — drew attention but align with routine planning. Broader tech sentiment has improved, with megacap peers rebounding from earlier weakness tied to interest rate expectations and geopolitical factors.

Alphabet’s market capitalization hovers near $3.7 trillion, cementing its status among the world’s most valuable companies. The trailing price-to-earnings ratio stands around 28, considered reasonable given growth prospects in cloud and AI compared to historical averages.

As trading progresses, investors monitor upcoming catalysts, including potential AI product updates and quarterly earnings in late April. Alphabet’s ability to translate heavy investments into accelerated revenue and profitability will shape near-term performance. Executives express optimism about the “agentic AI era,” positioning the company to capture a significant share of a projected multi-trillion-dollar opportunity.

Monday’s activity reflects balanced sentiment: enthusiasm for technological edges tempered by awareness of execution risks in a capital-intensive environment. Alphabet’s diversified portfolio — encompassing search, YouTube, Android, cloud and emerging bets like Waymo — provides resilience amid industry shifts.

The company’s trajectory underscores broader themes in tech: massive AI spending as a prerequisite for leadership, balanced against regulatory and competitive pressures. For now, shares trade with measured gains, buoyed by fundamentals that continue to outpace many peers.