Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen is eager to strengthen relationships with the US by producing more semiconductor chips. The US recently set aside funds specifically to build up domestic manufacturing, but shortages remain a serious problem. Taiwan’s growing relationship with America has angered China, and Ing-wen’s words will certainly be a subtle elbow to the One […]

Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan on Tuesday night despite warnings from both Washing and Beijing. The nature of her trip was so secretive that it was not on her official itinerary. Now, the true nature of her visit is coming to light. “We take this trip at a time when the world faces a […]

Veteran diplomat and former Nobel Peace Prize winner Henry Kissinger is warning Washington to avoid conflict with China over Taiwan. Although Joe Biden said that the US would interfere if China were to invade Taiwan, the White House clarified that the US will respect the One China policy. “The United States should not by subterfuge […]

ASIA: Russia reported that China has announced plans to open six new free zones as an attempt to open up its economy (with external pressure to do so). China also announced that they will expand the existing Shanghai free zone. Spokesperson Gao Feng said, “China has been opening up more sectors of the economy as […]

The West suddenly discovered that Brazil is sitting on one of the most strategic mineral reserves in the world. The Associated Press reports that Brazil has the second-largest known rare-earth reserves behind China, and foreign interests are now rushing into the country as governments desperately attempt to break China’s grip on the supply chain. More […]

The politicians continue to speak about the Strait of Hormuz as though this were merely a regional dispute between Iran and its neighbors. That is complete nonsense. The strait is one of the most important arteries in the global economy, carrying roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas shipments. Brent crude has moved above […]

Saudi Arabia recorded a budget deficit of 125.7 billion riyals, approximately $33.5 billion, in the first quarter of 2026. That is almost as large as the $44 billion deficit the government projected for the entire year. Spending increased by 20% while oil revenue declined by 3%, creating the very contradiction Vision 2030 was intended to […]

The political class watches the price of crude oil and gasoline because that is what appears in the headlines, but the real warning is diesel. The average retail price of diesel in the United States has reached approximately $5.45 per gallon, while the diesel crack spread—the premium of diesel futures over crude oil—has exceeded $100 […]

The United Arab Emirates has suspended all trade, commercial exchanges, and financial transactions with Iran until further notice after accusing Tehran of launching two ballistic missiles toward Emirati waters. Iran has denied responsibility, but that hardly matters once governments enter the cycle of retaliation. UAE-Iran trade has exceeded $28 billion annually, and Dubai has served […]

South Korea has responded to Trump’s decision to reduce joint military exercises by talking about becoming more militarily independent. President Lee Jae Myung wants South Korea to regain wartime operational control of its forces and accelerate its military capabilities. The establishment immediately presents this as though Trump has somehow endangered America by pushing an ally […]